Monday, August 31, 2015

The endless possibilities of blogging

For your blog posts, feel free to follow your interests and passions, even if you see only a tenuous connection to some of the main topics we have discussed so far. All I ask is that the blog posts draw our attention to a piece of writing, a clip, a news article, or even an excerpt from a novel or other longer work, and provide your take on that: why is it significant? What makes it meaningful for you? What do you want others to understand about it? Feel free to interpret comedy in the broadest possible sense: you can blog about not only things that are intentionally meant to be funny, but things that are unintentionally funny, or anything else that presents an interesting incongruity, unexpected detail, or surprising feature that is worth comment.

I'm always a bit hesitant to provide models, because there's no set formula for writing these posts. The following are just some examples of different things you could do, and you should feel free to ignore them if they are not interesting or appealing, for they are not at all the only way of approaching the subject.



Here is an example of a fun post on a very dry topic--typography--that nonetheless points out the unexpected beauties of a classic film (not exactly comedy, but incongruous or unexpected beauty, shall we say).

This post is a smart and silly critique of the unintentional comedy and inanities of popular culture.

Here's an example of a music review of an old album of an old band from my hometown that more or less became The Shins. It's not exactly an analysis of something comedic, but it is an insightful review that points out some interesting and unexpected details in its own way.

Of course, best and worst lists can always be a fun way to do a blog post.

You can go with something light and silly on college life or other close-to-home topics. Hey, it may seem a bit informal, but it actually does a very nice job of closely analyzing the language in the emails, albeit in a goofy way.

And of course, you can always try to elevate the dialogue when it comes to current events.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Lead blogger sign up sheet for 11:30 course (FYW 1213-02)

Lead blogger sign up sheet for 11:30 course, with links to blogs

Post the week you want, along with the address of your blog, in the comments, or email it to me. Spots are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lead blog posts are due the Friday of the week before we discuss them.

September 4: Mary (https://mtomorrow.wordpress.com)

Sept. 11: (Sarah http://quirkofsarah.wordpress.com)

Sep. 18: Kirby (http://kirbyq.wordpress.com)

Sep. 25: Phebe (http://phebehuth.wordpress.com

October 2: Madeline (http://madelineeast.wordpress.com

Oct. 9: Jessica (fulaughs.blogspot.com)

Oct. 16:KK (Comedykkfyw.blogspot.com

Oct. 23: Keyu (http://keyuwu.blogspot.com)

Oct. 30: Elizabeth (elizabethfyw.blogspot.com

November 6: Alex (http://princesszeldastea.tumblr.com

Nov. 13: Chad (http://chadtalksaboutfunnythings.blogspot.com)

Nov. 20 (discussion takes place after break): Noah (http://dubiousdude.blogspot.com)



Lead blogger sign up sheet for 10:30 AM course (FYW 1213-01)

Lead blogger sign up sheet for 10:30 course

Post the week you want, along with the address of your blog, in the comments, or email it to me. Spots are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lead blog posts are due the Friday of the week before we discuss them.

September 4: Parker (https://parkerfyw.wordpress.com/)

Sept. 11: Nick (http://nickkuninblog.wordpress.com)

Sep. 18: Charlotte (http://chuckleswithchar.wordpress.com)

Sep. 25: Whit (http://notsodrywhit.wordpress.com)

October 2: Kirsten (http://livetolaughkm.wordpress.com)

Oct. 9: Emma (http://emmacomedyfyw.blogspot.com)

Oct. 16: Katty (http://kattyscomedyblog.blogspot.com/)

Oct. 23: Sara (http://tianjiaoli.blogspot.com)

Oct. 30: Cawood (cawoodblog.wordpress.com)

November 6: Kendall (http://kendallsthoughtsblog.wordpress.com)

Nov. 13: Connor (http://comedyblogfyw.wordpress.com)

Nov. 20 (discussion takes place after break): Ahmal (amalmomani.blogspot.com)


Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Welcome! Here is our official course schedule, updated in real time as needed.

Note: After the first few weeks, the assignment for each Wednesday also includes reading and responding to the lead blogger, and the assignment for each Friday includes reading and commenting on your peers’ blogs. From time to time I may move readings around or replace them to more closely coincide with the class’s current interests. Watch the blog for these updates.
From time to time I may announce changes in the course schedule.Although I will try to post an updated version of the syllabus online as quickly as possible, you are responsible for all changes announced in class.
Confederacy = A Confederacy of Dunces
Course schedule:
Week 1: Introductions
M August 24

W 26: Introduction.

Other activities: Buy A Confederacy of Dunces and start reading ahead (it is a long book and we will attempt to finish it by week six).



Other activities: Start blog, email me the link, and select a date to serve as lead blogger. Post your first blog entry on the best piece of comedy you’ve seen recently (post the link or describe it), and whether you feel the reading helps you understand the work or its ideas.

Week 2 – Superiority, Incongruity, Relief: Theories of the Comic
M 31: Read:   This description of Hobbes


W Sept. 2: Read: Finish Hutcheson, “Thoughts on Laughter.”
·         Read Zupancic.

Other activities: Write a blog post on which theory of comedy you find most persuasive, and use another example of comedy to illustrate your claims. Do the theories just describe different types of comedy, or does one get closer to the essence (and why aren’t all examples of incongruity, superiority, or relief funny?)

F 5:      Read:   Freud, “Creative Writers” (Skim Frye).
·      Smith (Part 4, “Of the Effect of Utility,” read ch. 1 and skim ch. 2).

Week 3 – Idiots and Dunces
M 7:    Labor Day. No Class

W 9:    Watch: Idiocracy (Also on Netflix mail and other streaming services).

·      Confederacy, Intro, pp. 1-27.

Other activities: Post first response to lead blogger’s post and readings by Wednesday’s class.

F 11:    Read Confederacy, pp. 27-58.

Bring some ideas for possible paper topics.

Week 4 – Dunces cont’d
M 14: Read:   Confederacy, pp. 58-104.

W 16: Read: Confederacy, pp. 104-152.

F 18:    Read: Confederacy, pp. 152-207.

Bring in rough draft for peer editing.

Week 5 – Dunces, cont’d
M 21:  Read: Confederacy, pp. 207-235 (through ch. 9)

W 23: Read: Confederacy, pp. 235-261 (through ch. 10)

F 25:    Read Confederacy, pp. 261-303 (through ch. 11)

Paper 1 due. Library day or writing workshop.

Week 6 – Genres of Comedy - Satire
M 28: Read Confederacy, pp. 303-336 (through ch. 12)

·      Read Confederacy, pp. 336-377 (through ch. 13)

F Oct. 2: Read Swift, A Modest Proposal
·      Finish Confederacy (through ch. 14)

Bring rough draft for peer editing.
                       

Week 7 – Genres of Comedy – From Satire to Slapstick and Back
M 5: Watch Chaplin, The Great Dictator (On Hulu - Or You Tube copy here)

W 7:    Read: The Onion

Watch Mr. Bean.


Bring rough draft for peer editing.

Week 8 – Genres of Comedy – From Silly To Gross
M 12: Fall break. No Class.


F 16:    Watch: South Park, Mr. Hankey.

Read: The Onion

Paper 2 due. Writing workshop or library day.

Week 9 – Genres of Comedy – From Gross to Absurd
M 19: Read: Rochester, Signior Dildo.

W 21: Watch Mr. Show

F 23: Read Zizek.

Bring rough draft of paper 3.

Week 10 – From Absurd to Dark
M 26: Read Rochester, A Satyr.

W 28: Watch Twin Peaks (Watch season 1 episodes 1 and 3 - but hey, might as well watch 2 also, no? On Hulu and Netflix)

F 30: Read: Andre Breton and Claude Rawson.

Bring rough draft of paper 3.

Week 11 – From Dark to Anxious and Existential
M Nov. 2: Watch Annie Hall (On reserve in library, or rent or buy on Amazon or Google Play)

W 4: Read Kierkegaard (through to end of preview, p. 18) and this brief reflection on his work.

F 6: Paper 3 due. Possible library day or writing workshop.

Week 12 – From Existential to Political
M 9: Watch: To Be or Not To Be (1942 version - watch here on You Tube or rent online)

W 11: Watch: Mr. Show

F 13: Read Melville, “Bartleby the Scrivener."

Possible writing workshop or library day.

Week 13 – Farting around
M 16: Watch: Team America: World Police (on Netflix, HuluPlus, and YouTube)


Possible Writing workshop

Week 14 – Giving Thanks
M 23: Clip show/Student Choice Awards

W 25: Thanksgiving break. No class

F 27: Thanksgiving break. No class

Week 15 – Almost there
M 30: Writing workshop.

W Dec. 2: Bring in rough draft.

F 4: Bring in rough draft.

Week 16 - Finish
M 7: Last class.

W 9: Study day.

F 11: Final exams.