1. The Politics of TV
How Distribution Platforms Affect Cultural Ideology
By Lilia Hadjiivanova
California State University, Los Angeles
2. Distribution Platforms:
Broadcast Network vs. On-Demand Subscription
o Broadcasting network
o Relies on advertisers
o Importance of ratings
o Broad audience
o On-demand Internet subscription-based streaming
o Relies on # of subscribers
o Importance of ‘quality’ content
o Niche audience
3. Research Questions
Does the medium influence the message?
Is dominant American cultural ideology reinforced or challenged?
How are the following represented:
gender (fixed gender roles, masculinity is dominant, femininity is submissive),
race (racial stereotypes, whitewashing, symbolic annihilation),
class (prevalence of middle- and upper-class characters),
American dream (individualism, pursuit of happiness, upward social mobility, “having it all”)
5. Similarities
one-hour political dramas which combine melodrama and violence
depict issues of power, loyalty, marriage, and political back-stabbing
have diverse casts and strong female leads
innovative
6. Differences: Broad vs Niche
o Melodrama / Soap opera feel
o Emphasis on romance
o Fast-paced editing
o Outrageous plot twists
o Weekly ‘amnesia’
o “Guilty pleasure”
o ‘Quality’ / Cinematic feel
o Emphasis on politics
o Slow pace
o Plausible plot twists
o Episodic ‘memory’
o Literary references
7. Differences: Gender
o ‘Livvie’ goes from being outspoken,
independent (S1) passive, emotional
mess (S2)
o Heterosexual, romantic
o Family-oriented
Her happiness is contingent on love
o Egalitarian marriage
o Ambiguous sexuality, aromantic
o Not family-oriented
o Open relationship
Her happiness is contingent on power
8. Differences: Race
o Assimilationist
(colorblind)
o Black Boss Lady, Scary
Black Man tropes
o Multicultural (diversity)
o Representation of
otherwise symbolically
annihilated populations
e.g. Native Americans
Gray, H. (2000), “The Politics of Representation in Network Television” in
Newcomb, Horace. Television: The Critical View. New York: Oxford
University Press
9. Differences:
Social Class & the American Dream
o Middle- / Upper-class characters
o Pursuit of happiness / Desire to “have it
all”
o Reinforces the American Dream
o Working-class characters in main roles
o Pursuit of power / Not wanting “it all”
o Attacks the American Dream
10. Conclusion
o Goal to sell a product (other than the show itself)
o Lowest common denominator
o Reinforces dominant values
o Does not address racism / class inequality
o reaches more people, but represents a
limited part of the population
o Goal to sell the show
o Niche
o Challenges hegemonic ideals
o Addresses racism / class inequality
o reaches fewer people but
represents a broader, more diverse population
