TLC. formerly known as The Learning Channel, has become a place to watch voyeuristic shows. That alone is disturbing, but what's more disturbing is that many of these shows seem to exploit women. What Not to Wear, which ran from 2003-2013, performed makeovers on infinitely more women than men, and while Stacy and Clinton were encouraging toward their contributors, one could argue the message was, "Women can't get away with dressing less than their best, ever."
What Not to Wear is not the only example. In five seasons of My 600-Lb Life, the vast majority of obese contributors have been women (as many as 80% in a 10-episode season). Counting On focuses on Jessa, Jill, and the other Duggar women instead of the Duggar men, playing up the girls' pregnancies, weddings, and other "traditional" activities. Toddlers and Tiaras featured airbrushed, enhanced beauty pageant participants as young as 2-3 years old.
Using these examples and any others you might like, discuss whether TLC is in fact exploiting women over men. If so, do they mean to do it, or are they just trying to net a bigger female audience? Is that a form of manipulation and if yes, is it okay? Why does TLC not seem as focused on men, men's lifestyles, or the self-improvement of men who might be overweight, sloppily dressed, etc.? Is TLC promoting or demeaning traditional women's roles such as wife and mother, and if yes, why?
Another good question would be what exactly are we learning from the programs on "The Learning Channel"??? Even educational channels are now giving in to the 'reality show' boom, much to the dismay of us who grew up watching shows that actually taught us something. You bring up an interesting point that may point to a bigger problem within our society. – MikeySheff8 years ago
I was just thinking about that (ironically while watching TLC). Why call it The Learning Channel, because you're not actively teaching things people need to know. Yes, you could argue, for instance, that My 600-Lb Life teaches people about health--but do you need to stick a 750-pound woman in front of us, and say what a pig she is, to do it? Do you need to use toddlers with blonde wigs and fake teeth to decry unrealistic standards of beauty (when actually, you're doing the opposite)? Now that I think of it, TLC isn't even the only guilty channel. Have you seen the "History Channel" lately? – Stephanie M.8 years ago
Discuss the current direction of the show, especially its later seasons and their emphasis on Sherlock and Watson's personal lives.
Arthur Conan Doyle's character has been successful for so long and undergone many adaptations because of the clever use of the powers of deduction to solve mysteries that boggle lesser minds.
Is the BBC show wandering from its origins? Is that something that contributes to its success and popularity, or will it trip it up if it continues?
The topic would definitely be of interest to a large audience, but it would be helpful for concept of "soap opera" to be more thoroughly defined. Perhaps just culturally. As a soap opera in the US is different than the UK and extremely different than Mexico or other Latin American countries. And is becoming a soap opera a bad thing? – mazzamura8 years ago
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AdaptationDecay <-- this page may be helpful for anyone interested in writing about it. – Sadie Britton8 years ago
Considering current claims that Hollywood, media-making populations are out of touch with "regular Americans," and often prioritizes the stories of people on the east and west coast, how can we interpret the depiction of Texas culture on a show like Friday Night Lights? How does the show use, misuse, or rethink stereotypes about Southern/Texan tradition to portray a nuanced and realistic culture, for media consumers both from and outside of that culture?
Should we consider the following questions?: 1) Has Hollywood ever been in touch with "regular Americans"?, 2) Are "regular Americans" actually interested in the portrayal of "regular Americans" in media entertainment?, 3) Is a non-stereotypical depiction of any culture by Hollywood even possible? – T. Palomino2 years ago
With the rise of so many news stories revealing how Reality TV isn't real at all, should the name "Reality TV" be changed to reflect what it really is–Fictional Reality TV (FRTV) Reality TV truly represents the idea of what people experience on a daily basis, but these experiences that are showcased on Reality TV are forced manipulations to make it appealing to watch. For example, Discovery Channel's Alaskan Bush People supposedly live off the Alaskan land, and they barter for the things they need. Since they are getting paid for the TV show, do they really barter to get the things they need? Furthermore, if the name is changed to FRTV, will the ratings of these shows be impacted? Are people or a reality show's audience more likely to discredit the show if the genre is visible, calling the show what it is?
"Fictional reality TV" might be a mouthful, but I say a name change is definitely in order. Personally, I know reality shows are scripted, but I still enjoy a few. Actually, knowing they're scripted sometimes makes the experience better. Example: I watch parenting-centered shows like Supernanny, and I know the camera people must be behind their equipment saying, "I'll give you a piece of candy if you call Mommy a poopoo head." The thought is hysterical. – Stephanie M.8 years ago
Hi Stephanie, I was devasted to find out the reality TV was so scripted. I thought camera men just followed people and the editors cut and paste to make sure there was a climatic point to the story. I'm glad we agree that there should be a name change. Acronyms are so popular in our society that all we have to do is start using FRTV, and I bet it catches on. Thank you for the feedback! – Vchelle8 years ago
I prefer the term, "Cancelled." – Tigey8 years ago
Netflix's Stranger Things, although set in the 1980's, seems to reflect the current state of life in America. How does the notion of the "Upside Down" speak to life today? The Oxford Dictionary word of the year in 2016 was 'post-truth' which states that objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion or personal belief. How does the notion of the Upside Down reflect the current post-truth era that we live in?
The first sentence of this topic needs to be supported with a strong argument or a reliable source before proceeding to do anything. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Dev Patel, Aziz Ansari, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone: These are all actors of Indian origin who have played major roles in various television series and movies this past year. It would be interesting to analyze the reasons why this transition from stereotypical sidekicks to main characters has taken place.
Hear Hear. I love this topic and look forward to reading this article. – Munjeera8 years ago
I think this is a solid idea. Aziz's Master of None episode about race and casting was so interesting. I think a problem though might be this question might be easy to answer: as (some) people keep pushing for inclusion, we see a broader portrayal of race than simply a black/white binary. Although maybe not! – agmill8 years ago
Analyze the Netflix series Black Mirror by focusing in on the technological and communicative issues each episode reveals, with technology advancing so rapidly how could these events predict the future? Why do these things seem to make sense in the real world? How could it cause paranoia for the future of technology?
I think it might be productive to zone in on a few select episodes and show how they each deal with paranoia. Part of Black Mirror is having disconnected stories, which makes analysing it as a whole difficult. – LondonFog8 years ago
Defining what paranoia means is crucial in this case. Is it paranoia as in a mental disorder? Temporary issue due to stress factors? Maybe it's Dali's Paranoiac-critical method? Applying Dali's method might actually pair really well with the disjointed, surreal nature of Black Mirror. – mazzamura8 years ago
I recently got into Black Mirror and the symbolism of technology and humanity in this series is endless and beyond interesting! I would expand "paranoia" to multiple themes/symbols – SandraHov8 years ago
Analyse what shaved heads/baldness might mean in relation to power structures in Breaking Bad. Why are so many of the characters in seats of power bald, and what does it mean when both Walt and Jessie shave their heads? How does this theme interact with cancer, arguably the shows most powerful antagonist?
Interesting observation, but one could even take it further to other AMC original series. For example, in S02E03 of The Walking Dead, Shane shaves his head immediately after killing Otis, to cover up where his hair was torn during the struggle. The scene is very reminiscent of Walt shaving his head in S01E06 of Breaking Bad, as both circumstances signify these characters' shifts to the "dark side" (so to speak). – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Interesting point...I would have never thought to connect those dots. – MikeySheff8 years ago
On the other hand, the follically challenged - Walt, Gus, Hank - all died, while the hirsute Jesse and Saul made the cut. – Tigey8 years ago
