Here is the link to this Week's Lecture on Stereotype and Ethics of Representation
Emergency Course Information
By now you are relocated or relocating. We are all sorry the semester has been interrupted, but we clearly see the necessity. This is something we all have to do to keep even more people from dying than are. This is only the beginning and I know this is a big life change for all of you, but the importance of social distancing cannot be overestimated. We need to do this because, in part, we were underprepared to deal with a crisis of this sort. Both locally and nationally. Very few communities have invested in the necessary preparation. Please lead with a better eye to the future when it is your turn.
Here is my plan. I have been thinking about this for a while and I have changed my ideas a lot, but I am settling in this direction: The emphasis in the final weeks of the course will be on reading comics not coming to class to discuss them necessarily. I will shorten some of my lectures and post movie versions of them linked to the course blog. I will try to keep these down to 20 minutes or less. I will ask you to watch them each week, read the reading assignment and write a response on your blog. I am also requiring to comment on at least two other blogs in class with a paragraph or so of comment. Just not a sentence or two. try to discuss around one of the points being made in the post you are commenting on. I will hold a virtual class Zoom session at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday with the idea of going for an hour, although I will book longer. I would appreciate it if you can attend the virtual class but your attendance will be registered on whether or not you read something and post it on your blog. I will be more limited in my reading suggestions to facilitate class discussion so please read one of the required text which I will name in each week's course blog entry. Please consult the course blog. If you are someplace that none of this is reachable, please let me know by email as soon as possible, I will work something out for you so that you can complete the course. We are trying to give you a reasonable experience in directed reading around the subject with some comment by me and a chance to reflect on what you read. I will be reading your blog posts weekly.
You can access the zoom session through canvas, there is now a link at the top of class page and I will send out an invitation on Monday, as well.
For this week's reading please try to read, March, King or American Born Chinese. You just have to read one of these but they are all good. I look forward to talking to as many as can on Tuesday.
Please help us flatten the curve....
Stereotype and Representation
This week we will be discussing the issues of stereotype and representation in the comics. We will review some of Will Eisner's ideas about representation, including his contention that the comics are dependent on the use of stereotype. We will examine a case history of stereotyping in relation to black images in the comics. The suggested reading for this week is March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell. Other possible readings for this week include King by Ho Che Anderson, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, Palestine by Joe Sacco (or anything else by him), Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse. There are a range of options under this week on the Course Resource Page all of them non-fiction comics.
Writing Assignment: What is your opinion about the use of stereotype in comics, animation and gaming narrative? Is stereotyping ultimately a necessary strategy in character design and representation? Do you think you have personally been affected by stereotypical representations?
Here is a background article on Comicsgate.
Creators condemn Comicsgate last August, background story
Here is a very recent and exhaustive study on representation by gender and race in board games.
Read this Comic about Toxic Masculinity by Luke Humphris and watch this short video from the Pop Culture Detective:
What is Toxic Masculinity
Watch This Video: Born Sexy Yesterday
And this Video we Will Watch in Class: Predatory Romance in Harrison Ford Movies
Both of these are from Pop Culture Detective which has a number of you tube videos that explore questionable tropes and toxic masculinity. Among the ones I find especially interesting are
The Fantastic Masculinity of Newt Scamander
The Adorkable Misogyny of the Big Bang Theory
Military Recruitment and Science Fiction Movies
Lighten Up A Short Comic about Skin Color in Comics
Short Interview with Zoe Quinn
Link to Brianna Wu's comment on her involvement with Gamergate
It is recommended that you watch these videos by Anita Sarkeesian under the title Tropes vs. Women in Video Games:
"Damsel in Distress" Part One Part Two Part Three
Ms. Male Character
Women in Refrigerators
The Smurfette Principle
Women as Background Decoration Part One Part Two
Gamergate Overview on Rational Wiki
Link to Dr, Adrienne Keene on appropriation of indigenous religion by J.K. Rowling
Link to Article in Atlantic about issues of stereotyping in classics of Indian Comics
This is the link to the assignment for this week on the course syllabus.
