Topics in Media Writing (360-0-21)

Topic

Writing the Uncomfortable

Instructors

Tracey Wilson

Meeting Info

Helmerich Auditorium: Mon 12:00PM - 2:50PM

Overview of class

This course challenges students to engage with cinema and narrative that deliberately pushes boundaries and explores controversial subject matter. Through viewing and analyzing provocative films (works that have sparked debate, faced censorship, or dramatized society's most contentious issues) students will develop the critical tools to evaluate art that conflicts with their own worldviews.

The goal is not shock value, but intellectual growth. Students will learn to separate personal comfort from aesthetic judgment, to find meaning in discomfort, and to understand how artists use controversy as a lens for examining the human condition.

Core Questions:
· What distinguishes art that challenges from art that merely exploits?
· How do we critically assess work that offends our moral or political sensibilities?
· What is lost when we only consume art that confirms our existing beliefs?
· How can writing from perspectives radically different from our own expand our creative and empathetic capacities?

Sample Films & Screening Format: To gauge whether this course aligns with your academic goals, prospective students are encouraged to research the subject matter of films such as Blazing Saddles, Heading South and The Night Porter. All screenings will be conducted collectively during scheduled class sessions to ensure shared viewing experiences that inform our discussions.

Content Advisory: Films screened in this course contain mature and potentially disturbing content, including but not limited to: explicit sexuality, pedophilia, graphic violence, profanity, depictions of sexual violence, racist and homophobic language, sexist attitudes, and other material many viewers find offensive. Additionally, some selections may not meet conventional production standards and are studied for their cultural or historical impact rather than technical achievement. Students who have concerns about engaging with such material, who prefer to avoid these themes entirely, or who anticipate significant emotional distress from this content should select a different course. This class requires emotional maturity, intellectual curiosity, and a willingness to sit with difficult material.

Learning Objectives

Students will write analytical essays defending films they personally find objectionable, craft creative work from viewpoints antithetical to their own values, and participate in structured discussions that require inhabiting multiple perspectives. Through this practice, students will develop more sophisticated critical frameworks and discover how discomfort can be a generative creative force.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: REASON: Pre-registration is not allowed for this class. Please try again during regular registration. Undergraduate students must have completed RTVF 260-0 in order to register for this course (concurrent registration is not allowed). Writing: MFA or Documentary Media: MFA students may register for this course.