FMS 394: Teens, Film, and U.S. Culture Lesson 1: Introduction to the Course

Professor Megan Biddinger Academic Associate, Department of English Teaches courses in Media and Cultural Studies PhD in Communication, University of Michigan Research Interests: Gender, Sexuality, Religion, and Popular Culture

In This Lesson Part 1: Course Overview and Expectations Part 2: Setting the Stage: Historical Background and Context 1957

Part 1: Course Overview and Expectations Rebel Without A Cause (1955) Directed by Nicholas Ray

Course Overview and Expectations In Every Lesson: – Readings – Lecture – Screening – Discussion Questions (e-board)

Course Overview and Expectations Participation (25 Points): – eBoard Response 1: Directly address a thought question Response 2: Respond to a classmates answer to a different question Due: Noon (AZ Time) the Sunday following the lesson due date Must be substantive, well-written, and respectful

Course Overview and Expectations Exams and Writing Assignments 2 Exams (15 Pts each) Open-book/note No late exams accepted Paper Proposal (15 Pts) Final Paper (30 Pts) Pay close attention to the instructions for all assignments in the syllabus!

Course Overview and Expectations What you can expect from me: – Participation on the eBoard – Clear and constructive feedback on assignments – Timely responses to s Within 24hrs during the week and 48hrs on weekends. – Availability to converse via phone or Skype

Part 2: Setting the Stage: Historical Background and Context Gidget (1959) Directed by Paul Wendkos

Guiding Questions How did post-WWII culture produce new understandings of and emphasis on teenagers? When and why did teens become so important to the film industry and film culture in the U.S.? How did/do films shape the way we think about teens and their place in the social order?

The “Birth” of the Teenager 1904: Psychologist G. Stanley Hall identifies a distinct developmental phase between puberty and mature adulthood.  “Teen” years particularly significant and fraught By 1935 the term “teen-ager” is widely used in the U.S.  Teens often seen as troubled and troubling to the social order

The “Birth” of the Teenager By the 1950s, teens, as a generation, were unique in at least three ways:  Population density  Affluence  Generational cohesion

The “Birth” of the Teenager Teens as Trouble and as Treasure – Juvenile Delinquency – Also a burgeoning market: Mld Mld

Hollywood's Turn to Teens Hollywood beset by multiple woes: Economic Political Cultural

New Production Strategies New Production Strategies: – Exotic, timely, and/or lurid subject matter – Substandard budget and production schedule – Teenagers as target audience Girls in Prison (1956) dir. Edward Cahn

Hollywood's Turn to Teens What is a “Teenpic” – A version of the “exploitation” film Advertising and promotion of a film Film's appeal to its actual audience A particular kind of movie – A genre of film Looking for patterns (and exceptions)

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