Television & American Culture – FMMC / AMST 0104
Spring 2014, Professor Jason Mittell
T/Th 9:30 – 10:45, Axinn 232
Screening: Tue 7:30 – 10:25, Axinn 232
208 Axinn Center 443-3435 jmittell@middlebury.edu
Office Hours: Wed 9:00 – 10:30, Thurs 11:00 – 12:00 or by appointment
Television might be the most powerful and important form of communication of the last 70 years, binding together the globe with shared knowledge and experiences, and molding our opinions and outlook on the world. This course explores American life in the last seven decades through an analysis of our central medium: television. Spanning a history of television from its origins in radio to its future in digital convergence, we will consider television's role in both reflecting and constituting American society through a variety of approaches. Our topical exploration will consider the economics of the television industry, television's role within American democracy, the formal attributes of a variety of television genres, television as a site of gender and racial identity formation, television’s role in everyday life, and the medium’s technological and social impacts. We will consider not only why TV is what it is today, but how it might be different. Through the exploration of critical perspectives on television, the course will prepare you for further studies in media criticism as well as enable you to be a more savvy and sophisticated consumer (and potentially producer) of television in your future endeavors.
This course contains a good deal of reading, providing in-depth analysis and critical approaches to television. We will watch a number of television programs and documentaries about television each week in required evening screenings. Assignments will test your comprehension of the course materials and concepts, and allow you to put your television analysis and creative skills into practice.
Learning Goals:
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Gain an understanding of how television both shapes and is shaped by American culture and society
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Develop the vocabulary and skills to analyze television's industrial, formal and technological facets
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Expand your horizons to better understand and appreciate a wide range of television programs from a variety of historical contexts
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Think across disciplines and methodologies to understand television as a multifaceted phenomenon
Required Texts & Readings:
Susan Douglas, The Rise of Enlightened Sexism (New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2010).
Jason Mittell, Television and American Culture (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010). PN1992.6 M58 2010
Ethan Thompson & Jason Mittell, editors, How to Watch Television (New York: New York University Press, 2013). PN1992.3.U5 H79 2013
Note: If the bookstore runs out of these titles, it is your responsibility to get access to copies for assigned readings. They are on reserve at the library and easily available at online bookstores. All other required readings are accessible through the course website.
Weekly screenings will be required for this course, taking place Tuesday at 7:30 pm; it is up to each student to make arrangements to screen the required materials at the Davis Library if they cannot attend screening.
Course Requirements:
All of the following requirements must be completed in order to pass this course – if you do not complete the group project, final essay and midterm exam, you will automatically fail the course:
20% Online Discussions
15% Group Pitch Project
25% Midterm Exam
30% Final Essay
10% Class Participation
Assignments:
Online Discussion:
Each week, students are expected to contribute to their online discussion group of 7-8 students. The topic of each week's discussion will build on readings and screenings, with some prompts from the professor, but with students free to address any issues that emerge from in-class material, readings, or other interesting news or insights about television. Every student is expected to contribute at least 500 words each week, including both their initial post and responses to others in their groups – productive ongoing dialogue and conversation is encouraged. Posts and responses for that week should be completed by Friday afternoon, with initial posts written by Wednesday night. Each week's contributions will be graded on a 4.0 scale via Moodle, and the 10 best weeks will be added to comprise this portion of your grade.
Group Pitch Project
Students will be assigned small groups to devise a pitch for a new television program that will be presented in class on April 29. Each individual student will write a short essay explaining how the pitch fits into the logic of program development and branding discussed throughout the class, which will be due by class on May 1. More details about the assignment will be forthcoming.
Midterm Exam
There will be an in-class midterm short answer/essay examination, testing your ability to understand and synthesize course material, not your ability to memorize facts. Students who do the readings, attend class meetings and screenings, and think about the material should do quite well on this exam. The exam will be in-class on March 20, and is available via Moodle. Students may consult notes, readings, and other online material, but cannot consult with other students or people during the exam.
Final Essay
The final paper in the class will be an analytic essay about a television program of your choosing, due on May 16. More details will be forthcoming.
Class Participation & Attendance:
You are expected to attend all class meetings on time, having done the readings, thought about the material, and prepared the necessary assignments. Attendance will be taken regularly. Students who miss a class should find out what they missed from their classmates and make-up the necessary material. Your class participation grade will be lowered one full mark (e.g. A– becomes B–) for each unexcused absence in excess of two. If you know that you will be absent from class, please contact Professor Mittell as soon as possible to make necessary arrangements and avoid penalties. The class participation component of your grade will reward students who actively participate in class or otherwise demonstrate their engagement with the material. Likewise, this grade will be used to downgrade students who are clearly disengaged with the class or fail to uphold their end of the course policies.
Grades:
You will be graded based on the following scale, using a 4.0 scale on all assignments:
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A (4.0) indicates truly excelling on assignments, demonstrating mastery of the material and significantly surpassing the expectations of the assignment.
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B (3.0) indicates above-average work, clearly achieving the course goals and completing all assignments in a strong fashion.
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C (2.0) indicates satisfactorily meeting the course requirements in an adequate fashion.
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D (1.0) indicates not achieving course goals and not adequately meeting expectations.
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F (0.0) indicates dramatically failing to meet course goals and course expectations.
Submitting Work:
Late assignments are highly discouraged, as they throw off schedules for both student and professor. If you must hand in any assignment later than the deadline, please contact the professor in advance as soon as the situation becomes apparent. If an assignment is not turned in on time without advance approval from Professor Mittell or a Dean’s excuse, it will be penalized by one mark (e.g. an A- becomes a B+) for each day of lateness. All papers should be submitted via Moodle as a .docx or .rtf file format document.
Cutting You Some Slack:
College is one of the few situations in life where the expectations are clearly laid out and the consequences for meeting or missing those expectations is transparent. The grading system and workload has been designed to be as fair and straightforward as possible, allowing students to choose how to prioritize the class versus other obligations or interests. However, there may be times that things become challenging and you want to ask for some leniency. One time per semester, students may request to be cut some slack, resulting in a more flexible attitude toward grading or other policies. Simply type on an assignment, or send an email describing the request, with the phrase “please cut me some slack” – Professor Mittell will adjust his expectations accordingly. Slack cannot be requested after a grade has been given, nor will it apply toward honor code violations.
Academic Dishonesty:
All work you submit must be your own and you may not inappropriately assist other students in their work beyond the confines of a particular assignment, in keeping with the Middlebury College Honor Code. All papers and exams must include the statement of the Honor Code along with the student’s name (as a digital signature) in order to be graded. There is a no-tolerance policy for academic misconduct in this course! The minimum penalty for academic misconduct will be a failing grade (F) for the course – further academic and disciplinary penalties may be assessed. The definitions of plagiarism and cheating used in this course are consistent with the material in the College Handbook, Chapter V.
Course Policies:
Any student with a disability or who otherwise needs accommodation or assistance should make arrangements with Professor Mittell as soon as possible. If you know that you will have conflicts due to athletics or other college activities, you must notify Professor Mittell in advance and arrange to make up missed work – athletic absences are not excused and it is the student’s responsibility to make all arrangements.
Email is Professor Mittell’s preferred mode of communication (besides face-to-face conversation!), generally checking regularly during the work week – if you email him asking for a response and do not receive one within one working day (M-F), assume that your email may not have been received. Office voicemails will typically be answered less promptly. Please do not call Professor Mittell at home.
Printing & Computer Use Policy:
Writing assignments for this course are submitted via the course website, with no printing required. Many readings are online – students are welcome to print or not print at their choosing, with the understanding that students should take notes on electronic readings either via digital annotation or separate notebook or word processing file. You should bring assigned readings to class each day, either via paper or on a laptop screen. Feel free to use laptops throughout all class meetings except during screenings, where the light from the screen can disrupt the viewing experience. If you are on your laptop, you are expected to engage with course materials, not free-range surfing the web, checking email, Facebook, etc. Students who do not demonstrate engaged presence in class, whether via digital distractions or otherwise, will be penalized in the course participation grade, or even asked to leave class in extreme instances.
Daily Schedule
Note - this schedule is subject to change, so double-check the online version.
February 11 – Studying TV?
SCREENING February 11:
Homicide: Life on the Street, “Subway” (1997) and
Anatomy of a Homicide (1997) – PN1992.77.H589 v6 2005D
Homeland, “Pilot” (2011) – PN1992.77 .H5877 v.1 2012B
February 13 – Introducing the Television Industry
READINGS: Mittell, Television & American Culture (TVAC), Introduction and Ch 1
Thompson & Mittell, How to Watch TV (HTWTV), Introduction
Haggins, “Homicide: Realism” in HTWTV
February 18 – Television Industry: Programming
READINGS: Petersen, “Entertainment Tonight: Tabloid News” in HTWTV
Banks, “I Love Lucy: The Writer-Producer” HTWTV
Johnson, “Monday Night Football:Brand Identity” HTWTV
Steinberg, “Why Mad Men Has So Little to do with Advertising”
SCREENING February 18:
I Love Lucy, “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (1952) – PN1992.77.I253 v1 2005D
30 Rock, “Jack-Tor” (2006) – PN1992.77.T55987 v.1 2007D
Friday Night Lights, “Pilot” (2007) – PN1992.77 .F75339 v.1 2007D
Homeland, “Grace” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
February 20 – Television Industry: Advertising
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 2
Sandler, “Modern Family: Product Placement” in HTWTV
Thompson, “Onion News Network: Flow” in HTWTV
Nussbaum, “What Tina Fey Would Do for a SoyJoy”
LECTURE: Neil Lerner, “Mario’s Dynamic Leaps: Musical Innovations and Backwards Glances in Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros.,” Feb. 24, 4:30 pm in Axinn 229
February 25 – Television Industry: Ratings and Reality
READINGS: Jenkins, “Buying Into American Idol”
Baym & Gottert, “30 Days: Social Engagement” in HTWTV
Ouellette, “America’s Next Top Model: Neoliberal Labor” in HTWTV
Douglas, “Jersey Shore: Ironic Viewing” in HTWTV
SCREENING February 25:
30 Days, “Minimum Wage” (2005) – PN1992.77.T5598 2006D
Paper Tiger Reads Paper Tiger (2007) – HE8700.72 .C2 P175 2007D
Homeland, “Clean Skin” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
February 27 – Media Regulation and Public Television
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 3
Ouellette, “Reinventing PBS”
Holt, “NYPD Blue: Content Regulation” in HTWTV
March 4 – Television News
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 4
Jones, “Fox & Friends: Political Talk” HTWTV
Schudson, “News and Democratic Society”
SCREENING March 4:
Buying the War (2007) – DS79.76.B85 2007D
Homeland, “Semper I” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
March 6 – Television and Electoral Politics
READINGS: McChesney, “Journalism: Looking Backward”
Freedman, “Thirty-Second Democracy”
March 11 – Television & Modes of Production
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 5
Gitlin, “Hill Street Blues: Make It Look Messy”
Butler, “Mad Men: Visual Style” in HTWTV
Aslinger, “Nip/Tuck: Popular Music” in HTWTV
SCREENING March 11:
Dragnet, “The Big Cast” (1952) – PN1992.77 .D724 2003D v.3
Hill Street Blues, “Hill Street Station” (1981) – PN1992.77.H455 v.1 2005D
Homeland, “Blind Spot” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
March 13 – Television Narrative
READINGS: Newman, “From Beats to Arcs”
Lotz, “House: Narrative Complexity” in HTWTV
O’Sullivan, “The Sopranos: Episodic Storytelling” in HTWTV
LECTURE: Diane Negra, “Keeping Up With the Aspirations: Commercial Family Values, Second Generation Celebrity and the Kardashian Family Brand.” March 13, 12:15, McBi 220
March 18 – Television Genres
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 6
De Kosnik, “One Life to Live: Soap Opera Storytelling” in HTWTV
SCREENING March 18:
The Wire, “The Target” (2002) – PN1992.77.W53 v.1 2004D
Breaking Bad, “Pilot” (2008) - PN1992.77 .B743 v.1 2010B
Homeland, “The Good Soldier” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
March 20 – Midterm Exam In-Class
SPRING BREAK
April 1 – Television Genres & Taste Cultures
READINGS: Newman & Levine, “Upgrading the Sitcom”
Newman, “Everyday Italian: Cultivating Taste” in HTWTV
Hills, “The Prisoner: Cult TV Remakes” in HTWTV
SCREENING April 1:
Father Knows Best, “Betty, Girl Engineer” (1956) – PN1992.77.F38447 v.2 2008D
Bewitched, “Be It Ever So Mortgaged” (1964) – PN1992.77.B48 v1 2005D
Parks & Recreation, “Pawnee Zoo” (2009) – PN1992.77 .P3627 v.2 2010D
Homeland, “The Weekend” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
April 3 – Television’s Cultural Roles
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 7
Newcomb & Hirsch, “Television as a Cultural Forum”
Hendershot, “Parks & Recreation: The Cultural Forum” in HTWTV
April 8 – Television and Gender
READINGS: Douglas, Enlightened Sexism, Intro – Ch. 6
Levine, “Grey’s Anatomy: Feminism” in HTWTV
SCREENING April 8:
Mary Tyler Moore Show, “Love is All Around” (1970) – PN1992.77 .M285 v. 1 2002D
Sex and the City, “The Baby Shower” (1998) – PN1992.77 .S4715 v.1 2000D
Glee, “Wheels” (2009) – PN1992.77 .G564 v. 1 pt. 1 2009D
Homeland, “Achilles Heel” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
April 10 – Gender Representation Continued
READINGS: Douglas, Enlightened Sexism, Finish book
April 15 – Television, Gender & Sexuality
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 8
Becker, “Gay-Themed Television”
Becker, “Glee/House Hunters International: Gay Narratives” in HTWTV
Miller, “The Dick Van Dyke Show: Queer Meanings” in HTWTV
SCREENING April 15:
All in the Family, “Sammy’s Visit” (1972) – PN1992.77 .A589 v. 2 2003D
Color Adjustment (1991) – PN1992.8.A34 C54 2004D
Homeland, “Crossfire” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
April 17 – Representing Racial Identity
READINGS: Alsultany, “24: Challenging Stereotypes” in HTWTV
Gray, “The Amazing Race: Global Othering” in HTWTV
Acham, “The Cosby Show: Representing Race” in HTWTV
April 22 – Television Viewers: Effects or Influences?
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 9
Kociemba, “’This isn’t something I can fake’: Reactions to Glee’s Representations of Disability”
SCREENING April 22:
Trekkies (1999) – PN1992.8.S74 T68 1999D
Homeland, “Representative Brody” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
April 24 – NO CLASS MEETING
Note: instead of class, meet with your pitch groups to prepare for Tuesday's assignment. Also, watch Generation Like online.
READINGS: Scott, “Battlestar Galactica: Fans and Ancillary Content” in HTWTV
Jenkins, “The Walking Dead: Adapting Comics” in HTWTV
Pearson, “Star Trek: Serialized Ideology” in HTWTV
April 29 – Pitch Presentations / Television Fan Cultures
IN-CLASS: Present group pitches
WRITE: Pitch commentaries due via course website before class
SCREENING April 29:
Pokémon, “Pokémon, I Choose You!” (1998) – PN1997.I143 A1 1998D
The Simpsons, “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge” (1990) – PN1992.77 .S58 v.2 2002D
Consuming Kids (2008) – HF5415.32.C68 2008D
Homeland, “The Vest” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
May 1 – Children’s Television and Media Education
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 10
Mittell, “Phineas & Ferb: Children’s Television” HTWTV
Anderson, “Watching Children Watch Television”
May 6 – Television as Technology
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Ch. 11
Stein, “Gossip Girl: Transmedia Technology” in HTWTV
Gurney, “Auto-Tune the News: Remix Video” in HTWTV
SCREENING May 6:
Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog (2008) – M1500.W46 D7 2008D
Web series TBD
Homeland, “Marine One” (2011) – PN1992.77 H5877 v.1 2012B
May 8 – Globalization and American Television
READINGS: Mittell, TVAC, Conclusion
Becker, “Life on Mars: Transnational Adaptations” in HTWTV
Ahn, “Samurai Champloo: Transnational Viewing” in HTWTV
Amaya, “Eva Luna: Latino/a Audiences” in HTWTV
FINAL ESSAY: Must be submitted via Moodle by May 16 at noon