1. Go to metacritic.com and search for a listing of a movie/TV show, album, book, or video game you've watched, listened to, read or played in the last few years. Scroll down and choose "Read full review" from one of the many publications. Read the review and respond to some of the following questions: Are there any fallacies in the review? If yes, what are they? If no, what are the rhetorical weaknesses? How do they affect your understanding of the subject? Do you think this review does justice to its subject? Is the authorial voice conducive to the target audience? Do you find the review persuasive? Why or why not?
2. In Steven Johnson's latest book Everything Bad Is Good For You, he argues that today's popular culture (specifically television and video games) is making us smarter. The following interview with Johnson in Nerve Magazine sees the author talking about some of his reasoning he has used to reach his conclusions. Are you convinced that popular culture can really have a positive impact on the brain? If so, how might we consider changing our educational system?
3. On January 7, 2006 The New York Timesprofiled Albert Hofmann, the scientist who in the 1930s created the chemical compound lysergic acid diethylamide, more commonly known as the hallucinogenic drug LSD. In the interview, Hofmann explains that the substance has been hijacked by drug traffickers, and subsequently outlawed, and as a result, he believes its potential good uses have gone to waste. What do you think of his argument? Can a drug like LSD be integrated into American society in a safe way?
4. Read this article by author Steven Johnson. Is the answer to our depleting attention spans making more complex computer software to help manage distractions, as Johnson suggests? Or is the answer wholly different?
5. Consider the last argument you had with a loved one, family member or friend. What types of rhetorical strategies did you use to make your point? Was it successful? How did the person you were arguing with counter your argument? What strategies did they use?
6. Visit Al-Jazeera's web site and read one of the front page articles. Discuss the rhetoric of the article and the rhetoric of the news web site's front page. How is it different from Western media web sites? How is it the same?
7. Take a look at the this television ad from the Nov. 25, 1944 edition of The New Yorker. In what ways do the authors of the ad appeal to their audience? Can you think of a more contemporary company that has made a similar pitch?
8. Read this brief article on DRM (Digital Rights Management). Are you persuaded by the author's line of reasoning? Why or why not? After you have read the article, do some research and find an article that takes the other side of the issue, and discuss the other author's approaches the argument.
9. Check out the Newsvine site. Read about the mission of this site and how it is built, then read a few seeded and authored articles. What do you think of the concept of this site? How would you gauge whether or not it is successful? What rhetorical value does a site like this have?
