I keep class relevant by updating materials as time passes, but it felt wrong going into Spring semester with my revised Rhetoric of (Indigenous) Comedy curriculum. Besides the fact that Joe Rogan and podcasters have pretty much destroyed stand-up comedy, I worried students would feel like I was trying to ignore the “real world” or avoid “tough” subjects related to the field.
So I spent the past few days scouring every saved video, browser bookmark, book, and article to develop a course that focuses on abolitionism, neocolonialism, and technological imperialism. I tried to keep things balanced by including periods of “rest” in which students will analyze humorous or more optimistic approaches to certain topics. I also turned my usual two major rhetorical projects into one comprehensive research project that includes metacognitive and recursive elements.
Here’s the course schedule in its entirety: