CAST 212 - Queer(ing) Media

FC SSCI CD

4 credits
The relationship between queerness and media has a long and complicated history and persists today in the realms of media production, consumption, and subversion. In this class, we will explore the ways queerness has or has not appeared in media–from movies to television shows to TikTok–examining the history of Hollywood anti-homosexuality codes, to what TIME magazine called “the transgender tipping point,” to contemporary independent queer media makers. We will also interrogate the limits of representational politics: Are more LGBTQ movies, shows, and social media stars helping or hindering the fight for queer liberation? Do we shape media or does media shape us? What power does counter-hegemonic representation have in the current corporate media landscape? Additionally, we will discuss how to do “queer readings” of different media texts, looking to queer theory, feminist media studies, and critical race theory for tools to become more critical consumers of media. Though it will not be required, there will be opportunities to create digital media projects (such as video essays) in place of traditional papers.

This course is cross-listed with GSFS-212