Fans can have strong responses to both narrative and production events effecting their favorite television shows. A wall used to mourn Ianto Jones after he is killed off Tortchwood:Children of the Earth. 50,000 pounds of peanuts mailed to CBS's New York office to show support of Jericho when it was canceled (Elber 2007). Hate and threats directed to writers, producers, actors, and their families protesting the importance of Castiel in Supernatural. These reactions are tied to fans' emotional investment and connections they have created by expanding past what is seen on screen. A sense of justification for the actions taken stem from the broken promise of shared production in a participatory culture. Where diegesis is the narrative world seen by audiences, Matt Hill's hyperdiegesis is “the creation of a vast and detailed narrative space, only a fraction of which is ever directly seen or encountered within the text, but which nonetheless appears to operate according to principles of internal logic and extension” (2002: 137). This vast world is built throughout the series by accumulating and reiterating details. Mentions of people (The Federation in Star Trek), places (Maps included in Lord of the Rings books) , and events (“Vatican cameos!” in Sherlock Holmes) suggest an entire world with history that may be explored by the primary text in future installments or through fan productions. It provides a coherent world and the rules of operations by which it works, rules that fans must abide by when they choose to explore the world themselves. Though a show's hyperdiegesis needs to remain consistent to maintain the trust of it's audience, Hill believes that producers must “play with their own established rules and norms... in order to preserve audience interest” (2004:511). Similar to hyperdiegesis, Henry Jenkin's (1992) meta-text also expands on information given
Media directs the thought processes of society. Daya Kishan Thussa says, “US popular culture… is steeped in Hollywood spectacles on war, battles and conflict, as evidenced by the international success of films about war, conflict, and battles between good and evil,” (p.265 reader). Hollywood –the media—portrays war as a conflict between good and evil, redefining war and conflict to be something that is black and white, with a sure winning side. The show 24, produced after 9/11, at the start of the War on Terror, represents a conflict between the good and the evil by paralleling the distrust and suspicion of the real world with the distrust and suspicion of the world in the show. By using elements such as windowing, zooming and panning into faces, dark lighting, and slow, eerie music, Season 2, Episode 1 of 24, creates an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust similar to post 9/11 United States that explains why officials tried to resolve conflicts even without all relevant information present.
Emotions have the ability to stop time and conjure a single tear or a simple grin, but most importantly emotions can give one the drive that can change what seems impossible. Many major movements, political or social, are fueled by emotional motives. These emotions lie within the people of society, and could be exposed by a rudimentary activity, like watching TV shows. Today is known as the golden era of visual media, and TV shows have become more prevalent and popular. Whether TV shows are comedy based, like Black-ish, or drama based, like Luke Cage, they all have the ability to appeal to one’s emotions. Both Black-ish and Luke Cage utilize emotions to propel their representations of racial conflicts in today’s society, but Luke Cage’s coveys
It disclosed people’s despair, fears, cowardice, as well as other negative feelings in front of difficulties and challenges, and exposed their stupidity by illustrating their ugliness and laughter as they watched wrestlers sabotaging one another and good friends turning against each other. Chris Hedges depicted a pseudo-world where people tend to seek comfort from other people’s misfortunes and care about nothing but fame and money. Under the “enormous positivity” created by the spectacle, the reality is actually a dead end. As it is said, “The modern spectacle depicts what society can deliver, but within the depiction what is permitted is rigidly distinguished from what is possible.” In the celebrity culture, fame and money are the images, pursued by the public, forming numerous social networks among people engaged. People will get lost alongside the road, yet he/she may not notice, because as it is said, “the spectacle is both the outcome and the goal of the dominant mode of production.” Images are unlimited goals, coming with countless outcomes. The spectacle keeps developing itself, as more and more people need no realities but more detailed
In assessing the impact and effect of popular cultural forms like MTV, it is important to acknowledge the extent to which, rather than having them imposed upon us, we may instead appropriate or assimilate parts, whilst choosing to reject or ignore the rest. This, of course, has the consumer or viewer acting (or perhaps more accurately interacting) as opposed to simply passively receiving (Philo par 16).Even though critics of MTV stand strongly against the passive consumer, th...
...tives through questioning of absolute truths such as established fact (science) and faith, intertextuality through a mass of references, manipulation of time through a non-linear narrative and generic hybridity through the show’s complex layers.
...se two extremes. It serves as an alternative to both manipulation and meaninglessness. It is an agency of common grace. Since TV manufactures audiences to sell products to, they cannot be manipulated as machines. They cannot be told that life is nihilistic. Rather, they must be entertained. So Jacobson sees a redemptive role for popular culture as an antidote to the present cultural mess. His advice is unique: Turn your TV back on. You will find things worth watching and thinking about. He tells readers what to look for in a variety of programs, and even shows how expressions of grace can be found in Bufy the Vampire Slayer.
Throughout the physical research of this study I have found out a lot more about this show than could have ever crossed minds before, one example being that this show has be premiered and marketed so well to the point that the viewer have almost no resistance to not believe what the show is trying to instill into our minds. These shows also categorize the characters, some are “good” guys and others are bad guys, but who is actually decided these labels? Are the categories fair? Many would say yes based off the plot line of the show, but some wonder if the bad guys have an equal amount of air time to defend themselves. These factors bring up a conflict of narration weather or not every character is portrayed in a way that they could be like-able which not the case in The Blacklist is. This “good” guy, bad guy routine is commonly used in crime shows and movies, but is not a true example of real life that these shows depict to do. In a sense these real-life shows are the complete opposite not giving the audience a real conclusion o...
One rising issue in the United States is teen sexuality. As teenage homosexuality gains notice, changes are being made in America with social treatment of gays. Tragedies such as the youth suicides which led to the precipitation of the It Gets Better campaign are instigating a social movement. Gay Straight Alliance clubs are more common on public school campuses than they previously have been, and the idea of “gay is okay” is being shown via the television broadcast system. Americans are being exposed to gay culture and are becoming more accepting of it because of the exposure. One show with a unique set of characteristics is Glee. Glee is a show on a national network with the reputation of being conservative: FOX, which makes it more surprising that the show also holds the record for number of non-heterosexual teenage characters on a prime time show (four). The popularity of this show, marked by their success in ratings and merchandising (average of 9.4 million viewers each episode, over 30 million digital and physical record sales, and a cult following self titled as “Gleeks”), means that whatever messages shown in their forty-four minute run time are making their way out to the public .
The Blacklist has been able to utilize its marketing strengths to better position itself in the industry. In entertainment, particularly the film and series sector, marketing is a challenging and dynamic function of business. Fortunately, the issue of marketing and positioning was not challenging for The Blacklist because of the brilliance of the actors, scriptwriters and producers of the show. The series is able to capture the attention of its audience, by casting its popular actors. Other audiences that have been and will continue to be crucial to The Blacklist’s success are the fans that each cast member has brought with them from their previous work. For inst...
In this book, the author Brian Cogan discusses the most controversial television shows in history, South Park. He discusses how South Park even though seems simple it is a very thoughtful program on television that discusses many social issues. The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone created a social and political commentary that has been the most successful in television history. Cogan discusses how South Park is a commentary on American culture that is focused around controversial issues. The sitcom allows for the creators to become involved in discussions regarding issues such as religion and sexuality. Cogan inserts that the creators of South Park use every episode to promote their freedom of speech on these controversial subjects. In the first chapter Cogan discusses how South Park delivers its satire commentary through vulgar language and controversy to get attention whether it is good or bad. Deconstructing South Park is an academic source and the author Brian Cogan is a college professor. I will use this source to support my thesis that the television show is focused around social issues in America and the use of crude language causes attention and supports freedom of speech which why it is so successful.
“Nowadays in the modern world, society if affected by more things we can think of. Society is affected by movies, TV shows, TV reality shows, magazines, and books. A report was recorded over a six-month period about Television shows and daily news broadcasts. From September 1, 1999 through February 29, 2000; The Grand Rapid Institute recorded and viewed a few programs and at the end of the month the Institute tallied up the number of letters sent after a recorded program and it showed how unfair the programs were and how people became a democracy to let them know” (TV News 1).
Today the entertainment industry overpowers society, millions of people spend their time watching shows, movies and soap operas. How can the industry keep all the people satisfied? Many people get reeled in by the supernatural, so majority of todays industry revolves around the supernatural such as vampires, werewolves etc. . Taking vampires for example, vampires have become a huge part of teenage fictional literature and the entertainment business takes advantage of it and creates film adaptations of books such as “Twilight”. Since individuals are so hooked they rush to buy movie tickets to see the film, according to Del Toro and Hogan, “ In a society that moves as fast as ours, where every week a new “blockbuster” must be enthroned at the box office…” (323). In the end the entertainment industry uses the supernatural theme to make a great amount of profit and they keep making sequels and new movies rap...
The Sopranos may well have been a powerful and positive agent for development and change in television industry. With its exciting storylines, outstanding cast and sensitive cultural observations, The Sopranos is unlike any other show before it. With the show’s
...es it easier for their audiences to picture what is taking place. Borges manipulates fact and fiction in his stories to vividly and clearly describe events that occur in his mysterious novels and to make them seem more captivating.
The question of medias influence on society and its cultural framework has often been debated upon from leading theorists to anyone with any form of media connections, but to contemplate that a character in Coronation Street or Eastenders can have an influence on an audience members attitude, beliefs or interpretations of society is a very simplistic and debatable version of the truth. The media does influence, but using more diverse and subtle roles of impact. Some theorists suggest that it is even a case of society influencing the media and not the more widespread and presumed version...