Kitsch as a Political and Ethical Tool in Contemporary Media
By focusing on the idea of "kitsch" as defined in the mid-20th century by artist and thinker Hermann Broch, in addition to its various iterations in contemporary vernacular English, this class will lead students to develop argumentative, interpretive, and expressive writing skills to engage critical thinking about images and narratives in media including film art, popular entertainment culture, political spin, and corporate marketing. Examples to be covered are: Pier Paolo Pasolini's notorious Salò, Dave Chappelle, Rachel Dolezal, the commercial failure of Space Jam: A New Legacy, the commercial success of Cardi B's and Megan Thee Stallion's "WAP," and Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal.