Let’s Occupy Las Vegas Next

Watching the events of Occupy Wall Street unfold for the past month has been absolutely fascinating for me for a variety of reasons. Before I began the Ph.D. program at Rutgers, I worked for a non-profit that was located at the very end of Wall Street. Every day I would trek from the World Trade Center PATH station to Wall & South Street, passing the New York Stock Exchange and other buildings filled with suits and MBAs and who knows how much money flowing through the workday. It is a very different culture compared to other areas of NYC, to say the least. Second, it was of no surprise to me that the mainstream media was slow to report on the OWS protests for the first two weeks. I have studied media coverage of social movements throughout history and when there is a conflict of interest between the protest ideals and corporate media (in this case, money), there is often silence until it becomes too big to ignore. Lastly, for purely selfish reasons I 100% support the student loan debt forgiveness proposal for obvious reasons.

However,  OWS is not the real focus for this blog post. Other protests have been occurring in conjunction with OWS in cities across the world, including New Brunswick, NJ. While browsing Slate yesterday I saw inspired by the post “Occupy Las Vegas: The Signs.” While the signs themselves weren’t terribly remarkable, the sentiment is spot-on. Greed isn’t isolated in the 1% that are being targeted on Wall Street; greed is in our consumer culture. We need to protest the simulation-simulacra that our overblown consumer culture promotes as salvation, religion and the “American Dream.” Although I enjoy visiting Las Vegas (apologies to Baudrillard), it is the pinnacle of what our shopping and consumer culture has become: an overblown false prophet that is as filling as a single serving of Cream of Wheat.

The protests at OWS are tackling the financial crisis- let’s protest the shopping malls next to tackle the consumerism crisis. Yes, that means the Apple store too (but that’s a post for another time).

The Spoiler Finally Gets Spoiled

(Warning: This post contains spoilers about the season finale of “The Killing.” Read at your own risk)

I am in a minority of entertainment junkies for whom the Internet is a treasure trove full of vital information. This information is ignored and avoided by most, but I seek it out on a regular basis. I have been this way for as long as I can remember, but the Internet has turned my seeking behaviors into a way of life.

I am…. a spoiler. Before I see a movie, I go to www.themoviespoiler.com for the ending. I read tips and hints about television shows on TVLine.com, EW.com and Eonline.com (and anywhere else they are available). For me, a television show ending a season (or series) on a cliffhanger is inevitable but still elicits a frustrated response in the form of “grr,” “blargh!” and other pirate sounds. I even assigned my television studies students the chapter from Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins on “Survivor” and spoilers. This is not just about entertainment; I dislike most surprises (never ever ever throw me a surprise party).

That is, until one show came along. Suddenly I avoided the Internet, from Facebook to Twitter to blogs, until I had seen the latest episode. When I spotted spoiler alerts I quickly navigated away from the page. This show was…. “The Killing.” Yes, the show that critics have loved and hated all season because my spoiler Achilles Heel. If I couldn’t watch episodes on Sunday when they initially aired, I would watch it as soon as I could on Monday. Generally spoilers and synopses wouldn’t appear on Twitter or blogs until later in the morning, so I would watch the DVR-ed episode soon after waking up. Even episodes that others seemed to dislike (“Missing”) gripped me.

Sunday, June 19th was the season finale. Once again I couldn’t watch the episode “live” (Yankees/Cubs game was on ESPN) so I anxiously awoke on Monday morning, ready to finally get some closure! While walking my dog I scanned my Twitter feed and saw this:

My face fell. My heart sank. If it were a movie, I would have let out a slow-motion “noooooooo” while leaping out to grab something/prevent something from falling.

Was this a spoiler? It was for me. In the back of my mind, I knew that the case wouldn’t wrap up nicely in the season finale; somehow I still had hope that the audience would have some closure to satisfy our interest until 2012.

So, I watched the episode. And sure enough, Mindy Kaling was right. However, I was less disappointed in the cliffhanger aspect than the fact that it was spoiled for me beforehand. It was my own fault for not being more careful about spoilers before viewing and I take full responsibility for my disappointment. Still… sigh.

One misstep isn’t enough to deter me. Who’s up for some “True Blood” spoilers?

With Appliances, Everything Old is New (Media) Again

Recently I saw a commercial on tv  for Samsung’s “new” refrigerator with a built-in LCD screen, WiFi capabilities and preloaded web apps. I use the term “new” loosely because as much as this seems to be so different and cutting-edge, it’s just the same old union of technology and home appliances.

In Lynn Spigel’s book Television in the Family Circle, she describes a combination television/stove produced by the Western-Holly Company in 1952:

(source: Popular Mechanics)

The Samsung refrigerator is promoting a similar concept with its Epicurious.com app, which allows users to search for recipes and display them on the screen while cooking. I consider this to be a vast improvement over attempting to live-cook along with television programming- that Ina Garten is too fast for me.

(source: PCMag.com)

Today we have the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to get a glimpse into the future of electronics and home appliances; in 1964 we had the World’s Fair:

On the same note, check out the kitchen from the 1967 film “1999 AD”:

And a 1977 article from the Winnipeg Free Press:

(source: paleofuture.com)

Now take a look at IKEA’s prediction for kitchens in 2040, the MOTHER OF ALL KITCHENS!!!

(souce: electricpig.co.uk, ikea.co.uk)

Back to 2004, when LG released its first refrigerator that has a 13.5-inch screen, FM radio, speakers and a tv tuner/cable ready:

(source: LG)

As you can see, it’s not really “new” to slap a screen in the kitchen or on an appliance. That’s so 1950.

Divorced, separated and happily married: The state of my tv relationships

Last month, New York magazine asked readers about their relationships with television shows; specifically, “what show are you getting divorced from?” Now that many of my frequently watched shows have ended their seasons, I decided to review some of my own television show relationships.

Shows that I divorced prior to this year:

“The Simpsons”- Sadly, this one is the most painful of all my tv show breakups. We had been together since the beginning, starting when I was in middle school to the year 2008. The impetus for our breakup had been building up for years, with increasingly unfunny episodes; the episode on November 30, 2008 titled “Mypopds and Broomsticks” from season 20 was the final straw. Offensive Muslim stereotypes on my beloved show? I couldn’t stand for it and haven’t watched new episodes since then.

“Weeds”- This may be the most irrational breakup, but no one ever said that television viewing is rational Affect! Isn’t it great?). I had watched all four seasons and enjoyed them, but when season five premiered in 2009 my drive to watch the new episodes was gone. Just like that, I no longer cared about the show and have not watched any episodes sense.

“The Office”- I wasn’t surprised to see this show pop up in the NY comments; many of the opinions on the series echoed my own feelings. Jim and Pam marry, then have a baby? That’s it, no need for the show to continue. I am predicting that the show will only last one season with Steve Carell.

Shows that I divorced in 2010-2011:

“Psych”- Season five was so unsatisfying to me (both the summer and fall episodes). Were there different writers for this season? After watching an episode I could barely remember any of the details or humorous aspects. Off the DVR series recording manager it went.

“Sister Wives”- Season one last year was intriguing, fascinating and sometimes strange when compared to my own world view and experiences. Two episodes into season two and I was bored by the family antics (which weren’t really antics).

“Community”- I still adore this show in theory. The homages to every aspect of pop cultures are flawless. The characters and story lines couldn’t satisfy me in season two, and off the DVR series recording manager it too goes. I would consider returning if the character of Pierce was banished forever.

“16 and Pregnant”/”Teen Mom”- After joining a gym in 2010 that has individuals tv screens for most cardio equipment (but limited channels), any lingering guilt about watching MTV and VH1 reality programming went out the door. I can only hope that “Tool Academy” returns, although it looks like VH1 has no plans to bring back the series. Maybe they would be swayed by my testimony about improving my running performance by watching these episodes while on the treadmill? This fall, something happened with the reception of MTV at my gym and the channel no longer comes in clearly. I’m not invested in the show enough to watch it at home, so until the reception at the gym improves it’s a trial separation.

“Hell’s Kitchen”- Eight seasons and the word “donkey” finally became fatiguing. Goodbye Gordon.

Shows I still watch but don’t enjoy as much (is this the equivalent of “staying together for the kids”?)

“Big Bang Theory”

“How I Met Your Mother”

“30 Rock

User Horkology in the NY article said it best: “Family Guy is the loveless marriage I’m stuck with. Sometimes I hate it, but I stick with it because it can still surprise me. “ (See also “American Dad” for me)

New shows that I am in a committed relationship with

“Bob’s Burgers”- it took some investment episodes, but it now has a season pass on the DVR. Having H. John Benjamin voicing Bob doesn’t hurt.

“The Killing”- I need far more words than I can type here to explain this. The best drama of 2011 (so far).

ETA: Also “Archer,” although I have only seen season one via Netflix. Eagerly awaiting season two on Netflix Instant.

Shows that I love dearly and in a long-term relationship with

“Parks and Recreation”- this season is the best yet. I have high hopes for the next one.

“People’s Court”- yes, still.

“Modern Family”- cringe-worthy sometimes, but overall solid.

Shows I am looking forward to returning and hopefully continuing to adore:

“True Blood”

“Curb Your Enthusiasm”

“Louie”

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”

“Mad Men” (someday…..)

What shows have you divorced? Are you sticking with any in hopes that they will improve? Which ones can you not imagine living without? 

Why I Can’t Give Up Paying for Cable TV

In the past several years, I have read article after article from people who have chosen to do away with cable television in favor of alternative delivery methods for television content. Some of these alternatives include Netflix, online streaming video, illegal downloading and over-the-air broadcast television. Although I would love to save money and slash my Verizon FiOs monthly bill, for me it is simply not desirable. Here is my defense of subscribing to cable television:

1) Accessibility of live sports content

Some of the most lucrative and financially successful channels on television today are pertaining to sports; because of that, they are reluctant to offer streaming video of content save for replays and special occasions (like ESPN streaming Sweet 16 NCAA games in March). The nature of sports broadcasts makes the live viewing component essential in most cases. There are websites that offer streaming feeds of live television, but they are often unreliable or of poor quality. As a baseball fan, the MLB.tv subscription video service is wonderful because I can watch the feeds on the television using a Playstation 3. However, because of regional blackouts/exclusivity deals, NY Yankees games are almost always excluded. As a Yankees fan, this defeats the purpose of ridding myself of cable channels like YES and ESPN to save money.

2) The living room experience

For better or for worse, I do the majority of my work at home in the living room while watching television. Ten years ago while working in a record store and a music editor for a newspaper I became burnt out on music as background noise and switched to television instead. I like having my laptop as one screen and the television as a larger screen against the wall. This is also why I loathe watching any sort of video online; I do not enjoy the multitasking of computer video/audio with my other online activities.

3) Content is king

Networks, both broadcast and cable, are offering more and more of their content online. That being said, not all shows currently on the air are viewable online. For example, the subscription cable channel HBO would have a difficult time with turning a profit in offering their content for free online. HBO does allow subscribers to access content online, but only if they are existing cable television customers. In other words, you cannot sign up for “just” HBO Go and not shell out the money for a cable television package that includes the channels. I could wait until seasons of “True Blood” are released on DVD, but the wait would be horrendous for me (I hate both waiting and surprises, which is why I love spoilers). Another option would be to download the episodes soon after they air, but the extra steps involved in then viewing the content on my television don’t appeal to me.

Of course, the irony in this is that I study the role of technology in audiences’ perceptions of what constitutes television viewing. There is the saying that academics research what they know, experience and already believe; perhaps I’m trying to convince myself otherwise?

For every Tina Fey, let us not forget Roseanne

In the past week since the article hit the Internet and newstands, New York magazine’s piece “And I Should Know” by Roseanne Barr has been shared, posted, commentated on and dissected by television critics, scholars and audiences alike. In my opinion, it did not disappoint and echoed some of my own sentiments about the state of women and television today.

A few months ago, I was at a local off-campus dive bar and sparked up a conversation with two gentlemen sitting near me at the bar. Inevitably the question of “what do you study?” arose, and an ensuing discussion of television programming. The two young men told me that they had been watching episodes of “Roseanne” in chronological order thanks to the show’s addition as a Netflix Instant option. They had a similar reaction to the show that many people have when re-watching- or watching for the first time- episodes from a 21^st century perspective. The reactions can be summed up as follows:

“I can’t believe how ahead of its time the show was.”

“A show like that could never be on the air again, which is a real shame.”

And my personal favorite….

“It was a feminist show! In the 1980s! And hugely popular!”

Not post-feminist, not “I don’t consider myself a feminist but I believe in equal rights.” not “women-centric.” FEMINIST. The “f” word. F-E-M-I-N-I-S-T. What I love about the show is that Roseanne Barr never hid the fact that she was/is a feminist and that she wanted the show to have a feminist agenda. That’s not to say that shows on tv since then have not also been feminist, or at least containing feminist elements: “Murphy Brown,” “30 Rock”, even “Sex and the City.”

When I was teaching an undergraduate course on gender, race, sexuality and class in the media, I wanted to focus on representations of class on television for last past of the semester. I had some ideas for current examples of class in programming (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and “The Office”), but I needed a past show to segway into the current state of tv and class. After reviewing the documentary “Class Dismissed,” I knew that “Roseanne” would be the perfect series. I chose the episode “Let’s Call It Quits” (available on Youtube) and a chapter from Kathleen Rowe’s The Unruly Woman: Gender and the Genres of Laughter. Besides the amusement in seeing future Senator Fred Thompson on screen, the episode is excellent because it highlights so many issues virtually absent from television today: the second shift/time bind, health care, gender and blue/white collar assumptions, and so much more.

In short, thank you Roseanne- from one feminist to another. 

Relevant links:

http://nymag.com/arts/tv/upfronts/2011/roseanne-barr-2011-5/

http://www.regretsy.com/2011/03/16/roseanne/

The Other Course Assessment: Encouraging Student Self-Reflection

As the Spring 2011 semester draws to a close today, I sit here at my laptop grading the final assignment from my students in the Exploring New Media class. Teaching an online class that is heavily writing-based means that I read many enlightening and insightful comments and discussions from my students over the course of 14 weeks. However, perhaps the most significant writing for me as an instructor is the student self-assessment. This is not the officially sanctioned Student Instructional and Ratings Survey (SIRS), also known colloquially as “course evaluations.” While the statistics and comments on those ratings are important (particularly as a part-time lecturer and hopefully someday professor), the student self-assessments shed light on aspects of the course that are not always evident with the evaluations.

Unlike the SIRS assessment, this assignment is not anonymous and is a required assignment of the course, comprising 5% of their total grade. It is the last assignment that the students turn in, and for the graduating seniors it may be the last assignment that they complete as undergraduates. The instructions are as follows:

“Write an assessment of your learning and performance in this class. What topic or topics did you find to be most interesting or relevant to you? Explain what grade you believe you have earned and why. Be specific in citing evidence for your successes or shortcomings. This assignment should be at least 500 words. “

This assignment is not to boost my ego, nor to have students lavish me with praise in hopes of a higher grade. It is also not to open the floodgates for grade negotiation or justification for a change of grade. Compliments to my teaching are appreciated but not expected; indeed, I know that by not having the self-assessments be anonymous I risk a biased perspective from the students.

The self-assessment, I believe, has many positive attributes for the students. First, it enables critical thinking about the learning experience. For a fully online course such as this one, the learning experience is likely to have been completely different from the traditional classroom learning, interactions and assessments.

Secondly, it encourages critical reflection from the students about not just what they have gained in knowledge over the course of the semester, but also their work ethic and performance. One of the major hurdles that students often encounter with an online asynchronous course is time management. Each week there was a different topic with readings, discussion board comments and blog posts due by a specified date and time. While these deadlines are set and advertised at the beginning of the semester, many students have difficulty juggling this with other classes, work and internships thrown into the mix. Although I cannot and should not hold “hold their hands” to make sure that they complete the work on time every week, reading these musings have given me ideas on how encourage time management from the start of the semester as part of the introduction and overview of the course in the first week of the session.

Lastly, it is a reality check for me in terms of topics of interest to the students compared to my own research and personal interests. One semester I was teaching a course on Gender, Race and Class in the Media; because of time constraints I did not include the “Dreamworlds” documentary. Admittedly, I also did not show the film because in my mind “MTV doesn’t show music videos anymore, so maybe we don’t need to analyze them.” Yes, looking back this was wrong on so many levels- trust me, I have learned my lesson! I asked the students at the end of the semester if there was a topic that they wished we had addressed in the readings and lectures, and overwhelmingly they voiced an interest in music videos. It turns out that the music video is alive and well on Youtube, where it is often uncensored or more explicit than MTV/BET/other music channel standards. The next semester, we watched “Dreamworlds” in class and even viewed some Lady Gaga videos to boot. For Exploring New Media students, they tend to greatly enjoy the topics of children and media, ethics and audiences.

Perhaps I should also give myself a self-assessment each semester: what have I done, what have I learned, what have I accomplished? How have I tried to be a better instructor? How have I succeeded and how have I failed? Maybe I will post this, come the end of the fall semester. 

The Live Television Audience: Or, What I Learned About Fame From a Taping of “The People’s Court”

One distinctive perk to living near either New York City or Los Angeles is that you can have the opportunity to be part of a unique television experience. In this age of new media convergence with television viewing (watching programming online, voting for reality show contestants via text message, etc), watching a taping of a television show may seem like a distinctly “old” media experience. If you have taken previous courses with me, you might remember my confession regarding my favorite television show: “The People’s Court.” Last week I was able to be in the audience for a taping of the show, and it revealed quite a bit about the elusive search for stardom on television for some people. The show also has begun an online version of the show through its website, but the televised program still trumps all.

While other court shows litter the morning and afternoon schedules of broadcast affiliates, “The People’s Court” is by far my favorite of the bunch. I teach in my class “Gender, Race and Class in the Media” about neoliberalism/neogovernmentality and the role of television court shows in these movements; while I know that these shows are not a true replacement for the justice system and small claims court, I can’t help but root for those who are using television to “right the wrongs.” Indeed, most of the cases are not about money, but about the principle of the matter. That was certainly true for the two cases that I witnesses during the taping that I attended.

A few weeks ago, I was watching an episode of the show when I had a brilliant idea: I should attend a taping! I called the ticket hotline and after a week of phone tag, I reserved my spot for two seats at a Tuesday afternoon taping. My husband does not share my enthusiasm for “The People’s Court,” but was willing to accompany me. We arrived promptly at 2pm to the unassuming building on 37th Street in Manhattan and were waived up to the eighth floor. The elevator doors opened to a dingy, pale-blue waiting room with three rows of uncomfortable chairs, a broken water fountain and a television in the corner. It resembled a police station waiting room without the cops. We checked in with the front desk and had 45 minutes to sit and wait until the next taping began.

What type of people attend a taping of “The People’s Court”? A very interesting mixture of people, most of whom were “regulars.” These are individuals who attend tapings often enough to be greeted by the production staff and referred to by their first names. They knew the rules (no light colored shirts) and the procedure (wait, wait and more waiting). They even exchanged phone numbers for communication outside of this televisionary experience. A few had even attended the morning taping session, and some promised to return the next day for more episode tapings.

What would drive an individual to attend taping after taping of this show, without compensation? Allegedly other court shows based in Los Angeles pay actors to appear in the audience, but this one does not. The simple answer is fame. When we were finally seated in the uncomfortable rows on the set, the regulars showed excitement when placed in the front row, and disappointment when relegated to the back. One gentleman ensured that he would be seen regardless of seat position by wearing a bright pink satin suit. When one woman was moved out of the front row to make room for the defendant’s family, she complained but was assured that she’s be moved back for the second case (she wasn’t). While we waited some more until Judge Marilyn Milian entered the set, a man sitting behind me told the first-time couple next to him about his family. His mother was a dancer with Alvin Ailey and was Debbie Allen’s understudy in “Fame.” He spent his childhood dancing but became involved in gangs, for which retired but did not quit (he emphasized that there was a distinct difference between the two). He attends tapings of the show in hopes of being discovered by a talent agent, especially for modeling. His braids and neck tattoos mean that he is usually labeled as “urban” by agents and scouts, which aggravates him. One day, he will be discovered and he will be famous he insists.

It dawned on me that in this era of Internet/YouTube celebrities, we still have notions about being famous and discovered in a more old-fashioned way. “The People’s Court” has tried to brand itself online as part of Internet video culture through its “People’s Court Raw” website, where users upload videos arguing their positions on disagreements and viewers vote on the winning side. As exciting as it may be for viewers to have their arguments featured on the website, being on television to be seen far and wide is more enticing. Not so much for the justice, but for the fame.

Innaugural Post

Welcome to my (not) highly-anticipated blog. I am Elizabeth Gough-Gordon, a doctoral student in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, School of Communication and Information at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.  I have taught courses such as: Gender, Race and Class in the Media; Introduction to Media Systems and Processes; and Television and Society,  among others. My research is primarily focused on television viewing and audience, including place/space and viewing, gendered construction of audiences and advertising, technology and mobility, and the emerging relationships between social media and television.

I anticipate that this blog will be a space for me to comment on media-related news and other interesting events that are perhaps too  informal for my usual blog space on the School of Communication and Information website. Commenting is welcome, encouraged and may be rewarded with comment reciprocity.