Welcome to 458!

Hey everyone, welcome to Media Literacy Education. I think this semester should be a lot of fun.

One of the aims of the course is to explore the relationship between media, self and society. To help us start this exploration, here's something from media scholar Larry Grossberg in which he explores how we can understand what matters to us.

While critics generally recognize that meanings, and even desires, are organized into particular structures or maps, they tend to think of mood as formless and disorganized. But affect is also organized; it operates within and, at the same time, produces maps which direct our investments in and into the world; these maps tell us where and how we can become absorbed—not into the self but into the world—as potential locations for our self-identifications, and with what intensities. This ‘absorption’ or investment constructs the places and events which are, or can become, significant to us. They are the places at which we can construct our own identity as something to be invested in, as something that matters. (Grossberg 1992, 57) 

On that note, here's something that has mattered to me since I was a child.

While Grossberg's article specifically addresses how media audiences become fans, we're going to expand upon his discussion of 'mattering maps' to include some 'weightier matters'--social issues that interest and affect us.

Among the issues that I'm interested in exploring is our culture's treatment (and media's representations) of masculinity--how we define and perform 'manhood.' This is a growing field of study, as more people realize that promoting gender equality necessarily involves rethinking how we've traditionally understood what it means to be a man. Here's a cool Kickstarter doc that takes a stab at it.

Superhero stories (both comics and movies) are especially problematic when it comes to representations of masculinity. These supermen are strong and brave, sometimes intelligent, oftentimes selfish, and almost always unfairly treat women. Even the kid stuff falls into this same trap--think of our favorite super-family, The Incredibles. Who is gifted with strength and speed? Flexibility and invisibility?

I don't feel entirely comfortable with how superhero stories are modeling what it means to be a man for my two young boys. So, as part of last year's Stories for Change, I (along with illustration student Cody Robles) developed superMEN, a series of 4 short web-comics that reimagined superheroes (Batman, Superman, Wolverine & Iron Man) as dads. The idea of re-envisioning superheroes as dads isn't entirely new...

In certain comics storylines...

from The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

from Wolverine: Origins

...and in other fan-creations...

'Uncanny Dad' by Andry Rajoelina

'Batdad' by Andry Rajoelina

But we wanted to take it even further--to appropriate these male superheroes to promote some alternative ideas about masculinity, defined here by scholar Cooper Thompson...

• Boys must learn to accept their vulnerability, learn to express a range of emotions such as fear and sadness, and learn to ask for help and support in appropriate situations.
• Boys must learn to be gentle, nurturant, cooperative, and communicative, and, in particular, learn non-violent means of resolving conflicts.
• Boys must learn to accept those attitudes and behaviors which have traditionally been labeled as feminine as necessary for full human development--thereby reducing homophobia and misogyny. This is tantamount to teaching boys to love other boys and girls.

So, here's a sneak peek at our Batman comic...

And here's a quote from Brigham Young (referenced in David Bednar's recent address on social media, actually) that can help introduce us to the idea of critical media literacy...

"Every discovery in science and art, that is really true and useful to mankind has been given by direct revelation from God, though but few acknowledge it. It has been given with a view to prepare the way for the ultimate triumph of truth, and the redemption of the earth from the power of sin and Satan. We should take advantage of all these great discoveries, the accumulated wisdom of ages, and give our children the benefit of every branch of useful knowledge, to prepare them to step forward and efficiently do their part in the great work." (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A Widtsoe [1954], 18-19)

For next week:

• Review the syllabus, the TMA Viewing & Creation Policy, etc. 
• Read Kellner & Share "Critical Media Literacy, Democracy and the Reconstruction of Education” , complete and submit Study Guide #1 (via Learning Suite).
• Continue thinking about what matters to you. Start developing a pitch for the Big Idea (Sept 16).
• EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: The Salt Lake Comic Con is this weekend. Guess who will be there? Stan Lee, Lou Ferrigno, Charisma Carpenter (and Alan Tudyk and a bunch more Whedon alum), the dude who plays Arrow on Arrow, the dude who played the Green Power Ranger on Power Rangers, the one and only Napoleon Dynamite (and the list goes on and on). If you want some extra points, go, take some notes, find some correlations between what you see and your developing understanding of 'critical media literacy' and 'stories for change' and report back to us next week.