My classes this semester

MCC-GE 2001 Media, Culture, and Communication Core Seminar
Monday 7:15 - 9:25 pm (section 1)
Rodney Benson
Class number: 3235 (4 credits)
Examines theoretical approaches that are central to the study of media, culture and communication. Provides students with a historical and critical framework for understanding the literature and research traditions within the field of media studies with an emphasis on media and communication as institutional actors, technological artifacts, systems of representation and meaningful cultural objects

MCC-GE 2182 Communication Processes: Gender, Race and Cultural Identity
Deborah Borisoff
Wednesday 4:55 - 7:05 pm
Class number: 3243 (4 credits)
Students examine the processes and approaches to the study of communication theories, language and aspects of verbal and nonverbal communication with a particular focus on gender, race, and cultural identity. These processes are examined in both personal and professional contexts, across relationships (e.g. friendships, romantic, marital, and work settings) and are connected to current local and global media representations.
S. Douglas & M. Michaels (2004), The Mommy Myth; S. Keen (1991) Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man; L. Arliss & D. Borisoff (2001), Women & Men Communicating: Challenges & Changes; S. Hewlett (2002), Creating a Life; A. Hochschild (1997) The Time Bind. Course readings include also works by Julia Wood, Cheris Kramarae, Marsha Houston, Ronald Jackson, Frank Wu, Judith Butler, Fern Johnson, Pepper Schwartz and others who have written widely on the topic.
[MA Areas of Study: Interaction and Social Processes & Global and Transcultural Communication]

Game of Thrones- the female reader pov

I just read Game of Thrones, all 807 pages of it, on a plane trip to Denver from NYC. Game of Thrones is a medieval fantasy book now in its first season as a HBO show. From Wikipedia:

Set in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, where "summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime," Game of Thrones chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among the kingdom's noble families for control of the Iron Throne; as the series opens, additional threats from the snow and ice covered region north of Westeros and from the eastern continent across a narrow sea are simultaneously beginning to rise.[2]

 

The first thing I heard about GOT was a NYT article declaring it "for boys only." Here's the actual quote:

"The true perversion, though, is the sense you get that all of this illicitness has been tossed in as a little something for the ladies, out of a justifiable fear, perhaps, that no woman alive would watch otherwise. While I do not doubt that there are women in the world who read books like Mr. Martin’s, I can honestly say that I have never met a single woman who has stood up in indignation at her book club and refused to read the latest from Lorrie Moore unless everyone agreed to “The Hobbit” first. “Game of Thrones” is boy fiction patronizingly turned out to reach the population’s other half.  "

And I can understand where that thinking comes from. The HBO show is very obviously seeking out the coveted youngish male viewer. There are random sex scenes not present in the book that add a little pizazz to show for both genders.  The book is often times very dry and political. There are pages and pages describing battle tactics, actual battles, and then some more political intrigue. I'm not very interested in that. In fact, I admit to skimming the battle pages with no regret. 

But I think it's inaccurate to say that GOT is only accessible or appealing to men. I would say it's mostly appealing to men but there is something there for female readers. There is something in the text that points to a consciousness in the author to include strong women and many female story lines. We have the three Stark women, diverse within themselves (the matriarch, the princess, the tomboy); Cersai, the evil temptress & schemer who really holds the plot together with all her villainy; Dany, the lost girl who becomes a dragoness; and Osha, the peasant from the true North where the "others" live. Bellafante's point becomes clear when you see the character that HBO has inserted into the show- Rose, the rosy prostitute, there for the (male) viewer's pleasure.

It's Britney, Bitch

So I went to the Britney Spears concert at the Izod Center in New Jersey on Friday night.

First of all, when you go to a Britney Spears concert, when you even contemplate buying tickets to a Britney Spears concert, you are taking into account several factors. For me these were 1) Britney's songs are catchy and fun to dance to 2) it's no secret she lip syncs so there is no built up expectation of singing 3) her shows are known to be great spectacles 4) the nostalgia factor of a bunch of late twenty somethings getting together to see an idol they have grown up with and 5) the nerd-media factor of attending a concert and unraveling the spectacle-ness of it.

So taking all of that into account, I really enjoyed myself. The ambiance was great, the show was over the top, and Britney was interesting to observe. The show was structured around  "plot" videos of Britney, trying to link the album's Femme Fatale theme. They were faux grainy bits of Britney trying to escape from prison, being handcuffed and captured (handcuffs featured prominently in the show). And then the videos introduced a male character, who was a mix of prison warden, CIA agent, and stalker. He was a very scruffy detective type trying to pin down Britney as a "sexy assassin"- those were literally the words on the screen to get the point across.

All of this was intermixed with dance sets and medleys that were very thinly attached to the video plots. There was a great jazzy remix of "If U Seek Amy" where Britney had a Marylin Monroe skirt and a good breeze. There was an Egyptian themed set, a Biker Chic set, Ninjas, Cops and Strippers, rainbow gangs. The big bang was the end of the world and Britney's resurrection as a flying angel. 

UCB- John and Scott

Last night I went to see John and Scott at UCB. These are two actors/writers for 30 Rock but also UCB veterans. In the long line waiting to see the show, there was more than one aspiring comedian come to see their nerdy comedy role models. Outside of their 30 Rock characters, these two comedians were a lot darker & dirtier, which was great fun. I was amazed at their confidence- how they really milked every improv skit to the max, building on the tension without caving in to the audience demand for a laugh. The skits included (in no particular order):

• aliens
• goats
• pearl earrings
• Psycho
• diet sprite
• the Grand Canyon
• shaving
• slapping, hitting, punching
• "Mayhaps"
• babies
• mules (Bert)

becoming a jaded celebrity stalker

This time it was an "up front" party which I did not even know about until I was there. Apparently, they are TV Advertising parties where channels brand themselves, network and present upcoming deals. I saw Ellie Kemper (Erin from The Office) which was cool. Jay Z, which I didn't much care about. And Aziz Ansair, which didn't count because I saw him like a week ago at the Time 100 Party. I mean really, I already got you on my list, I don't need to see you again!

Harry Potter (said with English accent)

So on the same day that I get Harry Potter and the newest movie title of the never ending series, I see Daniel Radcliffe in person! It was like magic! He was, as you would expect, short and pale. I was impressed by his very blue eyes and large head. Someone was telling me that movies really favor actors with large heads and faces because you can see emotions easier on broader expanses of face. Which sort of makes a weird kind of sense.

I also saw John Larroquette, who is in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (which is on my street, next to the Gentlemen's Club). I did not see the show, but I heard it's pretty good. I love him from The Tenth Kingdom, one of my favorite pieces of media- well it was a TV mini series, which really doesn't fit in the usual categories. Great show. 

watching buffy while sick

Great scene- Scooby Gang makes fun of Giles for having a working TV. He squeaks out "Public Television!"

I got in to NYU!

Which means this blog will be revived as I puzzle through my readings and screenings.

And in other news I saw Robin Williams, Tina Fey, Will Ferrel, Andy Sandberg, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Bruce Willis!

It's been a good couple of weeks :)