Pop Culture College Courses the World Needs

When I was growing up, my dream was to go to college and major in TV. Who knew in 2014, you could pretty much do just that? Case in point: The University of Virginia is offering a Game of Thrones course which, according to The Wall Street Journal, “focuses on both the George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book as well as the HBO Game of Thrones television show.” As a former film and TV production major, I obviously support this wholeheartedly and think it’s a wonderful idea. And it made me want to come up with my own courses I think the world needs. Here goes:

Kardashian Marketing Klass

Your Major: Economics (This course is also open to MBA candidates)

Overview: Regardless of your opinion on the Kardashians, they know how to GET IT DONE. In this course we’ll study how they market themselves and their overall business model. The course will also get into their new venture which includes a video game. Extra credit is earned upon completion of the video game. A final project will include reimagining your own life if you were a public figure in the style of a Kardashian.

Olivia Pope Criminal Defense Studies

Your Major: Pre-Law/ Public Relations

Overview: This course focuses on Olivia Pope’s fix-it strategies and how they would work in the real world and discussing even IF they’d work in the real world. We’ll delve into Olivia’s personal life and how it affects her ability to fix scandals when she is the scandal. What would Olivia do in real life? How would you alter how she fixes things to make more real world sense? Bonus points will be earned via an extra credit project detailing how to be a well-dressed woman dressed in white, pouring a ridiculously large glass of red wine and saying, “it’s handled,” set to an appropriate soul music selection.

Scheming 101 – A Study of Blair Waldorf

Your Major: Psychology

Overview: For the ambitious and selfish young lady who has her sights set on Upper East Side domination., this course focuses on the psychology of Blair Waldorf and the thought process behind her schemes. What psychological affliction does Blair have? How would you classify her partner-in-scheme, Chuck Bass? This course will focus on the television series as well as the book series and really get into what makes Blair Waldorf tick.

A Fashion Icon: The Looks of Rachel Green

Your Major: Fashion Marketing

Overview: In this class, we’ll study the fashion and hairstyle choices of the women of Friends. Their styles evolve but remain distinct. Something you’d put Rachel in, you would never dream of dressing Monica in. We’ll take a close look at how they differ. We’ll also get into why in “The One Where Ross Got High,” the boys are all in cool colors while the girls are all in warm colors. As a final project, students will select a season of the series and catalog all of Rachel’s looks.

Government Studies: A Look at Leslie Knope’s Politics

Your Major: Political Science

Overview: We take a look at the structure of Pawnee and how Leslie actually functions as a government official within the town. Through interactive class structures, you explore how you would have handled situations Leslie herself faced. Would you have known how to handle the merger? What would you have done differently to have a more effective government? Would you keep April on staff? We’ll also look at the structure of local government through the lens of the show’s major players.

TV Studies: Portrayal of the FBI

Your Major: Media Studies or Law Enforcement

Overview: In this course, we’ll examine how the FBI has been portrayed on TV, particularly in the 1990s. The main focus will be The X-Files and Twin Peaks. We’ll discuss how the depiction of government law enforcement affects the progression of the story and how the characters navigate their unique worlds. Final project: An in-depth comparison of fictional agents to actual FBI agents.

(Main image , Kardashian image , Olivia Pope image , Rachel image via, Leslie Knope pic via)