(3 cr. hrs.)

MW 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

This course offers an introduction to American studies through three
uniquely American disasters: the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Hurricane
Katrina and its aftermath, and the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.
The goal of this class is not to review the titillations and
tragedies of these events, but to observe, from the distance of
scholarship, just what they say about us.  What sort of nation, what
sort of citizenry, constructs these events as headlines,
documentaries, and late-night comic monologues?  Through the
analysis of trial footage, congressional investigations, and public
opinion, we will explore the spectacle and violence, race and
gender, of American infamy.