Hidden Intelligence vs. Hidden Satire When writing their essays, Gerald Graff and Antonia Peacocke both look at the intellectual side of topics not commonly thought to require a high level of intelligence. Graff refers to multiple nontraditional subjects like sports, cars, and fashion, while Peacocke focuses only on the TV show, Family Guy. Both of the articles express the idea that things at first glance may not seem to have an intellectual aspect, but as they are further analyzed, the content can have a deeper meaning than ever imagined. In Gerald Graff’s essay, “Hidden Intellectualism,” he discusses the basic “street smart” verses the “book smart” individual in the academic world. He begins by saying that people with “street smarts” are not considered intellectual in a typical academic setting because they …show more content…
They both believe that intelligent aspects can be pulled from or seen in subjects that are not traditionally thought to involve intelligence. According to Graff, “Making students’ nonacademic interests an object of academic study is useful…” (386). Here one sees that he believes having personal interests as a choice of study can have benefits if they are examined properly. He also believes that any subject has the potential to be intellectual, and Antonia Peacocke writes to this same effect when arguing that Family Guy, in a way, enhances ones intelligence. The average viewer may see the show on the surface as controversial with its brand of comedy, but according to Peacocke, “[T]hose who pay more attention and think about the creator’s intentions can see that Family Guy intellectually satirizes some aspects of American culture” (303). In other words, if one watches the show with an open mind and they try to understand the underlying comedy, rather than just focusing on the satire, they can actually learn a lot about the events happening in today’s
Having never taken a college writing course before, I did not know what to expect and therefore assumed that I would choose my own topic to write about; of course, this isn’t the case. However, if I had the choice, I would not have chosen to write a response to Gerald Graff’s “Hidden Intellectualism”. After going through his essay with a fine-tooth comb, I have found a few flaws in his reasoning. Gerald Graff believes that schools and colleges are not taking advantage of “street smarts” by not using them in an intellectual setting when in fact, schools are providing students with a large assortment of other knowledge and skills. In Graff’s essay “Hidden Intellectualism”, he argues for the importance of changing school curriculums in order to better reflect the interests
Television programs often retain an aspect of reality in order to relate to the audience and commentate on social issues. Although both The Goldbergs and The Twilight Zone address controversial issues such as gender roles, insanity, and ethnic stereotypes, genre differentiates their approach and their audiences’ receptiveness to change. Whereas The Goldbergs, an ethnic sitcom, addresses the external world using comedic relief, The Twilight Zone, a science fiction program, delves into the human mind using imagination. Despite their common efforts to direct social change, the programs are inverse images of one another, and The Twilight Zone’s genre structure allows it to resonate more with the audience. From 1949 to 1956, The Goldbergs dominated television as the first televised sitcom.
To conclude the essay: Chris Lilley uses satirical devices such as: irony, sarcasm, stereotypes, hyperbole and juxtaposition to portray the characters correctly in the context of the show for entertainment. Although the show is to only to really make fun of the ridiculous stereotypes, it does arise some serious topics in todays society. His 3 main characters: Jonah, Ja’mie and Mr G were written with certain satirical elements to help him bring across an indirect point that it doesn 't matter what education system you are in, because it doesn 't necessarily shape the
Of all the comedic minds to grace the world with their witty and astute observations on life, George Carlin stands as one of the most prolific of all time. With his sledgehammer wit, mastery of the English language, and brash cynicism, he carved himself a legacy not only as a comedian without peer, but as a man who transcended his profession and became more than someone who told jokes: A shockingly precise philosopher whose unique vision of life he shared with the world. With his sharp attacks on taboo institutions such as religion, politics, and American culture, Carlin provided a megaphone for the counterculture, and did so in a way that was accessible to anyone with a love for critical thought. Last Words, his posthumous memoir, follows
In Gerald Graff 's essay “Hidden Intellectualism” starts of by talking about the stereotype of being so called “street smart” and and being “book smart” and how in school when you see someone who is street smart but doesn’t do go in school get a bad wrap. People look at them as a waste because they can’t apply there intelligences that they have and use it towards school, so people view them as not the right kind of smart because they are not a A student in school. Graff then goes on to say that maybe it is not the students that are the problem with how they do in school but maybe it is the school that have missed or overlooked the intellectual potential that kids with street smarts have. Graff also says that we only view the educated minds through schooling as the right way and schools and colleges look at kids who do not like school and don’t do well as anti-intellectual people.
“Intelligence is closely associated with formal education- the type of schooling a person has, how much and how long- and most people seem to move comfortably from that notion to a belief that work requiring less schooling requires less intelligence” (Rose). What Rose is trying to infer is that just because you are labeled blue collar: meaning you have to earn your income from manual labor, and have lack of educational knowledge, does not mean you cannot earn the knowledge in your work career. There are many opportunities to learn from your job even if you are less experienced. “...One who is so intelligent about so many things in life seems unable to apply that intelligence to academic work.
“Hidden Intellectualism,” by Gerald Graff starts off with an older argument between being book smart and street smart. Throughout the reading, Graff uses his own life experiences to critique the education system today. Points made focus on the idea of overlooking the intellectual potential of those who come across as being, “street smart”. Different authors cited in the reading to show how to accept another’s different intellectual. However, we realize that people who come across as being intellectual weren’t always labeled as that.
The reading "Hidden Intellectualism" by Gerald Graff reflects views on being "street smart" and "book smart." He explains that society tends to associate people who are intelligent on solely being "book smart" and performing well in academics, rather than being street smart. He goes on to further explain that students perhaps can be intelligent on topics that interest them. Graff opens up the reading by giving his own personal experience on feeling torn between trying to prove that he was smart yet fearing that he was overdoing it. He was trying to prove that he learned just as much about the real world by reading his sports books and magazines as he would have if he had read the classic works of literature like most students in school.
The show strives to expose all the preconceived notions and beliefs society has put in place and mocks ALL stereotypes. The show portrays both low and high culture in general and makes fun of them, but at the same time does not encourage it. Most people who watch Family Guy can relate strongly. That’s because the show acts like a mirror and we the audience are forced to take a look at ourselves, but at the same time providing amusement and humor for the reflection.
Television situational comedies have the ability to represent different values or concerns of their audience, these values often change every decade or so to reflect and highlight the changes that the audience is experiencing within society, at the time of production. Between the years of 1950 and 2010, the representation of gender roles and family structure has been addressed and featured in various sitcoms, such as “Father Knows Best” and “Modern Family”, through the use of narrative conventions, symbolic, audio and technical codes. These representations have transformed over time to reflect the changes in social, political, and historical contexts. The 1950’s sitcom “Father Knows Best” traditionally represents the values of gender roles and family structure in a 1950’society, with the father, held high as the breadwinner of the family and the mother as the sole homemaker.
Intellectualism is the factor of being intellect or intelligent. The idea of what it means to be educated can be interpreted many different ways by different people. Some think it’s having a 4.0 and going to Harvard, while others believe in the idea of having common sense. In the essay, “Hidden Intellectualism,” Gerald Graff reflects how lack of education is viewed negatively in society. On top of that, a question also lies what it means to educated.
Penrod’s argument may have several flaws, but overall it is effective because the reading he uses a few appeals throughout; however, not all of his appeals are trustworthy or objective at times, his appeals are still effective through the use of supporting sources, clear-cut thesis, and thought-provoking statements. Penrod claims that popular events are getting more recognition than needed compared to the intellectuals. From a personal perspective, this presents that there are still anti-intellectuals out there. According to a commentary by the screen name of “ArCaNe,” “Man how I hate nerds… if I ever had a tommygun with me… I would most probably blow each one of their… heads off.” In other words, the commentary has hatred towards intelligent individuals improving the point of anti-intellectualism.
Final Draft We all have stories and memories tied to songs that have become a part of who are. Remember the violins playing in the background while watching a sad movie or the song that helped you through difficult times or the song you and your friends sang while attending a concert? Whether it’s on the television, the radio, in a movie, in the car, or at a sporting event, music is everywhere. Feeling the rhythm of music brings us so much joy and excitement but playing musical instrument is even more fulfilling because it has many benefits.
I am also better able to see that deep down, the show produces positive messages about family, relationships, risk-taking, and self-discovery. In essence, the environment of Family Guy is existential, where characters have the ability to make extreme choices; this allows episodes
Dr. Howard Gardner has developed the theory of multiple intelligences (MI) by the research in developmental and neuropsychology which began in the early 1970s. MI theory is based on the belief that human beings posses a complex set of abilities beyond what is measured through traditional Intelligence Quotient (IQ).The theory was first published in his book “Frames of Mind” in 1983. According to Conti (2016, p.1) “This theory views human intelligence as a complex web of abilities that are evident in one 's products and preferences for learning.” Gardner (1995) reported that his concept of intelligences is a derivative of accumulating knowledge about the human brain and human cultures, not based on the result of deduced definitions or of factor