LFU:online

Department of American Studies Department of American Studies

Mag. Mag. Dr. Cornelia Klecker Mag. Mag. Dr. Cornelia Klecker, +43 512 507 41614

610011

Discourse/Identity: American Cultures: TV Is the New Cinema: How Television’s Quality Has (Arguably) Trumped That of Film and Reflects American Culture

PS 2

5

weekly

each semester

English

The aim of this course is to familiarize students with various concepts of American culture by closely analyzing popular television shows.

"It’s not TV, it’s HBO." With this slogan, the premium cable channel (Home Box Office) proclaimed its superiority to ‘regular’ television and its near-equality to film. As A. O. Scott recently explained in _The New York Times_, "the traditional relationship between film and television has reversed, as American movies have become conservative and cautious, while scripted series, on both broadcast networks and cable, are often more daring, topical and willing to risk giving offense." This topicality makes television particularly apt to discuss aspects of American culture. Various issues relevant to American society will be explored by looking at selected television series accompanied with appropriate theoretical texts. Topics and series discussed include (but are not limited to): "The American 60s Revisited in _Mad Men_," "The New Cool of ‘Nerdism’ in _The Big Bang Theory_," and "Empathy for the Serial Killer in _Dexter_."

Lecture inputs, presentations, group discussions

Active class participation, student presentations, reading and writing assignments, term paper

Course materials and selected primary and secondary sources will be posted on OLAT