Reflection 6: Hey, That's Me!—Seeing Yourself on TV

To an adolescent Whoopi Goldberg, the sight of an independent black woman on the bridge of the USS Enterprise was life-altering. Star Trek offered the future-superstar not only an opportunity to see her likeness on television, but a glimpse at a hopeful and prosperous future for her wary people. Meanwhile, Korean-Canadian, and Grey's Anatomy cast member, Sandra Oh laments that she never had the same opportunity as Goldberg: "I grew up never seeing myself on-screen, and it's really important to me to give people who look like me a chance to see themselves. I want to see myself as the hero of any story. I want to see myself save the world from the bomb." What is the significance and impact of seeing people like you on television? Have you ever seen you and your life reflected on-screen? If so, were you represented accurately? If you've never seen yourself represented on television, why do you believe that is? What would it take for television to accurately represent who you are?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "Why ‘Diverse TV’ Matters: It’s Better TV. Discuss." (New York Times)
• "Able-Bodied Actors Play 95% of Disabled Characters in Top 10 TV Shows, Says New Study" (Variety) 
• "From 'Good Times' To 'Honey Boo Boo': Who is Poor On TV?" (NPR)
• "Obama: Muslims on TV Deserve to be Portrayed as More than Just Terrorists" (Huffington Post)
• "The First Time I Saw Myself on TV" (Hulu)
• "It's 2016 and Latino Representation on TV is Finally Starting to Reflect Reality" (Mic)

Required:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be two full pages in length
• Must have a works cited page

Due: Fri 11.4

Week 11: Black-ish

Week 11: Black-ish 
Fr 11.4
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 6

Upcoming:

Week 12: I Love Lucy 
Fr 11.11 (NO CLASS—VETERANS DAY)

Week 13: Glee 
Fr 11.18
Class: Writer’s workshop; Presentations
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT; RESEARCH PAPER THESIS AND OUTLINE (BRING 2 COPIES)

Week 14: Mad Men
Fr 11.26 (NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING)

Week 15: Modern Family 
Fr 12.2
Class: Writer’s workshop; English Department Assessment
Due: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 3; BRING 2 COPIES): REFLECTION 7

Week 16: Felicity 
Fr 12.9 (FINAL CLASS MEETING)
Class: Writer’s workshop; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 8; RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 6; BRING 1 COPY)

Week 17: Downton Abbey
Fr 12.16 (FINALS WEEK 1—NO CLASS)

Week 18: Game of Thrones 
Mo 12.19 (FINAL EXAM PERIOD)
Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM
Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT)

TV News 11.27.16

• The first trailer arrives for Netflix's Gilmore Girls reboot: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (YouTube)
• Why Charlie and Lola's Halloween special is no Great Pumpkin (Slate)
• Donald Trumps hints that he'll sue over leaked Access Hollywood tape (TheWrap)
• Did this week's Walking Dead finally go too far? (DigitalSpy)
• NBC considering a revival of Will & Grace (Variety)
• Apple's new TV app to debut without Netflix or Amazon (Wired)

Reflection 5: In It to Win It—Winning on a Reality TV Competition

Could you win a reality TV competition? If so, which one? Are you the Voice? Or maybe you're America's Next Top Model? Are you best suited for an in-studio competition, such as Chopped, or are you willing to get physical on a show like The Amazing Race? What would you be willing to do, and what would be off-limits? Finally, what is the appeal of these shows? The money? The competition? The fame? What motivates people to risk potential humiliation on national television?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "Who Wants to Be a Cognitive Neuroscientist Millionaire?" (Seed)
• "Reality TV: How to Succeed on Every Competition Show" (Television Without Pity)
• "13 Reality TV Show Secrets the Producers Won't Tell You" (Reader's Digest)
• "Reality TV Contestants Reveal Show Secrets" (AOL)
• "Reality TV Shows Where Winning Gets You Nothing" (NickiSwift) 
• "Does Winning a Reality Competition Really Help Your Career?" (HowStuffWorksMoney)

Required:

• MLA Style
• 1.5 pages in length
• Works cited page 

Due: Fri 10.28

Week 10: American Horror Story

Week 10: American Horror Story 
Fr 10.28
Class: EDITORIAL; Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 5

Upcoming:

Week 11: Black-ish
Fr 11.4
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 6; RESEARCH PAPER THESIS AND OUTLINE (BRING 2 COPIES)

TV News 10.21.16

• American Horror Story: Roanoke flips its narrative mid-season; goes from recreation reality show to a deadly Real World-type program (Yahoo! TV)
• The Emmys respond to Donald Trump's continued claim that the awards show is rigged (Us)
• Netflix among websites targeted in massive cyber attack (Pitchfork)
• Inside MTV's push to bring music back into the fold (TheWrap)
• Fox's Rocky Horror Picture Show ratings down from last year's Grease (Entertainment Weekly)
• Real World: San Francisco couple celebrate 15 years of marriage (Entertainment Weekly)

Week 9: Saturday Night Live

Week 9: Saturday Night Live 
Fr 10.21
 Read: STREET—Ch. 13-18 
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations 

Upcoming: 

Week 10: American Horror Story 
Fr 10.28
Class: EDITORIAL; Reading discussion; Presentations

Due: REFLECTION 5

 

TV News 10.14.16

• HBO resurrects a remastered Fraggle Rock (Time)
• Can viewing data offer us insight into the 2016 election? (ScienceBlog)
• Pandora's new logo harks back to '80s-era MTV (Wired)
• As Trump tanks, cable news soars (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Supergirl raises The CW's Monday ratings (The Colombian)
• Report: Netflix to offer offline option by year's end (TheNextWeb)

Week 8: The Oprah Winfrey Show

Week 8: The Oprah Winfrey Show

Fr 10.14

Read: STREET—Ch. 9-12

Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Watch—Sesame Street (S46E1)

Due: INFOGRAPHIC (Final draft; Email by 6 PM); REFLECTION 4

Upcoming:

Week 9: Saturday Night Live 
Fr 10.21

Read: STREET—Ch. 13-18

Class: EDITORIAL; Reading discussion; Presentations

TV News 10.7.16

• SNL spoofs the first 2016 presidential debate (New York Post)
• How does Luke Cage viewership stand up against other Netflix shows? (Business Insider)
• Star Trek alums line up against Trump in "Trek Against Trump" group (Entertainment Weekly)
• Amazon releases the first trailer for its The Grand Tour starring ex-Top Gear hosts (USA Today)
• Panasonic debuts its invisible TV with a fully transparent display (BRG)
• MTV launches new international versions of its most popular shows (Hollywood Reporter)

Reflection 4: Did You Just See That?—When History Happens on TV

Sometimes, history plays itself out in real time and we are afforded a front row seat. Whether what we see inspires or terrifies us, historical events on television often captivate Americans. In fact, we often bond as a nation over these moments. For this reflection, watch excerpts from two of the following historical events. As you watch, consider why these events were significant for Americans, even if it did not pertain to us directly? And which historical events have you see played out on television?

Write about two of the following events:

• The Launch of Sputnik 1 (1957)
• The Assassination of President Kennedy (1963)
• The Assassination of Dr. King (1968)
• The Apollo 11 Moon Landing (1968)
• The Apollo 13 Splashdown (1970)
• The Resignation of President Nixon (1974)
• The "Miracle on Ice" (1980)
• The Attempted Assassination of President Reagan (1981)
• The Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana (1981)
• The Live-Aid Concerts in Philadelphia and London (1985)
• The Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion (1986)
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)
• The OJ Simpson Murder Trial (1994 - 1995)
• The Funeral of Princess Diana (1997)
• The Attacks of September 11th (2001)
• The Inauguration of President Obama (2009)
• The Memorial of Michael Jackson (2009)
• The Japanese Earthquake and Tsunamis (2011)
• The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (2011)
• Boston Marathon Bombing (2013)
• Pope Francis Elected Leader of the Roman Catholic Church (2013)
• The Philea robot successfully lands on a comet (2014)

Required:

• MLA Style
• 1.5 pages in length
• Works cited page 

Due: Fri 10.14

Week 7: The Simpsons

Week 7: The Simpsons 

Fr 10.7

Read: STREET—Ch. 1-8; eR—“There Goes the Neighborhood: The Story Behind the New Sesame Street and its Journey to HBO” (ThinkProgress), “Sesame Street Debuts New Look in Move to HBO” (New York Post), “Opinion: New Money Has Ruined Sesame Street” (Guardian), “Sesame Street Goes to HBO, Raising Question of Moral Obligation in Business” (Forbes), "Sesame Workshop CEO Outlines Vision To Ensure Sesame Street's Survival" (NPR)

Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; “Lecture—“Sesame Street’s Greatest Hits”

Due: INFOGRAPHIC (Draft 1; Bring 2 copies or have in electronic form); REFLECTION 3

Upcoming:

Week 8: The Oprah Winfrey Show

Fr 10.14

Read: STREET—Ch. 9-12

Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Watch—Sesame Street (S46E1)

Due: INFOGRAPHIC (Final draft; Email by 6 PM); REFLECTION 4