Firstly, unlike in most content analysis, only one coder viewed the sample and coded data. Bias may exist on the part of the coder, and there is no inter-coder reliability for this study. Furthermore, a small sample size was used not only in terms of the episodes chosen, but the number of shows overall; only four different animated programs were coded in this analysis, for a total of eight episodes. Another consequence of the small sample size is that the two episodes sampled from each show may not be representative of the shows themselves. TV shows tend to evolve over time, as due standards for on-air content. The results of the present study are limited to the chosen sample.…
1. Identify a similar occurrence (for example, the representation of a city, the discovery of a clue, the inclusion of a red herring, a depiction of a crime scene, or inner monologue) in a film/TV episode and a short story/novel/play from class. How does the medium (i.e., being filmed or written) change the representation? (15)…
Steven Johnson presented the argument that watching certain TV shows can make a person more intelligent. According to the author, shows have only become more complex with different story arcs, threading, and social interactions amongst characters. He argues that certain types of narrative weaving cause a person to actually focus on what is happening and notice the details within the show. To support his argument, Johnson discusses the Sleeper Curve, which is found in certain television shows that cause a person to have to pay attention to things below the surface, such as tracking character relations and making inferences. The article presented comparisons between old and modern television shows, as well as clarifying that “bad” shows can also…
Television always seems to get it right so-to-speak. Every show, for the most part, always seems to capture all drama right on the button. When you watch a show on TV you expect that to happen, but in reality the loose ends are not always wrapped up. Why does life seem to always lack the climax or the perfect ending? After watching TV for most of our lives we seem to strive for the perfect ending but for most of us, the perfect ending never comes. Dove believes that it is effortless to talk about the “salient points [because] there are there for the plucking” (p.578). You simply just have to recall the events and that is sometimes easier than talking about your own reality.…
How is TV bad/good? Do you learn from watching TV? What shows are best to watch? These are just some of the questions that this annotated bibliography will answer for you and help you decide whether TV is good or bad. This bibliography can be used by anyone who wants to decide if watching TV is good or bad, either for their children, or themselves.…
Johnson’s idea of multiple threads in watching television fundamentally lies in his overarching theory called The Sleeper Curve. A thread is a strand of information in one scene; a scene can have up to ten threads increasing the complexity of the show. Multithreading is “keeping [these] densely interwoven plotlines distinct” (Johnson 63). In comparison to earlier television shows that only followed one or two stories, today’s features present a greater deal of complexity. The plot lines in shows like Starsky and Hutch and Dragnet are easy to follow. The story begins and ends in each episode, requiring no follow up in later episodes. Modern television shows that develop complex plots require a certain degree of engagement from its audience. The challenging simultaneous plot lines require viewers to “intuitively track narrative-threads-per-episode” in order to truly comprehend what is going on (Johnson 72). With multithreading, the audience is required to “integrate far more information that [they] would have a few decades ago” (Johnson 72).…
Film and television have played a big role in Americans lives since their creation. Americans have seen how it has improved but most importantly what has changed as well. Since the beginning of history, one of the main purposes of television and film has been to entertain people and make them laugh. As quality changed overtime, so did the meaning of it. Modern television shows have now shifted their focus and expanded their purposes of television and film. Today, what is shown on the screen can have great effects on Americans. Television and film can be harmful to Americans by influencing bad behaviors, categorizing people and causing many to be unsatisfied with their lifestyles. As of 2016, it is accurate to say that many of the shows and…
Johnson compares hit TV shows like Dragnet and Starsky and Hutch to that of more recent shows like The Sopranos. He explains how early television like Dragnet and Starsky and Hutch follow a strict linear narrative with little variation of the plot while The Sopranos “will often connect to three different threads at the same time, layering one plot atop another” (283). Therefore, shows like The Sopranos demand a lot more attention from their audience, engaging them with complex characterization and intertwining multiple episodes. This is what Johnson defines as the Sleeper Curve.…
The main conclusion[s]/inference[s] in this article is that just like everything else in life it is good in moderation. Television is not the problem as is the quality and quality that is being consumed that is the problem.…
0 messages - 0 unreadSocial networks are important in the study of sociology. Understand what they are. Have you ever benefited from your social network. For instance, have you gotten a job or met someone nice through a friend of a friend? Another way to look at it, how many degrees are you away from from contacting former President George Bush? It never fails that I have a student who knows someone who knows Bush personally! * Unlocked: Feb 9, 2013 4:53 PM - Mar 4, 2013 11:55 PM…
On July 14 1976, capital punishment was abolished in Canada. The death penalty has always been and remains a controversial issue in countries all over the world; however because of justice, retribution and deterrence, it is evident that it should be brought back to Canada as a lawful consequence to committing first degree murder.…
People seem to have different perspectives on video gaming. Some may say that its bad for you and others may disagree. Steven Johnson, the author of Everything Bad is Good for You, believes that video gaming comes with many benefits. Unlike reading books, video games actually help you trigger your mind and make you analyze situations, he admits. He also claims that when reading a small portion of your brain is devoted and when it comes to video games you trigger most of your senses. When playing video games there are two stages you go through, they are probing and telescoping. Probing is the ability of searching and discovering options as he is introduced to the game. After discovering and understand the game better it leads the player into making decisions which is what Johnson describes as Telescoping. From my own experiences I have to agree with Johnson, I feel that video games can be very helpful and can even improve out academic performance.…
The daytime TV serial is a special breed of entertinament. It has generally been watched by millions of people over the years, yet it has always been considered the laughing stock of TV in general.Yet many people still watch daytime TV and in recent years it has started to gain a bit more respect by critics and journalists. One of the greatest highlights of the daytime TV serial is the many different forms of paratexts that surrounds each and every show. While scouring the internet for an example of a paratext, I found a rather fascinating one for the series The Edge of Night (1956-1984). We will be exploring this paratext for a classic serial, and eventually find out how the paratext at hand would help promote the show for general audiences at the time.…
Individual behaviors may be restrained because of their awareness that their behaviors might possibly be seen by other people, and the fact that people tempt to look more appealing in any social occasions is obvious (Jeong, 2011). Since social media is served as a platform which is opened to public, people tend to pay more attention to how they appear and behave online. An experiment from Denton (2012) indicates that participants within heterogeneous networks such as Facebook have more desire to shift their impressions to others. A heterogeneous network is a network which is established for people without same interests, religions or common interests; in other words, people are able to speak or…
Bibliography: ALLEN, R.C. 1985. Speaking of Soap Operas. Chapel Hill: NC: University of North Carolina Press.…