GWSS

3307: Feminist Film Studies Spring 2016

Th 6.20-8:50 pm // Murphy Hall 130 // University of Minnesota

Course Blog: https://femfilm16.wordpress.com/

Instructor: Mia Fischer
Email: fisch792@umn.edu
Office: Ford Hall 294
Office Hours: Tu/Th 1:15-2.15pm and by appt

TA: Naimah Petigny
Email: petig002@umn.edu
Office: Ford Hall 466
Office Hours: Tu 2.30-4pm

Course Description
In this upper-level film analysis and theory course, we will survey multiple approaches to feminist film
theory and use what we learn to examine films and related media, including Hollywood
"blockbusters," independent films, documentaries, and web series. The course will investigate
constructions of gender and seeks to problematize conventional notions of femininity and
masculinity, while also considering issues of sexuality, race, class, media convergence, and film
aesthetics.

Course Objectives
• Through screenings, course readings, and social media students will trace key concepts and
debates in feminist film theory, criticism, and history considering critical reception, historical
context, and sociopolitical implications of representation.
• Through discussions and writing students discern the relevant social, political, ideological, and
aesthetic differences of the media we examine.
• Students will gain digital literacy skills by actively engaging with social media and producing a
feminist video essay.

CLE Requirements
This course satisfies two CLEs: 1) Arts and Humanities and 2) Diversity/Social Justice.

Course Materials
All Course Readings are on Moodle—bring notes and/or printed copies to class.
Film Screenings—Some of the films and other media will be screened in-class, for out of class
viewings you are responsible to acquire and screen the content. I encourage you to communicate
with other classmates to coordinate screenings. Much of the media for the course is available (at
cost) on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, or Amazon Instant Watch.

Course Content
Please be aware that some of the films that we screen as part of this course may be rated R and NC-
17 by the MPAA for adult language, themes, and sexual content. If you are uncomfortable observing,
responding to, or generally working with this type of material, please contact me early in the term so
we can coordinate a comfortable alternative.

Course Grading
100-93.0% = A 89.99-87.5% = B+ 79.99-77.5% = C+ 69.99-67.5% = D+
92.9-90.0% = A- 87.49-83.0% = B 77.49-73.0% = C 67.49-63.0% = D
82.99-80.0% = B- 72.99-70.0% = C- 62.99-60.0% = D- 59.99% and below = F

The following grading categories make up your total score in the course and are weighted in
percentages, totaling 100%:

Reading Responses (top 10 out of 12) 10% 50Pts 5Pts each
Live-Tweeting 20% 100Pts 7 movies total
Media Example 10% 50Pts
Oppositional Viewing Blog 10% 50Pts
Movie Review Blog 10% 50Pts
Feminist Film Video Essay 30% 150Pts
Participation 10% 50Pts
= Total Points Possible: 500 pts 100%

Final course grades will be assigned according to a student's total scores for all assignments and
activities. For questions regarding University of Minnesota's grading policy:
http://policy.umn.edu/policies/education/education/gradingtranscripts.html

Assignment Descriptions

Reading Responses 10%
Throughout the term, I will hand out writing prompts at the beginning of class that apply to a set of
course readings due for that day, and you will be asked to respond to the prompt in class. These
assignments are meant to help you stay on task with the readings and will require you to think
critically about the course readings as well as to apply them to relevant media examples. Your
responses should be succinct explanations of a basic concept(s) within the readings for a particular
day. If your answer demonstrates accuracy and clear expression, you get all 5 points. Points will be
deducted based as the accuracy and quality of your answer decline. You must complete 10 of these
responses.

Live Tweeting 20%
Twitter Participation 10%
Quality of Tweets (clarity, good summary of material, helping others with material) 10%

For each screening, you will watch and live-tweet your comments. You will live-tweet a total of 7
movies (in- and outside of class) this semester). You will tweet a minimum of 8 times per movie, and
your tweets will include comments on the beginning, middle, and end of the film; an application of
feminist film theory to the film; and replies to classmate tweets (YOU SHOULD READ YOUR PEERS
TWEETS). You may also tweet facts about the film, links to articles, or other commentary beyond the
requirements. All tweets must be completed by noon Thursday before class. Given our class size, you
must submit screenshots of your 8 tweets to Moodle (online text or a single file) as well.

Tweet Guidelines (You should have 8 tweets total)
1 tweet commenting on the beginning of the film
1 tweet commenting on the middle of the film
1 tweet commenting on the end of the film
1 tweet that poses a question to the class
2 tweets that apply a concept or theory from class to the film
2 tweets that COMMENT on your classmates’ tweets about the film.

All tweets are archived under the hashtag #femfilm16

This means you will need a Twitter account for this class. You may use your personal account or
create a new account for this class. I strongly encourage you to create a disposable account if for any
reason you prefer not to share your personal account for classroom activities.

Media Example 10%
During the semester, you will be responsible for posting one media example that helps explain a
theory or concept we will be discussing in class. Please refer to your group’s schedule for individual
due dates. The post is due no later than noon on Thurs before class. Examples will be posted to our
course blog with a short description of a theory or concept from course readings, a relevant quote,
and how the example helps to explain or complicate the concept. File your post under “media
examples” on our course website and use tags that identify the topic and concept.

Oppositional Gaze Blog Post 10%
For this assignment, you will examine your own experience employing the oppositional gaze to
something you’ve viewed. This can include movies or TV, and it can include films we’ve watched in
class or works you’ve watched on your own. However, the focus should be on a single work (film or
TV show episode). You don’t necessarily have to approach this from a gender perspective; you can
approach it from any perspective in which you might view yourself as marginalized: race, sexual
orientation, nationality, economic class, age, ability, etc. That is, chose a work in which you recognize
that a version of you was represented onscreen with problematic elements. Assignment details will
be posted to our course website. Be sure to upload a copy of your post to Moodle.

Movie Review Blog Post 10%
For this assignment, you will watch a film in a local theater and write an analysis about the
experience. Your paper should focus on the film and the public cinema experience (who was there?
how did they interact with the film, with the theater space, with each other?), the space (what was

the building like? what neighborhood is it in?), the economics (how much was your ticket? were you
encouraged to buy food/drinks, and if so, how?), and the collective film watching experience (did you
react differently than if you had watched this film in your own home? did you go with anybody else?
did the audience yell/cry/gasp/jump/walk out at particular moments?). You must incorporate at least
2 course readings. Assignment details will be posted to our course website. Be sure to upload a copy
of your post to Moodle as well.

Feminist Video Essay 30%
For this assignment, you will work in a group to create a 5-7 minute video that identifies an issue
feminism raises for film studies (e.g., a conventional narrative of gender and/or sexuality, the gender
gap in the film industry, women in gaming culture) and analyze and critique this issue, suggest an
alternative, and attempt to prompt the viewer to take action. Assignment details will be posted to
our course website.

Participation 10%
Your participation and attendance grade will be measured by your physical presence in the classroom
and the extent to which you actively participate in an informed manner. This class values group
discussion and the sharing of personal experiences; however, informed participation implies that
your contributions should also demonstrate critical consideration of the assigned readings. In class
assignments such as writing, worksheets, quizzes, and group discussions also inform your
participation grade.

UNIT 1: THEORIES

Week 1 Introduction to Feminist Film Studies
January 21 Feminism, representation, spectator, the gaze, film criticism as an
analytical framework
Readings • Smith, Greg. (2001). “’It’s Just a Movie”: A Teaching Essay for
Introductory Media Classes.” Cinema Journal 41(1), 127-134.
Screenings In class: Miss Representation (Jennifer Siebel Newsom, 2011)
Due Introductory Tweet (your favorite movie and why) and Blog Post (your
experience with feminism and film studies)


Week 2 Tools of Feminist Film Theory
January 28 Male gaze, psychoanalysis, semiotics, ideology, to-be-looked-at-ness,
scopophilia, voyeurism
Readings • McCabe, Janet. (2004). “Structuring a Language of Theory” in Feminist
Film Studies: Writing the Woman Into Cinema, 14-36.
• Mulvey, Laura. (1975). “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Screen
16(3), 6-18.
• Hollinger, Karen. (2012). “Films in Focus: Vertigo.” In Feminist Film
Studies, 20-32.

Screenings Live Tweet: Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) due @noon Thurs
Due Reading Response 1
The Gaze Module (Moodle)


Week 3 Female Spectatorship and Cultural Studies
February 4 Unpacking the relationship between the text, socio-cultural context and
the female spectator.
Readings • McCabe, Janet. (2004). “Textual Negotiations: Female Spectatorship and
Cultural Studies” in Feminist Film Studies: Writing the Woman Into
Cinema, 37-64.
• Gay, Roxane. (2015). “I Wanted to Hug Every Part of Him With My
Mouth: A Magic Mike XXL Recap” The Toast.net
• Boykin, Ebony. (2013). “Hunger Games: Catching Fire: a Small Victory for
Feminist Cinema” RW&G Blog.
• Sakoui, Anousha & Magnusson, Niklas (2012). “‘Hunger Games’ Success
Masks Stubborn Gender Gap in Film.” Bloomberg Business News.
• Kenndey, Channing. (2012). “Why Do Social Justice Nerds Love The
Hunger Games? We Ask 'Em.” Colorlines.
• Holmes, Anna. (2012). “White Until Proven Black: Imagining Race in
Hunger Games.” The New Yorker.
• Critcher, Jessica. (2013). “Hunger Games: Catching Fire Meets Hunger
for Female Representation.”
Screenings In class: clips from the Hunger Games, Magic Mike XXL
Due Reading Response 2
Group 1 & 2 Media Examples


Week 4 Race, Ethnicity, and Post-Colonialism
February 11 African American feminist film studies, postcolonial film studies, the
oppositional gaze
Readings • Hollinger, Karen. (2012). “Feminist Film Studies and Race.” In Feminist
Film Studies, 190-204.
• hooks, bell. (2002). “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators,”
in Black Looks: Race and Representation, 115-131.
• Cartier, Nina. (2014). “Black Women On-Screen as Future Texts” Cinema
Journal, 53(4), 150-157.
• Bayoumi, Moustafa. (2010). “Sects and the City.” New York Times.
Screenings In class: clips from She’s Got to Have It, Sex and the City 2, The Color
Purple, Tyler Perry’s Madea
Due Reading Response 3
Group 3 & 4 Media Examples

Week 5 Queering Theory
February 18 Gay and lesbian film, queer cinema, queer spectatorship
Readings • Benshoff, Harry and Sean Griffin (2004). “Introduction,” in Queer
Cinema: The Film Reader, 1-15.
• Doty, Alexander. (1993) “There’s Something Queer Here” in Making
Things Perfectly Queer, 1-16.
• Hollinger, Karen. (2012). "Films in Focus: Fire" in Feminist Film Studies,
215-227.
Screenings Live Tweet: Fire (Deepa Mehta, 1996) [Available on YouTube]
In class: Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (Lisa Ades & Lesli Klainberg,
2006)
Due Reading Response 4
Oppositional Analysis Blog Post


Week 6 Postfeminist Media Culture
February 25 Neoliberalism, individualism, consumption, sexualization, body image,
choice, empowerment.
Readings • Gill, Rosalind. (2007). “Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of a
Sensibility,” European Journal of Cultural Studies, 10(2).
• McRobbie, Angela. (2009). “Post-Feminism and Popular Culture: Bridget
Jones and The New Gender Regime.” In The Aftermath of Feminism.
• Radner, Hillary. (2011). “Legally Blonde: ‘A Pink Girl in a Brown World,”
in Neo-Feminist Cinema: Girly Films, Chick Flicks and Consumer Culture,
62-81.
Screenings Live Tweet: Legally Blonde (Robert Luketic, 2001)
In class: iMovieTutorial with Lars Mackenzie
Due Reading Response 5
Group 5 Media Examples


UNIT 2: FORM & GENRE

Week 7 Current Representational Trends: Transgender Visibility
March 3 Transgender representations, the politics of visibility, low-budget
productions
Readings • Cavalcante, Andre (2013). “Centering Transgender Identity via the
Textual Periphery: TransAmerica and the ‘Double Work’ of Paratexts.”
Critical Studies in Media Communication 30(2), 85-101.
• Ford, Zack. (2015). “How ‘The Danish Girl’ Will Open New Doors For The
Transgender Community.” ThinkProgress.org

• Casey Newton, Casey. (2015). “Tangerine: How one of the best films at
Sundance was shot using an iPhone 5S.” The Verge.
• NPR (2015). “A Downtrodden LA Corner Inspires Comedy And Friendship
In 'Tangerine.'”
Screenings Live Tweet: Tangerine (Sean S. Baker, 2015).
Due Reading Response 6
Group 6 Media Examples
Feminist Video Essay: Media Object Choice and Justification

Week 8 Comedic Masculinity
March 10 Masculinity, bromance, homosociality, friendship, comedy
Readings • Hansen-Miller, David and Rosalind Gill. (2011). “’Lad Flicks’: Discursive
Reconstructions of Masculinity in Popular Film,” in Hilary Radner and
Rebecca Stringer (eds.) Feminism at the Movies.
• Alberti, John. (2013). “I Love You, Man”: Bromances, the Construction of
Masculinity, and the Continuing Evolution of the Romantic Comedy,”
Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 30 (2), 159-172.
Screenings In class: Judd Apatow film (TBD)
Due Reading Response 7
Group 7 & 8 Media Examples

March 17 *** SPRING BREAK *** NO CLASS

Week 9 Porn Culture
March 24 Gendered pleasure, power, sex, hard-core, money shot, fetishism.
Readings • Annabelle Mooney. (2008) “Boys Will Be Boys: Men’s Magazines and
the Normalization of Pornography.” Feminist Media Studies 8(3): 247-
265.
• On the Media “Playboy Covers Up” (Oct 2015) [Podcast]
• Green, Emma. (2015). “Consent isn’t enough: The Troubling Sex of Fifty
Shades.” The Atlantic.
• Scott, Catherine. (2015). “Does Kinkphobia Color Criticism of Fifty
Shades of Grey?” Bitch Media
• On the Media: “Far more than Fifty” (Feb. 2015) [Podcast]
Screenings Live Tweet: Fifty Shades of Grey (Sam Taylor-Johnson, 2015).
Due Reading Response 8
Group 9 Media Examples
Feminist Video Essay: Proposal

Week 10 Horror and the Body

March 31 Horror, abjection, excess, slasher film, the final girl.
Readings • Williams, Linda. (1984). “When the Woman Looks,” in Grant, B.K. (ed.),
The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film, 61-66.
• Clover, Carol. “Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film.” In Men,
Women and Chain Saws.
Screenings Live Tweet: Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, 2012)
Due Reading Response 9
Group 10 Media Examples


Week 11 Terrorism
April 7 Orientalism, the imperial gaze, terrorist Others, patriotism, US imperialism

Readings • Hasian Jr., Marouf A. (2014). “Military Orientalism at the Cineplex: A

Postcolonial Reading of Zero Dark Thirty.” Critical Studies in Media
Communication, 31(5), 464-478.
• Puar, Jasbir K. & Rai, Amit (2002). “Monster, Terrorist, Fag: The War on
Terror and the Production of Docile Patriots.” Social Text 20(3), 117-148.
Screenings In class: Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow, 2012).
Due Reading Response 10
Empire Module (Moodle)
Feminist Video Essay Rough Draft


UNIT 3: FILM INDUSTRY

Week 12 Women in Hollywood
April 14 Political economy of media, women directors, auteur theory
Readings • Wasko, Janet & Meehan, Eileen R. (2013). “Political Economy and New
Approaches to Studying Media Industries.” Cinema Journal, 52(3), 150-
157.
• Dargis, Manohla (2014). “Making History With ‘Selma,’ Ava DuVernay
Seeks a Different Equality.” New York Times.
• Dargis, Manohla (2014). “In Hollywood, It’s a Men’s, Men’s, Men’s
World.” New York Times.
Screenings Live Tweet: Selma (Ava DuVernay, 2014)
Due Group 11 Media Examples
Feminist Movie Review Blog Post

UNIT 4: NEW MEDIA

Week 13 Media Convergence
April 21 Convergence culture, viral marketing, multimedia platforms, synergies

Readings • Jenkins, Henry. (2006). “Introduction” and “Conclusion,” in Convergence

Culture, NYU Press.
• Driscoll, Catherine and Melissa Gregg. (2011). “Convergence Culture and
the Legacy of Feminist Cultural Studies,” Cultural Studies, 25:4-5, 566-584.
• Goel, Vindu (2015). “Bollywood and U.S. Media Giants Try to Induce
Indians to Pay for Video” New York Times.
Due Reading Response 11
Group 12 Media Examples
Self Critique of Feminist Video Essay Draft (emailed to me & your group)
Peer Review of Feminist Video Essay Draft (emailed to me & the group you
reviewed)


Week 14 Cross-Platform Branding
April 28 Comics, gaming, brand culture, social media, fandom
Readings • Johnson, Derek (2012). “Cinematic Destiny: Marvel Studios and the Trade
Stories of Industrial Convergence.” Cinema Journal 52(1), 1-24.
• Condis, Megan (2015). “No homosexuals in Star Wars? BioWare, ‘Gamer’
Identity, and the Politics of Privilege in a Convergence Culture.”
Convergence 21(2), 198-212.
• Greenberg, Julia (2015). “How Disney Is Making Sure You’ll Never Be Able
to Escape Star Wars.” Wired.com
Due Reading Response 12
Group 13 Media Examples


Week 15 Final Presentations
May 5
Screenings Feminist Video Essays!

Due Feminist Video Essay: Posted to YouTube and emailed to me by noon.

** PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY AND THOUGHTFULLY **

Classroom and University Policies

Technology
As you can see, we will be using technology quite a bit in this class. At the end of the semester, you
will have learned how to use several new digital software programs: how to play with them, tinker
around with them, figure out how they work, discern what they can let you and others do, and how
to decide out which ones might be useful (or not) for specific tasks you want to complete. In
essence, the point isn’t how to use WordPress or Twitter (although these are useful skills for a wide
variety of careers), but rather how to train yourself to approach ANY new technological task, whether
that is your boss requiring you to learn a new data entry program for the project you’re working on,
your co-workers asking you to use meeting scheduling software, or your activist comrades listing
events on an online calendar. This ability to learn new technologies–regardless of what those
individual technologies are–is a skill that all of you will find useful.

Accessibility:
• Various types of technology are differently accessible to people due to bodily, economic, and
regional differences. I have tried to make all the technologies used in this class accessible to
screen reader software and keyboard navigation for people with disabilities. However, if
something is not accessible to you due to disability reasons, please let me know. I will work
with you to remedy the situation and ensure that all students–with an array of embodiments–
can participate fully in the course.
• UMN has several campus computer labs that students can use. Therefore, you do not need a
home computer to participate in this course. You are welcome (and encouraged) to use your
own computer if you have one, but if you do not you can always complete and submit
assignments, print out readings, check email, post to Twitter and WordPress, and conduct
research in the university computing labs.

Gadgets in Class:
• Laptops and tablets may be used in class for taking notes and accessing course materials
ONLY.
• Turn off cell phones and personal electronic devices during class.


Tech problems:
• Computers die, wireless internet goes down, printers run out of ink, at times you’ll have
problems with WordPress or Twitter, and you will leave stuff on the bus/train/plane/car.
These are facts of life, not emergencies.
• Technology problems will not be accepted as excuses for unfinished work.
• To avoid having any of these things ruin your life back up your work early and often and start
assignments early.

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Academic Honesty & Plagiarism

All work you submit for this class–whether on the course blog, Twitter, in email, or in class
discussion–should be your own. Plagiarism is the representation of someone else’s ideas,
quotations, or research as your own. It is a form of theft. Examples of plagiarism: buying a paper
written by someone else, quoting or summarizing an author’s argument without correctly citing
them, using ideas found on websites for your assignments without correctly citing them, “borrowing”
a classmate’s ideas for your own writing without attribution, and using your own papers for more
than one class without explicit consent of all instructors (yes, you can plagiarize yourself).
PLAGIARISM IS NOT TOLERATED AND WILL CONSTITUTE AN IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF THE
ASSIGNMENT AND THE COURSE. Instances of plagiarism and/or cheating will be reported to the
Office of Student Conduct at my discretion. For more info see:
http://advisingtools.class.umn.edu/cgep/studentconduct.html

All assignments must enclose directly quoted material inside quotation marks, include in-text
parenthetical citations for all material drawn from another source (including direct quotations,
summaries, and paraphrased material), and include a works cited list. For a more detailed
explanation of how to cite sources properly, see the “How to Cite Sources” on our Moodle site.

Attendance
Students are expected to attend each class meeting. However, extenuating circumstances do
sometimes arise. Therefore, each student is allowed one (1) absence. You do not need to provide
documentation for this absence. Absences that exceed this amount will be penalized by 5 points off
the final letter grade for each additional absence. If subsequent absences are due to extenuating
circumstances that are documentable emergencies, exceptions may be made to this policy on a case-
by-case basis. Attending class means arriving to class on time and staying for the whole class. If you
are late for class or leave early, you will be counted as absent. It is your responsibility to talk with a
peer about what you miss during class.

Contesting a Grade
If you feel you deserved a grade other than what you have received, you may contact me either in
person or in writing. You should include evidence of why you think you deserve a different grade,
including your instructor’s evaluation and arguments supported by warranted reasoning. Petitions for
a grade change should be received no later than one week after you have received your grade.

Correspondence
Email will be a primary mode of communication between us outside of class, so you are responsible
for checking your email regularly during the course. I will respond to emails sent Monday- Friday
within 36 hours of receiving them. Emails sent after 5PM on Friday will not be returned until 9AM on
Monday.

Harassment
Sexual Harassment will not be tolerated in this class. In addition, racist, sexist, homophobic or other
offensive language will not be tolerated.
See http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/humanresources/SexHarassment.pdf

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Late Policy
No late work will be accepted for a grade unless we have discussed and arranged for special
circumstances in advance. You are expected to complete all assignments on time. I expect all written
assignments to be completed professionally and neatly. Your grade will be reduced if you display a
lack of attention to neatness or correct formatting, spelling, and punctuation. Don’t just use spell-
check. PROOF RED REED READ!

Learning Enhancement/ Student Academic Responsibility
I encourage voluntary conferences with me over course materials and/or assignments. I will be happy
to look over drafts prior to due dates and/or to answer questions or provide clarification. If there is
any ambiguity in your understanding of a particular assignment, it is your responsibility to ask for
clarification and assistance prior to the due date. This is a college classroom- students are expected to
submit college-level work and take initiative in their own learning. The most successful students in
this class will think broadly about the assignments, ask for help, complete the readings, contribute to
class discussions and demonstrate a solid grasp of language and composition in assignments. In
addition to my support and assistance this quarter, I recommend the following services offered
through U of M as a means to enhance your learning and academic performance:

CENTER FOR WRITING
10 Nicholson Hall, 216 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Email: writing@umn.edu Phone: 612.626.7579 Website:
http://writing.umn.edu/index.htm
*Offers all students free, individualized writing instruction, both face-to-face and online.

Special Needs Policy
If you have any special needs (e.g., visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment,
communication disorder, and/or specific learning disability) that may influence your performance in
this course, you should register with the Student Disability Services to arrange for accommodations to
ensure an equitable opportunity to meet all the requirements of this course. If you require
accommodations due to disability, please contact DS at (612) 626-1333, http://ds.umn.edu, 180
McNamara Alumni Center. Please discuss any special accommodations AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to
ensure your needs are discussed, agreed upon, and provided.
The above is the official policy about needs-based accommodations on campus. I understand, though,
that not all diverse needs for accommodation fall under the rubric of traditional “disabilities.” If you
need special accommodations to help you succeed in this course, please see me so that we can
determine what your needs are and how I can help you meet them.

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