Cool Classes at Hofstra
by: Athanasia Diamantis
What do Madonna, The Sopranos, magic spells and reality television shows all have in common? They are topics of popular classes here at Hofstra.
Mary Anne Trasciatti, professor of speech communication and rhetorical studies, developed the course “Italian Americans in Popular Culture.” She teaches using articles, and a lot of movies. “It’s a rhetorical, critical and an analytical class that looks at how the Italian Americans are portrayed,” she said.
The class watches a 1921 silent film called The Sheik, by Rudolph Valentino, which represents Italians as masculine and ideal lovers. The class also analyzes The Godfather and The Sopranos.
“Don Corleone kills someone and then goes to church to become a godfather,” she said. “Then you look at Tony Soprano who is this big-time mafia guy and then he goes home and is a ‘normal’ family guy.”
The course also takes a look at Madonna and how she represents her gender. “Is Madonna a putana, trashy slut, or does she in fact show women how to be open with their sexuality?” Trasciatti said.
Many texts discussed in “Magic and Religion in Antiquity,” a course that explores the world of magic and its relation to religion, also deal with women.
“Women were more susceptible to magic because they were weaker and could be tricked,” said Professor L. Stephanie Cobb, who teaches the course. The class examines spells in the first and second centuries and the relationship between magic and other elements, such as medicine and religion. Most of the spells deal with unrequited love, establishing a successful business or causing pain—usually for revenge.
An English course taught by Richard Pioreck focuses on how The Simpsons have parodied works of American literature. The course, called “How The Simpsons Saved American Literature,” is offered during January session.
“It’s one of the most influential icons of pop culture,” said Brendan Carey, a senior who took the course last January. “And when you can break it down and analyze it on a higher level, it makes you appreciate it more.”
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