FMS 394: Teens, Film, and U.S. Culture

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Course

Professor Megan Biddinger Academic Associate,

Department of English Teaches courses in Media

and Cultural Studies PhD in Communication,

University of Michigan Research Interests:

Gender, Sexuality, Religion, and Popular Culture

In This Lesson

Part 1: Course Overview and Expectations

Part 2: Setting the Stage: Historical Background and Context

1957

Part 1: Course Overview and Expectations

Rebel Without A Cause (1955) Directed by Nicholas Ray

Course Overview and Expectations

In Every Lesson:

– Readings– Lecture– Screening– Discussion Questions (e-board)

Course Overview and Expectations

Participation (25 Points):

– eBoard• Response 1: Directly address a thought

question• Response 2: Respond to a classmates

answer to a different question• Due: Noon (AZ Time) the Sunday

following the lesson due date• Must be substantive, well-written, and

respectful

Course Overview and Expectations

Exams and Writing Assignments

2 Exams (15 Pts each) • Open-book/note• No late exams accepted

Paper Proposal (15 Pts)

Final Paper (30 Pts) Pay close attention to the instructions for all

assignments in the syllabus!

Course Overview and Expectations

What you can expect from me:

– Participation on the eBoard– Clear and constructive feedback on

assignments– Timely responses to emails

• Within 24hrs during the week and 48hrs on weekends.

– Availability to converse via phone or Skype

Part 2: Setting the Stage: Historical Background and Context

Gidget (1959)Directed by Paul Wendkos

Guiding Questions

How did post-WWII culture produce new understandings of and emphasis on teenagers?

When and why did teens become so important to the film industry and film culture in the U.S.?

How did/do films shape the way we think about teens and their place in the social order?

The “Birth” of the Teenager

1904: Psychologist G. Stanley Hall identifies a distinct developmental phase between puberty and mature adulthood.

“Teen” years particularly significant and fraught By 1935 the term “teen-ager” is widely used in

the U.S. Teens often seen as troubled and troubling to

the social order

The “Birth” of the Teenager

By the 1950s, teens, as a generation, were unique in at least three ways:

Population density Affluence Generational cohesion

The “Birth” of the Teenager

Teens as Trouble and as Treasure

– Juvenile Delinquency

– Also a burgeoning market:

• http://bit.ly/qJdMld

Hollywood's Turn to Teens

Hollywood beset by multiple woes:

• Economic• Political• Cultural

New Production Strategies

New Production Strategies:– Exotic, timely, and/or

lurid subject matter

– Substandard budget and production schedule

– Teenagers as target audience

Girls in Prison (1956)dir. Edward Cahn

Hollywood's Turn to Teens

What is a “Teenpic”

– A version of the “exploitation” film• Advertising and promotion of a film• Film's appeal to its actual audience• A particular kind of movie

– A genre of film• Looking for patterns (and exceptions)

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