NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA, CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION
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MCC-UE.1065.001:
Media Events & Spectacle
Welcome to the course!
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Course Description
This course examines the role played by media events and spectacle in the shaping of belief,
attitudes, and actions, with particular attention paid to the concept of the masses and its changed
meaning over time. The course examines concepts of mass culture, the decentralization of
cultural forms, and the rise of convergence culture. It explores the history of the media event and
the theories that have shaped it, and the role of spectacle in society from the Renaissance to
modern society to the age of digital media.
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Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, students will be able to:
• Identify the pre-history of media events, exploring notions of the psychology of panic and
the pseudo-event.
• Explore notions of spectacle including commodities, fetishism, sports, embodiment,
celebrity and politics.
• Assess theoretical perspectives on media outlets, communication strategies and the
modes of production that make spectacle possible.
• Estimate the power spectacle has on society, its media institutions and the general public
and predict where media events and spectacle are headed in the future.
Required readings
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In addition to the titles below, almost all of our readings are on blackboard in the course
documents section with some necessary and ancillary readings and viewings in the external
documents section. While I have noted the full texts of several works below, I have placed the
appropriate chapters on blackboard. Those not on blackboard will be in the bookstore, or you can
get them on line. I will continue to post relevant material in both places during the term.
Texts.
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Hadley Cantril, 2005. The Invasion from Mars: A Study in the Psychology of Panic, Transaction
Publishers, NY.
Douglas Kellner, 2003. Media Spectacle, Routledge, NY.
Graeme Turner, 2004. Understanding Celebrity. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications.
Required films: About the required film for class discussion
A film review can be the basis for one of your reaction papers, and we will have at least
one class session devoted to a discussion of how contemporary films (or the movies, depending
how you see them) – have become major vehicles for “the spectacle.” And as a class, we should
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choose a particular film or perhaps a series of films that we can discuss and relate to the major
ideas of the course. This medium is in a transitional state in terms of its status in American
culture. Where and how we experience these cultural artifacts – their conditions of attendance –
seems to have changed the standing of film in our culture. Of course, the Academy Awards is one
media event (technically, a pseudo event) we intend to discuss, because this media event is an
important aspect of the contemporary spectacle culture – the star system, part of the celebrity
culture business, the narratives they choose to tell, and how they tell them, should all be part of
our discussion.
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Course Requirements
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Students need to paginate their papers and use a consistent documentation format. Papers
will be evaluated with a concern for form and content. Late papers will be accepted and read;
however, I cannot promise a written evaluation or comments. Late papers will, of course, be
penalized. The specific guidelines for the class presentations are TBA, but see below for general
guidelines. Rubrics will be provided and posted on blackboard.
1. A brief two-three page intellectual biography: what books or other media
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products (music or films) and interests have helped form your aesthetic taste? This
is a “reflective” essay on your part, in which you introduce/contemplate the
intellectual and aesthetic you. For example, what films, books, paintings, music et al
do you like or have liked, or have seemed to play an important role in your life and
why do you think that’s the case? Not graded or evaluated, although read with
commentary as a kind of informal introduction. If you have already been in one of my
classes, and have done this assignment, you may opt out of this one. 0% of final
grade.
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session # 8.
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2. Midterm, 25% of final grade. This paper constitutes a “midterm,” and is due
3. Two reaction papers: one reaction paper should be written in the first half of the
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course and the second one in the latter half. One reaction paper can be a film review
if you like. The other can be a reaction to a class or a series of classes. As to the
content of your reaction: this is not a commentary on how the class was taught, but
on the content of the class discussion. Choose a class session or a series of class
sessions, that provokes some thought on your part – and advance the discussion, or
question the discussion. You might want to suggest what question or questions you
think the discussion answered and what question or questions you think the
discussion did not come to grips with. Due anytime during the semester, but as
noted, it would be more beneficial if the reaction paper was written and
submitted close to the class or classes under discussion. Four – five pages for
each reaction paper would be average. 20% of final grade.
4. Class presentations, discussions and attendance. Regular attendance and
thoughtful and intelligent participation in class discussions are part of your overall
evaluation. Because of our class size students will have the opportunity to complete
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at least one presentation – those who do more than one are exempt from one of the
two class reaction papers. We will discuss during our first session. As for the class,
please respect your fellow students and keep lateness to a minimum. Also, leaving
the class periodically should be curtailed; such actions tend to disrupt student and
instructor concentration, and become problematic when a student is doing a
presentation. We also want to maintain punctual beginnings and endings. Two
absences are allowed before your grade is affected. Students will be asked to make
several short, concise presentations on chapters of the required texts or assigned
essays or films. Please note that these presentations are to help create an
atmosphere for class discussion not for the simple regurgitation of the article
or chapter. Please take the concept of “presentation and discussion” literally. For
example, if a student were to make a presentation, say, on the Boorstin chapters, he
would briefly explain or review aspects of the pseudo-event from the text and then
provide examples from the media. The presenter is urged to include the class in a
discussion of the material. And while I will be evaluating the student’s presentation,
the class – your listening and contributions – are also part of the evaluation process.
More details to be discussed later. 25% of the final grade.
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5. Your final exam essay: This is a "take-home" essay exam. For this project consider
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our units of study from the second half of the semester and develop a paper from 1012 pages on a contemporary spectacle of your own choosing. During the semester I
will provide numerous examples for you to use as models for this assignment. Topics
could include contemporary politics to various forms of popular entertainment. As
you develop your project, think of ways this essay could become part of conference
panel or a journal article. The chapter from Chris Hedges’ book, Empire of Illusion
that we discuss during the term can serve as a model, although in his chapter he
takes on way too many contemporary media artifacts. Write a unified essay, doublespaced and paginated, leaving some margin room for my comments. A proposal or
an outline somewhere towards the 3/4 semester mark would be helpful to you and
me – and the basis for a discussion/meeting between you and me. Approximately ten
to twelve would be average. 30% of the final grade.
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6. Please note: students who make a second presentation either with a colleague
or by themselves can have a second reaction paper waived.
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Evaluation Rubric
A= Excellent
This work is comprehensive and detailed, integrating themes and concepts from
discussions, lectures and readings. Writing is clear, analytical and organized.
Arguments offer specific examples and concisely evaluate evidence. Students who earn
this grade are prepared for class, synthesize course materials and contribute insightfully.
B=Good
This work is complete and accurate, offering insights at general level of understanding.
Writing is clear, uses examples properly and tends toward broad analysis. Classroom
participation is consistent and thoughtful.
C=Average
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This work is correct but is largely descriptive, lacking analysis. Writing is vague and at
times tangential. Arguments are unorganized, without specific examples or analysis.
Classroom participation is inarticulate.
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A = 94-100
A- = 90-93
B+ = 87-89
B = 84-86
B- = 80-83
C+ = 77-79
C = 74-76
C- = 70-73
D+ = 65-69
D = 60-64
F = 0-59
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F=Failed
This grade indicates a failure to participate and/or incomplete assignments
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D= Unsatisfactory
This work is incomplete, and evidences little understanding of the readings or
discussions. Arguments demonstrate inattention to detail, misunderstand course
material and overlook significant themes. Classroom participation is spotty, unprepared
and off topic.
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Course Policies
Absences and Lateness
More than two unexcused absences will automatically result in a lower grade. Chronic
lateness will also be reflected in your evaluation of participation. Regardless of the
reason for your absence you will be responsible for any missed work. Travel
arrangements do not constitute a valid excuse for rescheduling exams. There are no
extra credit assignments for this class.
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Format
Please type and double-space your written work. Typing improves the clarity and
readability of your work and double-spacing allows room for me to comment. Please
also number and staple multiple pages. You are free to use your preferred citation style.
Please use it consistently throughout your writing. If sending a document electronically,
please name the file in the following format Yourlastname Coursenumber
Assignment1.doc
Grade Appeals
Please allow two days to pass before you submit a grade appeal. This gives you time to
reflect on my assessment. If you still want to appeal your grade, please submit a short
but considered paragraph detailing your concerns. Based on this paragraph I will review
the question and either augment your grade or refine my explanation for the lost points.
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General Decorum
Slipping in late or leaving early, sleeping, text messaging, surfing the Internet, doing
homework in class, eating, etc. are distracting and disrespectful to all participants in the
course.
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Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/policies/academic_integrity
The relationship between students and faculty is the keystone of the educational
experience at New York University in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and
Human Development. This relationship takes an honor code for granted and mutual
trust, respect, and responsibility as foundational requirements. Thus, how you learn is as
important as what you learn. A university education aims not only to produce high-quality
scholars, but to also cultivate honorable citizens.
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Academic integrity is the guiding principle for all that you do, from taking exams to
making oral presentations to writing term papers. It requires that you recognize and
acknowledge information derived from others and take credit only for ideas and work
that are yours.
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You violate the principle of academic integrity when you
• cheat on an exam,
• submit the same work for two different courses without prior permission from your
professors,
• receive help on a takehome examination that calls for independent work, or
• plagiarize.
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Plagiarism, one of the gravest forms of academic dishonesty in university life, whether
intended or not, is academic fraud. In a community of scholars, whose members are
teaching, learning, and discovering knowledge, plagiarism cannot be tolerated.
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Plagiarism is failure to properly assign authorship to a paper, a document, an oral
presentation, a musical score, and/or other materials that are not your original work. You
plagiarize when, without proper attribution, you do any of the following:
• copy verbatim from a book, an article, or other media;
• download documents from the Internet;
• purchase documents;
• report from other’s oral work;
• paraphrase or restate someone else’s facts, analysis, and/or conclusions; or
• copy directly from a classmate or allow a classmate to copy from you.
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Your professors are responsible for helping you to understand other people's ideas, to
use resources and conscientiously acknowledge them, and to develop and clarify your
own thinking. You should know what constitutes good and honest scholarship, style
guide preferences, and formats for assignments for each of your courses. Consult your
professors for help with problems related to fulfilling course assignments, including
questions related to attribution of sources.
Through reading, writing, and discussion, you will undoubtedly acquire ideas from
others, and exchange ideas and opinions with others, including your classmates and
professors. You will be expected, and often required, to build your own work on that of
other people. In so doing, you are expected to credit those sources that have contributed
to the development of your ideas.
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Avoiding Academic Dishonesty
• Organize your time appropriately to avoid undue pressure, and acquire good
study habits, including note taking.
• Learn proper forms of citation. Always check with your professors of record for
their preferred style guides. Directly copied material must always be in quotes;
paraphrased material must be acknowledged; even ideas and organization
derived from your own previous work or another's work need to be
acknowledged.
• Always proofread your finished work to be sure that quotation marks, footnotes
and other references were not inadvertently omitted. Know the source of each
citation.
• Do not submit the same work for more than one class without first obtaining the
permission of both professors even if you believe that work you have already
completed satisfies the requirements of another assignment.
• Save your notes and drafts of your papers as evidence of your original work.
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Disciplinary Sanctions
When a professor suspects cheating, plagiarism, and/or other forms of academic
dishonesty, appropriate disciplinary action may be taken following the department
procedure or through referral to the Committee on Student Discipline.
Writing Center: 269 Mercer Street, Room 233. Schedule an appointment online
at www.rich15.com/nyu/ or just walk-in.
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Student Resources
• Students with physical or learning disabilities are required to register with the
Moses Center for Students with Disabilities, 726 Broadway, 2nd Floor, (212-9984980) and are required to present a letter from the Center to the instructor at the
start of the semester in order to be considered for appropriate accommodation.
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Class schedule
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Topic
Readings
Introduction: the big picture of media events and spectacle
Lecture presentation: the pre-history of media events: The
Invasion from Mars: a study in the Psychology of Panic.
Syllabus
Cantril, from “The Invasion
from Mars,” on blackboard.
3.
Cantril, from “The Invasion
from Mars,” on blackboard.
6.
Lecture presentation: the pre-history of media events: The
Invasion from Mars: a study in the Psychology of Panic.
Screening sections from “’Invasion from Mars’ documentary.”
Media events and spectacle: prehistory: Boorstin’s the pseudo
event.
Media events and spectacle: prehistory: Boorstin’s the pseudo
event.
Media Culture and the triumph of the spectacle.
7.
Media Culture and the triumph of the spectacle.
8.
The Spectacle of Commodities: American advertising.
9.
The Spectacle of Commodities: American Advertising.
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The Spectacle of Sports: the Super Bowl in American culture
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The Spectacle of Sports: the Super Bowl in American culture:
the advertising.
The Spectacle of the body: American professional wrestling
12.
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13.
14.
15.
Class Review.
16.
17.
18.
19.
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21.
22.
23.
24.
The spectacle of celebrity.
The spectacle of celebrity.
The movie spectacle.
The movie spectacle
The movie spectacle: the academy awards
The spectacle of democracy: presidential debates.
The spectacle of democracy: presidential debates.
The spectacle of democracy: presidential debates.
The spectacle of democracy: presidential conventions.
Midterm (in class)
The spectacle of celebrity.
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25.
The spectacle of democracy: presidential conventions.
26.
Puncturing the political spectacle: new political talk television.
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Puncturing the political spectacle: satire and dissent.
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Puncturing the political spectacle: satire and dissent.
29.
Final class session. All questions answered; all answers
questioned. Final paper due.
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Boorstin, from “The Image,”
on blackboard.
Dayan and Katz, from “Media
Events,” on blackboard
Dayan and Katz, from “Media
Events,” on blackboard.
Kellner, from “Media
Spectacle,” on blackboard.
Mcluhan, from “The
Mechanical Bride,” on
blackboard;
Williams, “The Magic
System,” on blackboard.
Appropriate readings on
blackboard
Appropriate articles on
blackaboard.
Barthes, Hedges,
introduction. Both on
blackboard.
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4.
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Boorstin, from “The Image,”
on blackboard & Turner,
Part1.
Turner, Part 2 and 3
Tryon, chap 1.
Tryon, chap. 3
Haastrup, on blackboard.
All readings on blackboard. .
All readings on blackboard.
All readings on blackboard.
Lang, from Politics and
Television Reviewed,” on
blackboard.
Panagopoulos, on
blackboard.
Jones, from “Entertaining
Politics,” chaps on
blackboard.
Jones, from “Entertaining
Politics,” chaps on
blackboard.
Day, from “Satire and
Dissent,” on blackboard.
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Some Recommended Reading
Many books and publications and articles have been useful in helping to develop this
course known as “Media Events and Spectacle.” Here is a partial listing, sometimes with a brief
commentary. These books would make welcome additions to your reading as well as your library.
By the way, if you come across any interesting books in your intellectual travels that you think can
help us understand our spectacle driven culture, feel free to bring it to my attention. Thanks, sjf.
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Auslander, Philip. 1999. Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture. New York: Routledge.
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Boorstin, Daniel. 1987. The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America. New York:
Athenaeum. First published in 1961.
Carey, James. 1988. Communication As Culture: Essays on Media and Society. While this whole
book is recommended, chapter two “Mass Communication and Cultural Studies” is the essay that
best serves our study of the “mass mind.”
Couldry, Nick. 2003. “Rethinking Media Events,” in Media Rituals: A Critical Approach. New York:
Routledge.
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Curran, James. 1982. "Communications, Power and Social Order." In Gurevitch, M., Bennet, T.,
et al (eds.). Culture, Society and the Media. New York: Methuen.
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Czitrom, Daniel. 1990. Media and the American Mind: From Morse to McLuhan. Chapel Hill, NC:
University of North Carolina Press. This is a very valuable book: it contains three case studies of
media that helped bring about “the mass mind.” These include: the development of the telegraph,
the rise of radio, and the evolution of the motion picture industry; along with these case studies is
a remarkably lucid account of the growth of the philosophy of communications, from the “founding
fathers” Charles Horton Cooley, John Dewey and Robert E. Park to Marshall McLuhan and
Harold A. Innis.
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Dayan, Daniel and Katz, Elihu. 1992. Media Events: The Live Broadcasting of History.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
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Brantlinger, Patrick. 1983. Bread and Circuses: Theories of Mass Culture as Social Decay. This is
perhaps one of the finest compilations of the history of mass culture debate. Brantlinger traces
the debate from the ancient Greeks to twentieth century discussions of Post-Modernism.
Caldwell, John Thornton. 1995. Televisuality: Style, Crisis and Authority in American Television.
New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
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Ewen, Stuart. 1988. All Consuming Images: The Politics of Style in Contemporary Culture.
You will never talk or think about “style” in the same way again.
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__________. 1996. PR!: A Social History of Spin. As you might expect, this is a historical look at
the development of spin. It contains a remarkable case study on Edward Bernays, the “father” of
public relations and master of the pseudo-event.
The New York Times Magazine. "Heroine Worship: Inventing an Identity in the Age of
Female Icons. “A Special Issue." November 24, 1996. An interesting look at contemporary female
imagery.
Eagleton, Terry. The Idea of Culture. 2000. London: Blackwell Publishers.
Faludi, Susan. "The Masculine Mystique." Esquire. 126:6, December, 1996. A feminist author
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interviews an alpha male, Sylvester Stallone, on the meaning and changing of contemporary
masculinity. One of the more interesting pseudo-events of the 1990s.
Fiske, John. 1996. Media Matters: Politics: Everyday Culture and Political Change. Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press.
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Hall, Ann C. and Mardia J. Bishop, eds. 2007. Pop-Porn: Pornography in American Culture.
Praeger, Westport CT.
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Hall, Stuart. 1998. Ed. Representation: Cultural Representations and Cultural Practices.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications [In Association with The Open University].
Kellner, Douglas. 1995. Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity and Politics Between the Modern
and the Postmodern. London: Routledge.
Levine, Lawrence W. 1984. “William Shakespeare and the American People: A Study in Cultural
Transformation” in Rethinking Popular Culture: Contemporary Perspectives in Cultural
Studies. Eds. Chandra Mukerji and Michael Schudson. Berkeley, CA: University of
California Press, 1991.
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________________. 1988. Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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edition.
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Marc, David. 1997. Comic Visions: Television Comedy and American Culture. 2
Malden MA: Blackwell Publishers.
Marcus, Greil. 1997. Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes. A subterranean
history of an important aspect of modern music. New York: Henry Holt.
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Miller, Mark Crispin. 1992. (Ed.). Seeing Through Movies. New York: Pantheon Books. What is of
particular interest in this fine collection of essays is Miller's film essay "End of Story” which
discusses the pernicious role of advertising and modern film narrative.
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McLuhan, M. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. Cambridge MA : The MIT
Press, 1964. An important chapter for this course is chapter 21, "Government by Newsleak."
Mukerji, Chandra and Michael Schudson, Eds.1991. Rethinking Popular Culture: Contemporary
Perspectives in Cultural Studies. Berkeley: University of California Press.
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Murray, Susan and Laurie Ouellette. 2004. Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture. New York:
New York University Press.
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Real, Michael R. 1996. “Historical/Ethical Interpretation: Reconstructing the Quiz Show Scandal,”
in Exploring Media Culture: A Guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Rothenberg, Randall. "The Age of Spin." Esquire. 126:6, December, 1996. This is a reworking of
Ewen’s ideas in PR, along with a “story interview” with Stuart Ewen.
Schudson, Michael. Discovering the News: A Social History of American News. New York: Basic
Books, 1978. This is a very readable and brief history of American newspapers, an important
“distributor” of pseudo-events. .
Simon, Richard. 1999. Trash Culture: Popular Culture and the Great Tradition. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press.
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Storey, John. 1998. An Introduction to Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. 3
GA: University of Georgia Press.
nd
edition. Athens,
Snyder, Robert W. 1994. "The Vaudeville Circuit: A Prehistory of the Mass Audience." in James
S. Ettema and D. Charles Whitney (Eds.) 1994. Audiencemaking: How the Media Create the
Audience. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
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Stephens, Mitchell. A History of News: From the Drum to the Satellite. New York: Penguin Books,
1988. There is a second edition of this book, a very valuable examination of the changing nature
of "news" as societies move from oral, through print and electronic technologies.
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Twitchell, James B. 1992. Carnival Culture: The Trashing of Taste in America. New York:
Columbia University Press.
Journals on cultural theory and popular culture: the following journals provide current thinking on
“mass mind” issues.
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Critical Studies in Mass Communication Critical Quarterly
Cultural Studies
Feminist Review
European Journal of Communication
International Journal of Cultural and Media
Journal of Popular Culture
Literature and History
Media, Culture and Society
New Formation
Screen
Southern Review
Textual Practice
Theory, Culture and Society
Women: a cultural review
Women’s Studies
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