TITLE:  RECYCLED CULTURE
MWF 10:10-11:00 KH010
This course explores the widely-held myth that a primary characteristic
of late-twentieth-century American popular culture is its indebtedness
to the past.  We will explore this idea in several different contexts,
both by reading others' interpretations of popular culture and by
writing our own analyses.  What are the aesthetic and/or ethical
implications of "recycling" ideas, ideologies -- even our identities?
How do notions of originality and individualism function in contemporary
American life?  We will pay close attention to entertainment media
(including television, music and film), news media, politics and
government, consumer culture and other sources of information in order
to gather "evidence" with which to consider both the validity and
usefulness of the notion that ours is a "recycled culture."