Johnson and Peackocke Comparison Television is a highly entertaining way to pass the time whenever we may want to relax or may not have anything to do. Some believe that watching television is nothing more than staring at a box while others believe that it can help us become aware of things we may not have noticed before such as social issues or in some measure get our brains thinking. This paper will point out the similarities and differences of Antonia Peacocke 's essay "Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious" and Steven Johnson 's "Watching television makes you smarter" aswell as Hardvard University student, Antonia Peacocke, emphasizes in her essay "Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious" …show more content…
For example, she claims that "not all of Family guy 's humor could be construed as offensive. Some of its jokes are more tame and insightful, the kind you might expect from the New Yorker" (Peacocke 306). With this statement she attempts to inform us about the shows humor to be intellectually reasonable and uses the New Yorker magaizine as a reliable source where this humor may also be found. If readers can see that some of the comedy used in show can meet "requiremnets" to be in the show on a credible magazine such as the New Yorker, then Family Guy is not a pointless and useless waste of …show more content…
These differences include Peacockes decision to focus her essay on Family Guy whereas Johnson used multiple different shows in his article. Johnson also brings up children and whether they should also be watching different kinds of television shows having already said that "even bad TV is better" (Johnson 289) aswell as suggesting alternatives for bad TV and video games by saying "encourage Grand Theft Auto over Quake" (Johnson 29). I dont neccesarily like this alternative but it was something that Peacocke failed to do in her essay. Peacocke did however provide the opposing view point of her claim by individuals agasint Family Guy such as Stephen Dubner, a co-author of freakonomics, and jounalist Stuart Elliott. Using Counter arugumemts was a clever tool on Peacockes part to put both point of views and thoughts in her
Not only educational shows accomplish these goals, but fictional television programs can often incorporate information that requires viewers to grapple with a topic using logical reasoning and a global consciousness. In addition, not to diminish the importance of reading, television reaches those who may never pick up a book or who might struggle with reading problems, enabling a broader spectrum of people to interact with cognitive topics. Veith has committed the error of making generalizations about two forms of media when, in truth, the situation varies depending on quality and content. However, what follows these statements is not just fallacious, but
Television provides an avenue for which we can analyze people, cultures, and more. My favorite show is Family Guy. The show often pokes fun at either social norms or popular trends occurring in current society. Its humor is supported by the relationship of a talking baby named Stewie, and a talking dog named Brian who live in Rhode Island. Through out the many seasons of Family Guy, the viewer can see through a sociological perspective how all three common theories in sociology are used on Stewie and Brian.
In “Turkeys in the Kitchen,” an essay written by Dave Barry, humor is used as an aid to make a point about the usefulness of men after Women’s Liberation. “A Plague of Tics,” a personal narrative written by David Sedaris, uses a different kind of humor to explain the reasoning behind his behavior. Through these two essays and their author’s personal experiences, humor is presented as a device to captivate reader’s attention and declare the author’s intended meaning.
In the Pilot episode of Freaks and Geeks, Lindsay underwent many of the relatable choices and struggles high school students endure every day. During this episode, Lindsay was in a rough spot due to the death of her grandmother, and as a result she changed her normal decisions. This includes everything from what she wore to school to the types of people she associated herself with. Though many changes were occurring, one thing remains: her desire to appear unchanged by her parents. I enjoyed the intro to Freaks and Geeks because the conflicts were engaging, and the introduction was easy to follow.
Since the inception of reality television, viewers have enjoyed watching various characters embark on the journey of their daily lives. Duck Dynasty is a reality television show following the Louisianan family behind the hunting brand, Duck Commander. The CEO, Willie Robertson, guides the show, as other family members provide support for the show’s overall goal of aligning with a majority of Americans. Duck Dynasty’s ability to relate to the current time period allows the characters to connect with the audience on a personal level. While the show operates similarly to some reality television shows, it allows the viewers to become involved with a different niche. Duck Dynasty uses the reality TV style to connect with the audience on a personal
The American Dream is something that defines the United States of America, where everyone has the right to pursue happiness in the land of opportunity. The American Dream is different for everyone because it is simply whatever one considers the happiest possible way of living. Although interpretations of the American Dream are different, there are usually common elements that exist, such as a house, a family, and being financially stable. Today, popular series like Duck Dynasty and Modern Family portray different versions of the American Dream and images of family life in the United States. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with these shows would agree that they could not be more different. Despite this claim, Duck Dynasty and Modern Family are becoming increasingly popular because they both display important family values and reflect struggles facing 21st century families, making them relatable to broad audiences.
In the world today watching television is so addictive that everything else looks unattractive. The author argues that television is not lethal as drugs and alcohol but it can have many effects such as children getting more violent and reality seem second best. Every person lives are filled with emotions including anxiety, depression, and stress so after long hard work day the best medicine is to turn the television on and not to worry about anything. For example, I usually drive from site to site to take care of business. So when I return home from work I will sit on my couch and turn the television on and flick the channel until I fall to sleep. As Marie Winn describes, "the television experience allows the participant to blot out the real world and e...
Family Guy, an animated sitcom about a New England family and their everyday dilemmas, is a way for viewers to see the comedic side of a dysfunctional family. The Griffins consist of Peter and Lois, the patriarch and matriarch, and Meg, Chris, and Stewie are the children(Family Guy). Every character is different from the next character. They are also weird in their own way. The television show itself displays feminism, structuralism, and gay and lesbian criticism. Each character in the show also displays those criticisms in a certain fashion. Family Guy can be offensive to viewers with its satire, and the way the show delivers its message can make the family and the other characters in the show seem dysfunctional.
The November 4th, 2013 episode of The Daily Show as a prime example of using satire to interrogate authority figures. The episode begins with Jon Stewart joking about the scandal of Rob Ford, mayor of Toronto, using crack while in office. Rob Ford was not present in the Daily Show studio, however Stewart used video clips to question Ford about the scandal. Stewart asks Ford if he would like to make a comment about his use of crack cocaine this past summer....
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is a satirical news show that first aired on Comedy Central January 11, 1999, and since then, has become one of the most influential sources for news for young Americans. Through the satirical news format, it grabbed the attention of coveted 18-34 age demographic that traditional nightly news shows have tried to attract (Heflin, 2006). Even though Stewart does not see himself as an influence, studies show most young adults get their news from his show and are able to understand complex political issues (Morris, 2006). Due to this, The Daily Show changed the format of how young Americans consume their news, not only should it be informative, but it should have entertainment value. Due to the large following, The Daily Show is seen to have great power over the young adults.
The 1990’s proved to be a successful decade for America as far as its economy. Following the end of the Cold War, the American economy thrived: unemployment rates rested at a mere 4% as a result of president Clinton’s creation of twenty-two million new jobs and rescue of over eight million Americans from poverty. Similar to any other decade, the 1990’s also facilitated controversial loss for Americans. Following events such as the murder of abortionist Dr. David Gunn, Clinton’s impeachment, and the Columbine mass shooting to name a few, news stations continued to broadcast these events through their biased lens’ and skew the perception of the American public. In the mid-nineties, television network
In “Television Harms Children”, Ann Vorisek White claims that the intellectual and cognitive development of children who frequently watch television is threatened. To support this claim, she points to the findings that “the more television children watch, the weaker their language skills and imaginations” (White, 2006). Before the brain fully matures around age 12, it is in the stage of rapid development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “recommends that children under the age of two not watch TV or videos, and that older children watch only one to two hours per day of nonviolent, educational TV” (White, 2006). A study from the AAP (as cited in White, 2006) found that the average American child watches four hours of television every day. Considering "expression and reasoning are not automatic" abilities, young children who routinely watch television eventually become "passive and nonverbal" to stimuli in their environment (White, 2006). Since the normality of curiosity and imaginations of young children are the foundation of how they learn, remaining passive for extended periods of time affects their intellectual and moral development.
First titled Life and Stuff, Roseanne aired its first season in 1988 and its last season in 1997. The show starred Roseanne Barr as Roseanne Conner and John Goodman as Dan Conner. The couple lived in Lanford, Illinois with their three children Becky, Darlene, and D.J. They are a blue-collar, working-class family with both parents working outside of the home. They struggled just to pay the bills and put food on the table, sometimes each working two jobs. It portrayed real life issues such as pre-marital sex and pregnancy, financial struggles, sexuality, infidelity, death, drugs, and much more. In the first of its nine seasons, Roseanne (Barr) works at Wellman Plastics, along with her sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) and friend Crystal (Natalie West). Dan (Goodman) works as a self-employed drywall contractor for his company, Four Aces Construction. Roseanne's parents, Beverly (Estelle Parsons) and Al Harris (John Randolph), drive their two daughters crazy. Teenage Becky (Lecy Goranson) begins dating her first boyfriend Chip (Jared Rushton. Darlene (Sara Gilbert) wonders if she can still play baseball after having her first period. This season also deals with the issue of death, a terrifying tornado, Dan and his father’s relationship struggles, and Roseanne and her friends quitting their job. In season two, Jackie decides to become a police officer and begins a serious relationship with Gary (Brain Kerwin). Roseanne runs through a plethora of jobs, with shampoo woman at the beauty parlor being most influential. Roseanne also deals with issues of attractiveness when Dan's poker buddy Arnie (Tom Arnold) passionately kisses her. She is slightly disappointed when he does the same to Jackie. Crystal and Dan’s father begin a romance. Becky h...
of the book. d. a. a. a. Freud. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
These are clearly exemplified throughout the opening sequence, as a myriad of Freud references are made. Freudian concepts are woven in as tools that provide Alvy insight into sexuality, starting from a young age and spanning into present-day. Even in the opening monologue, Alvy references Freud, but in relation to comedy and the unconscious. In it, he tells a joke that derives from Freud’s Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious. As well, Alvy’s reflections on the unconscious and the repressed mirror his efforts to figure out why he and Annie broke-up.