I found the societies of Quiet and Weliveinpublic.com to be the most interesting aspects of the film. I found both to be startlingly accurate (and terrifying) representations of what life in society is becoming. Neither were perfect examples of what society would become, and the both proved points about internet culture in general ways, but both were grasping at the idea of a world in which people want to willingly share their information for some form of social capital. I thought the quote “We want to give people their 15 minutes of fame every day” by Harris was very apt quote about today’s internet and social media culture, and it’s pretty amazing that it was made 5+ years before any of it even started drifting that way.               

It seems to me that Anonymous’ mission evolved as Anonymous itself evolved. Their first response was galvanized largely by Scientology’s assault on one of their own members; it was a selfish act of revenge. Throughout the course of that fight, and more notably in their defense of WikiLeaks, I think they finally earned the moniker of being a “hactivist” group. It wasn’t just about them anymore, once they learned of their collective power their conscience and perceived responsibilities expanded. It’s pretty obvious that the early Anonymous didn’t think much of itself, they viewed their community as one predicated around worthless pranks and trolling. They didn’t take themselves seriously, so of course they didn’t take internet activism seriously. I think the example related early in the video of the “shy, muscular kid who didn’t realize his own strength until after he punched someone in the face” is very appropriate.

                Two of the moments I found really interesting in the film were Anonymous’ origins and their defense of WikiLeaks. Before the video, I knew of Anonymous only through their mass media persona as the intimidating hacker/activist group with the creepy videos. I also knew, separately, of 4chan. I had never actually visited the site; most of my exposure to their content came through screenshots posted to Reddit or Facebook. I probably should have had a bigger sample size before I rushed to a judgment, but I always regarded 4chan as wholly immature, kind of mean, and above all, just random (not that there’s anything wrong with that). To think that one grew out of the other is just mind-boggling to me. Anonymous has always seemed so intimidating, so focused on their goal. It’s hard for me to fathom that the same group that created the ‘Almost Politically Correct Redneck’ meme even has world affairs on their radar, and more than that are actually affecting change. The fact that they have the collective power and influence online to affect such change on themselves and the world is pretty remarkable. To think that they would then change themselves again to become the “defenders of the internet” is even more remarkable.

For my Wikipedia entry, I decided to see just how fast the Wikipedia community is at correcting incorrect or altered pages. I went to the "Cultural Diversity" page and entered some blatantly wrong information:

Freaks & Geeks Pilot

There are various reasons for a television show’s failure, but the two most common are arguably lack of audience and some deficiency in the narrative. Unfortunately for the show Freaks & Geeks, it had both. I use “deficiency in the narrative” in the nicest way possible. I don’t mean to say that Freaks & Geeks was a poor show due to poor writing or direction, I mean that it had a certain quality that made the story unattractive to viewers. Simply put, a major reason Freaks & Geeks was cancelled was due to the fact that it was simply too bleak and depressing for the audience that viewed it. The show wasn’t deficient, but it potentially did bring up some painful memories for the audience that watched it.

A portion of the show’s target audience would have gone through the traumatic experience of high school during the 80’s, but familiarity doesn’t necessarily breed happiness. The pilot of Freaks & Geeks digs up some particularly painful memories. Schoolyard dodge ball, awkwardness with girls, and bullying are not experiences that a lot of people are glad to remember. In fact, the experience may be traumatic enough to turn someone away from watching the program entirely, regardless of the positives that one may remember. Couple that with Freaks & Geeks’ egregious advertising effort and you’ve got a recipe for a commercial disaster.  

Community "Remedial Chaos Theory"

The basic premise of the Community episode “Remedial Chaos Theory” goes something like this: at a friendly get-together, the members of the study group roll a die to decide who will make the trek down the stairs to retrieve the pizza that the group ordered. This situation creates seven disparate timelines (one for each roll of the die plus one where the die isn’t thrown at all) that play out in the course of the episode. This break in format from the semi-monotonous pop-culture-parody style of Community was a welcome one, but there is more to it than a simple alteration of style. The “Remedial Chaos Theory” episode is an examination of the tendency of the show to treat the often serious and life threatening situations that the characters encounter as harmless or trivial, as well as to demonstrate how naïve they are about the consequences of their actions on themselves and others.

            A bit of context is needed: Community never had any pretentions about being light-hearted. The show has dealt with serious topics such as Asperger’s Syndrome and parental abandonment, and there’s even an episode where hundreds of Greendale are nearly killed inadvertently. What makes Community interesting is its cavalier attitude to these macabre scenarios. The characters literally laugh off things like death and emotional trauma, and move on with their next wacky adventure. Sure, a comedy isn’t meant to be hyper-serious or even realistic, but Community takes it to a level not typically seen on network sitcoms. “Remedial Chaos Theory” makes light of this fact.

            For starters, the episode is a case-study of a conjectural narrative. As previously mentioned, its typical format is one that often reenacts famous pop culture scenarios; “Remedial Chaos Theory” comes completely out of left field and offers no explanation whatsoever for its divergence. The “what if” narrative does serve a function, however. By examining multiple scenarios through multiple potentialities, we get a glimpse of how close the study group is to the danger and chaos that they trivialize. There is a thin line between the relative comfort that the group enjoys and a bleak and serious alternate reality that we get to glimpse in “Theory”. The format also serves to enrich the hyperdiegesis of the show, as it literally creates six alternate “worlds”.

            There could be very real consequences for the study group’s actions, and yet they frequently and naively toy with significant and life-changing scenarios. There are numerous examples of this cavalierness in this one very episode. Less than thirty seconds into the episode, it is revealed that the hosts of the party left a brick in the front door of their apartment because “it’s easier than going up and down the stairs”. Other examples of this carelessness include a character hiding a loaded and un-saftied handgun in her purse, and another character even marries a deliveryman she met two minutes previously. All these examples of negligence serve to demonstrate just how truly irresponsible they are and how truly lucky the group is not to have had a horrendous occurrence befall them.

            The group also demonstrates an astounding lack of real-world experience. Their innocence and naiveté are apparent in the examples listed above, but despite all their failings they still want to rise above their designation as children. One of the characters says to another “You don’t have to treat me like a child anymore, I don’t need protection”, even though all of these character clearly do need protection from the real world. The characters mention things about karma and other self-assured devices that will keep them safe, they fail to see through the illusion and they think that they consider themselves to be untouchable.

Arrested Development "S.O.B.s"

Throughout its history, the rampant commercialism of television has oft been condemned. On the surface, the Arrested Development episode entitled “S.O.B.s” would appear to perpetuate this popular view, as its numerous gags and general lampooning of the television industry seem more like a condemnation than a playful satire. However, there are indications that the Bluths’ target isn’t the television industry, but rather…themselves? Superficially, the episode “S.O.B.s” seems like a criticism of the television industry’s mode of operation, but it really is a self-effacing condemnation of the contradictory format and nature of the show Arrested Development.

Development relied heavily on metareflexivity and long-running gags, which made it highly inaccessible to off-and-on viewers in an era before the popularization of the DVR. It was well received critically (as its numerous Emmy’s and sterling reviews can attest), but its format ultimately held it back, a fact mimicked by the episode “S.O.B.s.”.  The out of place opening title sequence is a blatant parody of this, as its bright, flashy titles proclaim that the night’s episode is a “can’t miss” and that it contains a “cavalcade of stars”. The title also promises that “one of the characters will die”, and that the episode’s final moments will be “broadcast live”. The two latter proclamations are especially indicative of the genre-parody, as the promise of death plays on the elements of suspense that one would typically find in a daytime soap opera or quality drama, while the “live” aspect would be more fitting in a reality show. Both of these formats are highly successful in the ratings department, and the episode is essentially saying that Development would have to fundamentally alter its format to garner the ratings that it would need to stay afloat. Furthering this sentiment is a voice over which describes a forthcoming scene as “a clear cut situation with the promise of comedy”, poking fun at the previously mentioned metareflexivity that makes Development so inaccessible to first time viewers and so unlike many successful comedies. Despite their desperation, Michael speaks for the show when he says “I don’t want to round up a bunch of famous people that have nothing to do with our family as a cheap stunt”, indicative that the show would rather die than change itself or its format for the sake of money.

The Twilight Zone "Time Enough At Last"

In the Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough At Last”, Henry Bemis seems to be a fully functioning and capable adult, in spite of his unhealthily voracious appetite for reading. Henry holds down a steady job as a bank clerk, and generally seems to be a functioning member of society. The premise of the episode, however, eviscerates the city in which he lives and works with an “H-Bomb”, and we are forced to examine Henry as an individual living outside the confines of society. When we get a closer look at the book-loving man, we see that he’s not really a man at all. The character of Henry Bemis in “Time Enough At Last” more closely resembles a child than an adult, and the episode itself is a commentary on childhood, the oppressive nature of adults towards children, and the inevitable end of childhood.

Bemis’s physical characteristics and mannerisms can easily be compared to that of a child. He is physically shorter and smaller than nearly everyone in the episode, including his wife. He wears comically oversized glasses to further augment the appearance of him being weak and feeble. Also of note, no one else in the episode sports eyewear, an indication of Henry’s difference and separation from the “normal” people (i.e. the adults) around him. Bemis is seen giggling numerous times throughout narrative and his demeanor and exuberance for reading are reminiscent of a child’s joy and zeal when performing one of their favorite pastimes. On his way to the pivotal lunch break, Bemis carries with him a brown-paper sack lunch, something far more commonplace in a third grade cafeteria than in the professional atmosphere of a bank. The nature of his marriage is also telling, if you can even call it a marriage. Henry’s wife constantly talks down to him, and generally treats him as an inferior. In a way, their relationship more closely resembles that of mother and a mischievous son than it does of a husband and a wife. To control Henry, Mrs. Bemis resorts to juvenile and motherly tactics, evident in her hiding his periodicals and forcibly taking his books from him (again, establishing her physical dominance and perpetuating the characterization of Henry as being helpless and controlled by others). Even after the explosion and Henry’s escape from the oppression of society, he is shown stumbling aimlessly around the wreckage like a lost puppy, clueless without the guiding presence of the “adults”.

If Henry is a child, then the bank symbolizes the larger adult world around him.  In the bank, Henry is scoffed at by the comparatively normal (adult) citizens when he tries to perform his youthful hobby. Henry’s boss makes it clearly known that Bemis doesn’t fit in with the rest of the adults at the bank while reprimanding him, approximately stating that Bemis has “no value as a cog in the societal machine” because of his fascination with reading.

            NBC’s struggles during this sweeps period have been well documented. According to the NY Times statistics from last month, NBC is not only last among English language networks, but has now fallen behind even Spanish-language channel Univision.  The close of football season left a sizeable hole in their lineup, and the absence of heavyweights like The Voice and Revolution along with the failure of previously successful shows like Smash and Parenthood would make any network executive lose sleep at night. On top of this, the network hasn’t been able to stick anything successful in the 10:00 slot in over a year, while CBS and ABC slaughter the 18-49 demographic in the same time slot with the likes of Elementary and Scandal, respectively. Still, things could be worse for NBC. They still retain a relatively successful Thursday night line-up with Parks & Rec and The Office (despite the latter’s declining quality), and The Biggest Loser pulls in a sizeable audience. The cupboard isn’t completely bare, but some strong additions are certainly needed.

            If I’ve noticed one common theme throughout my Strategy Blogs, it’d be that NBC appears to be taking fewer risks, opting instead for more secure, dependable programming. It seems as if they’re trying to piggyback off of the success of other networks; adding the former producers of Happy Endings, signing on a House-esque pilot, and changing Up All Night into a three-camera sitcom don’t ooze with creativity. Granted, these aren’t the only moves they’ve made, and they could have some more tricks up their sleeve, but none of the rest of their planned fare appears to be pushing the envelope either.

On the nights they struggle, there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot they can do programming wise with their current slate of shows. Take, for example, Tuesday nights. Go On, The New Normal, and Smash are all struggling sophomore shows, preceded by the equally weak Off Their Rockers. No one “anchor” show exists for NBC to lead in any of these declining comedies, and the format and content of each respective show don’t seem to relate to any of the other programs NBC has available, eliminating the possibility of any sort of block scheduling. On top of this, FOX and ABC both air stronger comedies in the same time slots, sucking up any of the audience that would watch undifferentiated humor on those nights.

            The picture looks bleak, but NBC is at least trying to appeal to what the masses want. Sacrificing creativity and artistry for ratings seems to be the popular trend, and if NBC wants to hop on that bandwagon I can’t say I blame them. Adding show ideas that piggyback off of previously successful shows isn’t a guarantee of their success, but it is a start. All it takes is one show to catch on, and then NBC will have a stake in the game. One or two more solid shows would allow for them to schedule more effectively through counter-programming and would allow for better lead-ins for some of their weaker shows.  The fickle nature or television success prevents me from giving a definitive answer as whether this strategy will be a success over time, but if I had to lean one way I would say that the prospects are promising for NBC to get themselves out of the proverbial cellar sometime soon.

  Bibliography

Blog Post #6

  Rose, Lacey. "'Happy Endings' Producers Ink Overall Deal at NBC/Universal TV." The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/happy-endings-producers-ink-deal-426348

              NBC has signed a two-year deal with the writer/producer team behind current ABC show Happy Endings. In the immediate future, Josh Bycel and Jonathan Fener will be assisting with the NBC pilot Assistance, and will develop new projects for the network further down the road. Bycel has served on many successful shows, including Happy Endings, Scrubs, Psych, and American Dad, while Fener only has experience on Endings and American Dad.  

Strategy Blog #5

Masters, Kim. "Sources: NBC Discussing Jay Leno Exit Plan." The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2013. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sources-nbc-discussing-jay-leno-425669>

 I know that speculation about a possible move isn’t exactly earth-shattering news, but it’s been a slow week in NBC Land. The network and Leno both ‘categorically deny’ the reports, but The Hollywood Reporter’s sources report that Jimmy Fallon will move his show up an hour to the 11:35 slot in the summer of 2014, replacing the long-tenured Leno. This situation isn’t all that different than the 2009 debacle that moved Leno to 10:00 p.m. and eventually culminated in Conan O’Brien leaving the network for TBS. Many speculate that this move was provoked by Jimmy Kimmel’s move to the 11:35 slot, as Kimmel’s more youth-centric show could take some of Fallon’s audience if Late Night stays on at its current time. A potential speed bump in the rumored plan would be whether or not Leno would want to step down before fellow talk show rival Letterman does, a problem that came up in the previous attempt to change the late night lineup.

The news of this potential change comes on the heels of another article, cited below, which details the ratings successes of both Leno and Fallon in their respective current time slots. Garnering the 18-49 demographic is priority number one, and in their current form, Leno and Fallon both lead their time slots in that demo. ABC appears to be counter-programming against Fallon with the move to the earlier time slot, but it hasn’t reaped any dividends yet. Conventional logic would say if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, but if Kimmel does start taking away the youth viewers from Fallon, then this move could possibly become warranted as counter-programming against Kimmel. The Variety article also makes light of the fact that NBC’s primetime lead in is atrocious when compared to Kimmel’s, so if NBC ever reverses its fortunes with its scripted programs, Leno and Fallon could distance themselves even further and delay this move even longer.

Strategy Blog #4

Kissell, Rick. "NBC Preps €˜Hannibal€™ for Thursday Slot." Variety, 14 Feb. 2013. Web.  <http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/nbc-preps-hannibal-for-thursday-slot-1118066240/>

              Starting April 4th, NBC will replace failed medical drama ‘Do No Harm’ with the Hannibal Lecter inspired ‘Hannibal’. The network has had some trouble with the timeslot as of late, with ‘Prime Suspect’, ‘The Firm’, and ‘Awake’ all meeting similar ends as ‘Harm’. NBC will air reruns of Law & Order: SVU until April, as they have been doing since the cancellation of ‘Harm’ in February.

Goldberg, Lesley. "John Stamos to Star in NBC 'House'-Like Drama 'I Am Victor'" The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/john-stamos-nbc-i-am-victor-423579>

                  According to the Hollywood Reporter, John Stamos has been signed on to star in the new “House-like” drama pilot for NBC called “I Am Victor”. Stamos will play the most sought after divorce lawyer in Los Angeles, whose charm and unapologetic demeanor are in the same vein as Dr. Gregory House of FOX fame. The show is also being executive produced by House alum Katie Jacobs.

Variety Staff. "NBC to Preempt Struggling Comedy ‘1600 Penn'" Variety. 10 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. <http://variety.com/interstitial/?ref=http%3A%2F%2Fvariety.com%2F2013%2Ftv%2Fnews%2Fnbc-to-preempt-struggling-comedy-1600-penn-1118066017%2F>

                         Between pulling ‘Do No Harm’ after only two episodes and the announcement that Christina Applegate will exit ‘Up All Night’ as the show moves to a three camera format, it’s been a terrible week for NBC.  Network execs knew that they were entering a rough ratings stretch, but have been disappointed by the lack of success of some of their once promising new shows in the wake of the end of football season. Once afterthought ‘Community’ now stands as NBC’s second strongest show on Thursday nights, a stark change from what was anticipated of the struggling network. In the short term, NBC plans to air encore episodes of ‘Law & Order: SVU’ in ‘Harm’s stead. As for ‘1600 Penn’, the show is being preempted for an extended episode of ‘The Office’ this week after hitting a series low rating of 1.3 on January 24th. Also disappointing was ‘Smash’, which struggled in its first airing without a lead in from ‘The Voice’. There is a little hope for NBC, as ‘The Voice’ returns in late March and a promising Anne Heche show is waiting in the wings with two episodes.

* I'm still trying to figure out how to use Tumblr (or blogs in general) so bear with me. 

Haughney, Christine. "Newspapers Vie for Reality TV Show." New York Times. New York Times, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. <http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/newspapers-vie-for-reality-show/>

            Since putting out notice ten days ago, NBC has received over 150 responses to its casting call for a reality TV show based around a small town newspaper. NBC has been bombarded with a multitude of proposals, from “newspaper editors talking about how they are struggling to survive to newspaper staffs eager to show off their talents.” The content was not the only diverse part of the response, as the network received submissions from unexpected locales such as Alaska and North Dakota. NBC typically doesn’t pay newspapers for access, but Ben Ringe, the senior vice president for development for NBC’s Peacock Productions, believes that the show’s exposure will yield some benefits for whichever newspaper is selected to be on the show. Ringe believes that the advertising revenue for the chosen paper would skyrocket, no doubt due to the national exposure that comes with being on a nationally syndicated reality TV show. Networks execs will soon begin the tedious process of sorting through the various applicants and will select the lucky newsroom soon.