Entertainment

College to offer class on Beyonce

Taylor Bigler Entertainment Editor
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Forget Ancient History or American Politics, and add “Politicizing Beyoncé” to your college course list.

Keving Allred, a white, male professor of women’s and gender studies at Rutgers University, is offering a course dedicated to Sasha Fierce herself, Bossip reports.

The course will pair Beyoncé’s music videos and lyrics to the writings of historical black women, from Sojourner Truth to Alice Walker.

Allred says the course will trace Beyoncé’s career, persona and role as a feminist icon.

Course topics include the extent of Beyoncé’s control over her own aesthetic, whether her often half-naked body is empowered or stereotypical, and her more racy performances as her alter ego, “Sasha Fierce.” In-class discussions often lead to other vocalists, including Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Lady Gaga, and contemporary musicians who embrace the soul singing tradition like Adele and the late Amy Winehouse.

It’s not the first time that pop culture has seeped into the classroom. The University of California at Berkley offers a course called Simpsons and Philosophy, and Georgetown University has a Philosophy and Star Trek class.

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Taylor Bigler