"Crossfire" Analyzation

One of the first things that I took from this clip was the name of the show, "Crossfire".  When hearing this name I automatically thought of heated argument and opposing opinions.  This is exactly what the video consisted of after watching it.  John Stewart with his casual attire and witty charm, transformed this debate into a sort of message for the viewers.  He indirectly criticized both hosts by stating that they needed to "stop hurting America".  John Stewart never once took sides, either Democratic or Republican, when arguing, he simply stated they needed the "stop hurting America" with their one sided views of the world.  The whole show is entirely appealing to the emotions of people and their beliefs.  John Stewart was appealing to the audiences emotions by talking with a comedic tone and constantly poking fun at the hosts and their views.  By making it humorous, John Stewart is able to relay his message and keep the interest of the audience.  His underlying message was that we need the media to help us and not degrade us.  The media has the power to alter opinions, relay messages to many people at once, and also educate people on issues they may not know about.  John Stewart constantly criticizes the hosts for not using the media to educate their audience but instead they only share their biased opinions.

Writing Habits

It is safe to say that writing is definitely not a strong suit of mine.  It is a constant struggle from the moment I receive the prompt to the moment I turn in the finished product.  The hardest part about writing is the brainstorming period.  In this moment I must recall every book, article, or literary work I have read that could possibly pertain to what I am writing about.  Once I have gathered a couple of different thoughts together, the next hurdle I must conquer is the opening paragraph.  I have found it easy to start with famous quotes or even possibly a song lyric that pertains to what I am going to be discussing in my writing.  After I have whipped out an intro, its time to get into the heart of my paper.  This is where my writing starts to shine.  Of course finding the evidence to support the claims I have made in my writing is another struggle, but once those are found I could commentary for days on end.  But of course, I get easily distracted by the tiniest of things and so I must work listening to music, which blocks out all other noises and sounds that might catch my attention.  Also I find that when I am not given an exact prompt, I have a hard time formulating something to talk about.  So when given a prompt with clear and precise instructions on what to discuss, my writing tends to flourish.  The closing statements have always been a struggle for me as well.  I feel as if I am scrambling for words and phrases that I have not previously used.  But once I have overcome the closing statements, I can sit back, relax, and be confident in what I have just written.