How have the movies reflected and influenced changes in American mores, values and politics over the past 40 years? How has Hollywood shaped Americans’ image of the world, and the world’s view of Americans? What role does film play in American life today? What is the future of film in a digital age?
In attempting to answer these questions, this course will take two parallel tracks. We will trace the history of the American film industry over the last 40 years by screening representative films from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Meanwhile, we will alternate these older films with films made in this decade. This back-and-forth approach will allow us to use the present to help illuminate the past, and vice versa. We will end with two recent digital films which suggest some of the possibilities that new technologies open up for the future of filmmaking.
The coursepack for this class is sold by Bestway Copy Center, 18 Decatur Street SE (on the first floor of One Park Place South).
Additional readings will be distributed via the class listserv. All students will be automatically signed up to the listserv. I will regularly forward Hollywood news, reviews of upcoming movies, and other useful material to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class. Simply reply to a posting, or send a new message to amfilm@tedfriedman.com. Most of the readings sent through email are recommended but not required. However, occasionally required readings will be distributed via email. In these cases, the email message will have the heading “REQUIRED” in the subject line.
In addition to the readings, you are responsible for viewing the assigned film before class each week. The first film - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - is currently playing in theaters throughout Atlanta. For all other films, screenings will be held in the in Arts & Humanities 406 after class on Thursdays. Alternately, all movies are available through the online DVD rental service Netflix (http://www.netflix.com), and at better video stores such as Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117).
Introduction
8/22 Introduction
8/24 Read Ted Friedman, “Cast Away and the Contradictions of Product Placement”:
http://www.tedfriedman.com/essays/2004/08/cast_away_and_t.html
Ted Friedman, “Star Wars and the Dialectics of Myth”:
http://www.tedfriedman.com/essays/2005/03/star_wars_and_t.html
unit 1: the blockbuster
2006: pirates of the caribbean 2
8/29 Read these Edward J. Epstein columns in Slate:
“How Did Michael Eisner Make Disney Profitable?”:
http://www.slate.com/id/2116794/
“Gross Misunderstanding”: http://www.slate.com/id/2118819/
“The Midas Formula”: http://www.slate.com/id/2119701/
“Hollywood’s Profits, Demystified”: http://www.slate.com/id/2124078/
“Dumb Money”: http://www.slate.com/id/2120335/
“The Vanishing Box Office”: http://www.slate.com/id/2122000/
“Hidden Persuaders”: http://www.slate.com/id/2122934/
“Hollywood’s Death Spiral 1”: http://www.slate.com/id/2123286/
“Hollywood’s Death Spiral 2”: http://www.slate.com/id/2123588/
8/31 In-class screening: Behind the Screen
1965: goldfinger
9/5 Read Tony Bennett, excerpts from Bond and Beyond
David Bordwell, “Intensified Continuity”
9/7 In-class screening: The Last Mogul (excerpts)
Unit 2: race and fear
1968: night of the living dead
9/12 Read Richard Dyer, “White”
Stacy Schmitt, “Racial Visibility in Night of the Living Dead”
Robin Wood, “George Romero: Apocalypse Now”
9/14 In-class screenings: The American Nightmare, Baadassss Cinema (excerpts)
2005: crash
9/19 Read all the entries in Slate’s “Movie Club 2005”:
http://www.slate.com/id/2132498/entry/2133364/
9/21 In-class screening: Classified X unit 3: activism
2000: erin brockovich
9/26 Read Robert Ray, Introduction to A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema
9/28 In-class screening: The Big Buy
1976: network
10/3 Read Robert Ray, “Left and Right Films”
Eric Boehlert, excerpts from Lapdogs
10/5 In-class screening: A Decade Under the Influence (start)
Unit 4: how the u.s. sees the world/how the world sees the u.s.
1981: raiders of the lost ark
10/10 Read Jack Shaheen, excerpts from Reel Bad Arabs
Robin Wood, “Papering the Cracks: Fantasy and Ideology in the
Reagan Era”
10/12 In-class screening: A Decade Under the Influence (finish)
Take-home midterm due
2002: september 11
10/17 Read John Powers, excerpts from Sore Winners
10/19 In-class screenings: Hollywood and the Muslim World, Looking for Comedy
in the Muslim World (excerpts)
unit 5: the teen movie
2004: napoleon dynamite
10/24 Read Sara Vowell, “The Nerd Voice”
Jon Katz, except from Geeks
Listen to Joe Kerr, “Lecture-2-Go on Napoleon Dynamite”:
http://web.mac.com/jokercopy/iWeb/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html
10/26 In-class screening: Miss India Georgia
1993: dazed and confused
10/31 Read James Mottram, excepts from The Sundance Kids
11/2 In-class screening: Heavy Metal Paring Lot
unit 6: gender and sexuality
1996: citizen ruth
11/7 Read James Mottram, more excerpts from The Sundance Kids
11/9 In-class screening: Searching for Deborah Winger (excerpts)
2005: brokeback mountain
11/14 Read Benshoff and Griffin, “Sexualities on Film Since the Sexual
Revolution”
Daniel Mendelsohn, “An Affair to Remember”
Schamus, Conarroe, and Mendelsohn,
“Brokeback Mountain: An Exchange”
11/16 In-class screening: The Celluloid Closet
Thanksgiving Holiday - No Classes 11/21, 11/23
unit 7: the future of movies
2003: tarnation
11/28 Readings to be distributed via email
11/30 In-class screening: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story
2005: sin city
12/5 Readings to be distributed via email
12/7 In-class screening: DVD extras
Research paper due
Take-home final due December 14
Assignments
The class assignments add up to total of 100 possible points. Your final grade for the class is determined by adding up your grades for each assignment, adjusting for attendance, then applying the final number to the following scale:
A 100-93 B+ 89-87 C+ 79-77 D 70-65
A- 92-90 B 86-83 C 76-70 F 64-0
B- 82-80
Take-Home Midterm - 30 points
The take-home midterm will require you to relate concepts from the readings and lectures to the films screened for the first three class units. Due in class October 12.
Research Paper - 30 points
You will produce a 7-9 page research paper on an American film made since 1968. More details on the research paper will follow in a separate handout. The final draft of the research paper is due December 8.
Take-Home Final - 30 points
The take-home final will be structured just like the midterm, covering units 4-7. Due December 14.
Hollywood Stock Exchange - 10 points
In August, sign up for the online fantasy game at http://www.hsx.com. Manage your portfolio of movie stocks and star bonds over the course of the semester. At the end of the semester, submit a 1-2 page paper summarizing what you bought and how you did. If you won money, discuss what you did right. If you lost money, examine what you did wrong. This is a pass/fail assignment - you get full credit as long as you submit the paper by December 14.
Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Re-Writes and Makeup Tests
Opportunities for revision and improvement will be available for the midterm, the presentation, and the research paper prospectus. In addition, I will look at optional drafts of the research paper submitted on or before April 28. One rule: a 24-hour cool-down period after the return of any assignment. Wait a day before coming to talk to me, and I’ll be happy to listen to your concerns and help you improve your work.
Late and Unsubmitted Papers
Late papers will be marked off by ½ point for every day overdue unless an extension is agreed upon before the due date. Any unsubmitted papers will receive a 0. Likewise, any unanswered exam questions will receive a 0. So, if you answer only 2 out of 3 required exam questions, you will get a 0 on the third question.
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to disciplinary sanctions.
The Internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarism. Bottom line: Don’t plagiarize. It’s wrong, and it’s not worth it. There’s always a better way. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors’ work.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the midterm point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midterm point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midterm point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
Office: 738 One Park Place South, Email: tedf@gsu.edu
Take-Home Midterm - 30 points
The take-home midterm will require you to relate concepts from the readings and lectures to the films screened for the first three class units. Due in class October 18 .
Research Paper - 30 points
You will produce a 7-9 page research paper on an aspect of contemporary popular culture. More details on the research paper will follow in a separate handout. The final draft of the research paper is due December 6 .
Take-Home Final - 30 points
The take-home final will be structured just like the midterm, covering units 4-7. Due December 13 .
Hollywood Stock Exchange - 10 points
In August, sign up for the online fantasy game at http://www.hsx.com . Manage your portfolio of movie stocks and star bonds over the course of the semester. At the end of the semester, submit a 1-2 page paper summarizing what you bought and how you did. If you won money, discuss what you did right. If you lost money, examine what you did wrong. This is a pass/fail assignment - you get full credit as long as you submit the paper by December 13 .
Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.

Policies
Re-Writes and Makeup Tests
Opportunities for revision and improvement will be available for the midterm, the presentation, and the research paper prospectus. In addition, I will look at optional drafts of the research paper submitted on or before the deadline listed above. One rule: a 24-hour cool-down period after the return of any assignment. Wait a day before coming to talk to me, and I’ll be happy to listen to your concerns and help you improve your work.
Late and Unsubmitted Papers
Late papers will be marked off by ½ point for every day overdue unless an extension is agreed upon before the due date. No work can be accepted after the deadline for the take-home final. Any unsubmitted papers will receive a 0. Likewise, any unanswered exam questions will receive a 0. So, if you answer only 2 out of 3 required exam questions, you will get a 0 on the third question.
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook , available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam . The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class , in addition to disciplinary sanctions.
The Internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarism. Bottom line: Don’t plagiarize. It’s wrong, and it’s not worth it. There’s always a better way. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors’ work.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the midsemester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midsemester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midsemester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.

It’s said that “play is the work of children.” It’s how kids master their surroundings, explore the larger world, and experiment with identity, all within safe, structured settings.
But just as learning doesn’t end in childhood, neither does play. And in today’s sped-up, information-saturated world, perhaps taking the time to play is more necessary then ever.
Certainly play has never been bigger business. When I was a kid, computer games were assumed to be juvenile pursuits to be outgrown in adulthood. Today, the computer game industry is roughly the size of the movie industry, and its most lucrative patrons are adults in their 20s and 30s who never stopped playing. Meanwhile, the audience for live and televised competitions - from the Super Bowl to Survivor to the World Series of Poker - continues to expand. This summer, billions of viewers will tune in to watch the biggest sporting event on the planet: soccer’s month-long World Cup tournament.
This class has two goals. We’ll begin by examining the culture of sports and games, to understand what makes some games so compelling to so many. Then, we’ll combine theory with practice, and collectively design our own game.
Books
There are three required textbooks for this course:
Ralph Koster, A Theory of Fun for Game Design
Fullerton, Swain and Hoffman, Game Design Workshop (GDW)
Salen and Zimmerman, Rules of Play (ROP)
The books are not available at campus bookstores, but can be purchased from Amazon.com, Powells.com, and other online booksellers.
Coursepack
Some required readings will be distributed in a coursepack available at the BestWay copy shop, located on the first floor of One Park Place South. (The entrance is on Decatur Street).
Handouts and Online Readings
Additional required readings will be handed out in class and distributed online via the class listserv.
Games
You will be required to play several computer games for class. All the assigned games will be available for free online.
Viewing
You will be required to view several televised sports events for class. All events will be available on either a broadcast network or basic cable. Alternate arrangements can be made if you don’t have cable.
6/13 Introduction
6/15 Sports I
Watch one World Cup match and one baseball game
Read Handout: Clifford Geertz, “Notes on the Balinese
Cockfight”
Handout: Pat Kane, from The Play Ethic
Handout: Allen Guttman,“Why Baseball Was Our National Game”
Web: Franklin Foer interview -
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200407u/int2004-07-07
6/20 Sports II
Watch one NBA Finals game
Play some form of basketball (full-court, half-court,
one-on-one, pop-a-shot, or any basketball video-game)
Read CP: Roland Barthes, “The World of Wrestling”
CP: Henry Jenkins III,“WWF Wrestling as Masculine Melodrama”
CP: Allen Guttman, “The Fascination of Football”
Web: Bill Simmons, “Installing the NBA Upgrade” -
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060517
6/22 Computer Games
Play Adventure - http://www.astrodragon.com/zplet/advent.html
Read CP: Nick Montfort, from Twisty Little Passages
CP: Ted Friedman, from Electric Dreams
6/27 Fun
Play Kingdom of Loathing - http://www.kingdomofloathing.com
Read Ralph Koster, A Theory of Fun for Game Design
Workshop 1: Discuss goals.
6/29 Game Design Basics
Play Diner Dash - http://www.playfirst.com
Read GDW Part 1
Workshop 2: Brainstorm modules, set teams.
7/4 No Class - Independence Day
7/6 Designing a Game
Play a game demo chosen by the class
Read GDW Part 2
Workshop 3: Team meetings.
7/11 Collaboration
Play a game demo chosen by the class
Read GDW Part 3
Workshop 4: Teams share module plan drafts with class.
7/13 Design Concepts
Read ROP Unit 1
7/18 Rules
Read ROP Unit 2
7/20 Play
Read ROP Unit 3
7/25 Culture
Read ROP Unit 4
Web: Julian Dibbell, “A Rape in Cyberspace” -
http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/bungle.html
7/27 Demos
Final class at Ted’s house
Team demonstrations of works in progress
Final versions of modules and final papers are due Thursday, August 3.
Note: no class will be held on Monday, July 31. Instead, a make-up class/game session will be scheduled for earlier in the semester.
1. Lead (with a team) a class discussion of one of the assigned texts. 15%
Options:
6/22 Nick Montfort, Twisty Little Passages
6/27 Ralph Koster, A Theory of Fun for Game Design
6/29 Fullerton, Swain and Hoffman, Game Design Workshop
7/13 Salen and Zimmerman, Rules of Play
2. Introduce a game to the class. 15%
In a 20-30 minute presentation, demonstrate and examine the game of your choice. “Game” here is broadly defined to include board games, card games, role-playing games, sports, simulation games, puzzles, toys, arcade games, computer games, video games, contests, game shows, and any other form of structured play.
First, demonstrate the game by playing some sample turns/hands/rounds/levels.
Then, discuss the culture and design of the game. How do concepts from the class readings apply to this game? How does the game compare to other games discussed in class?
3. Collaborate with a team on a module for the class project. 50%
Timeline:
6/27 Workshop #1. The class will discuss its general goals for the project.
6/29 Workshop #2. The class will collectively brainstorm ideas for modules, then set teams to work on each module plan.
7/6 Workshop #3. Teams will meet separately to work on module plan.
7/11 Workshop #4. Teams will present their module plan drafts to the rest of the class, followed by group discussion and revision.
7/27 Demos. Each team will demonstrate its work in progress at the final class at Ted’s house.
8/3 Final versions of modules due. Submit either a PDF file or a URL to ted@tedfriedman.com.
4. Write a short (5 page) paper discussing your work on the class project and its relation to class readings. 20%
Due 8/3 via email to ted@tedfriedman.com.
5. Attendance.
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
]]>But if new media technology today offers a host of utopian promises, it also inspires dystopian fears: of technology making jobs obsolete, of ubiquitous governmental and corporate surveillance, of the consequences of the pervasive digital divide between the info-haves and -have-nots.
Meanwhile, the American media landscape is in the midst of major transitions:
Traditional news-gathering organizations have been challenged by bloggers, who, scouring the ‘net in their pajamas, are often more informed than the high-powered journalists with the greatest insider “access.”
Television networks continue to lose market share to cable, and now have begun selling episodes through DVD, pay per view, and iTunes.
Movie studios now make over two-thirds of their grosses from DVD sales rather than box office receipts. Box office declined 5% in the US in 2005, as studios began discussing the option of releasing films simultaneously in theaters and on DVD, which could lead to the end of the American custom of going to the movies.
CD sales have been dropping for years, but the music industry now makes billions on ringtone sales, and Apple’s iPod has become on of the most successful consumer products in global history.
Even as the public sphere grows more capacious, the ownership of production and distribution grows more concentrated, as a small number of multinational corporations more powerful than many nation-states continue to expand their mass media oligopolies.
Moore’s Law states that the pace of growth in computing power continuously accellerates. It’s not surprising, then, that the pace of technological change continues to pulse faster and faster.
In the thick of the moment, how can we gain perspective on the present, and insight into the future? One way is to turn to the past, to look at our circumstances in the light of earlier transitional moments. Examining the introduction of the telegraph can help us gain perspective on the rise of the internet. At the same time, studying our projections of the future can also help us understand our present obsessions.
This class, then, will bounce between the past, present and future. At the same time, it will engage a range of methodologies, including cultural studies, social history, journalism, futurism, science studies, science fiction, blogging and Buddhist philosophy.
There are 12 required books:
Ted Friedman, Electric Dreams
James Paul Gee, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
Steve Fuller, Kuhn vs. Popper
N. Katherine Hayles, How We Became Post-Human
Carolyn Marvin, When Old Technologies Were New
Jonathan Sterne, The Audible Past
Jonathan Markoff, What the Doormouse Said
Dan Gilmor, We Are the Media
Alex Gallaway, Protocol
Cory Doctrow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Peter Morville, Ambient Findability
Joel Garreau, Radical Evolution
Several of the texts are available at GSU bookstores. However, the syllabus has been revised since books were ordered; several books were not ordered, and several of the ordered books are no longer assigned. All of the required books can be ordered online. Additional readings will be distributed in class and via email. The required computer game demo will be available for free download. Audio recordings will be digitally distributed.
Schedule
New Technologies Yesterday and Today
1/9 Introduction
1/16 No class - Martin Luther King Holiday
1/23 Ted Friedman, Electric Dreams
1/30 James Paul Gee, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and
Literacy
Play the demo of a computer game chosen by the class
Theorizing Scientific and Technological Change
2/6 Steve Fuller, Kuhn vs. Popper
Selections by David Wolfram and Rupert Sheldrake
2/13 N. Katherine Hayles, How We Became Post-Human
When Old Technologies Were New
2/20 Carolyn Marvin, When Old Technologies Were New
2/27 Jonathan Sterne, The Audible Past
3/6 Spring Break - no class
3/13 Jonathan Markoff, What the Doormouse Said
New Media Politics
3/20 Dan Gilmor, We The Media
3/27 Alex Gallaway, Protocol
Extrapolation
4/3 Cory Doctrow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Selections by Fredric Jameson and Scott Bukatman
4/10 Peter Morville, Ambient Findability
4/17 Joel Garrau, Radical Evolution
4/24 Dalai Lama XIV, The Universe in a Single Atom as read by Richard Gere
(audio recording to be distributed on mp3)
5/1 Video games at Ted’s house
Assignments
Lead two book discussions – 15% of final grade each, 30% total
You will sign up to lead, with a group, discussions of two books. To prepare for the discussion of the reading, in addition to reading the week’s assignment, research these questions to put the reading in a broader context:
What is the author’s background? What discipline is the author trained in? What else has s/he written? In which journals has s/he published?
What was the reception of the book? How was book reviewed? What criticisms have been made of the author’s work? How has the author responded? Whom has the author influenced?
Then, meet with your group to prepare for a class discussion. Don’t bother summarizing the work. Rather, concentrate on how the work relates to the key questions we’ll be asking all semester. In addition to the research topics, other subjects for discussion should include:
Theoretical debates: In what debates does the work intervene? Where does the author stand? Whom does the author criticize? How does this work move the debate forward?
Methodology: What research methods does the author use? (Possibilities include textual analysis, ethnography, historical research, quantitative social science, etc.) How does the author approach and justify this methodology? What are the advantages and limitations of this methodology?
Example of Analysis: Pick one text, idea or issue that’s either directly addressed by the author, or that can be illuminated by applying the author’s perspective. Show a representative clip or demonstration, if appropriate. Discuss how the author would (or does) interpret the example. What are the strengths and limitations of this interpretation? What alternate interpretations are possible?
Outline the key topics of discussion in a short (1-2 page) handout for the class. There’s no need to include more detail, or to prepare a PowerPoint presentation – the focus should be on presenting material orally and facilitating a good class discussion.
Note: you don’t need to organize your discussion in the order listed above. It may help to present the example up front, to ground your discussion of methodology and theory. It’s often also a good icebreaker to begin discussion by going around the room, asking everybody to answer a specific question related to their response to the book.
New Media Presentation - 9% of final grade
You will pick an example of new media product you find innovative - it could be a game, a website, a cellphone, a movie, etc. You will give a short (10-15 minute) presentation to the class, demonstrating the product and discussing why you find it innovative.
Critical Summaries - 2% of final grade each, 16% total
You will submit 8 1-2 page critical summaries of the assigned texts. Each is graded pass/fail, counting for two points each. Late submissions are not accepted. Critical summaries are not due on the weeks you lead discussion; which other weeks you pick are up to you. Out of 13 assignment weeks, you’ll total 2 presentations, 8 critical summaries, and 3 weeks off.
Each critical summary should focus on the following two issues:
Theoretical debates: What is the author’s key argument? In what theoretical debates is the author engaging? How does this work move the debate forward?
Methodolgy: What is the author’s research strategy? What are the strengths and limitations of this approach?
Final Project: 45% of final grade
You have two options for your final project:
Write a 10-12 page essay on a subject relating to culture and technology.
or
Produce a creative work which experiments with new media forms. The project can be a short film, a screenplay, or a multimedia work. When submitting the final version, include a 3-page essay relating your work to ideas from the class.
For either option, the deadlines are the same:
A one-page proposal is due March 13. I will schedule individual meetings with you to discuss your proposal.
The final version of the paper or project is due May 8.
Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to possible disciplinary sanctions.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the mid-semester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the mid-semester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the mid-semester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
National Cinemas:
Andrew Higson, "The Concept of National Cinema," Screen 30.4 (Autumn
1989) 36-46.
Richard Abel, French Cinema: The First Wave, 1915-1929
Siegfried Kracauer, From Caligari to Hitler
Robert Stam and Ella Shohat, Unthinking Eurocentrism
Rey Chow, Primitive Passions: Visuality, Sexuality, Ethnography, and
Contemporary Chinese Cinema
Authorship:
John Caughie, Theories of Authorship
David Bordwell, Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema
Sumiko Higachi, Cecil B. DeMille and American Culture
Film Industry:
David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, and Janet Staiger, The Classical
Hollywood Cinema
Michele Hilmes, Hollywood and Broadcasting: From Radio to Cable
Thomas Schatz, The Genius of the System
Tino Balio, The American Film Industry and Hollywood in the Age of
Television
Toby Miller, Global Hollywood
Genre:
Rick Altman, The American Film Musical
Thomas Schatz, Hollywood Genres
Rick Altman, Film/Genre
Noel Carroll, The Philosophy of Horror
Psychoanalytic/Feminist Criticism:
Christian Metz, The Imaginary Signifier
Patricia Erens, Issues in Feminist Film Criticism
Mary Ann Doane, The Desire to Desire
Non-mainstream cinemas:
Linda Williams, Hardcore
Eric Schaefer, "Bold! Daring! Shocking! True:" A History of
Exploitation Films, 1919-1959
P. Adams Sitney, Visionary Film
Ideological/Political Criticism:
Robert Ray, A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema
Cahiers du Cinema critics, "Young Mr. Lincoln"
Robin Wood, Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan
Frederic Jameson, Signatures of the Visible
Reception/Exhibition
Douglas Gomery, Shared Pleasures
Janet Staiger, Interpreting Films
Early Cinema
Tom Gunning, D. W. Griffith and the Origins of American Narrative Film
Thomas Elsaesser, Early Cinema: Space, Frame, Narrative (maybe)
Miriam Hansen, Babel and Babylon: Spectatorship in American Silent
Film
Images of the Other
Alexander Doty, Making Things Perfectly Queer or Queering the Film
Canon
Robin Wood, "An Introduction to the American Horror Film"
Carol Clover, Men, Women, and Chainsaws
Michael Rogin, Black Face, White Noise
Richard Dyer, White
Technology
John Belton, Widescreen Cinema
Donald Crafton, The Talkies
Michel Chion, Audio-Vision
Film and Society
Richard Dyer, Stars
Ben Singer, Melodrama and Modernity
Film criticism
David Bordwell, Making Meaning
David Denby, Awake in the Dark
Mike Budd, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: Texts, Contexts, Histories
Classical Film Theory
Andre Bazin, What Is Cinema? (2 vols.)
Sergei Eisenstein, Film Form and Film Sense
Narration:
David Bordwell, Narration in the Fiction Film
Murray Smith, Engaging Characters
Contemporary Hollywood Cinema:
Robert Kolker, A Cinema of Loneliness
Michael Ryan and Douglas Kellner, Camera Politica
How do movies reflect and influence American life? How has Hollywood responded to changing market conditions and global influences? Why are so many of today’s movies so big, loud, and pushy? What are the alternatives to Hollywood’s stories? This class attempts to make sense of the present state of American film by examine the history of American movies from 1967 to the present, organized around genres and thematic blocks. Along the way, we’ll look at the semiotics, aesthetics, economics, and politics of Hollywood movies and their independent alternatives.
The coursepack is sold by Bestway Copy Center, 18 Decatur Street SE (on the first floor of One Park Place South). Additional readings will be distributed in class and via the class listserv.
In addition to the readings, you are responsible for viewing the assigned film before class each week. Two of the films - King Kong and Brokeback Mountain - are currently playing in theaters throughout Atlanta. For all other films, optional on-campus screenings will be held in the new film screening room in Arts & Hummanities 406 on Mondays at 10:15 AM. DVDs are also available for in-library viewing at the Library Media Center. Alternately, all movies are available through the online DVD rental service Netflix (http://www.netflix.com), which is a very useful resource for all film students. Recommended local sources for movie rentals are Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117).
All students will be automatically signed up to the class listserv. If for some reason you are not receiving the listserv, you can manually sign up at http://mailbox.gsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/conholly. I will regularly forward Hollywood news, reviews of upcoming movies, and other useful material to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class. Most email readings are recommended but not required. However, some required readings will be distributed via email, as noted in the schedule below.
Schedule
Hollywood Today
1/11 In-class screening: selections from Saving Private Ryan
1/18 See King Kong (the new version, currently in theaters) Read Benshof and Griffin, “Introduction to the Study of Film Form and Representation” (distributed in class) David Bordwell, “Intensified Continuity” (distributed in class) In-class screening: Behind the Screens
Crime
1/25 See The Godfather Read Robert Ray, excerpts from A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema Carols Clarens, excerpt from Crime Movies Foster Hirsch, excerpt from Crime Movies In-class screening: The Sopranos
2/1 See Scarface (1980 version) Read Steven Prince, “Graphic Violence in the Cinema” Devin McKinney, “Violence: The Strong and the Weak” David Simon, excerpt from The Wire In-class screening: The Wire
Science Fiction
2/8 See Star Wars (the original film - now titled Episode Four: A New Hope) Read Henry Jenkins, “Quentin Tarantino’s Star Wars?” http://web.mit.edu/21fms/www/faculty/henry3/starwars.html Ted Friedman, “Star Wars and the Dialectics of Myth” http://www.tedfriedman.com/essays/2005/03/starwarsandt.html David Brin, “Star Wars Despots vs. Star Trek Populists,” http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/1999/06/15/brinmain/index.html In-class screenings: George Lucas in Love, Troops, Once Upon a Jedi Assignment #1 due
2/15 See Blade Runner Read David Harvey, excerpt from The Condition of Postmodernity Robin Wood, “Papering the Cracks” Vivian Sobchack, “Cities on the Edge of Time” In-class screening: Battlestar Galactica
Gender and Sexuality
2/22 See Thelma and Louise Read Susan Faludi, excerpts from Backllash Suzanna Danuta Walters, “Postfeminism and Popular Culture: A Case Study of the Backlash” In-class screening: The Laramie Project
3/1 See Brokeback Mountain (make sure to catch it before it leaves theaters) Read Alexander Doty, “Making Things Perfectly Queer” Benshoff and Griffin, “Sexualities on Film Since the Sexual Revolution” In-class screening: The Celluloid Closet
3/8 Spring Break - no class
War
3/15 See Apocalypse Now Read Frank Tomasulo, “The Politics of Ambivalence” Additional readings to be distributed in class In-class screening: The Fog of War Assignment #2 due
3/22 See Three Kings Readings on the Iraq war to be distributed by email In-class screening: Soldiers Pay
Labor
3/29 See Bread and Roses Read Barbara Ehrenreich, excerpts from Nickeled and Dimed In-class screening: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
4/5 See Office Space Read Barbara Ehrenreich, excerpts from Bait and Switch In-class screening: The Office
Youth
4/12 See Kicking and Screaming (the 1995 Noah Baumbach fiilm) Read Chuck Kleinhans, “Independent Features: Hopes and Dreams” James Schamus, “To the Rear of the Back End” In-class screening: Undeclared, selections from Animal House Assignment #3 due
4/19 See Napoleon Dynamite Read Jonathan Bernstein, excerpt from Pretty in Pink: The Golden Age of Teenage Movies Additional readings to be distributed in class In-class screening: selections from John Hughes movies
Class Choice
4/26 See film to be chosen by class vote Readings to be distrubuted in class
Assignment #4 due 5/3
Assignments
The class assignments add up to total of 100 possible points. Your final grade for the class is determined by adding up your grades for each assignment, adjusting for attendance, then applying the final number to the following scale: 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, 0-59=F.
Writing Assignments
There will be four writing assignments, which will also serve as take-home exams. Each assignment will cover two course units. It will include a selection of questions asking you to apply concepts from the readings and class discussions to specific films. You will pick two questions to answer, then write a 2-3 page essay in response to each question.
Each question will ask you to examine two films, without overlap between answers, so that you address a total of four different films in the assignment. (None of the questions are film-specific - it’s your choice which films to use for which questions.) Of these four films, at least three must be the assigned films for the unit. The fourth film is your choice.
Each of the four assignments will be graded on a 25-point scale. Opportunities for rewrites will be available for all four assignments. More information about the assignments will follow on a separate handout.
Video Project Option
If you choose, you can submit a video project in place of any of the written assignments. If you choose a video project, you only need to address one of the assignment questions and one of the assigned films. You can respond to the question through a combination of voice-over and film clips, in the style of a DVD commentary track. You might also incorporate interviews with fans of the film or other documentary strategies. Video projects should be about 5-10 minutes long, and will be screened for the class. Tools for video production are available at the GSU Digital Aquarium, in room 390 of the Student Center. More information about the Digital Aquarium is available at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdaq/.
Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Re-Writes and Makeup Tests Opportunities for revision and improvement will be available for the midterm, the presentation, and the research paper prospectus. In addition, I will look at optional drafts of the research paper submitted on or before April 28. One rule: a 24-hour cool-down period after the return of any assignment. Wait a day before coming to talk to me, and I’ll be happy to listen to your concerns and help you improve your work.
Late and Unsubmitted Papers Late papers will be marked off by ½ point for every day overdue unless an extension is agreed upon before the due date. Any unsubmitted papers will receive a 0. Likewise, any unanswered exam questions will receive a 0. So, if you answer only 2 out of 3 required exam questions, you will get a 0 on the third question.
Academic Honesty The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to disciplinary sanctions.
The Internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarism. Bottom line: Don’t plagiarize. It’s wrong, and it’s not worth it. There’s always a better way. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors’ work.
Withdrawals Students withdrawing on or before the midterm point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midterm point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midterm point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
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Readings
There are five required books, each covering different American media.
Radio and Television: Michelle Hilmes, Only Connect
Movies: Robert Sklar, Movie-Made America
Recordings: Greil Marcus, Mystery Train
Comic books: Gerard Jones, Men of Tomorrow
Computers: Ted Friedman, Electric Dreams
Rather than read the books one at a time, we’ll be reading them alongside each other as we work our way chronologically through the twentieth century.
Only Connect, Movie-Made America and Mystery Train are available at the GSU bookstores. Men of Tomorrow is not in the bookstores – it can be ordered online from Amazon.com, bn.com, or Powells.com. Electric Dreams will not be published until December; copies of the galleys will be distributed in class.
Screenings
Screenings will be held on Tuesdays at 5:15 in 1020 1PPS, following the Communication Department’s PhD Proseminar. The screenings are cosponsored by the Communication Graduate Students Association, and guests are welcome. Viewing every film before class is required, but attending every screening session is not. If you can’t make it in person, you will need to track down your own copy of the DVD. Some of the films are available in the Library Media Center. Most can also be found at Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117). In addition, all films should be available through the online Netflix DVD rental service (www.netflix.com).
Email Group
All students will be signed up to the class email list. I will regularly forward media news and cultural criticism to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class.
Class Schedule
8/22 Introduction
8/29 The Origins of Mass Culture
Hilmes Chapters 1-2
Marcus pp. ix-xvi, 1-7
Sklar Chapters 1-4
Friedman Introduction, Chapter 1
Jones Prologue
9/5 No class
9/12 1920s: The Jazz Age
Hilmes Chapter 3
Sklar Chapters 5-9
Silent film comedy shorts
9/19 1930s Part I: Fantasies of Affluence
Sklar Chapters 10-14
Hilmes Chapters 4-5
Gold Diggers of 1933
9/26 1930s Part II: Pulp Fictions
Marcus pp. 11-35
Jones Chapters 1-8
Scarface
10/3 1941-1945: War Years
Hilmes Chapter 6
Sklar Chapter 15
Friedman Chapter 2
Jones Chapters 9-10
Casablanca
10/10 1945-1955: Postwar Tensions
Hilmes Chapter 7
Sklar Chapter 16
Jones 11-14
Sunset Boulevard
10/17 1955-1965: The Rise of Youth Culture
Hilmes Chapter 8
Marcus pp. 120-175
Friedman Chapter 3
Rebel Without a Cause
10/24 1965-1975: The Real Sixties
Hilmes Chapter 9
Sklar Chapters 17-19
Marcus pp. 39-119, 176-177
Friedman Chapter 4
The Godfather
10/31 1975-1985: Backlash
Hilmes Chapter 10
Sklar Chapter 20
Friedman Chapter 5
Jones Chapter 15
Raiders of the Lost Ark
11/7 1985-1995: High Concept
Hilmes Chapter 11
Sklar Chapters 21-22
Friedman Chapters 6-7
True Romance
11/14 1995- : Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Hilmes Chapters 12-14
Friedman Chapters 8-10, Conclusion
Tarnation
11/21 No class
11/28 Colloquium I
12/5 Colloquium II
Screening Schedule
8/30 No screening
9/6 Silent film comedy shorts
9/13 Gold Diggers of 1933
9/20 Scarface
9/27 Casablanca
10/4 Sunset Boulevard
10/11 Rebel Without a Cause
10/18 The Godfather
10/25 Raiders of the Lost Ark
11/1 True Romance
11/8 Tarnation
11/15 No screening
11/22 No screening
11/29 No screening
12/6 No screening
Assignments
I. Class Presentations - 20% of final grade for each presentation.
You will research, screen, and lead class discussion of two media texts. Here’s how this will work:
A. Pick your era and program/comic
First, you’ll sign up in a group of 2 or 3 to give a presentation on either a radio program, TV program, or comic book produced during the era covered in a specific week’s class. Film, music, computer games and other media forms are off-limits – movies will be addressed through the outside screenings, and I’ll cover the other media forms in class.
Here are the options for the first batch of presentations:
9/19 1930-1940 – radio programs
9/26 1930-1940 – comic books
10/3 1941-1945
10/10 1945-1955
Here’s the schedule for the second batch of presentations:
10/17 1955-1965
10/24 1965-1975
10/31 1975-1985
11/7 1985-1995
11/14 1995-2005
Once your presentation week is set, your group will collectively choose the radio show, TV program, or comic book you want to discuss. You’re welcome but not required to choose a program or comic specifically addressed in the class readings. Pick a program or comic whose heyday was in the era covered in the week’s class. You’ll want to make sure the example you screen in class is from that era, although the program/comic doesn’t need to have originated in that era. For example, for Superman, you could give a presentation on Superman in the 1930s on 9/26, and discuss the first issue of Superman – or, you could give a presentation on the image Superman during World War II on 10/3, and hand out a comic from that period.
Accessibility of materials shouldn’t have to be a factor in your choice of topic. I will work with you to help you track down episodes of your radio and TV shows and issues of your comics. I have access to collections of radio programs and comic book reprints. Shows from all eras of television history are now widely available on DVD for purchase or rental through Netflix. And you can find all sorts of wild stuff on eBay.
B. Watch episodes and/or read issues of your program/comic
You may not have time to watch every episode of your show, or be able to track down every issue of your comic, but try to absorb enough to at least feel like a knowledgeable fan. I will work with your group to track down media.
C. Research the contexts your program/comic
Once you’ve picked an era and a program/comic, start doing research on the historical contexts of its production and reception. Try to answer these questions:
What was the production context of the show/comic? What was its budget? How was it marketed? What were the reputations of its creators and stars?
What was the audience response to the show/comic? How was it reviewed on first release? How much money did it make (or lose)? Has the perception of the show/comic changed since the time of its original release?
What have critics and scholars had to say about the show/comic? What interpretations have been offered? What kinds of critical approaches have been employed? What debates exist?
Strategies for media history research will be addressed in a separate handout.
D. Choose the specific episode/issue to screen in class.
The class discussion will be based on the sample of the program or comic you present in class. Your options for what to screen in class are:
A 30-minute radio program, presented with our without advertising (your choice).
A 30-minute television program, presented with our without advertising (your choice).
A 60-minute television program, presented without advertising (to keep the screening length down to 45 minutes or so).
A complete, single issue of a comic book, copied (in black and white) and distributed to the entire class.
E. Plan the topics for the class to discuss.
Meet with your group to hash out the issues you want to raise in class discussion. Try to choose two or three key themes in the episode/issue which relate to topics addressed in the week’s readings. These issues might include questions of gender, labor, race, national identity, technology, environment, and so on.
F. Prepare and distribute a handout
The handout should include the following information:
Key credits for the show/comic, including the creators, producers, and dates of production.
Key credits for the specific episode/issue, including title, writer, director, and date of production.
Any available economic data, including budget, ratings, DVD sales, etc.
A brief summary of audience and critical response, including some very short quotes (a line or two).
A brief agenda listing of the key themes to be addressed in class discussion. This should be just a skeleton outline – no more than a few phrases. (You can prepare more detailed notes for your group, of course. You just don’t need to hand them out.)
G. Lead the Discussion
Begin by addressing the historical context of your show/comic, expanding up the information in the handout. Then, begin raising the questions listed in the agenda. I’ll jump in with my own questions and comments, as well.
II. Final Project: 20% of final grade for presentation at end-of-semester colloquium; 40% of final grade for submitted version
You have two options for your final project:
Write a 15-20 page essay on a subject relating to the history of media
or
Produce a creative work which engages questions of media history. The project can be a short film, a screenplay, or a multimedia work. When submitting the final version, include a 5-page paper relating your work to ideas from the class.
For either option, the deadlines are the same:
A one-page prospectus is due October 10. I will schedule individual meetings with you to discuss the prospectus.
You will give a 15 minute presentation on your project at one of the colloquia. Written projects will be presented orally; film and multimedia projects should include a 5-minute oral introduction and a 10-minute screening of the work in progress.
The submitted version of the project – in hard copy or on DVD – is due December 12.
III. Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to possible disciplinary sanctions.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the midsemester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midsemester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midsemester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
Professor Ted Friedman
Office: 738 One Park Place South
Email: tedf@gsu.edu; Phone: (404) 463-9522
Home Page: www.tedfriedman.com
Shane Toepfer, Writing Consultant
jousmt@langate.gsu.edu
Course Description
Popular culture is often described as “escapist” entertainment. But this dismissal evades some very serious questions. What are we escaping? Where are we escaping to? Does everybody go to the same place? How might the trip affect us, once we get back? This class looks at the social consequences and political implications of mass mediated entertainment. Its goal is to develop the theoretical tools and critical perspective to interrogate the TV shows, commercials, films, books, songs, videos, and web sites that saturate our lives.
Readings
The following books are available at the GSU bookstores:
The Media Student’s Book, edited by Gill Branston and Roy Stafford
No Logo by Naomi Klein
The coursepack is sold by Bestway Copy Center, 18 Decatur Street SE (on the first floor of One Park Place South).
Email Group
All students will be automatically signed up to the class email list. I will regularly forward media news and cultural criticism to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class.
Syllabus
Part I: What Is Culture?
8/24 Culture as Struggle and Negotiation
8/31 Culture as Sentimental Education
Clifford Geertz, “Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight”
John Berger, excerpt from Ways of Seeing
9/7 Subcultures and Mass Culture
Dick Hebdige, excerpt from Subculture: The Meaning of Style
Malcolm Gladwell, “The Coolhunt” and “The Science of Shopping”
Part II: The Circuit of Culture
9/14 Regulation and Production: Political Economy
Branston and Stafford, Chapter 8
Robert McChesney, excerpt from The Problem of the Media
Lynn Hirschberg, “Who’s That Girl?”
9/21 Representation I: Semiotics
Branston and Stafford, Chapter 1
Roland Barthes, “Myth Today”
Research Paper Proposal due
9/28 Representation II: Narrative and Genre
Branston and Stafford, Chapters 2-3
10/5 Identity I: Race
Branston and Stafford, Chapter 4
Take-home Midterm Due
10/12 Identity II: Gender
Readings to be distributed in class
10/19 Audience
Branston and Stafford, Chapter 6
Henry Jenkins, “Quentin Tarantino’s Star Wars?” http://web.mit.edu/21fms/www/faculty/henry3/starwars.html
Research Paper Part I due
Part III: Culture and Politics
10/26 Culture and Status
Janice Radway, excerpts from Reading the Romance
11/2 Ideology
Branston and Stafford, Chapter 5
James Kavanaugh, “Ideology”
Research paper Part II due
11/9 Hegemony and Resistance
John Fiske, “British Cultural Studies and Television”
Stuart Hall, “Encoding and Decoding”
11/16 Branding
Klein, Introduction, Chapters 1-5
Branston and Stafford, Chapter 13
Research Paper Part III due
11/23 Thanksgiving Break - no class
11/30 Globalization
Klen, Chapters 9-11
Branston and Stafford, Chapter 15
12/7 Activism
Klein Chapters 12-18, Conclusion
The Take-Home Final Exam is due in the mailbox on the door of my office, 738 One Park Place South, by 6 PM on 12/14
Assignments
The class assignments add up to total of 100 possible points. Your final grade for the class is determined by adding up your grades for each assignment, adjusting for attendance, then applying the final number to the following scale:
90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, 0-59=F
1. TV Show Presentation – 10% of final grade
You will sign up with a partner to research the production and audience contexts of a television program, choose a sample episode, present your research to the class, screen the episode for the class, then participate in the class discussion of the episode
Here’s how it will work:
Sign up. You can pick any current or recently cancelled TV program. It could be a sitcom, drama, reality show, soap opera, news show, cartoon, talk show, sports event, or any other genre. If possible, pick something you already watch regularly, so that you can speak knowledgably about episodes beyond the one screened in class. When you’ve decided on your show, send an email to the class listserv. The first half of the class gets dibs on their choices. The other half of the class then chooses among those shows to become partners with the first half.
Research the production and audience contexts of the show. One presenter will be responsible for researching the production context of the show: budget, profits, the backgrrounds of the creators, international distribution, and so on. The other presenter will research the audience context: ratings, reviews, fan culture, online commentary.
Pick a sample episode. Here are your options:
For 30-minute programs, present the show in full as recorded off television, including commercials. Class discussion will address the commercials as well as the show itself.
For 60-minute programs, present the show on DVD or by fast-forwarding through commercials. Otherwise, it will take too much of class time to get through all the ads.
For special events (the Oscars, the Super Bowl, Election Night, etc.), play a 30-minute sample clip, ads included.
D. Prepare a handout summarizing your research. The handout should include the following information:
Production Information:
Credits for the show as a whole, including the creators, producers, and dates of production.
Credits for the specific episode, including title, writer, director, and date of production.
Available economic data, including budget, ad prices, DVD sales, etc.
Audience information:
A brief summary of the response of professional critics, including some very short quotes (a line or two).
Neilsen ratings
Descriptions of major fan websites
All research sources (including websites) should be cited parenthetically in the text, then listed at the end of the handout in a bibliography.
E. Introduce the series and episode to the class. First, discuss the production context of the show, then the reception context. Then, screen the episode. After that, be prepared to participate in the class discussion of the episode.
2. Research Paper Assignments
You will pick a second media text to be the subject of a series of essays which will become a 9-12 page research paper. This text can come from any medium other than television. It could be a film, CD, website, videogame, graphic novel, or any other kind of popular form.
Here’s the assignment schedule:
A one-page proposal is due 9/21.
Part I: A 3-4 page paper on the regulation and/or production of your media text is due 10/19. (10% of final grade.)
Part II: A 6-8 page paper which combines Part I with a 3-4 page section on issues of representation and/or identity in your media text is due 11/2. (10% of final grade.)
Part III: A 9-12 page paper which combines Parts I and II with a 3-4 page section on audience responses to your media text is due 11/16. (20% of final grade. Revisions of the complete paper will be accepted for full credit up through 12/7.)
More details on the research paper will follow in a separate handout.
3. Take-Home Midterm – 25% of final grade
The take-home midterm will require you to pick a cultural product not already discussed in class, then relate it to specific concepts from the course. It will be due on 10/5
4. Take-Home Final – 25% of final grade
The take-home final assignment will be similar to the take-home midterm, covering ideas from the second half of the syllabus. It will be due in the mailbox on my office door by 6 PM on 12/14.
5. Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Re-Writes and Makeup Tests
Opportunities for revision and improvement will be available for the midterm, the presentation, and the research paper prospectus. In addition, I will look at optional drafts of the research paper submitted on or before the deadline listed above. One rule: a 24-hour cool-down period after the return of any assignment. Wait a day before coming to talk to me, and I’ll be happy to listen to your concerns and help you improve your work.
Late and Unsubmitted Papers
Late papers will be marked off by ½ point for every day overdue unless an extension is agreed upon before the due date. No work can be accepted after the deadline for the take-home final. Any unsubmitted papers will receive a 0. Likewise, any unanswered exam questions will receive a 0. So, if you answer only 2 out of 3 required exam questions, you will get a 0 on the third question.
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to disciplinary sanctions.
The Internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarism. Bottom line: Don’t plagiarize. It’s wrong, and it’s not worth it. There’s always a better way. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors’ work.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the midsemester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midsemester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midsemester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
Dr. Ted Friedman
Office: 738 One Park Place South
Email: tedf@gsu.edu
Phone: (404) 463-9522
Home Page: http://www.tedfriedman.com
Course Description
Movies teach us how the world works. Much of our ideas about war and peace, love and hate, male and female, rich and poor, freedom and tyranny, and justice and oppression come from the movies – not only from the stories movies explicitly tell, but from their underlying assumptions, values, and unresolved anxieties.
The most audience-pleasing form of moviemaking ever devised is what film scholars call “classical Hollywood cinema.” The representational strategies, character types, and narrative formulae established in California in the early 20th Century continue to shape the movies viewers around the globe see today, and thus, the world we all live in.
This class will examine the ideological assumptions behind classical Hollywood cinema. We’ll begin in the early sound era, and move through the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s. The final two weeks of the syllabus will remain open to class choice – depending on the conversations we have over the course of the semester, we may choose to continue our narrative into the present, investigate independent alternatives to Hollywood style, or examine the influence of Hollywood around the world.
Readings
Copies of all readings will be distributed in class and/or via email. Some readings are listed in the syllabus; other readings will be chosen by discussion groups.
Screenings
Each class period will be followed, after a snack break, by a screening session to watch the film assigned for the following class. The screening session is not required. However, if you can’t make it, you will need to track down your own copy of the DVD. Some of the films are available in the Library Media Center. Most can also be found at Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117). In addition, all films should be available through the online Netflix DVD rental service (www.netflix.com).
Email Group
All students will be signed up to the class email list. I will regularly forward media news and cultural criticism to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class.
Schedule
Part I
6/14 Introduction
6/16 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Capra, 1939)
Read Robert Ray, A Certain Tendency in the Hollywood Cinema, pp. 3-69;
Larry May, The Big Tomorrow, pp. 1-7, 55-100.
6/21 Duck Soup (McCarey, 1933)
Read May, 257-293;
Excerpts from Murray Davis, What’s So Funny?
6/23 Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)
Read Pauline Kael, “Raising Kane”
Part II
6/28 Gone with the Wind (Fleming, 1939)
Readings to be chosen by group
6/30 His Girl Friday (Hawks, 1940)
Readings to be chosen by group
7/5 Hail the Conquering Hero (Sturges, 1944)
Readings to be chosen by group
Part III
7/7 It’s a Wonderful Life (Capra, 1946)
Read Ray, pp. 175-215
7/12 North by Northwest (Hitchcock, 1959)
Read excerpts from Robin Wood, Hitchcock’s Films Revisited
7/14 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (Ford, 1962)
Read Ray, pp. 215-243
Part IV
7/19 Group choice
Readings to be chosen by group
7/21 Group choice
Readings to be chosen by group
7/26 Group choice
Readings to be chosen by group
7/28 Presentations at Ted’s house
Assignments
I. Lead discussions of 3 Films – 15% of final grade for each discussion
You will sign up to lead, with a group, discussions of three films. Your group will be responsible for researching the production background, audience response, and critical reception of the film, then leading the class on the film. In some cases, your group will also choose the class readings. In the final two weeks of the course, your group will choose the movie to be screened, as well.
Here are the steps involved in preparing to lead a class discussion:
A. Watch the film in advance of the class screening.
B. Research the film’s contexts and reception.
Examine these questions to put the film in a broader context:
What was the production context of the film? What was the film’s budget? How was the film marketed? What were the reputations of the film’s director, studio and stars? How does the film compare to other films made by the principals?
What was the audience response to the film? How was the film reviewed when it opened? How was its box office? Has the perception of the film changed since the time of its original release?
What have critics and scholars had to say about the film? Who has written about the film? What interpretations have been offered? What kinds of critical approaches have been employed? What debates exist?
Several resources will be helpful for your research:
Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com) continues to be the best one-stop source for facts about films, including cast, crew, budget and box office stats. However, it’s not very useful as a source for reviews or film scholarship.
The Film Literature Index (http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/fli/index.jsp) indexes articles from all the major film periodicals, searchable by film title. It's the best one-stop source for film research. However, it's an index, not a full-text database. To track down an article cited in the FLI, you’ll then need to look it up in the GSU E-Journal Locator (http://www.library.gsu.edu/ejournals/).
A9 (http://a9.com) is a search engine that includes access to Amazon's powerful "Search Inside the Book" feature. Run a search, then click on the "Books" box.
C. Plan the topics for the class to discuss.
Meet with your group to hash out what’s the most important stuff to talk about, and how you want to structure the conversation. Here are a list of some of the topics that might be addressed:
Style. How does the film’s form relate to its content?
Individualism. How does the film connect individual characters to broader social questions?
Class and economic inequality. How does the film present labor? What is the role of money in the film?
Electoral politics and activism. How does the film envision the political world?
Race and ethnicity. How does the film construct racial others? How does it construct whiteness?
Gender. How does the film construct masculinity? Femininity? Heteronormativity?
Nation. How does the film construct America? How does it envision the rest of the world?
In thinking about each of these topics, consider both the film’s surface meanings, and any possible tensions or subtexts underneath. You don’t need to cover every one of these topics if it’s not relevant to your film, and feel free to add additional topics, such as environmentalism, violence, technology, etc. Pick short clips (5 minutes max, preferably shorter) to anchor your discussion of key topics.
D. Prepare and and distribute handouts for the film screening
Distribute the handouts when the film is screened– in other words, at the end of the class prior to the class your group leads – so that the class can consult the info sheet and agenda before seeing the movie, then read the reading before the discussion at the following class.
An info sheet on the film. Include key credits, available budget and box office stats, awards, and an annotated bibliography of key scholarship on the film. Distribute this handout when the film is screened
An agenda to structure the class discussion. This should be very brief – no more than a page of bullet points. (You can prepare more detailed notes for your group, of course. You just don’t need to hand them out.)
In addition, for some classes you will choose and distribute the class reading. Pick one or two of the most interesting critical works on the film. If not much has been written on the film itself, choose readings on the director, the genre, or the subject of the film.
E. Lead the Discussion
After all this preparation, the temptation will be great to spend the entire class time lecturing on everything you’ve learned. However, the best way to lead a class discussion is to concentrate on asking questions. Make sure the whole class is involved – it’s often helpful to start the class by going around the room and having everybody respond to a specific question. I’ll jump in with my own questions, as well.
II. Final Project – 55%.of the final grade
Option 1: Write a 10-12 page paper on a subject relating to the politics of Hollywood film. You should write this paper with an eye towards eventually presenting it at a conference, expanding it and publishing it. In addition, if you already have a thesis or dissertation topic in mind, consider how this paper might contribute to the larger work.
Option 2: Produce a creative work which engages some of the ideas of the class. The project can be a short film, a screenplay, or a new media work. Along with the project, include a 5-page paper relating your work to ideas from the class.
For either option, the deadlines are the same:
A one-page prospectus is due July 7. I will schedule individual meetings with you to discuss the prospectus.
I will look at drafts of the final project submitted on or before July 28. You’re welcome to submit multiple drafts for feedback.
You will give a short (10 minute) presentation on your research project at the final class on July 28.
The final project is due August 5.
III. Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to possible disciplinary sanctions.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the midsemester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midsemester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midsemester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
COMM 8690/WST 8920, Spring 2005
Mondays, 7:15-9:45 PM, 1020 One Park Place South
Dr. Ted Friedman
Office: 738 One Park Place South
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1-4 and by appointment
Email: tedf@gsu.edu; Phone: (404) 463-9522
Home Page: http://www.tedfriedman.com
Course Description
What are the political dimensions of popular culture? How does culture reflect, influence, and embody structures of power? Where does hegemony end and resistance begin? This class will engage the interdisciplinary field of Cultural Studies, which attempts to understand the relationship between culture and politics. We’ll be reading founding theoretical texts, current scholarship, and works which attempt to translate theory into action. We’ll address a range of media, from film and television to music, computer games and romance novels. We’ll look at multiple, intersecting structures of power, including class, nation, gender, and race.
Readings
Class readings will include books, a coursepack of articles, and news items distributed via the class email list.
The course books (other than the romance novel you select) are available at the GSU bookstores. Here are the books you’ll need:
• Thomas Frank, What’s the Matter With Kansas?
• Graeme Turner, British Cultural Studies: An Introduction
• Michael Denning, Culture in the Age of Three Worlds
• Suzanna Walters, Material Girls
• Michael Omi and Howard Winant, Racial Formation in the United States
• Arjun Appadurai, Modernity at Large
• Janice Radway, Reading the Romance
• Susan Douglas et al, The Mommy Myth
• Allan Badiner, ed., Mindfulness in the Marketplace
• Cary Nelson, Manifesto of a Tenured Radical
• Craig Seligman, Sontag & Kael: Opposites Attract Me
• Naomi Klein, No Logo.
The coursepack is sold by Bestway Copy Center, 18 Decatur Street SE (on the first floor of One Park Place South).
Outside Screenings and Activities
Some videos will be screened during class. In addition, one film will be assigned as outside screening, and should be viewed before class the week it is scheduled. The film will be on reserve on DVD at the Library Media Center. It is also readily available at local video stores for home rental. Recommended alternatives to Blockbuster are Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802), Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117), and the online service Netflix (http://www.netflix.com). There will also be one outside activitiy: purchasing a romance novel.
Email Group
All students will be signed up to the class email list. I will regularly forward media news and cultural criticism to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class.
Schedule
Part I: Introduction
1/10 The Politics of Culture
In-class screening: Barbie Nation
1/17 Martin Luther King Day – no class
1/24 What’s the Matter?
Thomas Frank, What’s the Matter With Kansas?
Additional readings to be distributed online
Part II: Theory
1/31 From Marx to the Frankfurt School
Graeme Turner, British Cultural Studies, Introduction and Part I
Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels, excerpts
Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment
as Mass Deception”
Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”
Louis Althusser, “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses”
Stuart Hall, “Signification, Representation, Ideology: Althusser and the Post-Structuralist Debates”
2/7 Birmingham and Beyond
Turner, Part II
Atonio Gramsci, “Hegemony, Intellectuals and the State”
Stuart Hall, “Encoding/Decoding” and “The Rediscovery of ‘Ideology’: Return of the Repressed in Media Studies”
Richard Dyer, “Entertainment and Utopia”
2/14 American Cultural Studies
Michael Denning, Culture in the Age of Three Worlds
2/21 Public Intellectuals
Craig Seligman, Sontag & Kael: Opposites Attract Me
2/28 Feminist Theory
Suzanna Walters, Material Girls
3/7 Spring Break – no class
3/14 Critical Race Theory
Michael Omi & Howard Winant, Racial Formation in the United States
3/21 Globalization
Arjun Appuradai, Modernity at Large
Part III: Practice
3/28 Ethnography
Janice Radway, Reading the Romance
Outside assignment: go to a bookstore and buy a romance novel to read for class
4/4 Cultural Criticism
Susan Douglas et al, The Mommy Myth
Part IV: Praxis
4/11 Academia
Cary Nelson, Manifesto of a Tenured Radical
4/18 Consumer Ethics
Allan Badiner, ed, Mindfulness in the Marketplace
Outside screening: I ♥ Huckabees
4/25 Activism
Naomi Klein, No Logo
5/2 Wrap-Up
No reading
Paper presentations/party at Ted’s house
Assignments
I. Lead two discussions of books – 15% of final grade for each reading
You will sign up to lead, with a group, discussions of two books. To prepare for the discussion of the reading, in addition to reading the week’s assignment, research these questions to put the reading in a broader context:
1. What is the author’s background? What discipline is the author trained in? What else has s/he written? In which journals has s/he published?
2. What was the reception of the book? How was book reviewed? What criticisms have been made of the author’s work? How has the author responded? Whom has the author influenced?
Then, meet with your group to prepare for a class discussion. Don’t bother summarizing the work. Rather, concentrate on how the work relates to the key questions we’ll be asking all semester. In addition to the research topics, other subjects for discussion should include:
3. Methodology: What research methods does the author use? (Possibilities include textual analysis, ethnography, historical research, quantitative social science, etc.) How does the author approach and justify this methodology? What are the advantages and limitations of this methodology?
4. Theoretical debates: In what theoretical debates does the work intervene? Where does the author stand? Who does the author criticize? How does this work move the debate forward?
5. Example of Analysis: Pick one text that’s either directly addressed by the author, or that can be illuminated by applying the author’s ideas. Show a representative example from the text (any clip should be no more than 5 minutes). Discuss how the author would (or does) interpret the example. What are the strengths and limitations of this interpretation? What alternate interpretations are possible?
Outline the key topics of discussion in a short (1-2 page) handout for the class. There’s no need to include more detail, or to prepare a PowerPoint presentation – the focus should be on presenting material orally and facilitating a good class discussion.
Note: you don’t need to organize your discussion in the order listed above. It may help to present the example up front, to ground your discussion of methodology and theory. It’s often also a good icebreaker to begin discussion by going around the room, asking everybody to answer a specific question related to their response to the book.
II. Lead discussion of one key theorist – 10% of final grade
You will also sign up to lead, with a group, discussion of one key theorist on either 1/31 or 2/7. This will be a shorter 30-minute discussion. Your group should research the author’s writing and biography beyond the assigned readings, then begin the discussion with a brief (5 minute) biographical introduction. Then, introduce a contemporary media example and lead a discussion of how the theorist’s ideas might be applied to the example. Hand out a short 1-page summary of the writer’s key works and concepts. The choice of theorists includes:
• For 1/31: Adorno, Benjamin, Althusser
• For 2/7: Gramsci, Hall, Dyer
III. Journal presentation – 10% of final grade
Sign up (via email) to give a presentation on one of the journals listed on the separate handout. Browse through the last several years of the journal, reading enough articles to give you a sense of the journal’s disciplinary focus, methodological assumptions, and theoretical framework. Which scholars are regularly cited? What knowledge is taken for granted? What kind of specialized language is employed? Pay particular attention to debates within the journal, such as essays which provoke responses. Also research the journal’s submission policies and rejection rate. Give a 15 minute presentation addressing these questions. Summarize your research on a one-page handout for the class.
IV. Final Project – 50%.of the final grade
Option 1: Write a 15-20 page paper on a subject relating to the politics of popular culture. You should write this paper with an eye towards eventually presenting it at a conference, expanding it and publishing it. In addition, if you already have a thesis or dissertation topic in mind, consider how this paper might form the basis for a chapter of the larger work.
Option 2: Produce a creative work which engages some of the ideas of the class. The project can be a short film, a screenplay, or a new media work. Along with the project, include a 5-page paper relating your work to ideas from the class.
For either option, the deadlines are the same:
• A one-page prospectus is due March 14. I will schedule individual meetings with you to discuss the prospectus.
• I will look at drafts of the final project submitted on or before May 2. You’re welcome to submit multiple drafts for feedback. If you choose, I will let you know what grade a draft would receive if you submitted as the final version of your project.
• You will give a short (5 minute) presentation of your research project at the final class on May 2.
• The final project is due May 9.
V. Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to possible disciplinary sanctions.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before October 11 will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after October 11 will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after October 11, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
What’s the best place to start to learn more about the academic life?
Is there a one-stop guide to all the journals in my field?
How can I keep track of upcoming conferences I might want to attend?
How can I keep track of interesting new journal articles?
What are some good guides to grad school?
What are some good books on academic life?
What are some good books on writing?
What are some good books on teaching?
What are the academic organizations in my field?
What’s the best place to start to learn more about the academic life?
The single best guide to academic life I’ve seen is available online. It’s "Networking on the Network" by Phil Agre. It’s long, but worth reading in full. In fact, go print it out now, then come back and read the rest of this FAQ.
Is there a one-stop guide to all the journals in my field?
Yes, if you’re in Mass Communication. Not exactly, if you’re in
a related field. The
Iowa Guide to Scholarly Journals in Mass Communication and Related
Fields lists over 100 communication journals, with information
on each journal’s subject matter, rejection rates (what percentage
of submitted articles get published), and more. If you’re in a related
field such as cultural studies or film studies, the Iowa Guide will
include some but not all journals. See below in this FAQ for more
journal listings.
How can I keep track of upcoming conferences I might want to attend?
Check out this collection of Calls for Papers (CFPs).
How can I keep track of interesting new journal articles?
When you join an academic organization, you’ll start receiving the organization’s sponsored journal. Some large organizations sponsor multiple journals, and give you a choice of which to sign up for.
Beyond that, though, there are dozens of journals that may be publishing articles you’d like to read. There’s no way to subscribe to all of them, and you wouldn’t want to take the time to read them all if you could. The easiest way to keep track of what’s being published in your fields is to sign up for Tables of Contents notification services.
Almost all journals are published by a handful of companies. Each company has a service on its website which allows you to automatically receive the TOC of any affiliated journal. So, just click on each link below, browse through the publisher’s journal, and sign up for whichever ones sound interesting. Every time a new issue comes out, you’ll receive an email letting you know what’s been published. You’ll find some articles you’re immediately interested in reading, others you may want to keep in mind for future references. Even if nothing in a specific TOC interests you, subscribing to TOCs is a great way to begin keeping tabs on different journals, building up a sense of what’s out there.
If you do find an article you want to read, you can track down the journal through the GSU E-Journal Locator. If the library subscribes to your journal, you’ll be able to look up and read your article right away. If it doesn’t, you have a couple of choices. You can request the article via inter-library loan, a simple online procedure. Or, you can file the reference away, and dig it up later. After a period varying from six months to a year, almost all journal articles become available on the major databases, regardless of whether the library subscribes to the specific journal.
Here are the major journal publishers’s TOC delivery signup pages:
Johns Hopkins University Press’s Project Muse New Issues Notification Service
Taylor & Francis SARA Contents Alerting Service
What are some good guides to grad school?
Getting What You Came For
Lingua Franca Presents the Real Guide to Grad School
What are some good guides to academic life?
The academic paper of record is The Chronicle of Higher Education, which available online through the GSU library. In addition, here are some recommended books:
Academic Keywords by Cary Nelson
The Academic Self
The Chicago Guide to Your Academic Career
Manifesto of a Tenured Radical by Cary Nelson
Mentor in a Manual
On the Market
What are some good books on writing?
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes
How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation by David Sternberg
Professors as Writers by Robert Boice
Writing for Social Scientists by Howard Becker
What are some good books on teaching?
The Chicago Handbook for Teachers
The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer
The Craft of Teaching by Kenneth Eble
Intelligences Reframed by Howard Gardner
Landscapes of Learning by Maxin Greene
Pedagogy of the Oppressed of the Oppressed by Paolo Friere
Teaching Tips by Wilbert McKeachie
What are the academic organizations in my field?
Communication
International Communication Association
National Communication Association
Cultural Studies
American
Studies Association
Association for Cultural Studies
Cultural Studies Association
Popular Culture Association
Film and Television
Society for Cinema and Media
Studies
University Film & Video Association
Journalism
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
New Media
Association of Internet Researchers
International Game Developers Association
Society for the History of Technology
Science and Literature Society
Society for the Social Study of Science
Popular Music
International Association for the Study of Popular Music
Science Fiction
International Association of the Fantastic in the Arts
Science Fiction Research Association
Society for Utopian Studies
]]>
COMM 8750, Fall 2004
Mondays, 7:15-9:45 PM, 1020 One Park Place South
Dr. Ted Friedman
Office: 738 One Park Place South
Email: tedf@gsu.edu
Phone: (404) 463-9522
Home Page: http://www.tedfriedman.com
Course Description
How do stories work? How does storytelling influence the way we think about our world and ourselves? What alternatives are available to the stories we live by today?
This class will examine these questions by engaging three parallel frameworks for understanding culture: narrative, myth and ideology. The frame of narrative, developed by literarily critics, examines how stories are put together. The frame of myth, developed by anthropologists, understands stories as the roots of social structures and self-understanding. The frame of ideology, developed by Marxist critics, looks at stories as expressions and instruments of power.
We will apply these three theoretical perspectives to a series of contemporary texts, to understand how storytelling works today. We will also supplement our theoretical readings with practical works on screenwriting, to better understand how storytellers themselves conceive of their work.
Required Readings
Class readings will include books, readings distributed in class, and news items distributed via the class email list.
These course books are available at the GSU bookstores:
• Robert Ray, A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema
• Kristin Thompson, Storytelling in the New Hollywood
• Aristotle, Poetics
• Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces
• Northrop Frye, Anatomy of Criticism
• Christopher Vogler, The Writer’s Journey
• Reeves and Campbell, Cracked Coverage
• Catherine Orenstein, Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked
• Lewis Hyde, Trickster Makes the World
• Robert McKee, Story
Several other books ordered by the bookstore will not be used in class. In addition, Roland Barthes’s Mythologies is required, but is not available at the bookstores. It can be ordered online from Amazon, Powells, etc.
Screenings
All the films on the syllabus should be screened before class. Most of the films will be available in the Library Media Center. In addition, all can be found at local video stores. Recommended alternatives to Blockbuster are Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117). The films include:
• Finding Nemo
• Star Wars
• Shrek
• Adaptation
In addition, on November 1 we will discuss political advertising. That week’s presentation group will prepare a selection of current political ads to screen in class.
Email Group
All students will be signed up to the class email list. I will regularly forward media news and cultural criticism to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class.
Schedule
8/23 Introduction
Ideology and Form
8/30 Read Robert Ray, A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema
9/6 Labor Day – no class
9/13 Read Kristin Thompson, Storytelling in the New Hollywood
9/20 See Finding Nemo
Read Aristotle, Poetics
Myth
9/27 Read Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces
10/4 Read Roland Barthes, Mythologies
10/11 Read Northrop Frye, Anatomy of Criticism
10/18 See Star Wars
Read Christopher Vogler, The Writer’s Journey
News
10/25 Read Reeves and Campbell, Cracked Coverage
11/1 See selection of political ads
Read articles to be distributed online
Gender
11/8 Read Catherine Orenstein, Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked
11/15 See Shrek
Start Robert McKee, Story
Trickster
11/22 Read Lewis Hyde, Trickster Makes This World
11/29 See Adaptation
Finish Robert McKee, Story
12/6 No reading - Party/research presentations at Ted’s House
The final paper is due on Monday, December 13.
Assignments
I. Lead two discussions of readings – 10% of final grade for each reading
You will sign up to lead, with a group, discussions of two readings. To prepare for the discussion of the reading, in addition to reading the week’s assignment, research these questions to put the reading in a broader context:
1. What is the author’s background? What discipline is the author trained in? What else has s/he written? In which journals has s/he published?
2. What was the reception of the book? How was book reviewed? What criticisms have been made of the author’s work? How has the author responded? Whom has the author influenced?
Then, meet with your group to prepare for a class discussion. Don’t bother summarizing the work. Rather, concentrate on how the work relates to the key questions we’ll be asking all semester. In addition to the research topics, other subjects for discussion should include:
3. Methodology: What research methods does the author use? (Possibilities include textual analysis, ethnography, historical research, quantitative social science, etc.) How does the author approach and justify this methodology? What are the advantages and limitations of this methodology?
4. Theoretical debates: In what theoretical debates does the work intervene? Where does the author stand? Who does the author criticize? How does this work move the debate forward?
5. Example of Analysis: Pick one text addressed by the author. (This should not be a film we’re screening for class.) Show a representative example from the text (any clip should be no more than 5 minutes). Discuss the author’s interpretation of the scene and the film. What are the strengths and limitations of this interpretation? What alternate interpretations are possible?
Outline the key topics of discussion in a short (1-2 page) handout for the class. There’s no need to include more detail, or to prepare a PowerPoint presentation – the focus should be on presenting material orally and facilitating a good class discussion.
II. Lead one discussion of a media text – 10% of final grade
You will also lead, with a group, a discussion either one of the films or the political ads. If you lead the discussion on political ads, you will prepare a clip reel of current ads to screen for the class. In any case, prepare to apply the concepts from the class readings to the texts, examining them in terms of narrative, myth and ideology.
III. How-To presentation – 10% of final grade
You will pick a storytelling “how-to” book, magazine, or software program, and give a brief presentation (5-10 minutes) on how the text conceives of the creative process, in the context of the class discussions of narrative, myth and ideology. Some possible sources include:
• Linda Cowgill, Secrets of Screenplay Structure
• Ken Dancyger and Jeff Rush, Alternative Scriptwriting
• David Freeman, Creating Emotions in Games
• Syd Field, Screenplay
• William Goldman, Adventures in the Screen Trade
• Dennis O’Neil, The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics
• Thomas Pope, Good Scripts, Bad Scripts
• Tom Sawyer and Arthur David Weingarten, Plots U