January 28March 16, 2020

Dear Rachel,

Before I begin my reflection, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to read my first
submission. I know you have many projects to read, so I appreciate the effort you are making to
read my paper and give me feedback. I want to take the time to mention one specific area of
growth that led to me having more confidence in myself as a writer. 

As you will see, I revised my whole first draft of the actual writing prompt. In the first draft, I
misread the prompt and wrote about three different genres on the same topic instead of writing
about three different samples on the same genre. This writing project allowed me to reflect on
the fact that I tend to skim over the prompt. I do not take the time to thoroughly analyze what the
prompt is asking me. After a peer helped me realize that I was not answering the prompt, I got
stressed. I did not think I would have enough time to write a “good” essay. My self-doubts were
getting in the way of me writing an essay, but I used that to look back and think about how I
could change my process to avoid this issue in the future.

Upon reflecting, I knew that I had to spend more time reading the prompt and thinking about
what it was asking of me. It wasn’t enough to read it once and then try to remember what it was
asking me. Even after I made this realization, I was still stressing over having to write my essay.
I began to talk to my roommates about the mistakes I made which helped me realize that talking
out loud really helps me process my own thoughts. Having this conversation gave me new ideas
to write about with the new prompt, and I ended up writing the essay in less time than I thought I
would take. The confidence and trust in myself as a writer grew thanks to this mistake. It also
helped me understand why the revision process is such an important tool that I used to find
unnecessary. Without the peer review, my essay wouldn’t have answered the prompt. 

After I wrote my new draft, I was sad that I had to get rid of a section that I liked in my first
draft. If you would like to read that part, please let me know because it was a section I wrote that
I wouldn’t have written if I had been critiquing what I wrote at first. I hope you can see the
change in my essay after I understood the prompt. I’m proud of the essay I wrote even though I
know I still have a long way to go as a writer. 

Best,

Samantha Ramirez
Enclosure: No Grudge on Op-Eds.
Samantha Ramirez
Rachel Feldman
Writing 2
January 27, 2020
No Grudge On Op-Eds

Think about Halloween. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the costumes?

The spookiness? The trick-or-treating? When I think about Halloween, I think of all the horror

movies that I have enjoyed watching. Growing up, I was the youngest in my family. That meant

having to watch scary movies when all my older cousins or my sister got a hold of the tv remote.

It also meant going to the movie theatre to see the newest horror film released. Being an avid fan

of scary movies, I got excited when I learned there would be a new installment of The Grudge

earlier this month. After seeing the movie, I wanted to know if other people felt the same way I

did about it, so I chose to look into three different op-ed pieces on the movie. Op-eds are a

common genre in today’s society, so I took this as an opportunity to learn why they are effective

in catching the reader’s attention. The article that I enjoyed the most is “Review: Once it gets

going, ‘The Grudge’ is terrifying” because the points presented differ from the typical reasons an

author gives on a movie review. “The Grudge is a perfect case study in Hollywood franchise rot”

by Adam Epstein.

Before explaining the op-ed pieces in depth, I need to lay the foundations for that genre.

A genre “is a word we use when we want to classify things…[w]e begin to classify a kind of

writing as a genre when it recurs frequently enough and seems to perform the same functions in

recurring situations” (Bickmore 23). In this case, an op-ed is a genre where authors give their

opinion about a topic and back it up with evidence. Beyond that, the authors have very little

constraints because a large part of their work involves them having the freedom to express their

opinion. This is why audiences enjoy reading op-eds. Unless the author is being sponsored by
some company to write a post, the reader knows that what they read is the author’s truth. The

purpose of these texts are simply to provide the reader with a perspective on a topic and

sometimes, the author will try to persuade the reader to think the same. One of the necessary

restrictions in the op-ed genre is that the author’s purpose is always clearly stated. It is usually

embedded into the author’s claim in one way or another. The samples discussed in this essay are

op-ed’s on The Grudge, so the audience is any fans of the movie, the franchise or anyone who is

interested in seeing any of the films.

Now that the genre’s constraints are covered, theThe first (and worst) op-ed I found is

“The Grudge (2020) Review” by Amon Warmonn. In contrast to other op-ed texts, this one feels

is more academically argumentative than opinionated. Warmonn uses words like “multiple

interwoven narratives” and , “harrowing” and “intermittent” to elevate the difficulty of the text

(par. 2-3). A guideline n unspoken rule for op-ed’s, especially those on entertainment, is that the

language used is common and maybe even dramaticis informal. Warmonn breaks away from that

rule and takes on a more academic approach towards his review. This article wasthat results in an

example of second order writing (Elbow 58). He really focuses on analyzing the plot, and it

makes the tone dull. People don’t look at opinion articles to understand the movie, they read

them to see if it is worth watching. The sentence and paragraph structure also seems very

academic. There is aHe has his claim, provides evidence and reasoning that followsthen analyzes

it. and Warmonn doesn’t break away in that aspect. His individuality is lost because he sticks to

a the rigidsame, academic structure. His choices are effective at explaining his analysis, but not

effective in reaching the goal than an op-ed on entertainment has: to entertain the reader while

providing an understandable opinion. Op-eds are supposed to be easy reads that feel informal. As

a reader, theThe effort put into understanding this op-ed makes it tedious to read, which diverges
from the original purpose of an op-ed. topic seems to fade out and it is difficult to keep reading

it, which defeats the purpose of an op-ed piece. The approach that Warmonn took was one where

he established credibility through his vocabulary application of formal writing and language, but

it ended up contradicting the purpose of an op-ed. hurting him more than hurting because his

voice was lost. 

The second best piece is titled “The Grudge is a perfect case study in Hollywood

franchise rot” by Adam Epstein. The purpose of the article is to prove the movie was a failure.

By combining the phrases “franchise rot” and “perfect case study” in the title, the author sets

context clues that begin to lead the reader down the path of the negative critique (Epstein). Some

other examples Epstein uses are “begging”, “should have been left to die...revived it anyway”,

“there isn’t much worth paying for to see” and “greater sickness plaguing Hollywood” to

dramatically emphasize how terrible the movie is (Epstein par. 1-6). While the style might seem

a bit exaggerated, it works for an opinion piece. That is what the audience wants to know: is the

movie good or bad. There is also a snapshot from The Grudge that appears as soon as the article

is opened. It is a cringey picture that the author humorously captions “[t]he stuff of nightmares”

to show that many of the scenes meant to scare viewers actually reduce the scariness.

The most An author who was more successful author in bringing his individuality was

Noel Murray with his op-ed  “Review: Once it gets going, ‘The Grudge’ is terrifying.”'' This

author assumes that the readers know more about the director’s background, the whole franchise,

and also about other horror films. Murray bases his claims through a comparison between the

new movie and the older ones. His perspective on the film is unlike any other author’s simply

because his basis of what horror is is distinct to other people’s opinions. Murray describes the

character’s appearances and links that to “cancer, dementia or some other devastating medical
condition” (par. 5). The implication that The Grudge is a horror movie because of the illnesses

mentioned in the movie is Murray’s way of establishing a connection with the reader. Murray

continues to establish the connection Although it doesn’t necessarily uphold the standards of

what a horror movie is, the author’s choice is successful in the sense that the author remains

intrigued and continues to read the text. The reader discovers as the article continues that Murray

further builds on the connection with his audience by providing referencing references to scary

scenes in the movie that horror fans appreciate. By doing that, Murray acknowledges that

although his version of horror is different, he still thinks about the need of his audience, leading

him to provide them with that information. Murray is successful because he hooks his reader by

mentioning an unusual argument, but still satisfies the reader with what they’re looking for.

Although Murray’s choices work for his style, this op-ed was still not the best.

The best genre sample is titled “The Grudge is a perfect case study in Hollywood

franchise rot” by Adam Epstein. The purpose of the article is to prove the movie was a failure.

By combining the phrases “franchise rot” and “perfect case study” in the title, the author sets

context clues that begin to lead the reader down the path of the negative critique (Epstein). Some

other examples Epstein uses are “begging”, “should have been left to die...revived it anyway”,

“there isn’t much worth paying for to see” and “greater sickness plaguing Hollywood” to

dramatically emphasize how terrible the movie is (Epstein par. 1-6). While the style might seem

a bit exaggerated, it works for an opinion piece. That is what the audience wants to know: is the

movie good or bad. There is also a snapshot from The Grudge that appears as soon as the article

is opened. It is a cringey picture that the author humorously captions “[t]he stuff of nightmares”

to show that many of the scenes meant to scare viewers actually reduce the scariness. 
 All of the op-eds here have an opinion that the authors are trying to explain. The

approaches taken by the three composers differ based on their style and their ideas. Yet, all three

manage to maintain the op-ed at a short length. None of the perspectives feel too long, or over-

explained. Also, all three of the sources bring a different opinion than the typical “good” or

“bad”. The reasons provided are new, thought out and backed up with evidence. The most

obvious difference is the authors’ styles. While Warmonn was academic, Murray was vulnerable

and Epstein was dramatic. The three different approaches help the authors connect with different

personalities within The Grudge’s fanbase. 

In my opinion, Epstein’sHowever, Murray’s op-ed was is the best because it doesn’t

necessarily uphold the standards of what a horror movie is. The author’s perspective is new,

refreshing and because of this, the op-ed’s success is unexpected. The author diverges from the

typical expectations on horror movies and focuses on aspects that make the movie unique. In

doing this, his own voice shines through his writing. His formatting and goals remain consistent

with any op-ed, but his approach is so distinct that it captures the reader’s attention. It was also

the most persuasive because of the personal connection that Murray established. It is difficult to

disagree with someone’s opinion when they touch on points that are terrifying in your own life.

It is interesting to realize that sometimes the most successful articles are ones written by authors

who use the basic foundations of a genre as a starting point, but eventually incorporate their own

individuality to separate their opinions from the rest.

resonated most with the type of reading I enjoy. It is the most entertaining read. There is

clear logic throughout the article, the data is convincing, well explained and unbiased.

Meanwhile, the exaggerated word choice makes the op-ed humorous and the sample feels shorter

than it is because it is such a quick read. It was also the most persuasive op-ed because the
combination of the thesis, claim and reasoning was so effective. I think the author’s voice really

showed through the piece, and the text felt almost conversational. While the author did stick to

the constraints of the genre, his individuality was what shined through. His piece felt unique

while the other two did not. While this is my opinion, it is important to remember that

everyone’s likes and dislikes are different. Ultimately, the “best” is subjective, and the

audience’s individuality is what determines which piece is “best”.

 Works Cited
Bickmore, Lisa. "GENRE in the WILD: Understanding Genre Within Rhetorical (Eco)Systems."

PressBooks (2016): 23.

Elbow, Peter. Embracing Contraries: Explorations in Learning and Teaching. New York: Oxford

University Press, 1986.

Epstein, Adam. The Grudge Is a Perfect Case Study in Hollywood Franchise Rot. 7 January

2020. Quartz. March 2020. <qz.com/1780969/with-a-f-cinemascore-grade-the-grudge-is-

a-case-study-in-hollywood-franchise-rot/.>.

Murray, Noel. Review: Once It Gets Going, The Grudge is Terrifying. 3 January 2020. Los

Angeles Times. March 2020. <latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-01-

02/grudge-review/>.

Warmann, Amon. The Grudge (2020). 23 January 2020. Bauer Media. March 2020.

<empireonline.com/movies/review/the-grudge-2020/>.

Works Cited

Bickmore, Lisa. “GENRE in the WILD: Understanding Genre Within Rhetorical (Eco)Systems.”

PressBooks, SLCC English Department, 1 Aug. 2016, 

openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/genre-in-the-wild-understanding-genre-withi

n-rhetorical-ecosystems/.

Elbow, Peter. Embracing Contraries: Explorations in Learning and Teaching. New York:

Oxford U Press, 1986.

Epstein, Adam. “‘The Grudge’ Is a Perfect Case Study in Hollywood Franchise Rot.” Quartz,

Quartz, 7 Jan. 2020, qz.com/1780969/with-a-f-cinemascore-grade-the-grudge-is-

a-case- study-in-hollywood-franchise-rot/.

Murray, Noel. “Review: Once It Gets Going, 'The Grudge' Is Terrifying.” Los Angeles Times,

Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2020, latimes.com/entertainment-

arts/movies/story/2020-

01-02/grudge-review. 

Warmann, Amon. “The Grudge (2020).” Empire, Bauer Media, 23 Jan. 2020, empireonline.com/

movies/review/the-grudge-2020/.