WGS 220
Gender and Popular Culture
Fall 2007
Calendar
August 30 No class
INTRODUCTIONS: On Cultural Studies and Popular Culture (Looking at Magazines)
September 4
Readings: Dines & Humez: "Preface" (xiii-xiv), Kellner, "Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture" (9-20)
Homework portfolio assignment: Take notes on terms and concepts in the reading that you think need explaining. Buy a magazine--any magazine, as long as it's
illustrated. Browse through your magazine and identify an image that you
think might help to illustrate these concepts. Draft a page of hunches
and questions about how you might go about analyzing this image using the
conceptual tools of cultural studies.
September 6
Readings: Dines & Humez: Lull, "Hegemony" (61-66); SOCS: "Some Key Terms in the Study of Popular Culture"; Storey, "Cultural Studies and the Study of Popular Culture"
September 10
Readings: SOCS: Berger, Ways of Seeing, Chapter 3; Johnson, "The Gender Knot: What Drives Patriarchy?"; "Interview with Carol Ficatier, Miss December 1985"
September 11
Extra credit: Religion, Culture, and Identity event - TCNJ Art Gallery, 6-8 PM, opening reception
September 13
11:30-12:30 EXTRA CREDIT LECTURE/DISCUSSION - 241 Social Science Bldg. John Landreau (WGS): “The President and the Prophet: a
Comparison of the War Rhetoric of Bush and Bin Laden”Readings: SOCS: Storey, "Newspapers and Magazines"; Barthes, selection from Mythologies; Dines & Humez: Hall, "The Whites of Their Eyes" (89-93)
September 17
QUIZ AND TEAMBUILDING DAY! No assigned reading.
To prepare: study everything you've read so far for the course.
September 20
Team assignments
Readings: Dines & Humez: Oulette, "Inventing the Cosmo Girl" (116-128); Breazeale, "In Spite of Women" (230-243); Crane, "Gender and Hegemony in Fashion Magazines" (314-332); Dines, "King Kong and the White Woman" (451-461)
King Kong II (1976)
Homework portfolio assignment: During the September 17 class session, you signed up to be on a panel for one of the above articles. To prepare for today's class, do one of the following:
- Conduct a little research related to the assigned reading. Your source may be a news or scholarly article, or a pop-media image or piece of music that corresponds in some way to the content of the assigned reading. In your portfolio, note the implications of your discovery in relation to the assigned reading.
- Prepare a brief analysis of the assigned reading and write about a page about it for your portfolio. You may concentrate on summarizing key points of the central argument, on specific passages that you think the class should focus on, or on ways the article illuminates previous readings or key concepts.
II. POP CULTURE IS ABOUT SELLING STUFF--IMAGES AND IDEAS AND FEELINGS AND BEHAVIOR: Corporations, Consumerism, Advertising
September 24 Adbusters Spoof Ads
Charts on mega-media corporations
Readings: Dines & Humez: Croteau & Hoynes, "The New Media Giants" (21-39); Rich, "Naked Capitalists" (48-60)
4 PM: Rich: Illustrator - Chelsey, Critique - Tara
September 27 No class
October 1
Readings: Dines & Humez: Schor, "The New Politics of Consumption" (183-195); Jhally, "Image-Based Culture" (249-257); SOCS: Storey, "Consumption in Everyday Life"
2 PM: Schor: Illustrator - Susan, critique - Tim; Jhally: Illustrator - Kati, critique - Juliana; Storey: Illustrator - Chanis; critique - Jenn
4 PM: Schor: Illustrator - Danielle, critique - Amanda; Jhally: Illustrator - Ryan, critique - Mark; Storey: Illustrator - Kristiana; critique - Melissa
October 3 Extra credit: Religion, Culture, and Identity event - Sister Helen Prajean on the death penalty, Kendall Hall, 12-1:30 PM
October 4
Readings: Dines & Humez: Ghosh, "'Con-fusing' Exotica" (274-282); Wilson & Gutierrez, "Advertising and People of Color" (283-292); Haller & Ralph, "Current Perspectives on Advertising Images of Disability" (293-301)
2 PM: Ghosh: Illustrator - Tom; critique - Courtney; Wilson & Gutierrez: Illustrator - Mark, critique - Chanis; Haller & Ralph: Illustrator - Jennifer; critique - Susan
4 PM: Ghosh: Illustrator - Frank; critique - Amanda; Wilson & Gutierrez: Illustrator - Jess, critique - Vanessa; Haller & Ralph: critique - Brian
October 8
Readings: Dines & Humez: Fejes, "Advertising and the Political Economy of Gay/Lesbian Identity" (212-222); Sender, "Selling Sexual Subjectivities" (302-313)
Christopher Columbus's Journal
October 10 Extra credit: Religion, Culture, and Identity event - Jon Pahl, lecture, "The Desire to Acquire: Why Shopping Malls are Sites of Religious Violence"
October 11
Readings: Dines & Humez: Kirkham & Weller, "Cosmetics" (268-273); Katz, "Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity" (349-358); SOCS: Messner, "The Male Consumer as Loser: Beer and Liquor Ads in Mega Sports Media Events"
2 PM: Kirkham & Weller: Illustrator - Heather; critique - Victoria; Messner: illustrator - Eddie; critique: Danielle; Katz - illustrator: Joe
4 PM: Kirkham & Weller: Illustrator - Joseph; critique - Jaime; Messner: illustrator - Christine; critique: George
Film: selections from "Tough Guise" by Jackson Katz
October 15
Readings: Dines & Humez: Steinem, "Sex, Lies, and Advertising" (223-229); Caputi, "Everyday Pornography" (434-450)
2 PM: Steinem: Illustrator - Juliana; critique - Kirsten; Caputi: Illustrator - Matthew ; critique - Briann
4 PM: Steinem: Illustrator - Karen; critique - Mia; Caputi: Illustrator - Tara; critique - Letitia
Class visit: Mark Bartkiewicz - Dove ad on U-tube
October 17 Extra credit: Religion, Culture, and Identity events - Library auditorium, 10-noon: Film, "Picture Me an Enemy"; 2-3:30: Panel discussion on children of war/children of peace; 4:30 lecture, Andras Riedlmayer, "Ethnicity, Religion, and the Destruction of Culture in the Balkan Wars of the 1990s"
October 18
Readings: Dines & Humez: Kilbourne, "The More You Subtract, The More You Add"; SOCS: Bordo, "Reading the Slender Body"
2 PM: Kilbourne: Illustrator - Tim; critique - Christopher; Bordo: Illustrator - Courtney, critique - Jennifer
4 PM: Kilbourne: Illustrator - Samaria; critique - Christine; Bordo: Illustrator - Caitlin, critique - Kaitlyn
Film: "Killing Us Softly" and/or "Beauty Backlash"
October 22 Fall Break
III. PRINCESSES ETC.
October 25
Readings: Dines & Humez: Davis, "Space Jam" (159-170); SOCS: Zipes, "Breaking the Disney Spell"; Orenstein, "What's Wrong With Cinderella?"
2 PM: Davis: illustrator - Erin; critique - Sean; Zipes: illustrator - Jennifer; critique - Catie; Orenstein, illustrator - Briann; critique - Erin
4 PM: Davis: illustrator - Jarred; critique - Chelsey; Zipes: illustrator - Melina; critique - Larissa; Orenstein, illustrator - Vanessa; critique - Caitlin
October 29
Readings: Dines & Humez: Radway, "Women Read the Romance"; Borges, A Million Little Mermaids
Jennifer's illustrations: Micky Mouse Monopoly Sexism, Strength, and Dominance
2 PM: Radway: Illustrator - Danielle; critique - Mark; Borges: illustrator - Victoria; critique - Nancy
4 PM: Radway: Illustrator - Yarina; critique - Danielle; Borges: illustrator - Amanda; critique - Samaria
Film: Start viewing "The Little Mermaid"
October 30 Extra credit: Religion, Culture, and Identity event - Art Gallery exhibition reception 6-8 PM.
November 1
Andersen, The Little Mermaid; SOCS: Zipes, "Hans Christian Andersen and the Discourse of the Damned"; Storey, Ch. 4, "Film"
4 PM: Storey - critique: Joe; Illustrator - Tom
Film: Finish "The Little Mermaid"
November 5
Readings: Dines & Humez: Giffin, "You've Never Had a Friend Like Me"; SOCS: Sells, "Where Do the Mermaids Stand?"
In class: finish Little Mermaid entry for homework portfolio
2 PM: Giffin: Illustrator - Kirsten (and Aladdin); Critique - Tom; Sells: Illustrator - Christopher; critique - Kati
4 PM: Giffin: Illustrator - Mia; Critique - Kristiana; Sells: Illustrator - George; critique - Jessica
IV. Ursula's Origins: Drag, Queerness, Camp, and Much Much More
November 8
Readings: Dines & Humez: Rogers, "Hetero Barbie?" (94-7); Raymond, "Popular Culture and Queer Representation" (98-110)
2 PM: Rogers: Illustrator - Jenna; critique - Vinu; Raymond, illustrator - Vinu; critique - Matthew
4 PM: Rogers: Illustrator - Letitia; critique - Frank; Raymond, illustrator - Melinda; critique - Joseph
November 12
Susan Sontag, "Notes on Camp"; on SOCS: John Waters, "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World"; Waters, "Finally, Footlights on the Fat Girls"
2 PM: Sontag: Illustrator - Catie; critique - Eddie; Waters: Illustrator - Sean
4 PM: Sontag: Illustrator - Brian; critique - Sal; Waters: Illustrator - Mark, critique - Ryan
November 15
Readings on SOCS: Storey, "Music"
2 PM: illustrator - Nancy plus The MisShapes; critique - John
4 PM: Illustrator - Jaime, critique - Tom
Homework: Reviews of "Hairspray" - films and stage show
November 19
SOCS: D. A. Miller, "In the Basement" from Place for Us: Essay on the Broadway Musical; Ventura, "White Boys Dancing"
2 PM: Miller: illustrator - John; critique - Jennifer
4 PM: Miller: illustrator - Kaitlyn; critique - Karen
Guest: Wayne Heisler, Dept. of Music
November 22 - THANKSGIVING!!
November 26 Media scrapbooks due
Facilitation teams:
2 PM: TV - Vinu, Julianna, Jennifer, Danielle, Susan, Heather, Mark
4 PM: Films - George, Mark, Tom, Frank, Joe, Letitia, Kristiana, Ryan
November 29
Facilitation teams:
2 PM: Internet - Christopher, Nancy, Jenn O., Kirsten, Vickie, Sean, Tim
4 PM: TV - Samaria, Jaime, Mia, Chelsey, Jennifer, Kaitlyn, Jarred
December 1 Extra credit: Religion, Culture, and Identity events, Library auditorium: 2:30-4, film, "Taste of Cherry," 4:30-6, film, "A Walk with Kiarostami" (both from Iran)
December 2 Extra credit: Religion, Culture, and Identity event, Library auditorium: 2-4, film, "The Apostle" (Robert Duvall)
December 3
Facilitation teams:
2 PM: Sports - Jenna, Courtney, Joe, Matt, Briann, Erin, Catie
4 PM: Celebrities - Amanda, Karen, Tara, Yarina, Caitlin, Melinda, Vanessa
December 6
Facilitation teams:
2 PM: Music - John, Kati, Chanis, Tom, Eddie, Jennifer
4 PM: Christmas/holidays: Brian, Jessica, Melissa, Danielle, Larissa, Sal, Christine
Extra credit essays and all revisions/rewrites of Illustration and Critique essays due
Finals week
December 13:
Homework portfolios are due by 4:50 PM. Drop them off in Bliss 234 between 2:00 and 4:50. The 2007 version of "Hairspray" will be showing in the classroom during this time--stop by and watch for a while!
December 18:
Final projects are due by 4:50 PM - post on SOCS.
