Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id KAA24104 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 4 May 2001 10:41:18 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745E51@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Is Suicide Contagious? A Case Study in Applied Memetics Date: Fri, 4 May 2001 10:37:34 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Ah references,
There are loads out there in my field. Some of the best known stuff has
been done by Ien Ang, who in 1985 wrote 'Watching Dallas: Soap Opera and the
Melodramatic Image', and in 1991 wrote 'Desperately Seeking the Audience' (a
reference mainly to the absence of audience work in much film/tv studies at
the time). On romance fiction there's Janice Radway's 'Reading the Romance'
(I forget the year). David Buckingham in 1987 wrote 'Public Secrets:
Eastenders and its Audience'. There's been quite a lot of stuff from
feminists/women's studies also, such as Christine Geraghty's 1991 book
'Women and Soap Opera: A Study of Prime Time Fiction'.
How's that to be going on with? I looked quickly at a couple of media
studies textbooks/ readers there and found loads of references.
I can't remember the title of my colleague's book, I think it was just
called 'Soaps', by Richard Kilborn, but I'm not sure.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Kenneth Van Oost
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Thursday, May 3, 2001 8:45 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: Is Suicide Contagious? A Case Study in Applied Memetics
>
>
> Hi Vincent, you wrote,
>
>
> > I don't mean to over simplify your comments here, in this response, but
> I'm
> > a bit pushed for time, and I think it deserves a response.
>
> << Thanks anyway to give it thought ! You and I we are in the same
> boat, and next week it will be worse... for me anyway !!
>
> > The second, again touching on what you say, is what if such a question
> is
> > irrelevant, since memetic (or other) characteristics of certain kinds of
> > practices are more engaging and compelling than others. The problem may
> be that to try and adopt those apparently engaging aspects in those forms
> > losing out, may undermine their initial aims, or simply not work in that
> > context. For example, glossy, sound-bite news programmes, styled like
> > game-shows may (or may not) attract audiences, but do they undermine the
> > purposes of news.
>
> << Yes of course, the same can be said about the female news reporter,
> in Russia I believe who undressed herself during broadcasting to get an
> audience. IMO, the value of the news will be weakened or lost, but on the
> other hand it could be that fractions of the stuff slips thru ' due to
> another
> level of consciousness.
> But yes it would undermine the purpose of news...
>
> What would be the impact if the context of the picture ' Network '
> wherein Albert Finney plays a reporter who wants to commit suicide
> as the show wherein he stars is ' live ' on TV would become reality !?
> What woud be the impact if such event really took place !?
> Lets say, Terry Wogan anounces that he, after the next blooper, will
> kill himself... I wonder if the audience would not see it as a joke...!?
>
> Or, do you remerber, that guy who killed himself with a shotgun ' live '
> on USA- TV after he was endlessly pursued by the police !?
> The problematc of suicide was for a while a hot topic, but it faded away.
> IMO, if you are not directly involved, or you don't identify yourself with
> an actor or with the character he or she plays, you won 't explore the
> issues raised.
> On the other hand, direct involment, like those policemen who chased
> the poor guy, is not a reason either... I think.
> Policemen, in a way, and others, have to stay out of people's lives.
> Involment would lead to misjudgements and a more partial approach.
> You won 't get any sleep...
>
> And for the ' fanzines '.
> Don 't know any here in Belgium, never seen one and never heard that
> anyone was talking about one!!
> What I well know is that a few years ago that some actors of the soap
> ' Neighbours ' paid a visit to their fans over here. But that was one
> night
> event.
> But the number of fans who came to that gathering was enormous.
> What seems to indicate IMO that actors or the character they play
> do have some influence.
> But like I said, it is maybe merely a question of identification and
> invol-
> ment.
>
> PS, Vincent, you mentioned some study works on soaps, including
> gender stuff, any references !? Thanks !!
>
> Best,
>
> Kenneth
>
> ( I am, because we are) just that Jazz
>
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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