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First-Year Colloquium (FYCO) 108-01

Daria: Cartoons and Social Commentary

Instructor: Gary Reger; Meeting time: M 1.15-2.30; Place: 306 Seabury

Office: 405 Seabury; Phone: 297-2393; Office hours: W 9-12

TA: Shannon Greaney (524-5309)


For a discussion of the course (with a long quotation from Reger), see Michelle Klein-Hass, "Daria: Success and the Cynical Girl," Toon. The Animation Magazine no. 18 (Spring 1999) 26-37 at p. 28 (sidebar). Visit Toon's webpage too!

Description

In this post-post-modern world, two dimensional characters can be more real than three dimensional ones. Who wouldn't prefer "Daria" to "Sabrina the Teen-Aged Witch"? We'll explore the phenomenon of cartoon satire through a "reading" of the popular MTV cartoon show "Daria." The class will culminate in a one-day conference on cartoons, TV, and social commentary, organized by the participants. "La-la-la laaa-la."

Reading

Watching Television. A Pantheon Guide to Popular Culture, ed. Todd Gitlin, (New York 1987).

Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics. The Invisible Art (New York 1993).

Paul Wells, Understanding Animation (New York 1998): on Reserve in the Library

Lisa A. Lewis, Gender Politics and MTV. Voicing the Difference (Philadelphia 1992).

A videotape with several episodes of "Daria" will be available in the AV reserves in the Library.

Assignments

1. Meet once a week to view and discuss and episode of Daria.

2. Write an 8-10 page paper, produced in two drafts, due on March 1 (first draft) and May 3 (final draft). On May 3 each student will give a brief (c. 5 min.) presentation of his/her paper. Papers may address any aspect of Daria or the phenomenon of cartoon satire; for example, you may write commentary on an episode of your choice, or discuss the relation between the show and the commercials embedded in it, or attempt to "fix" Daria in the history of cartoon satire -- and these are only a few of many possiilities. Talk to me for further ideas.

3. Organize a conference. The conference will be held on Saturday, April 17, 1999, in the Smith House. Your task is to identify and invite speakers, set up panels, advertise, attend, and participate. Students will be assigned to one of four committees: invitation, budget, advertising, and program. The four committees will work closely together outside of class to develop the program for the conference, invite speakers, and assure high attendance through advertising. We have a starting budget of $800. The duties of these committees are:

    Invitation committee. This committee will write to speakers inviting them to come and make arrangements for their travel and stay on campus.

Benson Chan

Leslie Magraw

Amy Buchner

   Budget committee. This committee will work up a budget to cover honoraria, travel, and housing expenses for the speakers and collect the necessary funding from the First Year Office and other appropriate campus entities.

    Katherine Kimber

    Bip Botha

    Kim Stevens

   Advertising committee. This committee will work up a plan to advertise the conference and assure greatest possible attendance.

    Andrea Damar

    Brendan O'Connor

    Kristin Hagan

   Program committee. This committee will draw up the conference program.

Sarah Bradley (chair)

Gemma Rhodeside

Beth Shapiro

Schedule of Classes

January 25: Introduction

February 1: View "Daria:" "Pinch Sitter." Discuss Watching, pp. 183-228.

February 8: View "Daria:" "Misery Chick." Discuss McCloud.

February 15: View "Daria." Discuss Watching, pp. 68-110. Initial report from the program committee.

February 22: Reading Week (no class)

March 1: View "Daria." Report from invitation committee. First draft of paper due.

March 8: View "Daria." Report from budget committee.

March 15: View "Daria." Report from advertising committee.

March 22: View "Daria." Final report from program committee.

March 29: Spring Break (no class)

April 5: View "Daria." Discuss Wells.

April 12: View "Daria." Discuss final arrangements for conference.

April 17, Saturday: Conference: Watching Daria

April 19: Discussion of conference

April 26: View "Daria." Discuss Lewis and gender issues connected with "Daria."

May 3: Final draft paper. Presentations.