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.
Heller = Catch-22 by Joseph
Heller
Zupancic = The Odd One In by
Alenka Zupancic
Stott = Comedy by Andrew Stott
Stott = Comedy by Andrew Stott
M August 22
W 24: Introduction.
Other activities: Buy Catch-22 and start reading ahead (it is
a long book and we will attempt to finish it by week six).
F 26: Watch:
Monty Python, Argument
Clinic sketch.
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 29: Read: Stott, Introduction and Chapter 1
W 31: Read: Hutcheson’s “Thoughts on Laughter”
Other activities: Write a blog post on
which account we have read so far 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 Sep. 2: Read: Freud, Humour
·
Zupancic, Introduction
Week
3 – A Lazy and Stupid Labor Day
M 5: Labor Day. No Class
W
7: Read: Zupancic, 63-86
Other
activities: Post first response to lead blogger’s post and readings
by Wednesday’s class.
F 9: Read
Catch, 8-60
Bring rough draft for peer editing.
Week
4 – Comedy and Politics: Or, Is Conservatism Really a Kind of Comedy?
M
12: Read Zupancic, 13-40
Watch The Big Lebowski (On Netflix
Streaming)
F 16: Read
Catch, 60-103
Bring in rough draft for peer editing.
Week
5 – Comedy and Satire
M 19: Read Stott, Chapter 7
F 23: Paper 1 due.
Week
6 – Irony and Satire
M 26: Read Zupancic, 89-107
W 28: Read:
The Irony of Satire (Moodle).
F 30: R
Bring
rough draft for peer editing.
Week
7 – Genres of Comedy – From Satire to Slapstick and Back
M Oct. 3: Watch Chaplin, The Great Dictator.
Read:
Zupancic, 43-60
F 7: Read: Catch 164 - 206
Bring
rough draft for peer editing.
Week
8 – Genres of Comedy – From Silly To Gross
M 10: Read: Stott, Chapter 3
F 14: Read
Catch 206 - 266
Paper 2 due. Writing workshop or
library day.
Week
9 – Genres of Comedy – From Gross to Absurd
M 17: Fall
break. No Class.
Read
Zupancic, 201-217
F 21: Read Catch 266-329
Bring rough draft of paper 3.
Week
10 – From Absurd to Dark
M 24: Read Rochester, A Satyr.
W 26: Watch Twin
Peaks (on Netflix and Hulu - watch episode one (pilot) and, if time, episode 2)
F 28: Read Catch, 329-376
Bring rough draft of paper 3.
Week
11 – From Dark to Anxious and Existential
M 31: Watch Annie
Hall.
Read Stott, Chapter
4
W Nov. 2: Watch Inside Amy Schumer and Inside Amy Schumer
F 4: Read Catch 376-420
Paper
3 due. Possible library day or writing workshop.
Week
12 – From Existential to Political
M 7: Read Stott, Chapter 5
F 11: Read Catch, 420-end
Possible
writing workshop or library day.
Week
13 – Farting around before break
M 14: Watch:
South Park: The Movie
W 16: Read: TheBenefits of Farting
F 18: Read Zupancic, 111-129
Possible
Writing workshop
Week
14 – Giving Thanks
M 21: Clip show/Student Choice Awards
W 23: Thanksgiving
break. No class
F 25: Thanksgiving
break. No class
Week
15 – Almost there
M 28: Writing workshop.
W 30: Bring in rough draft.
F Dec. 2: Bring in rough draft.
Week
16 - Finish
M 5: Last class.
W 7: Study day.
F 9: Final exams.
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