This schedule is dynamic and responds to the needs of the classroom situation and students as we move through the course. Some readings and assignments maybe rearranged, some dropped, others added, as the needs of the situation demands. All changes to the syllabus will be announced in class and made online. The online syllabus is always the final authority on what is due and when, and it is your responsibility to stay current with the changes. And remember: you are accountable for all work, even if you do not attend class.
Textbooks: The Rhetorical Power of Popular Culture (RPPC) and Discovering Popular Culture (DPC)
Remember: Always bring to class the text/readings on the assigned day. |
Week 1 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Aug 25 |
Introduction to English 245
In-class writing |
Read: Course Policies and Ch 1 of The Rhetorical Power of Popular Culture (RPPC) and Carol Kaesuk Yoon — Orangutans Said to Exhibit Hallmarks of Culture |
|
Discuss Ch 1 RPC; Popular culture: what is it and what is it good for?
Activity: Beloit College — Mindset List of Class of 2013. |
Read: Ch 2 in (RPPC), Steven Johnson — “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” NY Times Sunday Magazine, April 24, 2005, and David Segal — “After Jackson, Fame May Never Be the Same.” New York Times, June 27, 2009 |
Week 2 |
Class Discussion
|
Homework |
T Sept 1 |
Discuss: Ch 2 (RPPC) Brief lecture: useful terms in rhetoric—issue, position, community, ideology; Johnson and television in pop culture
Activity: The Daily Show |
Read: Robert Love — “Before Jon Stewart: The Growth Of Fake News. Believe It” (Blackboard) & James Poniewozik and Jeanne McDowell — "How Reality TV Fakes It." |
Th Sept 3
|
Discuss: News, News and more News
Workshop: “Reading Popular Culture” |
Read: Ch 4 in (RPPC) Gary Burns — “Popular Music, Television, and Generational Identity” (Blackboard) and Ian Inglis — “The Ed Sullivan Show and the (Censored) Sounds of the Sixties.” (Blackboard) |
Week 3 |
Class Discussion
|
Homework |
T Sept 8 |
Discuss: Ch 3 in (RPPC) & approaches to pop culture
Activity: Rock n’ Roll |
Read: June M. Frazer and Timothy C. Frazer’s —
“Father Knows Best and The Cosby Show; Nostalgia and the Sitcom Tradition” (Blackboard) |
Th Sept 10
|
Discuss: Frazer
Activity: The American TV Family
|
Read: Eric Garrison’s — The Simpsons: A Reflection of Society and Message to the Family,” p.102-110 in Discovering Popular Culture (DPC) &
Matthew Henry’s — ‘‘ ‘Don’t Ask me, I’m Just a Girl’: Feminism, Female Identity, and The Simpsons.” (Blackboard) |
Week 4 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Sept 15 |
Discuss: Garrison & Henry
Activity: The Simpsons |
Draft paper 1 |
Th Sept 17
|
Discuss: Rhetorical Analyses of Pop Culture |
Read: Dove, StrategyOne, Nancy Etcoff, & Susie Orbach’s — “Only Two Percent of Women Describe Themselves as Beautiful” p. 48-55 & Smith’s — “Decoding Victoria Secrets” p. 56-63 in (DPC) |
Week 5 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Sept 22 |
Discuss: Readings
Activity: Gender & Pop Culture |
Read Ch 5 in RPPC and Ralph Donald — From “Knockout Punch” to “Home Run”: Masculinity’s “Dirty Dozen” Sports Metaphors in American Combat Films”p. 64-83(DPC) |
Th Sept 24
|
Discuss: Pop Culture History |
Read: Barbara Ehrenreich — “Why Don’t We Like the Human Body?” p. 84-7 (DPC) |
Week 6 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Sept 29 |
Discuss Readings |
Read: Bernard Beck — “The Myth That Would Not Die: The Sopranos, Mafia Movies, and Italians in America” p. 122-30 (DPC) & |
Th Oct 1 |
Discuss Readings |
Read: Navarro — “Trying to Get Beyond the Role of the Maid; Hispanic Actors Are Seen as Underrepresented, with the Exception of One Part” p. 130-34 and Chris Tucker's "Different Stories" p. 135-42 (DPC) |
Week 7 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Oct 6 |
Draft Workshop |
Revise Draft |
Th Oct 8 |
Draft Workshop |
Revise draft |
Week 8 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Oct 13 |
Draft Workshop |
Poliosh Draft
|
Th Oct 15
| Paper 1 Due
Discuss: Project #2
Discuss: Readings |
Read: Ch 6 in RPPC and Brent Staples — “Editorial Observer: How Hip-Hop Music Lost Its Way and Betrayed Its Fans” p. 157-59 (DPC) |
Week 9 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Oct 20 |
Discuss: Readings |
Read James Twitchell — “Trash and the Voluntary Simplicity Movement–The Triumph of American Materialism” p.213-24 (DPC) |
Th Oct 22
|
Discuss: Readings |
Read: Race–Some Reflections on Michael Jordan” p.143-56 (DPC) & Anneli Rufus — “Marlboro Country: Advertising”p. 6 (DPC) |
Week 10 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Oct 27
| Discuss: Readings |
Read Mary Kosut — “An Ironic Fad: The Commodification and Consumption of Tattoos.”(Blackboard) and Ch 7 in RPPC |
Th Oct 29
|
Discuss: Readings |
Develop draft |
Week 11 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Nov 3 |
Workshop |
Revise draft |
Th Nov 5
|
Workshop |
Polish draft |
Week 12 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Nov 10 |
Revision Workshop |
Read: Robert Trussell — “Scholars Spend as Much Time with Love Boat as with Shakespeare” p.164-69 (DPC) |
Th Nov 12
|
Discuss Trussell
Discuss Project #3
|
Read: Ch 7 in RPPC; Jonathan Franzen — “The Reader in Exile“ p.181-91 (DPC) & Marie Warmbold — “Harry Potter: Oliver with a Magical Twist”p. 192-201 (DPC) |
Week 13 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Nov 17 |
Project #2 Due
Discuss: Readings |
Read: Ch 9 in RPPC and Lawrence Lessig — “Protecting Mickey Mouse at Art’s Expense” p. 245-48 (DPC) |
Th Nov 19
|
Discuss: Readings |
Read: Bennet’s “Why Millions are living life online” Wright’s "Dream Machines," and "About Facebook" |
Week 14 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Nov 24 |
Discuss readings |
compose project #3 |
Th Nov 26
|
Thanksgiving Break |
Week 15 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Dec 1 |
Workshop |
Revise project #3 |
Th Dec 3
|
Workshop |
Revise project #3 |
Week 16 |
Class Discussion |
Homework |
T Dec 8 |
Wrap-up |
Polish Project #3/Write semester reflection |
Finals |
Final
Dec 15th |
There is no in-class final exam in this class, but you are required to turn in a final paper and a reflection on Tuesday, Dec 15th--the day scheduled for the exam--and pick up your work from me in my office, LL 309B. If you fail to turn do so during the scheduled exam time, I cannot record your final course grade. |
