This class meets a total of four times a week: lectures on Monday and Wednesday, an evening screening, and a small-group discussion section (assigned individually at the beginning of the course). You can expect the professor primarily to cover the readings and their disciplinary background on Monday and the screening materials and topics on Wednesday, but all sessions will be interactive and invite your participation.
You are expected to complete the reading (three chapters or articles averaging around 75 pages) before Monday's meeting each week. The professor will distribute a "virtual reader" containing PDF copies of all course texts at the beginning of the term. You are responsible for bringing printed or electronic copies of the week's materials to class so you can refer to them. If you choose to go digital, you may wish to investigate software that will allow you to highlight, annotate, and organize your PDFs.
Screenings are sourced from accessible DVDs and websites whenever possible (although attendance is still required). If you must miss a screening, you should consult the list of materials on the course website and contact your TA about viewing any DVDs (ideally on Wednesday). After Thursday, DVDs from the week will be returned to the MCM archive at 155 George, where you can view them during regular business hours.
To foster experiential learning about media, we will be using a dedicated website [here] for all course work. This is a social network platform that supports blogs, wiki-like pages, bookmarks, threaded discussion, file uploads, status updates ("the wire"), live chat, and streaming videos. You are encouraged, but not required, to use the site to collect and discuss relevant material outside of class (above and beyond the stipulated homework).
POLICIES
laptops and/or mobile devices are encouraged in class for taking notes, referring to readings, and other connected engagement. Productive uses of the web during lectures or screenings include: looking up terms and references, finding relevant examples to share, and checking the course website. You are expected to be aware of your own attention and stay focused on class activities (if the internet is a distraction, you can disable your wireless access).
attendance at all lectures, sections, and screenings is required. If you have a conflict or illness that causes you to miss class, contact your TA in advance. Grade penalties will be imposed for excessive unexcused absences. late work is discouraged. Most assignments are integrated with class activities and thus do not accommodate lateness. If you are facing extenuating circumstances and need an extension, contact your TA in advance. Grade penalties will be imposed for unexcused late work.
plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you don't understand what plagiarism is, why it's a serious offense, or how to avoid it, there's an excellent explanatory handout athttp:/
accessibility for all students is a priority. Students who, by nature of a documented disability, require academic accommodations should notify the professor at the beginning of the semester. Students may also speak with Student and Employee Accessibility Services to discuss the process for requesting accommodations.
ASSIGNMENTS
You will complete three blog essays, two group video projects, a final paper, and weekly contributions for your section at the discretion of your TA. Handouts with more detailed guidelines for the major assignments will be provided. At the beginning of the term, each section will be divided into three groups (X-Y-Z) for staggered due dates and group projects.
blog essays (due before section, every third week)
In this informal writing assignment (similar to a 3-page paper), you will present an argument about the week's material that references at least one reading and one television artifact. The goal is to develop skills in academic composition and basic HTML competence.
video projects (due 2/21 + 3/22)
You will work with members of your section (grouped by letter) to create a 3-10 minute video that engages with the theoretical perspectives we have studied. It may use original and/or appropriated footage and take any form, including but not limited to: a video blog, a documentary, a public service announcement, a fictional narrative, an artwork, a parody, or a remix. You’ll post your videos on the course website, and we’ll go over the available resources for producing and editing them. Keep in mind that this is not a production course, and your project doesn't have to be technically ambitious to succeed. You will be evaluated based on your incorporation of course material, the originality of your critical approach, and the effectiveness of its presentation.
final paper (due 5/16 by 11:59pm)
For your final assignment, you will expand one of your blog posts into a 6-7 page paper that draws on course texts to analyze a television artifact of your choice. Your TA will meet with you individually to help you develop your argument.
For the major assignments, a handout with the criteria for evaluation will be provided in advance. Essays and the videos will be graded via this structured rubric. For other weekly and overall contributions, you will receive comments more informally by email, on the website, or in person.
SCHEDULE
{Thursday, January 26} is our orientation meeting. There is no screening or section and no reading or homework for the first week. The professor will go over the syllabus, assignments, and course website.
1. WHY TV? {January 31-February 3}
reading
- Allen, Robert C. "Frequently Asked Questions: A General Introduction to the Reader." The Television Studies Reader. Ed. Robert C. Allen and Annette Hill. Routledge, 2004. (1-18)
- Boddy, William. "In Focus: The Place of Television Studies." Cinema Journal Vol. 45, No. 1 (2005): 79-116 (selections)
screening
- excerpts from Signal to Noise
- Prelinger Archive videos
- student videos about TV
2. TECHNOLOGY {February 7-10}
reading
- Dienst, Richard. "The Outbreak of Television." Still Life in Real Time: Theory After Television. Duke UP, 1994. (12-35, pp. 3-12 optional)
- Williams, Raymond. "The Technology and the Society." Television: Technology and Cultural Form. Fontana, 1972. [reprinted in The New Media Reader] (291-300)
- Spielmann, Yvonne. "Video: From Technology to Medium." Art Journal 65:3 (Fall 2006): (55-70)
screening
- "Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman" (Dara Birnbaum) [05]
- "Global Groove" (Nam June Paik) [30]
- "The Eternal Frame" (Ant Farm and T.R. Uthco) [22]
- "Wetwired" from The X-Files [42]
- "Blipverts" from Max Headroom [42]
3. FLOW {February 14-17}
reading
- Butler, Jeremy G. "Television's Ebb and Flow in the Postnetwork Era." Television: Critical Methods and Applications. Routledge, 2006. (3-17)
- White, Mimi. "Crossing Wavelengths: The Diegetic and Referential Imaginary of American Commercial Television." Cinema Journal Vol. 25, No. 2 (1986): (51-64)
- Uricchio, William. "Television's Next Generation: Technology/Interface Culture/Flow." Television After TV. Ed. Lynn Spigel and Jan Olsson. Duke University Press, 2005. (163-182)
screening
- Sesame Street [excerpts]
- PBS "Pioneers of Television: Late Night" [excerpts]
- The Tonight Show [clips]
- The Tonight Show 1/22/2010 (Conan's last show) [42]
video #1 {February 21 - screening} (due by noon)
no class Monday / workshop Wednesday
4. LIVENESS {February 28-March 2}
reading
- Feuer, Jane. "The Concept of Live Television: Ontology as Ideology." Regarding Television. Ed. E. Ann Kaplan. Greenwood Publishing, 1983. (12-22)
- Morse, Margaret. "The News as Performance: The Image As Event." Virtualities: Television, Media Art, and Cyberculture. Indiana University Press, 1998. (36-51 + 58-67)
- McPherson, Tara. "Reload: Liveness, Mobility and the Web." The Visual Culture Reader. Ed. Nicholas Mirzoeff. Routledge, 2002. (458-470)
screening
- MSNBC.com "flow" video [07] + Good Morning America [clips]
- TV coverage of the John F. Kennedy assassination [excerpts]
- "Four More Years" (TVTV) [60 - excerpt]
- "The Business of Local News" (University Community Video) [17]
- "Spin" (Brian Springer) [10 min. excerpt]
5. FORM/GENRE {March 6-9}
reading
- Feuer, Jane. "Genre Study and Television." Channels of Discourse, Reassembled (2nd edition). Ed. Robert C. Allen. UNC Press, 1992. (138-160)
- Mittell, Jason. "The Form of Television Narrative" + "Formal Analysis in Action: The Case of Lost" in "Telling Television Stories." Television and American Culture. Oxford University Press, 2009. (213-234, 258-267)
- Haralovich, Mary Beth and Michael W. Trosset. "'Expect the Unexpected': Narrative Pleasure and Uncertainty due to Chance in Survivor." Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture. Ed. Susan Murray and Laurie Ouellette. NYU Press, 2004. (75-96)
screening
- "WrongWay Feldman" from Gilligan's Island [25]
- "...In Translation" (S1, episode 17) from Lost [42]
- "Thy Name Is Duplicity" (S1, episode 8) from Survivor [42]
- mashups of Lost and Gilligan's Island
6. AUDIENCE {March 13-16}
reading
- Morley, David. "Changing Paradigms in Audience Studies." Remote Control: Television, Audiences, and Cultural Power. Ed. Ellen Seiter et al. Routledge, 1989. (16-43)
- Ang, Ien. "In the Realm of Uncertainty: The Global Village and Capitalist Postmodernity." Living Room Wars. Routledge, 1996. (162-180)
- Meehan, Eileen R. "Watching Television: A Political Economic Approach." A Companion to Television. Ed. Janet Wasco. Blackwell, 2010. (238- 255)
screening
- "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" from I Love Lucy [22]
- "Jack-Tor" from 30 Rock [22]
- "A Night to Remember" from Mad Men (season 2) [42] + Clorox and other commercials aired during Mad Men
- The Price Is Right [clips]
- "Production Notes: Fast Food for Thought" (Jason Simon) [excerpt]
7. CONVERGENCE {March 20-23}
reading
- Caldwell, John. "Convergence Television: Aggregating Form and Repurposing Content in the Culture of Conglomeration." Television After TV. Ed. Lynn Spigel and Jan Olsson. Duke University Press, 2005. (41-74)
- Deuze, Mark. "Convergence Culture and Media Work." Media Industries. Ed. Jennifer Holt and Alisa Perren. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. (144-155)
- Uricchio, William. "The Future of a Medium Once Known as Television." The YouTube Reader. Ed. Pelle Snickars and Patrick Vonderau. National Library of Sweden, 2009. (24-39)
screening
- "Occupation" from Battlestar Galactica [42] + The Resistance [35] + selected Video Maker videos
- "Electronic Behavior Control System" (Emergency Broadcast Network)
- selected TV mashups and political remix videos
BREAK {March 24-April 1}
video #2 {April 3 - screening} (due by noon)
no class Monday / workshop Wednesday
8. GENDER {April 10-13}
reading
- Spigel, Lynn. "Television in the Family Circle." Make Room for TV. University of Chicago Press, 1992. (36-72)
- Modleski, Tania. "The Rhythms of Reception: Daytime Television and Women's Work." Regarding Television. Ed. E. Ann Kaplan. Greenwood Publishing, 1983. (67-84)
- Streeter, Thomas and Wendy Wahl. "Audience Theory and Feminism: Property, Gender, and the Television Audience." Camera Obscura 33- 34 (1994): (243-261)
screening
- soap opera clips/episode
- Desperate Housewives (pilot) [42]
- Wife Swap (episode TBD) [42]
- Semiotics of the Kitchen (Martha Rosler) [06]
9. RACE {April 17-20}
- Lentz, Kirsten Marthe. "Quality versus Relevance: Feminism, Race, and the Politics of the Sign in 1970s Television." Camera Obscura 43 (2000): (45-93)
- Harper, Phillip Brian. "Extra-Special Effects: Televisual Representation and the Claims of the 'Black Experience.'" Living Color: Race and Television in the United States. Duke University Press, 1988. (62-81)
- Sasha Torres, "Television and Race." A Companion to Television. Ed. Janet Wasco. Blackwell, 2010. (395-408)
screening
- "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood" from All in the Family [22]
- "The March" from The Cosby Show [22]
- "Mammy Dearest" from A Different World [22]
- "Jolly Vindaloo Day" from Outsourced [22]
- "How Betty Got Her Grieve Back" from Ugly Betty [42]
- I'm the One that I Want [excerpt]
10. SEXUALITY {April 24-27}
reading
- Joyrich, Lynne. "Epistemology of the Console." Critical Inquiry 27, no. 3 (2001): (439-467)
- Needham, Gary. "Scheduling Normativity: Television, the Family, and Queer Temporality." Queer TV. Ed. Glynn Davis and Gary Needham. Routledge, 2009. (143-158)
- Walters, Suzanna. "The Love that Dares to Speak Its Name: The Explosion of Gay Visibility." All the Rage: The Story of Gay Visibility in America. University of Chicago Press, 2001. (3-29)
screening
- Ellen, "The Puppy Episode" (ABC, 1994-1998) [46]
- Will and Grace, "Acting Out" (NBC, 1998-2006) [22]
- Glee, "Hairography" (S1, episode 11) [42]
- Infomania: That's Gay episodes (online)
- "Sex and the Remix" (Elisa Kreisinger, 2010)http:/
/ elisakreisinger.wordpress.com/ projects/ queercarrieproject/
11. FANDOM {May 1-4}
reading
- Busse, Coppa, Hellekson, De Kosnik, Russo, and Lothian. "In Focus: Fandom and Feminism." Cinema Journal Vol. 48, No. 4 (Summer 2009): (104-136)
- Jenkins, Henry and Joshua Green. "The Moral Economy of Web 2.0: Audience Research and Convergence Culture." Media Industries. Ed. Jennifer Holt and Alisa Perren. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. (213-225)
- Hastie, Amelie. "The Epistemological Stakes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Television Criticism and Marketing Demands." Undead TV. Ed. Elana Levine and Lisa Parks. Duke University Press, 2007. (74-95)
screening
- "Hollow Pursuits" from Star Trek: The Next Generation [42]
- "Storyteller" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer [42]
- "Remixing Popular Culture: Section 1 - Vidding" (Julie Levin Russo and Alexis Lothian, produced by Anita Sarkeesian) [40]http:/
/ vimeo.com/ 13021751 - "Fan Vids and Life On Mars" (student video) + student-selected fan videos
{Tuesday, May 8} is our concluding meeting. We discuss the course overall, go over final paper assignments, and fill out evaluations.
FINAL PAPERS {May 16, midnight}
