Summary Media, Culture and Diversity

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MEDIA,‌‌CULTURE‌ ‌
AND‌‌DIVERSITY‌ ‌
2018-2019‌ ‌
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SOCIAL‌‌SCIENCES‌ ‌ ‌PROF.‌‌DHAENENS‌ ‌
D.L.Y.‌ ‌ ‌

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1.‌‌What’s‌‌at‌‌stake‌ ‌
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● How‌‌identity‌‌issues‌‌are‌‌dealt‌‌with,‌‌produced,‌‌represented,‌‌regulated,‌‌consumed‌‌and‌‌constructed‌‌in‌‌and‌‌
through‌‌popular‌‌media‌‌culture‌ ‌
● Discussing‌‌identity‌‌=‌‌quite‌‌personal‌ ‌
● Some‌‌rules‌ ‌
○ Do‌‌not‌‌attack‌‌someone’s‌‌personal‌‌belief‌‌or‌‌convictions‌‌ ‌
○ Be‌‌respectful‌‌at‌‌all‌‌times‌‌ ‌
○ Do‌‌not‌‌feel‌‌‘pressured’‌‌to‌‌speak‌‌from‌‌a‌‌particular‌‌subject‌‌position‌‌but‌‌try‌‌to‌‌imagine‌‌what‌‌persons‌‌may‌‌feel‌
● Use‌‌of‌‌English‌ ‌
● Overlap‌‌with‌‌other‌‌courses‌‌ ‌



1.‌‌Some‌‌cases‌‌to‌‌start‌‌with‌…
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1.1.‌‌Election‌‌of‌‌Miss‌‌Belgium‌‌2018‌ ‌
● Angeline‌‌Flor‌‌Pua‌‌ ‌
● Made‌‌the‌‌news:‌‌ethnic‌‌identity‌‌ ‌
● Backlash‌‌on‌‌Twitter‌ ‌
● Othering‌‌and‌‌degrading‌‌ ‌
● Racism‌‌and‌‌digital‌‌media:‌‌ ‌
○ Speed‌ ‌
○ Globalization/international‌‌debate‌ ‌
● Blunt‌‌racism,‌‌sexism‌‌and‌‌homophobia:‌‌no‌‌longer‌‌publicly‌‌condoned‌ ‌
● But‌‌what‌‌about‌‌structural‌‌sexism?‌ ‌
● Models‌‌as‌‌commodities?‌‌ ‌

1.2.‌‌City‌‌of‌‌Ghent‌‌Promotion‌‌Campaign‌‌ ‌
● Homophobic‌‌and‌‌sexual‌‌violence‌ ‌
● Challenge‌‌structural‌‌racism‌ ‌
● Inclusivity‌‌without‌‌assimilation‌‌ ‌
● Use‌‌of‌‌exaggerations‌‌=‌‌problematic?‌‌ ‌
● Romani‌‌population?‌ ‌
● Effectivity‌‌of‌‌such‌‌campaigns?‌ ‌

1.3.‌‌A‌‌closer‌‌look‌‌…‌‌at‌‌boef‌ ‌
● Sofiane‌‌Boussaadia‌‌ ‌
● Dutch‌‌rapper‌‌(°1993),‌‌Algerian‌‌parents‌ ‌
● Musical‌‌bio:‌‌debut‌‌performance‌‌in‌‌2015;‌‌2016:‌‌EP‌‌‘Gewoon‌‌Boef’‌‌(Zonamo‌‌Underground);‌‌2017:‌‌Slaaptekort‌‌
(BoefMusic);‌‌2019:‌‌EP‌‌‘93’‌‌(Trifecta)‌‌ ‌
● Personal‌‌life:‌‌rocky‌‌road,‌‌popular‌‌artist‌‌ ‌


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1.3.1.‌‌A‌‌reconstruction‌‌of‌‌what‌‌happened‌ ‌
● Car‌‌trouble‌‌on‌‌NYE‌‌2017‌ ‌
● Snapchat:‌“‌ picked‌‌up‌‌by‌‌three‌‌kechs.‌‌My‌‌life‌‌is‌‌a‌‌movie.‌‌Happy‌‌New‌‌Year.‌‌I’m‌‌buying‌‌a‌‌boat‌‌this‌‌year,‌‌just‌‌you‌‌
wait”‌‌ ‌
● First‌‌‘wave’‌‌of‌‌criticism:‌‌use‌‌of‌‌word‌‌‘kech’‌‌ ‌
● Boef‌‌uploads‌‌another‌‌video:‌“‌ I‌‌succeeded‌‌in‌‌upsetting‌‌a‌‌few‌‌people‌‌because‌‌I‌‌said‌‌‘kch’,‌‌but‌‌what‌‌are‌‌you‌‌
doing‌‌in‌‌a‌‌club‌‌with‌‌alcohol,‌‌with‌‌short‌‌skirts‌‌at‌‌eight‌‌o’clock‌‌in‌‌the‌‌morning,‌‌with‌‌boys?‌‌What‌‌are‌‌you‌‌doing?‌‌
You’re‌‌just‌‌a‌‌kech”‌‌ ‌
● Underscoring‌‌image‌‌of‌‌‘superior’‌‌masculinity‌‌ ‌
○ Commercial‌‌logics‌‌of‌‌an‌‌artist‌‌persona‌ ‌
○ Sociocultural‌‌role‌‌of‌‌the‌‌artist‌ ‌
● Second‌‌‘wave’‌‌of‌‌criticism:‌‌heated,‌‌mediated,‌‌and‌‌polarized‌ ‌
● Boef‌‌issues‌‌an‌‌apology‌‌later‌‌that‌‌day‌‌ ‌
1.3.1.‌‌Analysis‌‌of‌‌the‌‌responses/practices‌‌ ‌
● ⇒
Denouncing:‌‌women,‌‌feminist‌‌scholars,‌‌fellow‌‌rappers‌‌ ‌‌exposing‌‌‘structural‌‌sexism’‌‌ ‌
● ⇒
Support:‌‌online‌‌and‌‌offline,‌‌manager‌‌ ‌‌asking‌‌for‌‌nuance:‌‌importance‌‌of‌‌youth‌‌culture,‌‌‘slang’‌‌ ‌
● Parody:‌‌ordinary‌‌citizens,‌‌satire‌‌blogs‌⇒
‌ ‌‌using‌‌humor‌‌to‌‌voice‌‌criticism‌‌ ‌
● Boycott:spokespersons‌‌with‌‌symbolic‌‌capital‌‌⇒‌‌refusals‌‌by‌‌radio‌‌DJs‌‌to‌‌play‌‌songs,‌‌removal‌‌of‌‌festival‌‌
line-ups,‌‌ending‌‌professional‌‌collaborations‌‌ ‌
● ⇒
Setting‌‌up‌‌(mediated)‌‌debates‌‌ ‌‌putting‌‌things‌‌into‌‌perspective‌‌ ‌
● #MeToo‌‌as‌‌context‌‌ ‌
○ Spontaneous,‌‌uncontrolled‌‌digital‌‌movement‌‌that‌‌denounces‌‌sexism‌‌in‌‌all‌‌its‌‌forms‌‌ ‌
○ Singling‌‌out‌‌individuals,‌‌not‌‌always‌‌addressing‌‌structural‌‌issues‌‌ ‌
● Ethnic‌‌identity‌‌and‌‌double‌‌standards‌‌ ‌
○ Sunny‌‌Bergman‌‌and‌‌Selma‌‌Omari:‌‌fighting‌‌sexism‌‌with‌‌racism‌‌ ‌
○ Everyday‌‌and‌‌structural‌‌racism,‌‌homophobia,‌‌sexism‌‌are‌‌ignored‌ ‌
○ Radical‌‌slur,‌‌articulation‌‌with‌‌Islam,‌‌using‌‌Boef‌‌to‌‌boycott‌‌R&B‌‌and‌‌hip‌‌hop‌‌ ‌
● Boef’s‌‌final‌‌response:‌‌ ‌
○ New‌‌song‌‌and‌‌video‌‌(“Antwoord’)‌ ‌
○ Live‌‌performance‌‌and‌‌apology‌‌ ‌
○ “We‌‌rappers‌‌are‌‌saying‌‌‘bitches’‌‌and‌‌so‌‌on,‌‌but‌‌we‌‌really‌‌don’t‌‌think‌‌less‌‌of‌‌women”‌ ‌



2.‌‌Course‌‌setup‌‌ ‌
● Complexities‌‌of‌‌identities‌‌and‌‌diversity‌ ‌
● Increased‌‌attention‌‌in‌‌academic‌‌and‌‌popular‌‌debate‌‌ ‌
● Course:‌‌gaining‌‌insight‌‌into‌‌ ‌
○ How‌‌popular‌‌(media)‌‌culture‌‌deals‌‌with‌‌diversity‌‌ ‌
○ The‌‌role‌‌of‌‌popular‌‌(media)‌‌culture‌‌in‌‌making‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌the‌‌world‌‌ ‌
● Media,‌‌communication‌‌and‌‌cultural‌‌studies‌ ‌
● Critical‌‌holistic‌‌and‌‌contextual‌‌approach‌ ‌

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3.‌‌Concrete‌‌objectives‌ ‌
1. Describe,‌‌explain‌‌and‌‌reflect‌‌on‌‌key‌‌concepts‌‌in‌‌research‌‌on‌‌media,‌‌culture‌‌and‌‌diversity‌‌ ‌
2. Apply‌‌key‌‌concepts‌‌onto‌‌contemporary‌‌phenomena‌‌that‌‌relate‌‌to‌‌media,‌‌culture‌‌and‌‌diversity‌‌ ‌
3. Argue‌‌what‌‌the‌‌relevance‌‌is‌‌of‌‌media,‌‌communication‌‌and‌‌cultural‌‌studies‌‌for‌‌the‌‌analysis‌‌of‌‌contemporary‌‌
problems‌‌and‌‌demonstrate‌‌the‌‌sociocultural‌‌role‌‌and‌‌responsibility‌‌of‌‌a‌‌communication‌‌scholar‌‌ ‌



4.‌‌Limitation‌‌ ‌
● Focus‌‌on‌‌Western‌‌popular‌‌media‌‌culture:‌‌ ‌
○ Program-related‌ ‌
○ Paradigmatic‌‌ ‌
○ Practical‌‌ ‌



5.‌‌Watch‌‌and‌‌listen‌‌List‌‌ ‌

CHAPTER‌‌3‌‌ ‌ ● Paris‌‌is‌‌Burning‌‌(Jennie‌‌Livingstone)‌ ‌
GENDER‌‌AND‌‌POPULAR‌‌MEDIA‌‌CULTURE‌ ‌ ● Girl‌‌(Lukas‌‌Dhont)‌‌ ‌
● Star‌‌Wars:‌‌The‌‌Force‌‌Awakens‌‌(J.J.‌‌Abrams)‌ ‌


CHAPTER‌‌4‌‌ ‌ ● Call‌‌Me‌‌By‌‌Your‌‌Name‌‌(Luca‌‌Guadagnino)‌‌ ‌
SEXUAL‌‌DIVERSITY‌‌AND‌‌POPULAR‌‌MEDIA‌‌ ● The‌‌Children’s‌‌Hour‌‌(Wiliam‌‌Wyler)‌ ‌
CULTURE‌ ‌ ● Friends‌‌(The‌‌One‌‌With‌‌the‌‌Male‌‌Nanny)‌ ‌
● Glee‌‌(no‌‌specific‌‌episode,‌‌the‌‌series‌‌in‌‌general‌‌will‌‌be‌‌
discussed)‌ ‌


CHAPTER‌‌5‌‌ ‌ ● Frank‌‌Ocean‌‌ ‌
RACE,‌‌ETHNICITY‌‌AND‌‌POPULAR‌‌MEDIA‌‌ ● The‌‌Weeknd‌ ‌
CULTURE‌ ‌ ● Solange‌ ‌
● Insecure‌‌(no‌‌episode‌‌in‌‌particular)‌ ‌


CHAPTER‌‌8‌ ‌ ● The‌‌Condition‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Working‌‌Class‌‌(Deirdre‌‌O’Neill‌‌&‌‌Michael‌‌
SOCIAL‌‌CLASS‌‌AND‌‌POPULAR‌‌MEDIA‌‌ Wayne)‌‌(can‌‌be‌‌accessed‌‌via‌‌Vimeo)‌‌ ‌
CULTURE‌ ‌ ● Metropolis‌‌(Fritz‌‌Lang)‌‌ ‌
● Ladri‌‌di‌‌biciclette‌‌(Vittorio‌‌De‌‌Sica)‌‌ ‌
● All‌‌that‌‌Heaven‌‌Allows‌‌(Douglas‌‌Sirk)‌‌ ‌

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