My favorite analytical form was the cultural analysis because I thought it was interesting to examine a specific ethnicity/race/orientation in terms of stereotypes within the media. After doing a bit of background research, I found out why certain stereotypes of gays came about and watched Modern Family to see what types of stereotypes were represented in one episode. I also thought it was intriguing to see what stereotypes are made with gays in the real world and to see those translate into a television show. It can often be a fine line between funny and crossing boundaries when the media poke fun at stereotypes of specific groups. However, I think Modern Family does an excellent job of creating a humorous plot and characters without crossing the line.
Yes, I did find myself thinking about some of concepts we wrote about for class when watching other television shows. Because I was already in that critical mindset, it was easy for me to break down different aspects of various shows. As a Media Studies student, I tend to do that often because the classes I have taken speak to different aspects of the media through critique and analysis. My relationship with the media has strengthened because I have taught about what to be aware of and the reasons behind how the media functions. The class has only added more knowledge to what I was already aware of. I have shared with a few people about what I have learned in this class. They thought analyzing differed aspects of the media was an interesting approach to learning more about the messages and stereotypes within the media.
If I had to choose a character I would like to be, I think I would like to be Claire Dunphy. She is the mom that manages to hold everything together. She always tries to teach her kids how to be a good person and is also protective of and very loving towards them. I also love her dry sense of humor.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Fan Fiction Analysis: Mitchell Pritchett
I have been watching Modern Family for the past few weeks, and this week I will be closely examining Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s character in the show; Mitchell Pritchett. Mitchell is openly gay and his partner is Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet). They have adopted a daughter from Vietnam together, whom they named Lily. Mitchell is Jay Pritchett’s (Ed O’Neill) son, Gloria’s (Sophia Vergara) step-son and Manny’s (Rico Rodriguez)step-brother. Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) is his sister, Phil Dunphry, brother-in-law; Hayley (Sarah Hyland) and Alex (Ariel Winter), his nieces and Luke (Nolan Gould) is his nephew. Also, the show takes place in Los Angeles, California.
Mitchell is known for being a serious, high-strung but fairly low-maintenance guy. In Cameron and Mitchell’s relationship, though Mitchell is sensitive, he takes on more of the role of the “man” while Cameron portrays the more “feminine” one. Regardless, both of them are open about their sexual orientation and are not ashamed of being gay. Cameron stays at home with Lily and takes care of the home and cooks and cleans while Mitchell works as lawyer to support their lush lifestyle. Mitchell is often uptight, but Cameron always helps him to find a balance in life to help him remain grounded. Cameron and Mitchell argue sometimes because their personalities are polar opposite for the most part, but most of their arguments stem from not wanting to make the other unhappy – which shows how much they do care about each other. Mitchell and Cameron have been in a relationship together for 5 years.
Jay is slightly uncomfortable with the fact that his son is gay, but has learned to accept it. However, every time he goes over Mitchell and Cameron’s house, he makes sure to knock extra loudly so he announces his presence and doesn’t walk in on them kissing or anything. Also, something I have noticed is that Mitchell and Cameron have yet to kiss on the show. I’m not sure if this is because the producers fear controversy, but there have been other controversial issues in previous episodes. In the beginning episodes, Mitchell struggled with telling his family that he and Cameron had adopted Lily. This is most likely due to his uncertainty with how they would react. But, they welcomed Lily into the family with open arms knowing that Mitchell is would be an overprotective, loving, caring father.
With Mitchell’s bright red hair, slim, lankly build, put-together look and good fashion sense as well as sensitive, high-strung, worrisome personality, he is one of my favorite characters in the show. He is realistic and a relatable person and is very likable because of these characteristics. He is an attorney and graduated from Cornell University and Columbia University Law School.Mitchell often talks about his competitiveness with his sister, Claire as well as his passion for music and ice skating, and also his love and devotion to his family.
1. Cultural production is defined as: concerning “the creation, diffusion, and consumption of cultural products.” (http://mtq.sagepub.com/content/6/1/11.abstract). I think that watching Modern Family has been a very pleasurable cultural production experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the characters grow and develop progressively throughout each episode. Globalization is a primary factor in cultural production, and this process of communication and interaction is prevalent in Modern Family. Because Lily was adopted into an American family, it is inevitable she will become Americanized. Cameron loves dressing Lily up as famous divas (Madonna, Diana Ross) as well as in typical outfits a young American girl would wear. She also eats American food and is exposed to American culture daily, not to mention is constantly exposed by Americans in the Pritchett/Dunphy families, with the exception of Gloria Pritchett and Manny Delgado’s strong Columbian roots. I enjoyed watching her become integrated into a completely different culture, but realized that there would not be much culture shock because she was only a baby when she was adopted.
2. Fan fiction is defined as: stories about characters or settings written by fans of the work rather than the creator. This genre of fiction allows for the viewer to take control of the original work and give an opinion about their perception of the work. Though, it is called fan fiction, which presumably means that the person writing about the work would be a fan, or someone who enjoys the work, versus a critic. Fan fiction gives the fans and viewers a chance to give their two cents about the story, setting, characters, etc., and allows communication between fans because of common interests. This type of writing primarily explores what the author has already put out for the world to see, fan fiction writers do not typically come up with an alternative plot to what already exists. Facts are explored as being true within the specific form of media, such as details about how a name is spelled or the location of the where the characters are within the show. Fan fiction is useful for fans because it creates a community where the fans can interact without bias from the creator. Fans are able to dissect the material within the show without truly any exterior context.
3. As a fan, student of and peer to, many cultural producers, my relationship to the media has been greatly altered. I understand the in-depth processes behind the creation of many aspects of media and have been able to comprehend the process of cultural production through instruction from professors and through learning individually because of my own research. I am better able to understand why certain things occur within the media and why others are left out. I have become more aware of lingo within media and how a specific form of media has come about. Being an actively involved learner in the process of cultural production, has allowed me to better comprehend why things are the way they are in media today.
4. I feel that a more common place for resistive pleasures can be found within blogs. However, YouTube has gradually become more integrated within blogs. Incorporating these videos pairs written word with visual context and lets the reader make the connection simply through viewing. YouTube contains videos of original content to parodies and spoofs of the original show. Something I learned about more in-depthly in my Media Theory class is that online blogging has become more popular throughout the years, with many of these videos uploaded on a regular basis to YouTube. The video blogs can range from personal information to fan fiction as well as any other content that deems appropriate within the terms and conditions YouTube has. Fan fiction has definitely taken off on YouTube, because it allows a community for fans to interact and discuss specific aspects of a particular medium. Apple products have often been the butt of many YouTube jokes, as well as the ever-popular Twilight series.
Mitchell is known for being a serious, high-strung but fairly low-maintenance guy. In Cameron and Mitchell’s relationship, though Mitchell is sensitive, he takes on more of the role of the “man” while Cameron portrays the more “feminine” one. Regardless, both of them are open about their sexual orientation and are not ashamed of being gay. Cameron stays at home with Lily and takes care of the home and cooks and cleans while Mitchell works as lawyer to support their lush lifestyle. Mitchell is often uptight, but Cameron always helps him to find a balance in life to help him remain grounded. Cameron and Mitchell argue sometimes because their personalities are polar opposite for the most part, but most of their arguments stem from not wanting to make the other unhappy – which shows how much they do care about each other. Mitchell and Cameron have been in a relationship together for 5 years.
Jay is slightly uncomfortable with the fact that his son is gay, but has learned to accept it. However, every time he goes over Mitchell and Cameron’s house, he makes sure to knock extra loudly so he announces his presence and doesn’t walk in on them kissing or anything. Also, something I have noticed is that Mitchell and Cameron have yet to kiss on the show. I’m not sure if this is because the producers fear controversy, but there have been other controversial issues in previous episodes. In the beginning episodes, Mitchell struggled with telling his family that he and Cameron had adopted Lily. This is most likely due to his uncertainty with how they would react. But, they welcomed Lily into the family with open arms knowing that Mitchell is would be an overprotective, loving, caring father.
With Mitchell’s bright red hair, slim, lankly build, put-together look and good fashion sense as well as sensitive, high-strung, worrisome personality, he is one of my favorite characters in the show. He is realistic and a relatable person and is very likable because of these characteristics. He is an attorney and graduated from Cornell University and Columbia University Law School.Mitchell often talks about his competitiveness with his sister, Claire as well as his passion for music and ice skating, and also his love and devotion to his family.
1. Cultural production is defined as: concerning “the creation, diffusion, and consumption of cultural products.” (http://mtq.sagepub.com/content/6/1/11.abstract). I think that watching Modern Family has been a very pleasurable cultural production experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the characters grow and develop progressively throughout each episode. Globalization is a primary factor in cultural production, and this process of communication and interaction is prevalent in Modern Family. Because Lily was adopted into an American family, it is inevitable she will become Americanized. Cameron loves dressing Lily up as famous divas (Madonna, Diana Ross) as well as in typical outfits a young American girl would wear. She also eats American food and is exposed to American culture daily, not to mention is constantly exposed by Americans in the Pritchett/Dunphy families, with the exception of Gloria Pritchett and Manny Delgado’s strong Columbian roots. I enjoyed watching her become integrated into a completely different culture, but realized that there would not be much culture shock because she was only a baby when she was adopted.
2. Fan fiction is defined as: stories about characters or settings written by fans of the work rather than the creator. This genre of fiction allows for the viewer to take control of the original work and give an opinion about their perception of the work. Though, it is called fan fiction, which presumably means that the person writing about the work would be a fan, or someone who enjoys the work, versus a critic. Fan fiction gives the fans and viewers a chance to give their two cents about the story, setting, characters, etc., and allows communication between fans because of common interests. This type of writing primarily explores what the author has already put out for the world to see, fan fiction writers do not typically come up with an alternative plot to what already exists. Facts are explored as being true within the specific form of media, such as details about how a name is spelled or the location of the where the characters are within the show. Fan fiction is useful for fans because it creates a community where the fans can interact without bias from the creator. Fans are able to dissect the material within the show without truly any exterior context.
3. As a fan, student of and peer to, many cultural producers, my relationship to the media has been greatly altered. I understand the in-depth processes behind the creation of many aspects of media and have been able to comprehend the process of cultural production through instruction from professors and through learning individually because of my own research. I am better able to understand why certain things occur within the media and why others are left out. I have become more aware of lingo within media and how a specific form of media has come about. Being an actively involved learner in the process of cultural production, has allowed me to better comprehend why things are the way they are in media today.
4. I feel that a more common place for resistive pleasures can be found within blogs. However, YouTube has gradually become more integrated within blogs. Incorporating these videos pairs written word with visual context and lets the reader make the connection simply through viewing. YouTube contains videos of original content to parodies and spoofs of the original show. Something I learned about more in-depthly in my Media Theory class is that online blogging has become more popular throughout the years, with many of these videos uploaded on a regular basis to YouTube. The video blogs can range from personal information to fan fiction as well as any other content that deems appropriate within the terms and conditions YouTube has. Fan fiction has definitely taken off on YouTube, because it allows a community for fans to interact and discuss specific aspects of a particular medium. Apple products have often been the butt of many YouTube jokes, as well as the ever-popular Twilight series.
Rhetorical Analysis pt 1& 2
RHETORICAL ANAKYSIS pt. 1
http://www.hulu.com/watch/147972/saturday-night-live-census
What is the video about? This video is basically about a woman (Tina Fey) who is going around attempting to poll people for the 2010 Census. Betty White’s initial reaction to Fey is like most people, to close the door and ignore her. White agrees to answer a few questions and, of course, throws out a few jokes. Fey attempts to remain calm and collected, asking the typical questions like: What is your race? How many people live in this residence? and What is your name? White fires back with some pretty funny answers. In response to ‘What is your name?’ she replies, Blarfengerrr Blarfengerrr. For the question ‘How many people live in this residence’ she counts off names that sound like it would be for a pet, but after Fey leaves Whites apartment, we find out she was actually referring to homeless men wearing fur coats.
What is the central message of the video? The main message is making fun of the Census. Most people ignore any mail or forms related to the Census, others fill it out at their leisure. People who have become annoyed with the Census may even fill out random, funny information.
What do you like/dislike? I love how White answers the Census questions in a humorous way because most people understand how annoying Census workers can be, and it is refreshing to see someone who can make light of this situation. I didn’t think this video was one of the funniest things I’ve seen, but I did appreciate the humor. I think anyone who has been in any predicament with the “Census people” can relate and be thankful for SNL making light of the situation.
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS pt. 2
I will be looking at how ColinK’s post and Joel’s post differed from my own.
Colin: Most obviously, how we formatted our posts is different. I didn’t write that Betty White was senile, but I do agree that in this skit, she was. I didn’t take the same perspective he did on the census, but I can see where he is coming from. I also didn’t know that Betty White was nominated for an Emmy! That is interesting, and I am interested in which television program it was for because I have only seen her more recent films and appearances on most recent shows.
Joel: I definitely agree with Joel about his perspective on the central message. I like how he made references to what types of information people fill in on the census and then linked specific instances – thought that was a creative idea. Though I didn’t include this in my post, I agree that over the years, SNL has been decreasingly worse in terms of what content is on show.
Polysemy is defined as: the notion that a text is open to multiple interpretations and meanings. Anything that is opinion-based could be considered polysemy. I think this because it is opinion, and the author obviously intended it to be perceived a certain way. However, other readers may view a writer’s opinion differently than the author intended, because it is opinion, not fact.
Polyvalence is defined as: the notion that a text has a relatively unified meaning that is valued differently by different audiences. An example of this would be Joel’s opinion on the decline of SNL over the years. Some may agree or disagree with this statement, however the meaning of this his interpretation is fairly unified. His statement may be valued differently by different audiences, depending on their opinion of SNL throughout the years.
Individual responses converged, because most interpretations of the video were similar. The video was less than three minutes in length and only so much can be said about a short video clip. The message in the video was also fairly straight-forward and most people who posted had similarities in their perspective of what the central message of the video was. Interpretive communities is defined as, groups who interpret texts similarly because they share similar social positions and experiences. I am assuming that most of us in this class are about the same age, and therefore, grew up in the same generation. We most likely interpret media so similarly because we have all watched similar types of media and have grown up together in this sense. We are all, also, most likely students at Ohio University in the School of Media Arts and Studies. So, we most likely share commonalities in receiving our college education.
I found the definitions for dominant, negotiated and oppositional codes on this website: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem08c.html. I could not find anyone with an oppositional reading because most of us understand the census and that was the aspect of the video clip that we focused on. Many of our posts had a dominant reading because we stated the obvious of the clip, and gave straight-forward interpretations. Some of us read this clip from a negotiated perspective because we were asked to share our opinions. Some shared their knowledge of the Census but not many gave specific references or examples to their own experiences.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/147972/saturday-night-live-census
What is the video about? This video is basically about a woman (Tina Fey) who is going around attempting to poll people for the 2010 Census. Betty White’s initial reaction to Fey is like most people, to close the door and ignore her. White agrees to answer a few questions and, of course, throws out a few jokes. Fey attempts to remain calm and collected, asking the typical questions like: What is your race? How many people live in this residence? and What is your name? White fires back with some pretty funny answers. In response to ‘What is your name?’ she replies, Blarfengerrr Blarfengerrr. For the question ‘How many people live in this residence’ she counts off names that sound like it would be for a pet, but after Fey leaves Whites apartment, we find out she was actually referring to homeless men wearing fur coats.
What is the central message of the video? The main message is making fun of the Census. Most people ignore any mail or forms related to the Census, others fill it out at their leisure. People who have become annoyed with the Census may even fill out random, funny information.
What do you like/dislike? I love how White answers the Census questions in a humorous way because most people understand how annoying Census workers can be, and it is refreshing to see someone who can make light of this situation. I didn’t think this video was one of the funniest things I’ve seen, but I did appreciate the humor. I think anyone who has been in any predicament with the “Census people” can relate and be thankful for SNL making light of the situation.
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS pt. 2
I will be looking at how ColinK’s post and Joel’s post differed from my own.
Colin: Most obviously, how we formatted our posts is different. I didn’t write that Betty White was senile, but I do agree that in this skit, she was. I didn’t take the same perspective he did on the census, but I can see where he is coming from. I also didn’t know that Betty White was nominated for an Emmy! That is interesting, and I am interested in which television program it was for because I have only seen her more recent films and appearances on most recent shows.
Joel: I definitely agree with Joel about his perspective on the central message. I like how he made references to what types of information people fill in on the census and then linked specific instances – thought that was a creative idea. Though I didn’t include this in my post, I agree that over the years, SNL has been decreasingly worse in terms of what content is on show.
Polysemy is defined as: the notion that a text is open to multiple interpretations and meanings. Anything that is opinion-based could be considered polysemy. I think this because it is opinion, and the author obviously intended it to be perceived a certain way. However, other readers may view a writer’s opinion differently than the author intended, because it is opinion, not fact.
Polyvalence is defined as: the notion that a text has a relatively unified meaning that is valued differently by different audiences. An example of this would be Joel’s opinion on the decline of SNL over the years. Some may agree or disagree with this statement, however the meaning of this his interpretation is fairly unified. His statement may be valued differently by different audiences, depending on their opinion of SNL throughout the years.
Individual responses converged, because most interpretations of the video were similar. The video was less than three minutes in length and only so much can be said about a short video clip. The message in the video was also fairly straight-forward and most people who posted had similarities in their perspective of what the central message of the video was. Interpretive communities is defined as, groups who interpret texts similarly because they share similar social positions and experiences. I am assuming that most of us in this class are about the same age, and therefore, grew up in the same generation. We most likely interpret media so similarly because we have all watched similar types of media and have grown up together in this sense. We are all, also, most likely students at Ohio University in the School of Media Arts and Studies. So, we most likely share commonalities in receiving our college education.
I found the definitions for dominant, negotiated and oppositional codes on this website: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem08c.html. I could not find anyone with an oppositional reading because most of us understand the census and that was the aspect of the video clip that we focused on. Many of our posts had a dominant reading because we stated the obvious of the clip, and gave straight-forward interpretations. Some of us read this clip from a negotiated perspective because we were asked to share our opinions. Some shared their knowledge of the Census but not many gave specific references or examples to their own experiences.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Queer Analysis
>> http://www.hulu.com/watch/144930/modern-family-hawaii <<
Season 1, Episode 23: “Hawaii”
Heteronormativity is defined as people have distinct genders with natural roles; men and women marry heterosexually. Heterosexual relationships are normal and natural and should be obeyed by societal members. However, this view discriminates against those in society who are not part of this “norm”. Because of this, LBGT are excluded from marriage, tax codes, representation in the media, sometimes in employment and religious bias.
The first, most obvious sign of discrimination against homosexuals is that Mitchell and Cam are the only couple who are not married. This becomes even more apparent during the family trip to Maui. Mitchell and Cameron both are always extremely happy and excited, which is a stereotype showing femininity and is often played by those portraying a gay man. Cameron is also quick-witted and funny, another stereotype. When Mitchell comes back from one of hies day trips, Cameron convinces him to sit down and relax. Mitchell is getting a foot massage, he yells out “Oh, sweet Lady GaGa.” This is also a stereotype in our media today that gay men love the performer/dancer/singer Lady GaGa.
Another example of heteronormativity is Jay's obvious fear of homosexuality. Though he has accepted Mitchell's sexual orientation, he still has the fear that most "masculine men" seem to have. Whenever Jay goes over to Cameron and Mitchell's house, he makes sure to knock extremely loudly, to make sure he doesn't walk in on them kissing.
Some heterosexual stereotypes present in this episode are, Claire is the typical mom, worried about keeping her kids under control, Manny wants to flirt with “tween” girls by buying them free virgin drinks by the pool, which he thinks will make him and Luke seem sophisticated, Jay orders the largest burger available, fries instead of salad, chili fries instead of fruit – makes him seem more “manly.”
There are basically three plots in this episode: Mitchell can’t relax because he is so used to being on the go. At one point in the episode, after Mitchell and Cameron have been relaxing all day, they get out of the elevator and forget to push Lilly out, so they both start freaking out. Then Claire finds out that the one time she lets Hayley have freedom, she ends up getting drunk. Phil tries to be romantic with Claire and she is so involved in taking care of the kids, she can’t realize his efforts. He books a couples massage, carries her like a groom carries a bride. Their honeymoon was supposed to be to Hawaii, but they had to cancel the wedding and get married sooner because Claire became pregnant. In the end, Phil ends up putting together a wedding for their renewal vows because they never had a wedding. It is interesting to me that Phil and Claire have gotten married twice, but Mitchell and Cameron have never been able to get married. The families are in Hawaii celebrating Jay’s 63rd birthday. Jay begins to go through a mini mid-life crisis when his brother calls him to wish him a happy birthday and then reminds Jay that their father died when he was 63 because he didn’t take care of his diet.
While everyone else is lying by the pool, Mitchell and Cameron go see the world’s largest Banyan tree. They have traveled all over, including going to a safari in Tanzania. They met a man and have continued to send him clothing over the years. One of the t-shirts was a Hillary 2008 t-shirt, she was obviously a Democrat and has liberal approaches to how she would govern the United States. The man was also wearing a “Frankie Say Relax” t-shirt. For those who don’t know about the meaning behind the song… go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relax_%28song%29, http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/103392/. It is a song, from a band in the UK, which was banned by the BBC because the lyrics were too sexual and risqué. They also take a trip to the Lavender Ranch, which does have different strands of the flower, lavender.
In terms of wardrobe, Phil and Jay are dressed in typical guys clothing, shorts and a t-shirt and Gloria and Claire are typically wearing a bathing suit or sundress. Mitchell is dressed in nice, clean-cut clothing and Cameron is dressed in flamboyant, touristy clothes.
This episode portrays sexuality as a permanent identity. I believe this because Mitchell and Cameron have always been openly gay and have always had the same personality, style, etc from the beginning; same with the other characters. One of my favorite aspects of this show, is just that. The characters have been easy to relate to because they are so real and complex. Though each character has a special quality that makes them an individual, sexuality has been permanent throughout the show.
Season 1, Episode 23: “Hawaii”
Heteronormativity is defined as people have distinct genders with natural roles; men and women marry heterosexually. Heterosexual relationships are normal and natural and should be obeyed by societal members. However, this view discriminates against those in society who are not part of this “norm”. Because of this, LBGT are excluded from marriage, tax codes, representation in the media, sometimes in employment and religious bias.
The first, most obvious sign of discrimination against homosexuals is that Mitchell and Cam are the only couple who are not married. This becomes even more apparent during the family trip to Maui. Mitchell and Cameron both are always extremely happy and excited, which is a stereotype showing femininity and is often played by those portraying a gay man. Cameron is also quick-witted and funny, another stereotype. When Mitchell comes back from one of hies day trips, Cameron convinces him to sit down and relax. Mitchell is getting a foot massage, he yells out “Oh, sweet Lady GaGa.” This is also a stereotype in our media today that gay men love the performer/dancer/singer Lady GaGa.
Another example of heteronormativity is Jay's obvious fear of homosexuality. Though he has accepted Mitchell's sexual orientation, he still has the fear that most "masculine men" seem to have. Whenever Jay goes over to Cameron and Mitchell's house, he makes sure to knock extremely loudly, to make sure he doesn't walk in on them kissing.
Some heterosexual stereotypes present in this episode are, Claire is the typical mom, worried about keeping her kids under control, Manny wants to flirt with “tween” girls by buying them free virgin drinks by the pool, which he thinks will make him and Luke seem sophisticated, Jay orders the largest burger available, fries instead of salad, chili fries instead of fruit – makes him seem more “manly.”
There are basically three plots in this episode: Mitchell can’t relax because he is so used to being on the go. At one point in the episode, after Mitchell and Cameron have been relaxing all day, they get out of the elevator and forget to push Lilly out, so they both start freaking out. Then Claire finds out that the one time she lets Hayley have freedom, she ends up getting drunk. Phil tries to be romantic with Claire and she is so involved in taking care of the kids, she can’t realize his efforts. He books a couples massage, carries her like a groom carries a bride. Their honeymoon was supposed to be to Hawaii, but they had to cancel the wedding and get married sooner because Claire became pregnant. In the end, Phil ends up putting together a wedding for their renewal vows because they never had a wedding. It is interesting to me that Phil and Claire have gotten married twice, but Mitchell and Cameron have never been able to get married. The families are in Hawaii celebrating Jay’s 63rd birthday. Jay begins to go through a mini mid-life crisis when his brother calls him to wish him a happy birthday and then reminds Jay that their father died when he was 63 because he didn’t take care of his diet.
While everyone else is lying by the pool, Mitchell and Cameron go see the world’s largest Banyan tree. They have traveled all over, including going to a safari in Tanzania. They met a man and have continued to send him clothing over the years. One of the t-shirts was a Hillary 2008 t-shirt, she was obviously a Democrat and has liberal approaches to how she would govern the United States. The man was also wearing a “Frankie Say Relax” t-shirt. For those who don’t know about the meaning behind the song… go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relax_%28song%29, http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/103392/. It is a song, from a band in the UK, which was banned by the BBC because the lyrics were too sexual and risqué. They also take a trip to the Lavender Ranch, which does have different strands of the flower, lavender.
In terms of wardrobe, Phil and Jay are dressed in typical guys clothing, shorts and a t-shirt and Gloria and Claire are typically wearing a bathing suit or sundress. Mitchell is dressed in nice, clean-cut clothing and Cameron is dressed in flamboyant, touristy clothes.
This episode portrays sexuality as a permanent identity. I believe this because Mitchell and Cameron have always been openly gay and have always had the same personality, style, etc from the beginning; same with the other characters. One of my favorite aspects of this show, is just that. The characters have been easy to relate to because they are so real and complex. Though each character has a special quality that makes them an individual, sexuality has been permanent throughout the show.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Free Blog: Sons of Tuscon
>> http://www.fox.com/sonsoftucson/ <<
Sons of Tuscon is comedy series and reminds me of a modern day to Malcolm in the Middle, the typical dysfunctional family that is relatable. Ironically, when I was doing a little bit of background research, I found that Justin Berfield, the former Malcolm in the Middle star, Reese, is the producer of Sons of Tuscon. There are three brothers, Benjamin Stockham as Robby, Frank Dolce as Gary, and Matthew Levy as Brandon. Brandon is the eldest child, at 13 years old and is often the one who makes the most mistakes and doesn’t think about future consequences; he is also free-spirited. Gary is the definition of a typical middle child. He is so different from his other siblings in the sense that he is only 11 years old, but is wise beyond his years and typically wears a polo and his hair slicked to the sides. He is the one who makes all the decisions in the house, and is often know as the “mean parent.” He is in control of the money and makes the most logical decisions, however is seen by his peers and brothers as being too serious, conceited and bossy. The youngest brother is Robby is the baby of the family and acts just like a little kid – he is a troublemaker who loves playing tricks on people, eating junk food and watching cartoons past his bedtime. Their parents own a house in Tuscon, Arizona, however, their mother left them and their father is in prison, so Gary made the decision to hire Ron (Tyler Labine) as their guardian. Ron is known to be irresponsible and usually takes the easiest route in any situation, but is known as the “fun parent.” Even some of the neighbors do not think he is fit to be a parent. Gary makes Ron sleep in the shed because he doesn’t trust him to stay in the house, but Gary often lets him sleep in the house, until Ron does something stupid, which is often. Ron swears and openly discusses anything in front of the kids. Though I think that to an extent it is a good thing because the kids feel they can often come and talk to him without feeling the barrier most teens do between themselves and their parents. It’s obvious that this family sticks out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood. Compared to other wealthy, prestigious neighbors, the boys and Ron are so unlike them.
The introduction the Sons of Tuscon is great because of all the bright colors, upbeat music and it gives the premise for what the show is about. In the beginning there are clips of Arizona interspersed between different stories within the episode. The music has a rocker feel and the camera angels are quick and fast-paced, but stay on one shot long enough to keep the viewers attention.
The particular episode I watched for this week is Season 1, Episode 7: “Dog Days of Tuscan.” In this episode, Ron goes around to different houses near their neighborhood and takes people’s dogs, just to wait for them to post a reward so he can return the dog to the owner and retrieve the sum of money that was offered. When he returns the pets, he acts as though he doesn’t want the money, but tells them that he thinks they are “legally obligated” to reward him. When Ron brings home one of the dogs, Brandon and Robby are really excited, however, Gary reminds them of the responsibilities a dog owner has. Gary even pulls Ron aside and says, “You need to talk to me about these things first and not undermine my authority!” Gary eventually agrees to a dog, but under the conditions that it is hypo-allergenic for Robby’s allergies and is house-trained. After work one day, Ron’s friend offers to sell him Gene Simmons boots. So, Ron spends the money on the boots that Gary gave him for the dog. Ron takes a stray home instead of purchasing a dog. Of course, Robby has severe allergic allergies, but they keep the dog anyways. The dog starts acting vicious and weird toward Ron and he finds out that the “stray dog” he found is actually a wolf. After the dog has been in the house for a few days, Brandon, due to his free-spirited nature begins to believe that his grandpa was reincarnated in this dog due to various characteristics in the dog and what the dog likes. After Gary discovers the dog is really a wolf, he and Ron unsuccessfully attempt to give the dog away or take it to a shelter, but no one would take the wolf-dog in, so they end up letting the wolf go wild. But, the wolf-dog ends up coming back to their house. Brandon and Robby still do not believe the dog is a wolf, so Ron, of course, does something stupid (purposely getting attacked by the wolf-dog), to prove to the other boys the dog is a wolf. Ron then ends up in the hospital, and the boys tell Ron that he can stay in the house with him until he is recovered.
From last week’s post, I was thinking about stereotypes often prevalent in the media. In this show, there was an American Indian man, Mike at Ron’s job. After feeling suspicious about the wolf-dog, Ron asks the man if he knows anything about wolves. Mike then responds with, “Oh that’s right, you have a question about animals, ask the Indian. They have a spiritual connection to nature, ancient wisdom handed down to them from their forefathers. How come no one ever asks me about the stock market?! Ok, so the wolf is a majestic creature…” He continues to tell Ron a bunch of information about wolves. This is ironic because in this case, the stereotype that was being presented was actually validated. Something else that I have found becoming increasingly more in media are referring to current things in the media. For example, in this episode, Mike asks Ron something in reference to the show Project Runway. I think it is interesting that this has begun to happen so often and is funny for our generation because we “get” what they are talking about. However I feel that because these shows reference current things in the media, other generations often find themselves lost in terms of the humor.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Feminist Analysis
> http://www.hulu.com/watch/140083/modern-family-benched <
For this analysis, I watched season 1, episode 20 of Modern Family: “Benched.” In this episode, Cameron and Mitchell struggle with their new jobs – Mitchell is the stay-at-home dad and Cameron has a part-time job at a greeting card company. They both secretly hate their jobs but think they are doing what the other person wants them to. Gloria and Claire are struggling with their kids growing up. Alex and Manny are going through the stage where the mere thought of their mom embarrasses them. Jay and Phil take over the position of head coach for Luke and Manny’s basketball team after they think the head coach is too demanding and mean. The main theme of this episode is mis-communication.
I enjoyed this episode because it was hilarious. When watching Modern Family, I always find myself agreeing with the characters or feeling a sense of nostalgia. Because the characters and the plot are so easy to follow, I feel in every episode there is something I can relate to. Claire and Gloria who are so unlike each other actually had something in common with each other and I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow. I also loved the scene where Alex goes up to Claire, who had been waiting for quite some time for Alex to meet her. Alex apologizes to her mom and says she has been feeling pressure from friends at school and will always be her little girl. Then, she bluntly asks for mom for $20. Claire gives her $40 and proceeds to embarrass Alex when she is standing in front of her friends, by yelling out the window she pick up a training bra for the future when she will need one.
Luke and Manny’s basketball coach is giving them a hard time and instead of encouraging them, is yelling at the kids and calling them names. Of course, the women think this is such a horrible, mean thing to do to their kids and feel the coach needs to be replaced. However, Jay thinks it’s good for the kids for the coach to be tough on them, and asks Phil to back him up on this. But instead, Phil says, “No, he’s a mean man.” Jay responds with, “Oh, you’re such a woman.” In this situation, Phil is reversing the typical roles by agreeing with women and Jay is responding as a stereotypical guy would by calling Phil a woman. In this way, I think by calling Phil a woman, he is saying that Phil is too emotional and acting like a wuss, instead of being gun-hoe about Luke and Manny getting some structure and discipline from the coach. Through the episode, Jay and Phil eventually take over the positions of head coach and assistant coach for the team. Jay, of course, is head coach, and Phil assistant. Phil is constantly trying to give Jay input, but Jay ignores him, and thinks he has no idea about coaching a team. Jay eventually apologizes to Phil and wants him to become the head coach. But, Phil feels that Jay is leaving something out, so Jay says “Ok….I love you.” Phil responds with no, that’s not what he wanted to hear. I feel like saying “I love you” is something a woman would want to hear, and that is how Jay views Phil.
Camera shots are key to this show to understanding the characters and plot. The somewhat realistic camera shots allow the viewer to understand awkward, tense and loving feelings being expressed. The camera will zoom in when trying to focus on a particular emotion, to add more intensity and ensure the viewer knows they are supposed to be paying attention to this scene so they can understand the storyline. For example, Mitchell is talking to Cameron about how he likes not having a job, though he secretly hates it. They camera zooms in on Mitchell to show that he is awkwardly lying and trying to cover it up by looking at the camera quickly and then staring back at his computer screen, pretending he was doing something important. The scene then cuts to a documentary/personal interview set-up and Mitchell is alone talking to the camera, divulging upon how much he hates not having a job. The camera then cuts back to the same scene with Mitchell and Cameron talking. Because there is constant conversation, there is little to no music in Modern Family.
In the media, women are often portrayed as sexual objects and emotional. Modern Family often has these stereotypes within their characters, but more to point out the obvious and make fun of how stereotypes are so often prevalent within the media.
Gloria is a character that is often portrayed as having little depth to her. The viewer is sometimes able to see her true colors, but she is typically portrayed as the stereotypical woman. In every episode it is guaranteed that she will say something about her Columbian heritage. Other than that, she is portrayed in a sexualized way. She is constantly wearing fashionable, nice clothes and jewelry and always has her hair and make-up perfectly done. Gloria and Jay’s relationship is stereotypical in the sense that Jay is the strong male who provides for his family and Gloria is the loving, caring mom who holds the family together.
Mitchell and Cameron, though not a “typical couple,” are actually pretty stereotypical. Mitchell wants to be in the working world, providing for his family, and enjoys having a job and interacting with people in the professional world. Cameron, on the other hand, loves being a “trophy wife” (his words) and stay-at-home dad. He loves spending time with Lilly and hates having a “real” job. Cameron was forced to get a part-time job at a greeting card company while Mitchell is between jobs. But has become fearful that Lilly has gotten used to him not being around; he is the typical mom, always worrying about her children. Mitchell gets invited to a very wealthy friend of his dad’s house for an informal interview. Cameron is extremely awkward in social situations and babbles on in the interview, making himself look silly. He then proceeds to knock over a tray with food and drinks and then knocks a bowl off a counter. This proves further that Cameron is super awkward and Mitchell is professional. Mitchell and Cameron eventually express their true feelings to each other. Cameron confesses to Mitchell that he hates working and wants to be home with Lilly, and Mitchell feels that he is “not cut out to be a stay-at-home dad,” and would much rather be in the professional world. Both of them were fulfilling the duties that they thought the other person wanted.
Phil and Claire are one of the funniest, most dysfunctional couple I have seen. They are hilarious and constantly switch roles. Phil is the more sensitive, sweet one and Claire is more logical and worldly. Claire even dresses and looks like a typical mom. She is the mom who conquers everything – takes care of the kids, makes dinner, goes to all of their extra curriculars and helps them with their homework and projects. Phil acts more like the woman, in the sense that he is easily offended and often is emotional and becomes emotionally invested in many things. Claire is more aggressive than Phil, and he will always back down or become intimidated by her when they are arguing.
This was a great episode, and though I have already seen all of the Modern Family episodes thus far, I have enjoyed re-watching them and reflecting upon some more critical aspects that are prevalent in the media.
For this analysis, I watched season 1, episode 20 of Modern Family: “Benched.” In this episode, Cameron and Mitchell struggle with their new jobs – Mitchell is the stay-at-home dad and Cameron has a part-time job at a greeting card company. They both secretly hate their jobs but think they are doing what the other person wants them to. Gloria and Claire are struggling with their kids growing up. Alex and Manny are going through the stage where the mere thought of their mom embarrasses them. Jay and Phil take over the position of head coach for Luke and Manny’s basketball team after they think the head coach is too demanding and mean. The main theme of this episode is mis-communication.
I enjoyed this episode because it was hilarious. When watching Modern Family, I always find myself agreeing with the characters or feeling a sense of nostalgia. Because the characters and the plot are so easy to follow, I feel in every episode there is something I can relate to. Claire and Gloria who are so unlike each other actually had something in common with each other and I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow. I also loved the scene where Alex goes up to Claire, who had been waiting for quite some time for Alex to meet her. Alex apologizes to her mom and says she has been feeling pressure from friends at school and will always be her little girl. Then, she bluntly asks for mom for $20. Claire gives her $40 and proceeds to embarrass Alex when she is standing in front of her friends, by yelling out the window she pick up a training bra for the future when she will need one.
Luke and Manny’s basketball coach is giving them a hard time and instead of encouraging them, is yelling at the kids and calling them names. Of course, the women think this is such a horrible, mean thing to do to their kids and feel the coach needs to be replaced. However, Jay thinks it’s good for the kids for the coach to be tough on them, and asks Phil to back him up on this. But instead, Phil says, “No, he’s a mean man.” Jay responds with, “Oh, you’re such a woman.” In this situation, Phil is reversing the typical roles by agreeing with women and Jay is responding as a stereotypical guy would by calling Phil a woman. In this way, I think by calling Phil a woman, he is saying that Phil is too emotional and acting like a wuss, instead of being gun-hoe about Luke and Manny getting some structure and discipline from the coach. Through the episode, Jay and Phil eventually take over the positions of head coach and assistant coach for the team. Jay, of course, is head coach, and Phil assistant. Phil is constantly trying to give Jay input, but Jay ignores him, and thinks he has no idea about coaching a team. Jay eventually apologizes to Phil and wants him to become the head coach. But, Phil feels that Jay is leaving something out, so Jay says “Ok….I love you.” Phil responds with no, that’s not what he wanted to hear. I feel like saying “I love you” is something a woman would want to hear, and that is how Jay views Phil.
Camera shots are key to this show to understanding the characters and plot. The somewhat realistic camera shots allow the viewer to understand awkward, tense and loving feelings being expressed. The camera will zoom in when trying to focus on a particular emotion, to add more intensity and ensure the viewer knows they are supposed to be paying attention to this scene so they can understand the storyline. For example, Mitchell is talking to Cameron about how he likes not having a job, though he secretly hates it. They camera zooms in on Mitchell to show that he is awkwardly lying and trying to cover it up by looking at the camera quickly and then staring back at his computer screen, pretending he was doing something important. The scene then cuts to a documentary/personal interview set-up and Mitchell is alone talking to the camera, divulging upon how much he hates not having a job. The camera then cuts back to the same scene with Mitchell and Cameron talking. Because there is constant conversation, there is little to no music in Modern Family.
In the media, women are often portrayed as sexual objects and emotional. Modern Family often has these stereotypes within their characters, but more to point out the obvious and make fun of how stereotypes are so often prevalent within the media.
Gloria is a character that is often portrayed as having little depth to her. The viewer is sometimes able to see her true colors, but she is typically portrayed as the stereotypical woman. In every episode it is guaranteed that she will say something about her Columbian heritage. Other than that, she is portrayed in a sexualized way. She is constantly wearing fashionable, nice clothes and jewelry and always has her hair and make-up perfectly done. Gloria and Jay’s relationship is stereotypical in the sense that Jay is the strong male who provides for his family and Gloria is the loving, caring mom who holds the family together.
Mitchell and Cameron, though not a “typical couple,” are actually pretty stereotypical. Mitchell wants to be in the working world, providing for his family, and enjoys having a job and interacting with people in the professional world. Cameron, on the other hand, loves being a “trophy wife” (his words) and stay-at-home dad. He loves spending time with Lilly and hates having a “real” job. Cameron was forced to get a part-time job at a greeting card company while Mitchell is between jobs. But has become fearful that Lilly has gotten used to him not being around; he is the typical mom, always worrying about her children. Mitchell gets invited to a very wealthy friend of his dad’s house for an informal interview. Cameron is extremely awkward in social situations and babbles on in the interview, making himself look silly. He then proceeds to knock over a tray with food and drinks and then knocks a bowl off a counter. This proves further that Cameron is super awkward and Mitchell is professional. Mitchell and Cameron eventually express their true feelings to each other. Cameron confesses to Mitchell that he hates working and wants to be home with Lilly, and Mitchell feels that he is “not cut out to be a stay-at-home dad,” and would much rather be in the professional world. Both of them were fulfilling the duties that they thought the other person wanted.
Phil and Claire are one of the funniest, most dysfunctional couple I have seen. They are hilarious and constantly switch roles. Phil is the more sensitive, sweet one and Claire is more logical and worldly. Claire even dresses and looks like a typical mom. She is the mom who conquers everything – takes care of the kids, makes dinner, goes to all of their extra curriculars and helps them with their homework and projects. Phil acts more like the woman, in the sense that he is easily offended and often is emotional and becomes emotionally invested in many things. Claire is more aggressive than Phil, and he will always back down or become intimidated by her when they are arguing.
This was a great episode, and though I have already seen all of the Modern Family episodes thus far, I have enjoyed re-watching them and reflecting upon some more critical aspects that are prevalent in the media.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Modern Family - Cultural Analysis of "Truth Be Told"
On Modern Family, Season 1 and Episode 17, “Truth Be Told,” there are three main storylines: Phil’s girlfriend from high school comes to visit, Jay kills Manny’s pet turtle and Mitchell quits his job. The primary theme of this episode was lying, hence the title. Phil’s old girlfriend, Denise, comes to visit him at his home after communicating via Facebook for over a year. Claire thinks Denise has a thing for Phil, and she ends up being right. Then, Jay kills Manny’s pet turtle and lies to him about it. Manny does some research and doesn’t believe Jay’s story. Jay eventually tells the truth, but Manny has to force him to do so. Finally, Mitchell begins to feel left out of Lilly’s life because he has been devoting so much time to work. He feels as though he is missing out on too much of her life; and after his boss asks him to come in on a Sunday, Mitchell becomes fed up and decides to quit after his boss gives him the ultimatum that he can either “Come in tomorrow, or don’t come in at all!” Mitchell then goes home to tell Cameron has quit his job, he feels liberated for a moment, but quickly changes his mood when reality sets in. Since Mitchell is the only source of income, they begin to worry about having to make changes and adjustments to their lifestyle because they now have a family to support.
Mitchell and Cameron are a very dynamic couple – they are both sensitive, sweet but also a little bit rough around the edges. They are both fashion-forward individuals who drink nice wine and have a home that could have been designed by someone on HGTV. Stereotypes prevalent in Cameron are that he is nicely dressed, flamboyant, talks with a slightly feminine voice, acts like the mom in the relationship, likes to be pampered and taken care of, loves musicals and being cultured. Mitchell also dressed nicely, but in more toned down, neutral colors, is also feminine but not as openly gay as Cameron seems to be. One of my favorite character traits is that Mitchell’s dad, Jay, is the typical “guys guy.” He played football in college and loves watching sports on TV. Jay is not completely comfortable with the fact that Mitchell is gay, and whenever he comes to their house he knocks on the door loudly and announces himself, for fear of finding them kissing – or worse! However, Jay deeply cares about his family and is still close with Mitchell despite his somewhat obvious fear of homosexuals. I love that Jay is not completely comfortable with Mitchell’s sexual orientation because this shows that their family is genuine and flawed.
There are two bits of conversation between Jay and Gloria that really drove home the point of stereotyping. After killing Manny’s turtle, Jay was talking to Gloria about a pet bird Mitchell owned, and it’s name was Flyza Minelli. Then he shook his head and said “How did I not know that kid was gay?”At the end of the show, Jay gives Mitchell a painting. Mitchell looked upset and reminded his dad that he already tried to give him the painting when his pet snake, Zsa Zsa Gabella died. Again, Gloria asks, “You really didn’t know he was gay?” This interaction between Jay and Gloria proves the assumption that gay men like fashion.
GLBT individuals:
Increasingly more television shows have included gay characters in the cast. I feel in the past, this group of individuals has not been prominent in the media as often because those working in the media industry have been afraid to “cross the line.” But I feel that by excluding a specific group of people crosses the line more than not including them and taking a risk. Shows like Glee and Modern Family have regular characters that are on the show every episode. In Glee, Kurt (Chris Colfer), is portrayed as the stereotypical gay male. Chris Colfer is gay in real life, so I feel as though some of the emotions and issues he has in the show (feeling like he has to change his identity in order for his dad to want to spend time with him) he may be able to relate to himself. However, in Modern Family, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) is portrayed as the working male who is a lawyer and supports his family and though he is sensitive his character is not supposed to be extremely flamboyant. In real life, Jesse Tyler Ferguson is openly gay. Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) on the other hand, is the stay-at-home “mom” and loves being the homemaker who is not afraid to show his true colors. Eric Stonestreet is actually straight in real life, even though his character is the stereotype of a gay male on the show. What all of these characters have in common is that they have all struggled to overcome stereotypes. This characteristic gives them a humanistic quality and makes them more likeable.
Some typical stereotypes of gay men are dressing and acting feminine, having a great sense of style, talking with an extremely high-pitched voice, pursuing “feminine” careers – like a hair dresser or fashion designer, being quick-witted and weak. These traits are undesirable in a “real” man and thus create the stereotype that a gay man, other than sexual orientation, is somehow much more feminine than a straight man. Lesbians are believed to be divided in two categories: butch or lipstick, being a tomboy, pursuing “manly careers,” like going into the army or being a truck driver, hating men and being a strong believer in feminism. For either gender, if a gay couple has children it is looked down upon, even though it seems crazy to me, some people do believe that being gay is a choice or a ‘phase.’ Most of these stereotypes are negative and I feel how the media has/does portray those who are gay has influenced how most people view gays and lesbians.
There are some commonalities between the stereotypes within the show and the suggestions I had for typical stereotypes of gays and lesbians. For example, in Modern Family, homosexuality is slightly challenged. Mitchell and Cameron have a normal relationship and have adopted a baby. This is something that can be looked down upon by the public because of the way the media has portrayed gay relationships to be not fulfilling enough for this child because there is the absence of one parent.
In every Modern Family episode, color and lighting are important aspects of the show. Even within couples, the types of clothing and colors they wear are a reflection of their personalities. Mitchell usually wears neutral colors and his office is filled with black and white coffee mugs, mahogany cabinets with pretty bland lighting and everyone in the office is wearing black and white suits. Cameron is always wearing bright, stylish clothing and their home is very nicely decorated. There is always bright light streaming through windows or lights in the house turned on. I think this is to illuminate the fact that this show is supposed to be light-hearted and humorous.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Modern Family - Rhetorical Analysis
I watched the 22nd episode of the first season of Modern Family. In this episode there are a few basic storylines: First, Gloria is taking her husband, Jay, on vacation to Maui for his birthday. But, she surprises him by bringing along the whole family. He is frustrated throughout the episode because he was looking forward to a quiet vacation. He eventually finds out that his family will only be in Maui for half of the vacation. Within the episode, Mitchell and Cameron, Jay and Gloria and Claire and Phil all struggle with their relationships. Ironically, the people having the issues are the father (Jay) and his two children (Claire and Mitchell). This episode focuses on the importance of family as well as working through issues in a relationship and realizing they may be blowing an issue out of proportion.
One of the reasons I absolutely love Modern Family is its ability to translate “realness” and its reliability factor. This show is hilarious because it is so easy to relate to since several of the themes and story lines presented are things that most people have encountered at least once in their life within their own families.
For the rhetorical analysis aspect of this blog, I’m going to focus on messages surrounding air travel. Obviously, since the family is going across the ocean for a vacation, they must travel by plane. Our generation has come to understand many aspects that can be associated with air travel. The main signs I will be focusing on are the many different issues that happen within an airport and preparing for vacation.
<<< http://www.hulu.com/watch/144931/modern-family-airport-2010 >>>
First, there is the typical worrying surrounded with making sure nothing is forgotten when packing for a vacation. Mitchell, who may be the most high-strung character in the show, is, inevitably, the one who winds up forgetting his wallet (which he needs because he can’t fly without his identification) after he has arrived at the airport. He drives all the back to his house with Phil and realizes he left his keys with Cameron, who is at the airport. Although this is a bit extreme case of forgetting something for vacation, it is hilarious because this is a prominent fear most people have when packing and preparing for vacation.
Second, there are the problems that are involved with the actual flight. Cameron tries his best to keep his baby daughter, Lily, awake because “no one likes a crying baby.” This is an issue that many parents with young children and other flyers worry about, because flying can be stressful enough for some people, that a crying baby only creates more stress and anxiety. Claire is one of those people who has a phobia of flying. Throughout the episode, Claire is constantly acting like or reminding people of her fear of flying. She is jittery and anxious the few hours before the family will be leaving for the airport, then Phil “abandons” her at the airport while he takes Mitchell home to retrieve his wallet, finally, she gets drunk at the bar to relieve her anxiety. In the real world, many people do often take medication or drink alcohol to relieve the fear of flying.
Lastly, but most significantly, is the racial profiling that ensues in this episode. Manny, being the mature, extremely confident 11-year-old he is comes to the airport dressed in a suit. Manny is called, over the loud speaker, down to the security office for a background check, just because he looks like a foreigner and has the same name as another individual, who is actually an adult Manny Delgado, and the adult has been put on a “no-flying” list. Gloria begins to tell the security guard that he is confusing her son with someone else, and the security guard proceeds to grab her by the arm and won’t let her find her husband, Jay. She stated that they already cleared up this issue at check-in, but the guard refuses to believe her. This is a real issue that many people in our generation have had to deal with because of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and many other terrorist acts that have ensued in the real world. The security guard questions him, in an attempt to figure out if he is truly innocent or not.
The guard asks him questions like, “Have you ever been to Japan?” and asks if Manny was at a consumer electronics show, but Manny would have only been four-years-old at the time. Gloria then asks the guard why he isn’t harassing an elderly lady with a cane because she could be hiding a knife in it. The guard then turns the questioning around on Gloria, telling her, “Ma’am, you seem to know a lot about sneaking contraband onto a plane.” She answers, “Yeah, I’m Columbian.” He then proceeds to question her the same way he questioned her son. After the interview is nearly complete, the guard allows Gloria to make a phone call to Jay. This is too often an issue in our own government. Innocent people are wrongfully accused of being a terrorist or criminal simply because of people’s tendency to racial profile, based purely on presumptions and poor judgment. During the interview, there are signs prominent in the background that assist in showing racial profiling and stereotypes. The guards are all dressed in airport security attire: black slacks and a blue button down with several badges and iron-on’s. There is a large sign that reads ‘The U.S. Department of Transportation’ as well as several flags displayed throughout the office to enhance “American pride and patriotism.” There is also a man with long scraggly and torn clothing who is being questioned in a glass room behind the security guard whom is questioning the Delgados. This man presumably is there for questioning because he was robbing or soliciting, which is why he would be portrayed in that specific clothing. The only people in that office who looked like normal, up-standing citizens were the security guards and office workers. Though Modern Family manages to make light of this situation, this is a real problem that our generation has had to deal with.
Something absent from this episode would be visible problems that other families are dealing with at the airport. Most other people are listening to headphones or reading. The calm from others enhances the dysfunctionality of the families in the cast of Modern Family.
Other media mentioned in this episode included use of cell phones, Bluetooth in the car, and text messages (between cast members and from the alarm system company to Phil). Jay also uses a book reader instead of an actual book to read. Phil references The Bride of Frankenstein when trying to change the flight attendant’s attention after she asks if Claire is drunk. Luke also references the TV show Lost, when talking to his mom Claire about a “cool scenario” with an airplane.
One of the reasons this episode works so well is because the viewers can relate so well to this situation. Whether the viewer is an anxious flyer, who has been too nervous to fly, or has taken the risk of overcoming a phobia and actually flown. Or the viewer can be the person who happens be to in charge of gathering and packing and making sure everyone is ready to go for the vacation. Or more seriously, if one has been harassed at the airport due t racial profiling, or as some security guards like to refer to this situation as, a “routine check.” Though ironically, it seems as though the people whom are ‘routinely checked’ happen to be of the same ethnicity.
These signs are other messages that can be related to air travel and airports and share similar concepts to the ones presented in this episode of Modern Family. The threat level chart reflects not only if there have been security threats or attacks, but also how long flyers will have to wait in line. The second image is a representation of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, when the twin towers were attacked. After this tragedy, security increased tenfold and flying became less enjoyable and a much more complicated, thorough process. The last image represents racial profiling. If you can’t read the text, it says: “Which man looks guilty? If you picked the man on the right, you’re wrong. Wrong for judging people based on the color of their skin. Because if you look closely, you’ll see they’re the same man. Unfortunately, racial stereotyping like this happens every day. On America’s highways, police stop drives based on their skin color rather than for the way they are driving. For example, in Florida 80 percent of those stopped and searched were black and Hispanic, while they constituted only five percent of all drivers. These humiliating and illegal searches are violations of the Constitution and must be fought. Help us defend your rights. Support the ACLU. www.aclu.org. American Civil Liberties Union.”
These images all share a common theme with the portion of the plot that I have discussed; real issues are presented in media, however by making jokes about reality allows the viewers to laugh a little at all the issues we deal with on a daily basis, and hopefully encourages us to understand and examine real-life problems more carefully.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Close Reading #1
The Anatomy of a Television Show
Television shows begin and end in a variety of ways depending on the program. Many shows begin and end in predictable ways, like news and sports events and often dramas and series. Though dramas, series and sitcoms can begin and end predictably, the great shows find ways to branch out from the norm of the program structure.
I determined when a show began by the time it was supposed to begin, according to the TV guide. Though there is often just an introduction in the beginning of the show, before or during the credits, I still feel as though this is included as part of the program. For any show, a key factor of the end of a show is when the credits start rolling. In a sitcom or drama, the way I know a show is ending is when the story that has been elaborated throughout the episode has wrapped up and provided the viewer with some sort of conclusion, or cliffhanger.
I typed up notes on my laptop, and mostly commented on the difference and similarities in content on the News shows (ABC Good Morning America and ABC World News With Diane Sawyer), on how different game shows began and ended and differences within sitcoms. I didn’t type up every single aspect of the show, or the completely obvious that I knew from learning previously. While watching TV, I took notes, browsed the internet and used my Blackberry. Though I was using several technologies, it wasn’t hard for me to focus on the task because I am used to multi-tasking.
I watched two game shows, two news shows and two reality shows. The two game shows I watched: Minute to Win It and Wipeout; the news shows I watched: ABC Good Morning America and ABC World News with Diane Sawyer; the two reality shows I watched: America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance.
The game shows both began with introducing the participants on the show and briefly describing what the person (or people) would be doing. On Minute to Win It, there is an introduction of the show and contestants who have entered online to be the next competitor or winner of certain games. The contestants are introduced, rules are established and then the game show begins. On Wipeout, there is an introduction of the current episode and previous episodes, the contestants and the obstacle course as well as a brief commentary on what the participants will be doing. The hosts then introduce themselves and the show begins.
The news shows I watched began the same way. In Good Morning America, the anchor announced which stories would be discussed and then anchor introduced herself and began talking about the first story and interviewed an expert, and the stories unfold from there. On ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, she introduced the stories, NBC had a computer-animated introduction and then Sawyer delves into the stories. News shows are often very similar; they introduce what stories will be on the show – in order to entice the viewer, the weather is also included and the best story is shown last, to keep the viewer watching as long as possible.
So You Think You Can Dance began with a computer-produced introduction, then introduced the dancers, the host is then introduced. The live audience is screaming, and the music is loud and has a good beat, which makes the viewer at home more anxious and excited for the show to begin. There are a few clips from the previous week to refresh the viewer’s memory, a behind-the-scenes look at this weeks performance and then the dancers begin dancing. America’s Got Talent is introduced by Nick Cannon commenting on the previous week’s auditions and then the show is introduced by a computer-animated introduction. Then we saw a brief introduction to the place the auditions are taking place (Portland) and the people auditioning. The viewer gets to see a behind-the-scenes look, with the judges (Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan) and the participants. The act is then presented and the people introduce their act. There are many similarities, and the differences mainly depend on the content of the show. Though game shows can be similar in structure, the details of the show completely depend upon the content and type of show. There is typically an introduction of previous episodes and then a recap of the previous week and then the current episode commences.
I think that the predictability of the structure of television these days is a positive thing for the viewer, because it allows them to understand and follow along with the program and gives a degree of comfortableness. In the technologically-driven, fast-paced world we live in today, I think it is important to be able to multi-task, and often becoming too involved in a complex show can turn viewers away. If the viewer is able to comprehend the characters and the plot, the show is, of course, more enticing.
When examining how television shows begin, I would first tell an individual to look at who is introducing the show, how it is being introduced and the audience it is directed at. Use of language and even clothing style can defer or attract viewers. Even the time of day the show is on TV depends on what type of viewers will watch. Most importantly, how the show engages the viewers can be what makes or breaks the amount of people who will watch a program. The host is also a key aspect to the program. A program needs to be warm and inviting, comfortable and familiar, yet exciting and edgy. With those characteristics, a television show can be extremely successful.
Television shows begin and end in a variety of ways depending on the program. Many shows begin and end in predictable ways, like news and sports events and often dramas and series. Though dramas, series and sitcoms can begin and end predictably, the great shows find ways to branch out from the norm of the program structure.
I determined when a show began by the time it was supposed to begin, according to the TV guide. Though there is often just an introduction in the beginning of the show, before or during the credits, I still feel as though this is included as part of the program. For any show, a key factor of the end of a show is when the credits start rolling. In a sitcom or drama, the way I know a show is ending is when the story that has been elaborated throughout the episode has wrapped up and provided the viewer with some sort of conclusion, or cliffhanger.
I typed up notes on my laptop, and mostly commented on the difference and similarities in content on the News shows (ABC Good Morning America and ABC World News With Diane Sawyer), on how different game shows began and ended and differences within sitcoms. I didn’t type up every single aspect of the show, or the completely obvious that I knew from learning previously. While watching TV, I took notes, browsed the internet and used my Blackberry. Though I was using several technologies, it wasn’t hard for me to focus on the task because I am used to multi-tasking.
I watched two game shows, two news shows and two reality shows. The two game shows I watched: Minute to Win It and Wipeout; the news shows I watched: ABC Good Morning America and ABC World News with Diane Sawyer; the two reality shows I watched: America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance.
The game shows both began with introducing the participants on the show and briefly describing what the person (or people) would be doing. On Minute to Win It, there is an introduction of the show and contestants who have entered online to be the next competitor or winner of certain games. The contestants are introduced, rules are established and then the game show begins. On Wipeout, there is an introduction of the current episode and previous episodes, the contestants and the obstacle course as well as a brief commentary on what the participants will be doing. The hosts then introduce themselves and the show begins.
The news shows I watched began the same way. In Good Morning America, the anchor announced which stories would be discussed and then anchor introduced herself and began talking about the first story and interviewed an expert, and the stories unfold from there. On ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, she introduced the stories, NBC had a computer-animated introduction and then Sawyer delves into the stories. News shows are often very similar; they introduce what stories will be on the show – in order to entice the viewer, the weather is also included and the best story is shown last, to keep the viewer watching as long as possible.
So You Think You Can Dance began with a computer-produced introduction, then introduced the dancers, the host is then introduced. The live audience is screaming, and the music is loud and has a good beat, which makes the viewer at home more anxious and excited for the show to begin. There are a few clips from the previous week to refresh the viewer’s memory, a behind-the-scenes look at this weeks performance and then the dancers begin dancing. America’s Got Talent is introduced by Nick Cannon commenting on the previous week’s auditions and then the show is introduced by a computer-animated introduction. Then we saw a brief introduction to the place the auditions are taking place (Portland) and the people auditioning. The viewer gets to see a behind-the-scenes look, with the judges (Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan) and the participants. The act is then presented and the people introduce their act. There are many similarities, and the differences mainly depend on the content of the show. Though game shows can be similar in structure, the details of the show completely depend upon the content and type of show. There is typically an introduction of previous episodes and then a recap of the previous week and then the current episode commences.
I think that the predictability of the structure of television these days is a positive thing for the viewer, because it allows them to understand and follow along with the program and gives a degree of comfortableness. In the technologically-driven, fast-paced world we live in today, I think it is important to be able to multi-task, and often becoming too involved in a complex show can turn viewers away. If the viewer is able to comprehend the characters and the plot, the show is, of course, more enticing.
When examining how television shows begin, I would first tell an individual to look at who is introducing the show, how it is being introduced and the audience it is directed at. Use of language and even clothing style can defer or attract viewers. Even the time of day the show is on TV depends on what type of viewers will watch. Most importantly, how the show engages the viewers can be what makes or breaks the amount of people who will watch a program. The host is also a key aspect to the program. A program needs to be warm and inviting, comfortable and familiar, yet exciting and edgy. With those characteristics, a television show can be extremely successful.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Media Profile
My Current TV Likes & Dislikes:
What I'm Currently Watching:
World Cup, Modern Family, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Wipeout (because it's hilarious), America's Got Talent (also extremely amusing), Top Chef, Reality TV (guilty obsession), 24, Sons of Tuscon.
Favorite, Go-To Shows
Modern Family, Heroes, The Office, MTV and VH1 reality shows, evening news, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, America's Got Talent, Top Chef, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Family Guy, The Simpsons, 24, Cops, Law and Order: SVU, Scrubs, Entourage, America's Next Top Model, Judge Judy, Chelsea Lately, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Shows that I watch because my roommates watch them:
Project Runway, Glee, House, Lost, Reality TV, Oprah, The Soup, Arrested Development, E! True Hollywood Story, True Life.
Shows that my boyfriend has forced me to watch and I ended up LOVING:
Parks and Recreation, Community, Minute to Win it, Wipeout, Heroes, V, Weeds, Pawn Stars, Lie to Me, Futurama, TopGear, Better off Ted, The Apprentice.
Shows that I should invest in, but haven't:
Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost.
Shows I can't stand:
Dexter, CSI: Miami, the British Office (it's just not the same!)
All-Time Favorites:
Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Full House, Home Improvement, Dawson's Creek, Seinfeld (if you can't tell by this point- yes, I'm Jewish!), That 70's Show, Boy Meets World
What I'm Currently Watching:
World Cup, Modern Family, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Wipeout (because it's hilarious), America's Got Talent (also extremely amusing), Top Chef, Reality TV (guilty obsession), 24, Sons of Tuscon.
Favorite, Go-To Shows
Modern Family, Heroes, The Office, MTV and VH1 reality shows, evening news, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, America's Got Talent, Top Chef, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Family Guy, The Simpsons, 24, Cops, Law and Order: SVU, Scrubs, Entourage, America's Next Top Model, Judge Judy, Chelsea Lately, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Shows that I watch because my roommates watch them:
Project Runway, Glee, House, Lost, Reality TV, Oprah, The Soup, Arrested Development, E! True Hollywood Story, True Life.
Shows that my boyfriend has forced me to watch and I ended up LOVING:
Parks and Recreation, Community, Minute to Win it, Wipeout, Heroes, V, Weeds, Pawn Stars, Lie to Me, Futurama, TopGear, Better off Ted, The Apprentice.
Shows that I should invest in, but haven't:
Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost.
Shows I can't stand:
Dexter, CSI: Miami, the British Office (it's just not the same!)
All-Time Favorites:
Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Full House, Home Improvement, Dawson's Creek, Seinfeld (if you can't tell by this point- yes, I'm Jewish!), That 70's Show, Boy Meets World
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