Discussion Questions for Soc 334: Week 2

Jane Iwamura: “The Oriental Monk in American Popular Culture” 1. What is an icon? What relevance does this term have to this essay? 2. Using the popular culture formula postulated by Nachbar and Lause, explain what the Oriental Monk reflects. 3. What part of the cultural diamond is Iwamura interested in? Why? 4. What functions does the positive portrayal of Asians serve, according to Iwamura? 5. What is the plot of the movie, Broken Blossoms? How does this plot reflect the religious undertones found in American society? What is the moral lesson(s) of the film? 6. Are Western and Eastern religions portrayed as compatible or incompatible religious systems today according to Iwamura? Has this always been the case? Why or why not? Provide examples.

Robert Thompson: “Consecrating Consumer Culture: Christmas Television Specials: 1. What part of the cultural diamond is Thompson interested in? Why? 2. How does Christmas programming try to avoid alienating non-Christians? Who (or what) is responsible for this attitude? Why? 3. What does Thompson mean by his statements on pages 48-9 where he states “This American cultural Christmas is a perfect match for television….” 4. On page 53 Thompson states that despite the fact that new hosts have emerged, the format of Christmas specials remains similar to those in the past. Why might this be the case? Would the popular culture formula be useful in explaining this? 5. What tensions, paradoxes, etc. have Christmas specials engendered? Why are these here? Do you find them problematic? Why or why not?

Terry Muck: “From American Dream to American Horizon” 1. What part of the cultural diamond is Muck interested in? Why? 2. What is the main argument that Muck is trying to make? Do you feel she successfully makes it? Why or why not? 3. What American values are reflected in the novels of L’Amour & McCarthy? Provide specific examples from the texts. 4. How do the two authors differ from one another in their biographical and stylistic backgrounds? 5. Muck argues that the two are “different yet complementary”. How so? In other words, what is Muck referring to here? 6. Is McCarthy a Postmodern, Gnostic, or Materialist writer? How might religion inform each of these interpretations of his work? 7. Both L’Amour and McCarthy incorporate “the journey” and the “fight between good and evil” in their work. How do they approach these themes in a similar manner? How are they different? Is religion incorporated by both authors to illustrate these themes or are the themes merely implicit illustrations of religion in our culture? 8. How do both approach the issue of values? Is religion incorporated by both authors to illustrate these issues or are values merely implicit illustrations of religion in our culture?

Mark Hulsether: “Like A Sermon” 1. What part of the cultural diamond is Hulsether interested in? Why? 2. What is the main argument that Hulsether attempts to make? Is he successful? Why or why not? 3. What are the four levels of Madonna studies? 4. What is liberal theology and how, according to Hulsether, might Madonna videos be informed by liberation theology? Are her videos always an accurate reflection of this type of theology? Why or why not? 5. How does Hulsether interpret Madonnas video “Like a Prayer?” Do you agree with his interpretation? Why or why not?