Genre Generators PB1B

            At first, I had no idea what this whole “genre-generator” thing was. I thought each site would create different genres within themselves, but with further experimentation I soon realized that each site created its own specific genres. Each genre that was created in the sites had very specific conventions. Each convention allowed the viewer to fully assess the type of genre being displayed in front of them.

            The first genre generator was SCIgen, a computer science research paper generator. As soon as a paper was generated it was apparent that this was some type of formal academic text. This site in my opinion was full of conventions. The visual layout and structure of each generated paper was extremely similar. The text font and sizes all matched up, the headings, the different layers, the main difference was the content. Each article displayed a boldfaced heading along with multiple bold sub headings. Every paper contained a table of contents, an intro, related works, references, and a section called “abstract” to start it out. The papers all contained a heavy amount of academic vocabulary and didactic phrasing. Honestly, a lot of the writing in the papers hardly make any sense. It is as though a bunch of different paragraphs were pasted together that don’t entirely talk about the same subjects. At the front of the website however, there is a bit of a disclaimer that states that the papers are more for “amusement, rather than coherence”. Another convention seen throughout the papers are a series of many different figures. The figures can either be graphs, tables, or regular drawings. They also do not seem completely coherent to the whole work of the paper. Overall, one of the key conventions for the SCIgen computer science paper generator is the random incoherent pasting together of scientific knowledge.

            The Pandyland comic generator was a total blast to experiment with. Again, I noticed the total random nature of the comics. Some pictures placed together made sense and worked perfectly well together, while others made absolutely no sense together. The comic strips had me laughing literally out loud at a few moments. Some of the main conventions I noticed which really made the comic strips, well comic strips, were the drawings, the text, and the humor. Of course the comic, like most, was a series of three drawings and contained a very minimal amount of actual text. The drawing and the words complemented themselves very well however. The drawing served as a visual representation of the words. Conventionally, the comic was humorous with traditional poop jokes, penis jokes, harsh language, and moments where the reader would simply ask “what the fuck was that?”  The comics were very fun to read and experiment with. The conventions present allowed me to realize that the comics were comics, no matter how strange or disturbing the images became.

            Lastly was the fun and pretty hip meme generator. I am a big fan of memes, so I was excited to see what this site had in store. I had a lot of fun experimenting with this site and most likely explored it the most out of the three. Memes have pretty basic conventions. They are based mainly on a picture and a few words. Out of the past two genres I would say the meme is the easiest to create. All one needs is a picture and a clever set of words to go with it. Normally half the words are written on the top part of the picture and the other half on the bottom. The fonts and sizes of the words on the top and bottom of the picture are also usually different. Another convention is that the words are based off of the picture. The picture is used to show a visual for the particular emotion or situation presented in the text. They can be read either text first, then see the picture, or picture then text. Memes are a very unique art. I did more exploring and found another meme generating site entitled: https://imgflip.com/i/1841a  The memes on this site also contained all the conventions of the memes on the first meme generating site. Nowadays one can keep calm and find memes everywhere.

            What is happening in these websites can help someone better understand genre by displaying the main differences of each genre through their very different conventions. The websites give a visual of different genre types and make it very clear to the viewer how different each genre actually is. By picking up on the conventions of each genre the viewer can see what makes one genre what it is, while something else is a completely different genre. The way each genre is presented on each site makes it very easy for the viewer to identify the key conventions which make each genre, that genre. 

Link to other meme site: https://imgflip.com/i/1841a

PB1A "Apparently"

Rap music is one of my favorite genres. Textually speaking, the lyrics of the rap songs contain many rhetorical features and conventions. Behind many of the catchy beats and hooks there lies real meaning and heart to the lyrics of a rap song. Now this does not include the modern day “pop rap” or “club rap” that is essentially one layered. The rap I am writing about includes artists like Kendrick Lamar, Tupac, Logic, Notorious B.I.G., G-Eazy, and J. Cole. I will be using lyrics from J. Cole’s song “Apparently” to describe the different rhetorical features and conventions of a rap song.

            The audience for most rap lyrics varies upon the artist. Most rap songs are directed to anyone who wants to listen. This is the case for J. Cole’s lyrics in the song “Apparently”. He wants people to listen, this doesn’t mean to just hear the lyrics, but to actually listen to them and pay attention. Cole talks about his struggles growing up and directs this to an audience who grew up with many misfortunes like himself. However, these lyrics are aimed at the more fortunate as well so they can gain an understanding of other people’s struggles. Cole’s purpose for this song is to supply entertainment, purge, and give listeners insight. He is attempting to place great meaning and purpose in his songs, while making them still enjoyable to hear. Throughout the song one gets a sense that Cole is purging and letting his emotions free, this is as much of a help to him as it is for the listener. By placing his thoughts and struggles out into the world in the form of rap lyrics, Cole is easing the mind of some listeners. They may be going through his same struggles, feel how he does, or gain insight and understanding into real struggles that they could never fathom which would also help them to establish their own identity.

            The context of the lyrics in “Apparently” is not completely important. The main context for the song is the album it is in. The song contains many ideas and thoughts that are synonymous with those in the album, but one can listen to the song separate from the album and still gain meaning from it. Additionally it may be helpful to have some of the context of J. Cole and his life to fully understand some of the references like “Forest Hills” that he uses in his song. The main context regarding Cole himself that one should know is that he did not grow up living an easy life and constantly had to work hard to succeed. Basically, the context for this song is the album it comes from and also J. Cole’s backstory. The style and tone that the lyrics are being delivered in is slow and harmonic. The lyrics contain a basic rhyme scheme, but are full of witty remarks, metaphors, and similes like “getting head like a coin toss”. Cole’s tone is also full of emotion which is captured by the quick line breaks. The flow of the lyrics really helps to capture the emotion behind the words.

            Although these lyrics are different than most rap lyrics, they contain many conventions that are what help to categorize them as rap lyrics. The first convention would have to be the rhyme and rhythm. In this song, like most rap songs, there is a basic rhyme scheme and fast rhythm. There are also plenty of curse words to help liven up the lyrics a bit, which is standard in most rap songs. The raw emotion behind the lyrics is also a good convention that many rap songs have. This song also contains a catchy hook, another convention, and is packed with metaphors, similes, and humorous remarks. Cole also places many of his struggles into the lyrics, an important convention to rap lyrics. These conventions are what help make this rap, a rap. Musically speaking, the beat will also help to categorize it, but simply speaking in terms of lyrics, all the conventions I mentioned will help narrow the lyrics down to a rap song. With a hot beat and some swagger added to the lyrics, another traditional rap convention, there would be no way that someone could not recognize this as a rap song. 

This is the link to the lyrics and their meaning to J. Cole's "Apparently"

http://genius.com/J-cole-apparently-lyrics/ 

The excellent music video: 

ME

My name is Tyler Reinhold. I come from Southern California, more specifically the city of Fontana. Most people do not know where that is, so I usually go with the broader San Bernardino or Inland Empire area. That usually keys people in on where I come from. If they still are unaware, I just live near L.A. I have one sibling, a 10 year old brother, who makes me feel as though I have 20 siblings. I am a first-year student at UCSB, and a theater major. I plan on auditioning at the end of this year to be in the B.F.A. program and have an emphasis in acting. Most of the time when I tell people I am a theater major, they react shockingly. Many people are intrigued, curious, or sometimes even concerned. They feel as though I have made a radical decision with my life that is reckless. Some people are genuinely curious and thoroughly respect my decision, while others think I’m just crazy. At first, it was difficult to tell people what my major was upon realizing the overbearing tide of biology, chemistry, engineering, and economics majors that are present on this campus. However, I soon realized, fuck it, this is my passion and what I love to do. Of course I am worried about the future and what will happen, but for now I am going with the flow. Some of my favorite things to do are outdoor activities, like playing basketball, skateboarding, surfing the web, and hanging out with my friends. Unfortunately, skateboarding caused me to be confined to my living room for a good portion of this past summer. I fell, and like any experienced professional would do, I stuck my arm out to brace my impact, and tragically broke my wrist. About a month later, I received surgery, and now have a small plate and a couple screws in my wrist. I had hoped that the surgery somehow would make my wrist stronger than ever, and I would become some type of million dollar man, but so far that has not been the case. My wrist is still in recovery mode, but one day it will possibly reach its peak performance. Currently I am dorming in the Santa Cruz residence hall and spend a good amount of my free time in the top bunk of my room, hence the name of my blog. All in all, I’m a simple guy who enjoys acting, sports, has a bionic wrist, and loves long walks on the beach into the sunset.