English 1102: Television and Feminism

Dr. Casey Alane Wilson • Georgia Institute of Technology

Tag: First blog

FYI: Here’s What You Need to Know About Me

Hello,

My name is Maya Krajeck. I am majoring in industrial engineering, a status I hope to soon change, and I am optimistically (and apparently unrealistically judging by the other blog posts’ expectations on the matter) expecting to graduate in 2022. I have lived in Nashville Tennessee for the past 6 years, however I was raised half in Florida and half in Greece. Due to this bicultural exposure, it is technically accurate of me to claim that English is my second language, and I take no hesitations in blaming my poor grammar on that.

I never truly loved English classes, that is up until my senior year of highschool, yet I always loved literature. I was the socially awkward kid in elementary school who spent recess huddled in a corner over a book. I can vividly remember my nose stuck in a novel as I walked around my house, bumping into furniture and enduring stubbed toes in sake of a good story. You would hope this somehow translated to me being a good listener, however my ears are almost as weak as my mouth. Verbal communication will never cease to be an obstacle for me, with the only glimmer of hope being in my pun and “wit” abilities (which are built completely off shows such as Gilmore Girls, 30 Rock, and Will and Grace). I would love to improve on all elements of “WOVEN” but verbal is definitely a priority. My Greek heritage helped me become advanced in non verbal communications, as our hands are usually saying more than we do. This is my first English class at Tech, and rate my professor makes me optimistic that I can accomplish my goals in it.

I have never before taken an English class which assigned me TV shows to watch. I am grateful for this opportunity, as I consume way too much TV.  I watch everything: Bojack Horseman, Big Little Lies, Game of Thrones, Seinfeld, Girl Meets World (a fantastic feminist show that should be on the list). When asked whether I am a movie or TV person, TV is always the answer.

For this assignment I will happily be watching Murphy Brown, a show I had never even heard of before this class. It follows a headstrong Murphy Brown in her return to journalism after rehab. My interest in this show peaked after ready Stealing The Show and seeing its positive influence on television culture.

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When you get to watch TV for class.

New Year, New Class, New…Girl?

Hello, English 1102! My name is James Fan, an electrical engineer from the graduating year of 2022 (if everything goes to plan)! While I am going to one of the best tech schools in the country, I’m still looking forward to the opportunity to strengthen my analytical skills by diving into the projects, group work, and discussions this semester in Dr. Wilson’s class!

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Getting pumped to watch TV for class

 

 

Though this is my first English class at Tech, I’ve still strove to push my writing and language skills to my limits ever since joining the IB program at my high school. Looking back at my experiences in all of my English classes, I can safely say that written communication is still my weakest skill that I hope to continue to improve. However, as challenging as it is for me, it’s still by far the most enjoyable part of communicating because of how concise, fluid, and editable it is.

As a part of my 12th grade IB English class, I examined numerous instances of feminist, racial, and gender themes throughout a cross section of both classic and contemporary literature: novels, poems, essays, news articles, and beyond. Because of this, I definitely have come into contact with a lot of the themes this course plans to cover, but I am still grateful for the chance to tackle these themes with more nuance and attention and to explore the implications of these ideas in television and mass media.

That being said, I’m a little anxious about this class; it’s been years since I’ve watched a TV show, and I’m certainly out of the loop….. But there’s no time like the present to jump back in and analyze them to death!!

The TV show I’ve chosen to review this semester is New Girl, a 20-minute sitcom about a young female elementary school teacher moving into an apartment room with 3 young men. I chose this series because I want a few good laughs (god knows I’ll need it at Tech), and I also chose the show because I believe the more serious themes, i.e. feminism, are often overlooked as a result of the overt humor and jokes.

All in all, I can’t wait to immerse myself into feminist theories and find their applications in modern television!

 

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