Week 10 - Sarah Hosking

What signifiers of reality have emerged from the documentary genre?

Major plot structures include 'Self-reflexivity' and 'Interactivity' which drawn from Documentary television has contributed to the Reality Television we are constantly subjected too (Ouellette and Murray, 2004). "The self-contained stories in programmes such as 'Police Camera Action!' attract occasional viewers who dip in and out of the series" The differences in length and format between Documentary and Reality Tv differ greatly, and I think this adds too reality tv's attraction. In the 'fast paced' world we've come to accept we now have an even smaller time to zone out infront of our tv.

Reality tv has a quick weekly narrative. Shows like Survivor where theres a set plan of whats to happen (with perhaps an added twist) which enables the viewer to know what to expect. Documentary tv is often thought of as slow or boring and often are movie length and involve a drawn out narrative eventually arriving at a ending point. Reality tv however has as stated above drawn many of plot and narrative structures from documentary television.

Reality tv shows like "Deadliest Catch" could in some terms be thought of as documentary television as it 'documents' the lives of one of the most 'deadliest' jobs in the world. The show is classed as "Documentary/Reality" and has no real direct narrative (by means of a voice over, etc) instead the 'real' people on the show document their own journey fishing on the Bering Sea. I think merging these two genres or having one create the other (like in this case) is a brilliant idea. Fishing shows are often boring and only a fishing enthusiast would really enjoy it. But by making it less educational and with no direct narrative it instead allows the viewer to 'see for themselves'(Hill.A 2005) and gain their own insight into this particular fishing method.

REFERENCES
(Ouellette and Murray, 2004). Reality Television two (2011) Aut University.pdf
Hill, A. (2005) The Reality Genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp.44-40). Oxon: Routledge.

Week 8- Anita Ibell

How does Dick's essay (1999; 1964) illuminate his use of Nazism as a motif in High Castle?

The Man in the High Castle's narrative is heavily focussed on the fascism that the Nazis employ to run the world of the text- including their anti-semantic views. According to Dick, (1999; 1964) Nazism is truly the focus of the novel, and serves to show how we are still very much fascinated and disgusted by the Nazis. In his essay he states that “Phobia is phobia. It springs, as Freud and Jung and H.S Sullivan showed, from the depths of the self unknown to the self.” I think from this that it could possibly be taken to mean that Nazism has been used as a motif for fear. Fear is then shown as a pre-cursor to unhappiness which ultimately leads to limited progress as a race, and an individual because fear is a way in which the self is repressed from bigger, universal ideas. I thought some of the characters in the text to be quite racist, especially Robert Childan who seems to admire the Nazis and at one point says; "We live in a society of law and order, where Jews can’t pull their subtleties on the innocent. We’re protected". By fitting accepting the regime, he is protected from his fears but is unlikely to find redemption from something he knows is wrong, he won't be finding any higher reality or truth for that matter.... The I Ching presents an alternative to fear, as it provides a device that characters can take advantage of to provide direction to their lives, redeem themselves and escape, - like Juliana Frink does at the climax of the story. Although, this is still not quite freedom, but rather it is another way in which the characters are to be governed.

By using Nazism as a motif in The Man in the High Castle I think Dick invited readers to put some thought into the idea of reality and conscioussness by pushing fear in our face as a question of what reality in association with the self. Hannah Arendt once argued that 'providing a comforting, single answer to the mysteries of the past, present, and future was the main source of the mass appeal of totalitarian regimes.' (Villa, 2000) but as Dick is maybe trying to highlight; this isn't necessarily a way to solve life's problems. The characters in the novel are struggling inside the sensible world of the text and they have an option to change, if they become aware of it. As mr. Tagomi said, “We can only control the end by making a choice at each step.”

References:

Dick, P.K. (1995), Nazism and the High Castle. In Sutin, L. (Ed.), The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick (pp.112-117). New York: Vintage.

Villa, D.R. (2000), The Cambridge Companion to Hannah Arendt. (pp.2-3). Cambridge University Press.

Week 7- Anita Ibell

What does Brown (2001) Identify as the central themes and concerns of The Man in the High Castle?

“Truth, she thought. As terrible as death. But harder to find.”- Juliana Frink (Dick, 2001:1962)

According to Brown (2001), Philip K. Dick was obsessed throughout his literary career by the notion of the universe only being apparently real and the idea that an illusion might perhaps be dwelling behind the truth, biding time before it is to be exposed. He used sci-fi as a genre to explore metaphysics, the nature of perceived reality, good and evil and the abuse of power (pp.vii.) Dick explored these themes through characters that he had drawn from real life, as a way to show the affect such big themes can have on the individual. The individuals in The Man in the High Castle in my opinion, are effective expressions of the key themes because of their weaknesses. I think that maybe I see the characters as victims because of the awareness I had that they were unsuspecting pawns in a philosophical discussion of reality., therefore they were weak... If that makes sense?

The theme that swam around my head the most after reading this was the notion of perceived reality. There are indicators throughout the novel that ask us to think about what is truly real.Dick has presented us with an speculative work of an alternative history, in which Nazis and Japanese have turned the world into a totalitarian state and begs us to ask the question - what if the Allies didn't win the war? He has done the same for the characters in the novel, by putting a novel within a novel. The Grasshopper lies Heavy gives the characters speculation over what may have happened if, instead of the germans and Japanese, the Allies had won the war. There are other events and objects in the novel that explore this theme too. At one point, Robert Childan reaches an understanding that his 'genuine american artifacts' are indeed, fake. At a climatic point of the novel, Juliana Frink is told by the I Ching that her whole world might be based on a lie- that the Japanese and the Germans did, in fact, lose the war.. this is a hopeful message as she has become obsessed with the idealistic view that The Grasshopper Lies Heavy has presented her. (Brown, 2001) What we perceive as real can be changed so easily. The I Ching is another device used to show this. Again, Dick used it to determine the way that the text moved, but also inside the text to help the characters move forward. If the I Ching were to disseminate different messages than the ones used, how would the text be different? We don't know. Nor would we know any different if it had.

Personally, I found this novel pretty mind bending.

References:

Brown, E. (2001). Introduction. In Dick, P.K., The Man in the High Castle (p. v-xii). London: Penguin.

Dick, P.K. (2001: 1962) The Man in the High Castle. London: Penguin.

WEEK 9- Anita Ibell

Hills (2004) lists a number of defining characteristics of Cult TV that contain similarities to the defining characteristics of popular genres (e.g fantasy, science fiction) discussed earlier in the Popular Genres paper. Can you identify these and discuss why you think that these characteristics are repeatedly viewed as underpinning popular genres?

One of the ways in which Hill (2004) defines Cult TV is as depending on texts. According to this definition, it could be argued that Cult TV programmes are characterised by a number of shared textual attributes- although some of these shared qualities may exist on quite an abstract level if the comparisons stretch over a wide net of Cult TV programs.

Many of these shows constructs immensely detailed, often fantastic and expansive narrative worlds that transcend our viewing experience. Because of this convention, it is then possible for narrative rules to be broken and for questions to be left open throughout the storyline. Hill also reckons that because of these fantastic narratives being developed over a lengthy period of time, the fantastic often takes on 'a quality of everydayness by virtue of its repetition, familiarity and narrative iteration.' and this is one of the reasons it is so popular with audiences. (Hill, 2004. p511.)

I think that the ideas presented by Hill when analysing Cult TV can be applied to all of the primary texts that we have studied throughout this Popular Genres paper. Some of the ways in which popular genres such as fantasand sci-fi deviate from other genres of fiction is how they present an alternative view of reality. exist in fantasy worlds, or have fantastical creatures or conventions, which removes them from traditional realism. Going as far back to the graphic novel focus of Weeks 1 & 2 Herge's Tin Tin also utilises these characteristics- the charater of Tin Tin goes on these big adventures through exotic (though not other-worldly) places, landing himself in situations that would appeal unrealistic to the people reading the text.

'Popular genres are often relatively new or recent, being the products of technological development, especially in terms of the evolution of new media...' (Taken from Week 1 Lecture) Cult tv is activated as anti-mainstream, where it's role is partially to re-value otherwise devalued popular texts through a new structure, new technology.
so shows like Buffy can play on the conventions of sci-fi that was explored first in books such as Man in the High Castle by using newer media (TV) that's relative to a new audience.

Buffy and the Scooby gang are brought together through their involvment with the demon underworld. It's something they can't share with their classmates and the community around them and helps to the characters to form a close friendship. I think that it also helps to connect us with the narrative too because as the viewer, we know something that some of the other characters don't even know, in the same way that when we read a fantasy novel, a comic or a work of science fiction we are transported to another world and remain in that world for the duration of the text. I think the idea of these texts as a form of escapism is also relevant and maybe this is one of the reasons these characteristics continue to be shared as underpinning themes in popular genres of fiction.

Another idea I found interesting when looking over our introductory lecture from week 1, is the way in which fantasy characters are often represented as Jungian archetypes, rather than normal, everyday people. I think as well as being applied to characters like Ged from A Wizard of Earthsea the hero label could be applied to characters in cult TV. Buffy, for example, possesses powers and supernatural abilities and goes through a journey in the way that none of her normal teenage friends do. Despite not being a normal teenager however, she battles moral dilemmas and faces challenges that we can still relate to, such as the way her relationship with Riley is challenged in 'Goodbye Iowa'- even though it is because of murder, demons and other surreal reasons. This idea goes well with one of the definitions of fantasy as discussed in a previous post; "One of the most important elements that fantasy can aim to give is comprehensible form to life, death, good and evil" - through storylines that can clarify philisophical and moral conflicts while not being directly applicable to our own lives." (Attebery. 1980.)

Attebery, B. (1980). The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1-10.

Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.

Week 10- Anita Ibell

In what way was Buffy influenced by the romantic gothic Tradition? Yet how does Buffy deviate from this tradition?

“It is one thing to make an idea clear and another to make it effective to the imagination and it is the imagination that all art must address: the imagination, not reason. Through imagination, art must reach the passions...”

Edmund Burke.

When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, she used her imagination to explore complex philosophical and moral questions in the tradition of Romanticism, during the age of traditional upheavals (Rose. 2002). By directly comparing Shelley's 'Frankenstein' to the episodes of Buffy that include the monstrous Adam it can be seen that Buffy has 'adopted and adapted' many of the conventions used by Shelley in this tradition (Rose. 2002); such as using dramatic symbolism to contrast the natural with the supernatural in order to explore real psychological concerns and a penchant for the gothic aesthetic, all monsters and demons and darkness, used- perhaps, to scare us into thinking about these things.

Both Frankenstein's monster and the demons that come out of the Hellmouth represent something strongly felt, socially relevant and destructive- yet unseen. In Frankenstein, the monster is a symbolic representative that infiltrates a realistic world of normal people. He is given part of the book in first person narrative to further elaborate his purpose. After killing the little boy, the monster says: “I too can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him.”(Shelley) If the monster is a symbol of the collective fears surrounding 'industrialization and science and their effects on morality and humanity' (Rose. 2002.pp.135.), then this message is not a hopeful one. It causes reader concern for his creator, the romantic hero who struggles inside his own head against the opposing forces he faces in his psyche. He is also the only one who knows of the beast and has any chance of stopping him and thus his journey is a lonely one full of despair and hard lessons- as the romantic hero's often was. (Rose, 2002. pp.135)

In comparison, Buffy and the Scooby gang fight a league of demons and vampires that inhabit the world of unknowing citizens and they too, are among the only people aware of this underground threat. Buffy is the re-imagined feminine hero without most of the inner torment and conflict of M. Frankenstein, because she has the power of the team to back her up and create strength. Adam is strikingly similar to Frankenstein's nameless monster as he is the product of Maggie's scientific greed. However Adam has more knowledge & power than Frankenstein's monster ever did. He doesn't need his mother creator though, only the information she has left him with. This, I think is a comment on how technology and science has advanced past Shelley's imaginings. There are similarities obviously within the theme that's explored through having the monsters so similarly created, however Buffy deviates from the romantic gothic tradition by blurring gender roles (Rose, 2002.) and amalgamating individual strengths to triumph over evil and illustrate how important social cohesiveness is in the face of chaos.

References:

Rose, A (2002) Of Creatures and Creators: Buffy does Frankenstein, in: R. Wilcox and D. Lavery (eds) Fighting the Forces, what's at stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.

Shelley, M. (1831?) Frankenstein

WEEK 12-ASHLEIGH

WHY IS REALITY TELEVISION SO POPULAR FOR BOTH PROGRAMME MAKERS AND TV VIEWERS?

Reality programmes belong to a diverse genre that constantly “draw[s] from existing television genres and formats to create novel hybrid programmes” Hill, 2005, p.24. With such a large range of popular factual television available there is no wonder why the genre is so popular and the audience demographic is almost indefinable in its range.

Looking at the networks point of view, reality programme series cost “only half of what the networks pay for license fees for a 60 minute dramatic series.” Essentially this means that networks can afford to churn out many different reality series that target niche markets because of the low costs involved in making them (Dempsey in Hill, 2005, p.25). For example we get reality series like ‘Americas next top model’, ‘New Zealand's next top model,’ ‘Project Runway’, and so on. Although each show has their differences, the point is that all of these shows have a similar central idea, can ‘makeover’ themselves in the form of a new show, stay successful, and continue to bring in ratings for the networks.

The viewers appeal comes from reality programmes adoption of the free cinema approach to use ordinary people as the subjects. The contentests after all are only ordinary people thrown into a situation of conflict or stress. Viewers like the idea that they themselves could be a contestant or the ordinary person thrown into an extra-ordinary moment. According to Peter Bazalgette (in Hills, 2005, p.30) it is ‘the spectacle of the reveal’ and ‘watching other people in the raw’ that also contributes to the success of the genre. People like to watch the Cinderella transformation from being an average person to reaching their potential, and while in the back of their mind still knowing that it could be them next. And with the amount of reality programmes being scheduled, viewers have the opportunity to capture this 'feel-good' moment as many times as their heart desires. As a seasoned viewer of many reality programmes I think its safe to agree that I would love someone to follow my life and make a show about me.

Reference:

Hill, A. (2005) The rise of reality TV. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 15 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.

WEEK 11-ASHLEIGH

WHAT SIGNIFIERS OF REALITY HAVE EMERGED FROM THE DOCUMENTARY GENRE?

The ‘documentary’ industry has played a significant role on the influence of reality television. It has lent various techniques of the early documentaries like edgy, shaky camera work, fly-on-the-wall techniques and recognition of subjectivity to signify to the audience that the reality TV they are watching is ‘real’. The free cinema documentary valued subject matter of “popular culture, youth culture and the working class.” Also favouring hand-held cameras, real locations and a sometimes raw style” Biressi and Nunn (2005). These are all subject matter and styles that remain present in the hybrid genre of reality television. It is from free cinema as well as cinema verite and direct cinema documentary styling that we see reality television to have grown from and borrowed from. Audiences of reality television remain skeptical to the actuality of the genre and so they are more likely to trust the portrayal of reality by seeing these techniques. This is perhaps because audiences can recognise the signifiers of an accurate portrayal of people that has already been established as a notion of the ‘real’ by the documentary genre.

When comparing two reality television programmes ‘The hills’ and ‘Jersey Shore’ and the production techniques involved to signify the ‘real’ factor of the show I noticed major differences.

Programmes like Jersey shore I could easily call ‘real’, accurate constructs of reality. The show uses fly on the wall camera techniques borrowed from direct cinema to signify that the cameras are ‘peeking’ into these peoples’ everyday life. The show takes use of hand-held cameras producing the shaky camera work of free cinema. It shows the characters ‘raw’, or un-edited, furthermore contributing to signify the reality of capturing events as they unfold. There is recognition of subjectivity, much like cinema verite. In cinema verite it was believed that “by entering the frame the filmmaker avoided the pretence of objectivity, thus creating a more equal or truthful relationship with the subject.” Audiences tend to dislike ‘perfect’ camera work in reality TV as it takes away from the capturing of real moments. Therefore by occasionally seeing the camera man’s reflection in the shop window or the bodyguards steeping into the frame once a fight breaks out, Jersey Shore speaks to the audience by saying that it is not perfect but it is real.

I believe that the attractiveness of a show like Jersey is that it is reminiscent of British mid 50’s ‘Free Cinema’. It is a programme about eight everyday people living out a believable everyday situation. Perhaps one of these characters you can identify with or may remind you of someone you know.

It is possible to contrast this against another programme ‘The Hills’ which interestingly enough is produced by the same network MTV. The Hills is a show about a bunch of privileged 20-somethings. It is often critisised for being unbelievable maybe because they use people whose normal everyday life is so glamorous. Biressi and Nunn (2005) explain this idea when they describe:

“Realism becomes measured through the subject matter being reconstructed and that realism depends on notions of suffering, raw experience and personal struggle emblems of the real” p.36

It is then incomprehensible for the Joe-average to believe that these ‘ordinary’ people are living such extravagant lifestyles and there tends to be a bit of jealousy from viewers towards the subjects as well. It almost feels like these people come from such perfect worlds so how is it possible for anything to be wrong in their little bubbles? Other techniques used by this show include still camera shots, movie-quality lighting and movie-quality drama. This further portrays this idea that they live in such perfect worlds, they can not be suffering and showing raw emotions, therfore the petty drama that goes on is all an act. Going back to the signifiers of reality stemming from the documentary genre, The Hills does not follow the constructs of the genre. This all equally adds to viewer’s suspicions that the show is not real, as well as each character seeming fake and scripted.

REFERENCES:

Biressi, A. & Nunn, N. (2005). Real Lives, documentary approaches. In Reality TV: realism and revelation. (pp. 35-58) London: Wallflower.