Grace Under Fire: A Dialogic Analysis by Ann Vogel A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts College of Fine Arts and Communication UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN Stevens Point May, 1996 FORMD Report on Oral Defense of Thesis TITLE: Grace Under Fire: A Dialogic Analysis AUTHOR: Ann M. Vogel Having heard an oral defense of the above thesis, the Advisory Committee: _llA) Finds the defense of the thesis to be satisfactory and accepts the thesis as submitted, subject to the following recommendation(s), if any: ____B) Finds the defense of the thesis to be unsatisfactory and recommends that the defense of the thesis be rescheduled contingent upon: Date: April 29. 1996 Committee: _W_~_·=-=-=·.,._;;__~;:,.._..:.-@:::l_:,._;~"---• , _____ _,, Advisor \ Abstract Researchers have conducted content analyses of female television characters and reveal that the medium often stereotypes sex roles and sex traits. Viewers may base their opinions concerning men's and women's roles on these stereotypes. Those who study television rhetorically also argue that viewers learn attitudes from the medium. Theories concerning women's traditional roles in society, women's financial statuses, and the changing roles of men and women have rarely been addressed on television. Six episodes of the situational comedy Grace Under Fire were dialogically examined, and these research questions were explored: How does Grace's role as a single mother compare with traditional roles? How does the program portray Grace's financial status as a single mother with three children? Does Grace encounter difficulties at work? The author concluded that characters on Grace Under Fire sent mixed messages to viewers. While issues such as single parenthood, women's financial struggles, and sexual harassment were addressed, characters often joked about these very serious issues. However, it is important to understand that viewers glean their own meanings from television programs, depending on their societal positions. Therefore, not all viewers will be negatively affected by Grace Under Fire. iii Acknowledgements This thesis is dedicated to my husband, Micah Digman, and to my parents, Tony and Joyce Vogel. I deeply appreciate their support, encouragements, and threats. Thanks also to Bill Deering, who guided me with patience and understanding as we explored this topic together. I'm glad you didn't forget about me when I moved to Milwaukee, Bill! Finally, I dedicate this study to my faithful redheaded friend who stuck with me day in and day out as I wrote this. This one's for you, Blitz! IV Table of Contents Page Abstract......................................................................................... .iii Acknowledgements ......................................................................... iv Chapter I. Introduction to Television Criticism and Feminist Theory........ I The Importance of Studying Television..................................... 2 The Importance of Feminist Theory.......................................... 6 2. An Overview of Feminist Television Criticism.......................... 12 Content Analyses: Women's Television Roles ........................... 12 Rhetorical Analyses: Television as the Artful Persuader............ 21 Research Questions .................................................................... 34 3. Examining Oialogism ................................................................. 3 7 Dialogism................................................................................... 3 7 Coding Terms: Verbal ................................................................ 42 Coding Terms: Nonverbal .......................................................... 46 Coding Applications ................................................................... 49 4. Applications ................................................................................ 50 Episode Synopses....................................................................... .50 Verbal Coding............................................................................. 53 Nonverbal Coding....................................................................... 80 5. Diset,1ssion, Conclusions, and Suggestions for Future Research .. 94 Research Questions .................................................................... 96 Dialogism's Effectiveness ............................................................. 112 Conclusions ................................................................................. 115 Suggestions for Future Research ................................................. 118 References ......................................................................................... 120 Appendix A ....................................................................................... 128 Appendix B....................................................................................... 145 Appendix C ....................................................................................... 162 Appendix D ....................................................................................... 178 Appendix E........................................................................................ 1 94 Appendix F........................................................................................ 211 V Grace I Chapter I Introduction to Television Criticism and Feminist Theory "I'm a rapidly aging single mother. There's never been a good time to be that." Grace Kelly, the title character on the ABC situation comedy, Grace Under Fire, voiced many American women's concern when she made this statement on the September 26, 1994 episode. Like Grace, women have long strived for equal rights, and while they have made gains, the struggle continues. As women secure more footholds up the mountain of equality, examining how, and if, television reflects these gains is important for a number of reasons. This issue has been investigated primarily through content analyses of the roles of men and women in television. More recently, rhetorical analyses have been used to explore these roles in more detail, with emphasis on interactions and the dynamics of character development. After addressing the importance of studying television, this dialogic analysis offers an explanation for studying television from a feminist perspective. This study then examines content analyses of women's roles in television and rhetorical analyses. Research questions are employed for studying current women's roles in prime-time, specifically examining the ABC situation comedy Grace Under Grace 2 Fire. After applying the method of dialogic analysis to the specified texts, conclusions are drawn, and suggestions for future research are addressed. The Importance of Studying Television Examining the roles of women in television is important, due to the peivasiveness of the medium. Allen ( 1 992) states that 92 million homes in the United States have at least one television set, suggesting that 98% of the total population watches television. The A.C. Nielsen Company (1990) indicates that in the United States, people view about four hours of television a day. Kubey and Csikszentmihalyi ( I 990) argue that this figure may be exaggerated and suggest people watch television about two and a half hours a day. Based on this more conseivative estimate, the average American spends more than seven years of the average 70 year life span in front of the television. This is astounding when considering that Kubey and Csikszentmihalyi (1990) have found that people only have 16 years to spend at leisure activities in an average 70 year life-span. Further, television reaches more people than any other medium, with 89% of 18 to 54 year olds and 94% of people over 55 years old watching it any given day (Television Bureau of Advertising, 1990). Also, two-thirds of households own more than one television set, and 60% of households have Grace 3 cable (Television Bureau of Advertising, 1991 ). The average home receives more than 28 stations, and at least one set is on more than seven hours a day (American Demographics, February, 1990, p.4). Stewart, Stewart, Friedley and Cooper (1990) concur that Americans spend many hours a day watching television, also noting that viewers are exposed to the same programs over and over. Thus, viewers repeatedly receive the same messages, whether the messages are that men should be the primary wage earners in families, or that women should not work outside of the home. Additionally, the researchers state that viewers have a casual reaction to television because the medium is in their homes and they are so accustomed to watching it. Because of this familiarity, viewers are not as likely to think critically of the messages they receive from television programs, and viewers' perceptions of various issues are unwittingly shaped. Parenti ( 1992, p.197) writes that television is a cultural industry in that it illustrates cultural ideals. Thus, television "exercises an influence upon public consciousness." Meehan ( 1983, p.114) expands on the idea of television influencing public consciousness, stating, ''The significance of television .. .is that it impacts on the real world, establishing expectations, validating preconceived notions, and providing viewers with models of behavior for their own lives." Parenti and Meehan argue that television Grace 4 conveys images of how people should act, and viewers often absorb these images without thinking critically. Because approximately 92%