Bad Boys and Bad Girls in Asian American Literature and Culture

From the angry Asian men of the "Aiiieeeee!" anthologies to Margaret Cho's raucous comedy acts, bad boys and bad girls in Asian American literature and culture have been interpreted as helping to shatter the model minority stereotype. This course examines bad subjects, especially in their relations to popular culture, gender, and sexuality. We will investigate what puts the "bad" in bad boys and bad girls, how ideas of "bad" change, and what the bad subject does for readers and writers. Readings and viewings to include Frank Chin, John Okada, Gish Jen, Margaret Cho, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle , Better Luck Tomorrow . Enrollment limited to 20.