Paper 3

Phenomenon: The television show "I am singer" (South Korean)

Context: I am singer is a unique Korean show that features Korea's most talented singers (veteran singers)
They are given a task to sing and compete each other. The show would feature 7 people.
The person that ranks 7th will be eliminated, and new singer would come in.
The 500 audiences in the competition are the ones that will be voting for their 3 best singers.
One of the most veteran singer that was featured in the first competition of the season, known as Kim Kun Mo, was the first one to be eliminated, which gave the nation a shock. This eventually gave a big humiliation to the singer, and the show gave him a second chance to be up on stage, which became a serious issue and the show had to take one month break to settle.

So What Q: How is music supposed to be judged?

Theoretical Framework: McDonalds give two view about culture, High Culture and Mass Culture. Are these singers featuring a high culture? or a mass culture? Is the way of judging unfair when we have a general audience? If so then how can prize be better given to a professional?

 I want to study the fact that Kim Kun Mo had to receive 7th rank in his first competition and what can contribute to creating a culture whereby musicians are judged and awarded fairly.

The Apprentice and John Street

Phenomenon: Donald Trump picks “the apprentice” as the reward for business trials that the candidates must pass. The prize is a one-year, $250,000 starting contract of running one of business magnate of Trump's companies. But why reward them on the media coverage?

Lensing Question: John Street argues that sponsors use prize as a means of generating sales. Sponsors and the prize-makers “design” prize to suit their interest.

Grounds of Comparison: Donald Trump’s show does not merely depict picking up a right worker for his company, but the prize is designed in such way for Trump Organization to gain the media coverage, and be known to the general public.

Main Claim: Street’s claim is that prize is “designed” by sponsors and other stakeholders to suit their interests. I will illustrate how this claim is valid from the Apprentice, where prize becomes an economic incentive to the sponsors. Furthermore, my analysis would take dramatization of prize into consideration, which eventually leads to popularity of the sponsor himself. (YOURE FIRED!)

Comparison with hairspray and John Street

Phenomenon: Tracy, despite her ugly features, exhibits great dance moves and eventually is accepted into the show. Directors and sponsors find her amazing and she becomes official member of the Corny Collin’s show.

Lensing Question: John Street argues that sponsors use prize as a means of generating sales. He claims that some may fail to win despite the judge’s decision. This happens when sponsors do not like the winner or the reason for winning.

Grounds of Comparison: How the sponsor reacts from the appearance of Tracy to finding the maket value of Tracy changes overtime. At first when Tracy does not conform to the social norms of beauty, she’s considered as a product without value. But once she becomes popular by demand, the sponsors’ attitude changes and she becomes valuable to the sponsors. 

Main Claim: In my personal view, Street’s claim of sponsors shaping and creating winner for the sake of sales seem valid from Tracy’s appearance on Corny Collin’s show.

Why the wrong person always wins

From the title itself the author poses a very biased point of view. He criticizes people that he deems to be undeserving of the prize. What he actually does not realize is that there are people who deserve some sort of prize as well. He does bring up a good question though, which is "who actually deserve a prize?" It really depends on what category we bring it up. Just like what he says, even Mussolini and Hitler would deserve a prize at some level... Then it brings me to think that every prize can have its reasons, such as economical and political misusage of prize.

A Reality Show Where Islam Is the Biggest Star

The first thing that came up to my mind was that the author is making an indirect criticism of the show by presenting a picture where the candidates are putting a makeup. It seems like the author is supporting the show by writing how great the show is. However, the flow of the language in the article seems to suggest the similarity with the “American Idol.” By using the image, the similarity seems to be exaggerated, where one may pose a possible question like “why a candidate needs to dress up as if imam is like an idol?”