English 110 (Section 7): College Writing 1

English 110 (Section 7): College Writing 1 Special Topic – Comedy as Critique

Queens College, Spring 2017 Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:40pm-3:30pm, KY 416

Instructor: Allison Douglass Office: Klapper 533 Office Hours: [MW 12:30-1:30] Email: [email protected]

Blog URL: 110comedycritique.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The primary goal of English 110 is to introduce you to the modes of writing and questioning that are at the heart of a liberal arts education and the Queens curriculum. In English 110, you will pursue questions of scholarly consequence as you build the authority you will need to write your way into existing intellectual conversations. At Queens, every section of English 110 takes on a particular topic for students to explore in their writing, and this section will examine the ways in which comedy, satire, humor, and play can be utilized as modes of critique. Because the comedic texts we will study this semester are performing some of the same critical moves that we will perform as writers, we will look at them as both objects of analysis and also as possible models for the work that we do in the university.

The famous satirist behind Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift, wrote that satire is like a mirror “wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own.” What he meant, of course, is that whether we recognize it or not, comedy is often making fun of us as much as anyone else. Humor, through its sense of play, often tricks us into reconsidering our opinion, or may turn society’s values completely upside-down. It can also be a shocking and surprising mode for presenting unpopular beliefs or using form as a shield while harshly criticizing the powerful. Swift, like so many comedic writers before and since, hoped to hold his mirror up to society and to its most important individuals. This kind of work can be witty and ironic, sometimes ridiculous, often biting and occasionally cruel. And it is always written with careful attention to the persuasive powers of writing.

Looking at a range of both historical and contemporary types of comedy, we will explore how these modes work, why an author might choose to write in them, how they define an audience (and reject an opposition), and how they use style and tone to persuade. These are questions we could ask about all writing, and indeed we will study comedy as a means to examine and improve our own writing. While studying the persuasive tools in the comedian’s repertoire, students will become more conscious of the various rhetorical devices they use when writing. This semester we will write about comedy, write about theories of comedy, and we will even create comedic critiques of our own. In the process, you will learn how to construct more effective and more convincing arguments.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES In this course, students will:

Develop an awareness of the craft, rhetoric, and process of writing

Adapt the elements of writing–including thesis, audience, motive, evidence, analysis, and structure–to a variety of writing contexts

Read critically and write fluently in a variety of genres

Articulate how rhetoric and ideas work together to produce meaning

Make connections with other courses in terms of both content and methods of critical inquiry COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Queens College, CUNY | 65-30 Kissena Blvd. | Flushing, NY 11367 2 / 10

Presentation:……………………..5% Prewriting and In-Class Work:...15% Assignment 1:……………………10% Assignment 2:……………………15% Assignment 3:……………………20% Assignment 4:……………………15% Active Contributor Status:……...15% Reflective Cover Letters:………...5%

REQUIRED COURSE TEXTS AND MATERIALS: You will be asked to keep a notebook with all the in-class work you do this semester, so you will need to have a notebook solely devoted to this course. Reading assignments will be available via our course website: 110comedycritique.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu (these will include PDFs of texts, embedded videos, and links to sources elsewhere on the web). Some texts, including short video clips, satirical images and short poems will be screened or distributed in class. You will be required to rent or buy a few videos on Amazon/iTunes, but the total cost over the course of the semester should be under $20.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignment 1: Explaining a satirist’s perspective/Writing a persuasive argument 3-4 pages Draft due: Feb. 15; Final copy due: Feb. 22, 4pm

The Assignment: Imagine that someone you know has read or viewed one of the satirical pieces you have been assigned [a list of possibilities will be provided], but that you believe they have completely misunderstood it. They have either taken the text literally, or have taken the comedian’s argument at face value. In fact, they seem to think that the speaker is arguing the complete opposite point from the one you feel is actually being made. Your task is to write an essay that convinces this person to understand the text the way you do. Spending time closely examining at least one especially telling passage or moment, explain how the humor is used to critique its object and argue why or why not you think the humorous strategy is effective.

Assignment 2: Testing a Theory of Satire 4-6 pages Draft due: March 13; Final copy due: March 20, 4pm

The Assignment: Choose one of the theories of comedy we have studied and test it as an explanation for how the humor works in one primary “text” [a list of possibilities will be provided]. Identify several specific aspects of the image(s), or moments in the film, that seem to fit the theory best and explain why. Or, alternatively, find details that show the theory doesn’t quite work. Use the comedic text to test the theory, and be sure to fully demonstrate why the theory works or fails. In other words, explain what the theory says and then demonstrate why the specific details of one comedic piece do or do not fit the theory.

Assignment 3: Reconstructing satire’s references/Research project 8-10 pages Draft due: April 19; Final copy due: April 24, 4pm

The Assignment: For this research paper, you will choose one of the eighteenth century comedic pieces we have studied [a list will be provide], reconstruct the original meaning of one of its references or a set of its references, 3 / 10

and make a case about how that/those reference/s originally fit into the argument of the piece as a whole. The reference/s you choose should be topical to the author’s context and can include allusions to other works of art, historical figures, politicians, etc. You will select the reference/s you will examine in consultation with the instructor. There will be several steps that build to this assignment including a collective annotated bibliography about the time period in question that you will complete in cooperation with your classmates. We will discuss the steps of this project in detail.

Assignment 4: Writing Satire 3 page explication + creative project Draft due: May 8; Final project due: at final exam time and date

The Assignment: Think of a contemporary social or political issue that you feel strongly about. It should be a topic that reasonable people on both sides have taken positions on. You will create a satirical piece that argues for your view of the issue while subtly mocking or ridiculing the other side. The satire you create can be in any medium you choose (with my approval). You could use Swift’s “Modest Proposal” as a model and write a modest proposal of your own, or you could write a satire that pretends to embrace the very idea you intend to show is wrong. You could also create a parody video à la Stephen Colbert, or you could draw a critical comic. You can also think outside these possibilities. Using irony and other devices of satire, steer your audience away from the opinion you don’t hold toward the one you do. Remember as you work that many satirists don’t hope to ever persuade the other side, but rather to convince those who already share their beliefs that they are right.

For this project, you will also write a three-page explication that discusses the issue you’ve chosen to examine, your stance, and your choice of satirical method, and then proceeds to reflect on the process you underwent, discussing how well you were able to embody your ideas via whatever medium you chose. The satirical piece itself will vary based on medium, but if it is a written project, it should probably be about three pages; if it is a video project, it should probably be about two minutes long; visual projects should take whatever form is appropriate. You will work closely with the instructor in order to determine whether or not your project meets the needs of the assignment. If you want to pursue some other form of comedy that wouldn’t strictly be considered “satire,” that may be all right, but you will have to get special permission from me to do so.

COVER LETTERS: With the final drafts of assignments 1-3, you will also submit a brief reflective cover letter of about ½ page on a separate sheet of paper that discusses your experience of writing the essay (this is already built into assignment 4, which will have its own reflective component). You may write about whatever seems most relevant, but you should consider addressing the following: What was I trying most to improve about my writing in this paper? What edits did I attempt between the rough draft and the final copy? What did I feel was most successful about this essay? What do I feel is still lacking?

PRESENTATION: For this course you will also sign up to give one 5-10 minute presentation. You will sign up to present on one of the sets of assigned reading. You will then find and read an academic article that might help us better understand something about one of our readings or film clips. In class, you will summarize what you read and ask at least two open-ended discussion questions about how the article you read relates to our larger discussion.

[CONTRACT GRADING AND PORTFOLIO OPTION: On syllabus day, we will discuss as a class whether or not to do portfolio grading in this course. If we do, the system will work as follows. For each graded part of the class, I will provide students with a set of baseline requirements with objective criteria. Every student who consistently meets these criteria will be guaranteed the grade of B in the course. However, I will not grade individual assignments. On individual assignments, I will simply give written feedback. If the assignment fails to meet the requirements, I will mark it with a “U” to indicate that the work is, as of now, unsatisfactory. If the work is exceptional, I will mark it with an “H” (for honors) so that students have a sense of where they stand in the class. 4 / 10

At the end of the semester, students would have the chance to submit all of their formal assignments in a portfolio, which they can revise if they choose based on my earlier feedback. I will grade that portfolio at the end of the semester. Students who have met every baseline requirement throughout the semester will be guaranteed grades of “B,” those who have surpassed expectations will receive grades between B+ and A+, and students who have neglected the baseline requirements listed will receive grades below “B.”

A sheet is attached that lists the baseline requirements that would be expected of students.

I would also meet with each student individually at least twice during the semester, and at each meeting, I would give them a sense of where I think their grade stands in the course at that time.

If the class as a whole is not comfortable with this system, we will stick with traditional grading policies, wherein each formal assignment will receive a grade of A-F, where A= exceptional work; B=above average work; C=satisfactory work; D=unsatisfactory work; F=unacceptable or incomplete work. If we choose this system, we will not submit final portfolios, and all grades will be final.]

[ASSIGNMENT FORMAT AND LATE PAPER POLICY: You will turn in all drafts and final papers in hard copy by the dates indicated on this syllabus. We will workshop drafts in class, and you will then revise to showcase your most polished, sophisticated work. The final version will be accompanied by the stamped rough draft and a ½ page reflection on your writing and revision process. All final drafts should consistently follow one style guide (MLA, APA, or Chicago).

Papers submitted after the designated due date and time (usually 4pm on a class day) will be accepted for 48 hours, but {contract grading: if you submit more than two late papers, it will affect your final grade} {traditional grading: will be docked a letter grade for that assignment}. No late work will be accepted more than 48 hours after the original deadline. {contract grading: If you submit something in your final portfolio that I did not receive within 48 hours of its original deadline, you will receive, at most, half credit for the paper.}

You may give drafts to me at any time via email for notes, but even if I have seen a draft, you must still submit hard copies when otherwise required for credit.]

[TWITTER DISCUSSION REQUIREMENT: In this course we will maintain an ongoing conversation about the readings we do via Twitter. Every student will be required to either provide the class with an existing Twitter username or to create one especially for this course. Each week, as you do the reading, you will be required to write at least three tweets in response, essentially “live-tweeting” the reading, using the hashtag #110comedycritique. You may reply to one another as you tweet or simply respond to the text itself. This requirement will make up a major component of your “Active Contributor” grade in this course.]

[ACTIVE CONTRIBUTOR STATUS: I expect you to take seriously your vital role in this classroom. The responsibilities you have accepted by enrolling include coming prepared to class, contributing to class discussions in a thoughtful and consistent way, staying up-to-date on any necessary changes in scheduling or course requirements, and contributing regularly to the Twitter discussion of our readings (at least three tweets per week).

To become/stay an active contributor, you should do these things:

· Come to class every day prepared with necessary materials and having done the reading · Come to class with something to say · Tweet using our hashtag #110comedycritique in response to our readings at least three times/week · Ask questions when you have them

** Attendance is extremely important to me. If you have consistent attendance issues, you WILL NOT receive a passing grade for your active contributor status. If your attendance issues are significant enough that they affect your work in the class, I will speak to you about your options in terms of dropping the course.] 5 / 10

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY: Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own. The following are all examples of plagiarism (though this is not an all-inclusive list):  Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and documentation attributing the words to their source  Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source  Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source  Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework assignments  Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting & pasting” from various sources without proper attribution. (http://web.cuny.edu/academics/info-central/policies/academic- integrity.pdf)

Plagiarizing material on a paper in this course is grounds for failing that assignment. A second offense is grounds for failing the course. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me before an assignment is due. If I find that you have plagiarized, I am required to fill out the incident report and submit it to a college administrator.

SAFE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT: In this class, we will spend a great portion of our time in discussion. It is extremely important to me that every member of the class be treated with respect. We are all different, and because of differences in gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or just ways of thinking, we are bound to disagree from time to time – this is fine. However, all students should consider this classroom a safe environment, and it is the responsibility of every one of you to maintain that safety through respect and kindness.

THE WRITING CENTER: I encourage you to begin drafting papers as early as possible and to take advantage of the Queens Writing Center located in Kiely Hall 229. Writing tutors will not edit your papers for you, but they are trained to work with you as you develop your writing at various stages of the process. Often students find that writing centers are most beneficial when they visit regularly, even at multiple points while writing the same paper, so that they develop a dialogue about their work. You can also work with the Writing Center online at http://writingatqueens.qc.cuny.edu/the-writing-center/.

SPECIAL ACCOMODATION: If you have a learning, sensory, or physical reason for special accommodation in this class, contact the Office of Special Services in 171 Kiely Hall at 718-997-5870 and please inform me.

COURSE CALENDAR

* I reserve the right to edit this calendar if necessary. ** Readings & clips available on our course website UNIT 1: Working with Texts

Date What’s Going On Readings & Due Dates M Jan 30 Welcome, Gettin’ into It, Goals, Big Picture, etc.

W Feb 1 Syllabus Negotiation Day + Writing Process

M Feb 6 Close Reading, Annotating, Dismantling Read/Watch: “News” “News” selections on Discuss “News” selections: course site The Daily Show (“Wrongnado”), The Colbert Report (“Truthiness” and “People Destroying America”), and The Onion (“American Flag 6 / 10

Recalled”)

W Feb 8 Generating Ideas; Building the Thesis; Drafting

M Feb 13 COLLEGE CLOSED – NO CLASS

W Feb 15 Peer Review Day: Assignment 1 draft due. Bring: Draft of Sketch Comedy And begin discussion of Sketch Comedy selections: Assignment 1 Monty Python’s Flying Circus (“Argument Clinic”), Saturday Night Live (“Chippendales Audition,” “Palin/Hillary,” “The Bubble”), Watch: Sketch Comedy Chappelle’s Show (“Clayton Bigsby”), Inside Amy Schumer selections on course site (“Compliments”), and Key & Peele (“Obama Anger Translator”)

M Feb 20 COLLEGE CLOSED – NO CLASS UNIT 2: Crafting Your Response

W Feb 22 Justify Your Position; Evidence Turn in: Final Copy of Assignment 1 + Assignment 1 Final Copy Due stamped draft & reflection M Feb 27 Using a Lens Watch & Read: Slapstick Chaplin clip on course Discuss Chaplin in Modern Times through the lenses of various site & theories of comedy, explained in John Morreall’s Comic Relief, Comic Relief, chapter 1 Chapter 1, “No Laughing Matter.”

W March 1 Organizing Your Ideas

M March 6 Structural Elements Watch: Standup Standup selections on course site And discuss Standup selections from: Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Chris Rock, Eddie Izzard, Louis C.K., and Wanda Sykes

W March 8 Constructing Paragraphs

M March 13 Peer Review: Assignment 2 draft due. Bring: Draft of Satire & Assignment 2 History And begin discussion of C18 Satire selections: Swift, “A Description of a City Shower,” Addison, “The Trial of the Read: C18 Satire Petticoat” selections on course site

UNIT 3: Research & Using Sources

W March 15 Genre of the Academic Research Paper

M March 20 Finding Sources Turn in: Final copy of Visual Comedy Assignment 2 + draft & Discuss & find good sources for Visual Comedy selections by: reflection Duchamp, Decamps, Tansey, Robbins, Oppenheim, Cattelan, Manzoni View: Visual Comedy selections on course site Assignment 2 Final copy due 7 / 10

W March 22 Library Day: Meet in Queens library, room TBD! M March 27 Reading, Tracking, Using Sources Watch: Camp & Drag Camp & Drag selection on course site And discuss Camp & Drag selection from: RuPaul’s Drag Race & Divine in Pink Flamingos

W March 29 Synthesizing Sources in Paragraphs

M April 3 Citation & Using Sources Ethically Bring: Info on two Political sources you might use Cartoons And discuss Political Cartoon selections from: for the Annotated Gillray, Daumier, Nast, Minor, Young, Zec, Blitt, Noth, & Lecctr Bibliography

View: Political Cartoon selections on course site

W April 5 Preparing the Draft Post: Your two entries to the Collective Collective Annotated Bibliography Due Annotated Bibliography April 10-18 SPRING RECESS – NO CLASS W April 19 Peer Review: Draft of Research Paper due. Bring in: Draft of Animated Research Paper Comedy And begin discussion of South Park episodes: “Stunning and Brave,” “Douche and Turd,” “Osama bin Laden Has Watch: At least two of Farty Pants,” and “Margaritaville” the four South Park episodes on course site THURSDAY CLASSES FOLLOW MONDAY SCHEDULE April 20 Revision – The Big Picture

UNIT 4: Style

M April 24 Humor as Critique: Working in Other Media Read: Walser and Literary Atwood selections Comedy (Short And discuss Walser “Job Application,” and Atwood, “Bad News,” Stories) “There Was Once,” and “Unpopular Gals”

W April 26 Appealing to your Audience

M May 1 Individual Style & Balance Turn in: Final copy of Literary Research Paper + draft Comedy And discuss cummings “next to of course god America i” and Parker & reflection (Poetry) “One Perfect Rose” Read: e. e. cummings Final Copy of Research Paper Due and Parker poems W May 3 Revision: Editing for Clarity, Style

M May 8 Peer Review: Assignment 4 draft due Bring: Draft of Comedy & Film Assignment 4 And discuss Dr. Strangelove Watch: Dr. Strangelove W May 10 Impactful Language, Conciseness 8 / 10

M May 15 Proofreading Watch: TBD – we will Comedy & Film discuss what to watch (We may discuss another film to watch for today) this week as a class.

W May 17 Reflection, Moving Forward Turn In: In-Class Journal Final Exam We will meet the day of our scheduled final exam to conclude our Turn In: Final portfolio W May 24 semester. We will view/screen your final projects on that date and with all revisions & 1:45pm-3:45pm submit revised portfolios. final copy of Assignment 4. 9 / 10

CONTRACT GRADING BASELINE REQUIREMENTS The students who meet all the objective requirements listed below will be guaranteed a grade of “B” in this course.

Presentation (5% of grade) - Be ready to present on the day you signed up - Summarize an academic article from a scholarly journal (other sources must be approved by me) - Explain the relevance of that article to one of our class readings - Ask two open-ended discussion questions based on the article

Prewriting and In-Class Work (15% of grade) - Hand in a journal at the end of the semester wherein you’ve done all the in-class writings I asked for from all the days you were present - You may omit in-class writings for up to FOUR days that you were absent. After four, the journal no longer meets baseline requirements - Give substantial feedback to classmates on each peer review day - Come to class with a full draft on each peer review day - Contribute your two entries to the collective annotated bibliography that the class will do together in preparation for the research paper in Unit 3. Your two entries must each have: o An MLA style citation o A full paragraph wherein you summarize the source and what you found most useful about it

Each Formal Assignment (together, 60% of grade) - Meet the length requirement - Submit your stamped rough draft, your final draft, and your reflective cover letter (see below) - Do not submit more than two formal assignments late - *Answer the question of the prompt (be on-topic) - *Assert an arguable thesis - *Support claims with relevant evidence - *Integrate the kinds of evidence the prompt requires: o For essay one – specific text or detail from your object of study o For essay two – specific text or detail from your object of study + specific evidence from the theory you have chosen as a lens o For essay three – specific evidence from the research you have done (cite at least four sources) o For essay four – whatever is necessary to provide context in your explication - *Document any evidence from outside sources according to a style guide (MLA, APA, or Chicago), which means you MUST: o Include in-text citation o Include a Works Cited/References/Bibliography (depending on your style guide) page with entries for each source you used - Make substantial revisions between the rough draft and final copy * Items with an asterisk may be revised for the final portfolio.

Active Contributor Status (15% of grade) - Miss fewer than four classes - Do not make a habit of being more than five minutes late to class - Come to class having done the readings - Contribute to class discussions most days (at least 75%) - Tweet three times per week about the class reading using #110comedycritique 10 / 10

Reflective Cover Letters (5% of grade) - Submit a ½ page cover letter for assignments 1-3. - Address at least one (but as many as you want) of the following questions: What was I trying most to improve about my writing in this paper? What edits did I attempt between the rough draft and the final copy? What did I feel was most successful about this essay? What do I feel is still lacking?