Idéologies & séries télévisées américaines.
Au-delà du phénomène addictif, Friends a-t-elle une influence réelle sur son public américain? Est-ce la même sur le public français?
Analyser How I Met your Mother plus avant permet de se demander dans quelle mesure la représentation culturelle, à travers les choix du réalisateur comme parfois malgré eux, exerce une influence idéologique - par exemple dans le domaine du progrès social (perception de la 'place' de la femme / minorités ethniques / LGBT / handicapées...). La nature sérielle de American Dad apporte à son tour plus de questionnements sur l'emprise parfois bien inconsciente que la série, ou Mon Oncle Charlie, ou Community, peuvent avoir sur des téléspectateurs avisés ou non, en termes d'image de la nation américaine face aux 'étrangers' par exemple.
Friends est-elle aussi addictive que Modern Family est idéologiquement influente? La représentation culturelle dans How I Met your Mother, au prisme du réalisateur, se réapproprie et distord les champs et codes sociaux, politiques et finalement sociétaux (jeux de pouvoir, place des minorités, regard de la société porté sur ses marges.) La nature sérielle couplée à l’humour cliché voire cynique d’ American Dad ou aux écarts de la caméra liés à une atmosphère angoissante de The Walking Dead pose la question du renouvellement du genre.
On pourra ainsi se demander si l'humour des sitcoms tels Modern Family participe de cette idéologie en filigranes autant que l'héroisation de personnages ou de valeurs, ou encore si les figures de style de la caméra - et la forme en général - de Raising Hope s'opposent ou à l'inverse concourent à la puissance idéologique des thématique abordées et du genre sériel.
American Series & ideology: With, On and Around American TV Series. D. Babel
Why do some TV series become so popular? Is it in the way Game of Thrones is scripted? Sheldon Cooper characterized? Friends Shot? A series marketed? Do you think it is all in the pilot? Does the plot play a major part in How I Met your Mother?
Whether you are a series enthusiast or just curious, this class will provide you with the opportunity to both ask yourself relevant questions about seemingly innocuous yet omnipresent - everyday - cultural elements, and expand your vocabulary in the most pleasant way. It will explore the humorous aspects of sitcoms, but also the ideology/-ies at work, the evolution of a show season after season, whether representations are impacted by or impact society, through the study of the opposition for instance between popularity and progressivity, fiction and reality or cultural representations and caricatures.
“How desperate can housewives be? How are elite scientists portrayed in The Big Bang Theory? Republicans in American Dad? LGBT people in Friends? How many women in Two and a Half Men? Has the majority become a minority in Modern Family? Is there a relation between graphic violence and the depiction of the character with a form of Dwarfism (Tyrion Lannister, played by Peter Hayden Dinklage) in Game of Thrones?” are examples of questions students can ask themselves and that will lead to oral presentations, debates & discussions in class where communications skills will be sharpened thanks to regular participation.
The approach will be multidisciplinary (esthetic, political, cultural, economic) and discussion-oriented. The class will focus mainly on sitcoms, but not exclusively. At home, students will watch TV series episodes, prepare individual and group oral presentations and complete writing tasks; they will equally be encouraged to read about particular elements of context (whether political, cultural etc.) so as to put shows into perspective. And of course, what better way than TV series to become more and more familiar with everyday English and improve your fluency?
VIP, Anger Management, Happy Endings, Cougar Town, Community, but also Dexter, Glee, Revenge, Once upon a Time, The Simpsons, Futurama, 30 Rock … are further examples of shows students could want to explore and present.
- Teaching coordinator: Babel Daivy
- Teaching coordinator: Langlois Laura Hilary