Shadowland of Television

THE SHADOWLAND OF TELEVISION: The Shadow Images of Unreality as Found in American Corporate Television Production and the Emphasis on Social Reality in Foreign Broadcast Programming. Gerald E. Thomson B.A.(History/Geography) & P.D.P.(Professional Development Program - Education), Simon Fraser University, 1979. THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Communication. @ Gerald E. Thomson 1992. SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY March 1992. All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME: Gerald E. Thomson DEGREE: Master of Arts TITLE OF THESIS: The Shadowland of Television: The Shadow Images of Unreality as Found in American Corporate Television Production and the Emphasis on Social Reality in Foreign Broadcast Programming. EXAMINING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: Dr. William Rward~,Aqhociate Professor . \.\A\ Dr. Martin ~bba,&+!ate Professor Senior Supervisor Department of Communication Simon Fraser University .- Dr. Richard Gruneau, Professor Department of Communication Simon Fraser Universiiy \ I* 1' Dr. Paul ~eyeh~ro~s$x Department of communication Simon Fraser University - / 'C - - Dr. Suzanne DeCastell, Professor Faculty of Education Simon Fraser University DATE APPROVED: March 3, 1992 - PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis or dissertation (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Dissertation: l'he Shadowland of Television: 'l'he Shadow of Inlaqes of Unreality as found in A~ncrican Corporate '~'elevisionProduction and the Eniphasis on Social Reality in Foreiqn Broadcast Programming. Author: - --", - --".Ivy.. signature Gerald E. Thonlson name March 3, 1992 date Abstract : This thesis is not an analytical or theoretical study of television. It doesn't attempt to directly measure an audience's response to television programming, nor does it present any significant statistical proof of viewer reaction to television content. Instead this thesis attempts to frame a symbolic relationship between Plato's allegory of the cave and the dichotomy of global television. The earth's television landscape is divided between the corporate-capitalist networks of America and the state-owned or independent broadcasters of the remaining countries. America has always tried to dominate global broadcasting and doggedly attempts to maintain its position of media superiority. Plato's cave allegory is a classic tale of prisoners held captive below the ground and exposed only to shadow images of an artificial reality. Chained to face the back wall of the cave they can but stare at an endless array of images coming from a parapet screen placed behind them. Even when one of their own kind escapes to the world above and returns to tell of its wonders, he is killed. This thesis will examine four areas of television in order to suggest that America has isolated itself in a cave of artificial televised shadow images and refuses to recognize the reality of circumstances outside this realm. Only during periods of economic recession or social strife has American television escaped its unrealistic mode of thought and become critical of its own society. Otherwise America seems to be overly concerned with programming that portrays families continuously consuming goods, patriotic military actions abroad and a controllable domestic crime problem. The American audience does not want to watch television of a critical nature and seems to prefer programming that is enveloped by traditional American myths. Outside the confines of America's corporate cave exists a type of television broadcasting that is radically different in its approach to programming. Foreign television uses its own particular cultural experiences as the material basis for creating television content. Despite forty years of massive television exports from America to all parts of the world, the local production of socially relevant programming is still a viable activity. American culture has tried to assert its stance of cultural superiority through the broadcasting system as its programming continually glorifies the 'American way of life". I I Despite this assault on the senses, foreign audiences respond most favourably to their own cultural experiences on television. This type of programming differs from its American counterpart in that depictions of social classes, urban poverty, the human struggle to survive and similar issues are simply more prevalent. Such realistic media content when broadcast on American television is either of a short duration or evokes a sudden panic reaction and subsequent rejection. The social perspective of the United States is unique and is not a universally shared outlook, although if one were to watch enough American television this conclusion would not be possible. This thesis, above all else, tries to cast doubt on the dominant position of American television and thus portrays it as being held captive by a corporate cave mentality. The Baudrillardian fatalism of the "American model" is not yet a fait accompli as global television broadcasting has failed to succumb to this shadowland of commercial culture. Acknowledgement: The author of this thesis wishes to acknowledge the following people without whose assistance its completion would not have been possible. To Mrs.Eileen Thomson whose typing and patient proof reading have been of great value to me since I first entered college. To Ms. Pamela Smith-Gander who first suggested that I read Plato's cave allegory in The Republic and embark upon this project. Without the brutal editing of Ms. Smith-Gander and Mrs. Eileen Thomson this thesis would have been unreadable. To Mr. Gary McCarron whose valuable academic suggestions kept me on track when I was straying from the path. To Dr. Paul Heyer and Dr. Martin Laba of my thesis committee who reviewed the thesis before the defence. To Dr. Suzanne de Castell who served as the external examiner for this thesis. Many thanks. Table of Contents: -Abstract .................................................. pp.14 -Acknowledgements .......................................... p.iii -Table of Contents ........................................... pp.iv.vi -Introduction ................................................ ~1-18 i.The Allegory ............................................... p.1 ii.Reality, unreality and the Platonic shadows of American television culture . p.2 iii.Media. capitalism and the social nature of mass images ............... p.9 iv.The myth-driven culture of America .............................. p.11 v.Four areas of television ...................................... p.13 -Chapter 1 : 'Home and Hearth on Television: Family Life on Television from the 1950's to the 1980's.' ............................................... i.American media realism in the 1930's ............................ p.19 ii.Television and the suburban family reality of the 1950's ............... p.23 iii.Television and domestic stagnation in the 1960's .................... p.34 iv.The politicized portrayal of family life in the 1970's ................... p.41 v.The uncritical nature of family drama in the 1980's ................... p.47 vi.Family realism in the age of postmodernism ....................... p.53 vii.Conclusion ............................................... p.55 -Chapter 2: 'All Quiet on the Domestic Front: War and Crime's Depiction on Television from the 1950's to the 1960's.' ................................... pp.66. 123 I. War: i.Patriotism and war .......................................... p.67 ii.Police actions abroad and fear of communism at home ................ p.68 iii.The Vietnam war early media coverage ........................... p.71 iv.The Tet offensive and stalemate war ............................ p.73 v.Bad press at home and abroad ................................. p.76 vi.Television's influence on the Vietnam war ......................... p.79 vii.The retreat from realism back to censorship ....................... p.81 viii.The limitations of media activism and the Persian Gulf war ............ p.82 II. Crime: i.The necessity of crime and punishment ........................... p.84 ii.Televised American crime drama in the 1950's ...................... p.85 iii.Social violence in the 1960's and the creation of a scary world .......... p.88 iv.Televised American crime drama in the 1960's ..................... p.91 v.Britainls restrained view of crime in the 1960's ...................... p.95 vi.Televised American crime drama in the 1970's ..................... p.96 vii .Deceptive images of crime enforcement in Britain and Japan ........... p.99 viii.Televised American crime drama in the 1980's ..................... p . 100 ix.The emphasis on social realism in the crime dramas of Britain and Australia p.103 x.Desperate measures in America ................................ p . 106 xi.Americals over reliance on video enforcement

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