Department of English

This course is a survey of theoretical approaches to understanding film and media and their effects on audiences. We will consider a variety of approaches stretching from structural theories of media domination to anthropological analyses of audiences and fan cultures. How does the media build communities and identities? How is media actually consumed by different audiences? To what extent does the medium (film, TV, the internet) control or shape the message? We will use theoretical readings to help understand a variety of texts from the Hollywood musical to CNN to Ebay.