Poli 311 w-it Fall 2009 Ford 201 1250-220pm TTh

Writing Political Humor

Prof. Sammy Basu Office: Smullin 317 Hours:  TTH 9-1100am TTH or by appointment. sbasu@willamette.edu

Warning, Warning, Warning,

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course explores the perils and possibilities involved in writing political humor. It surveys selectively the history of political humor from Homer to Homer Simpson, from the Athenian Old Comedy of Aristophanes to contemporary political films and cartoons. Of particular interest is the shifting relationship between humorous discourse and the viability of democratic institutions, culture, and cognitive practices. Students will write political humor of their own in a variety of genres and ‘publish’ these writings on-line.

Prerequisite: two Politics classes; closed to first-years

	COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1.	To study political humor in various historical modes and literary genres.
2.	To interpret the constraints and opportunities faced by different political positions and ideological perspectives in their use of humor.
3.	To cultivate and write humorous political discourse of one’s own.
4.	To use information technologies and digital video for research and presentation purposes

	COURSE EVALUATION COMPONENTS:
(5%)	Introductory quiz on humor, political theory and democratic theory
(50%)	Writing assignments
(10%)	Web page design and maintenance (all writing assignments must be posted online)
(20%)	Class participation informed by scheduled reading (seat time is not participation)
(15%)	Cumulative Final Exam
	All components must be passed to pass the course. Late penalties will be assigned. If you believe that you may have a disability requiring accommodation, please contact Disability Services, Baxter Hall, Phone: (503) 370-6471, (TT) (503) 375-5383. Retroactive accommodation will not be possible.

	TEXTS:
Simon Critchley, On Humour (2002)	Aristophanes, Lysistrata (5^th BCE)	Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works (1729)	Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary (1790s)	Lewis, C.S., The Screwtape Letters (1942)	Lalo Alcaraz, Migra Mouse (2004) On reserve

Unless otherwise indicated all books above are available at the WU bookstore. If you buy elsewhere please ensure that you obtain the same edition. All other secondary readings will be accessible online through the course web-page and/or on electronic reserve.

	SCHEDULE
DATE	SUBJECT
T (1 Sept)	Introduction Warning Do not take this course, no really. Humor Today - Political humor (About.com) - Laugh lines (NYT) “Can We Laugh? Yes, We Can” (NYT 11/18/08) Obama, “Funny How?” (NYT 8/6/09)

Analyzing Examples

Th (3 Sept)	Examples again, Theories of Humor , Vocabulary, Laughter
	Read: Critchley, On Humor, pp.1-9.
	How to be funny (NYT 11/12/06)

T (8 Sept)	Political Theory, Democracy, Deliberation, Discourse,
	Read: Jurgen Habermas. 1996. "Three Normative Models of Democracy," in Democracy and Difference. Ed. S Benhabib. Princeton: Princeton UP, pp.21-30 on reserve
	J.C. Meyer.  2000. "Humor as a double-edged sword: four functions of humor in communication." Communication Theory, 10, 3, 310-331. On reserve
	Critchley, On Humor, pp.9-22.

Th (10 Sept)

QUIZ Cartoon caption alternatives

T (15 Sept)	Writing and writing checklist New Yorker cartoon caption contest Robert Mankoff’s New Yorker Cartoon Taxonomy
	Webpages, WITS web-page making

Last Day to Add/Drop

	Aristophanes. 2003 [5^th BCE]. Lysistrata. Violence and Gender Justice
Th (17 Sept)	Old Comedy, History of Theater - From Satyr Play to Comedy (10 min) Background, Theatre UAF production of Lysistrata directed by Thomas Riccio (2002, Eng) Omniprop production (Aus) Trailer de la película Lisistrata (2006, Sp film) Ending of theatral piece Lisistrata, by I POLIEDRICI, Urbino. (2006, It)
	PBS doco on Lys
	Lysistrata Staging for PBS
	Lysistrata: Female Power & Democracy
	Lysistrata Staging - men learn to fight women
	How the Lysistrata Phallus Works in UAF
	"Dick" and "Jane" in Lysistrata at UAF 2002
	Lysistrata d'Aristophane à Épidaure.
	“Where Is Lysistrata Now That We Need Her?” Judith Hicks Stiehm (1/23/2008)
	Lysistrata Project site
	Operation Lysistrata
	Bushwhacked (2004)
	‘why women aren’t funny’ (2007)
	Aristophanes by Bretton Hall School of Dance and Theatre, UK (opening 3.30 minutes)
	Read:
	Aristophanes, entire
On A	Discuss Lysistrata Q on Aristophanes
	Lysistrata Staging - women swear off men
	Lysistrata Canada Fringe 2009
	Lysistrata – City Lights Theatre
	Lysistrata - Swear to Abstain From Sex! in UAF
	Aristophanes by Bretton Hall School of Dance and Theatre, UK (latter 4 minutes)
Th (24 Sept)	Discuss Lysistrata
	Male Chorus Wearing Phalii in Lysistrata in UAF
	Ending in UAF production
	Is Female Leadership Scary? PBS
T (29 Sept)	Due:  Assignment 1

	Swift, Jonathan. 1996 [1729]. A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works. Class and Economic Justice
Th (1 Oct)	Satire, Background, Jonathan Swift "Market Women's Cries" Poem Animation Discuss, pp.1-2, 41-51
	Read: Swift, pp.1-2, 41-51
T (6 Oct)	HipHop version of MP Cartoon inspired by MP Discuss, pp.52-9, Q on Modest Proposal Poor workhouses
	Read: Swift, pp.52-9,
Th (8 Oct)	Due:  Assignment 2

	Bierce, Ambrose. 1993 [1790s]. The Devil's Dictionary. Language and Verbal Justice
T (13 Oct)	History Trailer for Ambrose Bierce Civil War Stories (2min) Early adopter of the TypeWriter Don Swaim’s Ambrose Bierce Site The AmbroseBierce Project Discuss
	Read: Bierce, entire
Th (15 Oct)	George Lakoff, The Politics of Language (Speech to Commonwealth Club, 65 min)
T (20 Oct)	Discuss Due:  Assignment 3

	Lewis, C.S. 2001 [1942]. The Screwtape Letters. Religion and Divine Justice
Th (22 Oct)	Religion and Humor,  Puritanism, cs lewis, Rowan Atkinson Welcome to Hell Focus on the Family Radio version FPATheatre production The Real Narnia (TLS, 21/10/2009)
	Read: Lewis, pp.53-61
T (27 Oct)	Discuss
	Read: Lewis, pp.1-52, 63-91
Th (29 Oct)	Discuss How would Lewis’s 4-fold categorization of the causes of laughter fit in relation to the 4-fold account of humor given at the start of this course?
	Is there laughter in Heaven? What about in Hell?
	Why does Lewis write this sort of book even as the British are fighting the Nazis?
	What are the targets of Lewis’s use of humor?
	What sort of views is Lewis defending or affirming?
	Locate moments that strike you as funny.
	Read: Lewis, pp.93-209
	Lewis talks
T (3 Nov)	Due:  Assignment 4

	Making Digital Soiled Shorts On Race/Ethnicity and Social Justice in America
	CNN Report sees 'sobering statistics' on racial inequality (Mar 25, 2009). ACLU Campaign against Racial profiling The white racial frame
Th (5 Nov)	Digital Video, photo-essay, etc. Examples Concept, Storyboard, Script	Digitalstory-telling with imovie4
	Lego - Bible, Guantanamo Narratech –comic storytelling Photo-essay Poetry Animation Food fight Morpheus $ Videogame mods GIJoe mods Veepers talking mods	Short activity Imovie at a glance
	Show at Rogers Seattle artist Dennis Raines entitled "The Sordid Life of Toys," which is on view in the Roger W. Rogers Gallery in the Rogers Music Hall. This exhibition, curated by Studio Art Professor Andries Fourie. Raines uses close-up photographs of plastic toy figures to explore the tension between the innocent optimism of childhood and the disenchantment of adulthood.
	NYPost chimp cartoon
	cartoons
	Last Day to Withdraw

	Alcaraz, Lalo. 2004. Migra Mouse: Political Cartoons on Immigration.  Migration, Multiculturalism and Civic Justice
T (10 Nov)	Film: Alcaraz presentation at WU (2003) Discuss
	Read: Alcaraz, entire

Th (12 Nov)	Peer and faculty project review
T (17 Nov)	No Class: Meet in project groups
Th (19 Nov)	No Class: Meet in project groups
T (24 Nov)	Due: Assignment 5: Digital Project
	Screenings
	Jus’ Sayin’ Brett D . Cliff B Kris S	Jus’ Sayin’ (3.03) download 3^rd item or here
	Fish Sticks Productions Christian E Sara Dinovi Charlie Sandbo	A Tale of Two Americans (5.25) click white bar to make larger
	Hemorrhaging Heart Liberals Michael M Alex B Tony H Ryan B	Mission Accomplished (4.09) Or here
	Two Whites and One Caucasian Michael E John L Brandon P	Culture Feud (8.00)

Th (26 Nov) No class, watch for your edification	Laughing with Hilter (2007) (1 Hr Documentary)
T (1 Dec)	Bloody Cartoons (2007) (1 Hr Documentary) Or Lalo Alcaraz presentation
Th (3 Dec)	Guest Speaker Amanda Koster bio Salaamgarage
Th (3 Dec)	Digital Storytelling Showcase in Ford Hall, screening Room with Amanda Koster	4:30pm to 7pm
T (8 Dec)	Discuss
	Read: Critchley, On Humor, pp.25-76.
Th (10 Dec)	Democracy and Humor Read: Critchley, On Humor, pp.79-111.

M (14 Dec)

FINAL EXAM

2-5 pm