BRB, I’m Transferring To TSU So I Can Take Their New Harry Styles Course

Since Harry Styles first came onto the scene in 2010, he’s captivated us all (even my Grandma). From his lyrics laced with double entendres to his impeccable taste in fashion, Harry Styles is an enigma that has heavily affected pop culture over the years. However, Styles’ fame has recently catapulted him to new heights, which has influenced Texas State University to craft a course dedicated to the life and influence of the Grammy award-winning singer. 

Last week, Louie Dean Valencia, an associate professor of digital history at TSU, announced the addition of a new course for the Spring 2023 semester. While university students are probably used to getting emails and messages about new classes, the title and content of this class are out of the ordinary: Harry Styles and the Cult of Celebrity: Identity, the Internet and European Pop Culture. According to Valencia, the course will prompt discussions about 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.” 

Some may view this class as a silly way for students at TSU to express their feelings about Styles, but Valencia (a fan of Styles), claims that discussing the pop star with students leads to thought-provoking questions about society, politics, and sexuality. In addition, the associate professor has expressed that students who take the course should “consider history as they're living through it with one of the world's biggest musical superstars.”