How was television figured as a “window on the world” during the period of 1948-1955, according to Lynn Spigel? Do you think television fulfills (or is portrayed as fulfilling) a similar role today? Take a look at this pre-war demonstration of British television and describe the aesthetics of this early experimentation with TV during the 1930s. How is the viewer positioned or addressed? How do the formal elements of this program compare to contemporary television?
In Spigel's article, she established television as a "window on the world" which would bring the public sphere into the home, or at least give the illusion that the private home was connected to public events and people around the world. During this time, people had a fascination with giving their homes an illusion of spaciousness. Given the TV's ability to bring "another world" into the home, it is not surprising that TV was seen as the ultimate way to accomplish this utopian goal for man to conquer and domesticate their space. At this time, homes were being decorated with landscape paintings and other decorative ways of bringing nature into the home. The television could fulfill man's need for escapism as well as the feeling that they are a part of TV's events-- that they are right beside the protagonist scaling a mountain halfway across the world, that they are dancing with people of a different culture, that they are in those exotic places they can only pursue through the miracle invention that is television.
As for the clip provided with this prompt, it directly addresses its audience both with those speaking on the screen and with the presence of intertitles.
According to Spigel, television was a “window on the world” because it allowed the outside world to penetrate the world inside the home. One of the biggest ways this was conveyed in this time period was through advertisements. Spigel highlights advertising initiatives where the idea of the television being a “global village in a box” spurred the use of scenic backgrounds, famous cities and landmarks, globes, and maps to be featured around the television set. These advertisements were basically telling consumers that if they wanted to experience what the world has to offer all they needed was a television set.
I agree that television fulfills this role as a “window on the world” to this day. One aspect of this is having the ability to watch shows produced all over the world. We can now stream media from virtually anywhere over the internet.
What I found interesting in the video of the pre-war demonstration of television was the address made at the beginning. They wanted viewers to be aware that the purpose of the transmission wasn’t for home use or recreational viewing but for viewing rooms and manufacturers. This is certainly different than contemporary television where most television is watched for recreational purposes.
Spigel argues that television was figured as a "window on the world" during the period of 1948 to 1955 primarily because it brought outside elements, such as faraway places or out-of-the-house entertainment, into the living room. As movie, concert, and baseball attendance declined, entertainment moved into the home and television was perfect in that it attempted to "privatize and domesticate the experience of spectatorship." Television itself was placed next to windows and maps, and this interior decorating reveals that people saw this box as a window to other places, like the actual windows adjacent to it. Advertisements placed the TV next to iconic images of faraway places, such as Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, or the New York skyline, showing that TV would bring this images right into your living room. In sitcoms, large window views broke down the boundaries between the private and public, like television would. Some sitcoms incorporating travelogue-esque ideas into their plots, with trips to exotic or faraway places so people could be "transported" there while still in their own home.
I think television is portrayed today as doing something similar. I've seen countless commercials advertising TVs that are so HD that you think you're at the game when you watch them, or TVs that are so high quality that the characters come out of the screen, specifically some DirecTV commercials. There are countless shows that depict exotic places (like Planet Earth) or places that you can't access yourself.
In the BBC broadcast, the viewer is addressed very directly, much more so than today. They explicitly are pointing out what TV can do, when now we all take it for granted that TV is necessary and now just argue about what kind of TV or how big it is or what channel to watch. It was very interesting in that broadcast though that the announcer specifically states it is not intended for home reception, which is different of course than today.
According to Spigel, television allowed people to go places without having to leave the home. With the installation of television sets in homes, people were able to have their own private sphere while still being connected to what was happening in the outside world. Just as one could see what is happening outside through a window, the television offered a view of what happened around the world through its screen.
Television today is still fulfilling the role of being a “window on the world,” although the window is no longer limited to the screen on a television set. With global news stations, it is easy to find out what is happening on the other side of the world even as it occurs. However, television is not the only means of informing people. The Internet has allowed for people to write about and post videos of events just as quickly as television. Although television is not the only “window in the world,” it is definitely more of a window today than it was in the past. Before, television was a way for people to see what happened outside of the home, but now it is a way for people to share what is happening inside the home. Television shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos bring people’s private moments to the public.
In the British Television broadcast, the viewers were addressed very formally as a newscaster would address viewers today. And the clip showing viewers how to hold a golf club was similar to instructional and demonstrative videos.
Early tv was viewed as a way to connect the outside world with the inside world; therefore being a window to the world. Many tv shows took this window on the world title even further by taking place in settings such as Hollywood or England, so that viewers got to experience those places just as the characters were experiencing them.
Personally, I don’t think television functions as a window to the world in todays world, or if it does...then it has a very narrow focus. The news is biased and only reports on certain topics: celebrities, war, crime, etc.
The British clip is very rigid and formal. Its less like the Gracie Allen and Texaco star theatre and more like a demonstration. The ladies advertising the clothing are not prancing around in it, and they don’t even make the clothes look desirable because they look miserable in them. Also, the introduction to the show was very formal, and bizarre to me as they explained the purpose of the broadcast and its intended audience. This is the polar opposite of what I am used to seeing today, today’s tv is unapologetic and doesn’t care to explain what its doing and why its doing it.
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In Spigel's article, she established television as a "window on the world" which would bring the public sphere into the home, or at least give the illusion that the private home was connected to public events and people around the world. During this time, people had a fascination with giving their homes an illusion of spaciousness. Given the TV's ability to bring "another world" into the home, it is not surprising that TV was seen as the ultimate way to accomplish this utopian goal for man to conquer and domesticate their space. At this time, homes were being decorated with landscape paintings and other decorative ways of bringing nature into the home. The television could fulfill man's need for escapism as well as the feeling that they are a part of TV's events-- that they are right beside the protagonist scaling a mountain halfway across the world, that they are dancing with people of a different culture, that they are in those exotic places they can only pursue through the miracle invention that is television.
ReplyDeleteAs for the clip provided with this prompt, it directly addresses its audience both with those speaking on the screen and with the presence of intertitles.
According to Spigel, television was a “window on the world” because it allowed the outside world to penetrate the world inside the home. One of the biggest ways this was conveyed in this time period was through advertisements. Spigel highlights advertising initiatives where the idea of the television being a “global village in a box” spurred the use of scenic backgrounds, famous cities and landmarks, globes, and maps to be featured around the television set. These advertisements were basically telling consumers that if they wanted to experience what the world has to offer all they needed was a television set.
ReplyDeleteI agree that television fulfills this role as a “window on the world” to this day. One aspect of this is having the ability to watch shows produced all over the world. We can now stream media from virtually anywhere over the internet.
What I found interesting in the video of the pre-war demonstration of television was the address made at the beginning. They wanted viewers to be aware that the purpose of the transmission wasn’t for home use or recreational viewing but for viewing rooms and manufacturers. This is certainly different than contemporary television where most television is watched for recreational purposes.
Spigel argues that television was figured as a "window on the world" during the period of 1948 to 1955 primarily because it brought outside elements, such as faraway places or out-of-the-house entertainment, into the living room. As movie, concert, and baseball attendance declined, entertainment moved into the home and television was perfect in that it attempted to "privatize and domesticate the experience of spectatorship." Television itself was placed next to windows and maps, and this interior decorating reveals that people saw this box as a window to other places, like the actual windows adjacent to it. Advertisements placed the TV next to iconic images of faraway places, such as Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, or the New York skyline, showing that TV would bring this images right into your living room. In sitcoms, large window views broke down the boundaries between the private and public, like television would. Some sitcoms incorporating travelogue-esque ideas into their plots, with trips to exotic or faraway places so people could be "transported" there while still in their own home.
ReplyDeleteI think television is portrayed today as doing something similar. I've seen countless commercials advertising TVs that are so HD that you think you're at the game when you watch them, or TVs that are so high quality that the characters come out of the screen, specifically some DirecTV commercials. There are countless shows that depict exotic places (like Planet Earth) or places that you can't access yourself.
In the BBC broadcast, the viewer is addressed very directly, much more so than today. They explicitly are pointing out what TV can do, when now we all take it for granted that TV is necessary and now just argue about what kind of TV or how big it is or what channel to watch. It was very interesting in that broadcast though that the announcer specifically states it is not intended for home reception, which is different of course than today.
According to Spigel, television allowed people to go places without having to leave the home. With the installation of television sets in homes, people were able to have their own private sphere while still being connected to what was happening in the outside world. Just as one could see what is happening outside through a window, the television offered a view of what happened around the world through its screen.
ReplyDeleteTelevision today is still fulfilling the role of being a “window on the world,” although the window is no longer limited to the screen on a television set. With global news stations, it is easy to find out what is happening on the other side of the world even as it occurs. However, television is not the only means of informing people. The Internet has allowed for people to write about and post videos of events just as quickly as television. Although television is not the only “window in the world,” it is definitely more of a window today than it was in the past. Before, television was a way for people to see what happened outside of the home, but now it is a way for people to share what is happening inside the home. Television shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos bring people’s private moments to the public.
In the British Television broadcast, the viewers were addressed very formally as a newscaster would address viewers today. And the clip showing viewers how to hold a golf club was similar to instructional and demonstrative videos.
Early tv was viewed as a way to connect the outside world with the inside world; therefore being a window to the world. Many tv shows took this window on the world title even further by taking place in settings such as Hollywood or England, so that viewers got to experience those places just as the characters were experiencing them.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don’t think television functions as a window to the world in todays world, or if it does...then it has a very narrow focus. The news is biased and only reports on certain topics: celebrities, war, crime, etc.
The British clip is very rigid and formal. Its less like the Gracie Allen and Texaco star theatre and more like a demonstration. The ladies advertising the clothing are not prancing around in it, and they don’t even make the clothes look desirable because they look miserable in them. Also, the introduction to the show was very formal, and bizarre to me as they explained the purpose of the broadcast and its intended audience. This is the polar opposite of what I am used to seeing today, today’s tv is unapologetic and doesn’t care to explain what its doing and why its doing it.
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ReplyDeletevery interesting post.this is my first time visit here.i found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion..thanks for the post! rdpserver
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