Genre Generators
SCIgen: The “genre generator” creates papers with large, scientific words to suggest a level on intelligence and difficulty. There are numbers in the middle of sentences as footnotes or citations. The numbers are very in-your-face and establish a very clinical tone to the paper because they are simply boxed like so [4]. These number draw your attention and the amount of them suggest that there are many other pieces referenced so this article must be full of information. There are also headings that suggests a methodology to encountering this paper so that it seems more like lab instructions. Also science-y diagram(like molecules) are scattered throughout to help the audience visualize the complex concepts. Overall, this paper reflects a computer science manual.
Comic Strips: The comic strips all included three colorful illustrations that each had a little blurb of dialogue to tell a story. The illustrations caught your attention and should who was talking through a dialogue bubble stemming from the speakers mouth. The each had a beginning, middle, and end but very little plot. Each was short and sweet without using big words or even real life topics just to add comic relief and not to be taken too seriously. The strip format with the story moving from left to right follows the pattern in which people read and the same dimensions of each little frame allowed fluidity in reading the little story.
Memes: Memes are taking images, normally ones that are quite popular, and adding dialogue that the audience knows is not the original context. They are meant to be funny and to the point with the words written directly on the image so that there is attention place on both the picture and the words. Normally the dialogue/words are sassy thoughts or phrases that the character would speak. They are also directed to the audience not to another person because they only feature one character. It is common that the words associated with an image continue the same speech style as the character to have the audience read the sentence in the characters voice and not just as reading a manual. Memes spoof images and create a laugh for their audience.
Regency Romance Plot: Each little plot summary for these romance novels begin with the protagonist, who is also always a female, name. This choice of gender appeals to the largest audience which is women. They describe her story in an extravagant manner to add a whimsically dire tone to each plot. The protagonist normally has some background to her with where she comes from, her age, her job, her personality, features, her challenge, her love…ect. Also, all of these women live in England which was most likely inspired by Jane Austen’s English love stories. The women are also at a prime marrying age, or at least for the 1800’s (around 18-26) suggesting that all of these stories are ending or have some relation to marriage.
Each of these plots has a very distinct tone (whimsically dire) and audience (women) and they fulfill and appeal to both.
By viewing each of these websites, a person can see how specifically different a writing piece can be. I sure no one would use the conventions of the romance plots to write the computer science paper. Just like memes would’t make good romance plots. Each appeals to a certain audience and that is evident just by glancing at them let alone analyzing format, diction, tone/style, and other rhetorical features. Through the assignment, someone can see very distinct types of writing and how they can’t really overlap. This allows a genre to be seen and what makes a genre, conventions, as well because they are unique and repeated in only one of each generator with no crossover between websites. I really enjoyed this activity and I think it could help everyone understand genre.
I loved your overall analysis! You made a really good point that the SCIgen used a lot of scientific words. They do require intelligence because research papers are typically for an educated audience. I also found your point that the comic strips don’t have a plot true. They don’t offer much plot because they are usually too short to provide one, but the main point is to have a funny response anyways. Your extra generator was really unique too! I didn’t even know this existed. Romance novels do generally appeal to women audiences, and you made me realize that the story is usually told through the point of view of the woman! You also introduced me to a new tone: whimsical dire. You’re right that the generators allow us to distinguish each genre and really compare and contrast how different text can be. You really described each genre well, nice attention to the little details.
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PB1A: The SOTU is certainly a distinct genre, and you nailed the goals (many), tone (positive), and general persuasive techniques used by the prez. I like how you listed hypothetical statements (that seemed realistic) that a president might say—it helped strengthen your statements. Just to get you thinking a bit more, this genre is also impacted by who else writes (or helps to write) it, when it’s given within the political cycle/year, how long the avg SOTU runs, and all those specific yet ordinary “Joe in Oklahoma” citizens who get called out and seem to make cameos every year.
PB1B: I’ve got nothing to add. You did a very thorough job here (though I’m not sure why you included the romance novel part…!).
Grade for both PBs: 5/5
PB1A: “Check.”
PB1B: “Check.”
Z