Weekly Update 34

October 28, 2022

We were still swooning over 'Midnights' and the mastermind that is Taylor Swift when found out that Rihanna is dropping new music too, after a six-year gap. It's really happening — RiRi's new track from 'Black Panther 2' has been released — and WE. CANT. STOP. LISTENING.

Our top stories this week:

• NASA has assembled an expert UFO-hunting team

• The Pope says even nuns watch porn

• Europe now has so much natural gas that prices just dipped below zero

#CelebCourses

🎤 From the politics of Beyoncé to the sociology of Miley Cyrus, college courses exploring music artists' works are cropping up.

⭐ Celebrities constantly tell stories that spark essential moral, political, economic, and cultural conversations.

📚 Universities are making the most of celebs' roles to be relevant to GenZ, growing increasingly skeptical of 4-year degrees.

Swifties, assemble… for college

👩‍🎤 New York University has a new course on Taylor Swift's still-developing music legacy.

🤓 The University of Texas-Austin also announced 'The Taylor Swift Songbook' course enabling students to explore her work alongside the works of Shakespeare and Robert Frost.

💽 Required materials? Swift's recent albums and a streaming music app.

Studying Kanye West and his latest controversy

🎓 A professor who previously taught two Ye-inspired courses plans to launch a 3rd one at the University of Rochester.

✊ The course will explore recent controversies linked to his white evangelical Christianity and anti-Blackness.

🗨️ Montreal's Concordia University's course on Ye explores ideas like 'Kanyetive Dissonance.'

A few honorable mentions

👨‍🎤 Harry Styles gets one, too. Texas State University's course covers the pop star's impact on the European pop scene, including sexuality, fashion, and fan culture.

📖 UC Berkeley's Nicki Minaj course for Spring 2023 will also critically study her music. The rapper said she'd "love to stop by."

Just a savvy marketing move?

💸 Some say US colleges see students as customers and want to ensure the most appealing packaging, "including modules with cool names."

👎 Conservative commentators have questioned their credibility and called them "a waste of tuition."

📣 However, professors say these courses create conversational entry points on issues such as racism, sexism, queerphobia, sustainability, and gun control.

If you have any feedback, drop it here. Have a great weekend!