TIME GOAL: 60 min

START TIME: 10:30pm

READING LOG #: 3
END TIME: 11:44pm

BEFORE READING
Write the following information down in this order.
Title of Article: “The Return Of the Loneliest Boys In Town” by Hanif Abdurraqib
Based on the title alone, what do you know about the subject matter?
That it may be about a group of friends.
Write down your predictions: What will this article cover?
Based on our module and its focus on music and its culture, this essay may be about a group of friends
who obtained fame but returned home feeling lonely from being in the spotlight of fame by themselves.

External Distractions: I am physically distracted by the sounds of our newly installed washer and dryer
and by the sounds of my family downstairs.
Internal Distractions: The thoughts of waking up early tomorrow for school are currently distracting me
as well.

DURING READING
Practice annotations using these methods. Check the boxes to confirm which methods you’ve practiced.
• Circle words that are new to you, and that you do not understand.
• Write the main idea of each paragraph next to it in the margins. Try to use one word or a short
phrase to summarize these points.
• Highlight passages that demonstrate ethos (yellow), pathos (pink), logos (green).
Complete the following chart, indicating words/ pop culture references you had to Google during your
reading. Hit the TAB button if you run out of room.
Words/Pop Culture What do they mean?
References
Fueled by Ramen An American record label owned by Warner Music Group.

AFTER READING
Answer the following questions using complete sentences in your composition notebook using intext
citations for each question.
1. What is the speaker’s motivation for writing this piece? Who is their target audience?
Explain how you know by including an in-text citation, or evidence from the text.

Hanif Abdurraqib writes this piece in order to address the representation of women in the culture
behind emo music. Abdurraqib identifies one issue with emo music, especially the album The
Same Old Blood Rush with a New Touch by the band Cute Is What We Aim For, being that
women are spoken about in very spiteful ways and that a negative message is spread. For
example, Abdurraqib states that “[the] problem with Same Old Blood Rush is the problem with a
lot of emo albums from its era… the album builds around a single common theme: bitterness,
most commonly aimed at an imagined woman who has wronged the band in some way” (71).
Abdurraqib’s target audience when writing this piece is that of anyone who is familiar with emo
music or may have listened to it during their younger days. For example, in the essay, Adburraqib
conveys how having revisited the music of Cute Is What We Aim For and gone to another
concert, he felt even less connection with the music because its vengeful tone was irrelevant.

2. What rhetorical appeals did the author employ to make for a compelling argument?
Provide citations for each example of ethos, pathos, and logos.

In order to effectively convey his argument, Abdurraqib implements strategies to strengthen his
appeals to pathos and ethos. For example, he states that “It’s in the spirit of male loneliness to
imagine someone had to suffer for it” (Abdurraqib 72). As a male himself, Abdurraqib is able to
speak on this feeling of vengeance and spite, and is therefore able to provide sufficient reasoning
for his claims. Furthermore, he uses inductive reasoning when he states that “[by] the time the
story gained traction, Hacikyan already issued a toothless apology, thanking people for educating
him on the topic of rape culture before taking the stage to sing a song about young girl, drinking
so much that the men around her just can’t help themselves” (74). Abdurraqib clearly proves his
point about the negative message being portrayed of women by relating Hacikyan’s ingenuine
apology to his continued singing of women.

3. Although you may disagree with the argument, or the issue the speaker presents, pretend
that you agree with them, and describe the qualities of the argument that you found most
compelling. Be sure to use direct in-text citations, or evidence to justify your argument.
 I found the qualities of Abdurraqib’s argument very compelling and therefore agreed with his
stance: that the emo music had a commonality of portraying women in a negative light. I was
especially compelled when Adburraqib states that “Shit, man. I dunno. I got a wife and a daughter
now. This ain’t like it was when we were young, is it” (75). Through this quote, Abdurraqib
makes it clear that the vengefulness and bitterness conveyed by the band’s music, especially
directed towards women, becomes distasteful. The man to whom Abdurraqib speaks to perfectly
embodies this thinking. Now having a family with a wide and a daughter, he has surpassed the
childish emotions that the band seems to cling on to. This was compelling to me because it further
proved why the popularity of emo music was so short-lived.

4. Although you may agree with the speaker’s stance on the issue, write a counterargument
explaining why you disagree. Again, you will need to use direct evidence to make your case.

I disagree with the author’s argument against the emo music of the band Cute Is What We Aim
For. Abdurraqib portrays the message of the band as being vengeful and spiteful, however I
believe that it is normal to let one’s emotions carry. For example, if someone were to be
experiencing a tough break-up, it is entirely normal to feel frustration and bitterness. “The hook
before the first chorus in ‘Newport Living’ is ‘if you lie, you don’t deserve friends” (Abdurraqib
72). Although this quote may be interpreted as being excessively vengeful, I believe that it is
sometimes okay to express these emotions. Those who are experiencing similar situations may be
able to connect with the messages presented in emo music. The author does not seem to
understand that when people feel hurt, they need to listen or do whatever possible to allow that
person who is hurting to alleviate their distress and frustration.