Description
These are two different discussion posts.
Post 1: Firstly, I really enjoyed reading this essay, what really captured me from the very beginning was the warm and inviting nature that this essay possessed. I could tell by reading it that Kerry Dirk really wanted to capture her audience, that being students, in a way that would help them easily understand the material and get some enjoyment out of it as well. In the essay she noted that through her research there was a warm, personal style that was prevalent through every essay; the tone was primarily conversational. And more importantly, she noticed that the writer did not talk as an authoritative figure but as a coach. This style of writing is very prevalent throughout the easy, which made it easy to digest while reading. I also appreciated how she started off the essay with Country music, because there may be readers who aren’t familiar with many other types of genres such as music types, and she acknowledged that when she said, “You are probably already familiar with many genres, although you may not know them as such; perhaps your knowledge of genres is limited to types of books, whether mystery, horror, action, etc.”. Genres can be very limiting especially in writing if one isn’t very familiar with many of them, and with this essay it really expands knowledge about what genres are and how to use them effectively. For example, genre is very broad and just the word alone isn’t concrete enough when it comes to grasping it in writing, however Country music is a branch of the music genre that is more tangible. As Kerry said in the essay in reference to using Country songs, “I think that using such references can help you to see, in a quite concrete way, how genres function.”
I think that Dirk has an interesting take on the nature of rhetorical genres. From what I read it seems that she is saying that genres can be very broad and somewhat stifling depending on which genre one chooses to write in. For example, the word genre itself is broad because there are many genres such as music, television, movies, sports, etc. however, sticking to a specific genre can be stifling. As I referenced in my first paragraph, Dirk makes this point in the essay when she says, “I hope to give you an awareness of how genres function by taking what is often quite theoretical in the field of rhetoric and composition and making it a bit more tangible. So why was I talking about country songs? I think that using such references can help you to see, in a quite concrete way, how genres function”. Dirk also expounds on the point of genre being stifling to a certain degree when she says, “Genre used to refer primarily to form, which meant that writing in a particular genre was seen as simply a matter of filling in the blanks”. Basically, it means taking what you think you know about a specific genre and filling in the blanks, for example horror is a branch that stems from the genre of film or television depending on how it’s viewed. So, if I wanted to write about horror, I would take what is already known about horror films and write about it in a rigid view of thinking about genres, I think what Dirk is getting at is that genre doesn’t have to be so black and white. When writing about a particular genre one doesn’t have to stick to a rigid narrow view of what a particular genre maybe known for, for example if I wanted to write about a particular genre of music like rap, I don’t need to stick to what is already known about it such as the vulgar language and over sexuality. I can write about it from a point of artistic expression and creativity. And speaking of artistic expression, film and music are actually two of the genres that I follow closely. Specific examples of these genres would be in terms of film I follow Horror films very closely, because it is my dream to be a horror film director one day, and as far as music I follow Rock music very closely, because it’s the type of music that just always spoke to me. A rhetorical feature in Horror films is that there can be a very rigid narrow way to present it to the public, for example it is widely known that Horror films can be lazily written, unscary, overused jump scares, and overused sex scenes with no meaning. And it can be seen a not a very stimulating form of communication depending on who’s watching, and as far as Rock music it can be not well understood, seen at as demonic believe it or not, or just plain scary. The hallmarks of Horror films are more action than dialogue: Show the audience, don’t tell them, what the characters are afraid of, mounting suspense: Pacing the story and the action to take viewers by surprise, and Jump scares: Sudden loud noises or unexpected images that make viewers jump. The hallmarks of Rock music are Drums and Cymbals. If we are listening to strong sound of drums and cymbals, we can make sure that it is a Rock music, Members. The members are four, drummer, pianist, guitarist and a singer, Bombastic Sound. Bombastic sound is heard when performed, and Guitar. Guitar is so strong and guitar sound is so deep.
And as far as advertisements go there are many important components, especially in genres like music and film, however I think it depends on how it’s being advertised, and what genre is being advertised. If we are speaking broadly then I think the important components in the advertising of genre is marketing for one, who is the audience? I think that’s important because when it comes to marketing you want to know they people you are communicating with. I also think visualization is important, because of the way the human brain processes information, using images to visualize things is easier for an audience to process data depending on what is being communicated to them, also data visualization can identify areas that need attention or improvement. Having a slogan is another important aspect, believe it or not a slogan can make or break and advertisement for any genre. For example, a movie tagline is a short text which serves to clarify an idea for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with the film. I think the contemporary speech or verbal address is important as well, because when it comes to advertising any genre, you want to be careful about the words or phrases that are said as not to alienate anyone. Therefore, it is tough to advertise any genre, because you want to get the idea across to a broad audience as much as possible but considering perfection doesn’t exist it’s hard to do that without saying something that alienates at least one person.
In conclusion I think writing in any genre is hard, and I’m speaking in broad and specific terms. However, that’s the joy in writing, no matter what genre one chooses to write in there is so much to explore within it. Genre itself is so broad because there are so many that it can be hard to focus and gain control on what your writing, that is something that I am experiencing as I write this and as I continue to pursue a career in film. Reading Dirks essay really put things into perspective for me, it made me aware to be more personable in my writings as not to turn readers away from the message. I may even consider branching out to other genres as far as writing goes like romance, suspense, thriller, etc. I normally stick to horror because it’s safe for me, but after reading Dirk’s essay, I know that I don’t have to stick to what’s safe. I took from Dirk’s writing that genres are meant to be explored in writing, this is what I got out of her essay when she said “Now Im going to ask you to stick with me while I show you how knowledge of genres goes far beyond a simple discussion of types. My purposes are to expand your definition of genre (or to introduce you to a definition for the first time) and to help you start thinking about how genres might apply to your own writing endeavors”. I will try my best to apply what she said and use it in my writings, but overall, I learned a lot and I really enjoyed reading her essay.
Post 2: The word genre as defined in the dictionary is a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. Genre categorizes music, movies, and even art culture of many forms. When many are brought to the idea of genre they think of their favorite scary movie and how it falls under the horror category. Another example could be their favorite song by Kendrick Lamar and how it falls under the category of rap. These examples are just the basis of the term genre. Genre also pertains to everyday conversations. When in a situation where you have to further the conversation, genre becomes incorporated without notice. Navigating Genres by Kerry Dirk further introduces many ways genre is incorporated into everyday lives of people.
In Navigating Genres by Kerry Dirk, the author is able to place the idea of genre into many perspectives by starting with common ideas known by humans like Romance movies and Country music. Dirk further explains that genre is something that is just a common basis for artistic compositions such as music. An example from the article that best supports this idea of genre placement, Country songs tend to tell stories I would feel prepared to write some new country lyrics. But what would happen if i wanted to write a country song that didn’t do any of the above things? Would it still be a country song? (1). By making this statement Dirk is able to support his idea that genre is very specified when it comes to the rules that each category follows.
Another point Dirk explains about the nature of Genre is that it is a recurring teaching system. Dirk explains that there are many types of situations that reoccur and the way someone originally responds to a situation of that type sets a guideline for someone else in that situations response. He supports this recurring system by giving an example such as The State of Union Address.Think about George Washington giving the first State of Union Address. Because this genre was completely new, he had complete freedom to pick its form and content. All presidents following him now have these former addresses to help guide their response because the situation is now a recurring one.(3). These ideas further how Dirk believes the nature of rhetorical genres is set as a basis guideline and that there are many different placements of the genre but, they all fall into their own categories no matter their slight differences.
When thinking of Genres two come to mind that I tend to follow close too. One of the genres that I tend to follow close to is rap. In the music style of rap, artists are able to tell a story to their audiences and control the responses they want to receive from their audiences using rhetoric features. Many rap artists create songs based on what is currently going on in the world portraying their side and bringing attention to the event. An example of this is the song by a rap artist that goes by the name Lil Baby. Lil Baby created a song named The Bigger Picture that sheds lights on the current BLM (Black Lives Matter) Movement and his positioning on the topic. In the song Lil Baby states Its bigger than black and white, its a problem with the whole way of life, it cant change overnight, But we gotta start somewhere(Lil Baby). Lil Baby places his views on the BLM movement and how he is in support but he does believe that it starts with everyone and how it is not just one race and the movement is America as a unit. By stating his views and how he feels on the subject sets a situation open to the response of his audience. Some may give him the response he set to receive and others may disagree with his views and give different feedback. The hallmark of this communication type is a message or story through a melody to get the artist’s idea to their audience. Rap is normally through a faster paced poetry style with a catchy chorus line to keep their audience listening again and again.
Another genre that comes to mind when i think of genres i tend to follow close to is Horror. When people think of horror movies they think of screaming and getting super scared which is exactly what producers are looking for when creating this genre of movie. An example of a horror movie that left many on the edge of their seat with no fingernails left was the movie Annabelle: Creation by David F. Sandberg. As known this movie is based on a true story about a doll by the name of Annabelle, but Sandberg is able to take the story of the horrific doll and make it into a fantastic horror movie to scare many across the globe. By using jump scares and sudden loud sounds the director is able to bring the audience into the movie and forsure them to leave them with a good scare. The director is able to place these hallmarks into the movie in order to create the rhetorical genre he wants. Sandberg directs and produces the movies to get the response of screaming and scaring from his audience along with many other horror movies. Hallmarks of horror movies that make them what they are is a scary monster or entity, a group of people, and many jumps and scares followed by loud scary noises.
From a personal perspective there are many important components when it comes to the advertising genre. One of the biggest components is the audience in which the genre is targeting. By identifying the audience in which the genre is targeting they will know how to exactly get the response from them that they are looking for. Another key component for genre advertising is the visual aspect of it. By portraying images to the people you are able to receive a specific response. Great example of the visual advertising genre is the ASPCA (The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The ASPCA uses images of sad animals in dire situations to target the hearts of its audience and encourage them to donate to their cause. Finally, one important aspect of the advertising genre is leaving their audience with something to remember. Many companies follow their advertisements with a catchy saying or slogan to leave their audience with it rolling through their brain. A popular slogan that is known by many is made by the company Geico. Geico’s slogan is fifthteen minutes could save your fifthteen percent or more on car insurance. This catchy slogan known by many keeps the companys name out there and constantly their targeted audience head.
You may be asking yourself what about contemporary speech and verbal address. When it comes to contemporary speech and verbal address you must assess the situation based on old situations or how you want your feedback to be. If you are applying for an interview and you happen to have a friend who wrote an intelligent well worded resume to get the interview, then you would know that you also should follow these steps to success and write a well worded intelligent resume to get the interview. By situations recurring in the world everyday it sets a great standard for humans to predict the response of their actions. This is one of the most important components of contemporary speech and verbal address which is the lesson from recurrence. Another important component of contemporary speech and verbal address is Tone. When using speech and verbal address it’s all in how the message is delivered. An example of this is when you are speaking to your friends you may use slang terms and a louder jokingly tone, rather than when you are speaking to your boss you would have more of a proper more intelligent vocabulary and a professional tone. These components are few of the many that help carry out the ideas of contemporary speech and verbal address.
In Conclusion, genre can be explained way more than what it is defined. Genre is incorporated in our everyday lives heavily and will continue to set humans up for the next conversation that is had or the next song that is created. Being able to identify genre in the world is very important and can allow you to see more insight of what local companies are looking for from their audience or how professional an employee applying for your business is. Knowing all the genres that surround us in the world and using more in depth questioning, do you feel as if everything we do can be placed under some sort of genre?
