Mamas, Genies, and Witches

For this week's response, I'd like for you to choose one, specific part of either chapter ("Mama Said" or "Genies and Witches") by Douglas to engage with. Any of her ideas are fair game, so pick what interests you. What is she saying? What do you think about what she's saying? Why? Due by Friday at class time.

Women on Television

Next week, when we return to media analysis, we'll be talking about the ways women, particularly on prime time network television shows, have been imaged historically. We'll read Susan Douglas's chapters that deal with this idea during the 50s and 60s, "Mama Said," and "Genies and Witches," but for this response, I'd like for you to pick a show that's on now, and read it for the way it depicts women. You can pick a particular episode, or a few segments from different ones, but you should use specific details from the show to tell us how the show is constructing feminine gender identity. This response is due this Friday, October 24.

Last response before midterm: choose your own adventure

At the close of the first half of the semester, I'd like to give you the opportunity to respond to an idea or a text that you've been thinking about, but maybe we haven't had time in class to cover. You can choose anything from any text, print or visual, or any topic we've touched on in class, just make sure that your idea is focused (don't try to talk about everything; zero in on something particular). You are welcome to draw from multiple texts, or you can focus on just one -- just make sure that you are illustrating your points with specific analysis from the readings or specific examples from the film or shows we've watched. I'd encourage you to start by thinking back over class discussions where you were thinking about saying something but didn't, or things you've noticed outside of class that connect to what we've been talking about. Remember to have a focused point to make or a focused question to raise, and then explore that narrow idea with strong critical thinking.

I'm interested in the ideas that have made you think so far, so I encourage you to find something that has sparked your interest. This response is due by class time on Monday; all hard copies of responses must be turned in by this date to receive a grade before midterm.