A Thesis entitled Me Want Food: A Discourse Analysis of 30 Rock by JoAnna R. Murphy Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Sociology Dr. Mark Sherry, Committee Chair Dr. Patricia Case, Committee Member Dr. Barbara Coventry, Committee Member Dr. Patricia R. Komuniecki, Dean College of Graduate Studies The University of Toledo December 2011 Copyright 2011, JoAnna Ruth Murphy This document is copyrighted material. Under copyright law, no parts of this document may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author. ii An Abstract of Me Want Food: A Discourse Analysis of 30 Rock by JoAnna R. Murphy Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Sociology The University of Toledo December 2011 Using a combination of fat studies, the social construction of the body, Foucauldian approaches to the body, and cultural sociology, this thesis examines discourses about the fat female body in 30 Rock. The body is carnal and fleshy, but it is also socially constructed; this social construction has a long and deep cultural social history, and its power is particularly apparent with regard to the devaluation of the fat female body. By combining multiple theoretical approaches, a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of discourses about the fat body emerges – suggesting that even when shows such as 30 Rock engage with counter-hegemonic discourses about the body such as fat acceptance, they may revert to hegemonic and heteronormative standards of beauty and the fat body. iii For my partner and husband Levi who supported me and grew with me during this time. Acknowledgments This thesis would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my mom, dad, and sister. I would also like to thank my good friends Jeremiah, and Aundy, as well as everyone else who supported me. This project would not have been possible without everyone in my life who helped to cheer me up, encourage me, and helped to make me stronger, and that includes Layla. I would especially like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Mark Sherry. I am overjoyed, and very appreciative of the opportunity to be able to work side by side with him. Without his knowledge, wisdom, patience, and support this thesis would not be what it is today. Working with Dr. Sherry was the highlight of this experience. v Table of Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Figures x 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 1.2 Research Problem .....................................................................................................2 1.2.1 Key research question .......................................................................................2 1.2.2 Secondary research question .............................................................................3 1.3 Significance of 30 Rock ............................................................................................3 1.4 Methodology .............................................................................................................3 1.5 Definitions.................................................................................................................5 1.6 Chapter outline ..........................................................................................................7 1.6.1 Chapter One Summary ......................................................................................7 1.6.2 Chapter Two Summary .....................................................................................8 1.6.3 Chapter Three Summary ...................................................................................8 1.6.4 Chapter Four Summary .....................................................................................9 1.6.5 Chapter Five Summary .....................................................................................9 1.7 Conclusion ................................................................................................................9 vi 2 Literature Review 11 2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................11 2.2 Fat Studies ...............................................................................................................12 2.3 Social Constructionism ...........................................................................................19 2.4 Foucauldian Approaches to the Body .....................................................................27 2.5 Cultural Sociology ..................................................................................................36 2.6 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................39 3 Methodology 40 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................40 3.2 Why a Qualitative Approach ..................................................................................41 3.3 Conceptual Context .................................................................................................41 3.3.1 Purposes ..........................................................................................................44 3.3.3.1 Why conduct this study? .........................................................................44 3.3.2 Research Questions .........................................................................................44 3.3.2.1 Key research question .............................................................................44 3.3.2.2 Secondary research question ...................................................................44 3.4 Sources of data ........................................................................................................45 3.5 Methods...................................................................................................................45 3.5.1 Qualitative Approach ......................................................................................45 3.5.2 Discourse Analysis..........................................................................................45 3.5.3 Coding and Analysis of Data ..........................................................................47 3.5.4 Looking for Alternative Explanations ............................................................48 3.5.5 Searching for Discrepant Data ........................................................................48 vii 3.5.6 Inter-coder reliability issues ............................................................................49 3.5.7 Consistency with previous studies of fat women‟s bodies .............................50 3.5.8 Single case study: not searching for representative patterns ..........................50 3.6 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................51 4 Data Description 53 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................53 4.2 Data Description .....................................................................................................54 4.2.2 Summary of Season Two, Episode One .........................................................54 4.2.3 Summary of Season Two, Episode Two .........................................................56 4.2.4 Summary of Season Two, Episode Three .......................................................59 4.2.5 Summary of Season Two, Episode Four .........................................................62 4.3 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................62 5 Analysis 64 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................64 5.2 Fat Studies ...............................................................................................................65 5.3 The Social Construction of the Fat Female Body ...................................................69 5.4 Foucauldian Approaches to the Body .....................................................................73 5.5 Cultural Sociology ..................................................................................................79 5.6 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................84 6 Conclusion 85 6.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................85 6.2 Chapter Review .......................................................................................................86 6.3 Findings...................................................................................................................91 viii 6.4 Implications.............................................................................................................96 6.5 Limitations ..............................................................................................................98 6.6 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................99 References 100 ix List of Figures 3-1 Conceptual Context