pop culture in the classroom

Dr. Maria DeBlassie joins me to discuss engaging with banned media, and dealing with the discomfort and joy of growth. Is Gone With the Wind watchable with context? What happens when I force myself to watch it and realize how far into the present its influence reaches? And, I finally read Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase and see what the fuss is about: but am I allowed to enjoy it?

Content notes: this episode discusses racism and intimate partner violence.

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Gone With the Wind, Lord of Scoundrels, and Variations on the Theme of Growth

Dr. Julie Moody-Freeman, host of Black Romance Podcast, uses a multi-modal cultural studies perspective to engage students in critical engagement with Black romance texts to "liberate learners from the mimicry of the powerful."

082. Critical Reading as Liberation from Mimicry of the Powerful

Dr. Margarita Guillory, associate professor of religion at BU, shares her knowledge about the history of African diaspora conjuring practices, how they are and have been portrayed in popular culture, and how Black millennials and younger generations are practicing witchcraft digitally. Dr. Maria DeBlassie co-hosts. This conversation lays the groundwork for next episode, in which Maria and I build on what we learned from Margarita to discuss Black witches in contemporary romance. 

066. African Diaspora Conjuring Practices in Popular Culture

Romance scholar Eric Selinger explores different types questions that have been asked about popular romance (not enough), how romance research has come in waves (three, to be precise), and asks "how can I make this romance more interesting?" (you always can).

063. The Three Waves of Romance with Eric Selinger

Jayashree Kamble, a romance scholar and Vice President of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance, joins me to discuss the various ways romance can be studied. She gives a brief overview of the history of the romance genre and pop culture research, why she doesn't encounter the hierarchy of taste when teaching romance, and explains who romance scholarship is for. 

060. Romance Research with Jayashree Kamble

Dr. Maria DeBlassie, educator and writer, on pleasure activism, how romance is a safe place to explore fantasy, emotions, and relationships, how media acts as a conduct manual where people can learn emotional literacy, and the importance of cultivating joy as a form of social justice.

We also discuss Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient, which Maria discussed with her students in class, through the lens of pleasure activism.

041. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang with Dr. Maria DeBlassie

Denise Williams (Golden Heart Finalist, author of forthcoming How to Fail at Flirting) and I discuss the class she’s co-teaching called “Moving Past Bodice Ripping Toward Shredding the Patriarchy: Romance Novels as Tools for Justice.”
 
We discuss her work in student affairs and diversity training, how to fail at naming your debut novel, and how to silence your inner critic. Also: are the kids these days less snobby about romance novels than previous generations? Is romance an inherently feminist genre?
 
Denise will be back in a future episode to discuss Teach Me by Olivia Dade and Cinnamon Roll heroes.


pop culture in the classroom

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