Universität Wien

124261 KO Critical Media Analysis (2025S)

Cherchez La Femme? How Gender Fantasies shape female Action Hero Constructions in Film, TV, Games and Comic Books

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung
Moodle
Di 29.04. 18:15-19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21

An/Abmeldung

Hinweis: Ihr Anmeldezeitpunkt innerhalb der Frist hat keine Auswirkungen auf die Platzvergabe (kein "first come, first served").

Details

max. 30 Teilnehmer*innen
Sprache: Englisch

Lehrende

Termine (iCal) - nächster Termin ist mit N markiert

This course will take place on-site and is planned as an in-person class.
Attendance is mandatory.
Registered students who are absent from to the first class without an excuse will be de-registered from this class.

  • Dienstag 11.03. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 18.03. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 25.03. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 01.04. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 08.04. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 06.05. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 13.05. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 20.05. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 27.05. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 03.06. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 10.06. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 17.06. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Dienstag 24.06. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21

Information

Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung

The format sets out to de-naturalize gender constructions that inform recent tv shows, comic series and films featuring action-packing females.
Main focus will be on Joel Surnow's La Femme Nikita, as well as Joss Whedon's Buffy the vampire slayer. The class will also discuss other popular action heroines such as Marvel's Black Widow, Jessica Jones and Elektra as well as Tomb Raider's Lara Croft.

The format sets out to de-naturalize gender constructions that inform current tv shows, comic series and films featuring action-packing females.
The female action heroine enacts both femininity and masculinity on the screen and on the page, depending on the medium in which she appears.

Juggling the demands the hetero-patriarchy continues to make on women while also revealing femininity as a masquerade, bestows a unique place within US-American popular cultures on the female action hero.
As these characters demand to be seen as active subjects on screen as well as on the page, they
both undermine and uphold what traditional film studies concepts like the male gaze demand of female characters.

Bringing gender studies, queer studies, film, games and comics studies together, this course focuses on how female action heroes function as both feminist role models and as eroticized objects advertised to straight male audiences.

Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel

All students are required to read the comic books, watch the movies and TV series from the reading list. Students will also be required to read a small number of secondary material as well. All secondary materials are provided via MOODLE.

Students will be asked to hold short presentations in class, hand in written assignments and take a final written test.

Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab

The final grade will be based on the results of the final written test, the written assignments and the in-class project presentation as well as the in-class participation of the students.The final written test will be based on the course sessions and the required reading, consisting of essay questions for students to choose from.

The Final Grade is put together from:
Attendance & In-Class Participation -15%
In-Class Projects - 20%
(Group) Presentation - 25%
Final Written Exam - 40%

Prüfungsstoff

All comic books, films, TV series and video games discussed in this class as well as secondary sources used during class are part of 'Prüfungsstoff'.

The final grade will be based on written assignments, in-class projects and presentations as well as the overall in-class participation of students.There will be a final written test, based on the class sessions and the required reading, consisting of short essay questions to choose from.

Literatur

Secondary Sources:
Brown, Jeffrey. Dangerous Curves : Action Heroines, Gender, Fetishism, and Popular Culture, 2011.
Butler, Judith. Undoing Gender, 2004.
Tasker, Yvonne. Hollywood Action and Adventure Genre: New Approaches to Film Genre, 2015.

Primary Sources:
Phillips, Sean and Bill Sienkiewicz. Black Widow: The things they say about her. Marvel Comics, 2006.
Besson, Luc. (La femme) Nikita. Gaumont Pictures. 1990.
Harlin, Renny. The Long Kiss Goodnight. New Line Cinema. 1996.
Surnow, Joel and Robert Cochran. La Femme Nikita. Warner Brothers. 1997-2001.
Whedon, Joss. Buffy he Vampire Slayer, Warner Brothers. 1997-2003.
Shortland, Kate. Black Widow. Disney, 2021.

Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Studium: BA 612, BEd 046/407
Code/Modul: BA07.3; BEd 08a.2, BEd 08b.1
Lehrinhalt: 12-4260

Letzte Änderung: Mo 10.03.2025 13:26