Using composite criticism we look at the work, in this case, Schitt’s Creek, from a realistic perspective for ourselves and the shows intended viewers. The intrinsic appreciation aspect of the critique is based on the enjoyment that the work might get from its viewers. “The purpose of intrinsic appreciation is exclusively the apprehension of the “pleasure-successes” achieved by the work.” pg.476 The main idea here is to acknowledge what the work is trying to portray and if they do a good job. The “pleasure” that Schitt’s Creek is trying to get out of their viewers is laughter. Because it is a comedy which includes fun features creating, “pleasure-potent aesthetics” pg.476

Intrinsic evaluation is looked at with negative and positive views while in the critical process. This estimates the worth of the show without the knowledge of how it was supposed to be delivered or what the audiences reaction will be. This also reveals how the program has leverage in its genre. Schitt’s creek is intended to be a comedy but, “We must consider the work within its genre, the intrinsic evaluation does not stop there. It also proceeds to judge the project as a complete novel property.” pg.481

When it comes to the extrinsic parts of the critique we can start with extrinsic appreciation. This considers what obstacles the work had to go through to get to the finished product. Things such as budget, available promotion, and traditional programing. “Extrinsic appreciation is essential in bringing realistic sympathy for the work of the critical task.” pg.479
The extrinsic evaluation focuses on how the work affects public viewers. “Focusing on specific effects of the work on audiences and the subsequent effects of audiences of the work.” pg.484 This could be used to critique Schitt’s Creek by acknowledging that many can relate to the themes within the show regarding social class. Using all four of these perspectives makes for viewing the work in a realistic process that professionals, consumers, and critics can understand.

Schitt’s Creek would not be Schitt’s Creek without the characters that make the show what it is. The themes behind the show and the actors who play the most important roles throughout are what gives show organic unity. Conveying that, “No whole can exist without its parts, and the more organized the whole, the more essential the contribution of each constituent.” (Orlik 402) Depicting that without the essential parts within a work of art, it will not reach its full potential. The theme of this show “Tests and amalgamates conflicting elements” (Orlik 405)  within the show itself. Causing the kind of conflict viewers look for in any type of TV entertainment.

I found that two out of the several thematic variations relate to Schitt’s Creek the most. Alteration and inversion were the two that jumped out at me to be the most relatable. Alteration requires the presence of two themes, which Schitt’s Creek has. It portrays the themes of being poor and being rich within the same lifetime. These two themes are what causes inversion throughout the series. This is because it causes, “thematic reversal in which we view theme from the completely opposite perspective.”(Orlik 412) Meaning that a viewers mind is constantly being switched by their opinions of the characters and what is going on in the show. Which amplifies the theme and is aesthetically pleasing to watch.

Balance through this show is what gives it substance and gives viewers a “want- to- watch” mentality. The balance of the rich and poor lifestyle is what adds clarity and vividness to this work and “it is intrinsically satisfying.”(Thomas Olson 414) More than anything the evolution and hierarchy elements are important because this is how the creators of the show alternate between high-tension and low-tension units throughout the series. Which causes for “the sense of motivating tension”(Orlik 429) These elements of the aesthetic form are what tests if the work of art is well made by its creator. Schitt’s Creek is a great example of aesthetic form and it does apply to all six sections.

• 

Spring Semester, Montclair State University 2019

City Tropics:
City tropics was opened in 2006 by my boss, Anthony Ruccatano, and his wife Laurie. The first salon was opened in North Arlington, NJ and two years later they opened their second location in Nutley, NJ. They have been extremely successful with both salons from day one. This is due to amazing reviews, consistently positive word of mouth, and a great social media presence as of recently.

What I’ve done with my time here:
I started my internship at City Tropics training for the assistant manager position. This position consists of taking care of inventory, all maintenance appointments, employee scheduling, paying bills, taking care of payroll, etc.I have been working under my manager, Iacobella, who has been training me since I started. I have taken over a lot of her managerial roles, helping her with many tasks for both salons. I also have been helping with promotional sales ideas and social media marketing alongside my boss Anthony.This internship has taught me so much already and I am excited to stay and work at City Tropics after my internship ends.

Quotes & Pictures of my time here!

“You’ve been doing great & you’re not leaving us just yet Debbie!” – Bella (my nickname at the salon is Debbie,long story lol!)

“Are you going to stay after your internship is over? You’ve been doing such a great job with the girls, they told me you’re doing great with everything.”- Daily Customer, Roe Fascetta
“Sweet girls behind the counter, not crowded and clean beds.”- Yelp Review from customer Dianna D

Me wearing a City Tropics tank top that my boss used for our Instagram.

Instagram post my boss and I worked on to promote our monthly deals.

My boss Anthony and I behind the front desk at the North Arlington salon.

A screenshot text message from my manager Iacobella telling me to keep up the good work! – great feeling.

Our Instagram page with 31.3 thousand followers and another Instagram post I created with my boss.

Example of the work Schedule I create week to week:

Program used at City Tropics:

-We use Helios at the salon to control all of the tanning beds (on/off, timing of usage).

-I check the usage times of the beds through this software in order to be up to date on when to schedule full bed cleanings.

-I use this to calculate employee work hours weekly.

-Helps me keep an eye on inventory sales in order to keep track of stock and order our products efficiently.

Thank you Dr.Naumoff !!!

I have had the best time during this internship and I can’t wait to continue!Thank you so much for making this process so enjoyable through all of my weekly journals and giving me such helpful feedback!

As individuals, we should use Facebook for exactly what we want it to use for. Want to post pictures? Do it. Want to talk about politics? You can. Because bottom line it is your Facebook page, and unless Facebook eventually blocks it, you can do it. Some people might not like what you have to say, but that is their own opinion. When it comes to objects of judgment everyone is entitled to their own opinion of how they view Facebook in its entirety. Although, some users post riskier content than others which can cause a dispute. In the article we read I appreciated the quote, “That said, we should not place the responsibility to uphold democratic values entirely on Facebook. As moral agents, we should also hold ourselves responsible for our conduct, and we should be reflective about what we say, react to and share when we are on social media.” (Liao, New York Times) This was a good explanation of what conduct should be like on Facebook and how we should act.

Financial supporters are the reason why Facebook is so relevant as well. Companies rely on Facebook for advertising in the same way that Facebook relies on companies advertisements to make money; it all comes full circle. So falling into advertising traps are the best way for us to be loyal users.The Institution of Facebook is where the biggest issues lie due to controlling how the data is being used by 3rd parties. We as loyal users need to understand that anything we put online is public news and we technically could never control where it goes.

As for our professional colleagues on Facebook, it is very important to create stable online relationships with others to have a positive experience on this site. Studies show that Facebook could possibly create negative experiences due to the content it shows. In order to stay away from this loyal users must fill their own pages with good quality people and pages. Also doing the same with other societies such as Instagram (which Facebook owns) and Twitter.

The thesis of Schitt’s Creek is about a rich man, Johnny Rose, who provides a luxurious lifestyle for his family. They are the epitome of a rich family, living lavish and worry-free. Johny has always provided this way of life for his family but this all clashes when the Rose’s lose their riches and are forced to live a lower class life. This change in their lifestyle would be considered the antithesis of this show. These two forces, being rich and being poor, combine to become the synthesis progression through the story.

The Rose family have to start living in a lower class area, Schitt’s Creek, while still having the mannerisms and mindsets that they had while they were rich. This battle of hot an cold is what makes the show so compelling. This is because, as Orlik said, “the clash of these two forces are within individual characters- while leaving it to the viewer to decide which force is really the thesis and which is the antithesis.”(Orlik, 2016, p.315) I found this quote in the text important because it is true that while watching viewers can see this family’s situation in many ways. For example, maybe one would view the Rose’s as a rich family forced to live in a lower class area. Or a rich family who now live in the lower class who are better people because of it. One can decide which thesis makes more sense for them as they watch. But the bottom line is that there are always two sides, a thesis and an antithesis that clash to become our synthesis progression.

The way these two lifestyles of the Rose family counteract with each other makes for a balanced storyline. There would actually be no story at all if these lifestyles didnt clash. Which makes the story accurate and more importantly, balanced. There always has to be a negative and a positive throughout a storyline and that is what synthesis portrays.

I am personally a huge fan of Schitt’s Creek and have watched all of the seasons. This show portrays the Rose family that goes from having it all, to having absolutely nothing. Of course, it takes a very comedic approach to the situation but the show also depicts how differently people treat the Rose’s once they go broke and how they react to being classified as “poor.”

The Rose family are beside themselves when they find out they’re father has lost all of his money and they need to change their entire lifestyle. Johnny, cannot provide for his family anymore, Moyra can’t be the rich housewife she always has been, Alexis can’t hang out with her posh friends anymore, and David can’t keep buying his high-end clothing. The friends and family in their lives also completely turn their backs on them. The people of the neighborhood they lived in completely distance themselves. And the Rose family winds up having no choice but to move into the motel located in Schitt’s Creek. While here they clearly feel out of place but the irony is that the people who live in Schitt’s Creek treat them better than the people who they thought were their friends when they were rich.

This makes the Rose family really dig down to find how they can actually get along with this new lifestyle, in the funniest way possible. We see them going on many different endeavors to try and fit in, work and make friends. The people who live in Schitt’s Creek love the Rose’s and try to make them feel at home. Each episode shows some type of struggle and success for the Rose family both socially and internally. I am sure that many wealthy families who may have gone through a similar situation could relate to this show. And from watching they could learn that at the end of the day it is not all about having a lavish lifestyle. It is about the people who care for you and help you through tough times while having a few laughs along the way.

The main idea of chapter 7 and this short scene was the concept of “quality over quantity.” While those weren’t the exact words used in the chapter this was the main idea. The video we watched of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip really had me thinking whether I would or wouldn’t want to cut the feed. Do we want our viewers to hear the truth? Or do we care too much about the politics and the views the channel is getting? I decided I wouldn’t cut the feed and continue filming encouraging viewers to “change the channel.”

I would choose to do this because number one, the man making the controversy would have been my boss. And number two, just like one of the workers behind the scenes stated, “I’m waiting for him to say something that isn’t true!.” Everything he was saying was, in fact, true and were all of the untold secrets behind the broadcast network that they don’t want viewers to hear. I found that the quote from the clip, “There’s always been a struggle between art and commerce” went hand and hand with a quote from Chapter 7 in Media Criticism In a Digital Age. Which was,  “To ignore this fiscal inevitability is to ignore a fundamental reality with which all art in varying degrees, must come to grips… it’s trying to keep the suits at length and sell their product, but at the same time create something that has artistic integrity.”  

What both of these quotes are insinuating is that there has to be a happy medium between the size of a shows audience and content that is not always what viewers are pleased to see and hear. There’s always the idea that there has to be a certain way of doing things perfectly on television. But in this case, I believe that what that man was saying about the network “lobotomizing” viewers was true. Therefor I would not have cut the feed because with that type of content, regardless of the way it was expressed, no one was changing the channel regardless.

The Podcast Bad Examples https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bad-examples-ex-reality-tv-stars-tracy-dimarco-jessica/id1448146452?mt=2 by DimlyWit with Tracy DiMarco and Jessica Romano is a new podcast with 5 out of 5 stars on iTunes right now. It started airing 2/25/2019 and they have one season with 10 episodes so far. The description of this podcast is. “Ex Reality TV Stars Tracy DiMarco and Jessica Romano have f*cked it all up, so you don’t have to. Sex. Dating. Love. Marriage. Friendship. Babies. A modern-day advice podcast from two pretty, and pretty much unqualified people.” It is categorized under the TV/Film genre on iTunes and could also be categorized under comedy and lifestyle.  

As one can tell from the description, this podcast has a comedic approach in talking about everyday problems we might face as women; told by women who have their own opinions and stories. But to be more specific, we can tell from the production aspect of this podcast that there is a “Jersey Mentality” behind the advice and topics talked about. This is because the hosts Tracy and Jessica were formerly on the hit reality TV show Jerseyliscious. From watching these women on TV 9 years ago to listening now it can be very intriguing to listeners, especially if they were fans. This aspect of the podcast makes it stand out from the rest by making it very relatable for women, but especially women from New Jersey that have watched the show.

From the very beginning of this podcast, one can also tell it is going to have a fun vibe as well. The Bad Examples Podcast Theme is Golden by Vibe Tracks along with “Gay Best Friend” sung by Reina Music, which has a Jersey feel and is very upbeat. The overall sound quality of this podcast is great, very clear. And the one thing I have to say is the best about Bad Examples is that Tracy and Jessica do not talk over each other. They take their turn in listening to what they each have to say and continuously stick to the topic of conversation with new and engaging themes. But the best asset is the name of the Podcast, Bad Examples. This giving the idea right off the bat that Tracy and Jessica are going to be raw and real with their girl talk, and might not be the best examples to listen to, but always a fun time with a good laugh.

The critic speaks about Cardi B’s Grammy win this year and the controversy that came with it. The message is that she was the first female solo rapper to win in the best rap album category, creating negative feedback from fans. Cardi performed her new single “Money” during her performance right before her win. The critic then proceeds to dive into the backlash that Cardi got from her achievement. Fans and other nominees started lashing out against Cardi’s Grammy win all over social media. This caused Cardi to delete her Instagram from the negative feedback stating, “ I’ve been taking a lot of bullshit today and I saw a lot of bullshit last night and I’m sick of this shit,”

The critic reports that Lady Gaga then stepped in and posted a picture with Cardi, defending her. Saying in her Instagram post caption, “It is so hard to be a woman in this industry. What it takes, how hard we work through the disrespectful challenges, just to make art. I love you, Cardi. You deserve your awards. Let’s celebrate her fight. Lift her up & honor her. She is brave.” Lady Gaga, being a previous Grammy winner, stepped in and defended her fellow Grammy winner, Cardi B, and voiced her opinion. The critic wanted to emphasize Gaga showing Cardi respect instead of tearing her down like fans were doing on social media. Portraying that Gaga supports her fellow female artist and celebrates her win as a Grammy winner as well.

The critic relates Cardi’s win to the Grammy’s broadcasted on television and the backlash on Instagram. Nerisha Penrose initially explains why this backlash came about with Cardi winning the Grammy. Then takes the situation over to Instagram where backlash was shown and where Lady Gaga voiced her opinion about Cardi. The article had screenshots of all the social media proof between Cardi and Gaga as well. Showing readers proof of exactly what went down and Lady Gaga’s brave defense for Cardi B.

https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a26323075/lady-gaga-cardi-b-support-grammy-backlash/