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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CMS 310"
COURSE NAME: "Media and Cultural Analysis: Close Readings/Interpretations of Cultural Artifacts"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2020
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Kwame Phillips
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 1:30-2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above; COM 220 recommended
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
From Andre Bazin’s analysis of de Sica’s Bicycle Thieves to Roland Barthes’ interpretation of a photo of a black soldier on the cover of Paris Match magazine, close readings of media texts have long been a valued aspect of the field of communications. This course offers students the unique opportunity to critically analyze a single, notable media text—be it an album, a TV series, a graphic novel, etc.—and explore in detail the expressive significance, the artistic merit, the social impact and influence, the cultural embeddedness, and associated historical, technological and aesthetic considerations. The course will focus on some of the dominant critical perspectives that have contributed to our understanding of these media texts and their role in society, and investigate this media through a variety of theories and methods.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The course is designed to provide an understanding of, and an ability to analyze and evaluate chosen media texts, where each iteration of the course will focus on a different singular media text. Students will deconstruct the text using a variety of critical strategies (e.g., from Marxism, feminism, poststructuralism, postmodernism, etc.) and situate the text in its social and historical contexts. Each student will work on a midterm and final project that expresses their individual voice and perspective, that involves careful research and a critical understanding of the course material. Students are required to read/listen/watch critically and class sessions will be structured as seminars where student engagement is essential. 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this course you will be able to:

•                Be a more critical consumer of media with requisite knowledge and skills                  

•                Have acquired advanced competence in contextualizing media objects in relationship to broader socio-cultural and historical processes

•                Be competent in advanced critical analysis of a media text

•                Be able to conduct your own research and critical interrogations of media texts.

•                Write a work of media criticism (2500-3000 words)

•                Create an academic video essay

**It is highly recommended that you make use of the Communications Library Study Guide that is found at this link: https://johncabot.libguides.com/communications. It is an introductory guide for communication and media studies, journalism and cinema, and is extraordinarily valuable as a resource.

**Course homepage: http://moodle.johncabot.edu/. Enrollment key: CMS310S20
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
ParticipationParticipation means showing up, doing the reading, being willing to discuss, ask questions and be fully engaged on a daily level.10
Weekly video reflections Every week, students are required to provide - via Moodle - a short video reflection based on the readings that will be due the night before each class. 10
Literature reviewStudents must provide a two page literature review of sources that are relevant to their final paper. 10
DraftStudents are required to write a draft version of their final paper.10
Final Research Essay  25
FInal video essay 25
Research journal 5
Video essay outline 5

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
This class is about ideas, feedback, listening and participating, which means the student is expected to attend every class and to be on time. More than four unjustified absences will make your maximum grade a B.

-GRADING RUBRIC

Papers will be graded using the following criteria (and judged whether excellent, good, fair, needs work or insufficient):

1. Formatting (page numbers, bibliography, quotes, citations)
2. Sources (diverse, academic)
3. Organization (good transitions, definitions, structured argument)
4. Adherence to assignment guidelines (follows instructions, answers questions, covers topic)
5. Clarity (thesis stated and supported with examples, evidence, background, context)
6. Understanding terms and grasp of concepts
7. Originality
8. Style (readable, lucid, flow, makes sense, creative, academic, command of English)
9. Grammar, spelling, typos, sentence structure
10. Effort, passion, interest

EXPLANATION OF GRADES

Grading will be done with letter grades using the 4.0 system. At present, Moodle calculates this as a percentage, so a B is 3.0 and shows as 75% (3.0 out of 4.0). This means that percentages that you may be used to will not translate in the same way. The table below indicates how the grades are calculated.

A   ::  4.0  ::  100%
A-  ::  3.7  ::  93%
B+ ::  3.3  ::  83%
B   ::  3.0  ::  75%
B-  ::  2.7  ::  68%
C+ ::  2.3  ::  58%
C   ::  2.0  ::  50%
C-  ::  1.7  ::  43%
D+ ::  1.3  ::  33%
D   ::  1.0  ::  25%
D-  ::  0.7  ::  18%
F   ::  0.0  ::  0%
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

COURSE CALENDAR


1. TUE, JAN. 21: INTRODUCTIONS, CLASS POLICIES, CLASS EXPECTATIONS 

 

Clip: “America in 1957. What A Time It Was!” (directed by David Hoffman, 2008)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6bHs8Vm3EQ

For next class:

 

Readings: 

    • o “‘The Twilight Zone’: Here’s Why We Still Care” (Tallerico, 2019). 
    • o “How to do a close reading” (Patricia Kain, 1998)

 

THU, JAN. 23: NEXT STOP, THE TWILIGHT ZONE! 

 

Screening and discussion

Episode 1x01: “Where is Everybody?” (directed by Allen Reisner, written by Rod Serling, original air date: October 2, 1959)

 

 

Unit 1: 

Suburban Nightmares (stories built around "primal American fears" and "set in commonplace surroundings")

 

“It was the twilight zone of the American culture. It was not English or Japanese or German or anything. It’s our Twilight Zone” (Richard Matheson, 1990).



2. TUE, JAN. 28: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 1x16: “The Hitch-Hiker” (directed by Alvin Ganzer, based on the radio play by Lucille Fletcher, teleplay written by Rod Serling, original air date: June 2, 1961)

Episode 3x08: “It’s a Good Life” (directed by James Sheldon, based on a short story by James Bixby, teleplay by Rod Serling, original air date: November 3, 1961)

For next class:

 

Due: Reflection video #1

 

Readings: 

    • o “The Short American Century” in When America Became Suburban (Beauregard, 2006)
    • o TZC, pp. 63-66; UDTC, pp. 257-263
    • o TZC, pp. 224-226; UDTC, pp. 499-505

Optional Readings: 

    • o TZC, pp. 22-27; UDTC, pp.187-191

 

THU, JAN. 30: SUBURBAN NIGHTMARES - THE AMERICAN SUBURB

 

Clip: “In the Suburbs” (Redbook, 1957): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8XztiF2yBw


3. TUE, FEB. 4: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 1x34: “The After Hours,” (directed by Douglas Heyes, written by Rod Serling, original air date: June 10, 1960)

Episode 5x03: “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (directed by Richard Donner, written by Richard Matheson, original air date: January 22, 1960)

For next class:

 

Due: Reflection video #2

 

Readings: 

    • o “Blurring Fiction with Reality: American Television and Consumerism in the 1950s” in Consumerism on TV: Popular Media From the 1950s to the Present (Hulme, 2015)
    • o TZC, pp. 126-128; UDTC, pp. 328-332
    • o TZC, pp. 384-387; UDTC, pp. 701-704

 

THU, FEB. 6: SUBURBAN NIGHTMARES - CAPITALISM AND CONSUMERISM

 

Clip: “America in the 20th Century: Boom Times” (directed by Richard Hawksworth, 2009): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmka2mydsD0

 

 

Unit 2:

A Question of Identity (identity and the nature of existence)

“The place is here...the time is now...and the journey into the shadows that we’re about to watch could be our journey...”
- Rod Serling’s opening narration to The Twilight Zone’s pilot episode, “Where is Everybody?” October 2, 1959


4. TUE, FEB. 11: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 1x21: “Mirror Image” (directed by John Brahm, written by Rod Serling, original air date: February 26, 1960)

Episode 3x14: “Five Characters in Search of an Exit” (directed by Lamont Johnson, based on a short story by Marvin Petal, teleplay by Rod Serling, original air date: December 22, 1961) 

 

For next class:

Due: Reflection video #3

 

Readings: 

    • o “The Way We Wish We Were: Defining the Family Crisis” AND “’Leave it to Beaver’ and ‘Ozzie and Harriet’: American Families in the 1950s” in The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap (Coontz, 2016)
    • o TZC, pp. 106-108; UDTC, pp. 279-283
    • o TZC, pp. 232-234; UDTC, pp. 522-526

 

THU, FEB. 13: A QUESTION OF IDENTITY - THE PERFECT AMERICAN

Clip: “How 1950s Parents Felt About Their Children” (directed by David Hoffman, 2008): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUorVXJ8MZE


5. TUE, FEB. 18: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 3x15: “A Quality of Mercy” (directed by Buzz Kulik, based on an idea by Sam Rolfe, teleplay by Rod Serling, original air date: December 29, 1961)

Episode 5x25: “The Masks” (directed by Ida Lupino, written by Rod Serling, original air date: March 20, 1964)

 

For next class:

Due: Reflection video #4

 

Readings: 

    • o “The Japanese in California” in Executive Order 9066: The Internment of 110,000 Japanese Americans (Conrat and Conrat, 1992)
    • o TZC, pp. 241-242; UDTC, pp. 526-528
    • o TZC, pp. 377-378; UDTC, pp. 781-784

 

THU, FEB. 20: A QUESTION OF IDENTITY - THE IMPERFECT AMERICAN

 

Clips: Crisis In Levittown, PA” (directed by Dan W. Dodson, 1957):  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXQQ9o3R-Rc

 

“Looking like the Enemy” (produced by Densho, 2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUEXSNBVdGY


Unit 3:

Obsolete Man ("alienation of the individual through bigotry, racism, and corporate and technological oppression")

“I am a human being! I exist! And if I speak one thought aloud, that thought lives!”

--from “The Obsolete Man” by Rod Serling (1961)



6. TUE, FEB. 25: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 1x08: “Time Enough at Last.” (directed by John Brahm, based on a short story by Lyn Venable, teleplay by Rod Serling, original air date: November 20, 1959)

Episode 2x29: “The Obsolete Man” (directed by Elliot Silverstein, written by Rod Serling, original air date: June 2, 1961)

 

For next class:

 

Due: Reflection video #5

 

Readings: 

    • o “Eisenhower and the Crusade for Freedom: The Rhetorical Origins of a Cold War Campaign” (Medhurst, 1997)
    • o TZC, pp. 66-70; UDTC, pp. 222-227
    • o TZC, pp. 207-210; UDTC, pp. 461-465 

THU, FEB. 27: OBSOLETE MAN - COMMUNISM AND THE COLD WAR

 

Clips: “Cold War in 9 minutes” (directed by John D. Ruddy, 2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVqziNV7dGY

“What is McCarthyism? And how did it happen?” (produced by Ellen Schrecker, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N35IugBYH04


7. TUE, MAR. 3: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 2x06: “The Eye of The Beholder” (directed by Douglas Heyes, written by Rod Serling, original air date: November 11, 1960)

Episode 5x17: “Number 12 Looks Just Like You” (directed by Abner Biberman, written by Charles Beaumont and John Tomerlin, original air date: January 24, 1964)

 

For next class:

 

Due: Reflection video #6 

 

Readings: 

    • o “Image is Everything? Television and the Counterculture Message in the 1960s.” (Bindas and Heineman,1994)
    • o TZC, pp. 141-149; UDTC, pp. 375-383
    • o TZC, pp. 400-402; UDTC, pp. 755-758 

THU, MAR. 5: OBSOLETE MAN – CONFORMITY AND COUNTER CULTURE

 

Clip: “Beatniks, Hippies and Free Love - The Counterculture” (It’s History, 1950): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ucpG1RG56Y

Unit 4: 

The Time Element (deviations from the normal, finite human journey through time)

 

“The Time Element”
“Clocks are made by men; God creates time” 

--from Rod Serling’s closing narration to “Ninety Years Without Slumbering,” (1961)


8. TUE, MAR. 17: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 1x05: “Walking Distance” (directed by Robert Stevens, written by Rod Serling, original air date: October 30, 1959)

Episode 3x09: “Deaths-Head Revisited” (directed by Don Medford, written by Rod Serling, original air date: November 10, 1961)

For next class:

 

Due: Reflection video #7 

 

Readings: 

    • o “Half the World Away: Television, Space, Time and Memory” in Television, Memory and Nostalgia (Holdsworth, 2011) 
    • o TZC, pp. 41-45; UDTC, pp. 206-212; 
    • o TZC, pp. 228-230; UDTC, pp. 505-508 

 

Due this week: Essay outline + Literature review

THU, MAR. 19: THE TIME ELEMENT - MEMORY

 

Clip: “America in Color: The 1950s” (produced by the Smithsonian Channel, 2017)


9. TUE, MAR. 24: VIDEO ESSAY TUTORIAL

 

For next class read:

Guide to Video Essays: https://digitalmedialab.johncabot.edu/video-essays/ 

THU, MAR. 26: AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS

 

Screening and discussion

 

Twilight Zone: The Movie: “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (directed by George Miller, release date: June 24, 1983)

1st revival: “Paladin of the Lost Hour” (directed by Gilbert Cates, written by Harlan Ellison, original air date: November 8, 1985)

Due this week: Essay draft (minimum 1000 words) + video essay outline


10. TUE, APR. 7: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 3x05: “A Game of Pool” (directed by Buzz Kulik, written by George Clayton Johnson, original air date: October 13, 1961)

Episode 3x31: “The Trade-Ins,” (directed by Elliot Silverstein, written by Rod Serling, original air date: April 20, 1962)

 

For next class:

 

Due: Reflection video #8

 

Readings: 

    • o “Safe Returns: Nostalgia and Television” in Television, Memory and Nostalgia (Holdsworth, 2011) 
    • o TZC, pp. 249-253; UDTC, pp. 489-493; 
    • o TZC, pp. 291-292; UDTC, pp. 579-583

THU, APR. 9: THE TIME ELEMENT - NOSTALGIA

Clips: “Why Do We Feel Nostalgia?” (VSauce, 2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coGfGmOeLjE

“Why do we feel nostalgia?” (TED-Ed, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiTgn5QH_HU

Unit 5: 

Science and Superstition (the conflict between 1) our ever-expanding scientific knowledge and 2) our more irrational, destructive nature)

 

“I shot an arrow into the air; it landed I know not where...nursery rhyme for the Age of Space.”
--from the episode “I Shot An Arrow Into the Air” by Rod Serling, 1960



11. TUE, APR. 14: Screening and discussion

 

Episode 2x28: “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” (directed by Montgomery Pittman, written by Rod Serling, original air date: May 26, 1961)

Episode 3x24: “To Serve Man,” (directed by Richard L. Bare, based on a story by Damon Knight, teleplay by Rod Serling, original air date: March 2, 1962)

 

For next class:

Due: Reflection video #9 

 

Readings: 

    • o “42 Visions for Tomorrow from The Golden Age of Futurism” (Novak, 2013)
    • o The Future That Never Was: Angie's List Reimagines The Golden Age Of Futuristic Home Designs (Richardson, 2019)
    • o TZC, pp. 204-207; UDTC, pp. 455-459; 
    • o TZC, pp. 235-237; UDTC, pp. 554-559

 

THU, APR. 16: SCIENCE AND SUPERSTITION - SPACE AND A BETTER TOMORROW

 

Clips: "Why Space" (USAF Educational Film, 1957): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpX6hR5uzfE

“The Sputnik Moment” (directed by David Hoffman, 2008): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctbJfZX2U4c


12. TUE, APR. 21: Screening and discussion


Episode 1x22: “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (directed by Ronald Winston, written by Rod Serling, original air date: March 4, 1960)

Episode 2x15: “The Invaders” (directed by Douglas Heyes, written by Richard Matheson, original air date: January 27, 1961)

 

For next class:

 

Due: Reflection video #10 

 

Readings: 

    • o “When the Revolution Was Televised” (Madrigal, 2018)
    • o “Journalists Discuss Coverage of Movement: Media Role in Civil Rights Era Reviewed” (Treadwell, 1987)
    • o TZC, pp. 90-92; UDTC, pp. 283-289; 
    • o TZC, pp. 171-176; UDTC, pp. 407-412 

THU, APR. 23: SCIENCE AND SUPERSTITION – RACE AND A BETTER TODAY

 

Clips: “Selma, Alabama: The Role of News Media in the Civil Rights Movement” (produced by 

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 2013)

“America in Color: The 1960s” (produced by the Smithsonian Channel, 2017)



13. TUE, APR. 28: Screening and discussion

 

2nd revival: “The Monsters are on Maple Street” (directed by Debbie Allen, story by Rod Serling, teleplay by Erin Maher and Kay Reindl, original air date: February 19, 2003)

3rd revival: “Blurryman” (directed by Simon Kinberg, written by Alex Rubens, original air date: May 30, 2019)

 

For next class:

Readings:

    • o “The Enduring Legacy of 'The Twilight Zone'” (Murray, 2016) 
    • o “Why the anti-fascist, anti-racist themes of ‘The Twilight Zone’ are more relevant today than ever” (Paul, 2018)

THU, APR. 30: THE AFTER SHOW

Clips: “Twilight Zone: The True Story” (produced by NowThis Nerd, 2019) 

 

Due on Exam Date: Creative project and presentation

Due in Exam Week: Final essay and video essay