Watching with The Simpsons: Television, Parody, and Intertextuality (Comedia) [Hardcover]

Jonathan Gray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0415362032 | ISBN-13: 978-0415362030 | Edition: 1

Using our favourite Springfield family as a case study, Watching with The Simpsons examines the textual and social role of parody in offering critical commentary on other television programs and genres.

Jonathan Gray brings together textual theory, discussions of television and the public sphere, and ideas of parody and comedy. Including primary audience research, it focuses on how The Simpsons has been able to talk back to three of television’s key genres - the sitcom, adverts and the news - and on how it holds the potential to short-circuit these genre’s meanings, power, and effects by provoking reinterpretations and offering more media literate recontextualizations.

Examining television and media studies theory, the text of The Simpsons, and the show’s audience, Gray attempts to fully situate the show’s parody and humour within the lived realities of its audiences. In doing so, he further explores the possibilities for popular entertainment television to discuss issues of political and social importance.

A must read for any student of media studies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'essential reading for fan and academic alike.' - The Velvet Light Trap

About the Author

Jonathan Gray is Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University. His research and publications examine television and film textuality, audiences, and entertainment’s contribution to the public sphere.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (January 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415362032
• ISBN-13: 978-0415362030
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,235,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at University of Wisconsin, Madison, where I teach and research television entertainment; comedy, parody, and satire; audiences; convergence; international media; textuality, intertextuality, and paratextuality; and a bunch of other things that catch my interest along the way.

I grew up in various countries -- Canada, England, Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong -- and learned to study a country and what made it tick by studying its pop culture. Thus, after two degrees studying "high" culture and literature, I turned to examining the socio-cultural importance of television, film, new media, and everyday culture.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for the Simpsons Geek in all of us, June 21, 2005

By 

Tyler Shores (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Watching With The Simpsons: Television, Parody, And Intertextuality (Paperback)

Jonathan Gray has guest lectured several times at a class I teach on The Simpsons and Philosophy at UCB, and I whole heartedly give his work my highest endorsement. Gray's knowledge of parody is well-articulated and incisive and he has a way of conveying his ideas with savvy and wit. Unlike some of those other Simpsons books which have found their way onto bookshelves, this one strikes a balance between satisfying that Simpsons geekdom we all crave and a solid theoretical acumen. His knowledge and love of The Simpsons is top notch, and this book easily compares with the very best of the Simpsons books already published, such as those by Alberti, Pinsky, or Turner.