Unit I: Let’s Get Ready to Rhetoric!
Project One: Rhetorical Analysis of a Performer/Storyline
In this project, you will perform an extended analysis (2-4 pages) of the rhetorical strategies used to create either a particular wrestling persona, or to develop a particular wrestling storyline. Write this as if it were an article for publication on a thoughtful smarky website or online magazine/blog that performs cultural criticism (think longform Buzzfeed, Slate, Vice, or Sports Illustrated). We’ve read and will read more pieces that fall into this genre.
Your essay should focus less on presenting the biography of the wrestler, and more on the rhetorical choicesthat the performer makes in creating that persona and “getting over” (or failing to). Pay attention to what role the performer is striving to take on. Pay attention to the language and iconography the performer uses. Think about who the specific audience is. Yes, the audience is wrestling fandom, but what part of it? Who is the performer referencing? Who is the performer emulating or seeming to criticize? Does the performer follow a familiar pattern and make effective use of tradition, or does the performer provide something groundbreaking or a revision of an old idea? How does the performer play with audience expectations? How does the performer use particular moves or postures in the ring or outside of it to convey their stance?
This essay should also incorporate as much of the shared rhetorical and wrestling vocabulary as is possible and relevant for your analysis. Remember: you are attempting to demonstrate not just your knowledge of this particular performer, but your understanding of rhetorical principles.
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Concise description of persona/storyline
Briefly summarize the major elements of the persona/storyline.
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Analysis of the performer(s) ethos
Who is/are the performer(s)? Are they heels? Are they faces? Are they neither? Is there something more going on? How are the performers attempting to move the audience? What do they want the audience to feel or to do?
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Analysis of the performer(s) primary audience
Who is/are the performer(s) appealing to, specifically? What traditions are being invoked, rejected, or revised? How do they engage this audience? Identify and evaluate the effectiveness.
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Analysis of major rhetorical strategies in the ring
What does the performer perform in the ring, through physical action, movement, costume, or language to convey the character and move the audience? Identify and evaluate the effectiveness.
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Analysis of major rhetorical strategies outside the ring
What does the performer do/display/say/publish/sell outside of the ring to effectively create the character and move the audience? Identify and evaluate the effectiveness.
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Citations
Give credit to your sources. You can default to MLA style, but if there is a style you would prefer to use that is OK if you get my approval.
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Mechanics and Stye
Proofread your work. This is a less-formal writing style than a formal paper, but it should be a polished draft.
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Total Points: 100.0
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Unit II: Performing Culture
Project Two: Rhetorical Analysis with a Cultural Lens
In this project, you will perform an extended analysis (4-5 pages) of the way a particular culture or cultural element or cultural critique is performed in the world of wrestling. This project asks you to consider matters of identity construction and performance in everyday life as well as in the ring/on the stage. Like Project One, this is a rhetorical analysis. This time, however, you will choose one of the critical “lenses” we have talked about in class to examine the way gender, ethnicity, class, or other identities are rhetorically performed in the ring and expected in the business. This project should consider wrestling both as a mirror and as a generator of larger culture. For this paper, you will choose one identity or lens to apply to a particular performer, storyline, or moment in the ring.
Write this as if it were an article for publication on a thoughtful smarky website or online magazine/blog that performs cultural criticism (think longform Buzzfeed, Slate, Vice, or Sports Illustrated). We’ve read and will read more pieces that fall into this genre.
This essay should also incorporate as much of the shared rhetorical and wrestling vocabulary as is possible and relevant for your analysis. Remember: you are attempting to demonstrate not just your knowledge of this particular issue as portrayed in wrestling, but your understanding of rhetorical principles.
Project Two Rubric
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Identifying a Specific Cultural/Identity Performance
Identify an instance of a cultural identity being performed in wrestling (in and/or out of the ring). Choose one of the lenses we’ve looked at in class (race, class, gender, to name a few), or suggest a different identity. The point is to choose something specific, and to argue that this identity *is* being *performed*.
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Description of Specific Manifestations
Give concrete descriptions of the way this cultural identity manifests in the persona or performances in wrestling. This means giving specific examples of promos, storylines, matches, moves, ads, tweets, or interviews. Be concise–choose wisely. But be as concrete and specific as possible (show us, rather than telling us or just referring us).
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Analysis of Multimodal Rhetoric
Here, practice analyzing your evidence using all of the modalities we have discussed in class. Identify which modalities are used most prominently, and consider the rhetorical effect of emphasizing those modalities.
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Connection to Broader Culture
What’s the connection to the culture around that identity in broader culture? Do you see this identity appearing or being performed in other media or in life? The focus of this paper is the world of wrestling, but it is important to ground or connect the identity to things we find outside of the ring. Is the performance in the ring a reinforcement of certain ideas, or a challenge to them?
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Questions or Problems Raised by the Performance
What does this performance of this identity mean, suggest, question, or challenge? Does this performance reinforce certain norms? Are there any problems or complications to doing so? Does this performance challenge norms or make new suggestions? Are there any problems or complications to doing that?
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Citations
Give credit to your sources. You can default to MLA style, but if there is a style you would prefer to use that is OK if you get my approval.
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Mechanics and Style
Proofread your work. This is a less-formal writing style than a formal paper, but it should be a polished draft.
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Total Points: 100.0
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Unit III: Breaking Kayfabe
Project Three: Researched Argument about Wrestling and the World
Wrestling performance is not limited to the ring. The rhetorical choices used in marketing, promoting, broadcasting, and analyzing the business also make up part of the construction of wrestling’s world. In this unit, we will look at the strategies and practices used to construct and maintain the idea of wrestling as character-driven sport, as well as the way the language and tropes of wrestling have entered into broader social discussions, media practices, journalism, and even politics.
Project Three Article: A persuasive researched argument about either
- a specific rhetorical strategy used to build or promote the industry of professional wrestling
- about an instance of wrestling’s language or practices influencing the world outside of wrestling.
Another option…
A few of you have expressed interest in wrestlers, storylines, and themes that emerge as wrestlers from the lucha libre tradition became popular in the United States. Luchadores, though, have also played an important role in other parts of Mexican popular culture, and here at UT, the Benson Latin American Archive has an extensive collection of promotional materials from twentieth century Mexican cinema, including a lot of materials of luchadores en cine. If this is something that is of interest to you and that you’d like to explore further, you might be interested in doing a little archival research.
This project would involve visiting the archive, writing a short research narrative of the process, and choosing a specific artifact to describe and perform a rhetorical analysis of. This project would also ask you to do a little research into the performer, film, and genre you are featuring, to provide some historical context.
This option is going to be for a limited number of students, so, if this is an option that interests you, it is your job to let me know in advance so we can talk further about how to proceed!
Project Three Rubric
Final Creative Project
In the final project, you will get a chance to put the deeper understanding of rhetoric, performance, and rhetorical strategies to use in a more creative form. You will have a choice of what to create: options will include the following:
- Create a Rhetorical Wrestler. In other words, create a persona.
- Create a themed platform for critique and commentary
- A visual explainer of a concept or argument you worked with in text earlier in the semester
This project will require you to employ visual rhetoric, and to produce both a product that persuades through engaging the audience, in a form that extends beyond the medium of written text. This product could take the form of a podcast, YouTube channel, blog, photo essay, or media packet introducing a new character.
The assignment will also require a brief written component, explaining the rhetorical choices involved in creating the final product. This project will be shared with the class during the last week of the semester. You will also have the opportunity to work in small, collaborative groups to create their final product, if you so choose. Speak to me first.
Final Project Rubric
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Clear development of concept /persona
Choose a persona to develop (if you would like to work with a mode of criticism or commentary, instead, please let me know so we can tweak this for you). This persona should represent a concept or an identity, and should be able to perform it. The persona you present can (and should!) be as complex as you can make it, but it should be a distinctive character whose performance is consistent.
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Exigence, Kairos, Audience
Give consideration for the exigence of this persona’s creation in this moment, for a particular audience. Who is responding to this persona, now? What has made this persona the right performance for the right time?
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Consideration of multi-modal rhetorical performance
How will this wrestler/performer engage with or perform the conventions of wrestling? What rhetorical strategies will they/their team employ? Things to consider: * costume creation * logo/merchandise * entrance music * catchphrases * allies or entourages (if any) * signature moves and finishers (at least the names) *storylines * and more Consider what this character’s ethos will be, and how that will be performed through wrestling’s conventions. Consider what other appeals this character might rely on, as well.
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Engagement strategy
How will your wrestler engage with the audience, the “universe,” and the business of wrestling? Is your wrestler one who interacts directly with fans, or are they hard to reach? Which promotion(s) do they work for? On what programs, or what kind of programs, do they appear? Do they affiliate themselves with any particular campaigns or other organizations? How does this bolster their ethos?
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Presentation
On the last day of class, you will give a 5-minute presentation of your rhetorical wrestler. This is not a lot of time to present all of this information! So, you will want to think multi-modally. How can you *show* the class your character, in a nutshell, so they can experience the multi-modality of the persona and get a sense for the way the performer will go over. You may present in as many modalities as are appropriate, but your presentation must contain a visual element. This can take the form most appropriate to your particular performer and presentation. A PowerPoint or Piktochart will work, but so will a video, or a well-designed physical or digital poster. I am open to other modes of presentation, as well. Make me an offer.
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Citations
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Mechanics and style
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Total Points: 100.0
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