English 1102 – English 1102: Television and Feminism

Tag: English 1102

Fresh off the Meaning of TV

On November 26, 2018

For my final post, I figured I’d review what I thought the show was trying to tell us overall. I began my blog talking about the themes of the show, and progressed to talk about the role of gender in the show. Because I did these heavy- hitting topics towards the beginning of my blog, I feel that it could be useful to revisit now that I’ve seen more and been able to have a clearer idea of how these review topics have influenced the overall meaning of the show.

look back at it

The show revolved around central abstracts like feminism, gender roles, family dynamics, and immigration. The show was first aired in primetime in the slot directly following Modern Family, a telling fact which I missed in earlier reviews. This shows the audience that they were targeting as set up by the viewers of Modern Family and can indicate the style the show follows. Both shows are a little sarcastic, comedic, family-friendly sitcoms with adult twists here and there to keep it interesting for the adult viewers. They are overall family friendly but make a point to revolve around key social issues like homosexual marriage, mixed families, immigration, women’s roles, and more. This pattern holds their target audience and is extended through the show’s presence on the online streaming network Hulu. The show wants to have its audience but make its point too.

yes, you can be both fully Asian and fully American

Fresh off the Boat normalizes and brings down to earth characters which challenge the norm. The main female lead is very much in control of her family and leads her husband in many ways, being a strong-willed yet feminine and sweet character. The father is an Asian-American immigrant who is pursuing the American Dream. These characters border on satirizing the norms of American culture and bring to light the ‘melting pot’ aspect of American culture in a positive and endearing way. This results in not only a huge following but also a meaningful one which reflects that these ideas will have an effect on mainstream culture with its audience.

Image result for feminist gif

Murphy Brown, Off Screen

By Maya Krajeck

On November 11, 2018

In Review Topic 6

Last night I was procrastinating and catching up on the recent episodes of Saturday Night Live (indubitably not as good as the old seasons, sorry Pete Davidson). The episode with Jonah Hill came on and his monologue was his induction into the five timers club. Among the the notable figures in the club was the one and only Candice Bergen. Watching this 1980s boundary pushing feminist queen on my TV outside of her Murphy Brown role inspired me to base this blog post on the impact and outside life of Candice Bergen and her show Murphy Brown.

As we read in Stealing The Show, Murphy Brown was on TV in an era where people still tuned in to watch episodes as they were premiered because the era of streaming and Netflix had yet to begin. An iconic moment occurred after Candice Bergen’s single character gave birth and became a single mother (an episode which 70 million people watched) and Vice President Dan Quayle cited her as a poor role model who was “mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice.” Murphy Brown impacted American society, and during a time where “family values” were trying to fight the success LGBT and abortion rights groups had won in the previous years. (Now that these rights have come under fire again with the current U.S leaders Mike Pence and Trump, Candice Bergen has returned to her role).

The political climate in the 1980s to modern day continue to be shockingly similar. According to Time’s magazine, A day after the Murphy Brown reboot was announced Republican Senate candidate Courtland Sykes proclaimed that “I don’t want [my daughters] to grow up into career-obsessed banshees who forego home life and children and the happiness of family to become nail-biting manophobic hell-bent feminist she-devils.” Before, a comment life this would clearly be about Murphy Brown, however modern day TV has bless us with a plethora of stereotype defying women that this statement can refer to anyone.

Murphy Brown received 8 Emmy nominations and won 5. The shows 11 seasons were so impactful that Candice Bergen was even offered a job as a journalist on 60 minutes. The show had such an impact when it was originally on, it will be interesting to see what the new seasons bring.

Murphy Brown reboot

Fresh Outta Film School

By Bailey Moore

On November 6, 2018

In Review Topic 3

Fresh Off the Boat has a fresh visual design. The colors are bright, the cuts are quick, and the color scheme is warm. This show is so wholesome that it even reflects in the visual design. The colors are warm schemed, reflecting the warmth of the show and the inviting characters as the series wants to display their family dynamic. This has the effect of carrying over the program’s lightheartedness. There are no gloomy days, dark scenes, or special effects in the show. It is very clean cut and looks bright and cheery even when nighttime scenes are shown.

Image result for fresh off the opening gif

fight like sisters, love like sisters

The show has mostly longer scenes, with a plotline falling over an average to long timeframe, but shots are quick and clean. Conversations between characters are shot with quick cuts between each perspective, ping-ponging between lines of dialogue. Every once in a while scenes are shot differently, like the opening of Episode 7, when the Huang’s are in a mock robbery scene. The opening of the showtimes special edits with riffs and music. The narration is paired with shots, especially when narrating the thoughts of multiple characters at a time, which the show does often. These long takes help the development of the show by allowing for longer jokes and humor with better punchlines and more drama between the characters. Scene 7 also shows a fantasy of Eddie Huang wanting to hit on his crush, who he is intimidated by, by showing her his music taste. In this scene, he gets up to walk back to her and enters a fantasy edit with backup dancers and an autotuned bus driver. More intimate scenes, like one on one conversations between the mom and dad, are shot closer up, leading you into the conversation as if you were there. If it weren’t shot this close, it would feel as though you are observing something private, and may lose engagement with viewers.

the way they look at each other <3

I find the intro of the show interesting cinematographically because it uses unique panning styles and zooms not used in the actual showtime. In the title sequence as well as most of Eddie’s scenes, the music is paired with the style of the shot. Zooms have riffs, sexy scenes have jazz, happy scenes have elevator music and Eddie’s got his 2pac. Is this show Straight Outta Compton or Straight Outta Suburbia?

Fresh Jordan’s… Fresh Writing… Fresh Off the Boat

By Bailey Moore

On September 25, 2018

In Review Topic 2

“Home Sweet, Home School”, the second Episode of Fresh off the Boat, really sets up the way the rest of the show will operate based on the style of the writers. A team of four is responsible for writing this episode, including Kourtney Kang (known for her role as a producer of How I Met Your Mother) and Eddie Huang, the focus of the autobiography and the narrator of the show. I think part of what makes this show so interesting is that Eddie narrates his own past life. He knows exactly how he felt in the moment and how he feels now that he’s grown up. As much insight as this offers, it’s also valid to check ourselves with how much we trust him- I mean he is writing out his life for the world. The combination of he and Kourtney Kang in writing this episode makes for an interesting personality in the writing- with her Emmy nominated comedy writing skills and his life experience it really makes the show a worthwhile watch both as a social commentary and as a chill binge watch.

the best of both worlds ;)

This show is absolutely filled with noise. There is literally never silence. Even when the character to character dialogue isn’t going, there’s Biggie, Stephen King movies, NASCAR races, 90s hip-hop, and restaurant chatter in the back. The amount of constant noise makes the show really full and fun to watch. AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON EPISODE THREE
My goodness, when Evan did the voice over of the white moms talking at the neighborhood meeting, I laughed harder than I have in a while. Between the hip-hop tracks which emphasize Eddie’s moods, the clapback narrations, and Evan… well, being Evan, this show doesn’t stop with the jokes. The writing of this show is just absolutely on point for the message of it. The constant allusions to quintessential American favorites- Whitney Houston, Biggie Smalls, Karaoke, NASCAR, Blockbuster, block parties, basketball, denim jorts, and Jordan’s- make this show what it is. Hilarious.

Jessica having her Whitney moment #mood

Gender in Jessica Jones

By Matthew Ramberger

On September 23, 2018

In Review Topic 5

The gender spread in Jessica Jones is pretty even, but it probably edges towards more women. The main protagonist, Jessica, is a female, and the villain, Kilgrave, is a male. The other main characters on the show are Trish, Jeri, Pam, Malcolm, Will, and Luke Cage with the first three being female and the last three being male. Jessica Jones even features mental disorders such as OCD and a main character, Jeri, who is lesbian. The show definitely focuses more on female characters overall, but that is mainly due to the main protagonists being women. The show focuses on Jessica struggling to overcome and defeat an old enemy, Kilgrave, with the help of a few friends. We see Jessica struggling in both her private and public life as it is thrown around by Kilgrave. However, the show also takes breaks to show the hardships of other characters such as Malcolm with his heroin addiction, and Luke with losing his wife.

Jessica Jones Characters

From what I’ve watched so far, the main characters making tough decisions are mainly Jessica, Malcolm, Trish, and Luke with most of the other characters just reacting to what happens and following orders. Jessica Jones definitely focuses more on women making the main decisions and driving the show than men, which is a nice switch up for a change. This is important because most TV shows have men as the driving characters in the show who make all the decisions. It is important to show how women have to make tough choices and decisions on television.

Jessica Jones shows a lot more women in higher classes than men. A lot of women characters are very successful in jobs such as TV star, law firm owner, and doctor. The main male characters don’t have it as nice with them being a struggling heroin addict, small bar owner, and police officer. This show does a very good job of showing career women in television in high up jobs in society. There is also a very big emphasis on mental illness in Jessica Jones with Jessica, Luke, and Will all having trouble with PTSD, and Jessica’s upstairs neighbor having extreme OCD.

Overall, Jessica Jones features and focuses on slightly more women than men, but does a very good job in representing multiple genders, races, and mental illnesses.

Citations: Gender representation in Television

By Inhee Baek

On September 20, 2018

In Annotated Bibliography

Glascock, J. (2001). Gender roles on prime-time network television: Demographics and behaviors. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 45(4), 656-669. Retrieved from http://prx.library.gatech.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.prx.library.gatech.edu/docview/227286652?accountid=11107

This peer-reviewed article seeks to evaluate gender roles on Prime-Time Network Television, including children’s programming and soap operas. Types of characters included single women, working women and women with determinable occupations. This article focuses on prime-time fictional programming (comedies and dramas) and includes all characters with speaking parts. It demonstrated that the males outnumbered females among main characters and speaking time by the ratio of 1.7 to 1. It also showed that in creative personnel behind the scenes such as producers, directors, writers, and creators the ratio of male-to-female was about 3.6 to 1. The article is worth reading because it calculated the numerical values for the different ratios between male and female roles in the media industry and the correlation of those data which makes it reliable. Its valuable to my research because it draws attention to the fact that in the media industry, there is still a gender discrimination and the there still exists the glass ceiling.

Steyer, I. (2014). Gender representations in children’s media and their influence.Campus – Wide Information Systems, 31(2), 171-180. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1536416276/fulltextPDF/41635C19A0614219PQ/16?accountid=11107

This peer-reviewed article seeks to draw attention to the significant underrepresentation of females and d stereotypical portrayals of both females and males that still exist in different kinds of media children are exposed to, as well as to various negative influences these may have on children’s development. In this article, it has been clearly stated that Women are underrepresented in children’s literature, television programs, as well as computer-related software. The negative representations of males have also been shown. It also tries to focus on the negative influence of sexist representations on children shown by numerous studies, as has been the potential of positively affecting children’s development by exposing them to non-traditional gender representations. This article should be valued because it seeks awareness of how highly present sexism still is in media for children and of the ways in which it may inhibit children’s development is seen as a crucial step toward change. It let us know that the change in this field is needed if we want to ensure a better, more equal future for our world.

Daalmans, S., Kleemans, M., & Sadza, A. (2017). Gender representation on gender-targeted television channels: A comparison of female- and male-targeted TV channels in the netherlands. Sex Roles, 77(5-6), 366-378. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1927952499/62E183F1A3954D92PQ/7?accountid=11107

This peer-reviewed article investigated the differences in the representation of gender on male- and female-targeted channels with regard to recognition (i.e., the actual presence of men and women) and respect (i.e., the nature of that representation or portrayal). It has compared the two female- and two male-targeted Dutch channels via content analysis and found out that there is a more pronounced difference in the representation of gender on men’s channels in different genres than on women’s channels, where gender is more evenly divided. It has also done a research on if country of origin of the programs presented on men’s and women’s channels would lead to a differing presence of men and women on these channels. The results showed that women were underrepresented in programming from all countries. It is an important article because it draws attention that the uneven gender representation in media is a worldwide issue that needs to be addressed.

Collins, R. L. (2011). Content analysis of gender roles in media: Where are we now and where should we go? Sex Roles, 64(3-4), 290-298. https://search.proquest.com/docview/850508348/B3F4FD7FAFAB4B7CPQ/1?accountid=11107

This peer-reviewed article provides a commentary regarding the quantitative content analysis of gender roles in media. This article states that women are clearly under-represented across a range of media and settings and are often portrayed in a circumscribed and negative manner – often sexualized by showing them in provocative clothing. Also, it points out the fact that women are shown in stereotyped feminine roles such as nonprofessionals, homemakers, wives or parents, and sexual gatekeepers. It has also pointed out the fact that the extent of the discrimination is different by nation and race. This article is worth reading because it points out the fact that the portrayal of women is underestimated, and it concludes that, while increasing the representation of women in media may be valuable, it is also critical that the manner in which they are portrayed be simultaneously considered to avoid increasing negative or stereotypical depictions that may be particularly harmful to viewers.

England, D. E., Descartes, L., & Collier-meek, M. (2011). Gender role portrayal and the disney princesses. Sex Roles, 64(7-8), 555-567. https://search.proquest.com/docview/857999236/fulltextPDF/F9C14CCB94394FE2PQ/1?accountid=11107

This article examines the gender role depiction of the Disney prince and princess characters with a focus on their behavioral characteristics and climactic outcomes in the films. It suggests that the prince and princess characters differ in their portrayal of traditionally masculine and feminine characteristics, these gender role portrayals are complex, and princes exhibited more rescuing behavior than princesses. However, the first three Disney Princess movies, produced in the 1930s and 50s, depicted in general more gendered attributes for both the princesses and the princes, and employed more traditional gender roles than did the five films produced in and after the 1980s. Although both the male and female roles have changed over time in the Disney Princess line, the male characters exhibit more androgyny throughout and less change in their gender role portrayals. This article has put the gender representation in media in an interesting way, about Disney, and it has shown that even one of the biggest animation firm is under the effect of gender stereotype.

Leonie Roderick-Tanya Joseph-Portia Woollen-Erin Lyons-Molly Fleming-Ellen Hammett-Samuel Joy. How the Portrayal Of Women in Media Has Changed. https://www.marketingweek.com/2017/03/08/portrayal-women-media/

This article makes an argument that the portrayal of women in media has changed. It states that there has been an enormous progress and moving away from the stereotypes. But it is coming from a very low base and there is still a long way to go. We need to stop featuring women as peripheral characters. It makes an argument that the most damaging part are the ads that deals with stereotypes because they have to portray something that connects in 30 seconds. As a result, people often default to perceived advertising norms. They pointed out that it takes one person to do something different, and he or she should start questioning that perceived wisdom. This article has a great value because it is written by different people from different backgrounds and it helps us understand the general view points of other people on the gender representation in media and if they think it has changed or it has not changed.

Fresh off the Boat – Authenticity at its Finest

By Arvin Poddar

On September 11, 2018

In Review Topic 2

The first five episodes of “Fresh off the Boat” exude a charm that (in my opinion) can be sourced from the writing. Simply put, I found that the appeal of “Fresh off the Boat” lies in the uniqueness and authenticity of its writing. The story is unique because it defies the expectations set by the title. The family’s struggle isn’t with moving to America from Taiwan; it’s with moving to Orlando, Florida from their previous residence in Chinatown, Washington DC, where they are no longer surrounded by their cultural bubble.

How did the writers come up with such an authentic story? “Fresh off the Boat” is based on the autobiography of the same name by guess who: the current writer and producer of the show, Eddie Huang. Huang is the primary writer for the first season, which centers mostly on his own struggles with fitting in with the white kids at his school. The show also has the secondary plot of his father’s struggle with running his restaurant, “Cattleman’s Ranch Steakhouse,” a real restaurant. The episodes are narrated by the real Huang, who starts off each episode with the premise of the plots and concludes with the lessons each character learned. “Fresh off the Boat” likely pulled this format from “The Goldbergs (2013)” another ABC comedy show based on the childhood of the producer/writer. Having the real protagonist narrate the show is a critical aspect because it contributes to this authenticity. These are the things experienced by Eddie, told by Eddie himself.

The real Eddie Huang

Because the show is only twenty-two minutes long, the writers cleverly use plot devices to save time and propel the plot. There isn’t much silence – moments where a character isn’t speaking are filled with the narrator explaining something. Backstories are often delivered via flashbacks from Chinatown, the Huangs’ old hometown. These devices not only create a rich story that provides insight into the characters’ thoughts but are also time efficient to provide as much important info needed as possible.

Perhaps the most authentic element of “Fresh off the Boat” are the plights of Eddie. The show focuses on challenges that are specific but relatable to most Asians (at least to me). Whether it was Eddie wanting Lunchables so he could fit in with the other kids, or his mom making him study, I saw myself in Eddie, despite not looking like him or having the same character traits. I understood what he felt, which is something I haven’t gotten from any other TV show. “Fresh off the Boat’s” writing is fantastic because (as of now), it sparingly uses creative license and focuses on the real stories that young Eddie faced. As a result, it has a unique story and clever humor that largely steers away from solely using cheap Asian stereotypes for laughs. Using his life story, Eddie Huang has written a charming tale that comments on the struggles of fitting in in America.

Eddie explaining why he needs Lunchables (S1E1)

An Issue For All Women

By Maya Krajeck

On September 10, 2018

In Review Topic 4

Crowded around each other expressing excitement and joy, the men of FYI discuss a night of opportunities that awaits them. When Murphy Brown enters the conversation is quickly hushed, as the subject is something they know will agitate her. The night they are discussing takes place at the last men’s only club in D.C, meaning Murphy is excluded simply because of her gender. The episode chronicles her fight against this, illuminating the sexism that continued to exist in the wealthy workrooms of 1989 America.

While the episode follows Murphy in her individual battle, the overall issue is one that affects more than just her. A notable moment occurs in the beginning of the episode when Miles is explaining that Murphy has no place in the club. At this moment, Corky quickly jumps into the conversation and her interruption is met with a cold shoulder as Miles shrugs her comment off stating “Corky, you’re not even in this conversation”. “Every woman in this room is in this conversation”, Corky quickly responds, illuminating that this single argument is undeniably connected to a greater issue of gender inequality. Backed by a multitude of other women, this statement is powerful, despite it being subsequently dismissed by the writers with an offside joke.

As the storyline progresses, we see Murphy’s multiple attempts at “breaking the sex barrier” and the rude and demeaning responses she receives from the men she encounters. When she first attends the club the manager bars her, claiming that her “behavior is inappropriate”, despite her being a highly respected journalist whose behavior is perfectly in line with the clubs policies. Later, when she manages to become a member due to discrepancies in the rulebook, every fellow member treats her rudely and eventually all of the men leave due to their discomfort with her presence. It is a disheartening and frustrating scene, documenting the ridiculous and childish attitude men had (and some still have) towards the other sex. While Murphy Brown often is able to triumph over her challenges, she fails in this episode, a smart choice by the writes which acknowledges that it will take more than one woman, no matter how incredible she is, to fight the system of inequality that women are subject to.

The episode does create hope in the matter, however, with the change witnessed in the character Jim. When first confronted with his good friend and coworker Murphy Brown’s desires to “infiltrate” the men’s club, he completely shuts her down. This dismissal continues throughout the episode until he experiences first hand the disrespect Murphy has to endure from the men in this club. A final scene depicts him fighting against the men in the club who he previously stood beside, showing that progress is possible when it comes to sexism and gender inequality.

Murphy Brown: Always relevant.

Fresh Off a Netflix Binge

By Bailey Moore

On September 4, 2018

In Intro Post

Hey, y’all! My name is Bailey Moore and I’m from Norcross, GA. I’m a first- year BME student here at GT with a Spanish minor and an anticipated graduation date of 2022 (probably, hopefully, maybe in December #relatable ).

me, still shook that we get to call enjoying TV homework

I was in the IB Diploma Programme in high school which meant a LOT of writing and speeches and more writing. This is my first English course at Tech, so I’m enjoying a little bit of a twist to the old monotonous English classes I dreaded in high school. Can you tell I’m a STEM major? I do, however, enjoy making infographics and doing oral presentations, especially creative ones rather than the long literary analysis speeches I’m used to because I feel interested and engaged myself when I use those methods of communication and I feel that the comfort and confidence of the communicator has a large effect on how the message is communicated. I struggle with nonverbal communication mainly because I haven’t practiced it or really looked into its significance. I am hoping to improve my nonverbal and electronic communication this semester, especially with infographics, body language, and voice tone, because I feel that they could contribute to making me appear more put- together and knowledgeable than I may be.

In reference to the course theme, I have a ton of experience with both TV and Feminism. I watch Netflix more than I’d like to admit and I even have a tattoo on my wrist of the equal sign which I got after the Women’s March here in ATL, but I haven’t previously combined these two passions, so I’m excited to see what the course has to offer. I also tend to watch the same types of shows when I watch. For leisure, I watch laid- back adult comedies like Modern Family, Bob’s Burgers, and The Big Bang Theory, and for Netflix binges, I go for thrilling dramas like Bloodline, Sherlock, and Stranger Things. I hope that this course will show me new types of shows and let me expand my thinking about TV and how it can reflect our culture as an art form.

I guess you could say I’m kinda an expert. heh. (10 points if you understand why I chose Emma Watson for this)

For this semester, I have chosen to review Fresh Off the Boat because I like that it shines a light on immigrants in America and I want to widen my scope of TV viewing to include a wider range of characters. It is about a first- generation Asian- American teenager who is uprooted from Chinatown DC to suburban Orlando with his family as his father chases the American Dream. Although the show is humorous, I also think that immigration is a huge topic in our political climate right now and I’m interested to see what opinion this show will argue. With that said, let’s get binging!!

me, in the car, constantly irritating my friends by singing loudly and not well

Netflix Is The New Homework

By Lauren Garrett

On September 3, 2018

In Intro Post

Hello! My name is Lauren Garrett, I am planning on double-majoring in business administration and international affairs, and hopefully I can somehow manage to graduate in May of 2022 (we’ll see though).

This is me right now, stressing about how stressed I am going to be.

I love English, and every English class I’ve ever taken has been a personal favorite! I took AP Language and AP Literature in high school, so I didn’t take English 1101, and now I’m here. I also wrote for an online Buzzfeed-type website for about a year, submitting articles weekly that ranged from coffee shop reviews to rants about our modern society. Although I cringe now when I read them, I feel like I am fairly apt at writing, and this is definitely my favorite mode of communication. My least favorite would probably be nonverbal since I tend to be sort of twitchy.

Honestly, I was never raised watching television with my family beyond sports games or the news, so I didn’t ever really get into binging shows. When I watched Netflix, it tended to be mainly for the cultural relatability – aka, I watched only the mainstream shows so I could understand the references and pretend that I knew what people were talking about. I also went for the lower commitment shows, like The Office or Parks and Recreation, where the episodes were fairly short and didn’t require a ton of previous knowledge of other episodes. Even shows that I loved fell into the void of “never to be finished”, so getting into The Good Place was a weirdly exciting event for me. I’m excited to continue to spend evenings in my dorm with my roommate watching shows for this class!

However, I do know a bit about feminism. In high school, I formed a feminist club that was aimed at bridging divides between the missions of feminine empowerment and common misconceptions (such as trying to end the stereotype that “feminists hate men!!1!”), and we experienced enough success for the club to be continued on into this year. We did multiple service projects such as professional clothing drives for a local shelter that helped victims of domestic abuse get back on their feet, and we led discussions in high school English classes that were reading feminist literature on how these themes carried over into modern-day society. I am definitely no expert, though, and I certainly never really thought to consider feminism in the context of mainstream media – this class calls to me!

I have chosen to review Orange Is The New Black this semester, a show about a woman getting through her prison sentence in an all-female prison, mainly because I’ve been wanting to watch it since it first came out and never got around to it. Based on what I know about it, however, I am excited to see how each woman is portrayed through the lenses of not only gender but sexuality and background stories. I believe that this show will make for great analysis and discussion of many of our course themes.

Let’s get watching!!

A Short and Sweet Intro

By Matthew Ramberger

On September 3, 2018

In Intro Post

Hello! My name is Matthew Ramberger, and I am from Cumming, Georgia. I am planning on majoring in Electrical Engineering and hope to graduate by 2022.This is my first English class at Tech as I am a freshman. English was never my favorite class in high school, but it was never my least favorite either. I never liked the seemingly endless papers that I’d have to write which is why I am looking forward to this class since it focuses more on analyzing TV shows. My best form of communication is probably written/electronic since you have more time to think of what to say and how to say it. I struggle with oral communication in front of large audiences as I will more times than not forget what to say and make my presentations and arguments a lot weaker. I want to get more comfortable speaking in front of classrooms and large groups of people in hopes that it will help me succeed later in life.

I wouldn’t say that I’m addicted to TV shows, but every few months or so I’ll get addicted and binge watch a show. My favorite two shows are Game of Thrones and The 100, but I’ve also enjoyed watching The Walking Dead, Arrow, Frontier, and Turn. As you can tell, I mainly enjoy watching shows that have lots of action and adventure, but I have branched out a bit and watched shows such as 13 Reasons Why and Black Mirror. I am excited that this class has a theme centered around television because it will give me a chance to find more amazing shows to get addicted to.

Funny Game of Thrones Meme

I have chosen to review Jessica Jones this semester since I have always enjoyed superhero shows and movies. I may or may not have watched the first episode or two a while ago when I didn’t really want to start a new show which is why this class is great since it gives me an excuse to start it. Also, I’ve never watched a superhero show with a female lead, so it should be super interesting and different. Overall, I am very excited for this class and all the shows that we will get to watch.

Jessica Jones Poster

Empowerment Through Blog Posts

By Emily Sheng

On September 3, 2018

In Intro Post

Hello, my name is Emily Sheng, and I’m from Lubbock, a Decently-Large City in the Middle of Nowhere, Texas. I’m a first-year majoring in Chemical Engineering (that might change) and I’m hoping to graduate by 2022. I’m a minority in many senses of the term, unafraid to speak my mind and passionate about combatting discrimination, so I’m incredibly excited for English 1102!

Just like many others, I’ve had a pretty average high school experience with English classes. I wanted to improve my writing and my attitude toward it, so I joined the IB program, which is notoriously a lot of writing. Through two years of constant research and essay-writing, I can confidently say that IB, although it didn’t give me many college credits, improved my writing and was worth it. As I am taking my first semester of English at Georgia Tech, I need to push myself out of the mindset that English is just about reading classic literature and writing 5-paragraph essays. In 1102, I will challenge myself to speak out in class without rehearsing what I’m going to say ten times in my head. I will also challenge myself to consider multiple perspectives, even perspectives that go against my values. Lastly, I will challenge myself to give English class my all, even though the visual and oral aspects of it will be challenging. Utilizing my strengths with electronic communication, I hope I can improve the forms of communication I find more difficult.

One of my main traits is analytical/introspective, so I constantly work on “knowing myself”. I know that once I start watching a show, I will ignore reality until I finish the show and everyone around me has forgotten who I am. So, I stay away from most TV shows and don’t have that much experience with them. However, this summer, I started watching The Handmaid’s Tale, a dark Hulu series based off Margaret Atwood’s novel. Set in a military-ruled US, fertile women are forced to bear children for their “Commanders” or face torture and death. The central themes about the lack of feminism and oppression seem to be perfect discussion points, but I wanted a platform and a reason to express my thoughts and opinions. The moment I read this course’s description, I thought of this show I started, but never finished. From the episodes I have seen, the show is not light-hearted and is difficult to watch at times but conveys an important message that I am excited to discover more of in the upcoming months.

One of the sayings I live by; also directly contrasts The Handmaid’s Tale’s idea of the future being run solely by men.

A Semi-Boring Introduction to my Boring Self

By Navya Katragadda

On September 3, 2018

In Intro Post

Hi! My name is Navya Katragadda and I am a first-year Biomedical Engineering major from Smyrna, Georgia. I expect to graduate in 2022 from Tech (hopefully). I have taken English courses consistently since Kindergarten which has been interesting since English was not my first language. In high school, Literature classes were always my favorite and to be exact, I have always loved reading and analyzing poetry. This is my first English class here at Tech and I couldn’t be more excited. I definitely prefer reading and writing as forms of communication over speaking up in class, which is something I struggle with. Since I prefer writing/electronic communication, I am very excited to use Twitter this semester. This semester in English 1102, I hope I can improve my speaking and use it more efficiently as a way of communicating with my classmates and professor.

Even before this class, I have always been an avid watcher of television. I have seen every show from an 80’s sitcom to a 2018 drama series. Watching TV and sharing opinions with my friends has always been something that I have enjoyed, especially in the past few years. Not only do I watch many American series’, I watch many shows in multiple languages, such as in Hindi, Spanish and Korean. Considering that I love television, I am very excited about this course.

The awkward hilarious female lead that I am very excited to see on screen (:

This semester, I have chosen to review New Girl. New Girl is about a young teacher who moves in with three single guys into an apartment and documents her adventures with love, life, and friendship. The show follows the relationships that form between characters and their unique personalities. I chose this show due to a few reasons. First, the main character is a woman and three of the other main characters are men. It seems to be an interesting watch as how the female is portrayed in relation to the male characters throughout the show. It also seems like a fun and comedic show so I am very excited to watch and continue to document my thoughts on the show throughout the semester!

A Piece of my Life

By Justin Lau

On September 2, 2018

In Intro Post

Hey guys! My name is Justin Lau and I grew up in a small city called Ellicott City in Maryland. It’s serene, suburban, and about 20 minutes from Baltimore. My declared major for Tech is Computer Engineering and my anticipated year of graduation is 2022.

In general, English has always not been my subject. Throughout high school, I disliked every moment of English because it was so boring: all we did was read required novels I never cared about, learn grammar/writing skills, and discuss nonchalant daily topics. Long story short, I was never particularly good at English, and I never really enjoyed it. However, I was a summer freshman this past semester at Tech and I took English 1101. It was the first English class I actually didn’t mind taking. Professor Tobias-Bates taught the class and I genuinely enjoyed it because there wasn’t overwhelming work, the projects were fun to do, and the topics we discussed in class were easy to talk about. I struggled mainly with argumentative writing and forming clear points in my essays. I often get too caught up in incorporating advanced vocabulary and making my writing sound more “sophisticated” that it can sometimes result in confusion with the flow of the sentence. Despite this, forms of communication I enjoy are utilizing social media to share life moments and my thoughts and talking to people in person, which represent the electronic and oral nodes of communication.

On the other hand, I am a total TV fanatic; I love binge watching Netflix shows and eating unhealthy junk foods that I know are bad for me. However, that was during high school, I have not had much time to keep up with shows and watch in college, but I hope to return to my old ways in this class. The last show I binge-watched was Friends, a true classic.

The TV show I have chosen to review is Fresh Off The Boat because this show seems extremely hilarious, not to mention the main characters of the show are Asians and will face struggles that I can relate to personally because of my parents’ first generation background. I am excited to dive into the lives of Eddie, his parents, and his two brothers, and I can’t wait to update you guys!

A picture of the family that is mainly explored in the show.

The Story of Arvin in Less than 500 Words

By Arvin Poddar

On September 2, 2018

In Intro Post

Hi everyone! My name is Arvin Poddar, and I’m a business major (I may switch to CS because of my development background) set to hopefully graduate in 2022. English 1102 is my first English course here at Tech. The last English classes I took were AP Lit and AP Lang, both of which were very similar in the sense that they centered entirely on the analysis of writing selected by the teacher. The reason I’m excited about this course is that unlike the aforementioned ones from high school, we will be focused on a whole new mode of communication, and I get to choose the content I want to analyze.

One thing I distinctly remember having a hard time with in English courses (and I still feel this applies now) is class discussions of the material. For one, I prefer listening to the discussion more than participating in it, which I’ll definitely have to fix. I also feel that the few points I contribute to discussions are not always as insightful as those of my peers. Oral communication in general is not exactly my strong suit, but given that this class will involve lots of discussions, I am looking forward to improving myself. Hopefully, as the class progresses, my ability to analyze will improve so that I can contribute more valuable points. I’ll also have to get used to Twitter, which I’ve never used before. I’m not a frequent social media user (other than Instagram, where I post about twice a year), so tweeting regularly may be a challenge. Other than this, I love to communicate in the other modes, especially through visual mediums (graphics, presentations, art).

However, one thing that won’t be an issue for me in this class is the theme of television: I love TV shows. The first TV show I ever watched start to finish was Breaking Bad, and since then, I’ve finished many more (including Silicon Valley, Scream Queens, Game of Thrones, Narcos, Big Little Lies, Westworld, Modern Family, Black Mirror). For this class, I have chosen to watch “Fresh off the Boat,” a comedy about a young boy’s struggles with the cultural differences between his American peers and his Asian immigrant parents. I chose this show because it felt very relatable. Both of my parents are immigrants from India, and they will likely share a lot of the traditional values that the protagonist’s Chinese parents have. I have been through the challenges of balancing the culture of my family with that of my surroundings. Thus, the show may not be an exact representation of myself, but it is close enough that I will be able to provide personal insight into the plight of the main character.

Me when I came to Georgia Tech (GIF from Fresh off the Boat)

I’m looking forward to watching my show and getting to talk to all of you about what you’re watching!

English 1102: Television and Feminism

Dr. Casey Alane Wilson • Georgia Institute of Technology

Tag: English 1102

Fresh off the Meaning of TV

Murphy Brown, Off Screen

Fresh Outta Film School

Fresh Jordan’s… Fresh Writing… Fresh Off the Boat

Gender in Jessica Jones

Citations: Gender representation in Television

Fresh off the Boat – Authenticity at its Finest

An Issue For All Women

Fresh Off a Netflix Binge

Netflix Is The New Homework

A Short and Sweet Intro

Empowerment Through Blog Posts

A Semi-Boring Introduction to my Boring Self

A Piece of my Life

The Story of Arvin in Less than 500 Words

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