Critical Visions February 1, 2005 ComS 169—Television Criticism Prof. Nick Burnett

What television criticism is not… It is not undisciplined, unrestrained fan appreciation It does not have to be negative; criticism can be appreciative or depreciative It is not mere description of the action or show It is not a mere gut reaction (glandular criticism) It is not history (without analysis)

Vande Berg et. al.’s Definition “Serious, careful television criticism provides informed, insightful explanations of particular television texts or groups of texts….Serious television criticism invites viewers (or readers) of television to undertake new evaluations of their television experiences--sometimes appreciative, sometimes depreciative--in light of systematic, substantive, stylistic criteria that it articulates for the reader.” (p. 12)

Functions of Television Socializing and educative function—TV as teacher Parasocial function—TV as a partial replacement for social relationships Social utility function—TV as fodder for conversations Surveillance function—TV as early warning Status conferral function—TV coverage as what matters Agenda setting function—TV doesn’t tell us what to think, it tell us what to think about

Basic Elements of the Critical Act Description Not merely re-telling, but focusing on essential elements Analysis Employ search models or critical methodologies—What does your analysis reveal about how this television text works?

Basic Elements of the Critical Act Interpretation Not about telling what a message means, but the implications of the choices made by the producers of the text/ad/program…. Specific attention should be given to the choices made by the writer, director, producer, or network

Basic Elements of the Critical Act Evaluation Were the choices made the best possible ones available? Ethical issues Judgments of efficacy Artistic issues Did the text/program/ad accomplish or advance its purpose?

What are critical methods? Critical methods are sets of technical vocabularies, analytical constructs, and normative assumptions that allow critics to organize their observations and communicate their insights effectively. Stoner and Perkins use the term “search model” Method as lens—microscopes and telescopes

Stuart Hall’s Theory of Reading/Encoding Television Who is this guy? Founder of British Cultural Studies of Mass Media Smart guy! Theory of Reading/Decoding TV texts A dominant or preferred reading A negotiated reading An oppositional reading Implications

Terms to know and use…. Diegsis—the world in front of the camera to which the characters in the story have access Extradiegetic features—elements of the TV text that the audience has access to but the characters do not…laugh tracks, some music

Some additional thoughts… Journalistic v. academic television criticism Formal prose Appropriate citations and references Audience Evaluating serious TV criticism Internal consistency Evidence Significance—cultural, critical, theoretical, or practical Reasonableness: “a critical analysis must provide at least one insightful interpretation arrived at by systematic reasoned analysis”