class blog for JMC 562, Media Studies and Culture, Fall 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Reading questions for 12/1/09, Levine and Maher
Please post reading questions for our 12/1/09 assignments by Levine and Maher as comments to this post. You can do two sets of reading questions, one for each of these readings.
In the article "The New Soaps," Levine says "We get that Lauren is unsure about getting back together with Jason, her philandering ex-boyfriend, because the music and her smile-free face communicate it." I wonder if this is that much different from a regular soap opera, just with different music and younger people. On a regular soap, when something bad happens there is also dramatic music and usually an overacted obvious unhappiness.
Later on in the article, there is a statement about how the season ends differently than a regular soap opera, because Lauren doesn't learn from her mistakes and ends up with the same jerk she's been dating all season. "The season ends with Lauren in Jason’s arms, the Malibu sunset affirming the happily-ever-afterness of her choice. She has not left him and found herself; he is not about to change." Is this possibly because the new soap operas are less interested in clean resolution, as their target audience can more relate to angst?
In Maher's article, on page 199, she states, "These programs are indoctrinating women into traditional gender roles, confirming the dominant cultural beliefs regarding love and romance that... feminist theorists have critiqued." Is this because the people who are watching these show are traditionally women with children, and watching these shows reinforces their sense of self-worth?
Later on in the article, there is a quote from a romance novelist, Joan Foster. "Women need romance fiction precisely because they can't get what they want from the actual men in their lives... They wanted their men to be strong, lufstful, passionate, and exciting, with hard rapacious mouths, but also tender and worshipful." Is this to say that gender roles create an unattainable goal for men? Is the media creating roles for both men and women which neither will be able to achieve, but both desire from the other?
In the article 'The New Soaps'- it is said that with LC, the viewers "don’t really understand what motivates her, what she fears or what she hopes." Couldn't her drive in the fashion industry be constructed as what motivates her? Or does the audience need to be directly told what she hopes for in order to understand her motivations and who she is? Isn't the idea of "reality" to infer from what you see and not necessarily what you are being told?
I thought about how the "after-shows" of the show 'The Hills' plays a role in how the drama is perceived? Do these shows about the shows help to define them as reality or expose them as being fake and soap-opera like?
Maher: Growing up, I remember my Sister religiously watching A Baby Story and A Wedding Story. It would just make my head spin listening to the shows from the other room. She would always have the same emotion about every show that she would watch. Reading this article, this really brought me back to my childhood and watching my sister fall in love with each and every person on these shows. I wonder if my Sister still watches these shows. Although I would hope that she doesn't...considering that she works most days and is married now.
WHat does it say that these shows are broadcast during the day? Would these shows be less popular if they were in a part time slot at night?
Levine: So Are The Hills and Laguna Beach based on reality? I have always thought these shows were in fact reality that was recreated for the show. But it seems to me that most of the show's material is made up.
What does it say that the recent season of The Hills has seen a dramatic decrease in viewership? Have people just gotten worn out by this type of show? Or does the departure of LC have more to do with the lower ratings?
Maher: I thought the differences between A Baby Story and Maternity Ward were quite interesting and made me wonder about the motives and goals of producers and viewers.
On page 204, Maher notes that the parents on Maternity Ward are more "incidental" to the happenings and many times are not focus on or interviewed about their backgrounds. In fact Maher noted that the backgrounds and family lives of the Doctors are focused on much more than the actual parents. Maher also comments that that the parents in Maternity Ward are often "poor, drug-addicted and nonwhite." Why are these baby stories and personal narratives overlooked by the producers? Is it in attempt to fit with their heterosexual romance fairytale theme? Also, if women watch shows like A Baby Story and A Wedding Story to escape and sooth their dissatisfaction with married life and family, what do women viewers get from shows like Maternity Ward?
Levine: The Hills article outlined a few aspects that affect the viewers construction of a reality show. First there is no justification of the cameras. Also, there are no confessionals, prizes, or unattractive people. Levine states that the lack of confessionals makes so that the fourth wall is never broken and therefore makes the show seem more natural and unscripted. Or at least this is what the producers are encouraging us to believe.
I wonder if reality TV viewers agree with this. I think that reality shows seem more real when there is acknowledgment of the cameras. Also, one thing I have noticed with shows like the Hills is that people are always having private conversations and in many cases one will ask the other not to tell anyone what he or she just said. "You have to promise not to tell anyone about this." or "Don't tell so and so that we went out tonight." I want to scream at them YOU ARE ON NATIONAL TV! Obviously they know these "private" conversations wont stay private for long, but what are they trying to fool? Is this just another ploy by the producers to make viewers think the show is truly real and unscripted?
In the article "The New Soaps," Levine says "We get that Lauren is unsure about getting back together with Jason, her philandering ex-boyfriend, because the music and her smile-free face communicate it." I wonder if this is that much different from a regular soap opera, just with different music and younger people. On a regular soap, when something bad happens there is also dramatic music and usually an overacted obvious unhappiness.
ReplyDeleteLater on in the article, there is a statement about how the season ends differently than a regular soap opera, because Lauren doesn't learn from her mistakes and ends up with the same jerk she's been dating all season. "The season ends with Lauren in Jason’s arms, the Malibu sunset affirming the happily-ever-afterness of her choice. She has not left him and found herself; he is not about to change." Is this possibly because the new soap operas are less interested in clean resolution, as their target audience can more relate to angst?
In Maher's article, on page 199, she states, "These programs are indoctrinating women into traditional gender roles, confirming the dominant cultural beliefs regarding love and romance that... feminist theorists have critiqued." Is this because the people who are watching these show are traditionally women with children, and watching these shows reinforces their sense of self-worth?
Later on in the article, there is a quote from a romance novelist, Joan Foster. "Women need romance fiction precisely because they can't get what they want from the actual men in their lives... They wanted their men to be strong, lufstful, passionate, and exciting, with hard rapacious mouths, but also tender and worshipful." Is this to say that gender roles create an unattainable goal for men? Is the media creating roles for both men and women which neither will be able to achieve, but both desire from the other?
In the article 'The New Soaps'- it is said that with LC, the viewers "don’t really understand what motivates her, what she fears or what she hopes." Couldn't her drive in the fashion industry be constructed as what motivates her? Or does the audience need to be directly told what she hopes for in order to understand her motivations and who she is? Isn't the idea of "reality" to infer from what you see and not necessarily what you are being told?
ReplyDeleteI thought about how the "after-shows" of the show 'The Hills' plays a role in how the drama is perceived? Do these shows about the shows help to define them as reality or expose them as being fake and soap-opera like?
Maher:
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I remember my Sister religiously watching A Baby Story and A Wedding Story. It would just make my head spin listening to the shows from the other room. She would always have the same emotion about every show that she would watch. Reading this article, this really brought me back to my childhood and watching my sister fall in love with each and every person on these shows. I wonder if my Sister still watches these shows. Although I would hope that she doesn't...considering that she works most days and is married now.
WHat does it say that these shows are broadcast during the day? Would these shows be less popular if they were in a part time slot at night?
Levine:
So Are The Hills and Laguna Beach based on reality? I have always thought these shows were in fact reality that was recreated for the show. But it seems to me that most of the show's material is made up.
What does it say that the recent season of The Hills has seen a dramatic decrease in viewership? Have people just gotten worn out by this type of show? Or does the departure of LC have more to do with the lower ratings?
Maher:
ReplyDeleteI thought the differences between A Baby Story and Maternity Ward were quite interesting and made me wonder about the motives and goals of producers and viewers.
On page 204, Maher notes that the parents on Maternity Ward are more "incidental" to the happenings and many times are not focus on or interviewed about their backgrounds. In fact Maher noted that the backgrounds and family lives of the Doctors are focused on much more than the actual parents. Maher also comments that that the parents in Maternity Ward are often "poor, drug-addicted and nonwhite." Why are these baby stories and personal narratives overlooked by the producers? Is it in attempt to fit with their heterosexual romance fairytale theme? Also, if women watch shows like A Baby Story and A Wedding Story to escape and sooth their dissatisfaction with married life and family, what do women viewers get from shows like Maternity Ward?
Levine:
The Hills article outlined a few aspects that affect the viewers construction of a reality show. First there is no justification of the cameras. Also, there are no confessionals, prizes, or unattractive people. Levine states that the lack of confessionals makes so that the fourth wall is never broken and therefore makes the show seem more natural and unscripted. Or at least this is what the producers are encouraging us to believe.
I wonder if reality TV viewers agree with this. I think that reality shows seem more real when there is acknowledgment of the cameras. Also, one thing I have noticed with shows like the Hills is that people are always having private conversations and in many cases one will ask the other not to tell anyone what he or she just said. "You have to promise not to tell anyone about this." or "Don't tell so and so that we went out tonight." I want to scream at them YOU ARE ON NATIONAL TV! Obviously they know these "private" conversations wont stay private for long, but what are they trying to fool? Is this just another ploy by the producers to make viewers think the show is truly real and unscripted?