Archive for November, 2006



Bleak House - Beautiful Things

John Hartley, Queensland University of Technology (Australia) — November 17th, 2006

I'm not sure what's most appropriate for In Media Res. Something notable from recent broadcast television, like BBC's Bleak House? Or something that represents innovation in television, from YouTube? How about a clip about Bleak House from YouTube? I've chosen a redaction called Bleak House – Beautiful Things. Bleak House (BBC UK 2005, PBS Jan/Feb 2006; ABC Australia July 2006, DVD 2006, trailer) stands out from current TV by reason of its unblinking commitment to the grim (scenario) and [...]
What do you think? (6)

Springfield, Iraq

Jonathan Gray, Fordham University — November 10th, 2006

With a War of the Worlds-style hoax over in this episode of The Simpsons, a real alien invasion begins. Earlier in the episode, Springfieldians were the Americans in this story, easily succumbing to fear-mongering, and losing any sense of dignity or perspective in the process (in an attempt to fool the aliens, for instance, the town remove their clothes and wallow in mud like animals). Here in this clip, though, America is now the alien invading force, and Springfield is Iraq. And the "hearts [...]
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The ESPN Effect

Jeffrey P. Jones, Associate Professor Department of Communication & Theatre Arts Old Dominion University — November 7th, 2006

I continue to be fascinated with the ESPN-effect across television programming. The folks at Fox News have certainly mastered the network's "televisuality" (including its excessive style and pacing). But Keith Olbermann, as an early progenitor of the sports network's particular form of anchor discourse—smartly written, wittily constructed, acerbically (at times) delivered, ironically predisposed—continues to display this style in his gig as newsman. Olbermann comes across here as a strang [...]
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