Popular Culture, Film and Media
Summer 2015
Boğaziçi University
Department of Western Languages and Literatures
Instructor: Tolga Yalur
E-mail contact: [email protected]
Assessment Method:
Class participation, attendance 45%
Term paper 55%
Course Description: This course is designed to analyze the basic patterns and pillars of
popular culture as they are used and revealed in certain examples from American and world
cinemas to present to masses the basic institutions of popular culture. In method, it is
essentially a film-reading course.
Course Content: The meaning of “popular”, a brief history of popular culture, its main pillars
and basic elements, characteristic features, paradigms, replication myth and the influence
of myths like creation myths, themes and patterns. Readings of films from USA, Turkey,
England, TV shows and programs, music, and art, namely; sculpture, architecture; their
language and style and presentations, their artistic and political and ideological
interpretations.
Course Materials:
Fishwick, Marshall W. Seven Pillars of Popular Culture (Westport: GreenwoodPress, 1985)
Storey, John. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (Longman, 2008)
Supplementary Books:
Baudrillard, Jean. Amerika. Çev. Yaşar Avunç (İstanbul: Ayrıntı, 1996)
Somay, Bülent. Tarihin Bilinçdışı: Popüler Kültür Üzerine Denemeler (İstanbul: Metis, 2004)
Eradam, Yusuf. Vanilyalı İdeoloji (İstanbul: Aykırı Yayıncılık, 2004)
Güngör, Nazife (Der.). Popüler Kültür ve İktidar: Popüler Kültür Üzerine Kuramsal İncelemeler
(Ankara: Vadi Yayınları, 1999)
Week 1: Popular culture
Screening and Discussion: Film clips and music videos: Grease (1978), Saturday Night Fever
(1977), Tootsie (1982), Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Luciano Pavarotti’s Concert in Hyde Park
(London, 1991)
Readings: Storey, John. Ch.1 “What is popular culture?”
Fishwick, Marshall W. Seven Pillars of Popular Culture (Westport: GreenwoodPress, 1985).
Week 2: Basic parameters of popular culture, American dream of success
and the power of the media
Screening and Discussion: The Truman Show (1998), Tootsie (1982)
Readings: Fishwick, Marshall W. Seven Pillars of Popular Culture (Westport:
GreenwoodPress, 1985).
Week 3: De-mythification of the myths of individual opportunity
and the American dream of success
Screening and Discussion: Breaking Bad (2008-2013), Requiem for a Dream (1998), The
Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Jerry Maguire (1996)
Readings: Will be announced.
Week 4: Patterns and archetypes of fear and terror
Screening and Discussion: Donnie Darko (2001), The Walking Dead (2010-), The Birds
(1963), September 11 (2002), Signs (2001)
Week 5: Demos, Ethnos: People, Race & Groups
Screening and Discussion: Fight Club (1999), The Joy Luck Club (1993), Color Purple (1985)
Readings: Fishwick, Marshall W. Pillars, Ch. 1 “Demos”, Ch. 2 “Ethnos”
Week 6: Theos & Logos: Faith, Religion and the Power of Words
Screening and Discussion: Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Se7en (1995)
Readings: Fishwick, Marshall W. Pillars, Ch. 4 “Theos”, Ch. 5 “Logos”
Week 7: Heros and Eikons/Icons: the hero myth, the savior/ monomyth
Screening and Discussion: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of Sith (George Lucas, 2004)
Readings: Fishwick, Marshall W. Pillars, Ch. 3 “Heros”, Ch. 6 “Eikons”
Week 8: Ideology
Screening and Discussion: The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (2012)
Readings: Will be announced.
Week 9: Ideology and Popular Yeşilçam Films
Screening and Discussion: Batsın Bu Dünya / Screw the World (1975), Cemil (1977)
Week 10: American Family Model in Hollywood
Screening and Discussion: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982), American Beauty (1999)
Week 11: Turkish Family Model in Yeşilçam
Screening and Discussion: Aile Şerefi / The Honor of the Family (1978), Neşeli Günler /
Happy Days (1975)
Readings: Will be announced.
Week 12: The Myths of Gender & Sexual Roles and Problems of Identity
Screening and Discussion: Identity (2003), Being John Malkovich (1999), Transamerica
(2005), Zelig (1983)
Week 13: Wrap Up and the Final Exam