In this course we will acquire and demonstrate an understanding of the major approaches to the analysis and criticism of rhetoric in various contexts. We apply rhetorical criticism methods to oral and written analyses of communicative acts and from a variety of contexts. Examples include: comedy, music, public address, new media, and visual art.

The primary objective of this course is to offer an alternative focus on the rhetoric of popular culture in today’s globalized and mediated society. Rhetoric of Popular Culture presents an historic range of rhetorical and critical intellectual approaches, including media, feminist, queer, and Marxist theories.