Question: To prepare for this week's discussion, first go to YouTube and watch two videos:

• I Love Lucy chocolate factory

• Dove Evolution

(The above links are current; if they do not work, search for videos using the titles/key terms above.)

Now read "Lucy, You Have Some ‘Splainin' to Do," pp. 326-330 in The Writer's Way.

For this discussion, think about the ways the student author, Nicole Benbow, connects something most of us are familiar with (The I Love Lucy television series) to larger issues concerning perceptions of women in the workplace. Think about how she tries to get us to see the TV series-and the larger issue-in a new way.

In your initial post, write a 75- to 150-word response in which you address the following questions:

• What is the central point/thesis? What evidence does the author give to support this thesis? Is her argument convincing?

• What is your reaction to this essay? Do you find Benbow's argument convincing? Why or why not?

• A good argument needs counterarguments. Can you think of some reasonable opposing views to Benbow's argument?

• Note the unorthodox structure the author employed in writing this essay. She begins with a riddle and solves it at the end. Is this an effective way to write an essay? What other rules does she "break"?

In your responses, reply to each other's posts with ideas and insights of your own. It is okay to agree or disagree with what another student has written as long as you support your points with evidence from the reading.