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Discuss how you see two of John Caldwell’s five elements of convergence television (outlined on page 46 of his essay) applying to the television you consume today. 

Please post a webisode, TikTok, or YouTube video that’s entertained you lately. Don’t worry about commenting much on it in introduction, but please use your 200 words to comment on a clip that another class member uploads. 

Discuss one or more of the major effects of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 on technology, content, or industrial policy.  Why do you think the FCC enforced more regulation on content at the same time that they ushered in less regulation on media corporations? What seems similar and/or different in today’s media environment concerning these issues? 

According to Anna McCarthy, ABC’s president, Robert A Iger, said of Ellen that it “became a program about a character who was gay every single week, and… that was too much for people.”  McCarthy describes this perspective as maintaining the “fantasy of queer identity as something that can be switched on for special occasions” along with a “fear of a quotidian, ongoing lesbian life on television.”  Since Ellen’s coming out episode in 1997, a number of queer characters, generally secondary characters, have appeared on both broadcast and cable television.  Choose a program with a queer character from the 2000s or 2010s that you are familiar with and examine whether or not that character’s relationship to their sexuality is truly serialized or only focused on occasionally.

What is synergy?  How does it operate within a contemporary media environment primarily run by large conglomerates?  Give one example of synergy. How does product integration act as a synergistic strategy?

Why does Elana Levine title her chapter on sex in 1970s TV the way she does? How does network television attempt to capitalize on the so-called sexual revolution? Briefly summarize the TV trends of the era, especially where sexuality was concerned. How would you compare the shows Levine describes to network TV fare today?

My research paper will be comparing The Martha Raye Show (1954-56) and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014-). These two shows are extremely successful night shows that  I want to compare and contrast how both hosts entertain their viewers: examining the structures of each episode, how involved the hosts in the shows themselves, and comedy in context to current events. My preliminary thesis will be arguing how The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tailors its content better to its audience than The Martha Raye Show in terms of those three criteria mentioned: episode structure, hosts themselves, and comedy to fit more socio-political correctness. More specifically, really thinking about how both shows want to integrate and relate to their respective audiences and the implications of that being in a talk-show in terms of viewer interest, ratings, reviews, etc. Does making a talk/variety show all about providing what the viewers want to hear and see, or does it take away from views that need to be mentioned on television?

Thinking about critical analysis, I will definitely discuss the difference between a talk show and a variety show in both instances; both bring differences in how the viewer enjoys the show’s material. Additionally, I want to encapsulate what both of the shows wanted to capture and display to their viewers, i.e. what do Martha Raye and Jimmy Fallon want you to get out of their episode? What type of narrative is being portrayed across the show’s episodes about the content and the hosts themselves?

As for cultural comparison, it’s important to see both shows in the context of when they are being broadcasted. Thinking about post-war, consumerist lifestyle America in the 50s, analyzing how Martha Raye discusses those themes, if at all, and comparing that to how Jimmy Fallon’s show uses contemporary social, political, and cultural themes to produce his show and the response that brings.

Sources: 

• Spigel: “Installing the Television Set”
  • I’m really interested in utilizing Spigel’s “Installing the TV Set” because it allows me to put into perspective what these two shows bring to the household as a means of “other-worldly” entertainment apart from the mundane lifestyle within the home.
• Denise Mann: “The Specatularization of Everyday Life: Recycling Hollywood Stars and Fans in Early Television Variety Shows”
  • Furthermore, with how both shows bring in Hollywood stars and celebrities in their respective shows, I’m curious about exploring the implications of using those actors, who are related to various spectaculars of film, onto the television set, as Denise Mann describes.

• The New York Times: “Martha Raye; Her Top Rating a Tribute to Resourcefulness of Program’s Writers”https://www.nytimes.com/1953/11/18/archives/television-in-review-martha-raye-her-top-rating-a-tribute-to.html
  • Discussion about Martha Raye as an actor and the writing done for her show. 
• Moser, Michael Louis. “Intimacy, In-Jokes, and the Feeling of Spontaneity on Late-Night Talk Shows: How Hosts and Audiences Laughed Together in Pandemic Times.” Studies in American Humor, vol. 9 no. 2, 2023, p. 247-265. Project MUSE, https://muse.jhu.edu/article/907820.
  • Late-night shows used their program to bring people together during the pandemic, relating to many of the social themes shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon had to deal with and embrace, mainly to relate to his audience better. 
• The Hollywood Reporter: “Jimmy Fallon Wants to Keep Avoiding Politics on ‘The Tonight Show’: “I Just Keep My Head Down”’ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/jimmy-fallon-wants-avoid-politics-the-tonight-show-1236391481/
  • Journal article in reference to Jimmy Fallon’s response to the FCC’s cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel’s talk-show. Possibly relate to our conversation about narratives in talk-shows, additionally the need to be socially and politically inclusive to not just the viewers but to those who regulate TV. 
• (Possibly More Sources to Come…) 

The best written fantasy and science fiction works use unfamiliar contexts to comment on the social issues of today. The original Star Wars (1977) used an extraterrestrial setting to depict a resistance against a tyrannical empire, one which resonated with Vietnam-tangled American viewers. Blade Runner (1982) used a neon drenched and natureless metropolis to explore the dystopic extreme of the era’s growing corporate monopolies. And more recently, Black Mirror (2011) has garnered a large amount of popularity from depicting bleak futures as the result of modern technologies. The show has received a fair amount of commentary on its similarities to The Twilight Zone (1959), due to their similar subject matters and format. In this research paper, I intend to study the similarities and differences between Black Mirror and another similar show – The Outer Limits (1963).

I intend to refine my thesis and arguments as I do more research, but my current thesis is as follows: While both The Outer Limits and Black Mirror have similar formats as horror anthologies, they differ in narrative structure and visual styles. Similarly, their interrogation of cultural concerns differs in concepts addressed and the presence of moral judgements. I will begin by briefly describing both show’s usage of science fiction as a means of dissecting and exploring contemporary issues (while avoiding censors), through an anthology structure. I will also do a small amount of historical analysis to contextualize the concerns addressed by both shows, using our in-class reading for The Outer Limits. I may also consider addressing the hiding of insurgent ideologies in dominant ideologies, such as in the arguably feminist subtext of “The Bellero Shield.”

I also plan on watching more episodes from both shows. “O.B.I.T.” from The Outer Limits seems like a great example for comparison, due to its technological focus. “USS Callister” from Black Mirror is highly rated and features an extra-terrestrial setting, which will be useful for comparison with “The Bellero Shield.”

Potential sources:

Jeffrey Sconce, “The Outer Limits of Oblivion”

Spigel, “White Flight”

“The Outer Limits,” by Joanne Morreale. Wayne State University Press, 2022.

Mikey O’Connel, (The Hollywood Reporter) “‘Black Mirror’ Creator Charlie Brooker Wants Us Worried — and Not for the Reasons You’d Think”

Maya Salam (The New York Times) “‘Black Mirror’ Showed Us a Future. Some of It Is Here Now.”

In my essay I will argue that while both Dragnet and Brooklyn 99 reflect the values of law and order and are procedural dramas, Dragnet depicts police as the moral authority and the heroic force in society that restores peace and order. On the other hand, Brooklyn 99 utilizes comedy to paint a realistic picture of police by questioning the legitimacy and reflecting the criticism police are currently facing for police brutality and ethical wrongdoing.  

Dragnet uses a documentary-style film to show the day-to-day work of police officers and how they remove all the threats to an orderly society. There is minimal camera movement, and the shots are all straight to the point. It uses voiceovers to understand the scene that is occurring and what the logical next steps are. The set design is meant to show the tough on crime mentality and all the institutions that are set up to deal with crime. The show reinforces state legitimacy and views police as the institution that will uphold a tough on crime stance. This largely reflects the cold war and much of the attitude within the country. The police force is almost entirely white and there is little question as to who holds the power.

Brooklyn 99 uses a mockumentary style to make the viewer feel as though they understand all the characters and like they are there. It attempts to use humor to create a self-aware feel to the characters and the show. The police are depicted as multifaceted human beings who face the moral complexities of being a cop in a day and age where there is a lot of criticism. There is a lot of skepticism as to whether police are justified in the decisions they make and the money that gets allocated. Brooklyn 99 has a diverse cast which speaks to the way the force has changed and how even within the system there are people who speak up against police brutality. There is a satirical element that attempts to humanize cops and understand the complexities of the police force in the modern age.

Both shows take the viewer through a day’s work and what being a cop entails. It depicts the struggles and how cases are not always black and white. Both shows allow the viewers to understand that criminals make bad choices but aren’t necessarily bad people. Additionally, both shows reflect what viewers are hoping to see when they turn on the television. Dragnet creates a world of order that is tough on crime and restores peace to the neighborhoods. Brooklyn 99 creates a workplace that is realistic and highlights the complexities of being a cop. America has shifted on its view of law enforcement. Traditionally, the television was a window to a different world. In the modern age, television must address the current events and paint a realistic picture to face the nuance head on. Brooklyn 99 adjusted to this expectation throughout the seasons as it shifted to discussing racial and police brutality issues more openly during the last season.

Bandes, Susan. “Dragnet and Brooklyn 99.” Routledge Handbook of Law and Emotion, edited by Susan A. Bandes et al., Routledge, 2021, pp. 482–494. Taylor & Francis Online, https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003109969-33/dragnet-brooklyn-99-susan-bandes.

Bodroghkozy, Aniko. “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and the Youth Rebellion.”

Itzkoff, Dave. “The Nation; Miranda as a Pop-Culture Icon.” The New York Times, 2 July 2000, https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/02/weekinreview/the-nation-miranda-as-a-pop-culture-icon.html.

Lentz, Kristin. “Quality vs. Relevance.”

O’Connell, Michael. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Boss Dan Goor on NBC Move and Season 7.” Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2020, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-01-29/brooklyn-nine-nine-nbc-dan-goor-season-7.

Rabinowitz, Chloe. “‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Season 8 Premiere Review.” Variety, 12 Aug. 2021, https://variety.com/2021/tv/columns/brooklyn-nine-nine-season-8-premiere-review-recap-1235040522/.

I want to address how the genre of the sitcom has transformed over the years from 1951, when I Love Lucy began broadcasting, to 2005, when It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia did the same. My critical analysis will focus on how the changes in structure, narrative complexity, and the other formal aspects of the shows reflect the evolution of the entertainment industry and television’s role in that industry. I also plan to use the cultural differences in the two shows to highlight television’s role in American culture. The most critical difference is the goal of the shows. I Love Lucy mostly uses its comedy to promote and idolize the traditional family structure and general social structures of the time, whereas It’s Always Sunny is much more willing to use comedy to attack the norms of its time. As the American system’s failures have become much more present, especially in the nihilism of post 9/11 America that It’s Always Sunny was born in, television has been used as a medium to expose and critique those failures.

In terms of the form of the stories, the differences observed reflect the changing cultural roles of the shows. One place this can be observed is with the shift in narrative structure from one complete storyline to a mixture of two to three fragmented ones. I Love Lucy typically keeps the focus on just one main storyline, with the main cast members either working together or conflicting over that issue. At the end of the day, everything is resolved, and Lucy and Ricky are back to their beautiful, suburban American life. In It’s Always Sunny, the Gang usually splits up, with almost always at least 2 or 3 main plotlines happening in parallel. The plotlines will often not be fully resolved, either ending badly for everybody involved or just being left unfinished in general. The increase in complexity has been motivated by the increasing variety in TV and competition that TV has with media forms like social media. TV shows nowadays have to do a lot more to win the attention of their audience. Also, It’s Always Sunny has the freedom to weave the different plotlines together because there is no good life to return to. The Gang starts each episode unhappy and being under attack by the world around them, and that frees them up to also end each episode that way. Another thing that is facilitated by the separate and sometimes incomplete plotlines of It’s Always Sunny is its much darker range of topics. In the version of America that It’s Always Sunny paints, things don’t always make sense and that is true for both the moral and economic themes it tackles but also for the story itself.

Those darker themes also come along with the critiques that It’s Always Sunny pushes. In I Love Lucy, because at the end of the day, Lucy and Ricky have to work things out and we need to see them end back in their typically structured suburban American life, things can never go too badly and tackling intense subjects can risk revealing flaws in the lifestyle Lucy and Ricky lead. It’s Always Sunny wants to expose those flaws though, and thus intentionally tackles more problematic themes like racism, sexism, and transphobia, using them to highlight problems in the typical American worldview.

SOURCE LIST

From Class Readings: 

Haralovich, Mary Beth. “Sit-coms and Suburbs: Positioning the 1950s Homemaker.” 

Lipsitz, George. “The Meaning of Memory:  Family, Class, and Ethnicity in Early Network Television Programs.”

Boddy, William. “Live Television.” 

Other