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.
For as long as I can remember, television has been a box where I could watch a television series, movie, infomercial, sports game, or news channel. Though I always knew this had not always been the case, this class opened my eyes to the journey of television and the route it took to be what it is today. One thing this class has opened my eyes to is the true bias that exists, and especially existed during the civil rights period. News is given by the privileged and therefore the population is getting a screwed perception. During the civil rights movement, it took a while for the general privileged population to truly see the horrifying truth of the effort. Debates on television tried to frame Martin Luther King Jr. as a liar and a villain. The public’s perception of this issue was shaped by this skewed news. Additionally, this class has shown me the route of all of today’s television. It was very interesting seeing the original genres streamed over the airwaves and comparing them to what is currently on television. Though obvious differences, there are similarities to what appeals to audiences then and now as well as how these shows are structured over seasons, series and networks. Terms like counter-programming ring very differently now when I consider the limitations that existed very recently.
One of the most surprising takeaways of this course is the understanding of why each genre and style of television developed when it did. I had always assumed these genres arose because they were simply what was popular at the time but I have since come to understand that the development of these genres was influence by many outside factors; sentiment, location and economics to name a few. This history has a much greater influences than I was aware of on the genres of television that we view today. The original variety show format drew from vaudeville and the live shows thrived in the early television industry in New York. Filmed television became more widely used when Lucille Ball did not want to move to New York and chose to remain in Hollywood to film her show with Desi Arnaz. As episodic television grew, shows drew on the social-economic influence of their times such as the space race, civil rights and the Vietnam War. From episodic television grew serialized shows, the era of “world-building” within shows transformed audience’s relationship with the content of the series and saw the explosion of the will-they-won’t they relationship. Upon understanding all of this, I wonder what it says about the world we live in that our most popular shows are about physicists, producers of methamphetamines, and medieval noble families with dragons.
The most valuable take-away from this class is how larger social and economic context such as ender,class,race and civil movement have shaped different genres. As a foreigner who have just watched just few most famous TV series (Like Friend) and knew little about the regulation history, the class has taken me to the new world of the how television in American have involved and developed. Regarding to the readings, I learned the skill of analyzing a specific TV show in a particular aspect that related to the larger cultural phenomenon and of making a comparison study between old and contemporary shows. In addition, the regulatory part I get a sense of the relationship or correlation between technology innovation and regulation policy, which could be applied to as well as learned by many other countries’ case. The most practical take-away is that the TV techniques could be influenced by other screen arts and vice versa, for example, the double-side impact of telefilm. After taking this class, whenever I watch a TV series in the future, I must realized that there are just many more issues that a single episode could reflect.
I don’t regularly watch tv and when i do watch a tv show it is usually on my laptop or other electronic device. My life does not revolve around a television set and I could go months without using one or being near one. So to learn about how the television set became a central aspect in American life is something that I find to be quite interesting. Seeing the images that depicted the happy families gathered around watching tv, it was clear that the tv was the main focus of family life. The tv was a way for people to learn about the outside world and interact with it while still being in the safety of their homes.
Watching shows that were extremely reflexive and meta made me think about the techniques that are used in commercials to get audiences to buy products. I was also quite disgusted as time and time again the commercials were geared towards women but told them to get their husband to buy them the product. Or worse, the ford commercial that initially seemed like it was telling the woman to buy a shiny new car but instead was telling her to get her husband to buy a new car so she could use his old one.
The most important lesson I learned from this class is the concept of discourse. Although this concept is not exclusively about American Television, the relationship between American Television and the formation and distribution of discourse are intricately linked because the television broadcasts are so widely accessible. Discourse is not merely the expression of language, but more specifically, the convergence of social practice and the production of knowledge in order to create or reentrench power relationships. For example, take the discourse of suburban life in the 1950’s, discussed in the Haralovitch article. Advertisements advocating an image and practice of social life within a white middle class suburban household, market research producing knowledge about demographic-specific consumer proclivities, and governmental housing committees all produced different images and groups of knowledge which converged to create a social reality: the suburban white middle class. Images of the suburban household, perpetual need to consumer more luxury goods, and a geographic and architectural sub-location designated a socioeconomic class of individuals representing the wealthy, ruling class of society, but also implementing a class structure of subjugated sub-social elements. Neverthless, discourse is not a monolothic construct - the same ideology, when produced from different sources, ultimately forms a contradictory discourse. Hence, as Haralovitch notes, academics questioning the authenticity of market research and suburban design, as well as disonance between advertisement culture and television programming of the time.
After I graduate I want to be become a television writer and taking this class seemed like a necessary step to understanding television’s history. The most interesting aspect of this course, for me, was learning just how much the government and specific policies affected televisions growth from radio and the effects that these policies have on television today, such as the Telecommunications Act of 1934, which produced the FCC. What I find worrisome from learning about television history is how the major network giants NBC, ABC, and CBS came to be and just how much power they have over television. Censorship, and who should be the ones to censor television is also a huge issue I have with the hierarchical system of television. During the Smothers Brothers segment of this course I found myself not agreeing with the networks choice to censor the Smothers Brothers show. People are entitled to their opinions and if there is an audience to watch the show, why not air it? However, when we got to the portion of the class where we watched a woman talk about how to sexually gratify oneself with household items- I quickly reconsidered my stance on censorship. It was interesting to see how these issues were handled with the introduction of cable television. In general, network television has relaxed on censorship as compared to television in the 50’s but I’m glad cable television is able to have more free reign with what their content because what is offensive to one person may not be offensive to another.
Since I was a child, I had thought of television as a mindless form of entertainment. This view of course changed once I began film studies in high school and college, but this class has opened my eyes to television’s complicated past. In this class I have learned a lot about the formation and transformation of radio into television, along with the various acts that regulated the types of stations that were permitted to be broadcasted over radio waves. These acts included the Radio Act of 1927, Communications Act of 1934, and General Order 40. Outside of the radio acts, I also learned about the formation of various television networks, like NBC and CBS, and how the red and blue networks were formed. Outside of facts about the development of the broadcasting system, I also learned about the effect television had in the home. Many believed that television was a window to the world, and was the center of fifties living. Television was also though to reflect the fears of the public. Shows like the Outer Limits were thought to do just that, along with various shows today. Furthermore, shows like Amos n’ Andy and Julia confronted social issues during the time that revolved around race. Television is a very powerful medium and commentary on society as a whole.
I don't think my views of television as a medium have truly changed, but my perception of it in the past has. I had always assumed that after the "golden age of television" that American TV was just decades of terrible bile, up until our new "golden age" we are currently having. The screenings showed me that there are programs from the '30s that I'll enjoy more than shows on air right now. Quality is of course a subjective understanding of art, but I've come to learn that there was always "quality" in television, it just may have been lost in the noise of the past. At the same time, its interesting to see the changes in audience perceptions over time. A dramatic moment in the past may be unintentionally hilarious now. Television is far less timeless than other mediums. Hill Street Blues, at the time considered one of the greatest television shows of all time, winning multiple emmys and othe awards, is barely mentioned or remembered in people's conversations about cop programs. I'll admit I had never even heard of the show until it was shown in class. With the internet today, it's easier to watch television shows after they've aired, even years after they've ended. Will the internet cause a change in the public's collective memory of TV? Will shows nowadays be more immune to the slow passage of time?
For me, the biggest take away from the course, perhaps because I wrote my research paper about it, is the role commercialism plays in television. The television industry is truly unique in the way that art and business intersect, unlike any other major industry. Sure, there are creative sides to everything, but television at its core is an art form, powered by artists. With the help of business people, it has also become one of the most major industries in the country, with some stars being paid over a million dollars per episode! Television has had a rather bumpy history, and can tell us a lot about the social climate of an era through its analysis. For example, we watched Charlie’s angels, who were insanely sexualized by the network, but it made sense, because the 70s was a decade branded by sexual representation. It is also very interesting to focus on the transition of the sponsor’s roles over time. In the beginning of television, the sponsors essentially controlled everything. However, eventually the networks realized that was not the best way of doing things and regained control. The Advertising that can take place through the television is pretty absurd if you think about it. We gave every single commercial venture the opportunity to speak directly with their customers in the comforts of their own living room. The television has allowed the consumerist forces to invade the living room and as a result has lead to some excellent outcomes.
One major take-away from this class that I previously didn’t pay attention to when watching a lot of shows is the cultural significance of a program. I feel like we spent a large portion of the time exploring how different shows related to issues of their decades and I now find myself doing the same thing to the shows I currently watch. I also think it was fascinating to see how the industry developed over time, starting with the radio. I had never seen some of the earlier shows we watched, but my opinion of early television has certainly changed as a result of this class. I never realized how vastly different early television was from the television we have today. I wouldn’t necessarily say the earlier shows were worse, but they were definitely different. The acting and writing on television’s best shows today are so much better. I think the biggest take-away from this course is how fortunate we are to be living in an age with so many options to choose from on television. Understanding the progression of the industry and how television came to be the way it is today reenforces that idea to me.
For as long as I can remember, television has been a box where I could watch a television series, movie, infomercial, sports game, or news channel. Though I always knew this had not always been the case, this class opened my eyes to the journey of television and the route it took to be what it is today. One thing this class has opened my eyes to is the true bias that exists, and especially existed during the civil rights period. News is given by the privileged and therefore the population is getting a screwed perception. During the civil rights movement, it took a while for the general privileged population to truly see the horrifying truth of the effort. Debates on television tried to frame Martin Luther King Jr. as a liar and a villain. The public’s perception of this issue was shaped by this skewed news. Additionally, this class has shown me the route of all of today’s television. It was very interesting seeing the original genres streamed over the airwaves and comparing them to what is currently on television. Though obvious differences, there are similarities to what appeals to audiences then and now as well as how these shows are structured over seasons, series and networks. Terms like counter-programming ring very differently now when I consider the limitations that existed very recently.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most surprising takeaways of this course is the understanding of why each genre and style of television developed when it did. I had always assumed these genres arose because they were simply what was popular at the time but I have since come to understand that the development of these genres was influence by many outside factors; sentiment, location and economics to name a few. This history has a much greater influences than I was aware of on the genres of television that we view today. The original variety show format drew from vaudeville and the live shows thrived in the early television industry in New York. Filmed television became more widely used when Lucille Ball did not want to move to New York and chose to remain in Hollywood to film her show with Desi Arnaz. As episodic television grew, shows drew on the social-economic influence of their times such as the space race, civil rights and the Vietnam War. From episodic television grew serialized shows, the era of “world-building” within shows transformed audience’s relationship with the content of the series and saw the explosion of the will-they-won’t they relationship. Upon understanding all of this, I wonder what it says about the world we live in that our most popular shows are about physicists, producers of methamphetamines, and medieval noble families with dragons.
ReplyDeleteThe most valuable take-away from this class is how larger social and economic context such as ender,class,race and civil movement have shaped different genres. As a foreigner who have just watched just few most famous TV series (Like Friend) and knew little about the regulation history, the class has taken me to the new world of the how television in American have involved and developed. Regarding to the readings, I learned the skill of analyzing a specific TV show in a particular aspect that related to the larger cultural phenomenon and of making a comparison study between old and contemporary shows. In addition, the regulatory part I get a sense of the relationship or correlation between technology innovation and regulation policy, which could be applied to as well as learned by many other countries’ case. The most practical take-away is that the TV techniques could be influenced by other screen arts and vice versa, for example, the double-side impact of telefilm. After taking this class, whenever I watch a TV series in the future, I must realized that there are just many more issues that a single episode could reflect.
ReplyDeleteI don’t regularly watch tv and when i do watch a tv show it is usually on my laptop or other electronic device. My life does not revolve around a television set and I could go months without using one or being near one. So to learn about how the television set became a central aspect in American life is something that I find to be quite interesting. Seeing the images that depicted the happy families gathered around watching tv, it was clear that the tv was the main focus of family life. The tv was a way for people to learn about the outside world and interact with it while still being in the safety of their homes.
ReplyDeleteWatching shows that were extremely reflexive and meta made me think about the techniques that are used in commercials to get audiences to buy products. I was also quite disgusted as time and time again the commercials were geared towards women but told them to get their husband to buy them the product. Or worse, the ford commercial that initially seemed like it was telling the woman to buy a shiny new car but instead was telling her to get her husband to buy a new car so she could use his old one.
The most important lesson I learned from this class is the concept of discourse. Although this concept is not exclusively about American Television, the relationship between American Television and the formation and distribution of discourse are intricately linked because the television broadcasts are so widely accessible. Discourse is not merely the expression of language, but more specifically, the convergence of social practice and the production of knowledge in order to create or reentrench power relationships. For example, take the discourse of suburban life in the 1950’s, discussed in the Haralovitch article. Advertisements advocating an image and practice of social life within a white middle class suburban household, market research producing knowledge about demographic-specific consumer proclivities, and governmental housing committees all produced different images and groups of knowledge which converged to create a social reality: the suburban white middle class. Images of the suburban household, perpetual need to consumer more luxury goods, and a geographic and architectural sub-location designated a socioeconomic class of individuals representing the wealthy, ruling class of society, but also implementing a class structure of subjugated sub-social elements. Neverthless, discourse is not a monolothic construct - the same ideology, when produced from different sources, ultimately forms a contradictory discourse. Hence, as Haralovitch notes, academics questioning the authenticity of market research and suburban design, as well as disonance between advertisement culture and television programming of the time.
ReplyDeleteAfter I graduate I want to be become a television writer and taking this class seemed like a necessary step to understanding television’s history. The most interesting aspect of this course, for me, was learning just how much the government and specific policies affected televisions growth from radio and the effects that these policies have on television today, such as the Telecommunications Act of 1934, which produced the FCC. What I find worrisome from learning about television history is how the major network giants NBC, ABC, and CBS came to be and just how much power they have over television. Censorship, and who should be the ones to censor television is also a huge issue I have with the hierarchical system of television. During the Smothers Brothers segment of this course I found myself not agreeing with the networks choice to censor the Smothers Brothers show. People are entitled to their opinions and if there is an audience to watch the show, why not air it? However, when we got to the portion of the class where we watched a woman talk about how to sexually gratify oneself with household items- I quickly reconsidered my stance on censorship. It was interesting to see how these issues were handled with the introduction of cable television. In general, network television has relaxed on censorship as compared to television in the 50’s but I’m glad cable television is able to have more free reign with what their content because what is offensive to one person may not be offensive to another.
ReplyDeleteSince I was a child, I had thought of television as a mindless form of entertainment. This view of course changed once I began film studies in high school and college, but this class has opened my eyes to television’s complicated past. In this class I have learned a lot about the formation and transformation of radio into television, along with the various acts that regulated the types of stations that were permitted to be broadcasted over radio waves. These acts included the Radio Act of 1927, Communications Act of 1934, and General Order 40. Outside of the radio acts, I also learned about the formation of various television networks, like NBC and CBS, and how the red and blue networks were formed. Outside of facts about the development of the broadcasting system, I also learned about the effect television had in the home. Many believed that television was a window to the world, and was the center of fifties living. Television was also though to reflect the fears of the public. Shows like the Outer Limits were thought to do just that, along with various shows today. Furthermore, shows like Amos n’ Andy and Julia confronted social issues during the time that revolved around race. Television is a very powerful medium and commentary on society as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI don't think my views of television as a medium have truly changed, but my perception of it in the past has. I had always assumed that after the "golden age of television" that American TV was just decades of terrible bile, up until our new "golden age" we are currently having. The screenings showed me that there are programs from the '30s that I'll enjoy more than shows on air right now. Quality is of course a subjective understanding of art, but I've come to learn that there was always "quality" in television, it just may have been lost in the noise of the past. At the same time, its interesting to see the changes in audience perceptions over time. A dramatic moment in the past may be unintentionally hilarious now. Television is far less timeless than other mediums. Hill Street Blues, at the time considered one of the greatest television shows of all time, winning multiple emmys and othe awards, is barely mentioned or remembered in people's conversations about cop programs. I'll admit I had never even heard of the show until it was shown in class. With the internet today, it's easier to watch television shows after they've aired, even years after they've ended. Will the internet cause a change in the public's collective memory of TV? Will shows nowadays be more immune to the slow passage of time?
ReplyDeleteFor me, the biggest take away from the course, perhaps because I wrote my research paper about it, is the role commercialism plays in television. The television industry is truly unique in the way that art and business intersect, unlike any other major industry. Sure, there are creative sides to everything, but television at its core is an art form, powered by artists. With the help of business people, it has also become one of the most major industries in the country, with some stars being paid over a million dollars per episode! Television has had a rather bumpy history, and can tell us a lot about the social climate of an era through its analysis. For example, we watched Charlie’s angels, who were insanely sexualized by the network, but it made sense, because the 70s was a decade branded by sexual representation. It is also very interesting to focus on the transition of the sponsor’s roles over time. In the beginning of television, the sponsors essentially controlled everything. However, eventually the networks realized that was not the best way of doing things and regained control. The Advertising that can take place through the television is pretty absurd if you think about it. We gave every single commercial venture the opportunity to speak directly with their customers in the comforts of their own living room. The television has allowed the consumerist forces to invade the living room and as a result has lead to some excellent outcomes.
ReplyDeleteOne major take-away from this class that I previously didn’t pay attention to when watching a lot of shows is the cultural significance of a program. I feel like we spent a large portion of the time exploring how different shows related to issues of their decades and I now find myself doing the same thing to the shows I currently watch. I also think it was fascinating to see how the industry developed over time, starting with the radio. I had never seen some of the earlier shows we watched, but my opinion of early television has certainly changed as a result of this class. I never realized how vastly different early television was from the television we have today. I wouldn’t necessarily say the earlier shows were worse, but they were definitely different. The acting and writing on television’s best shows today are so much better. I think the biggest take-away from this course is how fortunate we are to be living in an age with so many options to choose from on television. Understanding the progression of the industry and how television came to be the way it is today reenforces that idea to me.
ReplyDelete