What knowledge of popular American culture does Goodman assume that her Boston Globe audience has? How does she use allusions to American TV programs to build her argument? Note, for example, that she...

What knowledge of popular American culture does Goodman assume that her Boston Globe audience has? How does she use allusions to American TV programs to build her argument? Note, for example, that she sometimes uses such allusions as conversational asides—“All that and these islanders didn’t even get Ally McBeal,” and “At this rate, we owe the islanders at least one year of the ample lawyer Camryn Manheim in The Practice for free”—to establish her ethos. (For a discussion of ethos, see Chapter 3.) In what other ways do allusions to TV programs contribute to Goodman’s argument? Would you have understood this article without the glosses to Ally McBeal and The Practice that the editors have provided? What does this situation teach you about the need to consider your audience and their background knowledge as you write? (See Chapter 6 for a discussion of audience.)