Now that we're near the end of the semester, what have you learned or taken away from the study of Television History? Feel free to focus on one topic or provide a short summary of various points.
Television history has been an interesting class for me, as it made me realize that just as film is an artistic medium, so is television. I guess I never really took television seriously, I just saw it as a mode for marketing and as a result, consumerism. After taking this class, I learned that there has always been somewhat of a struggle between the medium as art and the medium as a commercial product, just as the case with film is. Shows like The Ernie Kovas Show and some modern day television shows have commented on the trash TV status of television in a way that I had never thought or known about until this class. Another thing that didn't register with me before this class was the blatant racism of some shows even after segregation had been abolished. When I watched Cops, which premiered in the 80s, I could see why it is critiqued. I didn't realize how long it had extended into the modern day. The last take away was a personal realization that at this point, almost all television is recycled. An example I'd like to put forward that I didn't realize was a thing until I took TV History was the blatant pastiche of Charlie Chaplin. He truly was the master of comedy.
Charlie Chaplin: The Assembly Line http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfw0KapQ3qw I Love Lucy: Chocolate Assembly Line http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPI
and finally, the modern equivalent. Drake and Josh: Sushi Assembly Line http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FflsD1wEOnw
As someone who is interested in working for the television industry, this class has been very beneficial. Being able to study not only the original television broadcasting technology, but also the creative and industrial models, really places the current industry in context. First, I find it important to have learned about the origins of radio, and television within the context of radio programming and commercial models. I think sometimes we take for granted the commercial model but it’s interesting to note that the magazine model of multiple sponsors was not always the norm. Also, the vast shift into the era of huge conglomerates in the 80’s and the post-network era trend of niche programming historically situates the current markets and needs for programming. Finally, thinking critically about past patterns of representation is very helpful in considering the future of programming. Though it is impossible to remove ourselves from current mindsets and world views, I personally believe that it is important to at least attempt to create programming that is not only entertaining, but culturally aware. All of these aspects of television history contribute to informed television and (more generally now) episodic and serial content creation.
Finally, I would like to pose a question: I feel like although the ORIGINAL television technology has been fading since the early days of cable and later satellite, we’ve kept the term “television” because we still watched entertainment on television sets. But seeing as now we view entertainment on a variety of different screens/devices, and the content no longer exclusively premieres on television, do you think there might be a shift of language? (ex. Netflix or Hulu original shows). Do you think these count as television?
To answer your question, as far as the actual definition goes I don't believe that Netflix or Hulu original shows should count as television. I think television got it's name from the fact that it aired on a television, and these shows are not airing on the television. Instead, they are airing on the internet which can be streamed through the television. There's not much of a difference between this and web series such as The Guild or Web Therapy, but The Guild has never been referred to as a television show and Web Therapy was converted into a television show by Showtime. However, it will be a very long time before something like Orange is the New Black or House of Cards is referred to as anything other than television, if ever. Right now television has evolved into a very general word for any sort of show that people can access and I'm sure if The Guild was more popular it would be treated the same way.
I'm sure many people disagree with this, and at the end of the day it doesn't matter. As long as we have shows to entertain us with, I don't really care if it's called television or not.
I will admit that I am a bit disillusioned by the subject because I approach television as all fun all the time, so I went into the class under the mindset that it would be all entertainment, no policy. Obviously this was naive.
I do find it interesting what a complicated process the growth of television was (and is). Because tv is omnipresent in my life, I assume that it has always been. I've come to learn, however, that tv struggled to find its spot in the home as well as in our national media. Particularly I was interested in how owning a tv was at once a status symbol and something that needed to be hidden in the home and the complicated relationship it therefore had with women in the home. This was discussed in a reading from the first half of the semester, the title of which I've obviously forgotten.
It is interesting to see how tv's relationship with its viewers has changed from a community event to a more personal experience to a streaming event. This was discussed in the comment right above me so I won't waste your time reiterating it.
Television history has been an interesting class for me, as it made me realize that just as film is an artistic medium, so is television. I guess I never really took television seriously, I just saw it as a mode for marketing and as a result, consumerism. After taking this class, I learned that there has always been somewhat of a struggle between the medium as art and the medium as a commercial product, just as the case with film is. Shows like The Ernie Kovas Show and some modern day television shows have commented on the trash TV status of television in a way that I had never thought or known about until this class.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that didn't register with me before this class was the blatant racism of some shows even after segregation had been abolished. When I watched Cops, which premiered in the 80s, I could see why it is critiqued. I didn't realize how long it had extended into the modern day.
The last take away was a personal realization that at this point, almost all television is recycled. An example I'd like to put forward that I didn't realize was a thing until I took TV History was the blatant pastiche of Charlie Chaplin. He truly was the master of comedy.
Charlie Chaplin: The Assembly Line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfw0KapQ3qw
I Love Lucy: Chocolate Assembly Line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPI
and finally, the modern equivalent.
Drake and Josh: Sushi Assembly Line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FflsD1wEOnw
As someone who is interested in working for the television industry, this class has been very beneficial. Being able to study not only the original television broadcasting technology, but also the creative and industrial models, really places the current industry in context. First, I find it important to have learned about the origins of radio, and television within the context of radio programming and commercial models. I think sometimes we take for granted the commercial model but it’s interesting to note that the magazine model of multiple sponsors was not always the norm. Also, the vast shift into the era of huge conglomerates in the 80’s and the post-network era trend of niche programming historically situates the current markets and needs for programming. Finally, thinking critically about past patterns of representation is very helpful in considering the future of programming. Though it is impossible to remove ourselves from current mindsets and world views, I personally believe that it is important to at least attempt to create programming that is not only entertaining, but culturally aware. All of these aspects of television history contribute to informed television and (more generally now) episodic and serial content creation.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I would like to pose a question: I feel like although the ORIGINAL television technology has been fading since the early days of cable and later satellite, we’ve kept the term “television” because we still watched entertainment on television sets. But seeing as now we view entertainment on a variety of different screens/devices, and the content no longer exclusively premieres on television, do you think there might be a shift of language? (ex. Netflix or Hulu original shows). Do you think these count as television?
To answer your question, as far as the actual definition goes I don't believe that Netflix or Hulu original shows should count as television. I think television got it's name from the fact that it aired on a television, and these shows are not airing on the television. Instead, they are airing on the internet which can be streamed through the television. There's not much of a difference between this and web series such as The Guild or Web Therapy, but The Guild has never been referred to as a television show and Web Therapy was converted into a television show by Showtime. However, it will be a very long time before something like Orange is the New Black or House of Cards is referred to as anything other than television, if ever. Right now television has evolved into a very general word for any sort of show that people can access and I'm sure if The Guild was more popular it would be treated the same way.
DeleteI'm sure many people disagree with this, and at the end of the day it doesn't matter. As long as we have shows to entertain us with, I don't really care if it's called television or not.
I will admit that I am a bit disillusioned by the subject because I approach television as all fun all the time, so I went into the class under the mindset that it would be all entertainment, no policy. Obviously this was naive.
ReplyDeleteI do find it interesting what a complicated process the growth of television was (and is). Because tv is omnipresent in my life, I assume that it has always been. I've come to learn, however, that tv struggled to find its spot in the home as well as in our national media. Particularly I was interested in how owning a tv was at once a status symbol and something that needed to be hidden in the home and the complicated relationship it therefore had with women in the home. This was discussed in a reading from the first half of the semester, the title of which I've obviously forgotten.
It is interesting to see how tv's relationship with its viewers has changed from a community event to a more personal experience to a streaming event. This was discussed in the comment right above me so I won't waste your time reiterating it.