Rachel Horowitz, author of "Mary, Roseanne, and Carrie: Television and Fictional Feminism," writes,
"Television, as a cultural expression, is unique in that in enjoys relatively few boundaries in terms of who receives its messages. Few other art forms share television’s ability to cross racial, class and cultural divisions. As an expression of social interactions and social change, social norms and social deviations, television’s widespread impact on the true “general public” is unparalleled. For these reasons, the cultural power of television is undeniable. It stands as one of the few unifying experiences for Americans."
Television's ability to reach a wide audience and to express social and cultural norms makes studying television as a text exciting, as there are always messages in the setting, characters, tone, plots, and so on. Roseanne is no exception.
Studying Roseanne as a text involves examining the representation of the working-class. It involves looking to Roseanne herself, the matriarch of the family, from a feminist point of view. It also involves looking at the other characters throughout the series, as well as details such as the Conner's frumpy couch, to understand the importance of certain plot twists and certain messages about the Conner family.
Throughout the series, the Conner family deals with issues of money, gay rights, obesity, health care, and so on. Examining these issues helps to read Roseanne as more than just an overweight, seemingly dysfunctional family. These issues speak of a family who struggles, thrives, questions, accepts, and loves.
"Television, as a cultural expression, is unique in that in enjoys relatively few boundaries in terms of who receives its messages. Few other art forms share television’s ability to cross racial, class and cultural divisions. As an expression of social interactions and social change, social norms and social deviations, television’s widespread impact on the true “general public” is unparalleled. For these reasons, the cultural power of television is undeniable. It stands as one of the few unifying experiences for Americans."
Television's ability to reach a wide audience and to express social and cultural norms makes studying television as a text exciting, as there are always messages in the setting, characters, tone, plots, and so on. Roseanne is no exception.
Studying Roseanne as a text involves examining the representation of the working-class. It involves looking to Roseanne herself, the matriarch of the family, from a feminist point of view. It also involves looking at the other characters throughout the series, as well as details such as the Conner's frumpy couch, to understand the importance of certain plot twists and certain messages about the Conner family.
Throughout the series, the Conner family deals with issues of money, gay rights, obesity, health care, and so on. Examining these issues helps to read Roseanne as more than just an overweight, seemingly dysfunctional family. These issues speak of a family who struggles, thrives, questions, accepts, and loves.