And that's why we must ban the celebration of Christmas. https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-history/how-the-puritans-banned-christmas/

That's just the hook to get your attention, which it clearly did. She's the entry point for the concepts and research skills that the students engage with in the course.

Merely studying literary theory is VERY dry. Applying literary theory to a pop star helps you understand both the theory and the world around you. It makes scholarship relevant.

In this thread: nobody who understands what comparative literature or music theory is, or why a professor might choose a catchy topic for a serious course.

You can study a pop culture phenomenon. What does it say about our society that she's so popular? What sociological and economic circumstances shaped her career? How does the music industry function financially and culturally? How do fandoms relate to political movements? What technological systems are used in her specific productions? Where does this moment fit into the story of popular music over the past century?