“What do you get from obsessing over Harry Styles?” A course credit, apparently.
There’s no denying that Harry Styles is a phenomenon. From his flowing locks to his dynamic vocals, he’s been captivating everyone since his humble beginnings in One Direction. But if you think that’s all there is to Styles, think again because the British singer is looking to dominate the academe, too.
Texas State University associate professor Dr. Louie Dean Valencia decided to take the enthusiasm for Styles to a whole new level by creating an entire course on him. “It’s official, official. I’m teaching the world’s first ever university course on the work of #HarryStyles [and it’s] happening Spring 2023 at @TXST University,” wrote Valencia in a tweet on July 16.
Entitled “Harry Styles and the Cult of Celebrity: Identity, the Internet, and European Pop Culture,” the course will focus on—obviously—the works of Harry Styles “to understand the cultural and political development of the modern celebrity as related to questions of gender and sexuality, race, class, nation and globalism, media, fashion, fan culture, internet culture, and consumerism.”
In an interview with NBC New York, Valencia revealed that they’ve always wanted to teach history in a fun way. And what better way to do just that than by covering a period that students have lived through and can relate to? “By studying the art, activism, consumerism, and fandom around Harry Styles, I think we’ll be able to get to some very relevant contemporary issues,” said Valencia.
Students in the Texas State Honors College are eligible to enroll and the classes will be capped at 20 to encourage in-depth conversations. (Interested? You may apply here.)
Prior to this, New York University launched a course dedicated to Taylor Swift. It aims to “deconstruct both the appeal and aversions to Taylor Swift through close readings of her music and public discourse as it relates to her own growth as an artist and a celebrity,” the course description reads according to Variety.
Now, where’s the course on Beyoncé?
Read more:
Science says Harry Styles is the least swear-y musician
Hey Harry Styles, my friend Lorde wants to collab with you
My life as a closet Directioner (and how it’s not “too late” to be a fan of anything)
Photo screengrabbed from Harry Styles’ “As It Was” official music video