Why so Critical?

I know that not any television viewer watches TV in the same way as another. Everyone has their own preferences and experiences they bring to the couch when they turn on the endlessly entertaining box. While I do enjoy spending a lazy Saturday stationed in front of my television, I don't see myself as mindless viewer. Whether we realize it or not, television has a great impact on our lives, as well as on society. In this post I want to convey what my goal is as a critic, what my relationship with television is, and invite other viewers to communicate with me about the things they watch or even share their guilty television pleasures.

As O'Donnell (2007) points out, the word criticism tends to have a negative connotation and is associated with pointing what’s wrong with things or people (6) On the contrary I adore television, and my goal as a critic is to open the minds of my readers to the many diverse perspectives on television, and explain how television impacts and reflects our society. As O’Donnell (2007) explains, as a critic, you need to be a transformer and be able to generate new awareness in the minds of other viewers. My goal as a critic is to bring my perspective to the couch and try to convince other viewers that my opinion is something of importance. This relates to how Sillars and Gronbeck (2001) explain the goal of criticism and how it should shape society’s understanding of the significance of a text.

Butler (2002) talks about the concept of polysemy, that TV carries a lot of meanings and these meanings are not guaranteed. I think is very important to understand polysemy and the multiple meanings within television programs. Why not use this opportunity to talk about my favorite show, Dexter; about a serial killer that only kills evil in society. On one hand this show is saying, two wrongs make a right, that if Dexter only kills others who murder, all is right in the world. This is quite on the contrary to what parents try to teach their children. If a person has known the tragedy of having a close one killed, they may take this show as very offensive, in that no one deserves to die in such a cruel manner. Butler points out that the experience of watching TV brings the discourses of the viewer in contact with those of the text. I think this is a very important concept to understand because what people bring to the television program is just as important as when is contained within it.

Since I can remember, television has always been a big part of my life, and I am positive it always will be, and this is exactly why we need to gain a better understanding of it. There are two important anxieties we can look at when criticizing television, distortion of politics and displacement of culture. Corner (1999) I think this is very important because this is the idea that television is making us as a culture stupider. Rather than attending high culture events such as the opera, we are watching shows like Rock of Love and Dating in the Dark. I don’t agree with the idea that television is making us migrate towards low culture, rather we need to gain more understanding on the role television plays in our lives and I believe it is import for us as critics to share our experiences with television and how we view television as a part of our society.

I want to know everything you have to offer on the subject of television. I want to know if you agree or disagree with something I write, as well as some other things you think about the programs you watch. I will post things about many of my favorite (and least favorite) shows and I want to hear you have to say about any aspects of television. I want to make this blog like a conversation for us to share our personal experiences with television and create a transparent relationship where all of our readings are created equal. Brundson (1993)

Brunsdon, C. (1993). Identity in feminist television criticism. Media, Culture and Society, 15: 309-320.
Butler, J. (2002). Television: Critical Methods and Applications (2nd ed). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Corner, J. (1999). Critical Ideas in Television Studies. New York: Oxford University Press.
O’Donnell, V. (2007). Television Criticism. New York: Sage.
Sillars, M. O. and Gronbeck, B. E. (2001). Communication Criticism: Rhetoric, Social Codes, Cultural Studies. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.