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Art Education 367.03 Criticizing TelevisionWinter Quarter 2012

Instructor: Casey ClemOffice Hours: By appointment

Office: Email: [email protected] Meetings: Tuesday & Thursday

12:30pm-2:18pm

Course Description:In this course we will critically examine television, in all its aspects, by viewing it, discussing it, reading about it,and writing about it. We will take popular television seriously, recognizing the significant influence this technologyhas on our individual and social experiences. To this end, we will consider all programs types, including news,sports, reality TV, movies made for TV, advertising, talk shows, comedy, drama, and other modes ofprogramming.

Well explore the concept of television and how it is used both by viewers and producers. Some key questionswell consider include:

Are some types of television better than others? How is it decided that a particular program or genre is

good, or bad? How are these values determined? How are these values communicated to, and internalized by,viewers?

What are the aesthetic, creative, and persuasive strategies of television programming?

What does television provide? Information? Entertainment? Education? Social cohesiveness? Pleasure?Companionship? Distraction?

What does television offer that other contemporary media do not?

How does TV function in the home? How does it function in public spaces? For groups? For individuals?

Does television represent realities? Construct realities? Refute realities? What is reality? Who decideswhat reality is? How can we discern what is real or fantasy in television programming?

How do contemporary uses of TV compare to uses of TV in the past?

How has the Internet changed TV? Does blogging give audiences power to direct outcomes?

Does television programming empower (or disempower) people?

How can theoretical perspectives be used to understand television in American life? What are the

underlying assumptions of theoretical perspectives? What are their strengths and limitations?

GEC Second Writing CourseGoals and Objectives

Criticizing Television is a GEC second writing course designed to extend and refine your expository writing, criticalthinking, analytic reading skills, and oral expression by exploring a topic that relates to contemporary Americanculture. In Criticizing Television, youll write both formally and informally about a variety of television texts andprogramming; you will use writing as a tool for exploring and developing critical responses as well as a means forpersuasively communicating your ideas to others. This course fulfills also fulfills a social diversity requirement.Goals and outcomes as per current GEC guidelines for are listed below:

1). Skills: A. Writing and Related Skills

Goals:

Writing and Related Skills coursework develops students skills in written communication

and expression, reading, critical thinking, and oral expression.

Second Writing Course

Expected Learning Outcomes specific to Second Writing Course:

Through critical analysis, discussion, and writing, students extend their ability to

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C. Clem AE 367.03: Criticizing Television 2

read carefully and express ideas effectively

Students further develop basic skills in expository writing and oral expression

Students further develop skills in effective communication and in accessing and

using information analytically

2). Social Diversity in the United States

Goals:

Courses in social diversity will foster students understanding of the pluralistic nature of

institutions, society, and culture in the United States.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

1. Students describe the roles of such categories as race, gender, class, ethnicity, and

religion in the pluralistic institutions and cultures of the United States.

2. Students recognize the role of social diversity in shaping their own attitudes and

values regarding appreciation, tolerance, and equality of others.

At the completion ofCriticizing Television you should be able to :

1) Engage in informed television criticism built upon the understanding, explanation, and appreciation of aprograms unique attributes and its social, historical context.

2) Critically analyze a variety of television texts, exploring their visual and rhetorical strategies and their theoreticalassumptions.

3) Apply television criticism methodology to persuasively communicate your ideas about television in Americanculture.

4) Locate, evaluate, and use written and visual sources (both print and on-line) for your television

criticism research and writing.

5) Explore and problematize a diversity of perspectives on television in American life, placing your personalexperiences with television within a broader social and scholarly context.

REQUIRED TEXTSAll readings are posted on Carmen. No additional text is required.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTSEquipment access: Students are expected to have access to a television and VCR or DVD player for thecompletion of assignments. Access to the Internet is also expected.

Email: A reliable email account (that you check on a regular basis) is a necessity.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHYThoughtful questioning and independent thinking are encouraged and expected in this course! My teaching isguided by an understanding that we all come from different backgrounds and see the world through our own filteredlenses. I use constructivist ideologies when teaching, meaning I believe the student is responsible for their ownlearning and inquiry. Using constructivist theory we will be turning an interpretive lens upon both the object of study andoneself. This approach to Television Studies invites us to not only ask and answer questions about TV but also toexamine our questions and answers for insight into our personal constructions of reality. Most important, aconstructivist approach to Television Studies promotes an acceptance that ones inquiries will not yield final, definitivestatements, but will instead lead to more questions, more conversations, and possibilities for deeper understandings inthe future. I hope this class will serve as a community of scholars, in which I will act as facilitator, guiding rather thanlecturing. Your job will be to come prepared, ready to discuss, question and listen. Together we will learn to see

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C. Clem AE 367.03: Criticizing Television 3through lenses unlike our own and gain insight into the changing world we live in.

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSEThis course is organized around reading and writing about the phenomenon of television. There may be lectures drawnfrom concepts in the assigned readings, however the emphasis in this course is on engaging with ideas throughDISCUSSION.

Discussions about the readings and in-class program viewings are a vital part of your learning experience. Youll havethe opportunity to wrestle with ideas, theories, and viewpoints in television criticism, and youll develop an awareness ofhow these ideas are relevant to our social worlds and everyday life. Your goal this quarter is to think critically,creatively, and most of all, think for yourself and question the world you participate in. I urge students to askquestions, make comments, and offer informed, thoughtful opinions. We will learn a lot from one another this quarter!

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

We will reflectively discuss readings; beginning with topics you bring up in class discussions.

We will watch and critique, positively and negatively, excerpts from television programs by applyingvarious critical methodologies. We will also watch educational productions by the Media Education Foundation onTV, advertising & Music Television.

We will engage in brief, informal in-class writing exercises to demonstrate comprehension of readings andto facilitate discussions.

Writing instruction will occur throughout the quarter, and will be geared toward building upon and advancing your skills inproducing writing characterized by:

a clear sense of purpose

effectively ordered and fully supported ideas

style appropriate to purpose and audience

control of grammatical and mechanical elements

Writing instruction will take place through class lectures, class discussion, in-class writing activities, instructor-written

feedback on papers, paper revision, peer writing review activities, a research and writing project that entails a proposal,preliminary draft, peer review, and individual writing consultations.

ASSIGNMENTSReadings:The materials are carefully chosen to introduce you to general concepts in Television Criticism and to help you grapplewith key theoretical perspectives in television criticism. The readings will provide a strong foundation for your writing andoral presentation assignments. You may find some of concepts and theories in the readings to be challenging, but do yourbest to complete each reading so you are prepared for class discussion. Im confident youll discover that you understandmore than you are giving yourself credit for!

In-class writing prompts or group work: These are quick, handwritten responses to specific questions regarding thereading or viewing we did for class. They count only as participation points.

Papers & presentations:

You will have one critical response paper, a mid-term paper, a final paper proposal, a final research paper andpresentation. To widen your exposure to a variety of ideas and experiences, you should not write your papers aboutprograms or commercials that we have previously given substantial discussion in the class. If you have anyquestions about this, please see me.

All papers must be word-processed, double-spaced, and printed on only one side of the paper and have a title page.

All papers must follow either APA or MLA citation format. The OSU Libraries website offers helpful guidance forformatting citations in a variety of different styles. Visit http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/index.php#apaguide and
http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/index.php#apaguidehttp://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/index.php#apaguide

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C. Clem AE 367.03: Criticizing Television 4follow the links.

WRITING PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT: GRADING, FEEDBACK, AND REVISION

All written assignments will be graded by

1) the quality of the writing, and2) the content of the writing, and3) the goals of the assignment.

Grading and Feedback:Writing feedback is intended to establish a dialogue between student and teacher, with the goal of supporting andfurthering the students development of writing skills and personal writing voice. Each paper assignment will bereturned to students with feedback that identifies strengths, areas where improvements may be needed, andsuggestions for extending thinking on their topic.

Revision:The critical response paper and mid-term paper may be revised and resubmitted. Revised papers must besubmitted to the instructor no later than one week after the original return. The revised papers will be evaluated onchanges made in response to feedback; the grade on the revised paper will stand as the final grade for the paper.The Final Paper has a built-in revision process. A note on revision: I consider revision to be much more than simpleediting.Always proofread your work before submitting it.

Writing as Process:The last assignment of the quarter, the Final Paper, also serves as the final exam and is submitted before examweek. This assignment gives students the opportunity to develop their writing through a structured process.Students will choose a topic that links personal television experience and socio-cultural implications of televisionwith perspectives in television criticism, and will craft their writing through proposal, research, preliminary draft, peerreview, and final draft stages. Students will receive feedback on their developing paper on two separate occasionsbefore submitting their Final Paper:

1. Instructors written feedback on proposal

2. Written and oral peer feedback in a student Peer Editing WorkshopPersonal meeting with the instructor is optional but can be arranged

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance, Preparation, and Participation

Attendance:Attendance is vital to the success of this class and to your development as a writer. Attendance is taken each day andan unexcused absence will count as a zero for attendance and class participation on that day. You are expected to bepresent and punctual and you are expected to stay through the duration of each class. Arriving late or leaving earlymay be considered an unexcused absence unless arrangements have been made for it to be counted as an excusedabsence. After one unexcused absence, each additional unexcused absence thereafter will result in a grade reductionof one half a letter grade in the final course grade. This means that a student can fail the course due to poorattendance. Excused absences, such those for documented illness, family tragedy, religious observance, or travel forinter-collegiate athletics, will not affect your gradehowever all excused absences require written documentation. It isimperative that students discuss with the Instructor extended periods of absence due to medical or otherconditions.

About Participation:

Active participation on a daily basis is crucial for your success in this class, as well as the overall success ofthe class. I may, on occasion, collect and grade an in-class writing response to a reading assignment; thiswill be factored into your participation grade for the day.

Participation means paying attention while instructor and classmates are speaking and respondingappropriately. Surfing the web, Facebook, or checking email while in class shows that you are not giving the

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C. Clem AE 367.03: Criticizing Television 5class your full attention and will result in a loss in participation points.

Participation means offering thoughtful comments and asking questions when a classmate gives an oralpresentation.

Participation means giving your full critical attention to the in-class television viewings and responding withquestions or comments when the program is finished.

Participation is graded on a daily basis. Active engagement in the course materials and quality of commentswill assure you of receiving full participation credit for that class. Failing to pay attention, exhibitingdistracted or distracting behavior in class, or consistently not contributing to discussions will negatively

impact your participation grade. If there is a reason why you cannot fully participate in class discussions please see me as soon as possible

so that we can discuss your options.

And, last but not least, this class is based on discussion. Lack of student preparation and participationmeans dull, uninspiring discussionswhich will make for a long, boring quarter for everyone! Comeprepared to participate by having carefully read the assigned materials so you are ready to ask and answerquestions about the topics!

Grading:Your grade in Criticizing Television is based on the number of points achieved out of 100 possible points.

AssignmentsAttendance, Preparation, and Participation 25Critical Response Paper 15Mid-term paper 20Proposal for Final Paper 10

Draft (from peer editing session) 5Final Presentation 5Final Paper 20

Total possible points100

Grade Scale

A 3.85-4.00A- 3.50-3.84B+ 3.15-3.49B 2.85-3.14B- 2.50-2.84C+ 2.15-2.49C 1.85-2.14C- 1.50-1.84D+ 1.15-1.49D 1.00-1.14E 0.00-0.99

Late Submissions:Assignments must be completed and submitted on time. Papers are accepted only during (or before) the classperiod in which they are due. Papers must be turned in during the class period when they are due. A late paper willresult in a deduction of one full letter grade for each day past the due date (for example, B+ to C+). An assignmentgrade will not be affected if the assignment is late for reasons that would result in an excused absence and writtendocumentation is required. If you know that you cannot attend class when an assignment is due, please contact me(by email) as soon as possible in advance of class.

Incompletes:Incompletes for the course will not be given without serious cause, to be determined by the instructor and thestudent.

Students with Functional Limitations

Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office forDisability Services will be appropriately accommodated, and should

inform the instructor as soon as possible of their needs. I will rely on theOffice for Disability Services for assistance in verifying the need for

accommodations and developing accommodation strategies. If you have

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not previously contacted the Office for Disability Services, I encourageyou to do so. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150

Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-3307, TDD 292-0901;http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the

academic community must be confident that each persons work has been responsibly and honestly

acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is

dishonest, whether or not the effort is successful. The academic community regards all academic

dishonesty as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that range from probation to

expulsion, as well as loss of credit for an assignment or a course. The most common form of

misconduct is plagiarism. Remember that any time you use the ideas or the statements of someone

else, you must acknowledge that source in a citation. This includes material you have found on the

Web. The University provides guidelines for research on the Web at

http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/index.php If in doubt about plagiarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, or

collaboration, consult the instructor for guidance. Any suspected cases of academic misconduct will be

reported to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. For additional information, see the Code of

Student Conduct (http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/resource_csc.asp).

RESOURCES

The OSU Writing Center is a free service that provides professional consultation and/or tutoringstudents and faculty at any stage of the writing process. You may set up an appointment by calling 688-4291 or you can meet with a writing consultant at either 475 Mendenhall Laboratory or at the YounkinSuccess Center. The OSU Writing Center website is http://cstw.osu.edu/writingCenter/
http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/index.phphttp://cstw.osu.edu/writingCenter/http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/index.phphttp://cstw.osu.edu/writingCenter/

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CRITICIZING TELEVISION CALENDAR

01/03The Personal is Political: Introduction to TV and Social Diversity Issues

Social Diversity Focus: Race; Ethnicity; Gender; Class; LGBT (general introduction to issues of social diversityand their relationship to television programming and viewing in the United States)

Class Activities:Introductions; go over syllabus, course requirements, etc.Introduce papers and projectsHow to read an article

01/05TV as Big Brother: Who cares what you watch?

Social Diversity Focus: Class; Social construction of authority, who has the power

Due Today:Read: Gertner, J. (2005). Our ratings, ourselves. All COURSE READINGS CAN BE LOCATED ON CARMEN.Assignment: visit www.nielsenmedia.com and explore the site. Write down observations to share in classdiscussions.

Todays reading focuses on the following topics:

Who needs to know what we watch?

Why do they need to know?

How is this information used?

What is a Nielsen family? Who qualifies?

What is the economic value of our viewing habits

Semiotics and the study of television

Narratives and the construction of expectations about, and perceptions of, gender rolesand class structures

Visual representations and signifying practices

Commercials and subtle messages or hidden assumptions about American culture

Hegemony

Identifying verbal, visual, and acoustic signs

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: Semiotics PowerPoint, Practicing Semiotics with TV ads

01/10Angry, Promiscuous, or Ignorant: Race, Gender, and Stereotypes in Reality TVSocial Diversity Focus: Gender; Class; Social constructions of gender and race

Due Today:Read: Orbe, M. P. (2004).Constructions of Reality on MTVs Real World


Racism in American culture

Reality TV and stereotypical roles for men and women

Reality TV and misrepresentation of challenging social issues

The role of language in cultural understandings and misunderstandings

Detecting cultural oppression and inequalities through television content analysis

Editing practices in reality-based programming

Class Activities:
http://www.nielsenmedia.com/http://www.nielsenmedia.com/

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C. Clem AE 367.03: Criticizing Television 9In-class Viewing & Discussion: The Real Worlds Greatest FightsIn-class Writing Instruction: Thesis statements; Identifying arguments; Examples and evidence.

01/12Blackness and Fatherhood: Race, Gender, and Stereotypes in Reality TV

Social Diversity Focus: Gender; Class; Race. Social constructions of gender and race

Due Today:Read: Smith (2008). Critiquing Reality-Based Televisual Black Fatherhood: A Critical Analysis of Runs House andSnoop Doggs FatherHood


Fatherhood in American culture

Reality TV and stereotypical roles for men and women

Reality TV and representations of fatherhood


Detecting cultural differences through television content analysis

Editing practices in reality-based programming

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: Fatherhoodand Runs House

01/17Charm School Socially constructed realities concerning class

Social Diversity Focus: Gender; Class; Race. Social constructions of economic class

Due Today:Read: Holbrook & Singer (2009). When good girls go bad: Models of the self and reality on VH1s Flavor of Lovegirls: Charm school.


Economic class in American culture

Reality TV, gender and stereotypical roles of socio-economic issues

Reality TV, gender and the (re)construction of truth



Editing practices in constructed reality-based programming

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: Charm School

01/19Laguna Beach Socially constructed realities of economic class

Social Diversity Focus: Gender; Class; Race. Social constructions of economic class

Due Today: Orbe Critical Response PaperRead: No readings due

Todays viewing focuses on the following topics:

Economic class and youth in American culture

Reality TV and stereotypical roles of socio-economic issues

Reality TV and the (re)construction of truth

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Editing practices in constructed reality-based programming

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: Laguna Beach: Casting Tapes vs. Episode OneGroup work: Special topics concerning Laguna Beach

01/24OSU vs. Michigan & Audience Responses

Social Diversity Focus: Gender and Culture. Social constructions of sport and fandom

Due Today:Read: Westerwick, David, et al (2009). Sports Spectators Suspense: Affect and Uncertainty in SportsEntertainment

Todays reading & viewing focuses on the following topics:

Sports in American culture

Sports as narrative, a story in real time

Fandom and group mentality The role of language in sports narratives

Editing practices in constructing sports programming

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: The Rose Bowl 2010 OSU vs. Oregon

01/26Sports as a metaphor for life

Social Diversity Focus: Gender and Culture. Social constructions of sport and American culture

Due Today:Read: No readings due

Todays viewing focuses on the following topics:

Sports in American culture

Sports as a metaphor for life

Fandom and group mentality

The role of language in sports narratives

Editing practices in constructing fictional competitions.

Class Activities:

In-class Viewing & Discussion: Friday Night Lights

01/31Representation Politics: Ethnicity and sexuality as stereotype

Social Diversity Focus: Gender; Ethnicity; Social constructions of Latina women

Due Today:Read: Merskin, D. (2007). Three faces of Eva: Perpetuation of the hot-Latina stereotype in Desperate Housewives.


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Ethnicity in American culture

TV and stereotypical roles for Latina women

TV and misrepresentation of ethnicity

The role of myth in cultural understandings and misunderstandings


Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: Watch Desperate Housewives

02/02Fallen Women: Gender and sexuality as stereotype

Social Diversity Focus: Gender & Social constructions of women

Due Today:Read: Dubrofsky(2009).Fallen women in Reality TV: A pornography of emotion


Constructions of female emotion in American culture

TV and stereotypical roles for single women

TV and misrepresentation of women

The role of myth in cultural understandings and misunderstandings


Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: Watch The Bachelor

02/07Representations of LGBT Issues on Television

Social Diversity Focus: LGBT; Gender

Due Today: Midterm PaperRead: Bennett, J. (2006). In defense of Gaydar: Reality television and the politics of the glance.


Heteronormativity, tactical humor and strategic rhetoric

The normalization of oppressive ideologies of class, race, gender while appearing toadvocate on behalf of a gay Other

Representations of gay subjectivity; sexuality as a subject position

Sociocultural rituals of rebellion, sociosexual tension as entertainment

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion:Further off the Straight & Narrow (MEF)

02/09Rock the vote or Choose or lose-Youth & Politics

Social Diversity Focus: Race;Gender; Class

Due Today:Read: Baym, G. (2007). MTVs coverage of the 2004 Presidential election.

Todays readings focus on the following topics:

History and cultural significance ofMTV & Youth

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History and cultural significance ofFox News

Production characteristics and aesthetic qualities ofFox News and MTV

Appearance (gender, race, age, etc.) of news anchor and the influence perceptions ofnews story

Cultural Imperialism; exporting values and ideologies to other nations

Morals / values communicated through Fox News

Class Activities:

In-class Group Work and Discussion: OutFoxeddocumentaryIn-class writing instruction: How to write a proposal

02/14Selling Youth Culture and Sexuality: I Want my MTV

Social Diversity Focus: Gender, Youth Culture and Sexuality

Due Today: Final Paper ProposalRead: Cummins (2007).Selling Music with Sex: The Content and Effects of Sex in Music Videos on ViewerEnjoyment


History and cultural significance ofMTV & Youth

Production characteristics and aesthetic qualities ofMTV

Representation (gender, race, age, etc.) in music videos and the influence on culture

Influencing values and ideologies to youth markets

Controversial MTV programming

Social justice agendas in celebrity culture

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: MTV PowerPoint & Selected Music Videos

02/16Gender, victimization and critical feminist analysis

Social Diversity Focus: Gender; Social constructions of women as victims, representations of women

Due Today:Read: Cuklanz. L. & S. Moorti (2006). Televisions new feminism: Primetime representations ofwomen andvictimization.


Representations of women in primetime crime dramas

Women as sexual victims & as sexual objects

Women as criminals, the monstrous maternal

Feminist insights in the historically male detective genre

Social activism in character-driven gender roles

In class viewing & discussion: Law & Order: SVU

02/21Life and Death in America: Realities of Violence in TV Drama

Social Diversity Focus: Gender, Sexuality

Due Today:Read: Tait, S. (2006).Autoptic vision and the necrophilic imaginary in CSI

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C. Clem AE 367.03: Criticizing Television 13Todays reading focuses on the following topics:

TV forensic dramas: themes, style, narrative structure

Cultural studies and the signification potential of the corpse

Gendered Death: The erotic, desiring gaze

Fetishization of womens death in TV imagery and narratives

TV and the desensitization to death and violence

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion:CSI Miami

02/23Televisual Images of Social Diversity or How Political Incorrectness is a Laughing Matter

Social Diversity Focus: Gender, Race, & Ethnicity

Due Today:Read: Kocela (2009). Cynics encouraged to apply: The Office as reality viewer training


Themes, symbolism, and ideologies identified in The Office and Modern Family

Satirizing and/or celebrating the concept of family life

Gender roles in The Office and Modern Family

Portrayal of sexuality, race and ethnicity in The Office and Modern Family

Intertextuality and popular culture

Class Activities:In-class Viewing & Discussion: The Office and Modern Family

02/28RESEARCH & WORK DAY-NO CLASS

Use this day to meet finalize papers, continue work with your group and prepare for the finalpresentations.

03/01 Peer Review-Bring Working Draft of Final Paper

****** 03/06*****Final Presentations

****** 03/08 ******Final Presentations

Due Today:Final Paper, Rough Draft and Peer Review must be turned in at close of class

*****NOTE: While we will plan to get through all final presentations on the allotted days, I reserve the rightto make use of our courses official exam time to complete presentations in the event that we run out oftime during week 10******

Have a great break!

Documents

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