SAC 355 offers an historical survey of American television
from the late 1940s to today. Taking a cultural approach to the
subject, this course examines shifts in television portrayals, genres,
narrative structures, and aesthetics in relation to social and cultural trends
as well as changing industrial practices. Reading television
programs from the past eight decades critically, we interrogate various
representations of consumerism, class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality,
lifestyle, and nation in the smaller screen while also tracing issues
surrounding broadcasting policy, censorship, sponsorship, business, and
programming.
The two aspects that discern said "quality" are directness and aesthetics. In addressing directness, it is important to note that both the reading and the screenings demonstrate that MTM did encompass social issues of feminism, but in an indirect manner. It does so through showing a driven, independent woman struggling to succeed in a male dominated industry. The show was also shot with good camera work and a colorful crispness (unlike Lear's television) that made the show a work of quality.
ReplyDeleteUnlike MTM, Lear's shows directly addressed issues by bluntly talking about them. Mary Tyler Moore would not state "it sure is hard to be a woman in this male business." Lear's works, on the other hand, directly fed a myriad of class, race, and feminist issues into dialogue in a way that clearly draws the issues at hand into play rather than highlighting characters.
From my perception of the screening, there is a deeper level of quality that would be appreciated now in comparison to the directness of Lear's work. In the episode we watched, there was in fact an issue addressed for the episode--the issue of how to cope with death. Though this issue was not topical, it is a part of the human experience that will always remain relevant. I think that this exploration of an issue rather than a direct address was more thought provoking rather than instructional--thus brining a layer of intellectual quality.
Also in my opinion, I think the notion of quality was somewhat class constructed. Of course quality (more expensive work) would be geared toward those with funds—those who are already in power who don’t want to be made uncomfortable by being forced to question their lifestyles. Mary Tyler Moore, with crispness and pretty sets, was catering to a more gentile class. Lear’s work, on the other hand, had a grittier aspect to which those in the working class could relate. The concept of quality was probably much more economically driven that critically.