Pick one of the analytic approaches we have been learning about (Semiotics or Narrative Theory). Briefly analyze some aspect of your body of content using this method. Use TheFiveParagraphEssay form to structure your essay. Bring two copies of your essay to class. Details of the method you should follow are located in MediaCriticismSpring2005ShortPaper1Detail.
Standard Assignment
Do your readings. Come with two questions.
Note
If by some chance you don't have your paper done when class starts, its better to be at class without your paper than it is to not show up at all.
Genre Theory
Genre is the French Word for type
A lot of what we've done so far has been concerned with types
Types of Language
Types of Narrative Element
Types of Media
So it can be assumed that we mean something special when we talk about genre theory
Types of Content
there is no single "genre theory"
covers several very different kinds of analysis
hope to move towards a synthesis today
Three methodological elements common to all variants of genre analysis
Identification of types of content within a medium
across all content within that medium
genre, in this context, is an invention
of an analyst
of a media industry
of an audience's expectations
Identification of the characteristics common to content of a given type
An attempt to understand why those characteristics recur within the type
Genre theory has generally been systematically applied within a small number of media
Theatrical Performance (Drama or Theatre)
Starting with Aristotle's Poetics (~350 B.C.)
Tragedy and Comedy identified as the two principle types
These forms have somehow frozen in concrete
Despite the obvious emergence of a more diverse "genre system"
Passion Plays
Historical Plays
Vaudeville and Reviews
Musicals
Murder Mysteries
Realistic Drama
Abstract Drama
Literature
Starting with Aristotle's Poetics
Forms of Poetry identified as Lyric and Epic
Again the forms have somehow frozen
Prose fiction has proved resistant to genre analysis
Despite dozens of obvious bookstore or library categories
for fiction, where the genre system includes
Murder Mysteries
Romance Novels
Science Fiction
Fantasy
Thrillers
Historical Novels
Alternate Histories
Western Novels
and non-fiction
Northrup Frye
the best-known genre theorist of this century
break outs of a genre theory that is "stuck precisely where Aristotle left it"
differentiates genre from modes, mythos, and symbols
but the result is still a restrictive theoretical genre system
Rhetoric/Public Speaking
Starting with Aristotle's Rhetoric
Principle genre system taught today
Informative
Forensic
Deliberative
Persuasive
Epideictic
Movies
Initially a critique of "factory" productions
Contrasted against Auteur theory
Later a recognition that movies are adapted to audience history, preference, and expectation
Obvious types in film genre system
Westerns
War Movies
Romantic Comedies
Musicals
Action Adventure
History
Film Noir
Horror
Suspense
Thrillers
Murder Mystery
Science Fiction
Chic Flicks
Spy Movies
Satires
Art Films
Radio
Interesting at least in part because it is so different now than it was in the 1940s
Old Time Radio genre system included
News Programs
Variety Shows
Detective/Murder Mystery
Western Serials
Situation Comedies
Historical Dramatizations
Condensed Movies
Current Radio genre system includes
News Radio
Top 40
Easy Listening
Classical (and other variants based on musical style)
Religious
Talk Radio
Television
Often views genre as an audience delivery vehicle
Formal study starts with Horace Newcomb
Obvious components of genre system include
News
News Magazines
Game Shows
Variety Shows
Talk Shows
Westerns
Situation Comedies (sitcoms)
Relationship Comedies (serials)
Crime Dramas
Science Fiction
Reality Shows
Musical Genres
Cross media to a greater extent than other content genres
a function of the restricted language choices in music
change little when repurposed across media
Obvious genres
Classical
Rock
Country
Hip Hop
Alternative
Jazz
Blues
Love Songs
Muzak
In theory, genre analysis can be applied to any medium
Identifying types of content within that medium
Identifying a body of content that exemplifies that type
Finding patterns that occur across content within the genre
Finding reasons why those patterns occur within the genre
In practice, genre theory has been applied to very few media
But it’s easy to identify genres of:
mail (business letters, personal letters, love letters, bills, advertising, solicitations)
e-mail (personal, SPAM)
instant messaging (conversation, coordination, question and answer)
computer conferencing (see my Ph.D. dissertation or Baym's "Tune In, Log On")
Speech Acts (see Bakhtin's "The Problem with Speech Genres"
Jane Feuer, in the Allen text, identifies several different approaches to genre analysis that share this general model:
Theoretical
Types are deduced from a preexisting theory of content within the medium
For example, attempting to overlay television content with the literary categories established by Aristotle or Frye
Aesthetic
Focus on finding recurring conventions that characterize a genre
often issues of language choices
semantics and syntax
Syntagm (Syntactic Choices)
Narrative structure
Character types
Episode length
Episode frequency
Paradigm (Semantic Choices)
Languages used
Genre specific jargons
Sign selections
Shots
Use of Time
Lighting
Iconography
Focus on the patterns with the genre
More focal to our examination of Genre than the "Theorietical" approach
Ritual
like Aesthetic approach, draws on semiotic/structural methods
Focus on cultural themes that are specific to genre
references to mythic archetypes
caring mother
bumbling father
inflexible boss
intrusive in-laws
insensitive sons
insecure daughters
attention to cultural tensions
dualities and dialectics
rules of behavior
role-driven behavior
Associated with the Cultural approach to media criticism, which we will cover later in the semester.
Ideological
like Aesthetic and ritual approach, draws on semiotic/structural methods
Focus on ways in which content supports status quo
inequities in economic, social, and/or political power
Inequitable distribution of resources
Explore how texts celebrates existing social, political, economic, and cultural status quo
Explore how texts advocate a desired status quo
Associated with the ideological approach to media criticism, which we will cover later in the semester
Evolutionary
initially associated with the Russian Formalist school
Tynianov
views genre as dynamic
an emergent phenomenon
as evolving under principles of Darwinian evolution
as the construction of an interpretive community
tacit agreements between author and reader
the product negotiation between content providers and consumers
consumers have an interest in predictability
they want to be entertained
they know what they do and do not like
the content industry has an interest in predictability
their revenue depends on matching advertisers to viewers
large numbers of viewers
in specific target demographics
consumers negotiate with their viewing habits
sometimes cards, letters, and telephone calls work too
the content industry negotiates by trying out new series
building new series based on "what works"
the formulas associated with old series that have done big numbers
the writers, producers, and other talent who have done big numbers
most often testing them before committing to broadcast
critics vote with their reviews
advertisers vote with their ad placements
third parties sometimes vote with advertiser or regulator focused campaigns
References
Aristotle. (1984). The Rhetoric and the Poetics of Aristotle. Modern Library.
James W. Chesebro, Davis A. Foulger, Jay E. Nachman, and Andrew Yanelli. Popular music as a mode of communication: 1955-1982. Critical Studies in Mass Communication 2: 115-135, 1985.
Duff, D. (2000). Modern Genre Theory. Longman, 2000.
Feuer, Jane. (1992). Genre Study and Television. In Allen, Robert (ed.). Channels of Discourse: Reassembled. The University of North Carolina Press.
Foulger, D. (1990). Medium as Process: The Structure, Use, and Practice of Computer Conferencing on IBM's IBMPC Computer Conferencing Facility. Ph.D. Dissertation. Temple University. Retrieved from http://evolutionarymedia.com/mediumAsProcess/index.htm.
Frye, N. (1957). Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Unless otherwise noted, the contents of this page
were written by participants on the Media Space Wiki, operated by Davis Foulger,
and should be cited accordingly. For example (APA): Foulger, D. and other
participants. (August 27, 2008). Media Criticism Fall2006 Session10. MediaSpaceWiki. Retrieved on from
http://evolutionarymedia.com/wiki.htm?MediaCriticismFall2006Session10.
MediaSpace Wiki