Author: David Scott Diffrient
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 081565569X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 378
Book Description
Contradictory to its core, the sitcom—an ostensibly conservative, tranquilizing genre—has a long track record in the United States of tackling controversial subjects with a fearlessness not often found in other types of programming. But the sitcom also conceals as much as it reveals, masking the rationale for socially deviant or deleterious behavior behind figures of ridicule whose motives are rarely disclosed fully over the course of a thirty-minute episode. Examining a broad range of network and cable TV shows across the history of the medium, from classic, working-class comedies such as The Honeymooners, All in the Family, and Roseanne to several contemporary cult series, animated programs, and online hits that have yet to attract much scholarly attention, this book explores the ways in which social imaginaries related to "bad behavior" have been humorously exploited over the years. The repeated appearance of socially wayward figures on the small screen—from raging alcoholics to brainwashed cult members to actual monsters who are merely exaggerated versions of our own inner demons—has the dual effect of reducing complex individuals to recognizable "types" while neutralizing the presumed threats that they pose. Such representations not only provide strangely comforting reminders that "badness" is a cultural construct, but also prompt audiences to reflect on their own unspoken proclivities for antisocial behavior, if only in passing.
Comic Drunks, Crazy Cults, and Lovable Monsters
Author: David Scott Diffrient
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 081565569X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 378
Book Description
Contradictory to its core, the sitcom—an ostensibly conservative, tranquilizing genre—has a long track record in the United States of tackling controversial subjects with a fearlessness not often found in other types of programming. But the sitcom also conceals as much as it reveals, masking the rationale for socially deviant or deleterious behavior behind figures of ridicule whose motives are rarely disclosed fully over the course of a thirty-minute episode. Examining a broad range of network and cable TV shows across the history of the medium, from classic, working-class comedies such as The Honeymooners, All in the Family, and Roseanne to several contemporary cult series, animated programs, and online hits that have yet to attract much scholarly attention, this book explores the ways in which social imaginaries related to "bad behavior" have been humorously exploited over the years. The repeated appearance of socially wayward figures on the small screen—from raging alcoholics to brainwashed cult members to actual monsters who are merely exaggerated versions of our own inner demons—has the dual effect of reducing complex individuals to recognizable "types" while neutralizing the presumed threats that they pose. Such representations not only provide strangely comforting reminders that "badness" is a cultural construct, but also prompt audiences to reflect on their own unspoken proclivities for antisocial behavior, if only in passing.
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 081565569X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 378
Book Description
Contradictory to its core, the sitcom—an ostensibly conservative, tranquilizing genre—has a long track record in the United States of tackling controversial subjects with a fearlessness not often found in other types of programming. But the sitcom also conceals as much as it reveals, masking the rationale for socially deviant or deleterious behavior behind figures of ridicule whose motives are rarely disclosed fully over the course of a thirty-minute episode. Examining a broad range of network and cable TV shows across the history of the medium, from classic, working-class comedies such as The Honeymooners, All in the Family, and Roseanne to several contemporary cult series, animated programs, and online hits that have yet to attract much scholarly attention, this book explores the ways in which social imaginaries related to "bad behavior" have been humorously exploited over the years. The repeated appearance of socially wayward figures on the small screen—from raging alcoholics to brainwashed cult members to actual monsters who are merely exaggerated versions of our own inner demons—has the dual effect of reducing complex individuals to recognizable "types" while neutralizing the presumed threats that they pose. Such representations not only provide strangely comforting reminders that "badness" is a cultural construct, but also prompt audiences to reflect on their own unspoken proclivities for antisocial behavior, if only in passing.
Entering the Multiverse
Author: Paul Booth
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040254632
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
The multiverse has portaled into the mainstream. Entering the Multiverse unpacks the surprising growth of the multiverse in media and popular culture today, and explores how the concept of alternate realities and parallel worlds has acted as a metaphor for centuries. Edited by leading media and popular culture scholar Paul Booth, this collection explores the many different manifestations of the multiverse across different genres, media, fan-created works, and cultural theory. Each chapter delves into different aspects of the multiverse, including its use as a metaphor, as a scientific reality, and as a media-industry strategy. Addressing the multiplicity of multiversal meanings through multiple perspectives and always with an eye toward engagement with contemporary cultural issues, the chapters also examine various distinctions and contradictions, in order to provide a strong basis for further thinking, writing, and research on the concept of the multiverse. Chapters in this collection tell the story of the multiverse in multiple realities: creative nonfiction, academic essay, screenplay, art, poetry, video, and audio essay. A compelling read for students, researchers, and scholars of media and cultural studies, film and media culture, popular culture, comics studies, game studies, literary studies, and beyond.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040254632
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
The multiverse has portaled into the mainstream. Entering the Multiverse unpacks the surprising growth of the multiverse in media and popular culture today, and explores how the concept of alternate realities and parallel worlds has acted as a metaphor for centuries. Edited by leading media and popular culture scholar Paul Booth, this collection explores the many different manifestations of the multiverse across different genres, media, fan-created works, and cultural theory. Each chapter delves into different aspects of the multiverse, including its use as a metaphor, as a scientific reality, and as a media-industry strategy. Addressing the multiplicity of multiversal meanings through multiple perspectives and always with an eye toward engagement with contemporary cultural issues, the chapters also examine various distinctions and contradictions, in order to provide a strong basis for further thinking, writing, and research on the concept of the multiverse. Chapters in this collection tell the story of the multiverse in multiple realities: creative nonfiction, academic essay, screenplay, art, poetry, video, and audio essay. A compelling read for students, researchers, and scholars of media and cultural studies, film and media culture, popular culture, comics studies, game studies, literary studies, and beyond.
Action Cinema Since 2000
Author: Chris Holmlund
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1839022809
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
Action Cinema Since 2000 addresses an increasingly lively and evolving field of scholarship, probing the definition and testing the potential of action cinema to reframe the mode for the 21st century. Contributors examine a broad range of content, from blockbusters to smaller independent films, originating from China, Korea, India, France, the USA, and Mexico. Ranging from JSA: Joint Security Area (Gondonggeonygbi guyeok) (2000) to Polite Society (2023), they consider the changing modes of action cinema, with streaming assuming global importance and an ever-increasing number of generic blends. They consider under-explored areas of action film, particularly how race, ethnicity, gender, and age figure in narratives and through image and soundtracks. Overall, the book demonstrates how 21st century action cinema engages with and reflects geopolitical, creative, and industrial developments. Contributors argue that it continues to offer fantasies of empowerment and mobility that say much about how power is understood in diverse contexts today.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1839022809
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
Action Cinema Since 2000 addresses an increasingly lively and evolving field of scholarship, probing the definition and testing the potential of action cinema to reframe the mode for the 21st century. Contributors examine a broad range of content, from blockbusters to smaller independent films, originating from China, Korea, India, France, the USA, and Mexico. Ranging from JSA: Joint Security Area (Gondonggeonygbi guyeok) (2000) to Polite Society (2023), they consider the changing modes of action cinema, with streaming assuming global importance and an ever-increasing number of generic blends. They consider under-explored areas of action film, particularly how race, ethnicity, gender, and age figure in narratives and through image and soundtracks. Overall, the book demonstrates how 21st century action cinema engages with and reflects geopolitical, creative, and industrial developments. Contributors argue that it continues to offer fantasies of empowerment and mobility that say much about how power is understood in diverse contexts today.
Serial Killing on Screen
Author: Sarah E. Fanning
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031178122
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 391
Book Description
This book explores the representation of real-life serial murders as adapted for the screen and popular culture. Bringing together a selection of essays from international scholars, Serial Killing on Screen: Adaptation, True Crime and Popular Culture examines the ways in which the screen has become a crucial site through which the most troubling of real-life crimes are represented, (re)constructed and made accessible to the public. Situated at the nexus of film and screen studies, theatre studies, cultural studies, criminology and sociology, this interdisciplinary collection raises questions about, and implications for, thinking about the adaptation and representation of true crime in popular culture, and the ideologies at stake in such narratives. It discusses the ways in which the adaptation of real-life serial murder intersects with other markers of cultural identity (gender, race, class, disability), as well as aspects of criminology (offenders, victims, policing, and profiling) and psychology (psychopathy, sociopathy, and paraphilia). This collection is unique in its combined focus on the adaptation of crimes committed by real-life criminal figures who have gained international notoriety for their plural offences, including, for example, Ted Bundy, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, Aileen Wuornos, Jack the Ripper, and the Zodiac, and for situating the tales of these crimes and their victims’ stories within the field of adaptation studies.
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031178122
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 391
Book Description
This book explores the representation of real-life serial murders as adapted for the screen and popular culture. Bringing together a selection of essays from international scholars, Serial Killing on Screen: Adaptation, True Crime and Popular Culture examines the ways in which the screen has become a crucial site through which the most troubling of real-life crimes are represented, (re)constructed and made accessible to the public. Situated at the nexus of film and screen studies, theatre studies, cultural studies, criminology and sociology, this interdisciplinary collection raises questions about, and implications for, thinking about the adaptation and representation of true crime in popular culture, and the ideologies at stake in such narratives. It discusses the ways in which the adaptation of real-life serial murder intersects with other markers of cultural identity (gender, race, class, disability), as well as aspects of criminology (offenders, victims, policing, and profiling) and psychology (psychopathy, sociopathy, and paraphilia). This collection is unique in its combined focus on the adaptation of crimes committed by real-life criminal figures who have gained international notoriety for their plural offences, including, for example, Ted Bundy, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, Aileen Wuornos, Jack the Ripper, and the Zodiac, and for situating the tales of these crimes and their victims’ stories within the field of adaptation studies.
Ew, David, and Other Schitty Quotes
Author: Orange Hippo
Publisher: Little Book Of
ISBN: 9781800690691
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
Ew, David! Schitt's Creek and the Rose family have entered the hearts and homes of viewers all over the world. The heartwarming sitcom follows the newly destitute magnate Johnny Rose, his wife, eccentric soap opera actress Moira, and their two adult children, the pretentious David and jet-setting socialite Alexis, as they set up in Schitt's Creek, a town they once bought as a joke. Now for the first time, the wisecracks, melodrama, relationship advice and gratuitous celebrity name-drops have all been gathered in one place. Ew, David! And other Schitty Quotes contains over 150 of the finest quotes from the most infamous riches-to-rags story a small town has ever seen. From side-splitting bickering between David and Alexis and Roland Schitt's political wisdom to Johnny Rose's solid business advice and of course, Moira's many regaling turns of phrase. Whether you need a pick-me-up or a well-timed put-down, let the eclectic cast of Schitt's Creek guide you on your way. Love that journey for us. "I'm trying very hard not to connect with people right now." David Rose on his emotional state. "David, stop acting like a disgruntled pelican" Moira asked David to be polite in her unique manner.
Publisher: Little Book Of
ISBN: 9781800690691
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
Ew, David! Schitt's Creek and the Rose family have entered the hearts and homes of viewers all over the world. The heartwarming sitcom follows the newly destitute magnate Johnny Rose, his wife, eccentric soap opera actress Moira, and their two adult children, the pretentious David and jet-setting socialite Alexis, as they set up in Schitt's Creek, a town they once bought as a joke. Now for the first time, the wisecracks, melodrama, relationship advice and gratuitous celebrity name-drops have all been gathered in one place. Ew, David! And other Schitty Quotes contains over 150 of the finest quotes from the most infamous riches-to-rags story a small town has ever seen. From side-splitting bickering between David and Alexis and Roland Schitt's political wisdom to Johnny Rose's solid business advice and of course, Moira's many regaling turns of phrase. Whether you need a pick-me-up or a well-timed put-down, let the eclectic cast of Schitt's Creek guide you on your way. Love that journey for us. "I'm trying very hard not to connect with people right now." David Rose on his emotional state. "David, stop acting like a disgruntled pelican" Moira asked David to be polite in her unique manner.
Gladiators in Suits
Author: Simone Adams
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815654685
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 422
Book Description
One of the most popular shows to come out of Shondaland, Shonda Rhimes’s production company, is ABC’s political drama Scandal (2012–18)—a series whose tremendous success and marketing savvy led LA Times critic Mary McNamara to hail it as “the show that Twitter built” and Time magazine to name its protagonist as one of the most influential fictional characters of 2013. The series portrays a fictional Washington, DC, and features a diverse group of characters, racially and otherwise, who gather around the show’s antiheroine, Olivia Pope, a powerful crisis manager who happens to have an extramarital affair with the president of the United States. For seven seasons, audiences learned a great deal about Olivia and those interwoven in her complex world of politics and drama, including her team of “gladiators in suits,” with whom she manages the crises of Washington’s political elite. This volume, named for both Olivia’s team and the show’s fans, analyzes the communication, politics, stereotypes, and genre techniques featured in the television series while raising key questions about the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and viewing audiences. The essays range from critical looks at various members of Scandal’s ensemble, to in-depth analyses of the show’s central themes, to audience reception studies via interviews and social media analysis. Additionally, the volume contributes to research on femininity, masculinity, and representations of black womanhood on television. Ultimately, this collection offers original and timely perspectives on what was one of America’s most “scandalous” prime-time network television series.
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815654685
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 422
Book Description
One of the most popular shows to come out of Shondaland, Shonda Rhimes’s production company, is ABC’s political drama Scandal (2012–18)—a series whose tremendous success and marketing savvy led LA Times critic Mary McNamara to hail it as “the show that Twitter built” and Time magazine to name its protagonist as one of the most influential fictional characters of 2013. The series portrays a fictional Washington, DC, and features a diverse group of characters, racially and otherwise, who gather around the show’s antiheroine, Olivia Pope, a powerful crisis manager who happens to have an extramarital affair with the president of the United States. For seven seasons, audiences learned a great deal about Olivia and those interwoven in her complex world of politics and drama, including her team of “gladiators in suits,” with whom she manages the crises of Washington’s political elite. This volume, named for both Olivia’s team and the show’s fans, analyzes the communication, politics, stereotypes, and genre techniques featured in the television series while raising key questions about the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and viewing audiences. The essays range from critical looks at various members of Scandal’s ensemble, to in-depth analyses of the show’s central themes, to audience reception studies via interviews and social media analysis. Additionally, the volume contributes to research on femininity, masculinity, and representations of black womanhood on television. Ultimately, this collection offers original and timely perspectives on what was one of America’s most “scandalous” prime-time network television series.
Screwball Television
Author: David Scott Diffrient
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815650698
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
Bringing together seventeen original essays by scholars from around the world, Screwball Television offers a variety of international perspectives on Gilmore Girls. Adored by fans and celebrated by critics for its sophisticated wordplay and compelling portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship, this contemporary American TV program finally gets its due as a cultural production unlike any other, one that is beholden to Hollywood’s screwball comedies of the 1930s, steeped in intertextual references, and framed as a "kinder, gentler kind of cult television series" in this tightly focused yet wide-ranging collection. This volume makes a significant contribution to television studies, genre studies, and women’s studies. Screwball Television seeks to bring Gilmore Girls more fully into academic discourse not only as a topic worthy of critical scrutiny but also as an infinitely rewarding text capable of stimulating the imagination of students beyond the classroom.
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815650698
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
Bringing together seventeen original essays by scholars from around the world, Screwball Television offers a variety of international perspectives on Gilmore Girls. Adored by fans and celebrated by critics for its sophisticated wordplay and compelling portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship, this contemporary American TV program finally gets its due as a cultural production unlike any other, one that is beholden to Hollywood’s screwball comedies of the 1930s, steeped in intertextual references, and framed as a "kinder, gentler kind of cult television series" in this tightly focused yet wide-ranging collection. This volume makes a significant contribution to television studies, genre studies, and women’s studies. Screwball Television seeks to bring Gilmore Girls more fully into academic discourse not only as a topic worthy of critical scrutiny but also as an infinitely rewarding text capable of stimulating the imagination of students beyond the classroom.
You Can't Air That
Author: David S. Silverman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
Beginning with The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from the sixties, the author analyzes the split between the comic team and CBS over remarks they made on the Vietnam War and religion. He also examines The Richard Pryor Show of the seventies, which raised strong questions about network meddling over racial issues. Among recent personalities he discusses activist Michael Moore, whose frank political views wreaked havoc for NBC and Fox in the mid-nineties, and Bill Maher whose candid thoughts on 9/11 led ABC to terminate Politically Incorrect.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
Beginning with The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from the sixties, the author analyzes the split between the comic team and CBS over remarks they made on the Vietnam War and religion. He also examines The Richard Pryor Show of the seventies, which raised strong questions about network meddling over racial issues. Among recent personalities he discusses activist Michael Moore, whose frank political views wreaked havoc for NBC and Fox in the mid-nineties, and Bill Maher whose candid thoughts on 9/11 led ABC to terminate Politically Incorrect.
Perspectives on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Author: Amanda Konkle
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815655185
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 324
Book Description
With an off-putting title and a decidedly retrograde premise, the CW dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a surprising choice for critical analysis. But, loyal viewers quickly came to appreciate the show’s sharp cultural critique through masterful parody, and this strategy has made it a critical darling and earned it several awards throughout its run. In ways not often seen on traditional network television, the show transcends conventional genre boundaries—the Hollywood musical, the romantic comedy, the music video—while resisting stereotypes associated with contemporary life. The essays in this collection underscore the show’s ability to distinguish itself within the current television market. Focusing on themes of feminism, gender identity, and mental health, contributors explore the ways in which the show challenged viewer expectations, as well as the role television critics play in identifying a show’s “authenticity” or quality.
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815655185
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 324
Book Description
With an off-putting title and a decidedly retrograde premise, the CW dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a surprising choice for critical analysis. But, loyal viewers quickly came to appreciate the show’s sharp cultural critique through masterful parody, and this strategy has made it a critical darling and earned it several awards throughout its run. In ways not often seen on traditional network television, the show transcends conventional genre boundaries—the Hollywood musical, the romantic comedy, the music video—while resisting stereotypes associated with contemporary life. The essays in this collection underscore the show’s ability to distinguish itself within the current television market. Focusing on themes of feminism, gender identity, and mental health, contributors explore the ways in which the show challenged viewer expectations, as well as the role television critics play in identifying a show’s “authenticity” or quality.
Omnibus Films
Author: David Scott Diffrient
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 0748695672
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 264
Book Description
As the first book-length exploration of internationally distributed, multi-director episode films, Omnibus Films fills a considerable gap in the history of world cinema and aims to expand contemporary understandings of authorship, genre, narra
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 0748695672
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 264
Book Description
As the first book-length exploration of internationally distributed, multi-director episode films, Omnibus Films fills a considerable gap in the history of world cinema and aims to expand contemporary understandings of authorship, genre, narra