FSEM1010-06.FSEM: Rhetorical Power of Humr.F16.Gaetano,George

George Gaetano

Document Type

Syllabi

School

CLA

Department

COMM

Course Subject

FSEM

Course Number

1010

Course Section

06

Course Title

FSEM: Rhetorical Power of Humr

Academic Term and Year

Fall 2016

Credits

4.00

Area of Study

FSEM

Course Description

In addition to entertaining people, humor can also be used to persuade. It can aid in shaping people’s perceptions, changing opinions, and even reinforcing and intensifying existing beliefs. In this First-Year Seminar we will examine how people from groups who are marginalized by either their gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, are able to use humor to exercise power that the dominant culture often denies them. We will analyze the comic stand up routines and satirical writings of humorists from such groups, as well as programs like The Daily Show, SNL, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and examine how humor is used to influence people’s beliefs and opinions concerning issues of sexism, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia.

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