Course Overview

This cross-listed Communications/Women's Studies course explores explores the historical, economic, legal, political and social implications of the relationship between women, minorities, class and the mass media. In this class students explore how the media helps in constructing notions of social reality. The primary focus of the course is on media representations of marginalized groups in the United States.  

This version of COMM 205/WOMST 205 was taught by Zack Furness in Fall 2012.

Week One - Introductions & Some Definitions (Aug 27 & 29)

Introduction to the Course - Aug 27 (M)
Explanation of the syllabus, approaches, expectations, etc.
Images to get us thinking:

• Guerilla Girls billboard
• Barbie vs. Real Bodies
• Truthout comic about women in the media
• The media's Gabby Douglas problem (from Ebony)
• Blackface minstrelsy in US history
• Creating the savage 'other' via early 20th Century advertising

Thinking Intersectionally - Aug 29 (W)

Readings for today (NOTE - All readings, aside from books, are online via ANGEL):

• bell hooks, “Race and Gender” in Feminism is for Everybody. 
• Race & Ethnicity definitions (excerpts from Keywords in American Cultural Studies)
• Notes on gender and sex (from Zack)

KEY TERMS: race, ethnicity, gender, sex, feminism, intersectionality

For further reading & research:

• bell hooks, Cultural Criticism and Transformation (film)
• In Depth with Bell Hooks (video)

Week Two - Feminism & Semiotics in Pop Culture (Sept 3 & 5)

NO CLASS for LABOR DAY - Sept 3 (M)

• Labor Day History: 11 Facts You Need To Know 
• For more on the real 'labor day'

Feminism and Popular Culture, Part I - Sept 5 (W)

Readings for today:

• Feminism & Popular Culture, Chaps 1-2

In class:

• Discuss Ziesler's book and some terms associated with the politics of media representation
• Lecture on semiotics

For further reading and research:

• Sut Jhally, The Codes of Gender (film)
• "The All-White World of 'Girls'" - Audio story on The Takeaway.
• Dave Zirin & Sherry Wolf, "Stop the Savage Sex Scare in Sports," Edge of Sports, Sept 14, 2009.

Week Three - Feminism II & Masculinity (Sept 10 & 12)

Feminism and Popular Culture, Part II - Sept 10 (M)

Readings for today:

• Feminism & Popular Culture, Chaps 3 and 5.
• Handout on Ideology (on ANGEL...I'll go over this in class).

For further reading and research:

• Lindsay Abrams, "Study: We Benefit From Seeing Strong Women on TV," The Atlantic, August 31, 2012.

Masculinity in Pop Culture - Sept 12 (W)

Readings for today:

• Jackson Katz, “Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity” (ANGEL).
• "Pink Scare," Bitch Magazine #52 (Red), Fall 2011.

Assignment for today - Critical Show & Tell:

• Each of you are required to bring in two examples that deal with the portrayal of women and/or feminism in the media (a CD, website, YouTube clip, magazine article, etc).  Based on what you've read for today and in the previous week of class, I want you to be able to explain--with clarity and specificity--what kind of story is being told in these 'media texts', and why your classmates should agree with your reading/interpretation of each.  Ideally, I'd like you to find examples that transcend simplistic divisions between 'positive' and 'negative', since there are plenty of artists and entertainers who might offer more complicated, or simply contradictory, messages in their work.  But the main idea is for each of you to apply some of what you have learned thus far in order to do a critical analysis of some specific media texts.  Each of you will have time to present your findings to your classmates as if you were making arguments in a paper.  We will will continue our 'show and tell' next Monday if we run out of time today.

For further reading and research:

• Cristen Conger, "Isn't He Lovely: The Cult of Muscularity," Bitch Magazine, September 8, 2011. 
• Lakshmi Chaudhry, "Men Growing Up to be Boys," In These Times, March 17, 2006.

Week Four - Ideology, Race and Gender (Sept 17 & 19)

Racism and Media Representation - September 17

Readings for today:

• Stuart Hall, “The Whites of Their Eyes: Racist Ideologies and the Media” (on ANGEL)
• Laura Green, "Stereotypes: Negative Racial Stereotypes and Their Effect on Attitudes Toward African-Americans," Perspectives on Multiculturalism and Cultural Diversity, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1998-99).

For further reading and research:

• The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia (at Ferris State University) 
• My Mother and My Grandmother Were “The Help” Trickle Down Truth, Aug 15, 2011.
• "Lowe’s Pulls Advertising from Muslim Reality Show After Bigots Complain" Jezebel, Dec 9, 2011.
• T.F. Charlton, "The Media's Gabby Douglas Problem," Ebony.
• "Study: Non Latinos Buy Into Stereotypes About Hispanic Americans," Huffington Post, September 12, 2012.

Ethnic Notions - September 19

For today:

• In-class screening of Ethnic Notions.

For further reading and research:

• Annalee Newitz, "Racist or Not? “Uncle Ben” Becomes “Chairman Ben” On the Web," Wired.com, March 30, 2007.
• Colette Gaiter, "The Revolution Will Be Visualized: Emory Douglas in the Black Panther," Bad Subjects #65 (January 2004).
• Without Sanctuary: Photographs and Postcards of Lynching in America.

Week Five - Race, History and the American Press (Sept 24 & 26)

Race and the American Press, Part I - September 24

Readings for today:

• News for All the People, Chapters 1, 2, 4, 6 & 7

For further reading & research:

• Gonzalez and Torres on Democracy Now!, October 13, 2011.
• Allison Perlman, "Blacking Out 'Black Journal': Race, Resistance, and the Politics of Public Broadcasting," En Media Res, October 4, 2011.

Race and the American Media, Part II - September 26

Readings for today:

• News for All the People, Chapters 12, 13 & 15
• RESPONSE PAPER #1 DUE TODAY (on a chapter, or chapters, from News for the All the People)

For further reading & research:

• "Media, Race and Obama's First Year: A Study of African Americans in U.S. News Coverage," Journalism.org, July 26, 2010.
• Dave Zirin, "The Dramatic Drop in Women’s Sports Coverage: An Interview with Mike Messner," The Nation, July 6, 2010.

Week Six - Reproducing 'Otherness' (Oct 1 & 3)

Constructing 'Savages' and the Colonial Gaze - Oct 1

Readings for today:

• Ward Churchill, "Fantasies of the Master Race: The Cinematic Colonization of American Indians," from the Ward Churchill Reader (on ANGEL)
• In-class screening: Reel Injun

For further reading and research:

• Native Appropriations blog
• David Treuer, "Kill the Indians, Then Copy Them," New York Times, Sept 30, 2012.

Orientalism - Oct 3

Readings for today:

• Edward Said, excerpt from Orientalism.
• Eric Repphun, "Avatar as European Orientalist Fantasy," The Dunedin School (blog), Dec 24, 2009.

In-class screening:  Jackie Salloum, Planet of the Arabs

For further reading and research:

• Edward Said on Orientalism (film)
• Myth of the Clash of Civilizations (film)
• Matt Duss, "Hollywood of Hate," Salon, Sept 12, 2012.
• Theory Toolbox, Chapter 9 pp. 154-164 (NOTE: pay particular attention to the term orientalism).
• Jack Shaheen, "Introduction" to Reel Bad Arabs.  
• Wajahat Ali, "Sex and the City 2's Stunning Muslim Clichés," Salon.com, May 26, 2010.
• Center for American Progress, "Fear Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America" (2011).
• "Yellowface and Orientalism," Racialicious, Nov 19, 2012.

Week Seven - Orientalism Cont. (Oct 8 & 10)

'Bad' Arabs in the Media - October 8

Readings for today:

• Review what we didn't cover from the previous class.
• Read Jack Shaheen, "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People," Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 588 (2003): 171-193.
• Watch Reel Bad Arabs online via PSU Library.

For further reading and research:

• "Michael Savage: Arabs are 'Non-Humans' and 'Racist, Fascist Bigots'," Media Matters, May 14, 2004.
• Narmeen El-Farra, "Arabs and the Media," Journal of Media Psychology, Volume I, Number 2, Spring 1996.

NO CLASS - October 10

• Professor will be out of town doing a live radio show (Action Speaks) in Providence, Rhode Island.
• RESPONSE PAPER #2 DUE TODAY (on Churchill, Said, Shaheen or a media text that allows you to do a similar analysis, i.e. like the 'Avatar' article)

Week Eight - Sexuality in the Media (Oct 15 & 17)

Sexuality in the Media, Part I - Oct 15

Readings for today:

• Jane Caputi, "The Pornography of Everyday Life" (on ANGEL)
• Tracy Clark-Flory, "Does Sexual Equality Change Porn?" Salon, Sept 13, 2011.

For further reading & research:

• Tracy Clark-Flory, "GOP, Hands off my Porn!" Salon, Sept 2, 2012.

Sexuality in the Media, Part II - Oct 17

NOTE:  Since wireless Internet service was not working today, class was let out after 15 minutes.  Rather than spend an additional day of class on this film alone, I suggest watching it via Netflix. 

Readings for today:

• "Ariel Levy on 'Raunch Culture'," The Independent (UK), December 4, 2005. 
• In-class screening of Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality & Relationships (a useful study guide for the film is located here).

Week Nine - Nonconforming Bodies (Oct 22 & 24)

Depicting Disability - October 22

Readings for today:

• Charles Riley, “Heroes of Assimilation: How the Media Transform Disability," from Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change (on ANGEL).
• Tracy Clark-Flory, "Dating While Disabled," Salon.com, April 11, 2012.

For further reading and research:

• "Tales From The Crip: This Is What Disability Looks Like," Bitch Magazine.
• Lillie Ransom and Beth Haller, "Accessing New Deaf Representations on TV: A Case Study of Marlee Matlin on The L Word"
• Online course: Disability in Media

Representing 'Fat' Bodies  - Oct 24

Readings for today:

• Katherine Sender and Margaret Sullivan, “Epidemics of Will, Failures of Self-Esteem: Responding to Fat Bodies in The Biggest Loser and What Not to Wear,” Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies (2008). 

For further reading and research:

• "Unhealthy Appetite: Is 'Fatspoitation' Fueling the Obesity Crisis?," The Independent (UK), July 20, 2009.
• Kate Dailey, "'Fatshion' blogs defiantly celebrate plus-size couture," BBC News Magazine, December 26, 2011.
• Fat and Proud (TV special), part I.

Week Ten - GLBT & Queer Representation (Oct 29 & 31))

Queer Representation: A Case Study - Oct 29 

Readings for today:

• "Educating the Simpsons" (on ANGEL)
• NOTE: You must read the above piece in conjunction with watching this episode of the Simpsons.

For further reading & research:

• "Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore and Sassafras Lowrey Discuss the Queer Margins," Advocate, Oct 14, 2012. 
• Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, "What a Difference a World without Women Makes: Brokeback Mountain and the Quest for Good Ol' Frontier Masculinity."
• "LGBT's New Media Strategy," PBS, Aug 8, 2011.
• Michael Lavers, "Gay Print Media on the Wane," Village Voice, June 22, 2010.

More on Queer Representation - Oct 31
Readings for today:

• TBA
• RESPONSE PAPER #3 DUE TODAY on any *assigned* reading/s from Weeks 8, 9 or 10.
• Further Off the Straight and Narrow (film) and study guide.

Week Eleven - Representing Class (Nov 5 & 7)

Representing Class - Nov 5

For today:

• In-class screening: Class Dismissed

More on Class in the Media - Nov 7

Readings for today:

• Julie Bettie, "Class Dismissed? Roseanne and the Changing Face of Working-Class Iconography," Social Text, No. 45 (Winter, 1995), pp. 125-149.

For further reading & research:

• Mariana Garces and Steve Rendall, "Media Not Concerned About the Very Poor," Alternet, Sept 16, 2012.
• Sherry Linkon, "Beyond Stereotypes: What Makes a Good Representation of the Working Class?," Working-Class Perspectives (The Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown State University), Feb 20, 2012.  Click here for other articles on the Working-Class Perspectives blog tagged with 'Working Class and Media'.
•  http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-99-what%E2%80%99s-funny-about-being-poor-roseanne-and-working-class-humor-feminism-TV

 

Week Twelve - Cultural Appropriation & Library Training (Nov 12 & 14)

Cultural Appropriation - Nov 12

• "The Critical Fashion Lover's (Basic) Guide to Cultural Appropriation"

For further reading & research:

• Lisa Charleyboy, "No Doubt, Exploiting 'Hot' Native American Stereotypes is Never OK," The Guardian, Nov 6, 2012.
• Jessica Misener, "Karlie Koss Wears Native American Headdress at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show," The Huffington Post, Nov 8, 2012.
• Native Appropriations (blog)
• "Don't Trend on my Culture - Andrienne Keene," The Stream on Al Jazeera.  An interview with the author of the Native Appropriations blog.
• Jason Rodriquez, "Color-Blind Ideology and the Cultural Appropriation of Hip-Hop," Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Vol. 35, No. 6 (2006): 645-668. 
• "Wiggers are Just a Part of the Continuum, Ain't Nothin' New," Anna Renee is Still Talking (blog), Sept 9, 2011.
• "Keffiyeh: From Resistance Symbol to Retail Item?" A talk from Professor Ted Swedenburg.

Library Training Session - Nov 14

• Today we will meet promptly at 4:30 for a research training session at the library with Andrew Marshall.   Attendance is mandatory

Week Thirteen - Thanksgiving Break (NO CLASS)

• NO CLASS FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Week Fourteen - Constructing Whiteness (Nov 26 & 28)

Whiteness - Nov 26

Readings for today:

• Lindsay Kite, "Beauty Whitewashed: How White Ideals Exclude Women of Color," Beauty Redefined, February 28, 2011.
• Ursula K. LeGuin, "A Whitewashed Earthsea: How the Sci Fi Channel Wrecked My Books," Slate, December 16, 2004.
• Margaret Redlich, “People Don’t Want To See Problems On The Screen”: Why The West Won’t Watch Bollywood," Racialicious, August 29, 2012.

For further reading and research:

• Peggy McIntosh, "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack."
• Robert Jensen, "White Privilege Shapes the US."
• 'Getting it White' - A PowerPoint Presentation on White Privilege/Supremacy.
• Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan, "Are Emily and Jane More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination,"American Economic Review, Vol. 94, No. 4 (2002).
• Rajeev Syal, "Undercover Job Hunters Reveal Huge Bias in Britain's Workplaces," The Observer, October 17, 2009.
• Racially loaded justifications for Obama's Re-Election via Think Progress (or, 'This is What White Supremacy Looks Like').
• Conor Friedersdorf, "The GOP Must Choose: Rush Limbaugh or Minority Voters," The Atlantic, Nov 9, 2012.
• Lorraine Berry, "'The Walking Dead' Has Become a White Patriarchy," Salon, Nov 11, 2012. 

Nov 28 - Another take on whiteness

Readings for today:

• Ugo Corte and Bob Edwards, "White Power Music and the Mobilization of Racist Social Movements," Music and Arts in Action, Vol 1, No 1 (2008). 

For further reading and research:

• Al Jazeera, "US Neo-Nazi Music Scene Flourishing" (video)
• White Power USA (video)
• Geoff Edgers, "Definite Hate: White Trash," GQ, September, 2001.
• Worker Fired from Cold Stone for Racist Remarks (and Denies Racism), Huffington Post, Nov 9, 2012.

Week Fifteen - Forging Alternatives (Dec 3 & 5)

Forging Alternatives - Dec 3
Readings for today:

• Adam Elliot Cooper, "Interview with Tricia Rose: 'Hip Hop Can Be a Poetic Force for a Social Movement'" Ceasefire, Oct 29, 2012.
• PAPER #4 DUE TODAY -  FINAL PAPER OUTLINE.  For this paper I do not want you to give me a response to any of the specific readings.  Instead, I want you to give me a detailed outline of what you will be doing in your final paper (due in two weeks).  I want your papers to include the following: 1) A clear thesis statement in which you succinctly articulate your argument, 2) A general sketch of the points you will address in your paper, 3) An annotated bibliography that includes 10 peer-reviewed resources.  With respect to the bibliography, I do not want you to simply list a number of titles and accompany them with an abstract.  Rather, I want you to give me a list of titles and for each title I want you to briefly explain why and why this resource will be relevant to your project.

For further reading and research:

• Prometheus Radio Project
• Allied Media Projects
• Democracy Now! Remembers Studs Terkel
• Bitch Magazine
• Jasiri X, Is Pittsburgh America's Most Livable City? (Part I and Part II)
• QZAP - The Queer Zine Archive Project
• Labor Beat TV
• Black Agenda Report
• Independent Media Center
• Article: "Zines Are Not Blogs"

Forging Alternatives Cont - Dec 5

Readings for today:

• Hi folks.  Since I've asked you all to focus your attention on doing a 'case study' for your final papers, I'm going to have you all read a good example of what a case study-based paper looks like.  It's an article from Carol Stabile and I mentioned it in class on Monday....it's posted on ANGEL.  

Week Sixteen - Paper Workshop & Presentations (Dec 10 & 12)

Final paper workshop - Dec 10

• In-class paper workshop.  Bring a copy of your rough draft with you to class

Office Hours - Dec 12

• Given that most people are behind in writing their papers, I will be holding office hours today instead of having you give presentations to your peers.  Feel free to stop by my office between 4:30-5:45 if you have questions.
• REMINDER: Final papers due next week (Dec 17).  Please make sure that you thoroughly read through the final paper guidelines I have posted online as you make progress through your paper.  I will be posting a grading rubric for the papers so that you have a very clear understanding of how I will be assessing your papers next week.