Harry Styles Is Getting An Entire Class About Himself
Harry Styles is one of the most successful former reality TV stars ever and he is getting one of the greatest honors of all.
Harry Styles has succeeded on a level nearly unparalleled among his former reality television stars. After first gaining fame on the United Kingdom’s music competition show The X Factor as part of the boy band One Direction, Harry Styles made the tricky transition to solo artist, then to actor in major films, then to fashion icon, and, most significantly at all, Apple AirPod spokesperson. Harry Styles is now receiving the ultimate honor: a college level course dedicated entirely to the subject of himself.
Per MSN, Texas State University will begin offering a course titled “Harry Styles and the Cult of Celebrity: Identity, the Internet, and European Pop Culture” in Spring of 2023. The course will examine the impact of Harry Styles and his body of work on modern culture, particularly how his particular career arc intersects with fan culture, gender identity, and changing notions of celebrity. Harry Styles is by no means the first pop musician to have a college course dedicated to him; previously, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift have all had university classes taught about them. There have even been highly specialized courses taught about various musical celebrities, including a Rutgers University examining the Biblical theology of Bruce Springsteen, the political impact of U2 at Saint Mary’s College, and how Michael Jackson impacted the business aspect of the music industry at Clark Atlanta University.
It seems Harry Styles himself is not involved in the Texas State University course, so students should probably not be hoping for any pop-in appearances from the British musician. The course is also explicit in its description that the course is not going to delve into the private life of Harry Styles but focus on his impact as a public figure. While the former One Direction member is a highly popular and acclaimed musician, he is also not without controversy; he has been accused of queerbaiting and adopting aspects of LGBTQ+ culture to propel his career. Of course, this backlash to Harry Styles’ presentation of blurry gender signifiers and seeming sexual fluidity has also met a backlash, and there likely will be no consensus on whether the star wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue has any real significance one way or the other.
Harry Styles’ most recent album Harry’s House was released in May and immediately shot to number one on both the United Kingdom and Billboard charts. He became the first British solo artist to concurrently have four singles on the Billboard Hot 100, most likely permanently solidifying him as one of the premier British pop musicians of his generation. After he appeared as the character Starfox in the post-credits scene of 2021’s Eternals, it is uncertain whether he will be recurring in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Harry Style is set to star in the upcoming film Don’t Worry Darling from the filmmaker (and romantic partner) Olivia Wilde and My Policeman alongside Emma Corrin and David Dawson. And if you attend Texas State University, you soon can also examine him with scholastic rigor.
