Animated Television:
For my forth media format I reviewed an animated television series. The show I watched was Family Guy it airs at 9/8c Sundays on Fox. The episode itself was a re-run: Season 3, Episode 1 'North by North Quahog'. One of the issues I wanted to address while reviewing an animated television series was... does the portrayal of women on the television show affect the outcomes of the other characters. Another question I had was us race, class, and sexuality diversely represented within the characterizations of women on animated television?
The episode starts with Lois, the typical American housewife, comes home to find Peter, her typical American husband, dazing on the couch and watching TV. Plain clothes depict Lois’ role in the family along with the sack full of groceries she is carrying, the one her husband does not offer to help her with. It turns out the heavy grocery sack contains new sheets from Bed, Bath, and Beyond; this is where the conflict begins. Peter and Lois want to “break their new sheets in”, but Lois is just not feeling the spark that she used to for her husband (can you imagine why?).
Peter soon fabricates (>haha, pun!) a solution: a second honeymoon. Lois and Peter drive off for a romantic weekend only to find that they have arrived at a dumpy hotel, where their room is already occupied by a strange-looking woman. They are at a truck stop and it only takes the audience a second to realize why she is there. Lois is quick to point out that the woman is a hooker, automatically being labeled for what she is wearing, but the woman does not deny it.
While Peter and Lois are away, their two oldest children get into an argument, which quickly turns into a full-out wrestling match. Meg is definitely smaller than her younger brother, but she can hold her own. The teenage American girl is a fighter, the audience can tell by her hat, fiercely pink shirt, and disregard to whether or not her makeup is going to look all right afterward.
Later Lois and Peter turn on the TV to see a woman anchoring the evening news and another woman covering a story live. This shows that women have a place in the workforce, but the newscast goes on to say that she is not allowed in the Park Barrington Hotel because she is Asian, a degrading racial comment.
By the end of the show, Lois and Peter have solved their marriage problem and everything is back to normal again. Reading between the lines, there are a lot of instances where women were belittled in this episode. The male characters feed off of this negative humor, making their own character look better. Sometimes women even put down other women, like when Lois called the woman in the hotel a hooker, showing distinct separation of class. Even though women are seen in the workplace, racial comments are still made about them. These sexual barriers are subtle, but are still prevalent throughout the episode. It is apparent that with age women in the show come into their sexuality and use it as an empowering quality instead of a demeaning quality. Lois is the perfect example of this, because she convicts Peter to try harder in their relationship.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Is charm school really all that charming?
For my third media format I chose Reality television. Some of the questions I had regarding this particular format include: Do the types of reality television show a diverse mix of women? Do certain channels tend to represent particular women of a given race, or class more so than another? How do channels target certain audiences? Does the targeted audience affect how differently women are portrayed with regard to race, class, and sexuality?
I originally was going to be comparing multiple channels with one another, however now I will just be discussing MTV/Vh1 along with the Food Network.
Some of the reality shows that air on networks such as MTV and Vh1 include: Rock of Love Charm School, Scream Queens, Real Chance of Love, Paris Hilton's My New BFF, The Hills, Sex... with Mom and Dad, and so on. As the years go on the so called reality continues to get more and more ridiculous. Networks such as MTV and Vh1 can run shows like the previously mentioned and rock their ratings because they are making shows that the network knows the targeted audience will enjoy. They main goal of networks such as these are to make reality entertainment for audiences ranging from 14-24. I suppose that people who are older would find our not so real reality shows mildly entertaining as well but the drama and the irony found in reality television these days is specifically for that targeted audience.
I think the one show on Vh1 I find the most hilarious is Rock of Love Charm School. It stars women from the two previous Rock of Love: with Bret Michaels seasons... and the objective of the show is to teach them manners. Overall the show is absolutely ridiculous. The women all lack any sort of intelligence and the hour is filled with catty arguments from the girls and obnoxious tasks given to them by none other than Sharon Osborne. This is the type of show most people would find pointless and mind numbing but that's literally what gives the show it's appeal. It is entertaining to watch other people make absolute fools of themselves on national television.
This show also works because it is has all the elements, no one particular race is on the show, with women all from the same classes and backgrounds. There are black girls, white girls, Latino girls, European girls, girls who have come from money, girls who have come from nothing, and so on and so forth. All of the women on the show are bursting with sexuality and they all use that as their key ingredient to get what they want. Now being in an environment with people that don't care about their boobs and their make-up the insults are flying and its war. The objective of the actual show itself is to learn how to be charming. Every episode the women are given tasks to complete and every episode one woman is eliminated. By the end of the season one woman will win a ridiculous amount of money.
Compared to networks like the Food Network, the reality of reality television is so different from one another it's insane. Reality shows on the Food Network would include: Iron Chef, Top Chef New York, etc. I think that the racial mix up would be more diverse on a channel such as this because for one the targeted audience is different and the topic of discussion is different. With people making foods from all over the world on a show like Iron Chef, there is obviously a good chance that there will be a greater representation of other elasticities and cultures. As far as class representation on a network such as this, it's not really there. All the people on this network are professionals, they get paid to do what they do and they are really good at it. I would say for the most part the people being represented on The Food Network are people with good backgrounds and who are extremely professional...
The biggest difference in reality television from one network to another is the fact that reality television isn't always reality. The Food Network is delivering the audience exactly what they want, it's the same thing every time. Issues such as sexuality are non-existent on The Food Network as compared to with MTV were sexuality is the key ingredient to good ratings. And on the opposite side of the spectrum if the 'reality' on reality shows on networks such as MTV and Vh1 stayed the same, the targeted audience would lose interest.
When choosing to watch reality television it is important to make sure that regardless of the audience, as a viewer you need to be prepared for what you will be watching. Because at the end of the day someone who wants to learn how to fillet a fish is not going to choose to watch something like 'Charm School'. The targeted audience does not need to be advertised to because they already have been exposed to similar content on previous shows, therefore they already know what they like.
I don't know about everyone else, but I happen to be a fan of variety... a little cooking here and a little drama there. It's good that with various networks as a viewer you get a variety of choices. If charm school really was all that charming I don't think it would be half as entertaining as it is today. Luckily for me it isn't all that it's cracked up to be - thank god.
I originally was going to be comparing multiple channels with one another, however now I will just be discussing MTV/Vh1 along with the Food Network.
Some of the reality shows that air on networks such as MTV and Vh1 include: Rock of Love Charm School, Scream Queens, Real Chance of Love, Paris Hilton's My New BFF, The Hills, Sex... with Mom and Dad, and so on. As the years go on the so called reality continues to get more and more ridiculous. Networks such as MTV and Vh1 can run shows like the previously mentioned and rock their ratings because they are making shows that the network knows the targeted audience will enjoy. They main goal of networks such as these are to make reality entertainment for audiences ranging from 14-24. I suppose that people who are older would find our not so real reality shows mildly entertaining as well but the drama and the irony found in reality television these days is specifically for that targeted audience.
I think the one show on Vh1 I find the most hilarious is Rock of Love Charm School. It stars women from the two previous Rock of Love: with Bret Michaels seasons... and the objective of the show is to teach them manners. Overall the show is absolutely ridiculous. The women all lack any sort of intelligence and the hour is filled with catty arguments from the girls and obnoxious tasks given to them by none other than Sharon Osborne. This is the type of show most people would find pointless and mind numbing but that's literally what gives the show it's appeal. It is entertaining to watch other people make absolute fools of themselves on national television.
This show also works because it is has all the elements, no one particular race is on the show, with women all from the same classes and backgrounds. There are black girls, white girls, Latino girls, European girls, girls who have come from money, girls who have come from nothing, and so on and so forth. All of the women on the show are bursting with sexuality and they all use that as their key ingredient to get what they want. Now being in an environment with people that don't care about their boobs and their make-up the insults are flying and its war. The objective of the actual show itself is to learn how to be charming. Every episode the women are given tasks to complete and every episode one woman is eliminated. By the end of the season one woman will win a ridiculous amount of money.
Compared to networks like the Food Network, the reality of reality television is so different from one another it's insane. Reality shows on the Food Network would include: Iron Chef, Top Chef New York, etc. I think that the racial mix up would be more diverse on a channel such as this because for one the targeted audience is different and the topic of discussion is different. With people making foods from all over the world on a show like Iron Chef, there is obviously a good chance that there will be a greater representation of other elasticities and cultures. As far as class representation on a network such as this, it's not really there. All the people on this network are professionals, they get paid to do what they do and they are really good at it. I would say for the most part the people being represented on The Food Network are people with good backgrounds and who are extremely professional...
The biggest difference in reality television from one network to another is the fact that reality television isn't always reality. The Food Network is delivering the audience exactly what they want, it's the same thing every time. Issues such as sexuality are non-existent on The Food Network as compared to with MTV were sexuality is the key ingredient to good ratings. And on the opposite side of the spectrum if the 'reality' on reality shows on networks such as MTV and Vh1 stayed the same, the targeted audience would lose interest.
When choosing to watch reality television it is important to make sure that regardless of the audience, as a viewer you need to be prepared for what you will be watching. Because at the end of the day someone who wants to learn how to fillet a fish is not going to choose to watch something like 'Charm School'. The targeted audience does not need to be advertised to because they already have been exposed to similar content on previous shows, therefore they already know what they like.
I don't know about everyone else, but I happen to be a fan of variety... a little cooking here and a little drama there. It's good that with various networks as a viewer you get a variety of choices. If charm school really was all that charming I don't think it would be half as entertaining as it is today. Luckily for me it isn't all that it's cracked up to be - thank god.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
How Desperate are the Housewives?
Fictionalized Series Television:
For my second media format I will be reviewing I will be discussing Fictionalized Series Television and how the portrayal of women differs between series. The issues I will be comparing range from the race, age, style, and class of the women from series to series. I will also be looking to see if the way each series addresses issues such as sexuality and how it differs from one another... on that same note, does the target audience affect how these issues are brought up and addressed.
In shows such as Hannah Montana, which airs on Disney Channel daily, there are not a lot of strong female characters. The main female character Hannah Montana, otherwise known as Miley, is ironically played by Miley Cyrus. Not only is her character young (only fifteen years old), Caucasian, and rich but so is she in real life. The show itself is about the double life of Miley and her family and friends. Miley is secretly pop star sensation Hannah Montana but no one really knows her secret besides her family and her two best friends. The drama that goes on throughout the half hour episodes rarely addresses any serious issues, and is always wrapped up in the one episode. Sometimes the drama is something that pertains more towards one side of Miley's life, occasionally the drama will be about one of her best friends or her family. Since this is a show geared specifically for children none of the female characters address issues such as sexuality, and if they do it's so subtle that as a viewer it is barely there. Compared to Zoey 101, which airs on Nickolodeon, Hannah Montana is more age appropriate for everyone. Zoey 101 is about a girl named Zoey, played by Jamie Lynn Spears, who goes away to a private school and everything that happens to her and her friends. The show deals with more controversial issues and blatantly shows teenagers dealing with relationships. This show mostly shows kids who are upper class; there is some diversity as far as race is concerned but not much. Since both of these shows are on networks specifically for children, all of the characters on these networks are between the ages of 11-18 years old. Nickelodeon however had some major controversy to deal with when Jamie Lynn, the star of Zoey 101, got pregnant at 16 years old. (Obviously contradicting their message of keeping relationships as pure and innocent as possible.)
After watching/ suffering through both of these shows I definitely decided the as far as children and tween networks are concerned sexuality is nonexistent. I think they try to instill in children that race, class, or age is not something to base judgments of people off of. They definitely need to think about expanding their representations of all these categories because there is not enough exposure of these multiple life styles.
For the more mature audiences, I decided to review Desperate Housewives. Desperate Housewives airs on ABC on Sunday evenings at 9/8c - stars Marcia Cross as Bree, Dana Delany as Katherine, Teri Hatcher as Susan, Felicity Huffman as Lynette, Eva Longoria Parker as Gabrielle, and Nicolette Sheridan as Edie. This is probably one of my favorite shows it's filled with juicy drama and intense plot twists. This is a show for mature audiences only due to: drug and alcohol use, sexual encounters, violence, and other various adult activities. Each one of the characters is unique and powerful in their own ways. There is not a very diverse representation of race, class, or age in this particular show. The woman are strictly upper class, middle aged women dealing with all the issues regular people deal but the drama is amped up a couple hundred notches. As the show has progressed the characters have all developed and changed in their own ways.
Marcia Cross's character Bree has came into her own over the past couple seasons. After losing a husband, and a lover, and gaining another she also managed to protect her daughter's image after an unexpected pregnancy, help her son deal with his sexuality, and open a successful catering company. During all the drama she also had to deal with her husband Orson going to prison, and battle her struggle with alcoholism. She is a perfectionist and can tend to be uptight, but at the end of the day she has the best intentions of her friends and family in mind. Bree is not the most open minded woman on the show, however; she is slowly learning that having an open mind is in her best interest if she wants things to work out for her in the long run. She is an extremely sensual woman and is comfortable with her sexuality. Although she is comfortable with her sexuality she knows that it is in her best interest to keep it within the home. Over time I believe audiences will realize that this powerful woman is also a very vulnerable one; sometimes even the perfectionist needs some help and encouragement with the everyday bullshit.
Dana Delany's character Katherine is a somewhat new character to the show. With her dark background she likes to make sure to keep her personal life as private as possible. She's a classy woman but doesn't always know how to act like it. With her daughter gone and with a lack of love life, Katherine has become increasingly lonely. She's a loyal friend and knows when it is time for her to step in and get involved when other people need the help but just don't know how to ask for it. She helped Bree battle her alcoholism and became a partner for her catering company. She's a woman who is bursting with confidence and is dying for a love life. Luckily for her after some not so good hook-ups, Katherine is now seeing Susan's ex husband Mike. Her new found love life has given her a sense of self empowerment through her sexuality. Now she needs to learn when to draw the line between her head and her heart. Should she keep seeing Mike and enjoy herself, or stop things before they get overly developed because it's her friend's ex husband... who is she willing to lose, a friend or a lover?
Teri Hatcher's character Susan is ridiculous and a little on the promiscuous side. Already married and divorced twice, along with her multiple lovers, Susan is definitely the kind of woman who always needs a man by her side. Susan is a great character because she constantly mixes up her everyday roles. For whatever reason she never seems to know when to step into her different roles; whether it’s with her kids or with her lovers or even with her friends Susan's conflicting roles and unintentional slips is what makes her so lovable in the long run. Susan uses her sexuality to her advantage as much as humanly possible. She knows when and where to play her cards to get her exactly what she wants when she wants it. But unlike some other characters Susan is definitely not slutty by any means she is just a woman who knows what she wants and knows just how to get it. With her current situation of just getting divorced from Mike, with a four year old son, her older daughter away at college, and an artistic new lover Susan definitely has her hands full.
Felicity Huffman's character Lynette is the most independent woman on the show by all means. She went from the bread winner for her family, to the supportive housewife, to having cancer, learning of her husband’s illegitimate child, and starting a new business. She is certainly a very busy woman. She struggles with feeling like she doesn't do enough and that she isn't enough to keep her family content. She learns through every episode that as life changes and throws new things your way, you run with them. Everything happens for a reason and she makes sure that she is on top of things as she possibly can be. There isn't a thing this woman couldn't do. She is honest and up front with her feelings and her insecurity. Unlike the other characters Lynette's love life is barely in the cards anymore these days, but her sexuality is something that I believe in the future she will definitely start using to her advantage. Even if it's just on a one on one basis with her husband she will realize that if she doesn't make the effort to keep the love flowing no one else will. With her husband's mid-life crisis, her son's affair with an older woman, running a business, and trying to be a good friend... will Lynette realize that she needs to stop worrying about everyone else and start worrying about herself? Will things fall in place eventually or do they have to completely fall apart first?
Eva Longoria Parker's character Gabrielle is probably the character that has changed the most over the length of the show's history. She went from diva extraordinaire, with a fabulous life and a wonderful husband, to eventually a housewife and nothing more. Her greed sometimes still over shadows her good intentions and throughout the last couple episodes Gabbie has seriously jeopardized her family's future. She always means well, but she tends to always have her needs before anyone else. With her blunt attitude she put her (blind) husband's job in the hands of a crazy angry millionaire widow, and with two kids and no job of her own has she finally taken things too far? If so when will she realize it, and who will get her in line before things are unable to be fixed.
The last and final main female role on Wisteria Lane is Nicolette Sheridan as Edie. Edie is a real estate agent who loves more than just real estate. Known around as the woman who gets around Edie is the take it or leave it type of woman. As an audience member you either love her or absolutely hate her. Her ignorance and lack of self esteem makes her the type of woman who easily gets bored. She too has had her fair share of drama. With several ex husbands and a son of her own, Edie has finally come into a good place in her life. With her career continuing to sky rocket and a new husband Edie thinks that life is finally good again. No drama with the neighborhood women and no secrets of her own, Edie seems to be gliding through episode to episode. Little does she know her new husband has some secrets of his own. And given the neighborhood someone is bound to find out something sooner than he is expecting. As a viewer should we be worried for Edie's safety? Or will she come out on top....
As you can tell each character plays their own part on Wisteria Lane. Each one is unique and entertaining in their own ways. No one woman really over powers the rest, like the circle of life they all live and feed off each other. Without one the circle would self destruct, and one by one each character will unintentionally lead themselves to their own demise. Their sexuality is a key ingredient as to what makes the housewives so desperate. But the real question is how desperate are they? This show could probably use a little more diversity as far as race, and class are concerned. But personally I think if the writers changed the dynamics of the show it wouldn't be the same... the point of Wisteria Lane is to convey some sort of unconventional Stepford reality. It can't get much juicier than that.
When can we learn to take things seriously...?
News:
For my first actual blog posting I will be discussing how women are portrayed in News television. I decided against using my original idea of comparing a Chicago Newscast with a Carbondale Newscast. As an alternative my comparison is going to be between an Entertainment News broadcast and a CNN News broadcast. This way I would have a variety of news settings and actual news reports opposed to a variety of regions reporting on the same stories.
The Entertainment news show I watched is called Chelsea Lately. It airs on E - The Entertainment Network @11:30/10:30c. The show is rated TV14 SLD and primarily airs at night because it is based for a more mature audience. The show primarily focuses on Chelsea... hence 'Chelsea Lately'. Chelsea Handler is 32 years old, and grew up in New Jersey. She is the youngest of six children and has an extremely diverse background. With a Jewish father and a Mormon mother, Chelsea learned at a young age to start thinking for herself, and now makes insanely good money doing so. This raunchy television host started off doing comedy and she successfully managed to climb her way to the top of the corporate ladder. Not only does her entertainment news show have off the chart ratings but she is also guest starring in other television shows and is the author of a bestselling book, 'Are you there Vodka? It's me Chelsea'.
Chelsea's quick wit and blunt honesty makes her one of the more likable television talk show hosts. She's young, blond, thin, and hilarious... what more could you ask for. Her show has a variety of guest stars... having everyone from musicians, actors, to politicians. Chelsea's outgoing personality makes her easy to watch, and as you watch her show you realize that this the type of woman you wish was your mother. She engages her audience with her show, and includes the rest of her crew as well. Her assistant Chuy Bravo, is a short mexican man who is full of spunk. Bravo sits in on every episode and it's easy for viewers to tell that the two have a good working and personal relationship.
The episode I watched was on Tuesday November 11th at eleven o'clock at night... (a re-run i think). Chelsea discussed the Prop 8 Fallout, the recent Madonna concert, a playboy bunnie getting married, the president's dog, and a drunk woman on a plane. And her guest star for the evening was Madchen Amick from NBC's 'My Own Worst Enemy'. Throughout the episode she pokes fun at almost everything she talks about. Her jokes range from race, sex, religion, to herself. Chelsea is someone who definitely knows how to laugh at herself.
The show overall was better than I expected it to be. I think this woman could literally talk about anything and people would listen, her good looks and incredible sense of humor probably are a key ingredient as well to her success. I don't think it matters that she is white... it's all about personality and she has one that can take over a room, a crowd, and maybe one day the world? I would definitely recommend people checking out her show. Be fore warned it is for MATURE audiences only.
For the second half of this blog post I will be discussing an actual news report... one from CNN. The broadcast itself aired on Tuesday November 11th at midnight. Throughout the broadcast the reports addressed issues such as the three major car companies (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) going out of business, an exclusive with Bush and President elect Obama, Obama's 'Battle Plans', the Obama family moving into the White House, John Edwards and his affair, lots of Sarah Palin talk, 7 high school kids beating and stabbing over anti immigrant issues, and of course more Obama.
Throughout the entire broadcast, mostly men were doing the reports, men with degrees from very prestigious colleges (such as Harvard and Stanford). More specifically a man named Anderson Cooper. I noticed that in the bottom right hand corner of the screen it said something about Anderson Cooper 360°. The only women broadcasters were Heidi Collins who interviewed President Bush about his time in the White House. Heidi was young, Caucasian and very pretty. She was more a listener, than a talker; she asked the questions and nodded whenever she felt necessary. The only other women in the broadcast were Randi Kaye & Carol Lee, both were also Caucasian and definitely in their late twenties or early thirties - relatively young. They discussed the Obama family moving into the White House and the cute animal video of the day.
All of the women who were mention previously had either fluff stories or human interest stories. It seemed to me that the women were not entrusted with any stories of value. I did not really noticed any older women or women of any other race or ethnicity. When can we take things seriously if the only stories woman reporters are getting are fluff? When Anderson Cooper and the random woman he shared the cute animal of the day video with were doing their voice overs.... it almost sounded as if he was mocking her. "Oh isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen? I could just watch this all day..." It was ridiculous.
However on another note I found it extremely interesting how much each news broadcast's commercials differed from one another. On E - The Entertainment Network the commercials were primarily food ads, advertisements for other shows on the network, or dating commercials. On the other end of the spectrum on CNN aired a commercial multiple times, during each commercial break informing people to watch an exclusive on the 'Escape from Jonestown' who was being reported on by Soledad O'Brien (who happens to be a woman).
I think that depending on the network of the broadcast (CNN, NBC, ABC, etc), along with the region it airs in, and what is actually happening in the news... the stories women reporters have will vary. As for how the broadcasters are styled and if they are more generally a specific race, class, or age I think that also depends on the network and region along with who that type of news is directed towards. Overall both news casts were interesting and informative. As for personal preference Chelsea was definitely more entertaining, maybe that's why her show airs on E and not CNN.
For my first actual blog posting I will be discussing how women are portrayed in News television. I decided against using my original idea of comparing a Chicago Newscast with a Carbondale Newscast. As an alternative my comparison is going to be between an Entertainment News broadcast and a CNN News broadcast. This way I would have a variety of news settings and actual news reports opposed to a variety of regions reporting on the same stories.
The Entertainment news show I watched is called Chelsea Lately. It airs on E - The Entertainment Network @11:30/10:30c. The show is rated TV14 SLD and primarily airs at night because it is based for a more mature audience. The show primarily focuses on Chelsea... hence 'Chelsea Lately'. Chelsea Handler is 32 years old, and grew up in New Jersey. She is the youngest of six children and has an extremely diverse background. With a Jewish father and a Mormon mother, Chelsea learned at a young age to start thinking for herself, and now makes insanely good money doing so. This raunchy television host started off doing comedy and she successfully managed to climb her way to the top of the corporate ladder. Not only does her entertainment news show have off the chart ratings but she is also guest starring in other television shows and is the author of a bestselling book, 'Are you there Vodka? It's me Chelsea'.
Chelsea's quick wit and blunt honesty makes her one of the more likable television talk show hosts. She's young, blond, thin, and hilarious... what more could you ask for. Her show has a variety of guest stars... having everyone from musicians, actors, to politicians. Chelsea's outgoing personality makes her easy to watch, and as you watch her show you realize that this the type of woman you wish was your mother. She engages her audience with her show, and includes the rest of her crew as well. Her assistant Chuy Bravo, is a short mexican man who is full of spunk. Bravo sits in on every episode and it's easy for viewers to tell that the two have a good working and personal relationship.
The episode I watched was on Tuesday November 11th at eleven o'clock at night... (a re-run i think). Chelsea discussed the Prop 8 Fallout, the recent Madonna concert, a playboy bunnie getting married, the president's dog, and a drunk woman on a plane. And her guest star for the evening was Madchen Amick from NBC's 'My Own Worst Enemy'. Throughout the episode she pokes fun at almost everything she talks about. Her jokes range from race, sex, religion, to herself. Chelsea is someone who definitely knows how to laugh at herself.
The show overall was better than I expected it to be. I think this woman could literally talk about anything and people would listen, her good looks and incredible sense of humor probably are a key ingredient as well to her success. I don't think it matters that she is white... it's all about personality and she has one that can take over a room, a crowd, and maybe one day the world? I would definitely recommend people checking out her show. Be fore warned it is for MATURE audiences only.
For the second half of this blog post I will be discussing an actual news report... one from CNN. The broadcast itself aired on Tuesday November 11th at midnight. Throughout the broadcast the reports addressed issues such as the three major car companies (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) going out of business, an exclusive with Bush and President elect Obama, Obama's 'Battle Plans', the Obama family moving into the White House, John Edwards and his affair, lots of Sarah Palin talk, 7 high school kids beating and stabbing over anti immigrant issues, and of course more Obama.
Throughout the entire broadcast, mostly men were doing the reports, men with degrees from very prestigious colleges (such as Harvard and Stanford). More specifically a man named Anderson Cooper. I noticed that in the bottom right hand corner of the screen it said something about Anderson Cooper 360°. The only women broadcasters were Heidi Collins who interviewed President Bush about his time in the White House. Heidi was young, Caucasian and very pretty. She was more a listener, than a talker; she asked the questions and nodded whenever she felt necessary. The only other women in the broadcast were Randi Kaye & Carol Lee, both were also Caucasian and definitely in their late twenties or early thirties - relatively young. They discussed the Obama family moving into the White House and the cute animal video of the day.
All of the women who were mention previously had either fluff stories or human interest stories. It seemed to me that the women were not entrusted with any stories of value. I did not really noticed any older women or women of any other race or ethnicity. When can we take things seriously if the only stories woman reporters are getting are fluff? When Anderson Cooper and the random woman he shared the cute animal of the day video with were doing their voice overs.... it almost sounded as if he was mocking her. "Oh isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen? I could just watch this all day..." It was ridiculous.
However on another note I found it extremely interesting how much each news broadcast's commercials differed from one another. On E - The Entertainment Network the commercials were primarily food ads, advertisements for other shows on the network, or dating commercials. On the other end of the spectrum on CNN aired a commercial multiple times, during each commercial break informing people to watch an exclusive on the 'Escape from Jonestown' who was being reported on by Soledad O'Brien (who happens to be a woman).
I think that depending on the network of the broadcast (CNN, NBC, ABC, etc), along with the region it airs in, and what is actually happening in the news... the stories women reporters have will vary. As for how the broadcasters are styled and if they are more generally a specific race, class, or age I think that also depends on the network and region along with who that type of news is directed towards. Overall both news casts were interesting and informative. As for personal preference Chelsea was definitely more entertaining, maybe that's why her show airs on E and not CNN.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Proposal
For my project I decided to talk about how diversely women are portrayed in the television media, more specifically how different views of women are portrayed with regard to race, class, and sexuality. After picking a topic I decided to break up my project into separate categories, each of these categories addresses multiple media formats... such as: news, fictional series, reality tv, and animation television. This blog is targeted for individuals who interested in seeing the differences in the multiple television formats. Ideally this blog is mainly for people over the age of 17, because some of the issues being discussed involve sexual content, drugs & alcohol, violence, and crude humor.
In the shows I will be reviewing, I may be exploring the following questions throughout the blog:
-Are different races equally portrayed in each format?
-Are women portrayed as members of one or multiple classes in each program?
-Is sexuality an outward characteristic portrayed by females in the examined shows?
-Does race, class, or sexuality affect...
*viewers perception of character's importance within the show?
*the characters likeability, strength, knowledge, or power?
For each individual blog posting a different media format will be represented. However with each posting different issues may be explored, depending on how diversely the women are represented.
For example in the...
News:
-How many women are broadcasting on a given showing?
-Are they primarily of a particular race, class, age?
-How are the women who are broadcasting styled?
-What are the types of stories these women are reporting on: are they fluff stories, politics, weather, human interest, social, or technological stories?
-Does the location or size of the market of the newscast impact the way women are portrayed? For example: A Chicago Nightly Newscast vs Carbondale News
Fictionalized Series:
-Is there a diverse representation of race, age, style, or class?
-How do these series address issues such as sexuality with the different female characters within one of the given programs?
-Does the targeted audience affect how differently women are portrayed with regard to race, class, and sexuality.... for example: Disney Channel vs. Nickelodeon (for children's television) vs. Desperate Housewives or Samantha Who?
Reality Television:
-Do the different types of reality television show a diverse mix of women?
-Do particular channels tend to represent particular women of a given race, or class more than another?
-How do different channels target certain audiences?
-Does the targeted audience affect how differently women are portrayed with regard to race, class, and sexuality.... for example: public television vs. the food network vs. BET vs. MTV/Vh1
Animated Television:
-How the portrayal of women affects the outcome of the other characters? For example: Family Guy vs. American Dad vs. Futurama
-Is race, class and sexuality diversely represented within characterizations of women on animated television?
Note: the shows previously mentioned may or may not be the actual shows that end up being reviewed based on availability...
In the shows I will be reviewing, I may be exploring the following questions throughout the blog:
-Are different races equally portrayed in each format?
-Are women portrayed as members of one or multiple classes in each program?
-Is sexuality an outward characteristic portrayed by females in the examined shows?
-Does race, class, or sexuality affect...
*viewers perception of character's importance within the show?
*the characters likeability, strength, knowledge, or power?
For each individual blog posting a different media format will be represented. However with each posting different issues may be explored, depending on how diversely the women are represented.
For example in the...
News:
-How many women are broadcasting on a given showing?
-Are they primarily of a particular race, class, age?
-How are the women who are broadcasting styled?
-What are the types of stories these women are reporting on: are they fluff stories, politics, weather, human interest, social, or technological stories?
-Does the location or size of the market of the newscast impact the way women are portrayed? For example: A Chicago Nightly Newscast vs Carbondale News
Fictionalized Series:
-Is there a diverse representation of race, age, style, or class?
-How do these series address issues such as sexuality with the different female characters within one of the given programs?
-Does the targeted audience affect how differently women are portrayed with regard to race, class, and sexuality.... for example: Disney Channel vs. Nickelodeon (for children's television) vs. Desperate Housewives or Samantha Who?
Reality Television:
-Do the different types of reality television show a diverse mix of women?
-Do particular channels tend to represent particular women of a given race, or class more than another?
-How do different channels target certain audiences?
-Does the targeted audience affect how differently women are portrayed with regard to race, class, and sexuality.... for example: public television vs. the food network vs. BET vs. MTV/Vh1
Animated Television:
-How the portrayal of women affects the outcome of the other characters? For example: Family Guy vs. American Dad vs. Futurama
-Is race, class and sexuality diversely represented within characterizations of women on animated television?
Note: the shows previously mentioned may or may not be the actual shows that end up being reviewed based on availability...
PROPOSAL SUMMARY:
I'm planning on exploring how women in the media are portrayed with regard to how diversely race, class, and sexuality are depicted on News, Fictionalized, Reality, and Animated television and if these portrayals affect the outcome or experience of the shows with respect to the other characters and the audience.
I'm planning on exploring how women in the media are portrayed with regard to how diversely race, class, and sexuality are depicted on News, Fictionalized, Reality, and Animated television and if these portrayals affect the outcome or experience of the shows with respect to the other characters and the audience.
Respectfully submitted by: Mollie Stetter, group of ONE!
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