Why do certain stories, characters, franchises, and cultural phenomena capture our imaginations? What makes us return to the same books, films, television series, games, and music again and again—and build communities around them?

Taking Fun Seriously: Studies in Pop Culture and Fandom is an ongoing series taught by Dr Maggie Parke that explores the media people love most, from her own enduring personal obsessions (Little Women, The Secret Garden, The Hunger Games, Heated Rivalry, Twilight) to the cultural phenomena shaping contemporary conversations (Dune, Narnia, Marvel/DC/Disney). Through close analysis, discussion, and accessible critical frameworks, students will dive deeply into individual texts, adaptations, and explore their production elements, visual storytelling techniques, script, character and adaptation choices, fandoms, examining what makes them compelling and why they inspire such lasting devotion. This course works well alongside Maggie's other series, Lights, Camera, Meaning.

Topics may include fandom and fan communities, popular franchises, adaptation and transmedia storytelling, celebrity and fan culture, mythology in contemporary media, genre trends, and the ways audiences engage with stories across platforms and generations. Individual classes may focus on beloved works and emerging phenomena alike, offering opportunities to explore books, films, television series, anime, fantasy and science fiction, music cultures, and other forms of popular media in depth. Maggie's also open to suggestions and requests!

Drawing on everything from Tolkien, Fantasy, and speculative fiction to contemporary global trends and fandom phenomena, the series invites students to consider not only what we love, but why we love it—and what those passions can reveal about storytelling, identity, community, and culture.

Designed for students from any background, Taking Fun Seriously combines critical inquiry with genuine enthusiasm, creating a welcoming space for anyone who has ever wanted to spend more time thinking, talking, and learning about the stories and cultural touchstones that matter to them most.