Genre Study (Discussion)

Television on genre

1. Groups 4 & 8: What dilemma do genre scholars face when trying to define a genre? Explain the theoretical way of escaping that dilemma and the historical way of escaping it. Within your group, conduct a survey to determine what its "cultural consensus" is for the definition of the sitcom. You may wish to refer to sitcoms we've seen in class.
2. Groups 5 & 1: Genres may be defined based on their stylistic schema. Explain that phrase and how it might be used to define a genre. Provide an example.
3. Groups 6 & 2: Genres may be defined by their subject matter--specifically, their narrative structure. Explain how Kaminsky and Mahan articulate the police show's narrative structure. Can you think of recent police shows that exemplify this?
4. Groups 7 & 3: Genres may be defined by their subject matter--specifically, their themes. Explain the "binary oppositions" (thematic structure) that Hurd finds in the police show. Can you think of recent police shows that exemplify this?

Jason Mittell on Dragnet and genre

Mittell writes that he wants to explore "how the generic categories of police show, documentary, film noir, and radio crime drama were all activated within and around the program. Dragnet not only drew upon these categories in its textual conventions, formal properties, and encoded meanings, but also in its larger cultural circulation in the 1950s and 1960s, activating discourses of generic definition, interpretation, and evaluation." (124)

1. Groups 5 & 1: Mittell links the documentary and the semi-documentary, police-procedural film with Dragnet. What key connections does he see there? What elements assert Dragnet's "authenticity"? Can you see these in "The Big Shoplift" episode?
   • Key connections: Some key connections listed include shooting on location, shooting in black-and-white and on film and authenticity.
   • Elements that showcase this authenticity include using real cases (and announcing such through opening and closing narration), showing the less glamorous sides of police work such as collaborating with the rest of the force to collect and connect information on various suspects and victims, and avoiding the violent shootouts and fistfights that were common in other police shows of the era.
   • These elements are illustrated in the episode by showing the protagonist creating the map of locations related to the crime, obtaining the credit card information of the perpetrator, and closing on the narration that discloses the punishment the real-life version of the perpetrator received.
2. Groups 6 & 2: According to the Mittell chapter, what stylistic conventions or what Television calls "stylistic schemas" can be found in Dragnet? (Hint: his term, "formal," refers to stylistic aspects of television.) For example, how does Mittell interpret the acting style of Dragnet and its "line editing"? Mittell refers to the style of TV crime dramas that were broadcast live--such as Martin Kane, Private Eye (although he uses other examples such as Man Against Crime). How does he characterize them? Do you observe this in Martin Kane? How is Dragnet different?
   • Acting Performance - Emotionless and dead. Police are emotionally detached from the drama due to the proper and accurate functioning of the criminal justice system.
   • Formal conventions linking Dragnet to semi-documentaries are more than stylistic choices but politically motivated practices tied to the crime film's generic cluster.
   • Line editing - cutting between tight close-ups of characters talking, with the rhythm of the edits always following the alternating dialogue. Uses this for dramatic effect
   • Dragnet's style is not fully "anti-realist" but viewers did see it as unusual, distinctive in its stylization. Dragnet offers a distinctive combination of emotional distance and systemic authenticity.
   • What makes Martin Kane different from Dragnet is that Martin Kane uses long scenes because they don't have enough money for the multiple short clips.
3. Groups 7 & 3:
   • What narrative pattern does Mittell see in Dragnet? Outline it as Kaminsky and Mahan do.
     • follow police protocols in pursuing dead-end leads
     • interrogating witnesses
     • relying upon the crime lab and forensics
     • eventually capturing the culprit
   • How does it compare/contrast with the Kaminsky and Mahan model?
     • The first two hold true, but instead of meeting up multiple times, they only had to approach the suspect once
   • Can you see this in "The Big Shoplift" episode?
     • You can see the model aligning with the pattern in Dragnet, but the confrontation isn’t drawn out like in the Kaminsky/Mahan model
     • Also, the model doesn’t cover using the forensics and crime lab to aid in the investigation
4. Groups 4 & 8: How does Mittell apply the idea of oppositions? What is his point about "mediating figures"? Is Sgt. Friday one? How about Martin Kane? Does "The Big Shoplift" episode support his argument? How does this fit with Hurd's notion of binary oppositions?
   • Mittell applies the idea of opposition through the binary oppositions of law versus crime. The line between right and wrong is very clear. Sgt. Friday (Dragnet) is not a mediated figure because he’s not a “dirty cop”. A mediated figure enacts justice, and works outside the confines of the “oficial” bureaucratic justive system.
   • “The Big Shoplift” still supports his idea of the law versus crime binary opposition. The same goes for Hurd’s notion of binary opposition. It’s still good versus evil, and law versus crime.

All groups

1. List two strength(s) of genre analysis. List two weaknesses of this approach.
   • Group 1:
     • w: A weakness of genre analysis is that it forces the shoehorning of shows into broad categories that might not describe them well. Mass categorization could lead to a show dissimilar to those of its time (in this case, the unique Dragnet) being grouped with other, more generic shows simply because it has more in common with them than another, despite being a hybrid of other genres. (Dragnet is closer to a police procedural than a documentary, but really encapsulates more of the latter than the former moniker entails.)
     • s: One strength of genre analysis is that it enables a piece of work (in this case, the show Dragnet) to be analyzed and dissected not in how it holds up today, but in how it compared at the time of its release. In the former scenario, a modern viewer would likely see Dragnet as dated, old-fashioned, and cliche. In the latter though, the show is elaborated upon as a historically significant work that revolutionized the police procedural for both radio and television.
   • Group 2:
     • s: Cultural shorthand
     • w: Limiting
   • Group 3:
     • s: As far as the strengths and weaknesses of Genre Analysis go our group does have a little bit of trouble with fully understanding it other than a strength being that it can allow a batch of similar shows to be looked at differently to show pros and cons of the individual rather than assuming for the whole,...
     • w: ...but also genre analysis will still be subject to human rational, and can be skewed by opinions as with all analysis.
   • Group 4:
     • s: (1) helps with network branding (2)s: limits creativity
     • w: (1) w: encouranges stereotyping, limits what is acceptable; builds expectaions (2) w: limits what is acceptable, and builds expectations
   • Group 5:
     • s: (1) Allows for quick understanding of a show. If one can easily follow the pattern from the beginning it is easier to understand and leads to further views. (2) This leads to a more critical view of LAPD. They give you a hard boiled view of the mundane routines by police officers in this particular show.
     • w: (1) Certain shows fits certain genres, others cross creating its own element. If classifying every show with a genre you lose the specific approach for each show. It is hard to criticize a show with cross genres. (2) Limiting a show based on genre you can reduce creativity
   • Group 6:
     • s: A strength of his genre would be that it's a cultural shorthand. Reason being, because it makes collections of the show quicker.
     • w: A weakness of the genre is that it is a bit limiting. Some of his first thoughts is that his genre would be out of the genre of norms.
   • Group 7:
     • s: (1) making it easier to identify a series’ tone and elements based on genre (2) giving a simple outline or guide for writing for the genre
     • w: (1) taking away the individuality of a show by naturally lumping it with others in the same genre (2) people would naturally criticize a film/show because it is categorized in a genre
   • Group 8:
     • s:
     • w:

Bibliography

1. Jeremy G. Butler, Television: Critical Methods and Applications (NY: Routledge, 2012).
2. Jason Mittell, Genre and Television: From Cop Show to Cartoons in American Culture (NY: Routledge, 2004).

External links

• Television illustrations, chapter 13