September 21st 2007 Posted in
Blogs
September 21, 2007 - Friday
Current mood: Pumped
Category: Pumped Blogging
So, my friend Jenny K who is a teacher was explaining charter schools to me the other day. I hope she doesn’t mind me using a direct quote of hers but she said, “Charter schools are way weird. Essentially anyone can create a school. Like, you could start the Matt Kelley Academy if you wanted.”
Click. Of course I should start a school. I even stole the name she suggested. I added “for wicked children (of the night) because wicked children are totally better than regualr children (I don’t really like kids) and if they are children of the night that means they are little badasses. Cool. My school will only accept bad ass kids.
Here’s the syllabus:
ANTH 356-25/ ITS 356-25/ ANTH 651-25
MATT KELLEY’S AWESOME CLASS OF SWEETNESS, SPRING 2008–EB, ROOM 128
TUESDAY & THURSDAY, 5:45AM—7:50 PM
Instructor: Matt Kelley (pronounced “Kelly”)
E-Mail: totallygaymuppet@yahoo.com Fax: 934-9896
Phone: 934-7984 (direct), 934-3508 (department)
Office Hours: Karaoke Bar, Tuesday & Thursday 10:15 PM—2:00 AM, or by appointment
TEXTS: Mostly Harry Potter books. We will probably also read some Swartzwelder books but most likely most class time will be spent watching TV.
This course is an exploration of the concepts of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, pizza, and Matt Kelley, and their intersections with anthropological theory and practice. We will analyze the forces of Snakeman, pizza, and weed from a variety of perspectives, addressing the following questions:
· How do theories of weed and pizza build upon and extend earlier ideas of awesomeness?
· How have the audio/visual signs and markers of pizza, Snakeman, and weed become embedded and contextualized in our daily lives and practices?
· What’s Matt Kelley’s favorite Buffy Episode?
· How do differences in such factors as snakes, bulldogs, tigers, guns, tacos, and blood shape one’s experiences of globalization, migration, and transnationalism?
· What are the connections between snakes/bulldogs and pizza? Do the forces of snakes/bulldogs have a liberatory potential, or do they merely reinforce the existing hegemony (or contribute to the formation of a new one)?
· Who benefits the most from eating too much pizza? Who suffers the most? (Hint: Both answers are Matt Kelley)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
20 % First Paper (5 - 6 pages, typed, double-spaced). Due Whenever
20 % Second Paper (5 - 6 pages, typed, double-spaced). Due Whenever.
20 % Class presentation (3 - 4 minutes). Presentation dates will be scheduled throughout the quarter. If I get too stoned we will skip the presentations.
30 % Third Paper (9 - 10 pages, typed, double-spaced for undergraduates. 18 - 20 pages for
graduate students). Due Whenevs.
10 % Attendance and Participation. If you skip class and sit in the back I will probably think you are pretty cool.
LATE POLICY FOR PAPERS:
Late papers will receive better grades—the later, the the better. I’m gonna have to read a bunch of these things and my guess is that most of them will probably be terrible. Keep em short and apply generous helpings of smart ass attitude and we will be cool. Number of late days includes weekends and days between classes. The following are acceptable methods of handing in late papers.
1.) The Slam Dunk
2.) On fire.
3.) Crumpled up and left in the hallway.
Since the date automatically appears on faxes and e-mails, using these methods will be to your advantage if you are handing in your paper after I have already left for the day or the weekend.
Your participation in class discussions is welcomed and encouraged. Mostly we will just talk about how great of a show Buffy the Vampire Slayer is. Readings should be completed before the class in which they are to be discussed if we aren’t too drunk. If you do not understand a part of the readings, lectures, or assignments, you probably ate a bunch of acid which is pretty cool. Papers will be graded for amount of times the word “Zool” is used in text and how much food you spilled on it.
SCHEDULE OF READINGS, LECTURES, AND FILMS:
Week 1 Buffy: Isn’t it a Sweet Ass Show?
3/27 Introduction to Buffy
Exploring Willow, Xander and Giles
3/29 Buffy’s Relationships
In depth discussions of Angel, Riley and Spike.
Week 2 Pizza: Awesomest food ever
4/3 Deep Dish
4/5 Toppings and Sauces
Week 3 Weed
4/10 ***First Paper Due***
Smoking it and it’s effects.
4/12 Rolling and joint and selecting a dealer.
Week 4 Vacation
Week 5 More Vacation
4/26 ***Second Paper Due*** Unless we are on vacation which we will be.
Week 6 Beer
5/1 Overview of beer and drinking it
5/3 Shitty beer vs. Good Beer. Pros and Cons.
Week 7 Honestly, I’ll probably be tired of this after 7 weeks.
5/8 This is boring lets do something else.
5/10 Starting a school was a gay idea.
Week 8 Rethinking Career Choices
ANTH 356-25/ ITS 356-25/ ANTH 651-25
Paper Topics
1) Weed
2) TV
3) Food
That’s it.
Structure:
1.) introductory paragraph with a clear thesis statement and list of main points to be discussed,
2.) sections referring to each of the main points, and
3.) a conclusion summarizing what you discussed in the body of the paper.
If you quote or paraphrase information and ideas, you are a cheater Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will result in a lowered grade unless you steal from Gore Vidal. He’s a dick. Avoid writing a paper which consists either of
1.) a bunch of gay stuff
or
2.) too much boring shit
ANTH 356-25/ ITS 356-25/ ANTH 651-25
Class Presentation
This is your opportunity to conduct a 15 to 30 minute section of the class through a “show-and-tell” format.
1.) Bring something cool like a skull or a dog.
2.) Bring your item to class in a form so that everybody can see/hear it at the same time. For instance, if you bring drugs, bring enough for everybody. Don’t skimp pack. None of this three dollare nickel bag bullshit. Roll a fatty or just don’t do the goddamn assignment.
3.) In an oral presentation (huh-huh oral), analyze the item you selected. Dissect its details, nuances, symbolism. Discuss how it relates to three points from the readings or class discussions. Or don’t. I don’t give a fuck.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THINK CREATIVELY AND HAVE FUN!!!
Currently watching :
Kick to Get Fit Jr. - For Kids
Release date: 01 December, 2003