(english | german)
We want a discussion of the longings television series relate to, and ask why subversive interpretations are so quick at hand in scientific and feuilletonistic reception.
Instead of reading subversion into our favourite series, the critique of their regressive elements and thus their respective reception should be the center of our attention. What happens to the culture-industrial products in a commodity producing society and how do we as recepients play a part in that process?
Emanating from this we are interested in problems like the tension between intention and end product: thus how television series as artistic structures tend to become independent of their makers. Aim is the promotion of a selfreflective critical debate on society and authority, about tv series and their culture-industrial propositions of identification.
Possible questions
– How are sexism and transphobia reproduced in television series? Where are the blind spots, even in formats coquetting with emancipatory social criticism?
- If the issues of racism, homophobia and the like are consciously and ostensibly critically adressed in series: Which variants of reception are possible within the proposed thematization? Is, for instance, an eversion of the relation between perpetrator and victim possible or even suggested?
Can the display of social power relations be read conspiratively as "terror of political correct opinion"?
- Inhowfar are antisemite narratives reproduced and which functions do they fullfill?
- How are villains portrayed? Are all the negative features seperated off the other characters bundled into one figure? Are they allmighty puppetmasters?
It should however not stop at thetreatment of singular phenomena, but the conditions under which TV series are produced and how society affects that, shall be put into question.
Possible methods
- Reflection on the TV show consumption conducting desire
- Reflection on the relation between production machinery and product
- Reflection on the relation between product and social reception
Workflow and submission
It is arranged for the contributions to be published in an anthology. Prior to that a workshop-weekend on the 3rd and 4th of march 2012 in Vienna will be used for exchange with the other authors and the debate of ones own contributions.
The only condition to submit a paper is the willingness to engage oneself critically with TV series. It is also important that you are prepared to take part in the workshop.
Your paper should not be longer than one A4 page. We ask you to attach your name, address and e-mail address. Furthermore we would like a short comment on our call/concept, to the extent of half an A4 page. It is possible to submit papers in english or german language.
Please send your papers by the 1st of February 2012 at the latest to: kritTFM@gmx.net
Link: TV series bibliography
