Television & New Media current issue

Can the FCC Still Ignore the Public?: Interviews With Two Commissioners Who Listened

Brown, D. H., Blevins, J. L. — 2008-10-09

Recent events in the broadcast policy-making system of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have raised the question: can public voices effectively participate in the broadcast policy-making process? This paper examines the factors working against public involvement, as well as those that have made recent intervention possible, especially the growth of the internet and its ability to facilitate more public activity. The authors conducted private in-depth interviews with FCC Commissioner Michael Copps and former FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson to discuss their exceptional efforts to better involve the public in the policy-making process during their service with the agency. Our analysis shows that the factors facilitating greater public involvement have developed to the point where, at least sometimes, the public and civil society organizations can either block, or at least modify, the demands of entrenched corporate interests.

Extreme Makeover: The Politics of Gender, Class, and Cultural Identity

Franco, J. — 2008-10-09

This article examines the representation of gender, class, and cultural identity in the Extreme Makeover series, the most widely circulated American cosmetic makeover show that coexists on Western European television with national/regional adaptations of the format. Even though a cross-national analysis of the Dutch, Flemish, and British version alerts us to cultural differences, particularly in terms of generic inflections and aesthetic allegiances, the formulaic narrative structure of this television format ultimately transcends local culture and perpetuates normative gender and class regimes, particularly in combination with other popular reality shows aimed at female spectators.

"The WarGames Scenario": Regulating Teenagers and Teenaged Technology (1980--1984)

Schulte, S. R. — 2008-10-09

WarGames (1983), the first mass-consumed, visual representation of the internet, served as both a vehicle and framework for America's earliest discussion of the internet. WarGames presented the internet simultaneously as a high-tech toy for teenagers and a weapon for global destruction. In its wake, major news media focused on potential realities of the "WarGames Scenario." In response, Congress held hearings, screened WarGames, and produced the first internet-regulating legislation. WarGames engaged a "teenaged technology" discourse, which cast both internet technology itself and its users as rebellious teenagers in need of parental control. This discourse enabled policy makers to equate government internet regulation with parental guidance rather than with suppression of democracy and innovation, a crucial distinction within 1980s cold war context. Thus, this article historicizes the internet as a cultural text, examining how technology and its regulation shaped and were shaped by cultural representations.

"These Two Are Speaking Welsh on Channel 4!": Welsh Representations and Cultural Tensions on Big Brother 7

Klein, B., Wardle, C. — 2008-10-09

As the number and popularity of reality programs continue to grow, there has been an increasing focus in television studies on the representative and constitutive potential of unscripted dramas. Through its inclusion of two Welsh-speaking housemates and consideration of the use of the language on the program, Big Brother 7 provided an opportunity for viewers to deliberate on issues of identity, culture, and nationalism. This article examines the postings that appeared on internet message boards in response to this program, demonstrating the extent to which Big Brother 7 prompted discussions and debate about Welsh culture and language. Significantly, much of the discourse about Wales and the Welsh language was civil, rational, and deliberative, a theme that runs contrary to increasingly accepted wisdom about message board culture. This case also highlights the uses and limitations of popular reality programming for affirming identity and celebrating cultural differences.