A textual analysis of Princesses:Long Island

By Paul Herskovitz

In this day and age there is a reality television show about almost everything. However, Bravo decided to push the limits of reality television this past summer with their premiere of Princesses: Long Island. The show follows six wealthy young Jewish women who live in Long Island, New York.  The premiere episode of the show “You had me at Shalom” raked in around 1.24 million viewers (Gay, 2013). Are these viewers aware of what they are watching?  A textual analysis of the show confirms that not only does Princesses: Long Island support many Jewish stereotypes, it promotes anti-Semitism.

The pilot episode introduces the viewers to the six snooty, sheltered rich Jewish women. Each character gets their own segment where we learn about their gaudy lifestyles.  The common thread of each character is that they are desperate to get married and they are helpless without their parents.  The characters embody exaggerated Jewish stereotypes with heavy New York accents.  Within the first minute of the show, Chanel, one of the six main characters, impersonates her mother using a stereotypical Jewish mothers voice saying, “You’re 27 years old, you gotta get married already, go for a lawyer or a doctor, somebody who has money, somebody who’s going to take care of you.”  Followed up by her father saying “You need a man to take care of you.”  After the opening scene I got a sense of what the show was going to be about.  However, Chanel was only the tip of the iceberg, as five more characters are presented.  The use of outdated Jewish expressions, display of wealth, naivety, and lack of independence increased with the introduction of each character. 

                At the eight minute mark we are introduced to Ashlee.  I would consider her the queen of the JAPS (Jewish American Princesses).  Ashlee rolls up to the local nail salon with her dad in her convertible BMW to get a much needed mani-pedi.  She begins to talk about herself explaining how people get offended by the stereotypes of JAPS but she embraces it proclaiming, “I’m Jewish, I’m American, and I’m a princess.”   She gives us background on how she’s almost thirty, she doesn’t pay for rent, her mom still cleans her room, and proclaims, “This is awesome why would I ever leave?” Just in case viewers weren’t sure if she was exaggerating her claims about being a princess, she does the unthinkable while at the nail salon.  When it’s time to leave the salon. Ashlee goes on a tirade about how there is no way in hell that she could leave the salon in flat shoes.  After several minutes of complaining, a worker at the salon piggy backs her to the car.  Clearly this is encouraged by Bravo, but what kind of image are these women portraying about the Jewish religion?

               (Ashlee being carried out of her mani-pedi)

After digging around on the internet I discovered that the Bravo network and television critics have opposing views of what this show represents.   Bravo spokesperson Jodi Davis summarizes Princesses by saying the show is “about six women who are young, educated, single and Jewish living in Long Island, and is not meant to represent all Jewish women or other residents of Long Island.” (Bauder, 2013) Davis is promoting the idea that viewers are watching this show ironically through the third person effect.  Susan J. Douglas explains that the third person effect is “the conceit among viewers that they watch the show ironically and aren’t taken in by it while other, presumably more naïve viewers must take it utterly at face value. Thus viewers can feel superior not only to the cast members, but also to other viewers imagined to be less sophisticated than they.” (Douglas, 2010) My guess is that a majority of the viewers are taking this show at face value. This is due to the fact that the premise of the show is based on religion.  More importantly, it features one of the most historically persecuted religions.  I agree with critics of the show who find it disturbing. 

                Steve Israel, a New York representative and former president of the Institute on the Holocaust and the Law, said that the show “leads viewers to believe that this is what being Jewish is all about, that if you're Jewish and live on Long Island, you're narcissistic, you are all about money and that a Shabbat dinner is all about drinking and fighting,"  (Bauder, 2013) All of the ideas that Israel has mentioned are emphasized throughout every episode.  It’s crystal clear that these girls are promoting negative Jewish stereotypes.  There are well-known negative pre-conceived notions of how Jewish people behave and the show is helping fuel the fire of anti-Semitism. As horrifying as it sounds, this could be compared to the highly unlikely idea of Bravo developing a reality show that chronicled Muslim families who are terrorists or terrorist sympathizers.  A reality TV show about Muslim terrorists would represent the same concept that Bravo is encouraging with Princesses.  Bravo is promoting dominant negative stereotypes linked to a religion and repeating it week after week for viewers to gawk at.

Overall, viewers may find this show entertaining but the larger implications of the show are damaging.  A textual analysis of this show reveals the image of the Jewish religion as being negatively portrayed which in turn promotes anti-Semitism. The difference between this reality show and most others is that producers decided to attach religion to its program.  In conclusion, Bravo needs to reexamine the implications of the show Princesses and realize that their show is doing more harm than good.

                                                                      Works Cited

Bauder, D. (2013, June 21). 'Princesses: Long island' promotes 'anti-Semitic stereotypes,' according to NY congressman. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/princesses-long-island-anti-semitic-ny-congressman_n_3482822.html

Douglas, S. (2010). Jersey shore: Ironic viewing. In E. Thompson & J. Mittell (Eds.), How to Watch Television (p. 150). New York: NYU Press

Gay, V. (2013, June 11). 'Princesses long island' ratings fall in week two. Retrieved from http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/tv-zone-1.811968/princesses-long-island-ratings-fall-in-1.5458544

Duck Dynasty: Redneck Culture and Class Division

            Generally television assumes the classification of being either highbrow or lowbrow, differentiating itself in terms of the content it displays. Content derived for wealthier and typically more educated audiences could be exemplified through a five-string quartet, or a ballet at the opera house. Whereas evidence of low brow culture could be identified at a monster truck rally, the crowd gluttonously stuffing their faces with corndogs. Stereotypically a certain type of people are expected to occupy either class, enabling their tastes to become inherent to their personalities, in addition to their financial situation determining which end of the spectrum they reside on. Duck Dynasty, an A&E reality television series depicts the lives of the Robertson family who have become wealthy from the success of their business Duck Commander, yet they have not allowed their wealth to change their interest in blowing up beaver dens. We’ve all heard the horror stories of how money changes lives for the worst, however Duck Dynasty serves as an example of deteriorating the social class structure by the fusion of millions of dollars with redneck culture.

            According to Jeff Foxworthy, the term redneck equates to ‘the glorious absence of sophistication.’ This definition, in addition to other multiple stereotypes of redneck culture that surround the core concepts of stupidity, inbreeding and social ineptitude enables the term to seem as though it holds a universal meaning; therefore indicating that referring to oneself as a redneck must mean that you live in a trailer park and always have a shotgun in your truck. Although the men of Duck Dynasty are most notably pictured as embracing redneck culture with long shaggy beards and camouflage attire they disrupt the stereotype by arguably occupying a higher class level than anticipated considering their interests, appearance and personalities. The cast members interact with each other in a loving, yet amusing way, entertaining viewers with their ridiculous and equally witty commentary adhering to much of the common conceptions of redneck culture. Commenting on the functionality of a tree stand that was built by his father Phil, Willie Robertson (CEO of Duck Commander) states “Let me tell you about redneck logic… Just blow it up! He’s going to be so enamored with the fire he’ll forget about what he’s losing!” Statements of this nature directly comply with the idea of the stereotypical redneck mindset, indicating that given the short attention span and empty-headedness that rednecks are assumed to have, the importance of the of the tree stand (used for any years and built by hand) will inevitably be trumped by the captivating explosion of blowing it up, making witnessing the destruction essentially worth it enabling its history to become irrelevant. Another instance of captivating the redneck lifestyle is exemplified by Uncle Si, a Vietnam War veteran known for his over exaggerations when it comes to story-telling, and amusing inability to form a grammatically correct sentence. Si states, “First it’s pretty tires, then it’s pretty guns.. Next thing you know you’re shavin’ your beard and wearin’ capri pants.” Forming a light-hearted joke about ‘yuppie’ men nowadays further solidifies his active participation with the idea of roughin’ it, expressing his support for the redneck way and confusion of the popular style and fashion that many men embrace today. The previous examples pose as evidence that regardless of their successful business of creating and distributing duck calls; their accomplishment within the industry has not enabled them to change their personalities or the culture that they identify with even though their profit has allowed them to live luxuriously.  Identifying with what many would consider low class behavior and high class living arrangements places the Robertson’s essentially in a category of their own blurring class divisions proving that possessing certain characteristics or material objects does not determine your designation within the class structure. 

            Although many of the cast members’ antics enable to viewer to categorize them as rednecks, the end of each segment brings forth a resolution to the chaos that has unfolded throughout the episode. Positioned as the moral of the story, Willie recaps the events of the day emphasizing the importance of family and lessons learned assuring the audience regardless of how abnormal their lives may seem, they understand, respect, and value each other above all else. Mary McNamara states, “They may be backwoods, but they ain't poor nor are they ignorant, which allows audiences to revel in their homespun ways without any distracting worries about dental insurance or access to education.”  Duck Dynasty effectively manipulates the plot of the show to potentially speak to a variety of audiences, incorporating comedy, stupidity, success, and the importance of family into entertaining yet touching television.  

Top 10 Redneck Stereotypes. Retrieved from http://modern-redneck.hubpages.com/hub/Top-10-redneck-stereotypes

McNamara, Mary. Los Angeles Times. Critic's Notebook: 'Duck Dynasty' is a canny curation of cultures. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/22/entertainment/la-et-st-duck-dynasty-20130822

Duck Dynasty. Retrieved from http://www.duckdynastyquotes.com/category.php?cat=2&page=3

Ho Lee Fuk: Using Racial Humor to Show that Sum Ting Wong with the Idea of Post Racialism

Most of my understanding of race and ethnicity comes from the media that produces and circulates safeguarded images of racial minorities. Therefore, I take a humanities approach to dissecting the racialized images that I see onscreen.  Hasinoff ( 2008) chimes in, “On network television, people of color are often  represented in a mostly white colorblind assimilationist content in which racial difference is superficially visible but typically not discussed except in terms of  individual prejudice” (p. 330).  As a woman of color, I emulate representations which can be used to my benefit.  For example, in 7th grade I was undoubtedly the star of the middle school talent show.  I channeled the character “Homey da Clown.”*  Hit a white girl over the head with a large stuffed sock and say “I don’t think so.  Homey, don’t play that” and I was hilarious.  Several television programs use racial humor cleverly.  According to Avila-Saavedra (2011), “Historically in American television, comedy has opened the pathway for increased representation of ethnic minorities” (p. 271).  I know firsthand how these representations can be translated into real life social spaces.  I argue that although racial humor reinforces racial hegemonies, the use of racial humor is necessary because it is subversive and does positive ideological work by making the issue of race visible and by offering alternative and less threatening representations.  In this blog, I will use discourse analysis to demonstrate how racial humor can entertain audiences while also shattering the idea of post racialism by using Person of Interest, 30 Rock, Don’t Trust the B---- in Apt 23, and Sleepy Hollow as my texts.

 

Racial humor can be manifested without the mention of race.  The following exchange in the Person of Interest (CBS, 2011-Present) episode “Critical” does not explicitly mention race, but for viewers in on the joke, it doesn’t have to.  The following exchange takes place as John comes to Leon’s rescue.

John: Geeze, Leon, what did you do to piss these guys off?

Leon:  You heard of gold farming? Selling multi player online game currency for real cash? It’s all the rage. People make millions! They take their business really seriously. Especially the Russian Mafia.

John (after immobilizing the attackers):  Does it look like I play video games, Leon?

The discernable joke is that John is a badass saving the world one (social security) number at a time.  The embedded joke about gold farming is a complex, layered joke which more than likely requires a subject to be familiar with “World of Warcraft.”  Nakurma (2009) writes “buying and selling in-game property for real money, is widely considered the worst, more morally reprehensible form of cheating” (p. 129).  Leon is a tiny, reprehensible Asian man who got caught embezzling large sums of money.  “Many (though by no means all) gold farmers are Chinese, and there is a decidedly anti-Asian flavor to many of the protests against “’Chinese gold farmers’” (p. 130).  It is estimated that 80% of gold farmers are Chinese.  Nakaruma indicated “The problem with gold farmers isn’t they are Chinese; it is that they ‘act Chinese’” (p. 139).  The joke works because Leon performs the role of “Chinese gold farmer” in two ways.  Leon could ethnically pass as Chinese, and being the little shit that he is, he was hunted down because he was “acting Chinese.”  The casting of a white character would be much less entertaining because that character would not be encoded with all of the preconceived notions Leon exemplified. The selection of an Asian gold farmer dismisses any claims that Americans have moved beyond race.  Furthermore, Leon is seen as this meek little character juxtaposed against two huge Russians trying to inflict harm upon him.  He is the victim.

           

Racial references in comedies hold a special place in my heart.  Rossing (2012) wrote “Postracialism animates contradictions and tensions that offer fertile ground for humor, and humor, in turn, directs attention back to often overlooked discrepancies and social failing” (p.45).  The following 30 Rock (NBC, 2006-2013) scene from the episode “Aunt Phatso” is a perfect demonstration.

Tracy:  Hey Grizz.  Hey Dot Com.  Get me a black coffee.  By which I mean a Sunkist.

Liz:  How could you think we’re Grizz and Dot Com?

Tracy: Because I don’t see race you white bastards!

This hilarious exchange satirizes postracialism.  B’brie and Hogarth (2009) said “White power and control seems to be invisible to white power-holders (p. 104).  Liz and Jack order Tracy around all the time.  Therefore, it is startling not only for Liz (and Jack) to be ordered around by Tracy, but to also be mistaken for two big Black bodies.  Moshin and Jackson (2011) explain, “We have not only moved past race, the thinking goes, we have moved beyond racism---we are now a color-blind nation, a post-identity nation, where markers of difference and Otherness are no longer consequential”  (p. 214).  The irony is Tracy is the one who doesn’t see color which is subversive since white is typically defined by not being black.  When he calls them “white bastards,” he proves that color does indeed exist.

            Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (ABC, 2012-2013) is a comedy that substitutes race for social class in the episode “It’s a Miracle…” The following exchange takes place at a soup kitchen where James Van Der Beek and his assistant, Luther, are serving food to a man in line.

James: I’m sorry, I think you’re wearing my jacket. I must have left it on the chair back there.

Homeless Man: No I am wearing my jacket.

James:  No, that’s mine. I paid $1500 for it.

Homeless Man: You don’t think I can afford a $1500 jacket. Why? Because I’m black?

James:  You’re not black.

Luther: I’m black.

This is also a hilarious scene based on the sheer absurdity of it.  What is a matter of social class becomes a matter of race.  A homeless man can’t afford a $1500 jacket.  That’s really not that funny because the average person can’t.  The homeless man marking himself as “other” by calling himself black in front of a black person is genius.  Watts (2005) wrote that whiteness is not only being white (p. 190).  Luther being a snobby gay man enriches this labeling since he can be read as less black.  Dyer (1997) explains a tension between Blacks and Whites:

Black is a privileged term in the construction of white racial imagery….White discourse implacably reduces the non-white subject to being a function of the white subject, not allowing him/her space or autonomy, permitting neither the recognition of similarities nor the acceptance of differences except as a means for knowing the white self (p.11).

Luther may be a function of the two white subjects here, but he staked a place without being kicked down.  He is not the butt of the joke and the scene would still be funny without him, but alas he is not the threatening one.

 

            In the “Pilot” Episode of Sleepy Hollow (Fox, 2013-Present) race is tackled head on.  Even though there is an element of uncomfortableness, it is handled so flawlessly that it is effective.

Abby:  Mr. Crane.  I’m lieutenant Abby Mills.

            Ichabod:  (Laughs) Female lieutenant. In who’s army?

Abby:  You’re not going to break character, huh?

Ichabod:  You’ve--- been emancipated, I take it?

Abby:  Excuse me?

Ichabod:  From enslavement?

Abby:  OK, I’ll play along here.  I am a black female lieutenant for the Westchester County Police Department.  Do you see this gun? I’m authorized to use it----ON YOU.

Ichabod:  If you’re insinuating I endorse slavery, I’m offended.

Abby:  Wait, back up? You’re offended?

Ichabod:  I’ll have you know I was a proponent of the Abolitionist Act before the New York Assembly.

Abby:  Congratulations. Slavery has been abolished 150 years. It’s a whole new day in America.

Ichabod:  Ohhh.  Well I am pleased to hear it.  I, on the other hand, remain shackled here.  How do I remove these damn manacles? 

Abbie:  You don’t.  I do.

The characters are able to take a historical, touchy subject and turn it into something humorous by highlighting what each participant has at stake.  Abby gets to be offended that he brought the issue up.  Ichabod gets to make an emotional plea to her about how he was against slavery and now he is enslaved.  It is moments like these that disrupt colorblindness by challenging what is taken for granted.

            In conclusion, television delivers many statements about race whether consciously or unconsciously.  Nakayama and Krizek explain how these messages will be decoded by varying audiences based on hierarchies, “The notion of position refers to how life experiences both enable and inhibit particular kinds of insight” (p. 291).  Television provides very limited representation, so comedy is the opportunity where impact can be made.  Rossing noted, “I argue that humor functions as a critical cultural project and site for racial mean-making that may provide a corrective for impasses in public discourse on race and racism.” (p .45) I agree with this assertion.  I know that using racial humor can work to enforce stereotypes, but I am also aware that it can make minorities like myself seem less threatening.  Nakayama and Krizek explain the discursive space of white by writing “White is a relatively unchartered territory that has remained invisible as it continues to influence the identity of those both within and without its domain.  It affects the everyday fabric of our lives, but resists, sometimes violently, any extensive characterization that would allow for mapping of its contours” (p. 291).  It’s time to map those contours.  White people can make use of racial humor just as well.  I once knocked over my classmate and his desk in government class and he asked me if it was because he was white.  Even the 60 year old teacher laughed.   I think race relations would be much better if more people could learn to break down these barriers by using racial humor to get race into the public discourse.

.

*Homie Da Clown is a character off of In Living Color (Fox, 1990-1994)

*Title is making light of Asiana Flight 214 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmclgO6w0C0

 

More on Chinese gold farming hatred http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dkkf5NEIo0

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

Avila-Saavedra, G.  (2011). Ethnic otherness versus cultural assimilation: U.S. Latino comedians

and politics of identity. Mass Communication and Society, 14(3), 271-291.

 

Nakayama, T.K. & Krizek, R.L. (1995).Whiteness: a strategic rhetoric. Quarterly Journal of

            Speech, 81(3), 291-309.

 

Rossing, J.P. (2012). Deconstructing postracialism: humor as a critical, cultural project. Journal

            of Communication Inquiry, 36(1), 44-61.

 

Watts, E.K. (2005). Border patrolling and ‘passing’ in Eminem’s 8 Mile. Critical Studies in

            Media Communication 22(3), 187-206.

Dyer, R. (1997). White. New York: Routledge.

 

Nakamura, Lisa. "Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game: The Racialization of Labor in World of

Warcraft." Critical Studies in Media Communication 26, no. 2 (2009)

 

de B'béri, Boulou Ebanda, and Peter Hogarth. "White America's Construction of Black Bodies:

The Case of Ron Artest As a Model of Covert Racial Ideology in the NBA's Discourse."

Journal of International and Intercultural Communication 2, no. 2 (2009):

Hasinoff, Amy Adele. "Fashioning Race for the Free Market on America’s Next Top Model."

Critical Studies in Media Communication 25, no. 3 (2008):

Moshin, Jamie, and Ronald L Jackson II. "Inscribing Racial Bodies and Relieving Responsibility:

Examining Racial Politics in Crash." In Critical Rhetorics of Race. Edited by Michael G

Lacy and Kent A Ono. New York: New York University Press, 2011.

The Role of Authenticity in Situational Comedies

The Role of Authenticity in Situational Comedies

Having just recently aired its 100^th episode to even more critical acclaim, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has come a long way from its humble beginnings. The creative minds behind the show have gathered a truly loyal cult following by creating an image of themselves as authentic in juxtaposition to the formulaic and inoffensive appearance of many of network television’s productions. By positioning themselves as far from the big network comedies as possible, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, and Charlie Day have been able to successfully create an underdog persona for themselves. Even though the show’s actual characters may not be relatable to audiences, the creative minds behind it have done a great job of crafting identities for themselves as down-to-earth and relatable people who just happened to stumble onto this success. The perceived authenticity is one of the show’s strongest attributes, as it reassures the audience that what they are viewing has not been edited down or filtered in any way. In the words of co-creator Charlie Day, "You have to give credit to FX for letting us operate in a bubble," he said, adding that it was "refreshing [for viewers] to see a sitcom that didn’t feel as though it went through that network machine and got watered down."¹I believe this component of authenticity tends to be overlooked when critics discuss why some shows fail where others succeed, especially with younger demographics.

Rob McElhenney described the show’s early writing process in an interview published by Variety between the first and second season in 2006. When asked about the steps necessary to write fresh television, he responded, “We sit around and drink beer and talk about what’s funny. Then we put it on TV.”² He then goes on to say “None of us know the correct way to do this TV show, really. The show came out of so much desperation, a point where we had nothing to lose, so we just try to remember that in every step of the process.” As made somewhat obvious by countless interviews similar to these, the creative minds responsible for It’s Always Sunny are far from the industry mainstays commonly associated with successful cable television. In my opinion, this adds a significant element to the program that is not present in the constantly recycled and repackaged programs put out by the major networks. It may sound like a stretch, but I believe that the story of Rob, Glen, and Charlie reinforces certain aspects of the patented American Dream. As an audience, we see this group of friends that was able craft success out of extremely limited resources by simply doing something that they love and sharing it with others. This can cause us, the audience, to develop an increased interest in the success of the show which is an important step towards gaining a loyal following.

By any conventional television standards, early episodes of the show cost almost nothing to produce. According to interviews with the creators, the show's original pilot episode was filmed with budget of less than two hundred dollars. To put that into some perspective, CBS' former Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen was making two million dollars per episode at the height of the show’s success. That's no typo, it cost CBS ten thousand times more to simply have Charlie Sheen on set than it cost for the entire pilot episode of It’s Always Sunny to be produced. The only real costs to them were the camera and a microphone. The show’s creators do the majority of the acting themselves, and when guest stars are required they usually find friends and family members to step in front of the camera to play the shows various side roles. For example, The Waitress, Charlie's recurring (although, unrequited) love interest in the show is played by the wife of Charlie Day, Mary Elizabeth Ellis. Glenn Howerton's wife, Jill Latiano, also guest stars in the show as Caylee, a girl whom Dennis uses as a way to demonstrate his abilities at taking advantage of women in "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System". Especially in early seasons, the characters are simply wearing clothing owned by the actors, which allows them to avoid spending any of the limited budget on costs associated with wardrobe. To add to all of this, the song which plays over the opening credit sequence, “Temptation Sensation”, is part of the public domain, which means that no royalty fees need to be paid for its use in the show. While many might see these cost-cutting measures as indications of a lower quality program, I believe that they all come together to contribute another layer of humor to the show, and judging by Sunny’s success in the key18-24 demographic, it’s safe to say that I’m not alone. We are led to believe that the worldview put for in It’s Always Sunny truly belongs to the creative minds behind the show, as opposed to the watered down, market research tested beliefs and opinions put forth by the large networks. These factors add to the show’s overall authenticity, a characteristic that I find to be one of the show’s strongest assets.

           

Works Cited

¹ Rose, Lacey. The Hollywood Reporter, "How 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Reinvented Television's Comedy Model." Last modified August 06, 2011. Accessed October 24, 2013. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-sunny-philadelphia-reinvented-televisions-220051.

² Martin, Denise. Variety. June, 14 (2006). Accessed October 24, 2013.

Representation of Homosexuality in American Horror Story Throughout many recent television series the representation of homosexual characters has been on the rise. Although it is apparent that portraying genuinely homosexual characters is still a work in progress. In season one of American Horror Story two of the supporting actors are a gay couple that are trapped within the murder house both with different intentions for their relationship. This particular season does however reinforce certain stereotypes about homosexuals. American Horror Story does a fantastic job of representing this gay couple in a non offensive manner. The number of gay and bisexual characters on scripted broadcast network TV is at its highest-ever level in the season ahead, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.(Fox News) But, just because a gay couple is represented on American Horror Story does not exclude the fact that in some ways this show reinforces stereotypes about gay couples. Zachary Quinto and Teddy Spears the two males that were casted to play the gay couple, are found to act as a more masculine man in the relationship while the other acts as the more feminine in the relationship, mirroring what is expected of a heterosexual couples. “There is nothing about gay people’s physiognomy that declares them gay, no equivalent’s to the biological markers of sex and race. There are signs of gayness, a repertoire of gestures, expressions, stances clothing and even environments that bespeak gayness.” (Dyer) Based on this quotation, I feel that especially Zachary Quinto’s character shows some of these signs that reinforce the gay stereotype. Furthermore, Quinto’s character is the one that is the more feminine of the two and the signs of gayness include his style of clothes, his passion for interior decorating and maintaining the household and his desire to obtain a baby to nurture and make a part of his dream family. Although his character does not have an extreme, flamboyant, “drag-like” personality that tends to hover over gays, he still portrays less masculine actions. "It is vital for networks to weave complex and diverse story lines of LGBT people in the different programs they air," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "More and more Americans have come to accept their LGBT family members, friends, co-workers and peers, and as audiences tune into their favorite programs, they expect to see the same diversity of people they encounter in their daily lives."(Fox News) On top of the representation of the gay couple, American Horror Story adding in this same sex relationship it allows a variety of audiences to relate to these characters because they may have established previous relationships in real life. When an audience member has the ability to make a personal link with a character, or a small character trait, this gives the show the ability to not only gain viewers but keep that viewer consistently watching the show. American Horror Story is a delicious twist on television today, by representing many socially constructed groups and stereotypes in each season; it allows the positive growth and discussion about what is presented on screen. The gay couple that is in season one of American Horror Story does face ridicule in each episode they star in but they somehow overcome it and end on top. For example, when various characters poke fun at the gay couple for wanting to start a family and raise a baby, they are called unfit parents yet they work together to create a comfortable living space and atmosphere for the expected child in the home. Also, there is a scene in which Evan Peters’ character tries to persuade one of the gay characters through the use of sexual favors and in the end the gay man denies Peters. This being said, I feel it is important that if a stereotypical representation of homosexuals is going to be presented to the audience, that the creators of American Horror Story have the ability to offset the heat in a positive upbringing manner for the LGBT society. While watching season one and how this gay couple is shown on the TV series, I never got the impression that homosexuals were intentionally being put on the chopping block, both heterosexual and homosexual relationships road bumps are shown. Showing a well rounded representation of both types of relationships, American Horror Story really takes the cake because it does not strictly focus on one set of stereotype, gender role, and sexual orientation. I have never been given the opportunity to sit back and enjoy seeing many social groups being expressed without feeling uncomfortable. In addition, I feel that some of the stereotypes that are defined on the show are not meant to be taken personally and inappropriate. That is the beauty of American Horror Story, it has the capacity bend and warp how television has been in the past including the homosexual image and portrayals of socially constructed stereotypes that have been created. Works Cited http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2326-8492.1983.tb00084.x/abstract http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/10/05/study-number-gay-characters-on-tv-at-all-time-high/

The Good Wife and TV Fantasy

         CBS’s The Good Wife was first aired in 2009, and it immediately became the prime-time drama on CBS. Unlike conventional legal dramas, which stick to the legal procedurals, The Good Wife took the form of the legal drama, but did not focus on solving a case or finding out the truth. It is also not like those dramas, which feature women who are professionally accomplished but cannot find balance between personal and professional life.  What makes this show appealing to most of the viewers, especially female viewers, is the narrative about how the female can get what they want, clamber for power, and find their identities while dealing with romantic relationships, family issues, and personal struggles (Hoffman, 2011). The show not only breaks the conventional representation of women, but also establishes ideal female models that the viewers can look upon to. It creates a TV fantasy space that shows women are freed from the restriction of men, women can win over men, and that women can have success in career and handle personal life.

         The story of The Good Wife begins as Alicia Florrick returns to work and enters her new law firm Lockhart & Gardner because of her husband, who resigned from the state attorney position and went to jail for political and sexual scandals. Before this huge change, Alicia was the ‘good wife’ of her husband. She  was an upper-middle class housewife, whose ‘career’ was to do the household and to raise the kids. Even though the show did not tell viewers how she was as a stay-home mom, but there was a scene when Diane, the managerial partner of the law firm, asked Alicia why she left her former job, Alicia responded to her that she chose to do so because of Peter’s career and the kids. It is clear that before what happened, Alicia was following the stereotypes and being the conventional woman that the society want her to be, and somehow her husband has limited her on realizing herself.

         The series is trying to convey a message to viewers that women are better off when they are freed from the restrictions of men and start to search their own destination. The main character, Alicia, gradually realize herself and become professional successful after the tragedy of her husband and the separation with him in the later season.

         Viewers can also find the similar message in the storyline of Kalinda Sharma, who is the private investigator of the law firm and a friend of Alicia’s. Kalinda is ‘wry and skeptical and knows just how to extract useful information’ (The Feminist Spector). She can be seen as some sort of masculine female character in the show because of her certain and straightforward way of talk and her fearlessness of breaking the rules. A woman like her seems to have no restraints, but it turns out that she ran away from her controlling and abusive husband who was a criminal and a drug dealer before she joined the law firm.

         Not only it features independent women who broke free from the patriarchal restraints, but also The Good Wife is trying to establish a heroine who can handle both personal and professional lives. While Peter Florrick was in jail, Alicia has to provide her family, to take proper care of her teenage kids, and to deal with issues between her and her stubborn mother-in-law while facing the competition in the workplace and complicated cases. The producers strategically removed Alicia from the conventional domestic setting. Scenes that show her doing laundries or cooking for the kids are limited. Meanwhile, the show successfully portrays Alicia as a good mother through her conversation and relationship with her kids. Even the aggressive disagreements and arguments between her and her mother-in-law are for the best interests of her kids.  

         In work, Alicia makes good use of her intelligence and her ability to empathize with her client to prove herself and to gain a place in the law firm. She has steely determination and moral standards, but she is not a moral saint. Instead, as the show proceeds, she learns to be flexible and to use her sources that benefit her and her cases without jeopardize what she think are right. She hides her emotions under her strong and tough exterior when she enters a professional setting, even though she just had a break down few hours ago. This main character seems not fitting in the binary gender system (You Can Kiss My Sass, 2012), which man should be assertive, competitive, and hold his emotion in check and women should be compassionate, caring and beautiful. It embraces both masculine characteristic of being rational, steady, and decisive, and feminine characteristic of caring and full of empathy. For many female viewers who are seeking for the escapism from the gender structure that privileging males in reality, they find the character appealing, and they gain pleasure by watch the heroine gradually becomes more powerful throughout several seasons (Zimdars, 2013).

          In terms of sexuality, female characters in The Good Wife are sexual subjects instead of sexual objects (Zimdars, 2013). They are not using their beauty to please anyone. Their stylish outfits and attractive bodies serve for their own identity-- powerful and professional women. They are not afraid to express their sexual needs. For example, since season one, there are some sparkles between Alicia and her boss, Will Gardner, who is also a college friend of her. These sparkles finally turn into an affair when the show proceeds to the second season. Beside Will, Alicia also demands her husband sexually. As for Kelinda, her sexual appetite is constantly brought up in her storyline, and sometime she uses sex as a tool for getting valuable information. These female characters are presented as powerful in a way of having their own agency of desire. Meanwhile, they are ‘seen at the same level as men in the workplace’ (You Can Kiss My Sass, 2012) by holding the same desire like men.

         The Good Wife is definitely one of the successful series that featuring strong and independent women. It did a good job on portraying powerful and attractive women who break free from patriarchal restrictions, embrace both femininity and masculinity, and courageously express their sexual desires. Viewers can definitely find pleasure and inspiration from these idealized post feminism characters through watching the series.

Reference:

(Post) Feminism In Fall 2012 Television. You Can Kiss My Sass. 2012. Web. Oct 24, 2013 http://youcankissmysass.com/because-youre-scholarly/post-feminism-in-fall-2012-television/

The Good Wife. The Feminist Spector. Dec 25, 2009. Web. Oct 24,2013 http://www.thefeministspectator.com/2009/12/25/the-good-wife/

Hoffman, Jan. ‘The Good Wife’ and Its Women. The New York Times. April 29, 2011. Web. Oct 24, 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/fashion/01CULTURAL.html?pagewanted=all

Zimdars, Melissa.  Representation: Sexual orientation. TV Criticism. United States,   Iowa City.  Oct, 2013. Lecture.

Zimdars, Melissa.  Representation: Sex and Gender. TV Criticism. United States,   Iowa City. Oct, 2013. Lecture.

Behind the Scenes: Why are Television Shows Becoming So Cinematically Desirable?

By Hillary Miller 

The recognition of film from the turn of the century brought ideas and narratives to life. Now, watching moving pictures or “talkies” (as they were once formerly introduced as) continues to fulfill this sensation of escapism we crave. While the film industry generated the bulk of entertainment through the mid 1900s, the introduction of television in the early 50’s proved film had stark competition. From this, a new culture was shaping Americans’ homes. Audiences were enticed with this new invention. Surrounding their television screens and benefiting from the wide access and convenience TV offered its consumers. Yet, where does TV lie in relation with film? By mapping out a trajectory of popular TV shows within the last few years and ending with one of the most recent examples, Bates Motel (2012), I propose a critical discussion of films’ influence on TV. Ultimately, hoping to expose the bigger picture and answer the question: What is the constant motivation for TV shows adding more cinematic flare?

The similarities between TV and film are not just based on stylistic elements alone, but the fact that TV is starting to imitate films’ ideas in general. The popular tropes and plot developments consistent of Hollywood films are now surfacing within TV sitcoms. This type of media reproduction started way before 2006, (with such shows as Lost and ‘24’). However, this date was inspired by the New York Times article titled, “TV is Getting to Look More Like the Movies,” where the author Stuart Elliot discovered the trend; explaining that Friday Night Lights (2006-) and Day Break (2006-) were two new shows (during the Fall of 2006) scheduled to premier in which both were “seeking to emulate theatrical films, with higher production costs, more complex plot lines and larger casts filled with more complicated characters.” ^[1] Also noting that Friday Night Lights was first inspired by the film (with the same name) and that Day Break was directly influenced from Ground Hog’s Day storyline (starring Bill Murray from 1993). But the proposed reason for sitcoms turning to more cinematic tendencies then was based off of gaining newer (younger) demographics’ attention. The author attested further that TV shows were more interested “to woo fickle viewers, especially those of 18-34, by serving up episodes of TV shows that do not look or seem like TV shows.” ^[1] Since TV producers saw the success of Lost and ‘24’ and rationalized making sitcoms more cinematically appealing would equate to more success for the TV production companies. And now more recent TV networks have spotted the trend and are heading into that direction.

And that trend has continued with one of the most recent TV shows, Bates Motel (2012), a “contemporary prequel” to Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Pyscho (1960). The show is an American drama series that follows the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma, set before the events in Hitchcock’s story. (If you haven’t seen Psycho, you need to! But not mandatory to understand the show.) In the first few episodes, the audience learns about the death of Norma’s husband, which is what motivates Norma and Norman to move to Oregon, purchase a motel, and start a new life together. With only one season in, its overall success has already been accepted for season two. Additionally, critics have accepted this sitcom as positive overall on the Rotten Tomatoes website stating, “Bates Motel utilizes mind manipulation and suspenseful fear tactics, on top of consistently sharp character work and wonderfully uncomfortable familial relationships.” ^[3] Thus, this type of sitcom sets up cinematic qualities that promotes complex characters and epic ventures through Norma and Norman’s hectic life of cat and mouse chase. Therefore, it isn’t hard to realize that a contemporary twist on a cult classic would attract new and old audiences to generate the shows’ first season’s positive review.

Yet, a different and somewhat abstract reason could be applied for overall TV’s motivation, but more specifically for Bates Motel, to try to reach the height of cinema. In the article entitled Critical and Textual Hypermasculinity, Lynn Joyrich describes some famous theorist ideas’ (including Mclauhn, Fiske, Heartly, etc.) that television is a medium coded as inherently “feminine,” while in comparison, film and print media are coded as “masculine.” As Joyrich explains, “In other words for Baudrillard, postmodernism and--television in particular—seems to disallow the security and mastery of the masculine position, and as this stable site disappears we are left in a diffuse, irrational space –a space traditionally coded as feminine.” ^[2] Essentially, this critique could be conceptualizing the fact that cinema is experienced through a voyeuristic view of bodies (masculine approach), while television relies more on experiencing reactions and the fulfillment of those feelings (feminine approach). Thus, this critique of TV as the “feminine” may be the motivating shift for TV to become more masculine in an attempt to oppose its existing vulnerable and fragile image. As Joyrich further clarifies the cycle, “A common strategy of television is thus to construct a violent hypermasculinity – an excess of maleness that acts as a shield.” ^[2]

From this viewpoint, Bates Motel lends itself to this construction. With the first few episodes, the audience learns of Norma’s tragedy with her landlord. The landlord had forced Norma down and tried raping her; where she then took matters into her own hands, stabbing him over twenty times (Visually: Norma penetrating her attacker). This violent act resonates a certain masculine adrenaline throughout the show. Additionally, since it is a prequel, new characters are welcomed into the story without disrupting what Hitchcock had in place with the original. And the addition of Norman having a half brother, alongside Norma gaining a new boyfriend introduced a heightened masculine ensemble. Further confusing the Oedipus complex between Norma and Norman. However, besides the few girls at school Norman meets occasionally, Norma is the only significant female on the show. She is not as sexualized as other famous female leads (any female character from Desperate Housewives). And, she is almost always as aggressive as her male counterparts. Along with the fact that every episode is impacted by some violent act, (i.e. the stabbing of the landlord, the flashback of Norma’s husband murder, Norma’s boyfriend being involved in sex slave activities with teenage girls, Norma’s boyfriend beating her for finding out, the boyfriend’s murder sequence, etc.) it isn’t too far cry to say that Bates Motel is becoming more cinematic, which could mean more heavily “masculine,” be it intentional or unintentional from the producers. However, it may be to oppose the TV’s place as a whole. Or, to oppose Norma’s character against the redundant female depictions that have been in place before her. (Sensing post-feminist measures? But is it really?)

Overall, it is fundamentally important to understand TV and cinema’s role within society and their relationship to each other. As one author has explained in his own terms of TV trumping the art of cinema, he states, “…TV series come without the snobby aura that general audiences associate with art cinema. They [TV industry] in fact collapse boundaries between…knowledge and ignorance that have historically parted “high” from “low” cinema.” ^[4] Also, the success of TV shows attributing more cinematic flare (it will catch on) is the essence of television remaining a convenient and moderately cheap access to entertainment that also “provides different products for different niches [audiences].” ^[4] Realistically, younger demographics are dictating viewership ratings and currently the most entertaining trends in successful TV shows are ones with cinematic influences. With these conclusions and ending with the thoughts of some theorists, the future of the “feminine” television is headed to a more “masculine” dystopia.

References: 

[1] Elliot, Stuart. (2006). “TV is Getting More Like the Movies.” The New York Times. May 17, 2006. 

[2] Joyrich, Lynn. “Chapter 8: Critical and Textual Hypermasculinity.” Mellencamp, Patricia. (1990). Logics of Television: Essays of Cultural Criticism. Bloomington: Indiana UP.

[3] "Bates Motel: Season 1 (2013-2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 22, 2013.

[4] Celluloid Liberation Front. (2013). “Telephilia: Has Television Become a More Relevant American Medium Than Art Film?” Indiewire.com. May 17, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013. 

Miley Cyrus’s changing: the representation of “good girl” or “bad girl”?

Long hair, sweet smile, plain voice, motivational country girl, these are most of the impressions of Miley Cyrus, who initially left these impressions upon the audience through her first Disney movie, Hannah Montana, in 2006. However, the longhaired country legend’s Disney Princess image has been a controversial topic after her twerk foam finger fest at the MTV awards, singing we can’t stop. It looks as if Miley’s exaggerated behavior shocked every one who followed the former Disney darling go from squeaky-clean star to scandalous songbird. Everyone generates one question: What happened to Miley Cyrus?

Not only in America, but also globally, Miley Cyrus is known by lots of people such as Chinese. I knew her also because of the Disney movie, Hannah Montana. As we know, Disney usually gives the audience an ideology that the girl must be the image of a “princess”. The “princesses” usually have long hair and very kind hearts. They usually meet challenges at the beginning of the story and finally overcome these dilemmas by their brave hearts. Their personalities are clean and just, communicating to audiences they should be shaped by these movie values as natural: girls should have “good girl” personalities as the Disney movie showed. Besides, the songs of Hannah Montana helped Miley Cyrus to show her talent in music and be popular. The lyrics of the songs are filled up with inspirational strength, such as the climb’s lyrics: “Every move I make’ Feels lost with no direction’ my faith is shakin’ but I, I gotta keep tryin’ Gotta keep my head held high”. Another song, butterfly fly away, was sung by Miley and her famous country music singer father-Billy Ray Cyrus. It is touching the audience since the warm and sweet relationship between Miley and her father is reviewed. The entire movie showed to the audience a way to represent Miley as an image of a “good girl”.

However, everyone has been shocked since one day she's sexualizing herself without actually being sexy, putting her hair up in double buns like a baby devil's stubby horns and sticking her tongue out like the cartoon character, Calvin, making faces at his stuffed tiger in her new MTV video, we can’t stop. There has been lots of controversial commentary on Miley Cyrus, but everyone seems more or less to agree with one thing: Miley’s changing was not very good. She has gone from “good girl” to “bad”. However, has Miley really turned to “bad”?

Personally, Miley Cyrus is a talented young adult with a powerful voice. She is an artist who knows exactly who she wants to be. Her changing shapes her own image against traditional white feminism. She isn’t Hannah Montana anymore. She is being judged. She grew up.

During Miley Cyrus’ early appearance on the Ellen Show, she talked about her experiences from her Disney movie, Hannah Montana. She clearly knew that everyone changes dramatically when they grow up, but the most important thing is how people get to know themselves. She didn’t want to tell people who she was before she went into the industries when her first record was made at 12 years of age. The hardest thing is that people are not strong when they are young to be the person who they are supposed to be. On the Ellen Show, Miley said that just growing up in the business, she got to know herself better and better and she is still getting to know herself. On Miley’s 2012 Ellen’s show appearance, she changed her hairstyle and wore a mature red dress with cool rivets. She is not the longhaired Disney princess star anymore, but a rock star and sexy woman as herself.

In Miley’s MTV, we can’t stop, she broke her image of a “good girl”, even of traditional white feminism.  She dressed in white hot pants and did the sexy behavior on the TV screen. She had her cool short haircut and “twerk” with black people. She even did the “tongue” thing when she twerked. One of the reasons that people did not like Miley’s change is the twerk.  Twerk is a kind of African dance. It seems to be a stereotype of African American’s dance. From the New York Post said, “I used to think twerking was cool, but now that white people are doing it, it seems so lame, especially for women”(nypost.com). The opinion can be seen as an ideology: people are surround by women who have been raised in a white culture. As white women, they seem weird that do another racial dance. “Women have been the biggest dupes of feminism. They have been manipulated, exploited and used as pawns thanks to the feminist ideology, which is pervading our society today”(avoiceformen.com). Moreover, Miley leads a kind of post-feminism. She chooses more liberate ways that can be a television fantasy. She chooses to be sexual objects not because of particular pressure to be attractive or beautiful. As Miley’s father said: “She's an artist. She's real. I think that what's happened over the years, Miley has been reinventing her sound. She's evolving as an artist herself. I think that all of what everyone is calling controversy now, that's still my Miley” (nydailynews.com). Miley Cyrus is brave and smart girl. She still tries to find herself on TV screen rather than plays the role of Hannah Montana. She has come out of the shadow of “Hannah Montana”. In we can’t stop’s lyrics, “ It’s our party we can do what we want”, which sounds like a catchword that Miley trying to tell the world. She truly cares about herself. She truly cares about her music. She more likes using music to express her love. For example, in the video, there are some gay or lesbian images that showing Miley supports gay marriage. As the lyrics expresses, “Shaking it like we at a strip club. Remember only God can judge us. Forget the haters cause somebody love ya”. Miley tries to use the music and fantastic way to express her love to the world. On the Ellen Show, Miley illustrates her thinking as a Christian that if god wants everyone be loved why we can’t support the homosexual love. Thus, can we judge Miley as a representation of “bad girl” following these facts?

All in all, People are hard to judge Miley Cyrus as a “good girl” or “bad girl” representation.  The audience can’t judge Miley Cyrus only since her shows on TV screen. The movie, Hannah Montana, is the ideology of Disney channel, which can’t stand for the real Miley. The most important thing is that Miley is a musician. She is the artist. Her changing expresses that she knows what is she really want to be and uses her talent to show her love to the audience.   

Work Cited 
   Rachel, M. (September 20, 2013). Billy Ray Cyrus opens up about Miley Cyrus’ recent antics: 'That's still my Miley' nydailynews.com. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/billy-ray-cyrus-miley-cyrus-miley-article-1.1462423
Dan, G. (October 6, 2013). Miley Cyrus "murdered' Hannah Montana on SNL. nypost, com. Retrieved from http://nypost.com/2013/10/06/miley-cyrus-pokes-fun-at-herself-on-snl/
Rod, V.M. (January 18, 2013).Traditional women and their white knights. Avoiceformen.com. Retrieved from http://www.avoiceformen.com/men/mens-issues/traditional-women-and-their-white-knights/
The Ellen Show. (October 12, 2010). Miley Cyrus' On-Screen Romance Heats Up! Youtube.com. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ESLipLJBIo
 Thela, Z. (October 12, 2013). Miley Cyrus on The Ellen Show- Full Interview. Youtube.com. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcPUFZlnTOc