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A great deal of the discussion regarding convergence so far has focused on the redefining of modern audiences, who have recently started to become active producers of new media. However, while the distinction between producers of media and consumers of media has certainly been complicated by the rise of YouTube and readily available user generated content, the change goes farther than the average citizen. These discussions have focused very closely on the average person’s appropriation of the professional’s work, but one should not readily discount the professional as an audience member. These roles have definitely blended together recently, but they have done so universally, not just on the “consumer-side.”

For an example of this, we’ll examine The Office as a show, specifically regarding its tendency to draw inspiration from popular/online trends. The following clips include recreations of the lip dub fad, the wedding dance video, and parkour.

youtube.com/watch?v=f8qt2MFZgaY

(That last one had embedding disabled.)

The Office presents a very intriguing example of convergence both within the narrative and as a production itself. The show is intended to emulate a real workplace, shot in a mockumentary style and featuring a diverse and, shall we say, realistic-looking cast. The characters eat at Chili’s, watch Glee, and work in average office jobs. In other words, these characters represent the same types of “consumers” that constitute YouTube’s user base, so it is no surprise that they are aware of the kind of user-created content replicated in these clips. Interestingly enough, these characters are bringing this issue around full circle by creating their own consumer-created content within the context of a professionally created television show. In other words, this is like a remixing of the so-called remix culture. This would then represent a blending of “prosumer” with producer that ultimately really only serves to highlight the ridiculousness of this terminology.

The thing to remember here is that this show is an actual creation of actual producers, who are very clearly consumers of the YouTube community’s content. Clearly, “media meshing” behavior goes both ways, so an industry-audience distinction like the one made by Deuze is unsatisfactory. When we consider how “people consume and produce information and communication,” we should keep in mind what this means for professionals not just in business terms, but also creatively. These clips show professionals appropriating content in much the same way those YouTube users might use theirs. Similar examples can be found across modern media, with shows such as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and South Park having featured their own plotlines regarding the recreation of popular YouTube content, as well as Weezer’s incorporation of internet memes in the video for Pork and Beans. While one can make the claim that “all of this does not play into the hands of all stakeholders equally,” we should not quickly discount these professionals’ position as fans of user created content. They may have more resources, but ultimately the collaboration between these two apparent sides comes from a mutual respect. This digital technology hasn’t simply elevated the consumer to the role consumer/producer; it’s also turned the producer into a consumer of the other consumers’ products. Thus, a term like “prosumer” would just as easily fit either side, making the distinction unnecessary.

This overall melding of creative communities presents some interesting possibilities, not just in terms of user created content, but also the professional’s own appropriation and/or re-appropriation of that content. In what ways do you think the producers' growing consumer status has already impacted or will impact professionally created content?

“Web sites for TV operative on the Net demonstrate the complicated strategies by which television in the digital age continues to extend its historical niche as a form of entertainment commerce. The most effective Web sites for TV succeed by keeping viewer-users engaged long after a series episode has aired, and this requires greatly expanding the notion of what a TV text is. Shows accomplish this through at least six on- line strategies: "characterized" proliferations of the text; "narratives" elaborations of the text; "back-story" textuality; "metacritical" textual- ity; technological augmentations; and merchandizing augmentations.”-Caldwell

In Caldwell’s article, the convergence of television and the importance of the Internet is a major topic. Today it is not enough to have just a television show. A critical part of every person’s life is the Internet, therefore every show needs a website, facebook page, twitter account, or even youtube accounts, etc. In an age where people are mostly watching TV on their computers, or using their computers while they watch television, the importance of Internet exposure is crucial. In Caldwell’s example he uses Dawsonscreek.com to portray a successful internet site complete with back-story of each character, extra tidbits of information such as characters’ Christmas lists and college application essays, and links to Dawson’s Creek merchandise for watchers to buy. While this is a very interesting website, I think that this type of website would never be picked today as the most efficient webpage example for this essay. Although it was only written 5 years ago, it is outdated. With the emergence of facebook, twitter, and youtube, the technology medium has continued to change even more. The addition to video cameras on almost every computer has also changed the way the people interact with their computers. An example of a TV show that expresses this idea of convergence that the shift in technology and the Internet as a medium, is the television show iCarly. Even in the title, we see a reference to the iPod, iMac, or any apple product, which is a reference to technology. The premise of this show is two young girls in middle school who record themselves and have a web series. This show displays how easy it is for even young kids to be able record and upload themselves on youtube or web series sites. The content of what the kids are talking about is absolutely ridiculous, to me this is another sign that anything can be posted on the internet. The shift from serious television to girls like these two becoming online sensations shows a large change in television. Not only is the girls’ web series popular on the show, it is popular in real life. This show is a great example of a website that utilizes the show’s website to make an interactive and engaging site for viewers. In Caldwell’s article it states,” any interactivity is economically valuable. It is a model for mutating, migrating, and aggregating textual ideas of contemporary industrial practice”

Click on this site for an idea of what the iCarly site is like:

http://www.icarly.com/

Along with extra webisodes not aired on TV, fans can recorded their own webisodes, post blogs, or “text” the characters. There are games, blogs by the characters, songs sung by the characters, random debate questions to vote on, a section dedicated just to photos taken by the characters (complete with several albums) and places for viewers to post their thoughts on the show and photographs.  

I think that iCarly does a great job of incorporating everything happening with the television shift to Internet. Not only is the television ABOUT the Internet, it also incorporates so many interactive qualities on its website that would make many fans engaged. The “conglomary textuality” of this show surpasses most shows websites that I browsed.

            It is crazy to see how internet depended children have become, and how much easier the shift seems for children because they are starting to @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } grow up with the ideas of “webisodes” and interactive television show sites. I dont think that a television show about something like this would be applicable to older people yet because it is such a new idea.

here are some links to icarly twitter, facebook, and a youtube clip!

The 5th area of programming in Caldwell's transmedia convergence is definitely relevant in television now. The first thing that popped into my head is this:                          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZRpXAVNEq8

Self-deprecation is a widely accepted comical modality. Additionally, self-deprecation does not necessarily have to be on the level of the individual. In my opinion it can also be on the scale of cultural and racial stereotypes. It is important to remember that stereotypes are not simply fragments of peoples imaginations. Stereotypes, by and large, are based off of generalizations found in the real world. Observational humor is a mainstay in the world of stand-up comedy. This also includes stereotypes of class, gender and race (among other categories). Therefore, the utilization of racial stereotypes within television can be a valid mode of observational humor when it involves a sense of self-deprecation. This allows for characters of a particular ethnicity to embrace the humor, and therefore be empowered by it in a way that a comedian may make fun of themselves. However, part of embracing this humor lies in acknowledging that the racial stereotypes we are presented with are in fact intensified portrayals of certain generalizations. By using actors that are of the same race as the characters they are portraying it is easier to accept the use of racial stereotypes due to a greater implied awareness of such humor. For example, the characters in “Outsourced” depict a very naïve Western caricature of Indian culture, but because the characters themselves are also Indian, the comedy can be more easily appreciated without necessitating uproars of political correctness.

There is however, somewhat of an inequality that shrouds the innocence of this humor. Creators and writers of shows such as “Outsourced” are rarely of the same race as those they stereotype. This can result in a kind of imbalance, where the stereotypes may reflect only a particular subset of people. Thankfully with “Outsourced” the protagonist, though white, is also portrayed as very out of his element, and thus many of the jokes are also at his expense. However, on a deeper level, there may be a problem with the use of stereotypes in such a manner. Because this show was created for an audience outside of India, by people that are not Indian, there is less of a sense of empowerment through embracing the stereotype humor. Instead of trying to derive a sense of ethnic pride there is more likely a goal of consumerism. I find it interesting that “Outsourced” goes against what Sasha Torres condemns as the modern forms of television’s racism:

The dominant mode of television’s racism now lies in the ways its representations tend to wrench persons of color out of the still-pervasive political context of white dominance and out of the still-relevant social context of communities of color. In the process, real political, social, and economic inequalities disappear. In their place, television offers up racialized figures as consumers first and last, producing a powerful if misleading alibi both for existing racial formations and for capitalism itself.

One of the reasons for this belief is that “Outsourced” emphasizes notions of white dominance (even seen by the show’s title image). Because of this, one might interpret the use of racial stereotypes as more innocent humor, compared to the mode of racism thatracism that Torres believes to dominate contemporary television. However, it’s also important to remember that the show is using racial stereotypes to generate humor for the purpose of profit. Therefore there is also the potential for exploitation. I personally enjoyed the episode of “Outsourced,” but much of that stems from how out of place the white protagonist was. His character personifies the ignorance that creates the stereotypes that the other characters are made to fit, and by acknowledging this I feel that one can laugh without an overwhelming sense of guilt. 

I thought the most interesting reading this week was Phillip Harper’s article, Extra Special Effects: Television Representation and the Claims of the Black Experience. In his article he categorizes shows like The Cosby show as examples of simulacral realism in television.  In simulacral realism, characters on a show are purposefully created as delegates for their race, and their success and prosperity is then supposed to serve as an example for their race, and possibly help bring about social change in the real world. The Cosby Show is an apt example of this—as Bill is a doctor and Clair is a lawyer, the Huxtable family is undeniably affluent. While the show sometimes addresses serious issues, the race of the lead characters is rarely seen as being of serious consequence. I follow Harper’s argument up to this point, but I begin to disagree with him when he turns his discussion toward what he deems “the dual interest of the black performer.” He exemplifies black performers on simulacral television shows as having a divided interest between representing a positive view of blacks and making money for themselves. Of Bill Cosby, he brings up two pieces of evidence that purportedly show the dichotomous nature of his goals as a television star. First, in an interview with Ebony magazine (which is centered on black issues and themes), Cosby says,

“Negroes like Martin Luther King and Dick Gregory; Negro groups like the Deacons and the Muslims - all are dedicated to the cause of civil rights, but they do their jobs in their own way. My way is to show white people that Negroes are human beings with the same aspirations and abilities that whites have.”

In this comment, Harper presents Cosby as consistent with the aims of simulacral television. However Harper brings up a second quote in TV Guide in which Cosby says, “Money is of the utmost importance to me. If this series goes five years, I will be only 33 and rich.” Harper writes that these comments suggest a “possible mitigation of [Cosby’s] solidarity” with other blacks “by means of the very status with which he had been conferred in the industry context.” In contrast to Harper’s views, I think Cosby’s comments are quite consistent with each other. I would argue that Bill Cosby’s desire for riches—an acceptable aspiration and possession of the white community—is an extension of the simulacral realism of the Cosby show into real life. In a way, Bill Cosby’s real life can be seen as fictional, as members of the black community don’t actually know him personally, and only know of his persona in interviews and in the public sphere. Therefore if blacks watching The Cosby Show could possibly be inspired to better themselves, as the concept of simulacral realism states, why would they not be inspired by the affluence of Bill Cosby in “real life”? My personal reaction to stories of wealthy blacks--or any minority, is Good For Them!!

Another black television star that Harper cites as having a duality in goals as a performer is Diahann Carroll. In her admission that she acts in order to make money, she says, “money is power in this country and power means freedom…to do what I want to do.” I think the general point is that the money made by black television stars like Carroll and Cosby does not just elevate them financially above most blacks—it also elevates them above most whites. Their position in society as rich—irrespective of their race—should reinforce their status as purveyors of simulacral realism, not mitigate it.

New York Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/arts/television/14watc.html

"It used to be that only nonwhite comics could get away with provocative material about blacks. Now, leading nonblack humorists are giving race a run. Certain restrictions still apply. Not all comics are equally funny, and what works for Mr. David or Ms. Fey could be awful from the mouths of less sophisticated and less self-aware comedians. Defying political correctness comes with a risk: It could embolden genuine racists to join in the fun."

Museum of Broadcast Communications:http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=racismethni

"... [television executive stratum composed entirely of ethnic minority individuals] only helps to shed light on the pressures to conform faced by the few ethnic minority individuals scattered through the TV hierarchy. Sociologically, were their executive numbers to increase even to within hailing distance of their percentage of the nation, a much wider internal dialogue would be feasible concerning the very limits of the possible in television."

Chinese Baby Jell-O: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCKxWQCs3f0&feature=player_embedded

Black Toothpaste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byok6vipekQ&feature=player_embedded

Korean KFC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byok6vipekQ&feature=player_embedded

Top 10 Racist Moments on TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMvfEdTUO6Q

Actually, with the exception of the last link, some of the commercials might not appear racist to you at all. I'm up for debate on which are racist or not, because I think they all are, to a certain degree.

This week’s topic of study is certainly a controversial one. Race, however, is an essential part of society. It affects who we are and how we act. Because it is such an important aspect of whom a person is, it is extremely important that it is addressed in the media.

The media is predominately an expression of human thought. Television, specifically, revolves around the interaction of people. People portray people on television shows, news anchors give people information about things that are happening to other people, reality shows give a glimpse into the lives of interesting people, commercials sell products to people, and so on. This human-centric medium, therefore, must focus not only on the normal and good parts of lives of people, but also the more taboo or bad aspects of society, including poverty, criminality, and prejudice.

In order to tackle these controversial notions, television employs many different strategies. As Lentz describes in her article, television can portray society in one of two ways. It can either take a delegation approach by assigning the controversial viewpoint to one elected character on a television show or it can oppositely take a representative approach, and attempt to recreate or society by imitating it in a familial environment. These two approaches were portrayed in the screening. All in the Family took the delegation approach by having bigoted ideologies present in the patriarch Archie. In contrast, The Cosby Show took more of a representative approach by being about an extremely relatable family unit.

What’s important to focus on, however, is not the difference between the two approaches, but which approach is the most effective in fulfilling television’s purpose of touching on controversial or taboo subjects. In my opinion, however, it is not one approach over the other that is the most effective, but how each one is used. What makes both shows so good at acknowledging race is not because Archie is a good delegate or because the Huxtables mirror society well. I believe it is the fact that they appeal extensively to the emotion of the audience, which makes both shows effective at recognizing racism.

            Archie’s bigoted views could be seen as extremely offensive. In watching the show, however, it is clear from the light tone and the laugh track that none of his bigotry should be taken seriously. The show uses humor at length in the face of controversy. This, I believe is television’s biggest accomplishment in addressing controversy. This is also apparent in other television shows. The first that comes to mind is the episode of The Office called Diversity Day. http://www.tbs.com/video/index.jsp?oid=124282 This episode also uses humor to show just how absurd bigotry and stereotyping can be.

            Along with humor, television can appeal to emotion in a more serious way as seen in the episode of The Cosby Show. Instead of putting bigotry out in the open and publishing the absurdity of it like comedies do, The Cosby Show attempts to tackle it at the roots. In the episode we watched especially, the adults spend a lot of time reminiscing about the Civil Rights March. In a very moving few minutes, the episode shows how much we can learn from other races. 

Check it out.

"While test shows are common practice for new talk-shows, no one has ever thought to air them (let alone live), until now!"