Best Non-Required Class

WATCHING ‘FIGHT CLUB’ FOR HOMEWORK: YES, PLEASE

There are times in a college career when general education requirements become tedious and tiresome, but there is a little glimmer of hope at the end of this sometimes very dark tunnel: electives.

Elective courses are often geared towards topics that are certainly more interesting than algebra or biology, but also fulfill certain credits towards graduation. What could be better?

Gender, sexuality, and race in mainstream media are examined. photo: Sarai Nissan • CU Denver Sentry — Gender, sexuality, and race in mainstream media are examined.
photo: Sarai Nissan • *CU Denver Sentry*

One of the more popular electives among students is the upper level course Gender, Sexuality, and Race in American Pop Culture.

This course is often taught by Professor Marylynne Lawson whom upon introducing herself and her course usually tries to smoke the weak ones out by emphasizing the difficulty of her class.

But have no fear; Professor Lawson’s course is perfectly suitable for those who want to analyze the way gender, sexuality, and race are portrayed in mainstream cinema and literature.

The class is popular because watching films is an enormous part of the curriculum, but this class’ value goes beyond mere entertainment. This course is critical because it comprehensively dissects the way femininity and masculinity are portrayed in films like Fight Club and Thelma and Louise, as well as the critical theory behind it.

Veering towards a feminist discourse, the course allows students to reexamine the way they view popular culture in terms of gender and race, as well as sexuality. Surely, it is an upper level course and this comes with such expectations, but what is better than watching American Beauty for homework?