"Love Story"

Discussion Questions:
1. Outline the subject matter of the poem?
Taylor Swift was explaining a “love story” in this song.
2. Why is the poem entitled “Love Story”? Use evidence from the lyrics to support the titles significance and relevance.
The song is entitled “Love Story” because in the song Taylor is explaining a love story in which “Romeo” is coming to take her away so they can be alone and they get a happy ending.
3. Describe the relationship between the two characters. Who are they?
They two characters are named Romeo and Juliet and they are two young people who fell in love and are forbidden to see each other. They have a strong relationship where they love and trust each other very much.
4. What evidence is there to suggest that these lovers have to overcome obstacles in their relationship?
Well in the song she says “And my daddy said stay away from Juliet”. This indicates one obstacle that would have to be overcome for the two lovers to be together… Romeo would have to win over Juliet’s father.
5. What themes and issues are explored in the lyrics and through the video clip?
Well there is the theme of fantasy and the video clip is set in the olden days. Romance is explored in the lyrics and video clip.
6. How does the “Love story” end for Romeo and Juliet in the song? Is this how it ends for the Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Why does Taylor Swift end her song this way? What perspective is she writing from and why would they want the story to end this way?
Taylor ends the story differently to Shakespeare. In Taylor’s version Romeo and Juliet end up together and get married. In Shakespeare version Romeo and Juliet ending up committing suicide and there is no happy ending.

Dear Diary,
It was a great week until today! I had finally found my love of my life and well I was happy.
It all started when I was sitting in my room day dreaming about my beautiful Antwon and all of a sudden my father and mother burst into my room. My mother was crying and holding my fathers arm. My father looked outraged and I was... scared. I stood up anxiously. Father kept on repeating over and over again "WE WILL DISOWN YOU! WE WILL DISOWN YOU! IF YOU DONT STOP SEEING ANTWON!" I was shocked and can you imagine my surprise when fathers firm cold hand slapped me across the face. I fell to the ground and started to cry. How could he do this to me! I knew the tension had been building in our household but he hit me! Father stormed out of the room leaving mother and I in the room. I felt a soft cold hand on my shoulder and when I looked up I found my caring mother standing over me. She took my hand and helped me stand up. I was shaking so I quickly took a seat on my bed. Mother took my hands in hers and sat next to me on the bed. "Karla, you know that your father is very strict". I looked up from my feet to meet my mothers warm eyes.
How could a women so kind and caring be married to my monster of a father?
"Karla, father is serious when he threatens to disown you. Its all I have been hearing for the past week. You have to listen to me because as soon as father makes his mind up I cant do anyhting to stop him. OK,Karla you need to stop all contact with Antwon and his family. Do you understand honey?" Mother said softly. I looked away from her warm eyes and out into the streets. They were so busy. How did my parents expect this from me? I love Antwon! Mother softly turned my face to meet hers " Karla! I love you and I dont want to loose you! Please do it for me!"
I wanted mother out of my room so I said, "Yes mother. I understand."
She stood up gave me a gentle hug and whispered thank you into my ear. She walked out of the room swiftly. I sat on the bed for a while staring at my pillow thinking of a solution. Then I took out my journal and well... Here I am.
What am I to do? I think I should run away with Antwon! But I cant leave mother here by herself under the Taliban laws. What is it about Antwon that they don't like anyway? They don't even know him! The only excuse they have is that his father stole off my father when he first opened his first store.
I...I... have never been so uncertain in my life.
I mean the fact that father even thought of hitting me is absurd! Antwon would never touch me like that!
But I know what I have to do...I have to stay. I cant leave my mother. The only thing I have to do is keep Antwon and I a secret. ITS PEREFCT! Mother and father will never have to know about any of this. We can date in secret... Late nights... Early mornings! Wait till I tell Antwon!

Until next time
Yours truly Karla Xxx

How do film techniques help to develop the audience's understanding of Andy?

Film techniques play a major role in the understanding of Andy's character. Film techniques can change the way the audience portrays the film.

In the movie "Devil Wears Prada" Andy is represented to the audience as a young, hopeful, stubborn women that is looking for a job in journalism. Many people never think of the hours of planning behind achieving the film techniques that makes Andy seem that way. Film techniques help to develop understanding of Andy's character to the audience. For example if Miranda walked into her office and told Andy to get her husband on the phone and the camera angle was eye level it would make Andy and Miranda seem equal, but if the camera angle was tilted up when they filmed Miranda she would seem more powerful and strong. This example shows that Miranda is superior than Andy and this helps the audience to develop their understanding of Andy's character and that is just one example of when film techniques help to develop situations.

Film techniques help to develop the audience's understanding of Andy. Many techniques and tricks are used to control the audiences mood and feelings toward ones character and this is shown through out the movie "Devil Wears Prada".

Femininity in the Past

Femininity is portrayed through out this advertisement as being skinny. The add uses many tricks and techniques to intrigue its target audience (women) and make them purchase their product.

Everything in this add is perfect. The women's hand... Look at her nails, they are perfectly manicured. The way the women holds the glass is portraying women as to be prefect. The add is saying that women should value their weight and be prefect. This advertisement is basically telling women that they want and have to be skinny to fit in and be feminine. They say in the advertisement, "Simply open the can... and you have a nutritionally sound, low- calorie meal ready to drink..." This wording is in a way portraying women as either lazy or busy, and that they have no time to make themselves a healthy and fresh meal or simply can't be bothered. The advertisement uses the words; convenient, safely, delicious, pleasing, appetite satisfaction and nutritional, to trick and intrigue their consumers into purchasing their product. The advertisement is assuming that women are busy and have no time to look after themselves properly.

Femininity is portrayed in this advertisement as being perfect, valuing weight and being busy all of the time. It is portrayed in a negative light and is very stereotypical towards femininity.

Devil Wears Prada Diary Entry!

2. Imagine you are Andy and you have just found out that you are going to Paris instead of Emily. You haven't told her yet.

Dear Diary,
OMG! OMG!What am I going to do? Emily is going to hate me and make my life hell! I just found out that Miranda wants me to come to Paris with her instead of Emily!
Emily has been waiting her whole life for this... I feel so mean, like I have betrayed her. She has been dieting for weeks, trying to fit into her dress. I don't have a choice Miranda will fire me faster than you can say Runway if I don't go, right? Miranda is a heartless monster for doing this to me and Emily! I feel awful. I have to ask myself two things: Do 'I really want this?' and 'Is it worth it?'
My answer to those to questions is yes... OK. I have to remain calm and call Emily... She will understand... Right? OMG! OMG! She wont. Im gonna ruin her life! OK, I HAVE TO STOP FREAKING OUT! CALM! CALM!
I want this, I want this, I want this, I want this, I want this, I want this.

Bye for now and wish me luck,
Andy

RING RING! DON'T PICK UP, DON'T PICK UP, DON'T PICK UP. "Hello Emily..."

1. Imagine you are Emily and you have just found out that Andy is going to Paris instead of you.

Dear Diary,
How could she do this to me?
I feel so betrayed. WEEKS! WEEKS! I tell you I have been on a freaking diet! I would not eat anything until I was about to faint and then I would eat a cube of chesse. You know that diet ended when she told me she was going to Paris. I was so upset that, that... Don't tell any one but I ATE CARBS AND CHOCOLATE! Do you see what she did to me! She made me fat! I probably put everything back on that I lost with in 5 minutes! She does not even deserve to go! She eats CARBS all the time! Its not fair! I have been here at this company longer than her and she comes in might I add not even caring about fashion and rips everything away from me that I have been working towards for years! There are two words that describes Andy and it is 'CONTROLING BITCH'!
I will never forgive her for what she has done to me and how could Miranda have done this to me? Does she not know how things run? The first assistant is suppose to go to Paris not the second! Doesn't Miranda know that? EVERYONE KNOWS THAT! EVEN ANDY KNEW THAT BUT SHE STILL DECIDED TO TAKE MY JOB AND STAB ME IN THE BACK!

Emily

"How women are represented in Cosmopolitan's '23 ways to fake your weight'."

In Cosmopolitan's article "23 ways to fake your weight" women are represented as people who hide themselves and deceive the human eye to thinking that they look different then they really are.

Women are advised in the article 23 ways to trick people into thinking they are thin and the stereotypical female... Perfect. They are told how to distract people away from their "faults" and focus on their "best" features. Women are taught how to style their hair and what to wear in this article in the attempt to be the stereotypical "perfect" female... Thin, pretty, tall and well dressed. Women are taught how to appear taller and slimer with many techniques. This is very disrespectful towards women. They are saying that women are not perfect and need to change to look what society thinks is perfect and how society thinks everyone should look.

It is unfair towards women because not everyone can look like the models on magazines... Most of the time models don't even look like themselves on the front of the magazines. Society has crazy expectations of women in todays time and some of these expectations are unattainable and society has to except that.

How are women represented in "Gold Digger"?

It is very disrespectful how Kanye West represents women in his lyrics and video clip of "Gold Digger". Women in "Gold Digger" are shown in a negative light, they are shown as objects and people who can't be trusted.

Kayne West uses lyrics to show women as gold diggers. Kanye West sang, "18 years, 18 years. And on her 18th birthday he found out it wasn't his" (Verse 2) Kanye West is saying that the mother of the child was pretending that he was the father to get money off him. This shows women to society as gold diggers who lie to get money. This is very disrespectful to women. Kanye West also sang, "If you ant no punk holla we want prenup. WE WANT PRENUP! Yeah. It's something that you need to have. 'Cause when she leave yo ass she gone leave with half'" (Verse 2) Kanye West is saying that women marry you for your money and then take advantage of you and divorce you "leaving with half" of your money. This is showing women in a very negative light too. Kayne also sings, "She went to the doctor got lypo with your money. She walking around looking like Michael with your money" (Verse 2) Kayne is saying that women spend all of the money they are given by men and others on themselves, trying to stay young. This is very disrespectful.

The way Kanye West portrays women in his song "Gold Digger" is horrible and unfair. He is saying that all women can't be trusted with money and take advantage of men, when we all know this is not true.