Today’s readings include a piece by Camille Paglia entitled “Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Hollywood Are Ruining Women.” This piece has provoked a lot of responses–let’s hear yours. Write a thorough critique of the article. What is her argument? Which points do you agree with, and which not? Is Paglia’s evidence solid?
Due:
In today’s class, we will be talking about female composers active in art music today. Select a piece by a living woman composer and send it to me before class. Be prepared to tell the class about the piece and the composer.
Women in contemporary pop music – Pop singers and 21st-century feminism
Reading: Camille Paglia, “Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Hollywood Are Ruining Women,” Hollywoodreporter.com, 6 December 2012: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/taylor-swift-katy-perry-hollywood-398095
Ramin Setoodeh, “Taylor Swift Dishes on Her New Album ‘Red,’ Dating, Heartbreak, and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’,” Dailybeast.com, 22 October 2012: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/22/taylor-swift-dishes-on-her-new-album-red-dating-heartbreak-and-grey-s-anatomy.html
Viewing: Katy Perry accepting Billboard’s “Woman of the Year” award in 2012: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/473884/katy-perrys-woman-of-the-year-acceptance-speech-video#/news/katy-perry-s-woman-of-the-year-acceptance-1008036452.story
Listening: Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Katy Perry, “I Kissed a Girl”
Tasks:
Women in art music today – Living women composers
Reading: Kristin Kuster, “Taking Off My Pants,” New York Times “Opinionator” blog, 17 July 2013: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/taking-off-my-pants/?_r=0
Amy Beth Kirsten, “The ‘Woman Composer’ Is Dead,” Newmusicbox.org, 19 March 2012: http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/the-woman-composer-is-dead/
Listening: TBD [Class selections of music by living women composers]
Tasks: