Pissed at my English teacher, justified?

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Bebus

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Feb 12, 2010
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Try writing a short essay called "why video games are art".

If it is well written, and your teacher is reasonable and has a decent sense of humour, maybe she will relent =)
 

Madman123456

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Feb 11, 2011
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Ahem, this little Argument isn't about the Videogame. It's about the Artwork that got you into that Videogame. The pretty Picture, which is called "Artwork" or "Coverart".
 

Bags159

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Why are you guys telling him an 85% is a decent grade? He should argue this and get the grade he deserves.
 

Ixnay1111

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Mar 11, 2011
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Well games aren't classified as art so stop being self righteous? If i wrote the same paper about soccer as art do you think id be justified?
 

The Madman

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Darthbawls77 said:
Um despite you thinking Pokemon isnt art in some way is wrong. Artistic direction is what made that game into a franchise and changed games and the world at the same time, not in the way you might want but it still happened. Go ahead try to make a game without any artists and see how far you get.
People can debate what they think is art till they're red in the face, I honestly could not care less.

But is potentially antagonizing someone who's got a hand in your entire future worth the self-righteousness? It's 15% of one project we're talking here, and not even that, maybe 5-10% at the most considering I very much doubt it was a perfect project to begin with.

NOT WORTH IT!

I made a mistake like that when I was in school, I let my personal opinion get in the way of just shutting up and doing my work. It was stupid of me and I've regretted it ever since, and I had a much, much, MUCH better topic to be argumentative about than whether bloody Pokemon red is art or not. Who bloody cares, it's a video game. It's not worth starting arguments or brewing antagonism over a tiny percentage of some relatively inconsequential project. Ultimately it's only a fraction of a percentage, it might sting, but it's not a big deal at all.

Just let it pass. If the teacher gives an honest opportunity to speak your mind in private and seems open to ideas, by all means debate your point. Be courteous and succinct, give refined examples and explain your view and maybe she'll end up agreeing, maybe not. But it's not worth starting a fight over. It just isn't.
 

SL33TBL1ND

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Nov 9, 2008
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crudus said:
renegade7 said:
Should I?
There are a few sides to this argument. If you just want to skip to the end and to my advice, go right ahead.

1. Video Games aren't art: Ok, I don't fully believe that. Much more accurate is "not all video games are art". There are some games out there that are just terrible. Their graphics are terrible, story telling is terrible, etc. They just aren't art. There are some games that have elements of art (graphics, story telling, etc), but it seems more like a bits of other paintings pasted together than actual art. Then there are some games that are art. Silent Hill 2 for example.

2. What you should do: Calmly ask your teacher for the criteria of art or what she considers art. Calmly ask why video games do not fulfill that criteria. Calmly explain why Pokemon Red fulfills at least some portion of that criteria. Calmly defend your position; try to link parallels to the things she said were art. I honestly cannot tell you why Pokemon Red is art(I don't think it is). Nor can I tell you what elements of art it has. That is on you. The key is to do it calmly. As soon as tempers start running high, the discussion is over and you have lost. The teacher did not specify what was or wasn't art, it is on her if your definitions clashed.
Probably the best response that could've happened in this thread. Just like any media, not all games are art, but if you can give examples and calmly debate with your teacher, go for it.
 

pearcinator

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Apr 8, 2009
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WOW you got 85%! Best teacher ever!

I wrote an opinionative essay on 'Why is To Kill a Mockingbird considered one of Australia's best-selling and most beloved books?'...I hated the book and because it was an opinionative essay I wrote my opinion on why To Kill a Mockingbird is so successful...I thought my essay was great and the points were valid.

Anyway, I get back a 6/20 with the teacher (biggest ***** in Australia) comment saying "this essay was just your opinion and doesn't explain why it is one of Australia's most beloved books...(yada yada yada more bullshit and stuff)". It was an OPINIONATIVE essay FFS!

So to answer your question, no you shouldn't be angry at your teacher because you got 85% and even though she may disagree with you with 'games are art' the topic is still disputed between no and yes.

I believe games will eventually (in the next 10 years or so) be universally defined as an art...just not yet. Do you think film and movies were considered 'art' from day 1? Probably not.
 

neonsword13-ops

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Mar 28, 2011
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Ixnay1111 said:
Well games aren't classified as art so stop being self righteous? If i wrote the same paper about soccer as art do you think id be justified?
Surpreme court ruled that games are considered art earlier this year. You can't deny Surpreme Court, man.
 

ultrachicken

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Dags90 said:
This is really something you should've brought up with her before you even started writing it. That's entirely your error.

The topic of whether or not video games are art or not has cropped up on this very site, with notable people saying "no" or "not yet". Leaving that unresolved ambiguity with such a large portion of your grade at stake is irresponsible. You should be glad you got an 85%.

You could have taken two minutes the day the assignment was given after class to clear this whole thing up before it started. You didn't. Your fault.
Pretty much this. You have to be pretty naive to think that everyone is going to agree with your perceptions of video games when even on the Escapist it's such a controversial topic.
 

Bags159

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pearcinator said:
WOW you got 85%! Best teacher ever!

I wrote an opinionative essay on 'Why is To Kill a Mockingbird considered one of Australia's best-selling and most beloved books?'...I hated the book and because it was an opinionative essay I wrote my opinion on why To Kill a Mockingbird is so successful...I thought my essay was great and the points were valid.

Anyway, I get back a 6/20 with the teacher (biggest ***** in Australia) comment saying "this essay was just your opinion and doesn't explain why it is one of Australia's most beloved books...(yada yada yada more bullshit and stuff)". It was an OPINIONATIVE essay FFS!

So to answer your question, no you shouldn't be angry at your teacher because you got 85% and even though she may disagree with you with 'games are art' the topic is still disputed between no and yes.

I believe games will eventually (in the next 10 years or so) be universally defined as an art...just not yet. Do you think film and movies were considered 'art' from day 1? Probably not.
I got to do my senior thesis on video games. Essentially I played some video games, gave a short reason why I liked it, and got an A.
 

Owen Robertson

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Jul 26, 2011
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The core purpose of this assignment is to develop and polish writing skills, if I'm not mistaken. Your English teacher seems intent on you obeying her like the Nazi Gustapo, an issue I've experienced time and again. She's wrong, but she sounds like the type of bull-headed **** who thinks that they're always right because they're the teacher.

Rant: But this is the 21st century. Schools are no longer training grounds for the next batch of factory workers. That's how the system was designed at the denouement of the Industrial Revolution, and unfortunately it hasn't changed much. That's why a preparatory school is a better place for the college/university bound. (I fell somewhere in the upper-middle class, but I never understood how one could hope to go to a college, yet not have enough money to attend ANY prep school. Some of them are affordable.) Therefore, schools should be 3 tiered like they are some places (1-5, 6-9, 10-12/13), with a gradual increasing tendency toward a free-flowing, adapted timetable of classes and activities. The problem with that is, most parents just want their child out of the house because they have to work, but if your child isn't independent enough to look after themselves by age 12 (8/9th grade) then you have failed as a parent.
That is my opinion on the matter. I'm sharing it because it seems to fit here. If you feel I'm incorrect then feel free to pm me rather than take up space with quotes. If I'm incorrect factually, then quote me.
 

Ixnay1111

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neonsword13-ops said:
Ixnay1111 said:
Well games aren't classified as art so stop being self righteous? If i wrote the same paper about soccer as art do you think id be justified?
Surpreme court ruled that games are considered art earlier this year. You can't deny Surpreme Court, man.
Lol well then if i were American, I would stand corrected i suppose. And if the teacher is American then she would to.
 

Guardian of Nekops

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May 25, 2011
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If the prompt was "artwork" and she didn't give you a list of what acceptable topics were then I really don't see how she could possibly have a case. The front of the Pokemon BOX has a drawn/rendered picture on it, which is art in its own right... the idea that many more such pictures masterfully woven together into an interactive story doesn't count is kind of insane.

Art is, by its very nature, subjective, and a video game is far from the craziest thing you could have picked. In addition, I guarantee you that this game had more of an impact on your life than any one of a hundred paintings you've seen, looked at for 15 seconds, and then forgotten about. You enjoyed this thing for HOURS, and unless you are an artist yourself or found a painting that summed up your life things don't get more significant than that.

Perhaps more to the point, you wrote this paper. For this class, and for this assignment. You wrote eloquently, on the issue she wanted you to write about... if it doesn't fit the assignment for some reason, it's at least an equivalent amount of work. Her job is to teach you to express your opinions through the written word, and you have done so, but she is marking you down because she does not approve of what affected your life? She marked you down 15 points because the art you wrote about isn't what she considers art?

You absolutely have the right to fight this. However, keep in mind that you still have to take her class, and that making her life difficult may not be worth your while. Don't burn the bridge you're standing on right now, is what I'm saying. :p
 

Riecharus

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Jan 21, 2011
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Aetheora said:
Yes, you should. but I wouldn't go in guns aflame trying to get your score up, but I'd go in and try to let it be known that games ARE works of art. Even write an essay or paper with some of the most beautiful and artful games. Besides, docking marks just cause you alone don't think games are works of art is kinda unfair. It's just cause she doesn't understand the idea of games being artful, so she just shrugs. Though The Madman is kinda right about the Pokemon thing.

Anyways, go with games with fantastic detail and worlds, some with crazy well done attacks and animations, beautiful orchestral soundtracks, and even ones with amazing stories. Honestly, Okami and Okamiden are great for pretty much all of those, except the orchestral music part. But it's still amazing. And the ending to Okamiden made me cry. No joke. Me, a guy, who's played MANY games since he was 5, managed to cry this time. That's saying something huge for sure.

You may or may not get your score up, but if you offer to write a paper to try and show her games are works of art, she may be willing to re-consider. Just go in to prove yourself, not justify a score increase.

Games to use for this:

Okami [everything]
Okamiden [everything]
El Shaddai [animations and details]
Lunar Silver Star Harmony [story, music, animation, both character, cutscene, as well as attack animations]
(maybe) Kingdom Hearts [some story elements, and a few other things. This isn't a top choice]
(maybe) Final Fantasy [depends which one really]
(maybe) Xenoblade [for its worlds and detail]

I know I'm missing others, but these are some decent ones to work with.
Shadow of the collosus would also be a good game to raise as a work of art.
 

Jingle Fett

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Sep 13, 2011
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Completely justified, sounds like the director of my old school.

The government considers videogames art and the government trumps a teacher. Hell in public schools, the government is the one who pays the schools.
You're completely in the right. Fight this one to the death.
 

Darthbawls77

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May 18, 2011
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The Madman said:
Darthbawls77 said:
Um despite you thinking Pokemon isnt art in some way is wrong. Artistic direction is what made that game into a franchise and changed games and the world at the same time, not in the way you might want but it still happened. Go ahead try to make a game without any artists and see how far you get.
People can debate what they think is art till they're red in the face, I honestly could not care less.

But is potentially antagonizing someone who's got a hand in your entire future worth the self-righteousness? It's 15% of one project we're talking here, and not even that, maybe 5-10% at the most considering I very much doubt it was a perfect project to begin with.

NOT WORTH IT!

I made a mistake like that when I was in school, I let my personal opinion get in the way of just shutting up and doing my work. It was stupid of me and I've regretted it ever since, and I had a much, much, MUCH better topic to be argumentative about than whether bloody Pokemon red is art or not. Who bloody cares, it's a video game. It's not worth starting arguments or brewing antagonism over a tiny percentage of some relatively inconsequential project. Ultimately it's only a fraction of a percentage, it might sting, but it's not a big deal at all.

Just let it pass. If the teacher gives an honest opportunity to speak your mind in private and seems open to ideas, by all means debate your point. Be courteous and succinct, give refined examples and explain your view and maybe she'll end up agreeing, maybe not. But it's not worth starting a fight over. It just isn't.
Funny how i didnt touch on what he should do with his teacher and thats all your response to me really is. Remember just cause you type alot doesnt mean your really saying anything. O and Pokemon is a form of art and/or rather has forms of art in it so its not debatable till we are red in the face its a fact.
 

Dags90

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Oct 27, 2009
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FelixG said:
The National Endowment For The Arts recognized Games as art, so yes, games are widely accepted as art these days.

The teacher let her own biased opinion color her grading of a paper, which is completely wrong and a professor at my college got reprimanded for recently. How is calling the OP egotistic for agreeing with the NEA?

I guess bashing on the OP is easier than disagreeing with an idiotic teacher though..
The National Endowment recognizes some games as arts, and that art goes into video game production.[footnote]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/19/national-endowment-for-th_n_863950.html[/footnote] Which is a fairly explicit ambiguity given by them that not all video games are art. The Escapists own article on this ruling also clearly states that this single decision does not entail a broad cultural change.[footnote]http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109835-Games-Now-Legally-Considered-an-Art-Form-in-the-USA[/footnote]

The OP is egoistic for failing to account that the NEA and his own aren't the only widespread and valid positions, and failing to clarify the issue beforehand was myopic. I figured that was quite clear.

And who said I agreed with the teacher?
 

Bealzibob

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Jul 4, 2009
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Well ignoring all the "it's subjective so if you think its art then its art" bullshit that this forum is so fond of it's still infact true that video games are art.

Videogames follow the basic elements of design that help shape art and thus can be considered art in the same way that movies and book can be. I assumed you would of decontructed Pokemon Red using the elements of design at least a little in your assignment (I don't seem to do anything but that in my Art theory) so you would of shown justification for why it's got artistic merit.

Seems she's just a bint with her head up her arse or you didn't explain it well enough. In neither cases are you in the wrong.