this blog is about television.
Books are critiqued on their intellectual merits: their symbolism, their imagery, the extent to which they serve as a social commentary, etc. Films are even critiqued on these levels.
Television is an unrecognized art. Sit-coms are often funnier than comedic films, dramas often contain more complex and extended webs of relationships and tensions than dramatic films. Reality television offers a rare and exciting view into every day people and celebrities living life just like you and me. Game shows allow us to test our knowledge or luck, all the while we watch someone else be under the gun to win a prize.
Television has adapted so much in the last 20 or so years. If you look at older shows, their plot lines were so much simpler than now. Their casts were smaller. Many shows were episodic. Now, you see shows with 10 or 12 principle cast members with plots that span multiple seasons. Even in sit-coms it can be difficult to begin watching the show half-way through the season or series. Television allows the audience to watch characters develop each week. You know their past and their personalities as if you were their friend. It’s more personal than it’s ever been and critiquing television for its intellectual merits is becoming more and more feasible and appropriate. Read the rest of this entry »
