ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Name: Jamir Raizen Celso Grade and Section: 12 - St. Joseph of Cupertino
Date: 10-27-2023 Teacher: Ms. Kate Jacob

Activity 1: Our Thoughts, Our Words

Directions: Watch and listen to the official music video of the featured song. Afterwards, write a
reaction paper about it. Follow the structure as well as the features of writing a reaction paper in
your paper. Then capture your reaction by taking a picture of yourself.

Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero (Official Music Video)

"Anti-Hero" is the lead single from singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's tenth album,
"Midnights," which was released in 2022. The song is a deeply personal and emotionally charged
exploration of Swift's struggles with insecurities and anxieties in both her private and public life.
The accompanying music video features Taylor portraying different characters, each representing
specific traits and emotions. It immerses the audience in an emotionally-driven experience, aiming
to connect with the viewers and listeners on a personal level through relatability.

"Anti-Hero" is a brilliantly composed song by Taylor Swift, delving deep into the themes of
insecurities and anxieties, which are not commonly addressed in mainstream music. The
accompanying music video is a masterful representation of the emotions associated with
imperfection and vulnerability. The video begins in a dream-like state, where Swift is haunted by
various figures representing her fears, nightmares, and past experiences. An alter-ego of herself
joins in, offering negative feedback and toxic advice throughout the video, vividly illustrating how
depression can make individuals feel perpetually inadequate for societal acceptance. In the second
verse, Swift describes herself as a "monster on the hill," shedding light on her struggles to conform
to the standards set by the "sexy babies." The song takes a thought-provoking turn as it delves into
the concept of covert narcissism masked as altruism, drawing parallels to certain politicians. This
aspect of the song encourages listeners to reflect on personal growth and self-awareness. The video
concludes with Swift and her two other versions sharing a moment on the rooftop of her house. I
interpret this as Swift's acceptance and acknowledgment of her fears, utilizing them as a catalyst for
personal growth rather than avoiding them.
 In conclusion, "Anti-Hero" masterfully captures Taylor Swift's personal struggles, making it
a fan-favorite due to its relatable and vulnerable lyrics. It also showcases Swift's exceptional talent
for crafting songs from her own experiences and infusing them with deep meaning that resonates
profoundly with her fans.

My Reaction
Rubrics:

Category 1-2 Points 3-4 Points 5 Points

Focus and Main The essay poorly addresses The essay is focused The essay is focused,
Point topic and includes irrelevant on the topic and purposeful, and
ideas includes few loosely reflects clear insights
related ideas and ideas
Support Provides little to no support Supports main point Persuasively supports
for the main point with some main point with
underdeveloped well-developed
reasons and examples reasons and examples
Language Use, Many errors in grammar, Uses correct grammar, Uses correct grammar,
Style, and spelling, and punctuation spelling, and spelling, and
Conventions that makes understanding punctuation with few punctuation
the text difficult minor errors throughout the text

Organization Little or no organization of There is good Effectively organizes

and Format ideas to build meaningful organization of ideas ideas to build a
text to build a meaningful logical, coherent
text argument