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Essay Three – Online Fandom Research
ESSAY THREE – ONLINE FANDOM RESEARCH
Due:
Via email by 11:59 pm, April 22
Assignment:
For your final assignment, you will research online fan responses to a single show. There are many possible approaches to this study. You might explore online fan creations and how they expand on their source. You might consider how viewers in online chatrooms establish authority and develop knowledge bases. You might investigate how online databases and information repositories decide what to include and how fans use that information. You might scrutinize how internet fandom has changed the relationship between producers and fans. You must engage with at least one online fan community and conduct research both online and in scholarly sources. Your topic must be approved by me before you begin research.
Parameters:
1500-2000 words (4-5 pages)
MLA format
Times New Roman font
Works Cited that includes both your outside sources, the website you choose to follow, any specific pages within that site you use material from, the program you choose to study and any episodes of programs explicitly mentioned in your paper.
DO NOT use Wikipedia
Hints:
This paper will be the longest and most challenging of the semester. The biggest hurdle you will probably have to overcome here is that your primary focus here should be FAN RESPONSES to a television program, not the television program proper.
This essay will likely consist of six parts:
- A description of the site you have selected and explanation of what kind of fannish approach it employs;
- A background of the site – how long has it been around, how large is it, what kind of growth or shrinkage has it experienced over time, how many people use it, why was it created, etc.;
- Some background/information about the show the site is devoted to and the fandom surrounding that show (you may need to visit and briefly introduce other sites to illustrate this);
- An analysis of how the fans involved in this site use it to add value to their viewing experience and to create deeper relationships with the show and each other. What does being a fan of this show mean for them?
- Explain how interacting with fannish culture has changed your perspective on the show and its viewers.
- Explain what we can learn about television from studying television fan culture.
You will want to use ample secondary sources for this essay. Most of your research should be on fandom studies rather than television studies proper. If you’re stuck on resources, email me – I have a wealth of articles on a variety of fandoms, and I might be able to find you something or at least tell you where to look.
As ever, use the library databases liberally. You will need to examine many articles (even if you don’t use all of them) to gain a better understanding of fan responses to your selected show.
Cite every article or website you refer to in your essay, even if you refer to it only in passing.
As ever, email me or post a response to this entry if you have any questions.
Resources:
Purdue University MLA PowerPoint Presentation
Purdue University MLA Overview and Workshop
Google Scholar (If you search here while on campus or connected to the library VPN, many of the articles you find can be accessed automatically – this can be easier than using the library databases sometimes.)
Essay Two
ESSAY TWO – GENRE STUDY
Due:
Via email by 11:59 pm, April 1
Assignment:
For your second essay, you will conduct a study of the formal qualities and critical issues associated with any one of the television genres we have considered in class or another genre approved by me. Your study should elucidate the genre you are studying, explain the formal qualities that identify a program as part of the genre, and discuss programs which best exemplify the genre. Additionally, you should explain the primary critical issues associated with the genre and postulate where critical studies of the genre are poised to go in the immediate future. You must use both primary sources and secondary critiques in this essay.
Parameters:
1200-1500 words (4-5 pages)
MLA format
Times New Roman font
Works Cited that includes both your outside sources and any episodes of programs explicitly mentioned in your paper
DO NOT use Wikipedia
Hints:
This paper will be significantly different from your last. Whereas the main focus of your last paper was analyzing a program, the main focus of this one will be explaining a genre. Therefore, all examples you use from programs should serve to illustrate how the genre works.
This essay will likely consist of four parts:
- An explanation of the genre – its themes, concerns and formal characteristics;
- An explanation of the major critical concerns associated with the genre;
- A brief history of the genre, including programs that played an important role in its formation or development;
- An examination of one show that exemplifies the genre, using examples from the program to show how formal aspects and critical considerations associated with the genre play out on screen.
You will want to use ample secondary sources for this essay. Of most help to you will be critical considerations of the genre, works on genre history, and critiques of specific shows within the genre that demonstrate common critical approaches.
Use the library databases liberally. You will need to examine many articles (even if you don’t use all of them) to gain a complete picture of the critical issues most associated with a genre.
Cite every article or book you refer to in your essay, even if you refer to it only in passing.
Make sure to pay attention to subgenres and focus your discussion on a particular subgenre if necessary. For instance, you’ll get much more fruitful analysis if you focus on, say, the workplace sitcom rather than the sitcom in general.
Perhaps most importantly, email me or post a response to this entry if you have any questions.
Resources:
Purdue University MLA PowerPoint Presentation
Purdue University MLA Overview and Workshop
Google Scholar (If you search here while on campus or connected to the library VPN, many of the articles you find can be accessed automatically – this can be easier than using the library databases sometimes.)
NO CLASS TODAY – 02/28/11
NO CLASS TODAY!
Sorry, all. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I need to cancel class today. Please watch the pilot episode of Dawson’s Creek, which can be found at the link at the bottom of this post, for Wednesday, and be prepared to discuss it in conjunction with “From Beats to Arcs” and “My Generation,” both of which can be found on e-reserve.
Essay One – Critical Analysis
Due:
Via email by 11:59 pm, January 31
Assignment:
For your first assignment, you will apply one of the critical approaches to television studies we have discussed to a show of your choosing. Consider the issues the critical approach in question tends to engage – i.e., for a Marxist critique you might focus on class, economics or consumerism; for a Semiotic critique, you might look at how language and signals in the show send overt or covert messages. Since your goal for this paper is to demonstrate your understanding of how a branch of criticism might be applied to television viewing, you many use your television show and works that explain the theory you will apply as sources. You may not, however, use secondary sources which apply your chosen critical perspective to the show.
Parameters:
1200-1500 words (4-5 pages)
MLA format
Times New Roman font
Works Cited that includes both your outside sources and any episodes of your program explicitly mentioned in your paper
DO NOT use Wikipedia
Hints:
Demonstrating your understanding of how to apply a critical perspective to television requires close analysis. This can be particularly challenging when it comes to the televisual medium, as one often must deal with many hours of programming that work on visual, textual and socio-cultural levels. Therefore, you will need to focus on narrowing your approach. While you want to provide a basic understanding of the show you are writing about, you will benefit from limiting your analysis to one or two episodes.
Remember, television is a visual medium as well as a narrative one, so pay attention to visual cues onscreen. The picture tell as much of the story as the words do – sometimes more.
Give background on the critical perspective you will be using to analyze the program in order to provide your readers with insight as to why it is a valuable lens for analysis of this particular show.
Pick a limited number of scenes to analyze in detail.
Don’t retell the episodes. Any episode summary should be limited to a couple of sentences. Your primary goal is close reading, meaning your analysis should be focused on only a handful of specific moments to which you can effectively apply your critical perspective.
Resources:
Purdue University MLA PowerPoint Presentation
Purdue University MLA Overview and Workshop
I will add more resources over the course of the weekend.
Week Three Schedule Update
PLEASE NOTE: This week’s blog post will not be due until Friday night, as we will be having our viewing session on Friday rather than Wednesday this week.
Further details will be posted later this evening.
Presentation Schedule
Please note: if you find another show you would rather present on, you are welcome to change. Just make sure to give me prior notice.
Friday, January 14
Friday, January 21
Jackie Campuzano – ??
Friday, January 28
Sarah Miller – I Love Lucy
Friday, February 4
Emilee Smith – ??
Friday, February 11
Devon Holder – Friends
Friday, February 18
Christina Stemen – 16 and Pregnant
Friday, February 25
Stephanie Latassa –Modern Family
Friday, March 4
Frankie Hammond – ??
Monday, March 14
Heather Garrett – Glee
Friday, March 18
Terri Arcelia Darden – Family Guy
Monday, March 21
Erica Savelle – ??
Friday, March 25
Taylor Le Corgne –South Park
Monday, March 28
Jaimee Castillo –Gossip Girl
Friday, April 1
Teresa Crippen – ??
Monday, April 4
Vartika Bhardway –House
Friday, April 8
Kelsey Kern – ??
Monday, April 11
Lily Ramirez – Desperate Housewives
Friday, April 15
Reading/Viewing Schedule
Please review the reading/viewing schedule attached. You should bring a copy of this schedule with you to each class meeting so that you may not any changes to dates or readings.
Course Policies
Please review and print the attached document prior to our second course meeting. It is imperative that you understand all of our class policies. Please feel free to post questions here or to email me should you have any questions.
Under Construction
I’m still pulling the course blog together. Please check back frequently throughout the month of December, as I will frequently be adding information, including course pack details and background reading for our first class meeting.
Writing About Television - Course Blog 