Sunday, December 7, 2014
Webisodes and Clips (last blog post due anytime before course final exam)
Please post a webisode or youtube video that's entertained you lately. Don't worry about commenting much on it in introduction, but please use your 200 words to comment on a clip that another class member uploads. Last blog post due anytime before course final exam.
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http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/60072add5a/between-two-ferns-with-zach-galifianakis-ben-stiller
ReplyDeleteThe Between Two Ferns clip posted by Shannon is interesting because of its connection to convergence in that, the stars featured on the show are there to plug their new films or projects they are working on. This works as a publicity stunt for the actor, who by making this appearance is representing everyone involved in the making of the film, while also connecting their work in the theater to web. In this way they transcend mediums and find a larger crowd. Between Two Ferns also works as a reflexive parody of such shows as Inside the Actors Studio, with its iconic black curtain backdrop and interviewer with a relaxed demeanor, and The Tonight Show, with its clips and format. But it is the way in which the tone of the host, Zach Galifianakis, twists this relaxed demeanor into a nonchalant and disinterested attitude. The show also takes the idea of the prep work done before these interviews (such as reviewing the questions with the guest before the show) and removes it to make it seem as though Galifianakis is completely oblivious who he is interviewing. The show also works on a reflexive level in that the actors are playing themselves but heightened or sometimes untrue versions of themselves. In this way a reflexivity that can be seen in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show is found in Between Two Ferns.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrGrOK8oZG8
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLBSoC_2IY8
ReplyDeleteI'd never seen the video "Too Many Cooks" before, except for the short clip we watched in discussion, and I don't really know what to think. It employs some modernist and postmodernist techniques, such as narrative intransitivity, schizophrenia, and pastiche. Watching it is almost confusing, as it jumps around so much. In addition, it makes references to several of the shows we watched or discussed in class, including 1980s sitcoms in general, "Dynasty," and "Law and Order," as well as shows and films we haven't really discussed, like "Battlestar Galactica," "ER" or "Grey's Anatomy," the "Brady Bunch," and "The Shining." It is humorous to me because I understand the references, as well as to anyone who grew up watching the shows that this video is parodying, but it wouldn't make much sense to someone who doesn't get the references. The length of the song and the transitions are also funny. Every time it seems like the song will end and the characters take a picture, a new scenario ensues. Although the repetition is intentional, I think the video might be better if it was slightly shorter. It successfully portrays '80s television, but it doesn't need to be 11 minutes long, either.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvRyWT5lr2c&list=PLXE317Aao2nfdDgnB6urmZkTvu3vtnkbs&index=11
ReplyDeleteThe Jimmy Fallon clip that Celeste posted was hilarious. However, the content was originally broadcasted through NBC on The Tonight Show, so it can’t really be considered a webisode, which is originally shown on the Internet. It is interesting to look at how far YouTube has come and the different uses it has now. Anyone can go to YouTube and look up clips, like the one posted, from recent TV shows without watching the entire episode, and its all free. I really enjoy looking up certain SNL skits that have previously aired to watch the specific ones that I find funny rather than having to sit through an hour and a half long episode. The specific clip that was posted about Jimmy Fallon and Emma Stone lip-syncing is entertaining, but it also helps promote her most recent project. For the audience, it is fun to watch them both sing because they are out of their element and we don’t usually see them singing. At the end, Fallon mentions that Spiderman 2 is coming to theaters soon. By appealing to the audience’s sense of humor, Stone is indirectly encouraging the audience to go out to the theater and watch her movie.
ReplyDelete