Presentation Transcript
Genre Criticism : Genre Criticism Prof. Nick Burnett
Wednesday, Feb. 22
ComS 169—Television Criticism
Some issues with the papers: Some issues with the papers Manual proofreading
Spell and grammar checking through word processing
Their, there, they’re
Whose, who’s
It’s, its
Editing Marks on Papers: Editing Marks on Papers AWK
WC
NAS
Reverse P, extra slash
Colloquialisms
Goofball, cheesy, don’t get it
Standards of academic prose
Considering television genres: Considering television genres Definition: Genres are complex fusions of formal, stylistic, and substantive features which over time become familiar frameworks capable of arousing and satisfying the expectations of audiences and producers
While individual elements may appear in other genres, they are defined by their unique combination of elements that appear in all members of the genre
Each member of a genre is both familiar and unique (ex. A baseball game)
Why critics do genre analysis…: Why critics do genre analysis… To explain a problematic text
To compare and contrast two genres
To evaluate the artistic or aesthetic qualities of members of a genre
To trace historical patterns to see parallels between the genre and society and explaining recurring tendencies
Some history : Some history Borrowed from film and radio
Westerns
Serialized soap operas
Why?
Build loyal audience
Control production costs
Early critical works
Horace Newcomb’s TV: The Most Popular Art
Three approaches to genre criticism: Three approaches to genre criticism Aesthetic approach
Focus on innovation and constraint
Ritual approach
Focus on genre as an expression of shared beliefs and values
Looks at the enduring popularity of a certain genre
Ideological approach
Sees genres as instruments of power and control which help to reproduce dominant ideologies or systems of belief
Two methodological orientations to genre work: Two methodological orientations to genre work Deductive genre analysis
Work from an established genre, look at specific show, focus on innovations, postulate the importance of the innovations for the genre and society
Inductive genre analysis
Start from several TV texts, postulate a new or identifiable sub-genre or hybrid genre