U of M to offer course on MTV reality shows
WANDA PUNCTURE STAFF
PHOTO: MEGHAN CRISPERS
In an attempt to attract more students to University of Manitoba’s ailing media studies department, faculty members have constructed a class called “Realism and Music Television.” The class, starting next year, will focus on a number of popular reality-TV shows currently on MTV like Yo Mama, My Super Sweet 16, Date My Mom and Laguna Beach.
Franklin Garcia, head of U of M’s media studies department, said that the popularity of these shows demand that they be studied in a scholarly setting. “It’s important that we look at these shows seriously. I think shows like Yo Mama indicate not only a trend, but a movement towards a different way of thinking about the world.”
“Yo mama so fat when her beeper goes off, people thought she was backing up. That statement uses creativity and clever phrasing; I think it’s something that we need to examine. These shows give us that opportunity,” said Garcia, whose mama is morbidly obese because of a rare and debilitating congenital glandular disorder.
Second year Psychology student, Tricia Andrews, agrees. “It’s, like, super important that we, like, look at these shows as a way of, you know, seeing, like, stuff that, like, goes on in the world,” said the remarkably stupid Andrews.
“Like when Tessa and Raquel went down to Cabo. I mean, it was, like, important. Then, like, Tyler told Kyndra he still loved her. It was, like, really touching,” she added.
Garcia notes that the class will not be a walk in the park. There will be an essay and possibly even an exam at the end of the year. “I think it is crucial that, going in, students don’t think that all we will be doing is watching TV. We will be watching television and talking about it.”
Andrews says that she would still like to take the course. “If it, like, fits into my schedule I’d like to take it. It won’t be, like, too hard, because, like, those people are, like, dumb people and stuff.”
But not everyone agrees. “These kinds of courses really work to discredit those of us who want to work on serious degrees,” said baldly hypocritical Film Studies student Sandra Sellers. “What are they even going to do with their degree when they leave school?”
Garcia hopes that the popularity of the class will translate into more students choosing media studies. “If all goes well we will offer more ‘Realism and Television’ courses. We hope to do one on America’s Next Top Model. I’d really like to do a unit on Miss J.”
