Week 1. Introduction to the class and to each other.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 8/27 | Intro to class. Review Syllabus. Questions of power, evaluation, and analysis. | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8 Trailer for Orange |
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| Thursday 8/29 | Discuss Reviews and how to write one | Orange is the New Black plus 3 review essays: links on BB | Blog: response to Orange |
Week 2. Writing about Film and TV
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 9/3 | Forming a research question. Introduce Wizards with trailer. | Information Literacy Module 1. Quiz due on BB. | |
| Thursday 9/5 | Writing workshop. Self and peer evaluation. Revision vs. Editing. | Start reading textual analysis handout on BB. | 1st draft of review essay bring 2 copies. |
Turn in a revision based on peer review workshop on Monday, September 9 electronically to Dr. Perez at annemarie (dot) perez (at) me (dot) com
Week 3. Technology, Medium and Genre. How do you watch television?
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 9/10 | Representations of the American family and the American Sit-com. | Read and be ready to discuss both: “Textual Analysis.” and The Simpsons (most recent 2 episode online at thesimpsons.com) | Get draft of #1 back in individual meetings and revise it. Bring in your viewing notes. |
| Thursday 9/12 | Televisual Form and New Media | Read: “Introduction: How Television Invented New Media” PDF posted on MYLMU Connect.Watch: East Los High episodes 1 and 2 on Hulu.com | Blog: response to East Los High |
Week 4. Reality TV competitions. TV talent competitions.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 9/17 | Writing Instruction: Revision vs. Editing. In-class workshop. Introduce talent show: trailer | n/a | Bring in a paragraph from your paper to workshop |
| Thursday 9/19 | TV talent competitions, a brief history. | Read “Real History of Reality TV.” America’s Got Talent. Latest episode online | Blog |
Friday 9/20: Revision of paper 1 due. Hard copy in my office. E-copy to Dr. Perez.
Week 5. From Margins to Mainstream: Drag queens and the media
Two episodes. Season 3, episode 8, “Ru Ha Ha” and Season 3, episode 9, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style” available online at Logo: http://www.logotv.com/shows/rupauls_drag_race/season_3/series.jhtml
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 9/24 | Writing workshop | n/a | Turn in draft of paper 2 |
| Thursday 9/26 | The performance of race, class, gender, and sexuality. | Reading: “You Better Work” PDF posted on MYLMU. Watch: RuPaul’s Drag Race | Blog response to RuPaul’s Drag Race |
Week 6. Research and writing intensive
MONDAY 9/30 Turn in revision of paper 2 (based on peer review). E-copies to Dr. Perez.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 10/1 | Individual conferences. No class. | Read Information Literacy Module 3. Finding and evaluating information. Quiz on BB. | |
| Thursday 10/3 | Meet in the library. Details TBA | n/a | Revise essay 2. Blog: how’s it going? |
Week 7. Textual and thematic analysis.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 10/8 | Thematic analysis | Superbad | Blog: response to Superbad |
| Thursday 10/10 | Link thematic and visual analysis | Reading: “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” posted on MYLMU |
Friday 10/11 Final Revision of essay 2 due. Hard copies to me. E-copy to Dr. Perez.
Week 8. Superbad. From text to context. Medium, genre, politics.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 10/15 | Class cancelled. | Information literacy module 4. | |
| Thursday 10/17 | Formal analysis and reading scenes closely. Get new annotated bib assignment. | Rewatch Superbad on Wednesday night. | Blog on rewatching. |
Week 9. Textual analysis. Pariah.
Screening Wednesday 10/23 at 7pm. Signups required.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 10/22 | Paraphrasing, critical summaries, and citations. Watch a trailer for Pariah. | n/a | |
| Thursday 10/24 | Thematic analysis | Pariah. | Blog: response to Pariah |
Week 10. Pariah. From text to context. Medium, genre, politics.
Screening Wednesday 10/30 at 7pm. Signups required.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 10/29 | Point of view: how the film establishes it. | Discuss “The Oppositional Gaze” posted at MYLMU. | Turn in notes on essay (2 pass system). |
| Thursday 10/31 | Reviews of Pariah. Linking textual analysis with larger contexts. | Rewatch Pariah. Read reviews at metacritic.com. | Blog a short review, using hooks’s model to evaluate the film. |
Friday 11/1: Annotated bibliography and paragraph due, 5pm. Hard copy to my office. E-copy to Dr. Perez.
Week 11. Winter’s Bone.
Screening of Winter’s Bone, Wednesday 11/6 at 7pm. Signups required.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 11/5 | The Influence of Genre: Southern Gothic. | “Southern Gothic” fiction (PDF on MYLMU) | |
| Thursday 11/7 | Thematic discussion. |
Blog: reponse to Winter’s Bone. |
Week 12. Winter’s Bone. From text to context. Politics, medium, genre.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 11/12 | Reworking thesis | n/a | Blog on thesis rewrite. |
| Thurs 11/14 | Workshop thesis paragraph on set design | Rewatch film on Wed night | Write a thesis paragraph analyzing set design |
Week 13. Reading about race and gender.
Screening of The Bronze Screen, Monday 11/18 at 7pm. MANDATORY.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 11/19 | Discuss The Bronze Screen. | The Bronze Screen: 100 Years. | |
| Thursday 11/21 | Stereotypes and Satire | Tex[t] Mex: Seductive Hallucination of the “Mexican” in America. Reading posted on MYLMU | Get final paper assignment (paper 3). |
Appointments: Bring a draft, 11/25 and 11/26.
Week 14. (Thanksgiving: short week) Writing Intensive.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 11/26 | No class. Individual conferences. | ||
| Thursday 11/28 | NO CLASS. HOLIDAY |
Week 15. Machete: satire and stereotype.
| Date | In-class activity/discussion topic | Reading/Viewing Assignment: DUE | Writing Assignment |
| Tuesday 12/3 | Discuss Machete based on your papers. | ||
| Thursday 12/5 | What will you take from this course? | Blog: Final thoughts about writing about film and TV. |
Friday 12/6. Final paper due at 5:00 pm. My office.
Finals week: turn in portfolio and reflective essay.