DOCSLIB.ORG

Grown-Ish Introduction

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Grown-Ish Introduction THE REPRESENTATION OF FEMALE AFRICAN MONEJAH BLACK AMERICAN COLLEGE NATHANIEL FREDERICK, PHD, FACULTY STUDENTS ON MENTOR EMMANUEL NWACHUKWU, FACULTY TELEVISION: A MENTOR CONTENT ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION OF A DIFFERENT WINTHROP UNIVERSITY WORLD AND GROWN-ISH INTRODUCTION Source: Wikipedia Commons Source: Fan Art TV •1987-1993 • 2018-present •Spin-off of The Cosby • College • Spin-off of Black-ish: experience of Show: black female the female black female daughter daughter (Denise African (Zoey Johnson) American lead attends California Huxtable) attends Hillman Predominantly Historically Black character University (PWI) White College (HBCU) College or University Institution Source: HBCU Buzz Source: TV Over Mind WHY IT MATTERS The representation of the female AA college student The representation of the college experience PWI non-minority students who have limited first-hand experience with AAs prior to/during college Who’s watching? What are they learning? High school students who have limited knowledge of what to expect in college LITERATURE REVIEW The Social Construction Sitcoms and African of the African American American Portrayal on Family on Television Television Television as a Vicarious Perceived Realism Experience THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY ON TELEVISION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE COSBY SHOW AND BLACK-ISH Differences in How AA family is Similarities in family Textual analysis on willingness to address constructed on demographics (well- The Cosby Show and certain topics such as television, evolved rounded, educated, Black-ish racial issues and over time suburban) stereotypes Stamps (2008) Source: Amazon Source: NPR SITCOMS AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PORTRAYAL ON TELEVISION Situational Comedy • Comical, yet expected to be Characters with Tells us how to run traits the audience moral our lives relate to • “The producers seem to have forgotten that you can’t raise a Berman moral issue and play with it— (1987) people expect you to solve it. …it exploits social issues Provides perspective Enact realistic life on certain aspects of without making sense of them” occurrences life Berman (1987) SITCOMS…CONTINUED African American Portrayal on Television Source: Slate Magazine Source: YouTube Source: IMDb Minstrelsy Era Nonrecognition Assimilation Era (1950 to 1953) Era (1954 to 1967) Amos ‘N’ Andy, (1968 to 1971) Beulah Car 54, Where Are You?, Hogan’s The Bill Cosby Heroes Show*, Julia (Means Coleman, 2005) SITCOMS…CONTINUED African American Portrayal on Television Source: Fame Focus Source: TV Series Finale Source: CliqueClack Lear Era Black Family Diversity (Cosby Neo- (1972 to 1983) Ye a r s ) Minstrelsy Era Sanford and Son, (1984 to 1989) (1990 to 1998) Good Times, The Jeffersons The Cosby Show, A Martin, The Different World, Wayans Bros. 227 (Means Coleman, 2005) SITCOMS…CONTINUED African American Portrayal on Television Source: One News Now Source: Amazon Source: Wikipedia Source: Sim International Source: ShareTV Source: DirecTV TELEVISION AS A VICARIOUS EXPERIENCE • Vicarious experience: Knowledge gained through means other than direct experience • Television is a “window on the world” for providing children, families, and communities information otherwise not available to them (Graves 1999) • Televised role portrayals can lead to stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination (Graves 1999) • Viewers are likely to believe TV as true to form, serves as knowledge gap for viewers without first-hand experience with another race (Ford 1997) PERCEIVED REALISM Five factors that contribute to narrative persuasion, which can then influence individual behavior and societal action (Cho et al. 2012) Factuality (Made up or Typicality not) Narrative Consistency (Similar to (Without real life) contradictions) Perceptual Plausibility Narrative Quality (Possible) Persuasion (Convincing audio and visuals) How was the lead female AA character portrayed? Source: Fan Art TV What is the predominant theme of each episode? RESEARCH How realistic were the portrayals QUESTIONS of the events in each episode? Did the episode resolve the conflict? Source: Wikipedia Commons What is the tone of the episode? • Content analysis of first season of A Different World (22 episodes) and Grown-ish (13 episodes) • Unit of analysis: Each episode = one unit • Coding for: – a set of character traits METHOD – overall theme – perceived realism – conflict resolution – tone • Analyzed using SPSS Chi Squared Fisher’s Exact Test METHOD Source: FreeForm Source: Variety Source: Black Girl Nerds Source: The Agony Booth RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS A Different World Grown-ish P-Value # of total # of total Y/N Y/N % Y/N Y/N% occurrences occurrences Anxious 17 12 (5) 71%(30%) 6 6 (0) 100% n.s. Enthusiastic 16 13 (3) 81% (19%) 10 8 (2) 80% (20%) n.s. Friendly 18 16 (2) 89% (11%) 10 9 (1) 90% (10%) n.s. n.s. Imaginative 12 11 (1) 92% (8%) 3 1 (2) 33% (67%) *marginally sig. Motivated 17 9 (8) 53% (47%) 7 5 (2) 71% (29%) n.s. Open-minded 18 15 (3) 83%(17%) 5 3 (2) 60% (40%) n.s. Organized 13 7 (6) 54% (46%) 3 1 (2) 33% (67%) n.s. Responsible 18 12 (6) 67% (33%) 11 4 (7) 36% (64%) n.s. Smart 17 12 (5) 70% (30%) 9 4 (5) 44% (56%) n.s. Sympathetic 18 16 (2) 89% (11%) 9 9 (0) 100% n.s. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Predominant Theme of Episodes 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Friendship Academics Drugs/Alcohol Money Romantic Race Other Relationships A Different World 27% 9% 0 9% 31% 0 22% Grown-ish 7% 0 15% 0 46% 14% 23% RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Quality Perception, Plausible, Ty p i c a l , F a c t u a l Consistent Narrative 100% 38% Quality Perception 100% Typical 73% 92% Plausible 95% 100% Consistent Narrative 61% 100% Factual 82% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Grown-ish A Different World 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Grown-ish A Different World RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 100% To n e 100% 70% 80% 60% 30% Conflict Resolution 40% 20% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% 14% Positive Neutral Negative 80% 61% A Different World Grownish 60% 86% 40% 39% 20% 0% A Different World Grown-ish Yes No Grown-ish overall more culturally aware and established than A Different World More provocative and suggestive content in Grown-ish RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Grown-ish displays as more imaginative and fictional A Different World feels more in tune with the real world, with real problems IMPLICATIONS Perceived The portrayal of “…you can’t drugs/alcohol, Realism raise a moral race relations, issue and play academics, with it.” romantic (Berman 1987) relationships Narrative Persuasion Are the What is the resolutions to tone in the the conflicts discussion of sound and these topics? Individual reasonable? behavior and societal action LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS Small sample size of only 35 total episodes analyzed Content analysis emphasizes quantitative rather than qualitative data -Insufficient size to Research not exhaustive in data show statistical -Multiple methods available in the shows significance suitable for television -Expand sample size -Some characteristics analysis and themes to encompass several -Textual analysis for seasons unaccounted for or more in-depth not emphasized qualitative results -Implementing an approach that captures full data SELECTED REFERENCES • Berman, R. (1987). Sitcoms. Journal of Aesthetic Education,21(1), 5-19. doi:10.2307/3332810 • Chatmon, P., & Biermann, T. (Directors). (2018). Grown-ish [Television series]. Burbank, California: Freeform. • Cho, H., Shen, L., & Wilson, K. (2014). Perceived Realism: Dimensions and Roles in Narrative Persuasion. Communication Research, 41(6), 828–851. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650212450585 • Coleman, R. R. M., & McIlwain, C. (2005).The hidden truths in black sitcoms. In The Sitcom Reader: America Viewed and Skewed (pp. 125-137). State University of New York Press. • Graves, S. B. (1999). Television and Prejudice Reduction: When Does Television as a Vicarious Experience Make a Difference. Journal of Social Issues, 55(4), 707–727. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.winthropuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=3067677 • Punyanunt-Carter, N. (2008). The Perceived Realism of African American Portrayals on Television. Howard Journal of Communications, 19(3), 241–257. https://doi-org.winthropuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/10646170802218263 • Stamps, D. (2017). The Social Construction of the African American Family on Broadcast Television: A Comparative Analysis of The Cosby Show and Blackish. Howard Journal of Communications, 28(4), 405–420. https://doi- org.winthropuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/10646175.2017.1315688 • Werner, T. (Producer). (1987). A Different World [Television series]. New York City, New York: NBC. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dr. Cheryl Fortner-Wood Dr. Nathaniel Frederick Professor Emmanuel Nwachukwu Winthrop McNair Scholars Program Fellow McNair Cohort Winthrop University QUESTIONS? EMAIL [email protected] HYPOTHESIS Grown-ish will A Different World portray more has more perceived diverse character realism, more traits and episode conflict resolution, themes and more serious tone Less perceived Less diverse realism, resolution character traits and of conflict, and episode themes serious tone CODING WORKSHEET Category Ye s No N/A Anxious Enthusiastic Friendly Imaginative Motivated Open-minded Organized Responsible Smart Sympathetic Other CODING WORKSHEET Category Yes No N/A Consistent Narrative Factual Plausible Quality Perception Typical CODING WORKSHEET ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS What is the predominant theme of the episode? • a) Friendship b) Academics c) Drugs/Alcohol d) Money e) Romantic Relationships f) Race e) Other Did the episode help resolve the conflict? • Yes or No What is the tone of the episode? • a) Positive b) Neutral c) Negative.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • An Analysis of Hegemonic Social Structures in "Friends"
    "I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU" IF YOU ARE JUST LIKE ME: AN ANALYSIS OF HEGEMONIC SOCIAL STRUCTURES IN "FRIENDS" Lisa Marie Marshall A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2007 Committee: Katherine A. Bradshaw, Advisor Audrey E. Ellenwood Graduate Faculty Representative James C. Foust Lynda Dee Dixon © 2007 Lisa Marshall All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Katherine A. Bradshaw, Advisor The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the dominant ideologies and hegemonic social constructs the television series Friends communicates in regard to friendship practices, gender roles, racial representations, and social class in order to suggest relationships between the series and social patterns in the broader culture. This dissertation describes the importance of studying television content and its relationship to media culture and social influence. The analysis included a quantitative content analysis of friendship maintenance, and a qualitative textual analysis of alternative families, gender, race, and class representations. The analysis found the characters displayed actions of selectivity, only accepting a small group of friends in their social circle based on friendship, gender, race, and social class distinctions as the six characters formed a culture that no one else was allowed to enter. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project stems from countless years of watching and appreciating television. When I was in college, a good friend told me about a series that featured six young people who discussed their lives over countless cups of coffee. Even though the series was in its seventh year at the time, I did not start to watch the show until that season.
    [Show full text]
  • Blacks Reveal TV Loyalty
    Page 1 1 of 1 DOCUMENT Advertising Age November 18, 1991 Blacks reveal TV loyalty SECTION: MEDIA; Media Works; Tracking Shares; Pg. 28 LENGTH: 537 words While overall ratings for the Big 3 networks continue to decline, a BBDO Worldwide analysis of data from Nielsen Media Research shows that blacks in the U.S. are watching network TV in record numbers. "Television Viewing Among Blacks" shows that TV viewing within black households is 48% higher than all other households. In 1990, black households viewed an average 69.8 hours of TV a week. Non-black households watched an average 47.1 hours. The three highest-rated prime-time series among black audiences are "A Different World," "The Cosby Show" and "Fresh Prince of Bel Air," Nielsen said. All are on NBC and all feature blacks. "Advertisers and marketers are mainly concerned with age and income, and not race," said Doug Alligood, VP-special markets at BBDO, New York. "Advertisers and marketers target shows that have a broader appeal and can generate a large viewing audience." Mr. Alligood said this can have significant implications for general-market advertisers that also need to reach blacks. "If you are running a general ad campaign, you will underdeliver black consumers," he said. "If you can offset that delivery with those shows that they watch heavily, you will get a small composition vs. the overall audience." Hit shows -- such as ABC's "Roseanne" and CBS' "Murphy Brown" and "Designing Women" -- had lower ratings with black audiences than with the general population because "there is very little recognition that blacks exist" in those shows.
    [Show full text]
  • Fall Colors, 2001-02: Prime Time Diversity Report. INSTITUTION Children Now, Oakland, CA
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 464 750 PS 030 374 AUTHOR Parker, McCrae A.; Miller, Patti; Espejo, Eileen; Grossman-Swenson, Sarah TITLE Fall Colors, 2001-02: Prime Time Diversity Report. INSTITUTION Children Now, Oakland, CA. SPONS AGENCY Mott (C.S.) Foundation, Flint, MI. PUB DATE 2002-04-00 NOTE 49p.; For Fall Colors II, see ED 444 707. Also supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies. AVAILABLE FROM Children Now, 1212 Broadway, 5th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Tel: 510-763-2444; Fax: 510-763-1974; e-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http://www.childrennow.org/media/fc2002/fc-2002-report.pdf. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Comparative Analysis; Content Analysis; *Cultural Pluralism; *Diversity (Institutional); Ethnicity; Mass Media Effects; *Programming (Broadcast); Racial Distribution; Television Research IDENTIFIERS Diversity (Groups) ABSTRACT Television is an integral part of American culture, and has the ability to play a major role in shaping belief systems, particularly for the youngest and most impressionable viewers. This study is the third annual study of diversity of characters in prime time television programming. The study examined the first two episodes of each prime time entertainment series airing on the six broadcast networks. The findings indicate that despite ongoing emphasis, encouragement, and pressure on the part of media advocates, civil rights groups, government officials, and even some entertainment industry leaders, the networks have yet to produce a prime time
    [Show full text]
  • “It's Gonna Be Some Drama!”: a Content Analytical Study Of
    “IT’S GONNA BE SOME DRAMA!”: A CONTENT ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE PORTRAYALS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON BET’S COLLEGE HILL _______________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by SIOBHAN E. SMITH Dr. Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, Dissertation Supervisor DECEMBER 2010 © Copyright by Siobhan E. Smith 2010 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled “IT’S GONNA BE SOME DRAMA!”: A CONTENT ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE PORTRAYALS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON BET’S COLLEGE HILL presented by Siobhan E. Smith, a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Professor Jennifer Stevens Aubrey Professor Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz Professor Melissa Click Professor Ibitola Pearce Professor Michael J. Porter This work is dedicated to my unborn children, to my niece, Brooke Elizabeth, and to the young ones who will shape our future. First, all thanks and praise to God, from whom all blessings flow. For it was written: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). My dissertation included! The months of all-nighters were possible were because You gave me strength; when I didn’t know what to write, You gave me the words. And when I wanted to scream, You gave me peace. Thank you for all of the people you have used to enrich my life, especially those I have forgotten to name here.
    [Show full text]
  • Whether You're Dark Or You're Fair
    “Whether You’re Dark or You’re Fair”: The Black Female Body in A Different World and School Daze By Inda Lauryn Note: This piece was written sometime between 2003 and 2006 during my graduate school years. It was never published. Introduction Although the primary purpose of comedy is to make us laugh, it also at times serves as a vehicle to address or comment upon societal issues. Historically, film and television executives have assumed that audiences would not be receptive to socially-conscious programming, particularly programming that comes with an African-American face. For instance, Herman Gray (1995) argues that blackness and blacks “served to amuse and comfort culturally sanctioned notions of whiteness, especially white superiority and paternalism (p. 75),” implying that African Americans exist in a very limited capacity within the television world. Interestingly, African Americans have mostly been relegated to the realm of comedy (and musical performance) in their film and television representations. As a result, not only have these representations carried a significant amount of weight within the overall scheme of African- American images, but they have also led African Americans to seek more creative ways in which to use comedy for purposes other than laughter. Quite possibly the success of Norman Lear’s situation comedies from the 1970s and the success of blaxploitation cinema of that same era forced executives to realize that there was a viable black audience willing not only to laugh at itself but also willing to examine the social conditions surrounding them. Yet, at the heart of these representations lie the legacies of the tom, the buck, the coon, the tragic mulatto, the mammy, Sambo and Sapphire, as scholars such as Donald Bogle (1994) have documented.
    [Show full text]
  • Hillman College Is a Different World from Where You Come
    HILLMAN COLLEGE IS A DIFFERENT WORLD FROM WHERE YOU COME FROM: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS IN A DIFFERENT WORLD Natilie Yvonne Williams 130 Pages This study focuses on the identity and relationships portrayed in the television series, A Different World. Although the popular series ended in 1993, this show continues to resonate with the African-American community. Specifically, Ron, D’Wayne, and Whitley are the primary characters of focus. Ron and D’Wayne maintain a brotherhood, while Whitley and D’Wayne maintain a romantic relationship. Both of these relationships include implicit expectations, illustrate varying levels of reciprocity, and provide identity- shaping communicative feedback. KEYWORDS: A Different World, Communication Theory of Identity, HBCU, Identity, Identity Negotiation Theory, Social Exchange Theory HILLMAN COLLEGE IS A DIFFERENT WORLD FROM WHERE YOU COME FROM: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS IN A DIFFERENT WORLD NATILIE YVONNE WILLIAMS A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE School of Communication ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY 2016 © 2016 Natilie Yvonne Williams HILLMAN COLLEGE IS A DIFFERENT WORLD FROM WHERE YOU COME FROM:A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS IN A DIFFERENT WORLD NATILIE YVONNE WILLIAMS COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Joseph Zompetti, Chair Lauren Bratslavsky John Baldwin Pamela Hoff ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis has been a journey, but most importantly, it has been a passion project. I thank God for the peace that has made this such a low-stress venture, no matter how time consuming. I am beyond grateful to God for the wisdom and understanding that has gotten me to this very point in my life.
    [Show full text]
  • Mainstage Playbill Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director
    Mainstage Playbill Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director written by John Markus and Mark St. Germain, original music by Randy Courts, original lyrics by Mark St. Germain Levin Valayil, Joel Blum, D.C. Anderson, Scott Wakefield. Photo by Matthew Holler. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. THE FABULOUS LIPITONES written by John Markus and Mark St. Germain, original music by Randy Courts, original lyrics by Mark St. Germain CAST (in alphabetical order) Howard Dunphy.........................D.C. Anderson* Wally Smith...............................Joel Blum* Baba Mati Singh (Bob)................Levin Valayil* Phil Rizzardi..............................Scott Wakefield* Scenic Designers Costume Designer Isabel & Moriah Curley-Clay April Soroko Lighting Designer Sound Designer Musical Staging Christopher Bailey Jason Romney Joel Blum Stage Manager Roy Johns* Musical Director Steven Freeman Director John Markus Season Underwriters Georgia Court, Dennis & Graci McGillicuddy, Anne Nethercott Please Note: There is a strobe light effect used in this production. Originally produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price, Executive Director Goodspeed Musicals has achieved international acclaim for its dedication to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre. Under the direction of Michael P. Price since 1968, Goodspeech produced three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut and specialized in producing and developing new musicals at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut. For the Goodspeed stages, 19 musicals have gone to Broadway (including Man of La Mancha, Shenandoah, Annie) and over 75 new musicals have been launched. Also integral to its mission, Goodspeed houses the Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and has established the Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater to educate and train future generations of theatergoers and theatrical professionals.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Leadership in Primetime Television an Introductory Study
    Women’s Leadership in Primetime Television An Introductory Study Natalie Greene Spring 2009 General University Honors Capstone Advisor: Karen O’Connor Greene 1 Women’s Leadership in Prime-time Television: An Introductory Study Introduction When television executives report their core audience, women always come out ahead. A 2007 Nielsen Media Research report showed that, with only two exceptions, every broadcast network channel had more female viewers than men. ABC’s female audience almost doubled its male audience during the 2007-08 season (Atkinson, 2008). 1 Women onscreen, however, seem to reflect a different reality, making up only 43% of characters in the prime-time 2007-08 season (Lauzen, 2008). 2 As studies going back as far as the 1970s show, women on screen not only fail to represent the proportional makeup of women in society, they also overwhelmingly show a stereotypically gendered version of women (McNeil, 1975; Signorielli and Bacue, 1999; United States Commission on Civil Rights, 1977). This paper aims to address the evolution of women’s leadership in prime-time network scripted television from 1950 to 2008. Because of the way that women have been traditionally marginalized in television, it is important to study the shows that have featured women as lead characters. Characters such as Lucy Ricardo ( I Love Lucy, 1951-1960) influenced later female leads such as Ann Marie ( That Girl, 1966-1971), Mary Richards ( The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1970-1977) and Murphy Brown ( Murphy Brown, 1988-1998). Thus, along with an introduction to socialization theory and feminist television criticism, this paper covers a selection of some of the most influential female characters and women-centered shows of this period.
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Presenting Black People Through OTT Television Bradley C
    Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2018 Re-Presenting Black People Through OTT Television Bradley C. Chatman Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Communication Studies at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Chatman, Bradley C., "Re-Presenting Black People Through OTT eT levision" (2018). Masters Theses. 3551. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/3551 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Graduate School� -- F.11,111{\Iil1 I ... ,;; C"1\'l ll'111 Thesis Maintenance and Reproduction Certificate FOR: Graduate Candidates Completing Theses in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree Graduate Faculty Advisors Directing the Theses RE: Preservation, Reproduction, and Distribution of Thesis Research Preserving, reproducing, and distributing thesis research is an important part of Booth Library's responsibility to provide access to scholarship. In order to further this goal, Booth Library makes all graduate theses completed as part of a degree program at Eastern Illinois University available for personal study, research, and other not-for­ profit educational purposes. Under 17 U.S.C. § 108, the library may reproduce and distribute a copy without infringing on copyright; however, professional courtesy dictates that permission be requested from the author before doing so. Your signatures affirm the following: •The graduate candidate is the author of this thesis. •The graduate candidate retains the copyright and intellectual property rights associated with the original research, creative activity, and intellectual or artistic content of the thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • Race and the Global Popularity of the Cosby Show Timothy Havens INDIANA UNIVERSITY
    ‘The biggest show in the world’: race and the global popularity of The Cosby Show Timothy Havens INDIANA UNIVERSITY Introduction The Cosby Show changed the face of American television and set a new standard for representing African American families in non-stereotyped roles. It rewrote the book on syndication when Viacom required stations to bid for the privilege of airing the show (Heuton, 1990), and it fuelled the networks’ efforts to have the FCC’s financial-syndication rules repealed to allow NBC to share in the show’s $600 million syndication revenues (Andrews, 1992). The Cosby Show also profoundly altered international television syndication, proving the international marketability of the now staple comedy format, establishing Viacom as a major distributor during a time of global deregulation, and drawing dedicated audiences as only Dallas and Dynasty previously had. While many scholars have addressed the show’s domestic popularity (Boyd, 1997; Downing, 1988; Gray, 1995; Press, 1991; Taylor, 1989), its international acceptance remains a virtual mystery.1 Recently, the world has witnessed a dramatic increase in the export of middle-class African American situation comedies which are directly linked to The Cosby Show’s success. This article investigates the various economic, textual and audience practices that led to the show’s international success, and that continue to make middle-class African American sitcoms lucrative international fare. In an era of increased interdependence of television markets, where shows must exhibit international appeal ‘before anything moves forward’ (Schapiro, 1991: 29) in domestic production, The Cosby Show set the representational and marketing standards that continue to determine what types of African American shows get produced, and where Media, Culture & Society © 2000 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks and New Delhi), Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Sardonic Humor Is My Way of Relating to the World__ Audience
    1 Abstract: There is a lengthy history of teenagers on television, and of teenagers as a television viewing audience. Over the past decade, developments in how technology allows audiences to interact with television have affected both the structure and content of television that features and caters to teenagers. Using specific texts (most notably Gossip Girl (The CW, 2007-2012), Riverdale (The CW, 2017-), and Heathers (Paramount, 2017)) and the paratexts formed by audience members in their interaction online with the original texts and their creators, this thesis seeks to understand how teen television has adapted itself to fit the models created by the internet and its users and the nature of its potential repercussions for the genre and for television in general. 2 “Sardonic Humor is My Way of Relating to the World”: Audience Interaction With Teen Television, 2007 - Present Chloe Harkins Bachelor of Arts Thesis, Film Studies Program 3 Acknowledgements: I would like to first thank my thesis advisor, Robin Blaetz, whose infinite enthusiasm for and faith in this project, as well as her patience in approaching a subject out of her usual realm of study, truly was what kept it going. Thank you to the other two members of my thesis committee; Elizabeth Markovits, who has provided consistent support and massively assisted my growth throughout my four years at Mount Holyoke, and Amy Rodgers, who gave me one of my most rewarding experiences in a class during my last semester. Thank you to all my professors at Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Amherst, especially those in media studies who helped me build the understanding of television/the internet/“television and the internet” that became the basis for this work.
    [Show full text]
  • Black History Month Trivia 2021
    Welcome! These questions were made by the 2020-2021 VOICE E-board. Although these trivia questions do not cover the entire scope of Black History, we believe it is a start to encourage the learning and celebration of Black History. We hope that you learn something new! 1. Who was the first African American woman to earn licensure as a practicing veterinarian? a. Dr. Jane Hinton b. Dr. Alfreda Webb c. Dr. Margie Lee d. Dr. Lisa Grey 2. In what year was interracial marriage legalized in the U.S.? a. 1964 b. 1952 c. 1973 d. 1967 3. Who were the founders of the Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries? a. Marsha P. Johnson b. Sylvia Rivera c. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy d. Both a and b 4. Who wrote “Lift Every Voice & Sing” aka the Negro National Anthem? a. Langston Hughes b. James Weldon Johnson c. Booker T Washington d. Maya Angelou 5. Which historically black sorority was founded second? a. Alpha Kappa Alpha b. Zeta Phi Beta c. Delta Sigma Theta d. Sigma Gamma Rho 6. What travel guide did African American’s use, with publishing between 1936-1966? a. The Travel Expo b. The Green Book c. The Blue Book d. The Colored Travelers Guide 7. What was the first HBCU in the U.S. to officially issue degrees to African-Americans? a. Shaw University b. Lincoln University c. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania d. Howard University 8. Madame CJ Walker was the first African American female _______________. a. Self-made millionaire. b. To graduate from a integrated high school c.
    [Show full text]