arth490 Film Censorship

Seen, Unseen and Suggested: Representation and Hollywood Film Censorship

Course Overview

Course Number: ARTH 490 section 001
Professor: Dr. JJ Bauer, jbauer@email.unc.edu
Course location and time: 117 Hanes Art Center, MWF 11:15 am-12:05 pm
Office Hours: 2-3 MW and by appointment

Course Description

In a country that prides itself on its unwavering and uncompromising commitment to the idea of free speech, voluntary and involuntary forms of censorship have been allowed to thrive, and often accepted as positively beneficial, in many different guises up to the present day in American popular entertainment in all of its forms. This course will look at the history of film censorship in the United States from the perspective of how such things as the Production Code (Hays Code), wartime restrictions, Anti-communist blacklisting, regional and local censorship boards (for example, State and Municipal Censorship Boards prior to 1968), late 1960s movements for social change, and culturally and socially-determined moral and ethical standards restricted what could and could not be seen on movie screens in American theaters. We will watch and then analyze approximately 30 films from a cross-section of the 120-year history of cinema in the US, paying special attention to the films of the “pre-code” era (1930-1934, when the Hays Office had been created but its industry recommendations were not enforced), “post-code” era, post-WWII and Cold War era, and after the shutting down of the Hays Office in 1968 and concomitant institution of the MPAA Ratings Administration. Consideration will be given to issues of gender, sexuality, race, class, and political persuasion as they affect on-screen representation, and also to specific religious (Legion of Decency/Catholic boycotts) and geographically regional (Southern segregation extended to films as well as to the experience of them in theaters) censorship practices over time. Films that fall outside the “mainstream” because of their resistance to censorship will also be viewed, for example, so-called Race pictures and X-rated films. The ultimate goal of the course will be to cover the myriad ways in which censorship determined/determines what audiences saw/see on film and how that created a seemingly culturally-unified image of “America” that was/is, for many Americans, restrictive and exclusionary of their life experiences, if not outright hostile to their participation in American cultural life.

The course will be held primarily in the classroom. Outside the classroom, students will be watching assigned films as well as reading from texts such as Thomas Doherty’s Pre-Code Hollywood: Sex, Immorality, and Insurrection in American Cinema 1930-1934 (Columbia University Press, 1999) and Hollywood’s Censor: Joseph I. Breen and the Production Code Administration (Columbia University Press, 1995), Jennifer Fronc’s Monitoring the Movies: The Fight Over Film Censorship in Early 20^th Century Urban America (University of Texas Press, 2017), Gregory Black’s Hollywood Censored: Morality Codes, Catholics, and the Movies (Cambridge University Press, 1996), Jon Lewis’s Hollywood v. Hard Core: How the Struggle over Censorship Saved the Modern Film Industry as well as the 10-volume History of the American Cinema, Charles Harpole general editor (University of California Press 1990-2000) and articles and text excerpts on more specialized topics of film censorship. In the classroom, instruction will be centered on seminar-style discussion and analysis of the readings and selected film clips, as well as student responses to such topically specific documentaries as This Film Is Not Yet Rated and The Celluloid Closet.

Text

Sheri Chinen Biesen, Film Censorship: Regulating America’s Screen, Wallflower/Columbia University Press, New York, 2018. [also on e-reserve]

Library reserve and E-resources as listed in the course calendar

Course Website

Canvas: TBA

Changes to the Syllabus

The syllabus will change (with advanced notice) as the instructor deems appropriate, particularly to address student interests and incorporate input. Changes will not result in a significantly increased workload.

Course Goals and Learning Objectives

This course will enable students to:

Through assigned readings, viewing a broad range of films, lectures, and discussions, students should be able to study film with a focus on developing critical and formal analytical skills using multiple methodologies and materials. This course encourages students to be more critically aware in evaluating how visual media contribute to defining our society, for better or worse. Students will increase their research skills using primary sources, secondary sources, and digital resources to make an informed and nuanced argument about the past and the present in the form of an online exhibition.

As part of the Gen Ed Curriculum, this course will enable students to:

Aesthetic and Interpretive Analysis:

1. Interpret and critique literary and artistic expression.
2. Analyze artistic works in various contexts (social, political, historical, philosophical, etc.) and with regard to style, period, and the circumstances of composition.
3. Explain how aesthetic expression enhances human experience.

Engagement with the Human Past:

1. Develop knowledge of different spatio-temporal scales, patterns, ideas, figures, and events from the past.
2. Evaluate primary source material and/or other historical evidence of past conditions (e.g., behaviors, events, and social, cultural, economic, and/or political structures); assess divergent or complementary methods, materials, and/or methodologies in interpreting the human past.
3. Assess conflicting historical narratives based on evidence and methodologies.
4. Generate and evaluate arguments based the analysis of primary and scholarly sources.
5. Apply historical methods and knowledge to make informed judgments about the past and the present.

Research and Discover:

1. Frame a topic, develop an original research question or creative goal, and establish a point of view, creative approach, or hypothesis.
2. Obtain a procedural understanding of how conclusions can be reached in a field and gather appropriate evidence.
3. Evaluate the quality of the arguments and/or evidence in support of the emerging product.
4. Communicate findings in a clear and compelling ways.
5. Critique and identify the limits of the conclusions of the project and generate ideas for future work.

Recurring Capacities:

1. Pose problems and questions that require systematic thinking about evidence, argument and uncertainty;
2. Consider its content in the context of human difference between and within societies; the full range of legitimate debate in its field; and/or change over time
3. Require writing totaling at least 10 pages in length, or the intellectual equivalent.
4. Require presenting material to the class, small groups, or the public through oral presentations, webpages, or other means that enable corroboration of fact and argument.
5. Require collaborating in pairs or groups to learn, design, solve, create, build, research or similar.

NOTE: Awaiting approval for gen ed curriculum

Course Assignments and Assessments

Course Grade

Your course grade will be calculated in the following manner:

• Class Participation 20%
• Group Collaboration 20%
• Class Presentation 20%
• Final Project 40%

Grade scale: A = 100-93; A- = 92-90; B+ = 89-87; B = 86-83; B- = 82-80; C+ = 79-77; C = 76-73; C- = 72-70; D+ = 69-67; D = 66-63; F = 62-0. A final course grade that is on the cusp of a higher grade level (a numerical percentage that is .5 or higher) will be rounded up to the higher grade (for example an 82.6/B- will be rounded up to an 83/B).

Student Responsibilities

Regular class attendance is expected and is a necessity for a proper understanding of the course material. Should it be necessary to miss class for a compelling reason, it is your responsibility to borrow notes for that day from a fellow student in the class. Students arriving late to class or leaving early are disruptive. Common courtesy is expected. All cell phones must be turned off during class. Laptops must be used for course business only and will be shut down if they are not—shopping online, playing games, or chatting on Facebook during class is distracting to your peers and will not be tolerated. Participation grades will be marked down 5 points (out of 100) for any technology infraction.

Along with working on the final project, writing weekly reading response papers, and preparing presentations, you should keep up with the assigned viewings as the material is covered in class. If a reading is assigned for a particular day, you should be able to summarize the content in writing and discuss it in class. The class participation portion of your grade is based on written response papers as well as active discussion in class.

Reading Response Papers

Once per week, each student will be asked to submit a 1-page written response to 1 of the readings for half of the weeks on the calendar. You can choose which reading you wish to respond to in which weeks, but should submit at least 6 over the course of the semester. Responses will be due by 5 pm on Friday of each week.

Exhibition Assignment

Students will be divided into three groups, each of which will develop an exhibition on a specific topic related to film censorship; design, create and upload materials and accompanying explanatory text to a virtual exhibition space in Scalar; and present that exhibition as realized to the rest of the class. The goal of each exhibition will be to find and analyze specific examples of visual censorship within a narrow category of representation—for example, scenes of dressing and undressing on-screen, further subdivided into categories of male, female, cross-dressing, suggested (behind a screen) and so on—so as to begin to build up a repository of such instances of these representational moments to begin to visualize how the effects of censorship on what audiences see (or surmise, if unseen) would change depending on the narrative context, geographic region, censorship target (different standards for male and female characters!), or time period. The group together must create an introductory exhibition entry with text and media explaining how each part (a “node”) relates to the general exhibition concept. Within each group, individual students would be responsible for one “node” of the exhibition for their particular grade, including providing 6 exhibition objects (film segment, film posters, news articles, legal documents, etc.) and writing the catalog text for that object of about a page length (1000 words). Subsequent courses would add to, edit and critique these exhibitions, as well as create exhibitions on new topics under the main heading of American film censorship.

Time will be spent in the classroom during week 2 to train the class in the use of Scalar, the basic rules of copyright as they apply to film, and how to use library resources to find materials.

Due dates:  Drafts of first 2 individual entries due October 7 by 5:00 pm, Group exhibition introduction entry due November 18 by 5:00 pm, Final 6 individual entries due November 30 by 5:00 pm

Any information derived from research must be properly documented with footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography in a standard format. Internet research must also be documented and should constitute less than 1/3 of your source materials. Citation should be in Chicago Style–one highly recommended manual is Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

Student Presentation Assignment

At the end of the course, each student will give a 10-minute presentation about their “node” of the online exhibition, going into more depth than the online catalog entries in terms of analyzing the film segments chosen in their historical, social, and cultural context. As much as possible, each student group will be presenting their exhibition together on the same day (3 groups, 3 presentation days) so that each “node” can then be discussed by the group in relation to the others for that exhibition. After the last presentations on the Final Exam Day, the whole class will discuss each exhibition in relation to the others.

Late Papers/Assignments

A reading response paper, online entries, or presentation may be handed in late without penalty for a legitimate personal reason. Dr. Bauer will be the judge of what is legitimate, such as a serious illness or a family emergency. An unexcused late assignment will be penalized one full letter grade.

Course Calendar

Course Policies and Resources

Accessibility Resources

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill facilitates the implementation of reasonable accommodations, including resources and services, for students with disabilities, including mental health disorders, chronic medical conditions, a temporary disability or pregnancy complications resulting in barriers to fully accessing University courses, programs and activities.

Accommodations are determined through the Office of Accessibility Resources and Service (ARS) for individuals with documented qualifying disabilities in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. See the ARS Website for contact information: https://ars.unc.edu or email ars@unc.edu.

Attendance Policy

As stated in the University’s Class Attendance Policy, no right or privilege exists that permits a student to be absent from any class meetings, except for these University Approved Absences:

1. Authorized University activities
2. Disability/religious observance/pregnancy, as required by law and approved by Accessibility Resources and Service and/or the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC)
3. Significant health condition and/or personal/family emergency as approved by the Office of the Dean of Students, Gender Violence Service Coordinators, and/or the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC).

Instructors may work with students to meet attendance needs that do not fall within University approved absences. For situations when an absence is not University approved (e.g., a job interview or club activity), instructors determine their own approach to missed classes and make-up assessment and assignments.

University Approved Absence Office (UAAO): The UAAO website provides information and FAQs for students and faculty related to University Approved Absences.

Note: Instructors have the authority to make academic adjustments without official notice from the UAAO. In other words, it is not required for instructors to receive a University Approved Absence notification in order to work with a student. In fact, instructors are encouraged to work directly with students when possible.

Counseling and Psychological Services

CAPS is strongly committed to addressing the mental health needs of a diverse student body through timely access to consultation and connection to clinically appropriate services, whether for short or long-term needs. Go to their website: https://caps.unc.edu/ or visit their facilities on the third floor of the Campus Health Services building for a walk-in evaluation to learn more. Students can also call CAPS 24/7 at 919-966-3658 for immediate support.

Diversity Statement

I value the perspectives of individuals from all backgrounds reflecting the diversity of our students. I broadly define diversity to include race, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, religion, social class, age, sexual orientation, political background, and physical and learning ability. I strive to make this classroom an inclusive space for all students. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to improve. I appreciate suggestions.

Grade Appeal Process

If you feel you have been awarded an incorrect grade, please discuss with me. If we cannot resolve the issue, you may talk to our departmental director of undergraduate studies or appeal the grade through a formal university process based on arithmetic/clerical error, arbitrariness, discrimination, harassment, or personal malice. To learn more, go to the Academic Advising Program website.

Honor Code Statement

All students are expected to follow the guidelines of the UNC honor code. In particular, students are expected to refrain from “lying, cheating, or stealing” in the academic context. If you are unsure about which actions violate the honor code, please see me or consult honor.unc.edu.

UNC’s Copyright Policy clearly prohibits students from making commercial use of notes taken in class or labs; you may not sell or otherwise acquire financial or commercial gain from notes you take in this class. Students found to have violated this prohibition are in violation of the Honor Code and are subject to Honor Court proceedings.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

IT Acceptable Use Policy

By attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, you agree to abide by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill policies related to the acceptable use of IT systems and services. The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) sets the expectation that you will use the University’s technology resources responsibly, consistent with the University’s mission. In the context of a class, it’s quite likely you will participate in online activities that could include personal information about you or your peers, and the AUP addresses your obligations to protect the privacy of class participants. In addition, the AUP addresses matters of others’ intellectual property, including copyright. These are only a couple of typical examples, so you should consult the full Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy, which covers topics related to using digital resources, such as privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual property.

Additionally, consult the University website “Safe Computing at UNC” for information about the data security policies, updates, and tips on keeping your identity, information, and devices safe.

Policy on Non-Discrimination

The University is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our community and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on individuals’ abilities and qualifications. Consistent with this principle and applicable laws, the University’s Policy Statement on Non-Discrimination offers access to its educational programs and activities as well as employment terms and conditions without respect to race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, genetic information, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Such a policy ensures that only relevant factors are considered and that equitable and consistent standards of conduct and performance are applied.

If you are experiencing harassment or discrimination, you can seek assistance and file a report through the Report and Response Coordinators (see contact info at safe.unc.edu) or the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office, or online to the EOC at https://eoc.unc.edu/report-an-incident/.

Title IX Resources

Any student who is impacted by discrimination, harassment, interpersonal (relationship) violence, sexual violence, sexual exploitation, or stalking is encouraged to seek resources on campus or in the community. Reports can be made online to the EOC at https://eoc.unc.edu/report-an-incident/. Please contact the University’s Title IX Coordinator (Elizabeth Hall, interim–titleixcoordinator@unc.edu), Report and Response Coordinators in the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (reportandresponse@unc.edu), Counseling and Psychological Services (confidential), or the Gender Violence Services Coordinators (gvsc@unc.edu; confidential) to discuss your specific needs. Additional resources are available at safe.unc.edu.

Undergraduate Testing Center

The College of Arts and Sciences provides a secure, proctored environment in which exams can be taken. The center works with instructors to proctor exams for their undergraduate students who are not registered with ARS and who do not need testing accommodations as provided by ARS. In other words, the Center provides a proctored testing environment for students who are unable to take an exam at the normally scheduled time (with pre-arrangement by your instructor). For more information, visit http://testingcenter.web.unc.edu/.

Writing Center and Learning Center

For free feedback on any course writing projects, check out UNC’s Writing Center. Writing Center coaches can assist with any writing project, including multimedia projects and application essays, at any stage of the writing process. You don’t even need a draft to come visit. To schedule a 45-minute appointment, review quick tips, or request written feedback online, visit http://writingcenter.unc.edu.  

Want to get the most out of this course or others this semester? Visit UNC’s Learning Center at http://learningcenter.unc.edu to make an appointment or register for an event. Their free, popular programs will help you optimize your academic performance.  Try academic coaching, peer tutoring, STEM support, ADHD/LD services, workshops and study camps, or review tips and tools available on the website.