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Cynara M. Medina
Ohio University
A Representative Anecdote Encoded and Decoded:
Online fan communities and the immigrant crucible in Family Guy(AKA: Burke & Brummett meet the fans)
Cynara M. MedinaOhio University
It begins with K. Burke
• A Grammar for Motives (1945) – Representative anecdotes
(RAs)• Equipment for living• Recreate reality.• Products of selection• “Supple and complex”• Generate paradigms• Inspire different incarnations
Then came Brummett
• Burke’s representative anecdote as a method in media criticism (1984)– RAs are tools for media
criticism.• Media tell stories,
address concerns, propose solutions, teach.
• RAs allay fears and anxieties.• People can recognize the RA,
and can learn from media.
Xeroxing (1950s & 1970s)
• Duplication and replacement of humans– Context: rapid change and decay.– Means: technological conspiracies.– Traits: lost humanity.
• Paradigm cases: Invasion of the Body Snatchers and A World Out of Time
But … How do
we know?
Harter & Japp, 2001
• Audience research can enhance anecdotal criticism.
Family Guy & Immigration Rhetoric
• Padre de Familia
“Life as a Mexican immigrant is brutal. Even after seven jobs and joining Menudo, I only made 25 bucks.”
The RA: Immigrant Crucible
• A journey transforming immigrants into Americans.
• Recurrent: – Historical examples: FJ Turner, O. Handlin.– Novels: Betty Smith.– Television: Ugly Betty.– Family Guy: Padre de Familia.
Theoretical Assumptions
• Hall (1973): – Meaningful messages translate into “social practices”.
• Jenkins (2006):– The internet provides spaces for new forms of participation
and belonging.
• Baym (2000)– Online fan groups are communities of practice.
• Jenkins (2006)– Corporations increasingly advocate “affective economics”.
Brand communities are important.
Research Questions
• Study site: Discussion boards (IGN TV.com & TV Squad
• Are representative anecdotes acknowledged in the social practices of fans?
• Which fan practices are prevalent within web spaces operated by corporate media organizations?
Common Fan Practices
• Interpretation• Production • Distribution• Emotional support• Speculation• Criticism• Textual poaching• Information sharing• Creating public
identities.
(Fiske, 1992; Rheingold, 1994; Jenkins, 1994; Baym, 1998; Baym, 2000)
Fan Responses: IGN (44) and TV Squad (20)
• Fans responded to a blog post that framed the discussion.
• Most responses focused on quality of the episode.
• One fan described the episode as a story about exploitation (in IGN).
Sample Responses
• Hang on… the manatees that wrote that show went on strike?
• I’m sure Fox is to blame, at least initially, for finishing the episode without the creator’s consent
• If a Family Guy episode gets preachy its bad. If a South Park episode gets preachy its art.
• The Simpsons parodied Mary Poppins a decade ago.
TV.com (50)
• No blog post provided.• References to writers strike• Main criticisms: repetitiveness,
unoriginal.• Anecdote used to summarize the plot.• One fan characterized the episode as
“informative”• Criticisms of Seth MacFarlane.
Sample Responses
• If Peter didn’t get to have some otherwise well-meaning Mexican immigrants become citizens like he has, at least he learned all immigrants aren’t bad, in fact they built our country!
• This episode is just another way for Seth Macfarlane to push [his] lame liberal agenda of political beliefs and hatred towards the right
Conclusions
• Framing sets up discussion, emphasizing specific practices
• Prevalent practices: – summarizing, criticizing, speculating, and
exchanging information.• Unframed discussions refer to RA to summarize
episode plot.• More research needed to explore relationships
between corporate entities and fans.
Thank you!