Beyond and Beside Narrative (Discussion)

Bill Nichols' terms

Explain film scholar Bill Nichols' sense of the following terms:

• Groups 1 and 2: historical world or historical reality
  • Why does he prefer this term to "reality"?
• Groups 3 and 4: social actor
  • Why does he prefer this term to "individuals" or, simply, "people" in non-narrative works?

Modes of representation

Television depicts historical reality and addresses itself to the viewer about that reality through four principal "modes". Individual genres and programs are not limited to one single mode, but instead draw upon each as needed.

Providing examples from the non-narrative television viewed in class (Lobster Wars, The Daily Show, Two-A-Days, Cops, news coverage of an incident in Goražde, Who Wants to be a Millionaire) explain each mode:

1. Group 4: Expository (or rhetorical)
2. Group 1: Interactive
3. Group 2: Observational
4. Group 3: Reflexive

Two-a-Days: Hoover High

• How does Two-a-Days impose elements of narrative on “reality”? What specific aspects of serial narrative structure does the program employ?
• How does it bring together several different genres?
• How is its use of sport/competition different from that of Survivor or The Amazing Race?
• How is its representation of sports (specifically football) different/similar to how ESPN covers sports?
• "It is possible that there will be some stereotyping going on with all the editing," [Blair] Blanton said. "But I just hope people will get to know the real me and not the show me." (CW article, ending line).
  • What term would Nichols use instead of “the show me”?

Bibliography

1. Butler, Jeremy G. Television: Critical Methods and Applications. Mahweh, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007.