In an attempt to make college somehow even sexier, Rutgers University is offering a class on Beyoncé. “Politicizing Beyoncé” is taught by Kevin Allred, a doctoral student and lecturer in the New Jersey school’s Department of Women and Gender Studies, who's using the course to attempt to explain how “the performer’s music and career are used as lenses to explore American race, gender, and sexual politics.” Allred uses Beyoncé’s music videos and lyrics in tandem with “readings from the Black feminist canon, including the writings of bell hooks, Alice Walker, and even abolitionist Sojourner Truth.” According to Rutgers Today, “Course topics include the extent of Beyoncé’s control over her own aesthetic, whether her often half-naked body is empowered or stereotypical, and her more racy performances as her alter ego, 'Sasha Fierce.'" In other words, it’s a lot like every other pop culture-related women’s studies class, but it’s all about Beyoncé, so maybe slightly more awesome.
Join the discussion...