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Week 12 Question

Can reality tv still be thought of as a genre given the high level of hybridity that exists?

Reality TV first emerged throughout the late 19th century and is ever changing with the amount of different categories that it is made up of. Reality tv is described as a genre that is made up of many other components which is why many people would call it a hybrid genre. The question that comes up when thinking of reality TV is, can it still be considered its own genre even though it has a high level of hybridity. Reality tv is commonly made up of two existing genres known as fiction and non-fiction. A lot of the time, reality tv is known to sell the idea that most of its shows are based around the truths of life and the people on these shows are supposed to be real instead of being actors. The reason that reality tv seems to be increasingly popular today is because many of the viewers watching see it as a factual experience that is non-scripted. Hill (2007) says that reality tv was renamed to reality entertainment and is more related to the factual end of the realism spectrum.

According to Wood (2004), television is separated into four different categories known as Fact, Entertainment, Fiction and Advertisement. Fact refers to television shows that share factual evidence such as the news and documentaries. Entertainment refers to a theatrical type of reality where people act as ‘themselves’ throughout. Examples of entertainment are singing shows, game shows and many different talk shows. Fiction refers to television shows that are primarily for the imagination of the audience and examples of these include drama and different forms of comedy. The fourth and final category is advertisement and this refers to short commercials that are shown in between the actual shows; these advertisements are supposed to entice the audience to buy them (Wood, 2004).

Wood (2004) explains that many professionals look at the hybridity of television as a corresponding genre. This would mean that even though reality tv is looked at as a hybrid of other genres, it should still be considered as its own genre. When looking at television categories, most people would consider reality tv its own genre along with drama and comedy. In the world today, there exists a vast amount of hybridity throughout many different media platforms, but just because hybridity tells us it is more than one thing, does not mean it can not still be classified as a genre. Aslama and Pantti (2006) describe reality tv as a complex concept that is made up of subcategories and different television programs, but although complex, it can still be considered its own genre even if it is a vast range of categories.

References

Aslama, M., & Pantti, M. (2006). Talking alone: Reality TV, emotions and authenticity. European journal of cultural studies, 9(2), 167-184.

Hill, A. (2007). Restyling factual TV: Audiences and news, documentary and reality genres. Routledge.

Wood, B. (2004). A World in Retreat: The Reconfiguration of Hybridity in 20th-Century New Zealand Television. Media, Culture & Society. DOI: 10.1177/0163443704039709

Week 9 Question

In what ways can cosphotography be understood as a form of “fan capital”?

Cosphotography has become a big art form during the 21st century and shows fans of the cosplay world taking part through social media. Cosphotography is a portmanteau of the words cosplay and photography used together to describe a newer genre of cosplay. It is explained by Mountfort et al. (2018), that photography is an important key element of a cosplayers life and in time, could help bring not only fame, but “fan capital” as well.

In the world of cosplay, money is a contributing element that helps many cosplayers stand out. Unless a cosplayer has made their entire outfit from scratch, it is guaranteed that they had to spend at least a little bit of money in order to do their make-up, hair, and even prosthetics if needed. Many of these items do not come cheap, and if a cosplayer wants to stand out as the best in a professional sense, then they are required to hand over their coins. This is where fan capital is helpful. Mountfort et al. (2018) says that many cosplayers hope for some sort of capital gain in return for their hard work and the time they have spent putting together their entire character.

Fan capital is explained as a source of income for many cosplayers with some sort of popularity behind them. However, fan capital can be hard to come by if the cosplayer does not have as much experience or speciality to them. Cosphotography can be understood as a form of fan capital because it includes making money through the actions of fans requesting photos and anything else to do with photography and media. Photography is a huge part of a cosplayers life because many of them have their photos taken, have music videos directed and many other forms of moving image media (Mountfort et al. 2018).

Cosphotography can be understood as a form of fan capital because it is one particular way that some cosplayers earn money. Because cosplayers spend so much time and money transforming themselves, in return they expect some form of money reward. Cosplay has become an ever increasing hobby for many individuals, however, for a lot of people it is their way of life. Dressing up and becoming someone else is a lifestyle for a vast amount of people and because it is their lifestyle and they have committed themselves enough to this artform, they deserve to be credited for their creativity.

References

Mountfort, P., Peirson-Smith, A., & Geczy, A. (2018). Planet Cosplay: Costume Play, Identity and Global Fandom. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/

Week 10 Question

How does Dick use the I Ching and how did his views on the oracle and its role in the novel shift over time?

The I Ching is an old famous Chinese text that is often referred to as the ‘oracle’. The book refers to the idea that it can ultimately predict the future through the tossing of six coins and 64 hexagrams. Within the book, there are hexagrams that each have a different symbol/element used to help guide the reader with its wisdom (Mountfort, 2016). The I Ching is said to be related to the Zhou dynasty and has a long-lasting place in the history of Chinese history.

Philip K. Dick is the late author of the award winning masterpiece ‘The Man in the High Castle’. It is explained by Mountfort (2016), that throughout Dick’s famous novel, he did indeed use the I Ching as an oracle in order to actually write it. Dick used the I Ching to help develop the direction that he wanted to take when writing ‘The Man in the High Castle’. Throughout the journal written by Mountfort (2016), it is explained that the oracle is used because the I Ching represents the idea of chance and it suggests that because there are many different hexagrams, it could also mean that there are also different alternative outcomes. Almost like a game with dice, the I Ching relies on different possibilities.

Mountfort (2016), says that Dick often refers to the oracle (the I Ching) as the actual author of his book because he consulted it and it gave him advice on the direction that he should go when writing and even finishing the book. The Man in the High Castle is a book written about three main characters that consult the I Ching, and Dick explains that he used the oracle because his characters did. It was also explained that if the oracle had not directed the narrative in such a specific way, then Dick would not have had his characters act in the particular way that they do throughout the book.

Over time it was mentioned that Dick actually had a negative time with the oracle and that at one point he fell out with the I Ching. However, Mountfort (2016), says that over time, Dick eventually consulted the I Ching again and his ‘falling out’ shifted overtime. Dick’s novel is often depicted as being related to the uchronie genre which means that it is a piece of work consisting of a made-up time period through the real world.

Philip K. Dick was an American author who created a piece of work that he proposed was written partially by the I Ching or the oracle. He consulted an ancient Chinese text to create his famous novel, and it probably would not be as famous as it is today if he had not.

References

Mountfort, P. (2016). The I Ching and Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle. Science fiction studies. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/

Week 8 Question

What does the term détournement mean and how is it applicable to cosplay?

Cosplay refers to the words ‘costume’ and ‘play’ which were first used together in Japan through 1980 (Mckay, n.d.). Cosplay is a form of dress-up that is targeted more for adults, and usually includes individuals dressing up as famous characters from movies, T.V shows, books, and even games. Although cosplay was thought to have originated in Japan during the late 19th century, it has been around since the early 15th century during carnivals where people would dress up as anything from famous people of that time, to objects and ideas (Mckay, n.d.). Mountfort, Pierson-Smith and Geczy (2018), explain that dressing up is a part of many cultures and communities and it is a form of communication and socialising. They also explain that in the 21st century, cosplay consists highly of popular fandoms and the engagement of different cultures.

In an article written by Mountfort, Pierson-Smith and Geczy (2018), there is a word that is associated with intellectuals and artists that are based in Paris but is also used to describe and explain the basis of cosplay. Détournement in French means to ‘hijack’ and was used to deliver political pranks and was later used in the punk movement of 1970. Détournement can be applied to cosplay because the word is known to be related to ‘ludic’ play, which is also how many individuals see cosplay. According to Mountfort et al. (2018), détournement applies to cosplay because it is potentially reforming an idea into something else. Cosplayer’s often visualised their ‘dressing up’ as a serious practice, and from this they took it a step further and instead of just dressing up as the character, they became the character. Cosplayer’s today also reinvent their characters in different settings with different characteristics. An example of this would be gender-bending or typically sexualising a character that would not necessarily be sexy.

Cosplay is a popular art form that many fans have taken up as a hobby. It refers to détournement because of the way it combines media materials that already exist to create masterpieces that are almost like parodies. One of the great and powerful characteristics of cosplay is the fact that race representation is usually fluid which means as long as people are respectful and less appropriating, they can dress as a character that is the complete opposite race to them (Mountfort et al. 2018). Popular characters are created as particular genders and races but this does not mean that only that minority can dress up as them. Instead of just plainly dressing as a character, many cosplayer’s go beyond this and they become the character through artistic ability and creativity.

References

Mckay, R. (n.d.). Cosplay 101: Everything You Need To Know About It. Who Australia. https://www.who.com.au/what-is-cosplay

Mountfort, P., Peirson-Smith, A., & Geczy, A. (2018). Planet Cosplay: Costume Play, Identity and Global Fandom. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/

Week 4 question

What was the cultural impact of Akira (1988), and why does it occupy a key place in the canon of anime greats?

Anime has become increasingly popular through its introduction in Western societies, however it has been a thriving genre in Japan for decades. Bond (2020) explains that anime in the Western part of the world is believed to be Japanese made animation, but in Japan, anime is referred to as any type of cartoon or animation whether or not it was created in Japan.

Among many anime films, there is one that stands out above the rest as being the most influential and important animes ever created. Akira is a cyberpunk manga/anime and was originally written as a manga by Katsuhiro Otomo in the year of 1988 (Chu, 218). The story is set in futuristic Tokyo, 31 years after an atomic bomb was dropped by the Japanese government due to failed ESP experiments on children. The story follows a bike gang, with leader Kaneda, trying to save one of his friends and members, Tetsuo, who is captured and experimented on as a secret government project. It is later discovered that Tetsuo has supernatural powers that the government is interested in, however Tetsuo struggles to contain them (Lindwasser, 2019).

Akira is labelled by many as one of the greatest anime films to ever grace the earth. It has also been known to have culturally impacted Western society, and it has successfully influenced not only Western television, but also books, and even music. According to Lindwasser (2019), Akira has made an impact on many famous Western music videos, television series, and movies such as The Matrix, Stranger Things, The Simpsons, and even Kanye West’s ‘Stronger’ music video. Chu (2018), explains that Akira’s deep rooted storyline and impressive painted and hand drawn landscapes has opened a window for a generation of new works. Without the film’s success, there would be a shortage in creativeness and there would not be as many inspired people willing to delve into controversial topics.

The film and manga series of Akira occupies a place in the canon of anime greats not only because of the influence it has had across cultures, but also because of the well told story it follows and the intricate artwork that is presented throughout. Akira also managed to create a whole new generation of fans. Because of the massive success that Akira gained, it also helped bring fans closer to other Japanese anime films which helped the popularity of anime grow. Without Akira’s success, many of these other significant anime films would not be as popular as they are now. Akira has earned its spot at the top as one of the most influential anime masterpieces to come out of Japan, and hopefully there are many more in the works.

References

Bond, J. M. (2020). Why Anime is More Popular Now Than Ever. Daily dot. https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/what-is-anime/

Chu, H. (2018). Why the pioneering Japanese anime ‘Akira’ is still relevant 30 years later. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/

Lindwasser, A. (2019). Ways That ‘Akira’ Is Far More Influential Than You Think. Ranker. https://www.ranker.com/list/all-the-things-influenced-by-akira/anna-lindwasser

Week 7 Question

King (2010) describes Horror as being defined through three basic elements. Explain, using references, what these three elements are. Think of a horror story you’ve read/watched/heard that makes use of all three of these elements and show how King’s definition is at play in that narrative.

Horror is a diverse genre with many elements that create excitement, uneasiness, terror, and even disgust. According to The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.), horror first emerged through ‘gothic’ literature in the early 18th century and has been growing in scale ever since. When it comes to horror, Stephen King stands out as one of the most prolific horror authors around. His books have been so successful, that many of them have been adapted into movies that went on to win awards.

Through the years of horror writing, Stephen King has developed a hierarchy of scares, and uses this as a method when frequently crafting his horror novels. Suderman (2017), wrote an article that discusses one of King’s books titled Danse Macabre. Danse Macabre was written about horror fiction and details observations and stories of horror from King’s perception. One of the stronger parts of the book discusses three main elements that potentially makeup horror and describe it for what it is. The three main categories of horror are categorized in order and start at the least intense before moving to the main event. The first element is labelled as The Gross Out which explains the gorier and more repulsing side to horror. It could be anything from slime monsters to the insides of a person falling all over the floor. The second element is The Horror. The Horror is often associated with more unnatural things such as animals that are two sizes too big, corpses that wake up and start walking around, and disfigured people that hunt humans. The third and final element is Terror. King describes terror as the most intense and favourable elements, to which he strives for through his books (Suderman, 2017). Terror is described as an eerie sensation that you feel when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, or when you feel something lurking in the dark, you hear it and feel its breath on your skin, but when you turn the lights on there is nothing there. Suderman (2017) says that King will ultimately try to terrorize his readers because terror is the superior element, however, if he cannot terrorize them he explains that he must try to horrify and gross them out. The outcome is not as satisfying, but it gets the job done.

One horror story that incorporates King’s three elements is his own masterpiece, IT. King obviously knows how to successfully write powerful stories with his own three defined elements, the horror, the terror, and the gross-out. It is the perfect example because the book and even the film incorporates all three of these categories. The book and the film of IT both display scenes of gore when Georgie gets his arm bitten off and when Beverly gets drenched in blood from the sink scene. They also display horror when the scene in the restaurant shows weird creatures coming out of the fortune cookies and when Pennywise transforms from his clown form into his sci-fi alien form at the end. The film and the book also portrays the element of terror through the incredibly creepy sewers that Pennywise inhabits and the way that he tends to show up out of nowhere, terrorizing the loser’s club. King shows his own definition of horror through most of his works and this is what makes him one of the most successful horror authors of the 21st century.

References

Suderman, P. (2017, February 7). Stephen King’s hierarchy of scares remains the best explanation of how horror movies work. Vox. https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/2/7/14492124/stephen-king-rings-horror-movie-scares

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.). Horror story. https://www.britannica.com/art/horror-story

Week 11 question

How real is reality TV?

Reality TV has become a popular genre throughout the 21st century. It supposedly includes the lives of real people throughout the real world, and how they react in certain situations. It also involves finding regular people and putting them through competitions to see who will win and have the potential to become famous in a certain field. Reality TV today draws people in with a dramatic, yet entertaining script which claims to be authentic but turns out to be heavily scripted. Orbe (2008) explains that reality TV is broadly described as putting normal everyday people in front of a camera and gaining entertainment from their ‘unscripted’ actions. It is also described as a genre that wants its viewers to think of the people involved as non-fiction rather than as ‘actors’.

Is reality TV really as authentic as it claims to be? This question is asked frequently by many of the individuals who participate in watching it. The answer, although disappointing, is no. Most of the reality TV shows that are watched today consist of a structured story and scripted dialogue. According to Orbe (2008), one of the most popular categories of reality TV are competition shows. Examples of these include American Idol, Ink Master, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Love Island, Big Brother, and even Fear Factor. During these shows, contestants arrive and they are put through challenging tasks in order to win money. A money prize seems to stand out as the most popular reward. In an article written by Gavilanes (2018), many people in the television industry came out with personal stories on what actually happens behind the scenes of reality TV. One individual explained that on many popular singing shows, producers often ‘beg’ contestants for sob stories and the first auditions we see are always never actually the first auditions. Producers carefully handpick contestants and put them through many interviews and auditions, a lot of the time they do not pay attention to the actual singing (Gavilanes, 2018).

Reality TV has a big following with a diverse range of audience members, but what is the fascination with watching series that we know are scripted. Reiss and Wiltz (2014), explain that there are “16 intrinsic feelings or joys” that measure the fundamental desires of an individual. Reiss and Wiltz (2014) found that reality TV arouses a combination of these feelings and joys which explains the attraction that normal people have to reality entertainment.

References

Gavilanes, G. (2018, August 7). ‘They Beg You for Sob Stories’: 10 People Reveal What Actually Goes Into Filming a Reality TV Show. People. https://people.com/tv/people-talk-filming-reality-tv-show/

Orbe, M. P. (2008). Representations of race in reality TV: Watch and discuss. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 25(4), 345-352.Reiss, S., & Wiltz, J. (2004). Why people watch reality TV. Media psychology, 6(4), 363-378.

Reiss, S., & Wiltz, J. (2004). Why people watch reality TV. Media psychology, 6(4), 363-378.

Week 6 question

What is the philosophy of cosmicism and how is it used to convey a sense of dread in both The Shadow Over Innsmouth and The Colour out of Space?

Cosmicism is a philosophical concept made famous by American writer H.P Lovecraft. The idea of cosmicism is shown throughout many of Lovecraft’s stories such as The Colour out of Space, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and one of Lovecraft’s most popular fictional universes, The Cthulhu Mythos. It is stated by Slåtten (2016), that Lovecraft first started expanding the idea of cosmicism when he was just 13 years old. He got the idea from studying astronomy explaining that humanity is nothing compared to the ever changing cosmos.

Cosmicism, in easier words, describes the universe and cosmos as vast and that compared to this, the human race is insignificant. This idea is explored throughout many of Lovecraft’s works due to the science-fiction and horror components. Logic is often obliterated throughout many of Lovecraft’s works which shows the ignorance that humanity has towards anything beyond Earth.

The Colour out of Space and The Shadow Over Innsmouth both convey a sense of dread through cosmicism because they essentially present the fear of the unknown. The Colour out of Space (2020) film essentially depicts a family losing their minds due to a meteorite crashing into their front garden out of nowhere with extraterrestrial forces attached to it. Soon after, the wildlife and animals start to mutate and eventually die from the power of the light that comes from the mysterious meteorite (Burleson, 1993). This shows the reader the classical Lovecraftian style of weird horror by mutating living things and turning them into something unfamiliar and incomprehensible to the basic human mind.

Lovecraft has presented his audience with uncertainty which soon converts to horror and dread. Slåtten (2016) explains that the story shows human incompetence with the cosmos and almost ignorance due to the lack of information about the universe outside of Earth and the Milky Way. This creates a sense of dread because it is in the nature of humans to fear the unknown, and that is exactly what is presented through extraterrestrial beings. Within The Shadow Over Innsmouth, dread is projected through the loss of sanity and mutation, which is often used in many of Lovecraft’s stories. Lovecraft presents his readers with mixed feelings when describing the ‘eye’s’ of the people in Innsmouth (Snyder, 2017). The Shadow Over Innsmouth conveys horror through the townspeople, due to the fact that they are other-worldly after interbreeding with ‘the Deep Ones’. They are described as superstitious creepy hybrids with bulging eyes and many warn not to engage with them. The narrator of the story, and main protagonist, shows a progression into madness when he later finds out that he shares family bonds to the Deep Ones due to an early ancestor (Snyder, 2017). This madness can be compared to the sense of dread that the reader is experiencing because it describes the character as morphing into the other-worldly thing he later despises. This relates back to cosmicism because of outer-worldly aspects that essentially portray fear through mysterious, dark entities that prey on the human fear of the unknown.

References

Burleson, D. R. (1993). Lovecraft’s the colour out of space. Explicator. 52(1), 48-50. doi:10.1080/00144940.1993.9938737

Slåtten, K. Ø. (2016). Humans in a hostile cosmos: Science, cosmicism and race in HP Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos. Master’s thesis. University of Stavanger, Norway.

Snyder, P. J. (2017). “Dreadful Reality: Fear and Madness in the Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft”. Honors Thesis. 540. https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/540

Week 1 Questions

How has the academic reception of popular genres changed over time?

– Popular genres refers to the broad spectrum of new media that is often overlooked by ‘serious’ authors. Throughout the earlier centuries, popular genres were disregarded and other types of literature such as poetry, drama, and non-fiction were the peak of popularity. However, in today’s society, popular genres have become a growing market for many new authors. Some of the most popular genres that are taking over from Shakespeare include fantasy, science fiction, anime/manga, and action and adventure (Mountfort, 2020).

Popular genres has changed drastically over time. During the earlier periods of literature, it was very much romanticised and related to its own specific time era. For a while Shakespeare took over with many of his works which became the normal back then. Today however, we have our own types of literature that have changed and will consistently change as we and the earth ages.

One of the biggest changes that has happened over time is the introduction of pictures into literature. Categories such as Manga and comics have become incredibly popular through the twentieth century, up until now. Newer genres seem to be getting more creative and they really let the author do whatever they want to do, whilst letting readers imaginations run wild.

What might the value be of studying them?

– Popular genres have generally not been used with teaching and studying primarily because they are a new type of literature. It is argued that the value that may come out of studying the newer genres is they have the potential to offer us a better perception into society which is something that classical literature could not do. It is also noted that newer genres of literature actually give us better images, adventures, and relationships which many of us understand and like a lot more than the ‘high’ literature.

Another reason that popular genres should be studied today is that they seem to interest a wider range of society and they could teach us and give us a better insight into the world of reading and literature. The newer genres help us to understand ourselves and our ever-changing society. Science fiction is often set up to show its readers and watchers about the future and what possibilities await.

Much like people, the world and society change almost every ten years. New trends are discovered and forgotten just as easily but they always find a way of coming back. Popular genres are much like that. Of course, no one will ever forget geniuses such as Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Edgar Allan Poe, but many of their works do not and cannot relate to modern age studies, which is why introducing new genre’s is so important.

Mountfort, P. (2020). ENGL602 Pop Gen Week 1 Intro [PowerPoint slides]. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/

Week 2 Questions

What issues do his albums raise in terms of representation of ‘race’, and particularly ethnic and cultural stereotyping?

Within the realm of Tintin, not only has Herge managed to annoy many females, but he has also managed to gain backlash from other individuals stating that his comics show blatant racism, xenophobic themes, and ethnic/cultural stereotyping. Many of his comic volumes have landed him in deep water due to their depiction of other races and stereotypes.

One example of plain racism and stereotyping within the Tintin universe comes from two comics titled ‘Tintin in The Land of the Soviets’, and ‘The Blue Lotus. Both of these comics look specifically at the race of people from Asia (particularly China) and show them in both xenophobic ways. In the land of the soviets, two Chinese individuals are depicted as “pigtailed torturers”. In the Blue Lotus, a specific white European character shows distaste and even hate towards a peaceful Chinese man. In one of the particular scenes, a character by the name of Thomson (or Thompson) is not looking where he is going and a rickshaw driver apologetically crashes into him. After this Thomson (Thompson) begins throwing a tantrum towards the man and even says “Dirty little China-man, to barge into a white man”. This clearly depicts racism and the idea that even though this European man is in China, all the other Chinese people must look up to him because he is better and more sophisticated. Thomson (Thompson) even goes as far as to beat up Tintin because he defended the Chinese rickshaw driver (Mountfort, 2020).

Another example of racism within the comics is the idea that all dark-skinned individuals look and act a certain way. In the famous comic, Tintin in the Congo, many of the indigenous people are depicted as having “rubbery lips” and an odd way of talking, making them seem uneducated and rather mindless (Hunt, 2002). Many of the indigenous and especially African people within the comics were also displayed as spineless slaves and in one chapter of Tintin in the Congo, they even referred to Tintin as ‘white master’ (Mountfort, 2011). This not only stereotypes the indigenous people as passive slaves, but it also depicts them as incoherent and easy to slander.

Tintin in America is another comic that received a big amount of backlash due to the exploitation of native Americans. In one chapter of the comic, there is an uproar on the spillage of oils which brings the common white business to the native lands to mop up with the money. After that, it is shown that the native Americans are held at gunpoint and forced to leave their own lands (Ha, 2015).

References

Ha, T. T. (2015). Is Tintin Racist? Uproar in Winnipeg opens new chapter in the old argument. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/is-tintin-racist-uproar-in-winnipeg-opens-new-chapter-in-old-argument/article23552666/

Hunt, N. R. (2002). Tintin and the interruptions of Congolese comics. Images and Empires: Visuality in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa, 90-123.

Mountfort, P. (2011). ‘Yellow skin, black hair… Careful, Tintin’: Hergé and Orientalism. Australasian Journal of popular culture, 1(1), 33-49.Mountfort, P. (2020).

ENGL602 Tintin and the Blue Lotus [PowerPoint slides]. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/