Remembering with the Muppets: Considering the Media Franchise As a Site of Memory
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University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2015-09-03 Remembering with the Muppets: Considering the Media Franchise as a Site of Memory McDermott, Brenda McDermott, B. (2015). Remembering with the Muppets: Considering the Media Franchise as a Site of Memory (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27622 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/2426 doctoral thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Remembering with the Muppets: Considering the Media Franchise as a Site of Memory by Brenda Eileen McDermott A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTORATE OF PHILOSPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA August, 2015 © Brenda McDermott 2015 Running head: REMEMBERING WITH THE MUPPETS ibe Abstract Despite their increasing dominance of the television and film markets, franchises are often viewed as lacking creativity or as the result of the increasing corporatization of Hollywood. While these explanations partly address the emergence of media franchises, they fail to explore why audiences continue to return to these reruns, reboots, or repeats. This dissertation examines one aspect of the social function of media franchises—their role in collective memory. By examining the press coverage of the Muppet franchise over the course of thirty years, this study outlines how the Muppet franchise is situated as a site of continuity between past and present. Using frame analysis, different mnemonic frames are identified as the press coverage responds to changes in the franchise. Twelve different mnemonic frames emerge from the analysis of press coverage of the Muppet franchise. These frames fit within Nora’s (1989) concept of a site of memory, suggesting that the press coverage of the Muppet franchise promotes its use as a site of memory. In conclusion, this dissertation argues that part of the appeal of franchise productions is their role as a site of memory, helping build social continuity. Thus, the Muppet franchise could function like other traditional sites of memory, memorials and museums. However, the Muppet franchise is privately owned and protected by intellectual property rights, unlike the national and public- ownership of traditional sites of memory. This private ownership could, therefore, have implications on the expression of memory, particularly how remembrance is transformed in a consumptive act. Keywords: Franchise, Frame Analysis, Jim Henson, Memory, Muppet, Site of Memory, Walt Disney Corporation. REMEMBERING WITH THE MUPPETS ii Acknowledgements Nobody ever reads those names . do they? Sure they all have families. —The Great Muppet Caper (1981) A dissertation is a complex project and it is the product of the many experiences and influences one has along the way. As such, I would like to thank the many individuals who have made the completion of this dissertation possible. Foremost, I owe a debt to my supervisor, Dr. Brian Rusted. During the early stages of the project, Dr. Rusted introduced me to emerging trends in communication research and inspired me to consider questions about the performativity and materiality of media. Later, he persevered through my many rough drafts and patiently waited as I found the final formulation of this project. As result, his insightful comments shaped the rough draft into a solid scholarly contribution. Along with my supervisor, I would like to express my gratitude for the input provided by members of my supervisory committee—Dr. Dawn Johnston and Dr. Florentine Strzelczyk. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to help refine this project and for supporting my journey to become a member of academic community. I also like to thank the external examiners—Dr. Scott Radford and Dr. Serra Tinic. In addition to these committee members, I would like to highlight the encouragement and advice of both Dr. Charlene Elliot and Dr. Barbara Schneider. During the data gathering stages, I was able to access the Jim Henson Company’s press clippings, through its archives. In particular, I would like to thank Karen Falk for arranging the retrieval of the press clippings during my visit to the New York office. I also would like to thank the various staff members with the University of Calgary’s Library and Cultural Resources for assisting with the retrieval of various newspaper indexes and microfilm. REMEMBERING WITH THE MUPPETS iii I would also like to acknowledge the role of my colleagues at the University of Calgary’s Student Success Centre, Writing Support Services, and Student Accessibility Services. It is hard to imagine another place where everyone is as passionate about supporting each other. I could not have had a better set of cheerleaders throughout the process. In particular, I would like to thank Lourdes Arciniega, Kari Coleman, Paul Papin, and Roxanne Ross who were always willing to read drafts and make me accountable for my goals. Kelly Kay Spurlock provided optimism and positivity along the way. While there would be too many to name, the students with which I have worked were an unending and invaluable source of support. Thank you for reminding me that I had the abilities and skills need to complete the project, particularly when I had forgotten. I would like to thank my family, who have be unbelievably understanding through the past years. Thank you to the Parsons family for your patience as I read and wrote over family holidays. I would also like to thank my father and my sister for being excited—often more than me—about conferences and other academic milestones. I owe a debt to my mother, who showed her love by reading drafts of this dissertation and other writing—without complaint. Having you as a friendly-first reader help me refine my ideas and make sure that did not get lost in the jargon of the field. I cannot express my gratitude for all that my husband, Shawn Parsons, has done throughout the journey of this dissertation. It is more than the million small acts of support: cooking dinner, washing dishes, driving to coffee shops, retrieving books, and dealing with tears. I could not have finished this process without you. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the inspiration for this dissertation: Michelle McDermott. Though she died in 1989, prior to Jim Henson, she remains his biggest fan. Despite all the research, I will never truly have her REMEMBERING WITH THE MUPPETS iv understanding of his work. Even at the age of four, she understood that you cannot separate Bert and Ernie. If you look closely, you can see her small fingerprints through this work. REMEMBERING WITH THE MUPPETS v Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... v CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 Why Muppets Matter ................................................................................................................... 5 Scholarly Literature on the Muppets ........................................................................................... 6 The Muppets as a Media Franchise .......................................................................................... 14 The Study of Franchises within Media Studies ........................................................................ 15 Definitions of Franchises .......................................................................................................... 15 Approaches to Studying Media Franchises ............................................................................... 20 Commonalities Across Approaches to the Study of Media Franchises .................................... 28 Franchises’ Connection to Memory .......................................................................................... 31 The Benefit of Memory Studies to Understanding the Social Function of Franchises ............ 33 Outline of Study .......................................................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER 2—MEMORY STUDIES APPROACH TO MEDIA FRANCHISES ............... 37 Definitions of Memory ................................................................................................................ 38 Appeal of Memory Studies ......................................................................................................... 38 Halbwachs’s Notion of Collective Memory ............................................................................. 39 Second Wave of Memory Studies .............................................................................................. 41 Assmann’s Cultural