TV

Analyze the growing trend of digital and internet streaming regarding all forms of Television Media. For example, In 2017 the NFL saw a drop in their television audience, is this due to the increase in digital streaming and the elephant in the room: Pirate streams?

From the Camdens of 7th Heaven to the O'Neals of The Real O'Neals, there are plenty of fictional Christians populating our TV shows. Those portrayals are refreshingly diverse and imperfect, but one wonders if they are all accurate or the best representations of Christianity.

Choose a couple of shows, such as 7th Heaven vs. The Real O'Neals, and compare and contrast their approach to Christianity. What do the shows make look attractive about this religion? Off-putting? Which one is the best representation of modern Christianity? What do these shows say about Christianity in general, particularly to audience members who aren't followers?

I think it would be interesting to explore how much or how little Megyn Kelly has changed since moving to MSNBC. I think it was signalled by her and by the channel that she was or would be different to her Fox News persona but it doesn’t seem to have been true. Maybe people think that’s good or maybe they think it’s bad. Either side I think it’s an interesting topic.

The representation of fatness on television happens in a myriad of ways in modern television. Sometimes this is with diversity, sensitivity, and real life reference. Other times, fatness is rejected on television. There is also often a spectrum of an acceptable level of fatness. Trace how these representations occur in modern television in dichotomous and often contradictory ways. This could include an analysis of a specific fat television character, the impact of gender, age, and race on representations of fatness, and/or tracing the history of television representations of fat characters.

Thanks to social media, social justice movements have become more prevalent over the past decade. The prominence of social justice sounds like a great thing; promoting equality between sexes, improving rights for marginalized groups, and recognizing that there are more than two genders are just a few examples of the diverse, multifaceted social issues that exist in our society. However, many companies and celebrities use buzzwords like "feminism" and "equality" to win the favour of their audiences. Does this bandwagon approach trivialize serious social issues? To what extent are we helping a cause and to what extent are we exploiting it?

Sexuality and gender are widely explored in television, film and other mediums, but what about romantic orientation? I feel this is an under-represented area (at least in my viewing experience) that would otherwise add complexity to representations of sexuality, gender and relationships overall in stories. I've seen characters have sexuality crises because they happen to like someone of the same sex, without considering that they could be biromantic. Why the lack of focus in clearly defining or exploring characters' romantic orientation? Is it difficult to represent people being romantically attracted to someone they're not sexually attracted to?

In a recent interview, the male stars of Arrested Development, a sitcom with an impending revival, defended the actions of Jeffrey Tambor, who verbally abused co-star Jessica Walter on the set of the show. Tambor also has a general reputation for misconduct, including the sexual harassment of women. The male actors from the show, who comprise most of its main characters, have been criticised for speaking over Walter. Online, many people are vowing to boycott the revival as a result, considering its cast to be misogynistic.

Keeping in mind the actors' recent comments, analyse how gender is expressed in Arrested Development. Are the female characters simply shallow, or do they subvert feminine stereotypes by being assertive? Is Tobius' femininity presented as laughable, or is the audience encouraged to empathise with him? Is Michael's rationality implied to be synonymous with his masculine, fatherly traits?

We all like food and competition, maybe that is why we have so many competitive cooking shows. The shows are generally given slightly violent titles like Cutthroat Kitchen, Cupcake Wars, and Chopped. There is certainly never a shortage of chef's who come to the show who come searching for the money, respect a recognition that comes with winning a contest like this. Perhaps we should look at the culinary field and see what has inspired such shows. Being a chef is a competitive field, with long hours and a low starting salary. Furthermore many chefs are often suppressed creatively since they often must stick to the menu designated by their employer. Is competitive reality TV the new spot to make their voices heard and craft respected?