CLARA: WEEK 10

3) How do you think Buffy has influenced the contemporary vampire drama “True Blood” and the “Twilight” series of novels and films?

Braum (2000) says that “recent years have a marked increase…of these newer representations of the supernatural...including both inhuman beings and ordinary characters” (p. 67). Buffy definitely paved the way for the genre and has influenced various aspects of contemporary vampire dramas such as True Blood (TB) and the Twilight (T) series. In other words, there are parallels between the Buffy series and that of the other vampire films or stories today. For instance, there are similar archetypes in these three films but they do not necessarily follow the storyline. There is Buffy who is the heroine with superhuman abilities, TB’s heroine has supernatural abilities and T’s heroine has more interpersonal skills than relying on dormant gifts that develops later. These films also share the obvious fact that the protagonist is female with a ‘good girl’ complex and must always struggle emotionally (physically at times too) with the male antagonist, who is typically the ‘misunderstood bad boy’.

Another aspect of similarity is the representation of the fluidity of ‘evil’ and ‘good’ in which the boundaries are gradually pushed (Braum, 2000). It seems with Buffy, there are no fixed antagonists like Spike’s character who is meant to be the enemy; he crosses over the boundary into the friend zone at times. Even with T, the heroine – Bella makes friends with the ‘monsters’ whether they are vampires or werewolves and TB’s Suki is always surrounded by vampires, whether she wants or not. So, it takes on the idea of the love-hate relationship between the good guys and bad guys – struggling to co-exist. Basically, both Twilight and True Blood share the same themes as Buffy has already explored – this includes a common setting of the plot in a small town, isolated from the rest of society and explores sexuality between human and non-human compatibility.

Braum, B. (2000) The X-files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The ambiguity of

evil in supernatural representations. Retrieved 18 October, 2005 from: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0412/is_2_28/ai_64688900

CLARA: WEEK 9

2) What role does Hills (2004) suggest fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?

According to Hills (2004), there are two possibilities with regards to the production of television shows which entail a following of fans. Firstly, there are shows which influence the growth or creation of fans toward certain shows. On the other hand, cult television is not limited to just targeting a certain group as they may be aimed at larger audiences in mainstream networks but at times, accidentally categorised into that cult television. Centrally, Hills says that new media enables more “fan activities to be carried out both online and in real life” (p. 519) – technology makes it easier for fans to create online communities devoted to cult shows, television networks can post episodes online and fandoms can also organise/attend cult television based conventions.

Basically, both reasons are valid for the relationship between fans and cult television – shows can either unintentionally bring about a loyal group of avid viewers or those shows can be intentionally created for a market which already exists due to predecessors in the genre (Hills, 2004). New media such as the vast possibilities through the internet also influences the opportunities for avid fans, to engage in social interaction to do with their preferred shows.

REF LIST

Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.

CLARA: WEEK 6 (PART 2)

4) Finally, with reference to Cavallaro (2006), what distinguishes Mononoke technically as being it is generally agreed – a great work of anime?

According to Cavallaro (2006) the main aspects of what makes Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke a great anime, are based on both visual and narrative focus. Aside from the typical anime visual quality commonly shown on television, Mononoke was created for the big screen so it was specifically designed to have more quality in its visual presentation. That is the CGI use to give a realistic or third dimensional look for a better audience experience as well as enhances the story. In other words, Cavallaro (2006) says that Miyazaki’s film relied on “style of motion as substantially more fluid and realistic, than one would expect of the average Japanese animation” (p. 126).

On the other hand, the presentation of the film was partially due to its reception but more importantly due to the narrative content. The film itself was a reflective representation of Japanese history, ideologies culturally specific to Japan as well as exploring themes of nature with relation to human nature. Cavallaro (2006) mentions that in Princess Mononoke, “deities, animals and humans…struggle to find viable places and roles” (p. 125) in an unstable society of fear toward the unknown. The quality in themes explored and story reflect life’s struggles, especially with regards to minorities and human versus nature.

REF LIST

Cavallaro, D. (2006). The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki. London: McFarland & Company.

CLARA: WEEK 6 (PART 1)

3) How do it and other Miyazaki films address the humanity/nature divide, according to Wright (2005)? Could Miyazaki’s vision be described as in some sense religious (in as much as it conveys a sense of the sacred)?

As Wright (2005) suggests, Miyazaki’s films seem to have recurring themes of the binary opposition between humanity and nature – there is “symbolism and narrative” (p.12) of the role people have had in the progress of destruction or construction of nature. Most of his characters are made up of two sides, such as the humans versus spiritual forms and there is usually an issue that is central to the film. Wright (2005) also mentions that Miyazaki’s films have subtle suggestions to make life a bit easier such as “the removal of pollution to restore the essentially pure state of nature and of the human spirit” (p.12). This can also be read as a literal action for the environment as well as a spiritual state of cleansing.

Wright (2005) states that “Shinto has been a part of Japanese culture for more than two millennia, and has provided a cultural framework for the integration of new ideas, while maintain the essence of old ones” (p. 13). I guess, in a way Miyazaki’s works have been influenced by spirituality as it also seems that he has concerns to do with the relationship between nature’s progress and humanity’s affect as consequential of their struggle to co-exist. He himself may be spiritual or he just personally thinks that the natural order of things depends on how people treat the earth, especially in times of desperation due to the current global issues of global warming, extinction of species and natural disasters.

REF LIST

Wright, L. (2005). Nature Spirits, Giant Insects and World Trees: the nature vision of Hayao Miyazaki. In the Journal of Religion of Popular Culture. Volume X: Summer 2005.

CLARA: WEEK 5 (PART 2)

4) What is the ‘shoujo’ and how does it often function in anime?

The term ‘Shoujo’ as Cavallaro (2006) mentions, translates as young girl (p. 29) and is also the basis of audiences within Japanese youth culture. In other words, shoujo is also a genre of anime with its many sub-genres with specific characteristics aimed toward young girls as its target audience. A characteristic of this anime genre is that the protagonist is most often portrayed as a female heroine with a minor exception that it is a male protagonist but it still follows a certain structure. That is, usually the plot would follow a romantic comedy type routine or at least, inclusive of some kind of romantic potential of sorts (Cavallaro, 2006). The main aspects of shoujo genre anime, according to Cavallaro (2006) “show images of powerful young women – women’s empowerment over the last two decades and certainly suggest alternatives to the notion of Japanese women as passive and domesticated” (p. 33). With regards to Miyazaki’s Princess Monoke, the protagonist is a female heroine and the potential male counterpart is portrayed by Prince Ashitaka; who adds to the interesting relationship between himself and San.

REF LIST

Cavallaro, D. (2006). Introduction. In The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki (pp.5-13). London: McFarland & Company.

CLARA: WEEK 5 (PART 1)

1) According to Lent (2000), what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (i.e. comparing China and Japan)?

According to Lent (2000) “the Chinese, perhaps more than any other Asian animators save those of Japan, were insistent on adapting only those elements of foreign animation that fit their culture, never favouring full adoption”. That is, each Asian country has had some kind of influence from both neighbouring countries and Western animation to create their own culture specific model. Mostly, Eastern animation is a mode of entertainment but the difference is how each country treats it and the regulations which their Governments place on it. For instance, the similarity between Chinese and Japanese animation is in its culturally and nationally reflective the content. The difference lies in the purpose, ideologies and levels of propaganda use – mainly, it is China with its Government regulating their broadcast content whereas Japan’s got more freedom with its various genres and risqué content.

REF LIST

Lent, J. A. (2000). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or

adaptation. Retrieved 21 June, 2006, from AnimeResearch.com

CLARA: WEEK 4

3) What parallels can you find between A Wizard of Earthsea and The Harry Potter Franchise?

What other influences does Burn (2005) suggest for Harry Potter?

There are several aspects of similarities between A Wizard of Earthsea and that of The Harry Potter Franchise. Firstly, both works share similar plot structures such as both protagonists start out from simple beginnings, they are drawn to the fight against evil whether they want to or not, they enter a world of danger as eager students and leave their mark as unlikely saviours, they progress into adulthood with every experience and become mature in terms of their outlook on life as well as creating long lasting friendships. Secondly, both Harry and Ged share parallel characteristics such as being full of youthful dreams to escape their simple lives, find acceptance within a training institution – this also comes with friendships and rivalries, they act before thinking at times and barely survive the consequences and they share a facial scar which is a constant reminder of their motivation to complete their magical journeys. Lastly, the two adventures are the same in terms of themes such as magic, the ideology of good versus evil and the possibility of overcoming the latter, the uniqueness of being different, the strong bond of friendship, the complications of adolescence, self-discovery and family.

The other influence that Burn (2005) suggests for Harry Potter are from fairy tales and stories which children are already familiar with as well as other forms of popular culture. This ranges from classic literary works for the young to more modern platforms such as games – whether it is electronic or original forms; this is evident in terms of visual and narrative structure of the popular franchise.

REF LIST

Burn, A. (2005). Potter-Literacy – from book to game and back again; literature, film, game and cross-media literacy. Papers: Explorations into Children’s Literature Vol 14, No 3.

CLARA: WEEK 3

5) What are some of the archetypes of fantasy fiction?

The most common types of characters which can be found across various fantasy fictions are many, whether they are representations of heroes for good or those anti-heroes for evil. Firstly, there cannot be an adventurous fantasy story without a power struggle of some sort, in which there is an oppressed group by a form of dictatorship. The group of heroes are typically led by a fairly simple character with a seemingly normal background. The protagonist is usually portrayed as a weak, lonely and underrated person shunned by their social disadvantage to blend in with their community. A common aspect about this underdog is their lack of a solid form of belonging, such as being orphaned from a young age or not being from a nuclear family. Such an environment is a determinant of what enables this character to break away from their comfortable life to search the world for their identity – to find satisfaction in not being seen as the invisible factor. These can be seen through the adventures of Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter from the series and Ged from Earthsea as all their personalities are formed from their humble beginnings.

Secondly, no hero can travel without a companion to guide their skills and help them control their potential gifts. These characters are basically the adult supervision to the young naïve heroes and can also be a father figure of wise counsel. More examples of such a person are those like Dumbledore in Harry Potter, Gandalf the Gray in Lord of the Rings and the mage, Ogion of Earthsea as they are all influential in shaping their young charges.

Thirdly, a hero cannot lead without brave companions such as the loyal sidekick, the rescued damsel who turns heroine, strong allies and the unexpected friend – there is usually an unpredictable character playing both sides.

Fourthly, the opposition is led by a typical power hungry character that represents evil by their immoral intentions. The antagonist is driven by greed, narcissism and paranoia of potential threats to their position and at times, never finds satisfaction in their achievements. Lastly, the bad guy cannot do all the work themselves without the enlistment of their henchmen. These are always expendable help such as minions with brute force rather than brains and sometimes, there is an unexpected foe among the enemy bunch. In other words, there is sometimes an unpredictable character who becomes a traitor to their evil cause. Therefore, both good and evil side lines are made up of very common characters that are often found in fantasy fiction adventures.

CLARA: WEEK 2

4) Compare the relationship between how images and words differ in Herge (1933) and Spiegelman’s (2004) works.

In Herge’s work with the Tintin series, there is a clear link between the images and the texts as they are both a necessity to guide the reader along the narrative. However, the main focus of Herge’s work is the visual graphics which has demanded a lot of his time (Khordoc, 2001). He means to say, that his audience should be able to follow the actions of his characters and the direction that the plot is headed, in order to understand the narrative. In contrast, Spiegelman’s (2004) section of The Sky is Falling, uses only one visual component with associated text. That is, ther is a grahic image in the centre and the narrative is laid out in print form around it. Therefore, the relationship between the image and words are different as Herge relies on the image to do the storytelling, whereas Spiegelman focusses on descriptive text toward the image for audiences to follow his main idea.

REF LIST

Khordok, C. (2001). The Comics Book’s Soundtrack: Visual Sound-effects in Asterix.

In Varnum, R. & Gibbons, C. (Eds.), The Language of Comics: word and image, (pp.156-173). Jackson: U Press of Mississippi.

Spiegelman, A. (2004). The Sky is Falling. In In the Shadow of No Towers (pp. ii-iii). New York: Pantheon.

CLARA: WEEK 1

4) How might Herge’s The Blue Lotus address or relate to the issue of what Said (1977) terms ‘orientalism’?

Herge’s The Blue Lotus, relates to Said’s term of ‘orientalism’ through its visual emphasis and cultural references on the Eastern culture. Everything from the images and clichés in that particular chapter of the series are based on historical Western stereotypes of Chinese culture. These things, such as Tintin’s adventure through a crowded non-Western setting, mountainous landscape and machete wielding characters are associated only with Western perception of Eastern culture. According to Said (1977) these are images and narratives that can be deemed as a “European representation of the Orient” and setting the concept of “the other”. Therefore, both visual and narrative aspects associated with orientalism are definitely evident in Herge’s The Blue Lotus.

REF LIST

Said, E. (1977) Orientalism. In Ashcroft, B. Griffiths, G. & Tiffin, H. (Ed.), The Postcolonial
Studies Reader (pp.87-91). London: Routledge.

Ao's week 10

How does Buffy deconstruct traditional literary notions of good and evil?

To figure out the question, we have to know traditional TV programming notions of good and evil. Braum (2000, p1) describes it as “nothing new in using supernatural settings and characters to play out narratives of good versus evil.” The word “versus” shows the relation between good and evil in notions. It is at opposite position. However it is changing in recent TV programming like Buffy. The image of monsters and aliens or the image of military and governments are no longer just evil side and good side any more. Based on the analysis of Buffy and X-Files by Braum, the presenting of evil changed from monster to human needs, which is the motivation and essence of evil. He also takes some particular example of Buffy to show his point, for instance, the character Angle in season 1-3. Deconstruction is a kind of method to analyze the essence under the surface like dismantlement. When you tear open all the stuff but the central, you will find that the truth is uncertain such as “no evil and no good.” According Braum (2000, p6), the notion of good and evil is “underneath our civilized demeanors.” And he says, “We all have the capacity for evil.” The interesting sentence he used, “clearly evil in one episode, and remorsefully, genuinely good in another”, can imply the fact of evil and good, which I strongly agree with.

Braum, B. (2000) The X-files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The ambiguity of evil in supernatural representations. Retrieved 18 October, 2005 from: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0412/is_2_28/ai_64688900

Ao's week 9

What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?

Hill (2004) pointed out that fan of cult TV played a role of “generically re-organnised TV texts through the category of ‘cult’.” Based on comparing with soap fans, it is known that the features of cult fans are “active” fans which are not based on industry-defined and are not “inevitably ones of gender.” Hill says that the cult TV, which is recognized by fans as “the role of inter-texts.”

I think the point we should make here is that fans are indispensible in new type of TV programmes like “cult TV” and fans are main participatory through the Fan-fiction or Fan-Talk.

In Hill’s article, he directly answered the question, “How do fans transform certain TV programmes in to cults?” In short words, his answer is focusing on ‘intertextual network’, ‘cult’ to describe their work, “Appreciation Societies” and creation of the market. It is very clear in the essay. What I am trying to comments on this is that the internet and the new views of “participatory audience” changed the certain TV. And the ‘cult TV’ has some qualities to fit the needs of new age.

Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.

Ao's week 8

Research thefilms that have been adapted from Philip K. Dick novels or short
stories. Which have generally been acclaimed as the most successful? Why?

A lot of films are adapted from Philip’s novel or short stories. There is a list:

Completed movies

Blade Runner (1982) based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968 novel)

Total Recall (1990) based on We Can Remember It for You Wholesale (1966 short story)

Confessions D’un Barjo (French, 1992) based on Confessions of Crap Artist (1975 non-SF novel)

Screamers (1995) based on Second Variety (1953 short story)

Impostor (2001) based on Impostor (1953 short story)

Minority Report (2002), based on The Minority Report (1956 short story)

Paycheck (2003) based on Paycheck (1952 short story)

A Scanner Darkly (2006) based on A Scanner Darkly (1977 novel)

Next (2007) based on The Golden Man (1954 novel)

The Adjustment Bureau (2011) based on Adjustment Team (1954 short story)

In production

Total Recall (2012) second adaptation of We Can Remember It for You Wholesal (1953 short story)

Blade Runner is the most successful film adapted from PKD in general ideas. The small number thought A Scanner Darkly is the best one. In broadly speaking, the style from the 40’s, the soundtrack and the special effects of the film Blade Runner are some reasons of success. However the script wrote by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples and Director’s Cut are crucial reasons in my opinion. I think it is hard to make a film based on well-known science fiction. People have already known it and the imagination which novel gave is extremely incredible. After all these existing, the movie still quite succeeds. These owe to the script. It gives the most audience the second time interesting and it is not too hard to make the new audience puzzled.

Wikipedia. (2011) Philip K. Dick. retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick

Nerve(2011) Ranked: Philip K. Dick Adaptations from Worst to Best retrieved from http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/ranked/ranked-philip-k-dick-adaptations-from-worst-to-best

Ao's week 7

What is the difference in emphasis between the terms science fiction and speculative fiction? Which is The Man in the High Castle?

Starting with the definition, speculative fiction is a genre of fiction which includes fantasy, science fiction and horror. The most distinguishing feature between speculative fiction and others is that speculative fiction “deals with imagined worlds and their inhabitants or imagined characters set in the real world.” Leaving with the fact that science fiction is a part of speculative fiction, there are some other differences. Science fiction is in a background of science or pseudoscience. Most of them are writing about future such as robots, space travel, and invasion from outer space.

The Man in the High Castle is belong to science fiction but the difference is that the novel is based on the history and changing it to the history which is never happened. So there is a subgenre of science fiction to describe novels like this, alternate history. To be honest, what I believe is The Man in the High Castle is belong to speculative fiction because the background is history not science theory or some sort of science guess.

speculative fiction. (2005). In The Macquarie Dictionary. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/macqdict/speculative_fiction

science fiction. (2008). In The Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/columency/science_fiction

Joe's Week 10

In what way is Buffy influenced by the romantic Gothic tradition? Yet how does Buffy also provide a contemporary critique of this tradition?

Buffy adopts and adapts many Romantic Gothic conventions and ideology within the context which were employed by Shelley when she wrote Frankenstein. Modern issues like “the relationship of a creation to its creator, the impact of love and acceptance on the formation of character, the harm that disinterested science can do, and the arrogance inherent in an obsessive quest of knowledge” (Rose, 2002:134) leave their traces in Buffy’s 1999-2000 season’s releases. In them we can easily identify Buffy “employs Romantic ideology in contemporary contexts and terms. Adam, the monster like Frankenstein, was created in a government funded compound in Sunnydale. Adam’s first victims are replica of the Creature’s first victim – the young brother of Victor Frankenstein. The romantic Gothic tradition can be traced as “a male Romantic hero who struggles with the opposing forces within his psyche.” (Rose, 2002:135)

Yet this tradition is upset in Buffy with a female hero at its centre stage and being helped by a group of her friends, the Scoopy gang. She reveals that “the most effective weapon to retain humanity and encourage creativity is the force” in the community. (Rose, 2002:141) which is contrary to the isolation of Victor Frankenstein which is the result of his loss of faith in his creation leading to his family members killed one by one by his monster. Buffy’s victory was the compassion and the innate nature change of the creatures within themselves.

Reference:

Rose, A (2002) Of Creature and creators: Buffy does Frankenstein , in R. Wilcox & D. Lavery (eds) Fighting the forces: What’s at stake in Buffy the vampire slayer. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.

Ao's week 6

What are the underlying thematics of Princess Mononoke? How does it ‘defamiliarise’ its historical setting, according to Napier (2005)?

Napier said that the one of thematics of Mononoke is the identity issue of Japanese culture, and the relation between Japanese and the nature they lived in. He strongly implied that the harmony of human and nature is the most considerable area in the animation. He also tried to recognize the female identity of the Japanese myths, or we can say it the princess Mononoke is instead of the Japanese antihero of female who wants to make a balance with the wild God.

According to Napier, the period of the princess Mononoke is considered as in Murimachi period. The features of this period are samurai and feudal lords etc. However, the animation didn’t have either of them. Napier thought the story of the animation is on the marginal of history. The characters aren’t like the historical person, I mean the both of personality and their view of the world. He use the word “defamiliarise” to describe all these.

Napier, S. (2005). Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan

Ao's week 4 & 5

How does Tolkien (1964) define fantasy? Compare and contrast this to the other definitions from last week’s reader?


In the reading materials, On Fairy-stories, Tolkien talked about the relation between art and imagination before he actually described term fantasy. He used an interesting word to say the purpose of using the term fantasy, which was “to arrogate to the powers of Humpty-Dumpty.” Fantasy is the word to “combine with the older and higher use as an equivalent of imagination the derived notions of ‘unreality’ and of freedom from the domination of observed ‘fact.’ Namely, Tolkien regarded fantasy as an art using imagination the older and higher than the fairy-story. Moreover, Tolkien analyzed the definition of fantasy in different arts areas such as drama Macbeth and example of human language, “the green sun.” To my understanding, Tolkien’s definition relies on the word “imagination, delusion and hallucination.” The position of this point is based on his own opinions of Fairy-stories and myth.
Taking a look of the definition of Attebery, which is from week 2’s reader, he use the sentence, “prose narratives evoking wonder through the consistent treatment of the impossible as though it were possible”, to describe fantasy. We can see the distinct point of views. I mean they are trying to explain the same word, but the way they achieve is different. Attebery inferred that fantasy is a kind of literacy article and it uses a common skill that is about treatment of impossible. Focusing on “impossible and possible”, I think it is far away from the Tolkien’s “imagination level.”


Tolkien, J.R.R. (1988; 1964). On Faerie Stories. In Tree and Leaf.London: Unwin Hyman.
Attebery, B. (1980). The Fantasy Tradition In American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin. Bloomington: Indian Univerdity press.


According to Lent (2000), what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (ie comparing China and Japan)?

According to Lent, animation in Asian societies is on the important position in media and industry. The audience of animation in Asian is growing slowly and so does the animation industry in Asian. Both animation outsourcing industry and indigenous animation industry enhanced peacefully with growing needs of marketing of animation. Lent also mentioned that animation in China, Vietnam and the Philippines have political elements.
There is one sentence in Lent’s article showing the differences clearly, which is “the Chinese, perhaps more than any other Asian animators save those of Japan, were insistent on adapting only those elements of foreign animation that fit their culture, never favouring full adoption.” The Chinese insisted in producing the animation with Chinese traditional elements. And also, animation in China is a sort of production to protect the image of Chinese government. The culture and history are the deterministic reason of the differences whatever the stories of animation or the styles of the animation.

Lent, J. A. (2000, November 01). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaptation. La Trobe University, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.latrobe.edu.au/screeningthepast/firstrelease/fr1100/jlfr11c.htm

Qunhua's week10

There are numerous academic publications on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (check out the AUT library and googlebooks), including two well-respected academic journals. There have also been regular academic conferences based on the Buffy series. So why do we study Buffy?

Neda Ulaby of NPR describes Buffy as having a "special following among academics, some of whom have called it "Buffy Studies." As defined “Buffy Studies” is a distinct discipline commonly used in the academic world on Buffy-related writings. Such studies are also known as “Buffyology”.

The debut of Buffy (1997–2003) led to numerous publications many hundreds of articles examining the themes of the show. It also led to many discussions amongst academicians from a wide range of disciplinary/topics. These include sociology, psychology, philosophy, theology and women’s studies.
In addition, many Buffy books published by academicians and international conference being held to discuss various topics within the book. Colleges across the globe are now devoted into study the show and schools in Australia and New Zealand also provided Buffy classes. There is even a topic with a Master’s degree program in Cult Film and TV at Brunei University, London (this topic has since been removed from the Master’s program as of Aug 2011)

Qunhua's week9

Wilcox and Lavery (2002) identify 9 defining characteristics of ‘quality TV’ – can you apply any of these to other television series that you have viewed recently? Are there any other characteristics that you could add to their list?
The nine qualities are :
1. Quality pedigree
2. Desirable demographic
3. With large ensemble cast
4. Lasting memory & impression
5. Able to create new genre by mixing old ones
6. Literary, educational and writer-based
7. Self-conscious
8. Address the controversial
9. Aspires towards Reality
Can you apply any of the qualities from a recent TV series you have viewed recently?I viewed Simpsons’ show recently and was the opinions that it meets all the above qualities listed.
The Simpsons displayed a unique wit and sense of humor based on the comic art of Matt Groening, whose characters were among the first emotionally "real" ones that TV audiences had ever seen. With character development of the family and community as the focus of the show, social commentary and satire have been brought to the forefront in cartoon format. Still thriving today, The Simpsons has enjoyed incredible success as a educational program which I believed succeeded in its mission to teach a lesson, be funny, and sustain an audience while at the same time making a profit.
Centering on a nuclear family and the people of an "Anytown, USA", The Simpsons rarely fails to surprise as it satirizes the diverse social, political, sexual, and aesthetic norms defining American culture. The Simpson family shares certain qualities with other TV families of the past,
Here, I intend to show that The Simpsons is a "quality" program and meet all the characteristics stated by Wilcox and Lavery (2002) identify 9 defining characteristics of ‘quality TV’

Are there any other characteristics you could add to their list?
According to Thompson, the first criterion of a quality television program is that it is not regular TV. It must break the established rules of television and be like nothing that has come before it.
.
References

Wilcox,R.&Lavery, D.(2002). Introduction, in R.Wilcox &D.Lavery (eds) Fighting the forces:what's  

        at stake in Buffy the vampire slayer. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield.

Bex Week 10

In what way is Buffy influenced by the romantic gothic tradition? Yet how does Buffy also provide a contemporary critique of this tradition?

Buffy was influenced by the romantic gothic tradition directly during the 1999-2000 season when they used a storyline inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The storyline is about a government funded army compound in Sunnydale where a scientist creates a Frankenstein like monster called Adam. The writers of Buffy were not only inspired by the story but by the values it was based on. Romantic Gothicism “expresses admiration for a male Romantic hero who struggles with the opposing forces within his psyche.” (Anita Rose, page 135.) Buffy provides a contemporary critique of this tradition by the central character, the hero simply being a woman. Romantic Gothicism is also about “the conflicting pulls of social/antisocial behaviour.” (Anita Rose, page 135.) One of Buffy’s central themes is community and working together. While Buffy is the slayer, the one with the strength and power to defeat the vampires and monsters, she also has a team of friends and teachers surrounding her who also fight the monsters. The reason that in Frankenstein, Victor fails his quest to create life and ultimately gets himself and his family killed is because he does not let them help him, and instead isolates himself. While isolation, loneliness and the idea that we can find answers within are part of Romantic Gothic traditions, Shelley herself critiques it by having him fail for those very reasons. Then, Buffy also critiques the ideas by having Buffy’s victory be because of community and letting others help her.

Week 11: How does Hill define reality TV?

Hills (2005) defines reality TV based on three main perspectives: television industry, television scholars and television audience. In the ever changing television industry, hybridisation is the main approach for producers to create new genres from old shows settings. For instance, reality game show is one of the typical programs that corporate reality and documentation. Hills (2005) also state: “The term reality TV is so flexible that it can be applied to any type of popular factual programming the industry wants to sell to channels and viewers at home or aboard” (p. 44-45). However, the view of scholars is somewhat more ‘realistic’ as they think of how fact and fiction relate to each other in popular factual television e.g. Corner (as cited in Hills, 2006) claims that we should think outside the box of documentary genre in order to understand the ‘reality’ in the type of show mentioned above. Finally, the audience of reality television also have various ways to define then term. Some people understand the term as “real life documentaries” and see the show as ‘real’. Hills (2006) also argues on how scheduled programs attract a large amount of occasional viewers as the shows often are a serial with strong character in and out each episodes so people don’t have to get too into it. In the end, the term 'reality TV' can be defined as an series of fact and fiction stories ranged from the continuous soaps documentary to game shows but yet to be stabled.

Reference:

Hill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.