TOPIC:  GETTING REAL:  CONSTRUCTING REALITY IN POPULAR CULTURE

A cursory glance at the TV GUIDE or any movie theater marquee will
reveal our infatuation with "real life" and the intersection of
entertainment and reality.  From "Cops" and "Real TV" to "The Blair
Witch Project" and "The Matrix," American popular culture is obsessed
with the "real."  The critical aim of this W170 is to respond to this
cultural fascination by examining the nature and significance of
"reality" and popular media attempts at closer and closer
approximations of life as it "really" occurs.  We will begin the
course with a historical overview of theories of the "real" from Plato
to Roland Barthes.  Next, we will move on to examine some formal
components of media "reality" and its specific locations in popular
culture.  We will end by considering some theoretical problems
inherent in representing "reality" and in the intersection of
entertainment and reality.

In conjunction with our critical aims, mastering analytical reading,
writing and research skills will make up a major portion of the class.
Students will be required to write four major essays, a series of
shorter written exercises, employ library research skills, and prepare
for and participate regularly in classroom discussion.