Page 97 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 4

adult males in these sitcoms can be summed up as follows: “Men are
foolish, and now they have to be taught by their wives through the lesson
of the dumb mistake they’ve made not just how to be a better husband
and father, but how to be a better human being.” 32

Inter-genre Historical Analysis

An inter-genre approach examines issues, characters, and themes that
appear over time across genres. Many issues, characters, and themes are
characteristic of particular genres. However, others appear across genres,
reflecting areas of widespread interest. (For further discussion of intra-
genre analysis, see Chapter 6.)
Inter-genre analysis can disclose the pervasive impact of historical
events on culture. To illustrate, critic Stuart Elliott has identified a pattern
of “escapist eye candy” in programming that cuts across genres, which
he attributes to a response to the events of 9/11: “The trend toward the
TV equivalent of comfort food began in the 2002–3 season, after 9/11,
and continues as Americans grapple with war, a sluggish economy and
uncertainty before the presidential election.” Kristi Argyilan, executive
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vice president and media director, adds, “Viewership is taking off for
fun, escapist programming like ‘The Apprentice.’ Everybody loves the
opportunity to try to hide from it all for a while.” 34

Lines of Inquiry

Historical context can be a useful approach in analyzing genres.

• The study of genre adds to our understanding of historical events.
• A historical approach can also uncover distortions in the depictions
of historical events and periods.
• Historical context can help to account for the popularity of a
genre.
• Genres are often arenas for social commentary
- As cultural debate
- Reflecting popular attitudes
• Tracing a genre over time can furnish perspective into cultural at-
titudes, behaviors, and preoccupations:
- Tracing changes within a genre
- Tracing the emergence of subgenres

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