CLASS SCHEDULE: ON QUIZ DAYS, QUIZZES INCLUDE THAT …



WGSS 3317:

Hollywood, Women, and Film

Autumn 2012

Tuesday/Thursday 12:45-2:05 pm

Stillman Hall 0145

Instructor: J. Brendan Shaw

E-mail: shaw.489@osu.edu

Office: 029 Denney Hall (the basement)

Office Hours Tuesdays 2:30-4 pm, Wednesdays 11-12:30 pm, and by appointment

Accommodation of students with disabilities: Students who wish to have an accommodation for disability are responsible for contacting the professor and TA as soon as possible. The Office for Disability Services (150 Pomerene Hall; 292-3307; 292-0901 TDD) verifies the need for accommodations and assists in the development of accommodation strategies.

TEXTS: No textbook is required. The reading assignments are on Carmen (at carmen.osu.edu). To succeed in this class—that is, to do well on the exams and quizzes--you will need to print out the readings, mark them up as you read them, and bring them to class on the day they’re assigned. Some of the readings may be a bit theoretical – if you have questions/problems, note those on your reading and bring them to class. As noted in the Class Schedule, some articles also have guiding questions posted on Carmen.

FILMS: Besides the readings, your other prime texts for this course are the films. We’ll screen one short one in class, and the others are available for streaming at . If you have problems accessing the films through this site, please contact Media Services at MediaServices@osu.edu, or call 292-9689. For each streamed film, there will be a movie quiz on the day that it’s due, as shown on the syllabus. The Brave One is not available on the drm.osu.edu – you can “rent” it through – there are also copies available through Netflix or the Columbus Public Library.

FILM VOCABULARY GLOSSARY: Please bookmark the illustrated film glossary at . We will use these terms starting the first day of class and they will be covered in quizzes throughout the semester. These terms will also be covered in tests and your paper. The Internet Movie Database () will be another valuable web resource for this class.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is a critical survey of the representation of women in Hollywood cinema with examples drawn from different historical periods beginning in the silent era. It is designed to introduce students to the complexities and ambiguities of the film medium by showing how film has functioned, historically and aesthetically, in its representations of women and particularly, how the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and class are negotiated in Hollywood films.

GOALS

As a course that fulfills the “Arts and Humanities: Analysis of Texts and Works of Art” GEC requirement, the goals of WGSS 3317 are to help students:

- develop an aesthetic appreciation of Hollywood film in various historical and cultural contexts

- learn how to analyze, interpret, and evaluate film by improving critical visual, listening, reading, and writing skills through the use of feminist film theory

- understand the complexities and ambiguities of film and reflect upon its meanings

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Develop the ability to be more enlightened observers of cinematic texts

2. Understand how gender, race, class, sexuality, and ethnicity intersect and influence visual representation

3. Be able to explain and analyze the aesthetic, historical, cultural, and social relevance of these texts

4. Enhance the ability to think, read, and write critically and analytically through written assignments; class discussions, and lectures

GRADES

Participation – 10%

- This class will be a mix of lecture and discussion. I expect students to come to class ready to discuss the assigned texts and listen to the opinions of classmates. I expect active participation in class but appreciate that not all students choose to speak in class – you may instead post Carmen comments, meet with me during office hours or send an e-mail with your thoughts about the day’s readings.

- Attendance is not optional in this class. We will do collaborative scene analysis and engage in discussion of both films and articles. These elements will all be represented in tests and on your final paper. You cannot make these up by “getting the notes.” You have two “free” absences to be used in cases of appointments, emergencies, and other circumstances. After missing twice, each subsequent absence = a drop of 1/3 a grade per day missed - thus an A could become an A-. If you have extenuating circumstances that will lead you to miss more than the allotted amount of absences, please speak to me. For attendance to count, you must attend the entire class period.

Quizzes – 10%

- You will have brief film quizzes for the ten films you are screening outside of class. I will drop your lowest scoring film quiz. There are also two film vocabulary quizzes that will cover technical terms that film scholars need to know in order to discuss cinema.

Midterm/Final – 25% each

- Each of these tests combines objective questions and short answer questions. These will be discussed in greater detail before they are given.

Paper – 30%

- This will be a thesis-driven essay that compares two films. An in-depth prompt will be given later in the semester.

Plagiarism: As defined by University Rule 3335-31-02, plagiarism is “the representation of another’s works or ideas as one’s own; it includes the unacknowledged word for word use and/or paraphrasing of another person’s work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person’s ideas.”

Plagiarism is one of the most serious offenses that can be committed in an academic community; as such, it is the obligation of this department and its instructors to report all cases of suspected plagiarism to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. After the report is filed, a hearing takes place and if the student is found guilty, the possible punishment ranges from failing the class to suspension or expulsion from the university. Although the existence of the Internet makes it relatively easy to plagiarize, it also makes it even easier for instructors to find evidence of plagiarism. It is obvious to most teachers when a student turns in work that is not his or her own and plagiarism search engines make documenting the offense very simple.

Always cite your sources. Always ask questions before you turn in an assignment if you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism. Always see me if you are having difficulty with an assignment. To preserve the integrity of OSU as an institution of higher learning, to maintain your own integrity, and to avoid jeopardizing your future, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE![1]

CLASS SCHEDULE

**Please note that changes may occur to this schedule as the semester progresses. I retain the right to make changes, but will give you at least 48 hours warning. Those articles marked with ♀♀ have some guiding questions/quick definitions on Carmen in the “Reading Guide” document. **

Aug. 23 Introduction

Aug. 28 In class screening: The Cheat (1915)

Aug. 30 Reading: “The Rape Fantasy” by Gina Marchetti

Sept. 4 Reading: ♀♀ “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” by Laura Mulvey, “The Oppositional Gaze” by bell hooks,

Sept. 6 Reading: Reading: “Women in Film Noir” by Janey Place, excerpt from Hays Code/Production Code

Sept. 11 view Double Indemnity (1944) for class today; Film Quiz One

Sept. 13 Reading: “‘I Love You Too’: Sexual Warfare and Homoeroticism in Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity” by Brian Gallagher, ♀♀ “Femme Fatale: Negotiations of Tragic Desire” by Elizabeth Bronfren

Sept. 18 view Bonnie and Clyde (1967) for class today; Film Quiz Two,

Reading: “The Cultural Phenomenon” by Lester B. Friedman

Sept. 20 Reading: “Erasure and Taboo: A Queer Reading of Bonnie and Clyde” by Liora Moriel

Sept. 25 Reading: “Afro Thunder! Sexual Politics & Gender Inequity in the Liberation Struggles of the Black Militant Woman” by Marquita Smith

view Foxy Brown (1974) for class today; Film Quiz Three

Sept. 27 Reading: “Foxy Brown On My Mind: The Racialized Gender Politics of Representation” by Stephane Dunn, Film Vocab Quiz 1

Oct.2 view Alien (1979) for class today; Film Quiz Four

Oct. 4 Reading: “Horror and the Archaic Mother: Alien” by Barbara Creed

Oct. 9 Reading: ♀♀ “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre and Excess” by Linda Williams, “Only Words” by Catharine MacKinnon

TAKE HOME MIDTERM PASSED OUT

Oct. 11 Clips in class, no reading assigned

Oct. 16 view Fatal Attraction (1987) for class today; Film Quiz Five

MIDTERM DUE

Oct. 18 Reading: “Career Women of the 1980s: Feminism and the Reception History of Fatal Attraction” by Suzanne Leonard

Oct. 23 view Silence of the Lambs (1991) for class today; Film Quiz Six

Reading: “Watching Women Detectives” by Linda Mizejewski

Oct. 25 Readings: “Seeing the Female Body Differently” by Diane DuBois

Film Vocab Quiz 2

Oct. 30 view Set It Off (1996) for class today; Film Quiz Seven

Nov. 1 Reading “Waiting to Set It Off” by Kimberly Springer, “Introduction” (excerpt) by Judith Mayne,

Nov. 6 view Bound (1996) for class today; Film Quiz Eight, Reading: “Bound Together: Lesbian Film That’s Family Fun for Everyone” by Kelly Kessler,

Nov. 8 Reading: ♀♀ “Femme Fatale or Lesbian Femme” by Chris Straayer

Nov. 13 view Girlfight (2000) for class today; Film Quiz Nine

Reading: “Girlfight: boxing women” by Jayne Caudwell

Mini Thesis Workshop in Class

Nov. 15 Reading: ““Hey, Killer”: The Construction of a Macho Latina, or the Perils and Enticements of Girlfight” by Karen R. Tolchin

Class is cancelled November 20th because of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

*Note that there is a film assigned for the Tuesday after break and remember that you are responsible for finding a way to access The Brave One since it is NOT on the drm site for streaming. You may want to read ahead for the 29th*

Nov. 27 view The Brave One (2007) for class today; Film Quiz Ten

Nov. 29 Reading: “From Victim to Vigilante” by Rebecca Stringer, ♀♀ “The Man Inside” by Claire Cisco King

Dec. 4 Continued discussion of The Brave One, course wrap-up, final exam prep

Final papers are due today if you want written feedback, otherwise due at the final

Dec. 12 FINAL EXAM 2-3:45; note change of time! PAPERS DUE

**Extra Credit Opportunity**

- 5 pts towards your midterm: Watch Rebecca (1940) and write a brief essat (2-3 paragraphs) that reviews the plot and show connections between the film and class themes. Paper copy due attached to your midterm.

- 5 pts towards your final exam: Watch Thelma and Louise (1991) or Sucker Punch (2011) and write a brief essay (2-3 paragraphs) that reviews the plot and show connections between the film and class themes. Paper copy due at the final exam.

- You may only do one of these two options. I am less interested in plot summary than I am in seeing that you have made connections between the film and course concepts. You do need to include some plot description so I can see evidence that you watched the film.

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[1] This wording, although slightly different, appears in several Women’s Studies syllabi consulted in the writing of this syllabus.

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