Rutgers University offers course studying Beyoncé

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Beyoncé is one of the world's most scrutinized pop stars, and now that study is moving to academia...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — BeyoncĂ© is one of the world’s most scrutinized pop stars, and now that study is moving to academia.

The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University is offering a course called “Politicizing BeyoncĂ©.”

Kevin Allred, a doctoral student who is teaching the class, tells the university’s online news site that he is using BeyoncĂ©’s career as a way to explore American race, gender and sexual politics.

The class supplements an analysis of BeyoncĂ©’s videos and lyrics with readings from Black feminists. Allred says he’s seeking to help students think more critically about media consumption.

Rutgers also has a class examining the theology of Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics.

Georgetown University has a class called “The Sociology of Hip-Hop: The Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z,” focusing on BeyoncĂ©’s rapper husband.

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