TV attachments

I really agree that we as viewers get so attached to characters in different TV series. We talked about how narrative shows and soap operas are on every day so we get attached more to the characters as we watched there lives unfold everyday, i believe this effect is also common with other types of (weekly) shows too, i know that when i watch one of my favorite shows weather it be the bachelor or gossip girl i always want to know what will happen next, or why one of the characters did what they did. I don't really think it matters what genera of TV show it is, TV producers really know how to leave viewers hooked, left wondering and wanting more answers, so this effect has spread to more types of shows. People watching daily shows may get more attachments to characters but they don't have enough time to wonder what will happen next, viewers of weekly shows have all week to think about whats going to happen, causing so much more suspense than a daily show. I wonder how TV shows will evolve and if TV shows will be on more frequently or less frequent, i think it is really interesting that this season American Idol was on 3 different nights a week for i think 2 hours each night, that's 6 hours of one show a week! that's crazy! I wonder if people actually watch the show all 3 nights.

Sitcom Confessionals

This week’s discussion focused on audience orientated critique. We talked about how soap operas or serial narratives allow the audience to become involved with the show and feel as if they are actually a part of the cast and involved with what is going on. Soap operas allow this because they have episodes everyday and repeat a lot of what is going on. There are not many soap operas left because I think daytime television is not as popular as it may have been in the past. I related this concept of getting the audience involved with some television shows that only air one a week. The examples I thought of were Modern Family and The Office. These shows are sitcoms but they have parts of the show where one character is face to face with the camera and talks to the audience as if they are having a conversation. By doing this it allows the audience to feel as if they are talking to the character and getting into the characters mind. It almost serves as a confessional for the characters and the audience gets insight that they may have not known before. Since these shows only air once a week this feature allows flashbacks from previous episodes, to keep the audience up to date.

The right time and place

I agreed with the lecture we discussed in class. There is always a time and setting for different things. An environment can totally make or break an event. Watching a football game with friends can be a different experience than watching it with family or in a setting that wouldn't be fit such as a funeral home where the mood is not typically a happy one. Sound can also make the difference between hearing a wonderful voice or just seeing their mouths move. It creates a different setting for the program. Who you are with can also change the core of a program. Something as sensual or intimate as pornography watched in silence while your friends dub comical lines for the actors changes the experience. In the articles the authors discuss things that aren't said but acknowledged by a reader or viewer are difficult to understand if the context isn't taken in full effect, such as a narration. If we see a scene without a narration we may not understand why the story is being told. There are also times when the audience may understand what is happening and the film makers want that, such as in a scary movie we see a killer approaching the victim, we know that they may be killed and want to scream at the screen for them not to open the door, but instead they do and die. These are the meanings behind the actions.

The Fairy Tale Demographic

The audience critique we touched on Tuesday and the reading about women audiences reminded me of how women are targeted by the media. Harlequin books, romantic comedies, pop songs, and the fairy tales woman are fed from childhood all contribute to forming an audience. When girls grow up they are expected to be in a demographic that is fed fairy tale romances and unrealistic romantic portrayals, and like it. The more women are fed these fluffy unrealistic media, then the entertainment industries will continue to make cash. Women may in fact not believe things they see in rom-coms, but the fact that they go to see the film and pay the money for the ticket is enough of a reason to keep producing these types of films.While we haven't gone in depth with these articles and the audience point of view, it is obvious that audiences are segmented for the purpose of making profit. This goes back to hegemony in terms of wanting women to think the same way and keep the oppression in our patriarchal society. Audiences may be critical of the media they are consuming, but unless they demand better standards then media will continue to deteriorate.

Technologically Dependent

My last Communications 330 class on Tuesday was cancelled after a technological error in uploading a necessary video for the lecture.  I found it interesting how because of a technological error/mishap, class couldn’t be held.  Although I was born and raised in the era of a mass technological boom, it still amazes me how far we have come.  As a communication major, it’s innate of me to analyze the different technologies and ways we communicate these days.  I can’t wrap my head around our reliance on technology in and outside the classroom.  Outside of the class dependence is a whole topic of its own, however, within the classroom, without access to the internet, computer, or printer, a student can’t successfully get through school.  In fact, it’s doubtful a student would make it past the first week without these tools.  I am a firm believer in how advanced we are due to our technological resources, but in terms of education and school, I hate how dependent academia is on it.  So much so, that without a video, one of my classes was cancelled.  There’s no way my teachers would accept hand written papers (although I wouldn’t want to write them), it’s still an interesting thought.  If papers had to be hand written, I guarantee the page length requirements would be ten times shorter, for example.   There are numerous pros and cons on this topic, but I just felt like shedding light on it from a macro point of view.  Not all things technology are bad in academia, obviously, however, not all are good.  Half of my teachers didn't even hand out paper syllabus copies to the class, saying if we wanted it we could download it online.  I don't know.  It's a very intense, long, and broad argument, but I don't go a day without thinking it.  My main point is that without technology no student can succeed in school.   And that’s a very scary thought. 


Tom Peters

The TV generation

As I watch tv now, have been through many communication and critical lense classes, I start to analyze how tv is affecting our lives and how tv has changed.  Back in the 70's, it was about free love.  The 80's, family values.  90's, new technology and the start of realty TV.  Now, we watch Jersey Shore.  This ages tv shows have been very influencial in the way we act today, which isn't a good thing.  Tv shows like jersey shore, show that there might be such thing as no good tv anymore.  I have watched it and thought it was funny but if i look at it through a critical light, it saddens me because we find this funny.  Not things like Animal House or things that were written to be funny.  This is how these idiots act.  They go onto national tv and show how dumb they actually are.  This also follows over to real life.  For the past month, we have been following if Snooki is pregnant more then who's winning presidential Caucasus.  This is hilarious that people actually follow these peoples lives that much.  I am the first one to admit that i watch some stupid television and laugh about it but can we please stop following around these raving lunatics every minute of every day.  So what Snooki is pregnant and engaged, most likely the kid will be smarter then her.

We All Follow

Coming into college I didn't really know what to expect. In my high school, everyone was like me. So we liked the same shows, music, had the same political view points and more. While some of this may still be very true, I've noticed that around certain people, my attitudes toward different types of music, political views, television shows and more tend to change in favor of the group I'm around. For an instance, there was a Time where I though immigration should be frowned upon. It was illegal and therefore Unacceptable. I was so sure that my view point was right, until I came to college and began to really see the the struggles immigrants go through. While there are in fact both pros and cons to the debate, when I'm around immigrants I tend to focus more on the pros and not so much on the cons. This is only one of the many way in which I am influenced by people surrounding me. Other examples include how I no longer enjoy watching certain shows or listening to certain songs that have certain political, economic, or social view points instilled in them because of the respect I've grown to have for different kinds of people. Examples of how people generally tend to follow others is endless. It's done on a regular basis, so much in fact that it's become normal to us, so we don't even notice it anymore.