Propaganda Questions for Local Play 2015-16

Propaganda Questions for Local Play 2015-16

Elementary/Middle Divisions

Section A

Ad from Geico Insurance during a golf telecast: “Saving people money since 1936. That’s before golf was on TV!”

Panel’s Opinion: 5 Conservatism

Mathematics and me just don’t get along. No matter how much I study, I will never get better than a C in any math class. I am hopeless.

Panel’s Opinion: 10 Inconceivability

Coach to football players before a game: “Alright, guys. Go out there and show that other team what you’re made of. Show no mercy and bring them down. Now is the time to get out there and win or be embarrassed for the rest of season for losing. It’s your decision!”

Panel’s Opinion: 3 Drawing the Line

Justin is a typical athlete. He’s all brawn and no brains.

Panel’s Opinion: 8 Tabloid Thinking

Mom, we should not buy our food from our local grocery store. They import most of their food from other countries. Let’s go to Wal-Mart. They sell only food grown in the United States.

Panel’s Opinion: 1 Prejudice

I’m so excited that Alexis’s first birthday is coming up. We’re making all the plans and have decided that a custom cake would be perfect. But my husband wants chocolate, and my son wants vanilla. They both seem like really good choices. I guess I’ll leave it up to the bakery to decide.

Panel’s Opinion: 2 Academic Detachment

Mom, I know you asked me to watch my little brother while you went to the store this afternoon. But my friend Mark – my best friend that you like me to hang out with – came by and asked to go kick around the soccer ball. We had a great time. I couldn’t resist. Besides, my brother is OK.

Panel’s Opinion: 6 Rationalization

The only thing our softball team needs to play better this year is new uniforms.

Panel’s Opinion: 9 Causal Oversimplification

Even though I didn’t have enough time to study for my history exam last night, I know I’ll do fine. It’s an essay and I’m an excellent writer. Also, Mr. Grant loves me; I’m one of his favorite students. I’m sure he’ll give me a break on this one.

Panel’s Opinion: 7 Wishful Thinking

EXTRA

Bundini Elementary School’s test scores have gone down tremendously in the last five years. What we need is a new principal to turn that school around.

Panel’s Opinion: 9 Causal Oversimplification

Section B

1. Key West is like a breath of fresh air. You come for paradise and never want to leave. Your vacation is calling.

Panel’s Opinion: 2 Metaphor and Simile

2. Ad: “There is no time like the present to give a present to the one you love. Shop Jared’s today.”

Panel’s Opinion: 8 Shift of Meaning

3. Marymont, South Carolina, is a true southern city. We have the best hospitality, the friendliest neighbors, and the number one strawberry festival around. If you’re looking for a place you can call home sweet home, Marymont is it. Come see what it’s like to love where you live.

Panel’s Opinion: 1 Emotional Terms

4. Officer, the sign said no dogs on the beach. I never put Rufus down on the beach. Instead, I carried him straight to the water and put him down in the ocean.

Panel’s Opinion: 3 Emphasis

5. Actual Newspaper Headline: “Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted.”

Panel’s Opinion: 7 Ambiguity

6. Jack: “What we need right now is a good old-fashioned classic ice cream sundae.”
Jill: “What is in an old-fashioned ice cream sundae anyway?”
Jack: “If you really have to ask, you’ve never truly experienced ice cream sundae heaven.”

Panel’s Opinion: 5 Abstract Terms

7. Ad: “Sports Illustrated for KIDS is the magazine that gets kids in the game, and gets them reading, too. It’s a slam dunk! Subscribe today.”

Panel’s Opinion: 2 Metaphor and Simile

8. Sally, don’t strain yourself so much trying to get your legs stronger for gymnastics. Back off a little bit.

Panel’s Opinion: 6 Vagueness

9. Son: “Dad, you said not to go out of town while you were gone.”
Dad: “No, son, I told you not to go out of town and not to go to any parties. Our next door neighbor saw you twice at parties at houses on our street.”

Panel’s Opinion: 4 Quotation Out of Context

EXTRA

10. Ad for Goldfish pizza: “Flavor Blasted! Super Charged! Explosive Pizza Flavor!”

Panel’s Opinion: 1 Emotional Terms

Section C

1. Ad: “Lady Gaga donates to the Red Cross. Join her in making a difference in the lives of others. Donate today.”

Panel’s Opinion: 5 Status

2. Ad: “Our survey shows that 90% of parents sneak some of their kids’ Halloween candy. Buy more at Wal-Mart.”

Panel’s Opinion: 4 Numbers

3. Ad: “Senator John McCain uses Crest extra whitening toothpaste to keep his pearly whites shining bright. Try it today.”

Panel’s Opinion: 3 Degrees and Titles

4. Wendy Thomas in a magazine ad for Wendy’s: “Dad’s dictionary had about six words in it. And the very first word was ‘fresh.’ When quality is your recipe, fresh is where great taste starts. That’s why Dad insisted on having fresh produce delivered to every restaurant. Making every salad fresh, every day. That’s Wendy’s Way.”

Panel’s Opinion: 6 Repetition

5. Ad for an insurance company: “Mutual of Omaha; Your Retirement Company.”

Panel’s Opinion: 7 Slogans

6. Our academic games team is a family. We care more about team success than individual success. If one of our teammates is struggling in a game, we all work together to help him or her out. After all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Panel’s Opinion: 9 Sophistical Formula

7. This movie has LeBron James as one of the key characters. He’s my favorite player. Let’s go see it.

Panel’s Opinion: 5 Status

8. We should buy this property for our new housing development. I know we have not done a soil sample, and we have not explored the zoning requirements for housing. But just look at the views from all sides. This place is gorgeous.

Panel’s Opinion: 1 Appearance

9. Ad: “For years, Reebok’s special Foam Fusion Nano Weave support system has made a difference for your feet. Treat your feet to Reeboks.”

Panel’s Opinion: 8 Technical Jargon

EXTRA

10. Always look your guests right in the eye when they ask you questions and when you give them the proper directions or information. That will give them comfort.

Panel’s Opinion: 2 Manner

Section F

Can you support a candidate who has never served in government before? Can you vote for someone who only talks about what to do but has no experience doing it? Do you want a celebrity to run the country? Tell me, yes or no?

Panel’s Opinion: 6 Complex Question

Mother: “Sam, I told you to vacuum the house before you played your video games after school.”
Sam: “I know, but you’ll never believe what happened. When the school bus dropped us off, there were four police cars, two ambulances, and a fire truck outside our neighbor Justine’s house.”
Mother: “Oh dear! Do you know what happened?”
Sam: “We saw them taking both Justine and her husband out on stretchers to separate ambulances. But the police wouldn’t tell us what happened.”
Mother: “That’s awful. I sure hope they’re ok.”

Panel’s Opinion: 1 Diversion

Our homeschooling curriculum is ranked number one in mathematics instruction because we have the highest rate of student success in mathematics.

Panel’s Opinion: 10 Begging the Question

Mom to daughter: “I want you to hang out with truly nice friends.”
Daughter: “I hang out with Sally. She’s nice.”
Mom: “Sally is OK, but not truly nice. Please don’t hang out with her anymore.”

Panel’s Opinion: 9 Victory by Definition

Dad: “Let’s buy you that bike over there. It’s the best brand in the country. It has all the safety features that we agreed on. It rides so smoothly and can handle a lot of speed and sharp turns. It has a cool blue paint.”
Son: “Dad, I hate that blue color. No way I can ride that bike.”

Panel’s Opinion: 2 Disproving a Minor Point

If TCU had made the College Football Playoff in 2014, as they should have, they would have won it.

Panel’s Opinion: 4 Appeal to Ignorance

Ad: “Want gorgeous sparkling white teeth? Buy our new Crest Whitening strips. Your teeth will gleam like never before.”

Panel’s Opinion: 5 Leading Question

Ad: “Enroll your child today in the Science Minds Program. Our state-of-the-art program is the best in Virginia. Want proof? Just last year, parents voted us the best in providing hands-on experiments for 5th graders! Don’t miss your chance for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Panel’s Opinion: 7 Inconsequent Argument

Ron: “I don’t like our new uniforms. They have strange red stripes.”
Bob: “What? You want us to return to those plain old gray pants with no color?”

Panel’s Opinion: 8 Attacking a Straw Man

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EXTRA

Student to teacher: “How can you criticize me for turning in my report late? You were late returning our last test papers.”

Panel’s Opinion: 3 Ad Hominem