MS10 Midterm
Critiques of the frankfurt school
-elitist defense of high culture -greater media choice today -doesnt account for innovation, failure, subcultures, other interpretations)
cultural studies and quality
-embarrassment occurs wen social norms/taste hierarchies are disrupted -overcoming embarrassment can challenge and change culture -quality: who has the power to decide? whose tastes are being marginalized
narrative complexity and context for experimentation 'the operational aesthetic' (mittell)
-narrative complexity: a form of TV storytelling with its own formal attributes→both cumulative: a combination of episodic closure and serial accumulation and unconventional: new and intriguing storytelling and narratives -context for experimentation=improved cultural clout→viability of smaller audiences as dedicated 'royals'→new technology enable 'rewatchability' -'the operational aesthetic'→audiences enjoy trying to allow how the plot works. long arcs and refusal of closure - GoT operational aesthetic-gossipgirl hints and clues as to who she is
criticisms of popular culture
-validates dominant and commercial interests -tends to romanticize audience resistance -audience can be active but that does not mean they are powerful
two hybrid production logics
1. combo of forms (ex newspapers=commodities and ad supported) 2. economics of scope (ex selling a product across multiple revenue windows and logics)
eight advertising persuasive strategies
1. famous person testimonial; employs widely admired person to endorse 2. plain-folks pitch; product fits into the lives of everyday people 3. snob appeal; product will elevate your social status 4. association principle; associate people with positive image or value 5. bandwagon effect; claims you are being left behind and that it is a popular item 6. hidden fear appeal; plays on anxiety or insecurity ex nose blindness 7. irritation advertising; produce name recognition by getting in your head 8. shock advertising; edgy appeal cuts thru the clutter ex anti-texting ads
why study media?
1. media is a source of identity, community, connection 2. saturates our everyday lives and rhythms (provides pleasure for leisure time, consumed as a form of social currency, connection to others, form of surveillance, means of attempting to make sense of the world 3. media evolves over time (important to study the effects of these changes) 4. media serves as a commercial function 5. influences an circulates ideas, information, and culture 6. prompt us to compare ourselves to media representations
four media production logistics
1. turnstile media=sell access to content (ex concert) 2. ad-supported media=free to consumer, advertisers pay cost of media in exchange for access to consumers 3. microtransitions=lots of little payments (often manifests as free to use and optional premium options) 4. commodities=paid in full by consumers, one time sales, price covers all costs
technological determinism (TD) vs Social construction of technology (SCOT)
TD=machines shape society, tech is central in transforming society SCOT=social construct of technology , people believe it is people who have the power, while determinists believe hat tech has the power, scot believes tech is the result of social factors
smart mobs
a sum of people using mobile devices to coordinate or collectively act as ad hoc networks i.e. flashmob
media literacy
all media are texts that can be read for meaning -no matter how passive we appear we are always active because we are being confronted and consuming the media -media texts are representations that help construct our realities C&C critics say goal of media is to literally and figuratively elevate the user from liking low brow/trash media (reality tv magazines) to high appreciating brow media (art films and museum ballets) -but who makes the distinction between 'good' and 'bad'? -and whose tastes get marginalized in trying to protect people from 'bad' media
anthology, episodic, serial
anthology; self contained, closure brings new/final status quo→opens with SQ, then challenged, by the end new SQ developed episodic; circular closure, return to original SQ, skip and mix episodes serial series; continual change of status quo, characters develop, nothing set in stone, accumulation of detail and history
examples of anthology, episode, and serial
anthology=black mirror episodic=modern family serial series=orange is the new black
beat, episode, arc
beat=aka scene, smallest mode of narrative (1-2 mins) ex dramatic dexter video episode= most family mode of storytelling→structured by cumulation or theme ex sex and the city arc= exist because storytellers want to express an overall message ex chuck bass in gossip girl
spatial convergence and its two forms
blurring boundaries of public and private/virtual and physical spaces 1. privatized mobility=bring your home with you 2. ambient awareness=use communications tech's ubiquitous connectivity to maintain a sense of connection (i.e. FaceTime dates)
relevant fantasy (Fiske)
capable of challenging repressive norms signify; star texts can provide an empowering relevant fantasy capable of challenging repressive norms example; madonna's sexualize performance of femininity
economics of celebrity
celebrity is an industrial function- working with known commodity increases success signify; celebs want to increase their audience appeal by increasing their visibility media companies want to promote that the film company purchases because increases likelihood their movie is a success and makes money
characters, narrators, audiences
characters are assigned traits that impact the story, protagonists drive the story narrators=can be a specific individual, a story must maintain attention, keep audience engaged→crafted to add suspense without obstacles or complications imagined audience= intended audience of consumers actual audience=including interlopers not part of the imaginary audience significance; key components to stories and storytellings example; audience= elmo and ricky geravais; intended audience for toddlers but actual audience toddlers and parents too narratives= honey badger video w funny narration characters= jennifer lawrence in the hunger games, audience to identify with he because she is a badass
genre
content sharing the same conventions and codes; used to describe any media text with a storyline and characters-is a label that the industry and audience uses in determining interests example drama comedy etc
genre conventions vs codes
conventions=specific narrative elements of the story→includes setting character type, narrative structure, etc codes=modes of production external to the narrative→includes length, scheduling, visual style, audio style C&C genre convention is why happens within the storyline while codes is the work outside
planned obsolescence
designing a product w a limited useful lifespan requiring customers to buy a new version pro-create incentives to innovate and improve con-added expense, frustration, waste
mass media industrialization
ex eminem video of him asserting that the media is trying to define hime -standardization=assembly line production -pseudo-individualization=same product hidden by a veneer of difference (ex coke v pepsi) -social cement='psychic adjustment' to the needs of capitalism (makes us emotionally obedient)
incorporation vs excorporation (fiske) popular culture and immediacy
excorporation=pop culture scans mass culture for resources it can appropriate incorportation=mass culture scans pop culture for tastes/interests it can commodify significant; pop culture, even sharknado, represents immediate values and concerns so it should be examined
criticisms of encoding and decoding
few perfectly dominated or opposiiotnal decodings→most people fall under the negotiated category because they agree with some things and disagree with others signify; multiple motivations behind productions/encoding→hall aims for one producer but in reality there are many media makers behind the scenes with different intentions
critique of dystopian view
generalizing (is it all bad) and romanticizes the good old days of media and elitist (who gets to decide what is good and bad)
critique utopian view
generalizing (is it all good) and employs the 'myth of progress' and ignores production hierarchies
genre as cultural category (Mittell)
genre=interrelations between texts and industries and audiences signify=our understandings of genre change with how they are interpreted→thus because discourses change, genre categorizations change example; a genre is drama. nowadays there are different dramas like soaps (jane the virgin) and prestige dramas (the crown). soaps and prestige dramas are different dramas because the audience treats them differently
industrial utility of genre
goal; manage consumer interest/expectations through promotion signify; attempt to make success more predictable, reduces the risk of the new by offering the familiar, organizes production, production trend
Hegemony & counter-hegemony
hegemony= the process of maintaining power thru the struggle of seeking ideological consensus and making your ideology the dominant ideology counter-hegemony=dominant ideologies must be constantly reaffirmed thru the media (ex counterhegemonic=same sex marriage) -hegemony is an ongoing process that must be continually maintained with agreement not force
pop culture analysis
how people use and interpret media concerned with meaning at consumption, not prior intentions the meaning making process turns mass culture into pop culture signify; people do not take what they are given or the meaning encoders wanted them to take
ideology and dominant ideology
ideology; values and beliefs that people use to make sense of the world-appear naturally and common sense to those who hold them dominant ideology; elites have the power to shape ideology thru institutional control-that power in society is unequally distributed and maintained thru powerful's ability to shape ideology thru leadership positions - act as gatekeepers to media SIGNIFICANCE: -reinforces the power of few elites -shared by the majority -the message of the american dream serves the dominant ideology so it can perpetuate social inequality and denial of priviledge -example those who are in control can say 'i was just like you but now look at me' not because of gender or sexuality but because of hardwork
critique mirror view
ignores selective process of production and possibility audiences might disagree with intended message
celebrity
is famous for being famous signify; a celebrity is a person who attracts attention to such a degree that their life and personality are of public interest→arosuse industry fascination to such a degree that we try to discover their private lives c&c a star is famous for personal greatness or achievement example; the kardashians
mobile kits
josh's wallet an phone as examples, managing ou presence in public spaces
material function vs cultural function (fiske) popular culture as a process
material function: role in the circulation of wealth cultural function: role in the circulation of meaning BUT; there is a difference between the power of the cultural industry and the power of its impact -culture is also a site for play, contestation, and discussion -call me maybe as a function to sell records -once it is produced became a meme
cultural studies and methods
media change society AND society changes media -not just the study of texts but contexts too -industry and culture and everyday life are interrelated methods -textual analysis=close reading -audience studies=an analysis that focuses on how audiences interpret the media -political economy=examines the relationship between media, power, and politics;focuses on media conglomeration and economics
dystopian view
medium/genre is bad or was good but it is getting worse -passive and addictive -consumerist; the goal of the media is not to educate but to get you to buy product -exploitative; playing to your worst impulses -media is directly harmful to individuals and society s the sum of individuals example; toddlers and tiaras is trying to encourage young girls to fit certain beauty norms and perpetuates objectification of women
utopian view
medium/genre is good or was bad but its getting better -there is something for everyone -you can choose to turn it off -it can affect positive change -example- this is us the idea that you cant choose your family but you can choose who you are surrounded by
mirror view
medium/genre reflects reality of reflects the interests of the audience -media mirror major social change; media may be violent or circulate ideas that are antisocial or progressive or telling of the times -argue that it represents a critique example; hunger games shoes human interest in violence or in changing status quo
genre mutation and reconimants
mutation=genres mutate to add difference when risk of boring audience recombinant=combines elements of 2+ genres signify; provide predictability but also surprise, shows how generic elements can be used, subverted, and combined
values of encoding/decoding
our experiences and beliefs color our decodings signify; all messages cantina more than one potential read, open for many interpretations access to codes depends on cultural literacies and knowledge aka codebooks
Hall's encoding/decoding model
production (message is produced)→circulation (message is distributed)→reproduction feedback (message is accepted and reproduced)→ongoing cycle back to production signify;meaning is shaped in multiple stages, each stage generates meaning and impacts the others -texts are ENCODED at the level of production -texts are DECODED at the level of consumption example; kendall jenner pepsi commercial
Footprinting
public place that tries to create relationship with the user
constructing "realism"
realism is an affect produced by codes and conventions→narrative of story built from loads of info, handheld camera/loose compositions, verbal spontaneity, narrative spontaneity significance; no unbiased, objective representations of reality
hyperreality
reality tv is manipulated to be exciting but also retain the appearance of reality (feeling too fake will turn people away but too much reality will be boring) hyperreal=constructed to suit audience expectations of 'real' (not all real not all fake) significance: 'more real than real' (constructed to feel fake)
four ways of constructing reality TV (Kraszewski)
selecting participants, overarching and mini narrative structures, location, and editing
cocooning
shelter from engagement or for killing time-headphones on the bus
celebrity as audience driven
stars ar the product of audience fascination signify; identificatory fantasies= desire star's character's life identificatory practices=consume star's/character's products scholars argue that our fascination is important to analyze because it has to say something about society
star text and its four components
sum of everything we affiliate them with 1. body of work 2. promotion (authorized and calculated image construction i.e. ads talkshow and social media press 3. publicity (generated by the res and other media outlets outside of their direct control) 4. audience practices (discussion, fan art, etc)
camping
temporary workspaces in public, setting up computer in coffee shop
texts as polysemic
texts are polysemic and are not fixed in meaning-understood in different ways significance; so variable interpretations mean that texts are a site of struggle-people with different ideologies argue over meaning of media texts -and different interests compete to promote different ideologies example; one persons romantic is another's cheesy
intertextual vs extratextual
we understand and interpret celebs: intertextually-from the sum of their media products (some actor play same role in all media like the rock) extra textually-via twitter of gossip media deduce they are same in media and out of it (example robert downey jr same on and off screen) signify; because celebs are tis to public interest we can analyze them for meaning a celebrity is always more than just a single role of performance