Unit One Rough Draft Essay

September 23, 2021October 17, 2021 Angelina Estadt Unit One

Essay rough draft (editing currently in progress) is linked in the below Google Doc, so feel free to comment or suggest edits as you please!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17D7enGAjyt5j9CcqM3qJQwRXcJtWhe8XtltZBfmMmxg/edit?usp=sharing

Unit One Essay Rough Outline (+ Thesis)

September 20, 2021September 22, 2021 Angelina Estadt Unit One

These are the two artifacts I will be examining in the essay:

Banned Books

(sourced from https://www.goalexandria.com/banned-books-wanted-posters/)

(sourced from, among many other references, https://www.myconfinedspace.com/2009/12/08/the-comics-code-authority/)

Below is the outline:

Intro paragraph
- Historical context
  - Since I dived into the history of banned books pretty extensively during my speech, this space may summarize or hearken back to that briefly but ultimately focus on the background/history of a sister topic: comicbook censorship, and its connection to the Comics Code Authority (CCA).
  - Should this space be where I put the material of Middle 1 (background of comicbook censorship and CCA)? It could fit here, but it could also serve as a talking point in the main essay body to examine the rhetorical tool of kairos/exigence. Maybe I could put a brief historical overview here and then have a body paragraph dedicated to how that historical context connects and enhances the artifacts’ meanings? Is it worth spending that extra space for this?
- Thesis:
  - Drawing upon Schudson’s ideas and the exigence of differing views on media suppression at the time, the newer Harry Potter wanted poster and the older Code-Approved picture demonstrate the varying aspects of each time period’s ideologies and commonplaces in order to illuminate and encourage particular views of censorship.
Transition from intro to main body
Subsequent/supporting/middle/body paragraphs
- Middle 1 (should this go here or in the historical context for the intro, or both?): more detailed background on comicbook censorship, especially regarding the CCA
  - Kairos/Exigence for COMICS (past/outdated; also future me, make sure to cite sources here): People (mainly parents) had begun to notice an abundance of violence and “inappropriate” activities in comics on shelves, and were not happy about it. Lots of them expressed their displeasure, and before long that sentiment made it all the way to the newspaper. This concern gained attention across the nation. In the middle of the twentieth century, the newly formed CCA provided another (non-government) option for comicbook regulation, enforcing strict rules (for the children) about what creators could and could not have in their works. Many major comicbook companies (Marvel, DC, Archie, etc.) adhered to this code, submitting their comicbook issues for review prior to publishing. If the material was not suitable in the eyes of the CCA, they would reject the material and send it back for revision. If the issue did not carry the CCA seal of approval, many distributors/sellers would refuse to carry them for the wider public to purchase. Largely based off of a film code regulation, the rules for comics generally accepted nothing more than a “G” rating, without a “good criminal” or “gory scene” or “sexual abnormality” in sight.
  - Kairos/Exigence for BOOKS (yearly/ongoing): banned books week (once a year towards the end of September), a widespread event that focuses on informing and highlighting censorship and its repercussions from decades past until present, and how everyday people can pave the way for a better and more welcoming/open/accessible future
- Middle 2(+): Schudson’s Structured Attention, time-based variance of ideologies and/or commonplaces
  - Ideology:
    - For BOOKS (more recent):
      - Dominant/Emerging: there shouldn’t be books/materials that are banned/challenged because accessibility and free expression for all is important, even (and especially) for the uncomfortable topics
      - Residual: there should be books/materials that are banned/challenged because some things are just too horrible or unpleasant or unimportant to talk about, even (and especially) with younger children
    - For COMICS (more in the past, basically the opposite of above):
      - Dominant: there should be books/materials that are banned/challenged because some things are just too horrible or unpleasant or unimportant to talk about, even (and especially) with younger children
      - Emerging: there shouldn’t be books/materials that are banned/challenged because accessibility and free expression for all is important, even (and especially) for the uncomfortable topics
  - Commonplace/Style:
    - For BOOKS (this part is from my speech, so I might reword it so it doesn’t sound like I’m saying the same things over again and instead will be comparing/contrasting it with CCA): Irony of “outdated” within the commonplace: wanted posters display undesirable and perhaps outlawed subjects; we don’t commonly use wanted posters any more, so the “Alexandria” company is stating that we shouldn’t remain complacent in censorship any longer either — instead, we should celebrate our right and freedom to express and have access to any and all information and media
    - For COMICS: it’s almost opposite in mindset. The eye-catching red and smiling children frame censorship as a (falsely) benign and (needlessly) necessary facet of artistic and personal expression in comicbooks.
  - Schudson: mainly Structured Attention with a little bit of Everyday Life
    - This is just an extra little point to mention if there’s space. It’s definitely a factor in both of these artifacts, though may not have as much to discuss or expound upon as the previous two factors.
Transition from main body to conclusion
Concluding paragraph
- Short- or long-term impact of subjects’ message(s) (on audience, cultures, etc.): censorship is yikes, so do engage with media but perhaps do so critically
Works cited (separate page): Don’t forget to cite sources used throughout the essay as a separate works cited (MLA) as the last page!

Unit One Essay Rough Thesis

September 16, 2021September 19, 2021 Angelina Estadt Unit One

Drawing upon Schudson’s ideas and the kairos of differing views on media suppression at the time, the newer Harry Potter wanted poster and the older Code-Approved picture demonstrate the varying aspects of each time period’s ideologies in order to encourage and illuminate particular views of censorship.

Unit One Speech Rough Thesis + Rough Outline

September 13, 2021September 27, 2021 Angelina Estadt Unit One

With my artifacts decided (see previous post, https://sites.psu.edu/rclangelina/2021/09/12/definite-unit-one-artifacts/), it’s time to start thinking about the speech. Specifically, let’s hone in on a very rough thesis and an also very rough outline for my speech about literary censorship via “banned books” (Harry Potter wanted poster).

Banned Books

Intro paragraph
- Historical context (see Kairos/Exigence bullet point below)
- Thesis:
  - Through conflicting ideologies and Schudson’s Structured Attention, the ironic Harry Potter sign plays a satire on the commonplace of traditional and out-of-date wanted posters in order to highlight censorship and its repercussions in the world.
Transition from into to main body
Subsequent/supporting/middle/body paragraphs
- Middle 1: more detailed background on “banned books” and censorship
  - Kairos/Exigence (yearly/ongoing): banned books week (once a year towards the end of September), a widespread event that focuses on informing and highlighting censorship and its repercussions from decades past until present, and how everyday people can pave the way for a better and more welcoming/open/accessible future
- Middle 2: delving into Structured Attention, ideologies, irony
  - Ideology:
    - Dominant/Emerging: there shouldn’t be books/materials that are banned/challenged because accessibility for all is important, even (and especially) for the uncomfortable topics
    - Residual: there should be books/materials that are banned/challenged because some things are just too horrible or unpleasant or unimportant to talk about, even (and especially) with younger children
  - Commonplace: wanted posters display undesirable and perhaps outlawed subjects
    - Irony of “outdated” within the commonplace: we don’t commonly use wanted posters any more, so the “Alexandria” company is stating that we shouldn’t remain complacent in censorship any longer either; instead, we should celebrate our right and freedom to express and have access to any and all information and media
  - Schudson: mainly Structured Attention with a little bit of Everyday Life
Transition from main body to conclusion
Concluding paragraph
- Short- or long-term impact of subjects’ message(s) (on audience, cultures, etc.): censorship is yikes, so do engage with media but do so critically
- Don’t forget to (orally) cite sources used throughout the speech as needed!

Definite Unit One Artifacts

September 12, 2021September 12, 2021 Angelina Estadt Unit One

Phenomenal! At long last, I have arrived at a decision. Maybe not in terms of what I want to do with my life just yet (college and confusion both start with a “c” after all), but rather of my artifacts for the speech and corresponding essay. Small victories, right? I spent some time sitting with my “embarrassment of riches,” thinking about which from each set of artifacts (banned books as well as comicbooks) concerning literary/media censorship would work well together. There are truly a number of artifacts, from physical books to posters to videos, that could fall under that censorship category, though after much deliberation I settled on my choices.

As we know, we’ll be examining one artifact in our speech, then comparing it to a second artifact in our essay. For my speech, I will be focusing on one of the virtual “banned books” posters circa September 2019 from a post by the library management company Alexandria:

Banned Books

(sourced from https://www.goalexandria.com/banned-books-wanted-posters/)

On the other hand, the complementary sister artifact highlights censorship in another medium (comicbooks):

(sourced from, among many other references, https://www.myconfinedspace.com/2009/12/08/the-comics-code-authority/)

(Many) Ideas for Unit One Artifacts

September 9, 2021September 12, 2021 Angelina Estadt Unit One

Hello, readers! I’m going to preface this by admitting that what’s below are ideas, and ideas only. I have a vague idea of what I want to talk and write about and explore, though at this point it is more of a topic or concept than any sort of concrete object or artifact. For Unit One, I know I would like to hone in on censorship, especially in literary media such as books and comicbooks. We know about “banned” books, but many of us might not have heard about the Comics Code Authority (CCA). This (mainly twentieth century and since-defunct) organization, though voluntary, prohibited comicbooks from including many types of “inappropriate” content, ranging from criminal glorification to gore. When I learned about it a while back when I first caught wind of the existence of comicbooks, I thought of it much like a comicbook version of movie ratings — except that anything beyond G or PG would be widely frowned upon by the CCA. Both of these methods of censoring have been mostly eradicated, yet some traces remain. The lasting impact of such media censorship will echo for years to come.

With all of this in mind, let us journey forth into the wide and (maybe not so) wonderful world of censorship! I’m thinking of examining a piece of media from both sides of the coin, with one relating more to books and the other having more to do with comicbooks. As of now, my plan is to expose myself to as many artifacts from both categories as I reasonably can. That way, I can make the best decision for each artifact so they complement both each other as well as my interests. As always, I am open to your ideas and suggestions, so feel free to share your thoughts!

Potential artifact list time (much more than two, so buckle up):

Comics Code Notes