Socrates vs. Seinfeld: Faculty Teach Pop Culture

When doing research, some Harvard professors slip on white cotton gloves to protect 16-century manuscripts, or conduct controlled interviews in sterilized laboratories.

Others watch "The Simpsons."

Classes on Michael Jackson or the poodle skirt are relatively rare in Harvard's hallowed halls, but a handful of faculty members focus their energies on MTV instead of Machiavelli, and analyze Coca-Cola advertisements rather than Cezanne.

And their numbers are growing. Today, nearly every department in the humanities and the social sciences offers courses in contemporary popular culture.

Their ranks include linguist Bert R. Vaux, who sometimes illustrates his lectures with examples culled from the previous night's sitcoms, John R. Stilgoe, Orchard professor of the history of landscape development, who gives an entire lecture on Coca-Cola advertisements, and History and Literature instructor Stuart M. Semmel, whose class includes British pop music from the decades after World War II.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

A few decades ago, however, an academic analysis of artifacts of popular culture would have been practically unheard-of.

Lynne B. Layton, assistant clinical professor of psychology, remembers writing a paper on folk singer Joni Mitchell for a graduate class on Marxist aesthetics in 1974.

"I think my professor thought I was a lunatic," she says. "He was in his 40s, and probably didn't even know who Joni Mitchell was."

But, Layton says, she remembers feeling that Mitchell spoke more directly to her life than the other high cultural works they were studying.

Still, practitioners say resistance to the field of popular culture has not disappeared.

"I don't think that the academy yet fully welcomes it on a par with other disciplines," Layton says.

Layton recalls an article about Madonna she wrote a few years ago for the Boston Globe. The article attracted attention from other media, and in the aftermath, Layton was interviewed for several talk shows.

"The way [the media] framed the whole story was, `Can you believe they are teaching Madonna at Harvard?'" she says. "There was some real condescension about it."

Homer Simpson: Linguistic Innovator

Today's students of popular culture point to their results to legitimize their disciplines.

Vaux, who is writing a book tentatively titled X-Speak: The Language of Young America, gets much of his material on what he calls the "MTV dialect" from television, radio and his students.

"[MTV's real-life drama] "The Real World" isbest, because it's unguarded speech," he says.

Regular watching of "The Simpsons" demonstratesHomer Simpson mutilating his speech in ways thatreveal "important phonological principles," Vauxsays.

Vaux's lecture class, Linguistics 80: "Dialectsof English," introduces students to some of thedifferent ways the English language is used today.

Semmel, an instructor in History andLiterature, teaches a seminar course incontemporary popular culture. Semmel says hisseven-person course, History and Literature 91r:"British Culture Since WWI," looks at both highculture and popular culture.

"But because it's studied in the period since1945, it becomes difficult to distinguish betweenhigh and popular culture," he says.

Semmel's class spends time on the increasinglyimportant pop music of post-war Britain, from therelatively wholesome "Teddy Boy" rock stars of the1950s, to the mods and rockers of the 1960s andthe punks of the 1970s.

Layton, who has taught classes in both women'sstudies and social studies, says popular cultureand politics are rapidly becomingindistinguishable.

"The line has become so blurred between[culture and politics], which seems to answer thequestion whether or not it's worth studying,"Layton said.

By Popular Demand

Critics of teaching popular culture at theundergraduate level say these new course offeringrespond too much to students who feel that Madonnais more relevant to their lives than Mozart.

Vaux says he believes teachers have to balancestudent demand with the importance of learning theclassics.

"To a certain degree, teachers have to adjusttheir teaching to appeal to their students," hesays.

When instructors receive marks lower than 2.8on the student questionnaires compiled by theCommittee on Undergraduate Education (CUE Guide),they have to take remedial teaching classes. If aninstructor dips below 2.8 more than once, he orshe can no longer teach.

To get higher ratings, Vaux suggests, someinstructors may use images from popular culture toengage waning student interest.

However, as Semmel suggests, "that may be morecommon off the syllabus than on."

Layton says she finds increasing studentinterest in popular culture entirelyunderstandable.

"Young people today construct their livesaround popular culture--it's their life," shesays. "To be honest, that's why I think I'minterested in it."

And students say popular culture can make acourse more immediately appealing.

"Linguistics 80 is a net for the linguisticsdepartment," says David A. Williams '00, who tookthe class this past fall and is considering jointconcentrating in linguistics and English.

Vaux warns instructors against drowningstudents in theory or methodology.

"You have to hook them first," he says. "Thenyou gradually teach them the tools of the trade."

Thesis topics that include issues of popularculture also abound. Jennifer D. Gootman '98 issubmitting a thesis to the History Department onpsychic hotlines. Although she says she did notspecifically set out to choose a topic of popularculture, she wanted to explore something that hadnot been studied previously.

"It's interesting, and it's always in themedia," Gootman says, adding that televisionadvertisements helped her choose a topic.

Sell-By Date

Instructors who study pop culture say it can bechallenging because is as unpredictable as nextyear's hemlines.

Layton, who lectures in universities across thecountry, says her rapidly-changing subject matterhas been something of an occupational hazard. Thepublicity information for her lecture isillustrated with a picture of Madonna, Axl Roseand Thelma and Louise.

"Since I made that publicity material, there'sa whole new generation of college students, andwho knows if they even care about Axl Rose," shesays.

Although general interest may wane when thesubject matter fades from the public view, someinstructors say its short shelf-life is preciselythe reason why it is important to study popularculture.

"If you don't make an effort to collect thisstuff, it will be lost forever," Vaux says.

Studying Ourselves

Students and researchers of popular culture saytheir field is plagued by an insidious feelingthat studying popular culture is not anintellectual challenge.

"[Skeptics say] it's studying yourself, andtherefore intellectually bankrupt. Studyingyourself is too easy," Vaux says.

Some resist using the term "popular culture" todescribe their work. Stilgoe, who devotes anentire lecture to the evolution of Coca-Colaadvertisements, says "popular culture" isdifficult to define.

"Everything I do tends to touch on whatAmericans have in common," he says. "But commonculture is not popular culture."

Layton says she hopes the study of popularculture will be more widely accepted in thefuture.

"I think it is very important to be able tounderstand and decode the bombardment of imagesthat we live with," she says.Professor John R. Stilgoe devotes an entirelecture of his course to the evolution ofCoca-Cola advertisements.

"[MTV's real-life drama] "The Real World" isbest, because it's unguarded speech," he says.

Regular watching of "The Simpsons" demonstratesHomer Simpson mutilating his speech in ways thatreveal "important phonological principles," Vauxsays.

Vaux's lecture class, Linguistics 80: "Dialectsof English," introduces students to some of thedifferent ways the English language is used today.

Semmel, an instructor in History andLiterature, teaches a seminar course incontemporary popular culture. Semmel says hisseven-person course, History and Literature 91r:"British Culture Since WWI," looks at both highculture and popular culture.

"But because it's studied in the period since1945, it becomes difficult to distinguish betweenhigh and popular culture," he says.

Semmel's class spends time on the increasinglyimportant pop music of post-war Britain, from therelatively wholesome "Teddy Boy" rock stars of the1950s, to the mods and rockers of the 1960s andthe punks of the 1970s.

Layton, who has taught classes in both women'sstudies and social studies, says popular cultureand politics are rapidly becomingindistinguishable.

"The line has become so blurred between[culture and politics], which seems to answer thequestion whether or not it's worth studying,"Layton said.

By Popular Demand

Critics of teaching popular culture at theundergraduate level say these new course offeringrespond too much to students who feel that Madonnais more relevant to their lives than Mozart.

Vaux says he believes teachers have to balancestudent demand with the importance of learning theclassics.

"To a certain degree, teachers have to adjusttheir teaching to appeal to their students," hesays.

When instructors receive marks lower than 2.8on the student questionnaires compiled by theCommittee on Undergraduate Education (CUE Guide),they have to take remedial teaching classes. If aninstructor dips below 2.8 more than once, he orshe can no longer teach.

To get higher ratings, Vaux suggests, someinstructors may use images from popular culture toengage waning student interest.

However, as Semmel suggests, "that may be morecommon off the syllabus than on."

Layton says she finds increasing studentinterest in popular culture entirelyunderstandable.

"Young people today construct their livesaround popular culture--it's their life," shesays. "To be honest, that's why I think I'minterested in it."

And students say popular culture can make acourse more immediately appealing.

"Linguistics 80 is a net for the linguisticsdepartment," says David A. Williams '00, who tookthe class this past fall and is considering jointconcentrating in linguistics and English.

Vaux warns instructors against drowningstudents in theory or methodology.

"You have to hook them first," he says. "Thenyou gradually teach them the tools of the trade."

Thesis topics that include issues of popularculture also abound. Jennifer D. Gootman '98 issubmitting a thesis to the History Department onpsychic hotlines. Although she says she did notspecifically set out to choose a topic of popularculture, she wanted to explore something that hadnot been studied previously.

"It's interesting, and it's always in themedia," Gootman says, adding that televisionadvertisements helped her choose a topic.

Sell-By Date

Instructors who study pop culture say it can bechallenging because is as unpredictable as nextyear's hemlines.

Layton, who lectures in universities across thecountry, says her rapidly-changing subject matterhas been something of an occupational hazard. Thepublicity information for her lecture isillustrated with a picture of Madonna, Axl Roseand Thelma and Louise.

"Since I made that publicity material, there'sa whole new generation of college students, andwho knows if they even care about Axl Rose," shesays.

Although general interest may wane when thesubject matter fades from the public view, someinstructors say its short shelf-life is preciselythe reason why it is important to study popularculture.

"If you don't make an effort to collect thisstuff, it will be lost forever," Vaux says.

Studying Ourselves

Students and researchers of popular culture saytheir field is plagued by an insidious feelingthat studying popular culture is not anintellectual challenge.

"[Skeptics say] it's studying yourself, andtherefore intellectually bankrupt. Studyingyourself is too easy," Vaux says.

Some resist using the term "popular culture" todescribe their work. Stilgoe, who devotes anentire lecture to the evolution of Coca-Colaadvertisements, says "popular culture" isdifficult to define.

"Everything I do tends to touch on whatAmericans have in common," he says. "But commonculture is not popular culture."

Layton says she hopes the study of popularculture will be more widely accepted in thefuture.

"I think it is very important to be able tounderstand and decode the bombardment of imagesthat we live with," she says.Professor John R. Stilgoe devotes an entirelecture of his course to the evolution ofCoca-Cola advertisements.