Contacting my OP-ED Writer

My Original Email to Jessica Bennett:

Hi Ms. Bennett,

I am a junior in high school and in my AP English class we have created blogs. Our assignment was to pick an OP-ED writer and analyze some of their articles. I read through some of your articles and I found them very interesting, and I like your style of writing. Our latest assignment was to pick an article that the OP-ED writer wrote and shape an argument. I read your article, The Problem with Women on Reality TV, http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/11/the-problem-with-women-on-reality-tv.html. I then picked out what I thought was your claim and concession in the article. Then I found supports for your claim and stated whether I agreed or disagreed with the article. The link to my blog is http://paulinecdearing.blogspot.com/ if you would like to check it out. I was wondering if you had any related issues to your article that you would like to share with me, like the women's role in society or how reality television has affected people? Or if you think there are any other articles you have written that you think would help me in learning how to shape an argument? Any advice at all on being an OP-ED writer or any tips you have for students learning to write would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you so much for your time!

Pauline Dearing

Shaping An Argument

The Problem With Women on Reality TV by Jessica Bennett
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/11/the-problem-with-women-on-reality-tv.html

Bennett's claim is "Today's reality entertainment is a lot more like fiction."

Bennett's concession is "None of this is to say that reality TV is not entertaining-because, let's be honest, it is."

Supports for Bennett's claim:

1. "If your main source of knowledge about women came from reality TV, this is how you'd see the world: a place where your mom is a conniving, deceitful gold digger, your sisters and girlfriends vicious and catty."

2. "In the real world, the state of today's women actually looks something like the opposite."

3. "It's worth a laugh, except that the implications of that imagery can be serious, as even the trashiest, most scripted reality show can influence how we see the world."

Support for Bennett's statement that "In the real world, the state of today's women actually looks something like the opposite."

• Fact: 75% of creators, executive producers, writers, and directors on a majority of reality TV shows are men.
• Example: The year the Condoleeza Rice is named national- security advisor (2000) the show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionair? debuts.
• Example: In 2003, as Michelle Kwan and Serena Williams scored record-breaking sports wins, UPN decided to unveil America's Next Top Model.
• Quotes from Jennifer Pozner who wrote the book, Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV.
• Anecdotal story of the disaster of the reality TV show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?

I agree with Bennett's opinion in her article. I do believe that reality television does not always accurately depict real life. Women are often displayed as conniving, ignorant, jealous, and greedy. There are women out there who are exactly like what reality shows portray; however, I believe that the majority of women in the world are not as jealous and ignorant and greedy as these shows claim they are. I also agree with Bennett when she said that reality television can start to affect how we see real life. The different stereotypes of women and men can lead us to be judgmental in our everyday lives. Also, Bennett's concession has some truth to it. While many people condone reality television for being nothing but trash and fiction, those same people can't stop watching it and find it quite entertaining. I myself love watching America's Next Top Model and The Real World, but I don't approve of the behavior of the people on the shows or the cattiness displayed. I think that it's okay for people to enjoy watching reality television, but we can't let it affect how we treat people in real life.