To watch or to not watch The X-Files, that is the conundrum. In preparation for this course in watching television, I reviewed the list of shows and asked my parents about the shows I did not know. Immediately after reading the list, my dad insisted that I watch The X-Files, for academic purposes of course. So here I am, at the end of the semester, having watched a handful of The X-Files episodes from various seasons and I cannot decide whether or not it is a quality show. The conspiracy theory nature of Scully and Mulder’s investigations along with the amatuer title slide in fourteen size Ariel font suggests that The X-Files should not be taken too seriously. However, the actors take the conspiracies so seriously that it almost seems paradoxical. …show more content…
Then, his reputation as “Spooky” in his investigations undermines his authority as well as the writers of the show (really you couldn’t come up with a better nickname than Spooky?). Similarly, Scully simply is the the diversity pick, the woman of the show, but more often is portrayed as the damsel in distress. Due to her lack of character development, I find it hard to empathize with her when she becomes threatened by some supernatural force because it is a recurrent arc and frankly, I just don’t care if she gets abducted or killed. She has no personality. In regard to the episode “Squeeze,” I thought it did not represent the series well since it did not contain any aspect of the overarching theme of aliens and it was not as intense or scary as other episodes. In fact, I do not even believe that the episode was well-written because it practically ripped off Steven King’s It; Tooms hides in the drains, comes out after long time lapses, and eats people- it seems a bit familiar, doesn’t it? Although, It’s mysterious origins and clown facade make the original story more interesting than
I immediately had my reservations upon discovering that this was an ongoing television series, as that indicates that this would be drawn out and dramatized beyond what is necessary to serve entertainment
Watching a comedy sitcom like The Cosby Show is a great way to unwind from a stressful day at school. The show's characters are likeable and the storyline is humorous, but halfway through the program I usually turn the television off and return to the kitchen to wash the dinner dishes. Watching The Cosby Show makes me feel guilty. The Huxtables are too perfect. Their house is too perfect. In comparison to the Huxtables I feel like an unfit mother in a slovenly, dysfunctional family. The characters on The Cosby Show should be portrayed in a more realistic manner; in fact, the program could be far more entertaining, not to mention relaxing, if certain aspects of the program such as weekday mornings, sibling quarrels and housework were made more believable.
Roxanne argues, Television ratings are like airport security, describing it as an act of theater, an illusion designed to reassure us, to make
The problems presented on TV are only programs. Viewers are not paying attention to the real-life connections that programs like 24 show. Stevens argues that “[I]t isn’t a fictional program’s connection to real-life… events like torture and racial profiling one of the “social relationships” we should be paying attention to?” (296). Instead of doing that, the audience is focusing more on what it is going on screen, and they do not analyze the connection and the impact that those programs have in the society. Stevens pays more attention on the impact that generalizations of people have in society, on the contrary, Johnson focuses more on the structure that can help viewers become
Recently, FX aired the second season of American Crime Story, a series focusing on murders well-known within American history, such as OJ Simpson’s trial for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, and the assassination of Gianni Versace by the late spree killer Andrew Cunanan. As these stories grasped the attention of millions of viewers, Scott Bonn, psychologist and criminology professor, studied the motive for the audience’s intrigue to this category of shows. Although Simpson and Versace were icons of their time, already appealing to the public, the concept of serial murder was what drew the vast audience, and the center for Bonn’s research. Bonn discusses how the impact of true crime television is harmless, as it merely just caters to the craving for thrills by the audience. However, true crime entertainment humanizes the inhumanity of these crimes, thus desensitizing the severity for those directly impacted. The persistent advertising of serial killers enables an unhealthy obsession within the American people, causing their fascination to not only be motivated by
Books have been challenged and banned ever since books have begun to be published. There are many reasons why books are challenged and/or banned. Books get banned for everything from profanity to sex. Many books have been challenged and banned throughout history. One series has had every single book within the series banned in some locations; there are thirteen books in the series. Gossip Girl, written by Cecily von Ziegesar, is one of the most challenged and/ or banned books in recent years. Gossip Girl has been challenged and/ or banned for multiple reasons including: sex, drugs, and scandals.
Television shows today make us work harder and think clearer. As programs become more and more complex, we have started scrutinizing the shows and viewing te...
In conclusion, TV show is not as terrible as we imagined. It is a sort of double-edged sword that has both good side and bad side. It can give us a bad influence as well as bring us a lot of things to learn from.
Lots of people love watching television. I know I do. But sometimes, there are things that make us feel uneasy, and even scared. Now, the events that take place in this narrative are one hundred percent TRUE, and I unfortunately witnessed them.
Society today tends to fixate on and gravitate to television shows. Certain people even believe some of the families depicted on these shows are what a normal family should be. There are two types of television networks, broadcast and cable. Broadcast television stations are the channels that air for free, while cable you pay a subscription for. While television is a great platform for various issues and ideas, I believe that most broadcast television stations’ depictions do not accurately represent families are or what they go through. For example, while soap operas tend to be exceedingly sensational and over the top, most comedies gloss over the terrible things that may befall a family. Gritty crime shows and other dramas try to portray families more accurately, but still must follow certain rules. For this reason, dramas still tend to be unrealistic. The recent rise of popular cable television programs highlight key content regulations that contribute heavily to inaccurate family portrayals and ultimately, the broadcast networks’ decline. I believe these regulations on content are outdated.
History repeats itself in a somewhat cyclical pattern. Possessing a broad knowledge of what has happened in the past, and what is happening presently, allows a person to understand what is coming next. The history channel is a very popular network in America, and globally for that matter. Astounding amounts of people learn the entirety of their historical knowledge from the history channel. Thus, what gets aired has a direct influence on what these people know, and what their influences are. This network not only has its own series of informational programs, it broadcasts–as well as creates—documentaries and historical films. These films range from interviews with veterans of World War II to documentaries on ancient Egypt. Of course, one type of show attracts more viewers than another show. Furthermore, one show attracts a completely different demographic of viewers than another show in another genre.
One major proponent of the view that watching television is beneficial is technology writer Steven Johnson. In a 2005 New York Times Magazine article, he praises the progress the television industry has made in recent decades. His basic argument is that as opposed to programming roughly 20 years ago, one must now be an active participant when watching TV shows. Referring to the show 24 as an example of such a phenomenon, Johnson says that “to keep up with entertainment like 24, you have to pay attention, make inferences, [and] track shifting social relationships” (Johnson, 214-215). Johnson is making the point that in order to fully understand an episode of a modern day TV show such as 24, one has to think. One has to be able to follow the many different plot lines simultaneously, while keeping track of the different characters and threads from previous episodes. He ultimately argues that it is these cognitive demands which make watch...
Today, people live in the 21st century where people have many choices of entertainment. They have many options at their disposal. One of the oldest forms that we tend to take for granted is television. Cooking shows, game shows, comedy shows, and dramas are just a few of the thousands of television shows that meet every entertainment taste. There are so many shows on television that many people don’t know which shows to watch.
If you have never seen the TV show Supernatural you need to start watching it then. Why, you ask? Only that it is the most remarkable TV show of time. Well in my opinion it is. Supernatural has magnificent characters and a storyline that just spits out action and drama in every episode. The creatures and ghost are the nightmares you hope will never come true . Here are some main reason on why I watch the show and recommend you to do the same.
Growing up I spent a great part of my leisure time glued to my television screen. Despite the reported negative side effects of watching too much television, I was able to turn it into a positive. I used it todetermine my future career path and to shape my educational journey. I can remember popping popcorn and diving on my bed so that I can get into a comfortable place to watch my favorite action packed movies. Most of them involved story lines about drug trafficking or drug cartels being chased and tracked down by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agents. As I watched these suspense filled movies, I experienced feelings of excitement, frustration, and most of all motivation. I observed the number of innocent lives taken and the families whose lives were affected by the cartel’s ruthless