Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: KEEPING IT REAL: CULTURAL MIRRORS FROM KIM K TO SIMA AUNTY (MARTEL)

Department: College Courses

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 1

Description: Whether you’ve seen clips on social media, watched video essays on Youtube, or religiously follow the Bachelor, most of us have come into contact with reality television at some point or the other. Love it or hate it, it’s become a cultural staple all over the world. In this course we will delve into the diverse landscape of reality TV shows from various places and time periods, from Keeping Up With the Kardashians to Indian Matchmaking. How does reality TV reflect the world around it and the culture that it comes from- and what kind of intellectual and artistic value does it have? Students will discuss these questions after class readings and in-class screenings, researching and learning about different perspectives, and for their final project, will propose an idea for their own reality TV show. The class will aim to cover an episode of a different reality show every 1-2 weeks.