Studies in Gender, Sexuality & Representation (307-0-21)
Topic
Romantic Comedies, Old & New
Instructors
Tristram Nash Wolff
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 3-410: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
Romantic Comedies, Old and New
Does the popular genre of the romantic comedy continually renegotiate the social contract? Or do its "happy endings" continually impose the safety of closure on love's wayward digressions? This course maps the literary and cinematic DNA of the contemporary "rom com," from William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and the screwball comedies of 1930s Classical Hollywood to the 1990s blockbusters and the Netflix revolution. Along the way we may ask: What do the comedic conventions of Western classical drama, the medieval genre of "romance," or the political aesthetics of Romanticism have to do with the romantic comedy as it exists today? The anarchic space of the "comedy" genre is often understood to house a subversive potential, using absurdism or satire to scramble power dynamics or to question social norms governing gender, sexuality, race, and family. One standout question for us will be: Does the romantic comedy threaten to tame the comedy genre's subversive potential? Or does it promise to release its chaotic energies in ever renewed ways? Why do some literary forms and characters seem endlessly adaptable for different social subjects; and how does a screen actor's "star text" or public image help direct the genre's history? Students will regularly be asked to watch two movies in a single week. Evaluations are based on participation and preparation; writing several short papers, film analyses, & response posts; presentation on an episode, scene, or clip from a recent TV show that helps us understood the genre and its history; and a final exam.
Learning Objectives
• To study what constitutes a "genre," how it comes into being, and how it changes over time
• To analyze personal attachments to cultural objects in a critical light
• To practice and improve critical reading and writing about literature and film
• To practice and improve conversational analysis, public presentation, and critical dialogue
Class Materials (Required)
Required Texts (available for purchase & buyback at Bookends & Beginnings):
• William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing (Pelican Edition) (ISBN 978-0143130185)
• Jane Austen, Emma (Penguin Edition) (ISBN 978-0141439587)
Note: All films and other readings will be available in "Reserves" on our Canvas site.
Class Attributes
Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area