Week One: Theories of Popular Culture
January 14th
Course Introduction; Syllabus, Course Contract
January 16th
What is Popular Culture?
How to Write an Essay, pt. 1
Read: K: Popular, Masses, Culture (iCollege)
Week Two: Theories of Popular Culture
January 21st
Introduction to Marxism
Read: Marx, “The Fetishism of Commodities and the Secret Thereof” (iCollege)
Read: K: Alienation, Bourgeois, Capitalism, Class (iCollege)
Due: Course Contract
January 23rd
Media Technologies
Read: Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” (iCollege)
Read: K: Media, Art, Taste, Technology
Introduce Response Essay #1
Week Three: Theories of Popular Culture
January 28th
The Culture Industry
Read: Adorno, “Culture Industry” (iCollege)
Read: K: Consumer, Democracy, Aesthetic
January 30th
Ideology and Hegemony
Read: Althusser, “Ideological State Apparatuses” (iCollege)
Read: K: Ideology, Hegemony
Week Four: Theories of Popular Culture
February 4th
Introduction to Psychoanalysis
Read: Brooks, “Freud’s Masterplot” (iCollege)
Read: K: Unconscious, Psychological
February 6th
Introduction to Psychoanalysis, pt. 2
Read: Lacan, “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed in Psychoanalytic Experience” (iCollege)
Week Five: Theories of Popular Culture
February 11th
Unit Check-In
How to Write an Essay, pt. 2
February 13th
Gender and Popular Culture
Read: Irigaray, “Women on the Market” (iCollege)
K: Sex
Week Six: Theories of Popular Culture
February 18th
Race and Popular Culture
Read: Hill Collins, “Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images” (iCollege)
Read: K: Racial
February 20th
Postcolonial Theory
Read: Said, Excerpts from Orientalism (iCollege)
Read: K: Western
Week Seven: Theories of Popular Culture
February 25th
Peer Review Workshop for Essay #1
February 27th
Unit Wrap Up
Introduce Response Essay #2
Due: Response Essay #1 to iCollege by 11:59pm
Week Eight: Introduction to American Popular Culture
March 3rd
Introduction to American Popular Culture
Read: AOD: Ch. 1: “Novel Approaches”
Read: Levine, “Shakespeare and the American People” (iCollege)
Read: K: Folk
Drop Deadline
March 5th
Culture & Class
Read: AOD: “Democratic Vistas, 1800-1860”
Read: Lott, “Love and Theft,” (iCollege)
Week Nine: Introduction to American Popular Culture
March 10th
Culture & Race
Read: AOD: “Stages of Development, 1860-1900”
Read: Dubois, “Sorrow Songs” (iCollege)
March 12th
Corporatism
Read: Trachtenberg, “White City” (iCollege)
Week #10: Introduction to American Popular Culture
March 24th
NO CLASS
March 26th
NO CLASS
Week #11: Introduction to American Popular Culture (March 30-April 5)
Day #1 (complete by Wednesday)
The Birth of Film & the Jazz Age
Read: AOD: Ch. 4: “Mediating Communities”
Day #2 (complete by Friday)
Modern Times Discussion
Watch: Modern Times (available on YouTube)
Read: Howe, “Mechanical Reproduction” (iCollege)
Due: Modern Times Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Week #12: Introduction to American Popular Culture (April 6-12)
Day #1 (complete by Wednesday)
The Birth of Television
Read: AOD: Ch. 5: “Small Screens”
Peer Review Workshop for Essay #2
Day #2A (complete by Friday) [PLEASE COMPLETE ONLY DAY 2A OR DAY 2B]
The Twilight Zone Class Discussion
Introduce Response Essay #3
Read: Worland, “Sign Posts Up Ahead” (iCollege)
Watch: The Twilight Zone: “It’s a Good Life” & “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”
Due: Response Essay #2 (Due by Friday, April 10th at 11:59pm)
Due: Twilight Zone Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Day #2B (complete by Friday) [PLEASE COMPLETE ONLY DAY 2A OR DAY 2B]
Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Class Discussion
Introduce Response Essay #3
Read: Linden, “Erotic Displacment" (iCollege)
Watch: Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (available through GSU SWANK)
Due: Response Essay #2 (Due by Friday, April 10th at 11:59pm)
Due: Dr. Strangelove Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Week #13: American Popular Culture, 2001-present (April 13-19)
Day #1 (complete by Wednesday)
Introduction to Post 9/11 Pop Culture
Day #2 (complete by Friday)
Breaking Bad and white male victimage
Read: Johnson, “Walter White(ness) lashes out: Breaking Bad and male victimage” (iCollege)
Watch: Breaking Bad (Pilot) (Available on Netflix)
Due: Breaking Bad Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Week #14: American Popular Culture, 2001-present (April 20-April 26)
Day #1A (complete by Wednesday) [PLEASE COMPLETE ONLY DAY 1A OR DAY 1B]
Black Panther Discussion
Read: Williams, “Three Theses about Black Panther” (iCollege)
Read: Serwer, "The Tragedy of Erik Killmonger" (The Atlantic)
Watch: Black Panther (film viewing)
Due: Black Panther Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Day #1B (complete by Wednesday) [PLEASE COMPLETE ONLY DAY 1A OR DAY 1B]
Get Out Class Discussion
Read: Boyd, "Double Entendre or Double Consciousness"
Watch: Get Out (available through GSU SWANK)
Due: Get Out Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Day #2 (complete by Friday)
Final Exam Review
Due: Response Essay #3 (Due by Friday, April 24th at 11:59pm)
Complete Final Exam by Tuesday, April 28th at 11:59pm
January 14th
Course Introduction; Syllabus, Course Contract
January 16th
What is Popular Culture?
How to Write an Essay, pt. 1
Read: K: Popular, Masses, Culture (iCollege)
Week Two: Theories of Popular Culture
January 21st
Introduction to Marxism
Read: Marx, “The Fetishism of Commodities and the Secret Thereof” (iCollege)
Read: K: Alienation, Bourgeois, Capitalism, Class (iCollege)
Due: Course Contract
January 23rd
Media Technologies
Read: Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” (iCollege)
Read: K: Media, Art, Taste, Technology
Introduce Response Essay #1
Week Three: Theories of Popular Culture
January 28th
The Culture Industry
Read: Adorno, “Culture Industry” (iCollege)
Read: K: Consumer, Democracy, Aesthetic
January 30th
Ideology and Hegemony
Read: Althusser, “Ideological State Apparatuses” (iCollege)
Read: K: Ideology, Hegemony
Week Four: Theories of Popular Culture
February 4th
Introduction to Psychoanalysis
Read: Brooks, “Freud’s Masterplot” (iCollege)
Read: K: Unconscious, Psychological
February 6th
Introduction to Psychoanalysis, pt. 2
Read: Lacan, “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed in Psychoanalytic Experience” (iCollege)
Week Five: Theories of Popular Culture
February 11th
Unit Check-In
How to Write an Essay, pt. 2
February 13th
Gender and Popular Culture
Read: Irigaray, “Women on the Market” (iCollege)
K: Sex
Week Six: Theories of Popular Culture
February 18th
Race and Popular Culture
Read: Hill Collins, “Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images” (iCollege)
Read: K: Racial
February 20th
Postcolonial Theory
Read: Said, Excerpts from Orientalism (iCollege)
Read: K: Western
Week Seven: Theories of Popular Culture
February 25th
Peer Review Workshop for Essay #1
February 27th
Unit Wrap Up
Introduce Response Essay #2
Due: Response Essay #1 to iCollege by 11:59pm
Week Eight: Introduction to American Popular Culture
March 3rd
Introduction to American Popular Culture
Read: AOD: Ch. 1: “Novel Approaches”
Read: Levine, “Shakespeare and the American People” (iCollege)
Read: K: Folk
Drop Deadline
March 5th
Culture & Class
Read: AOD: “Democratic Vistas, 1800-1860”
Read: Lott, “Love and Theft,” (iCollege)
Week Nine: Introduction to American Popular Culture
March 10th
Culture & Race
Read: AOD: “Stages of Development, 1860-1900”
Read: Dubois, “Sorrow Songs” (iCollege)
March 12th
Corporatism
Read: Trachtenberg, “White City” (iCollege)
Week #10: Introduction to American Popular Culture
March 24th
NO CLASS
March 26th
NO CLASS
Week #11: Introduction to American Popular Culture (March 30-April 5)
Day #1 (complete by Wednesday)
The Birth of Film & the Jazz Age
Read: AOD: Ch. 4: “Mediating Communities”
Day #2 (complete by Friday)
Modern Times Discussion
Watch: Modern Times (available on YouTube)
Read: Howe, “Mechanical Reproduction” (iCollege)
Due: Modern Times Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Week #12: Introduction to American Popular Culture (April 6-12)
Day #1 (complete by Wednesday)
The Birth of Television
Read: AOD: Ch. 5: “Small Screens”
Peer Review Workshop for Essay #2
Day #2A (complete by Friday) [PLEASE COMPLETE ONLY DAY 2A OR DAY 2B]
The Twilight Zone Class Discussion
Introduce Response Essay #3
Read: Worland, “Sign Posts Up Ahead” (iCollege)
Watch: The Twilight Zone: “It’s a Good Life” & “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”
Due: Response Essay #2 (Due by Friday, April 10th at 11:59pm)
Due: Twilight Zone Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Day #2B (complete by Friday) [PLEASE COMPLETE ONLY DAY 2A OR DAY 2B]
Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Class Discussion
Introduce Response Essay #3
Read: Linden, “Erotic Displacment" (iCollege)
Watch: Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (available through GSU SWANK)
Due: Response Essay #2 (Due by Friday, April 10th at 11:59pm)
Due: Dr. Strangelove Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Week #13: American Popular Culture, 2001-present (April 13-19)
Day #1 (complete by Wednesday)
Introduction to Post 9/11 Pop Culture
Day #2 (complete by Friday)
Breaking Bad and white male victimage
Read: Johnson, “Walter White(ness) lashes out: Breaking Bad and male victimage” (iCollege)
Watch: Breaking Bad (Pilot) (Available on Netflix)
Due: Breaking Bad Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Week #14: American Popular Culture, 2001-present (April 20-April 26)
Day #1A (complete by Wednesday) [PLEASE COMPLETE ONLY DAY 1A OR DAY 1B]
Black Panther Discussion
Read: Williams, “Three Theses about Black Panther” (iCollege)
Read: Serwer, "The Tragedy of Erik Killmonger" (The Atlantic)
Watch: Black Panther (film viewing)
Due: Black Panther Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Day #1B (complete by Wednesday) [PLEASE COMPLETE ONLY DAY 1A OR DAY 1B]
Get Out Class Discussion
Read: Boyd, "Double Entendre or Double Consciousness"
Watch: Get Out (available through GSU SWANK)
Due: Get Out Viewing Guide (iCollege)
Day #2 (complete by Friday)
Final Exam Review
Due: Response Essay #3 (Due by Friday, April 24th at 11:59pm)
Complete Final Exam by Tuesday, April 28th at 11:59pm