1. Studying the Texts of TV

2.  Effects and Meaning
 Mass distribution for cultural artifacts tied to socio-economic
environment  high possibility of affecting ‘consumers’
 Storyteller TV: politics, representation, style (fashion),
morals, behavior
 Any TV text is a construction  human-made & created in a
socio-economic environment

3.  Legitimacy of Study
 Study of cultural artifacts in humanities limited to ‘art’
 Realizing study tools accepted by the academy
 Complications: access; status as medium, not texts;
 Higher Saturation of TV Households
 More viewers, more content, heightened interest in “better
programming  perception shift for academics and critics

4. What was, what is and… memory… meaning what?

5. Literature and Art
 Film Studies Theory
 Audiovisual study of
form
 Aesthetics and beauty
Sociology & Comm. Arts
 Screen Arts Theory
 Studying function of
audiovisual artifacts
 Marxist approach;
audience control and
manipulation

6. Semiotics/Semiology
 Language is constructed:
 Arbitrarily and inside
(language) communities
 With signs, codes,
symbols and a ‘common’
or dominant form of
interpretation
CocaCola
Axe

7. Text, Meaning,
& Aesthetics
 How and with what
intentions is a text
created?
 How does form function
in regards to intentions?
 How do codes and
expectations function?
Folgers, ca 1963

8. MY TREASURES…
 ARE JUST STUFF TO
YOU!!!
 Interpretation is Open
 “limited?”

9. “NORMAL”
IDENTITY
SERVICE
MORALS
SEXUAL PREFERENCE
MESSAGE