Cynara M. Medina

Ohio University

A Representative Anecdote Encoded and Decoded:

Online fan communities and the immigrant crucible in Family Guy(AKA: Burke & Brummett meet the fans)

Cynara M. MedinaOhio University

It begins with K. Burke

• A Grammar for Motives (1945) – Representative anecdotes

(RAs)• Equipment for living• Recreate reality.• Products of selection• “Supple and complex”• Generate paradigms• Inspire different incarnations

Then came Brummett

• Burke’s representative anecdote as a method in media criticism (1984)– RAs are tools for media

criticism.• Media tell stories,

address concerns, propose solutions, teach.

• RAs allay fears and anxieties.• People can recognize the RA,

and can learn from media.

Xeroxing (1950s & 1970s)

• Duplication and replacement of humans– Context: rapid change and decay.– Means: technological conspiracies.– Traits: lost humanity.

• Paradigm cases: Invasion of the Body Snatchers and A World Out of Time

But … How do

we know?

Harter & Japp, 2001

• Audience research can enhance anecdotal criticism.

Family Guy & Immigration Rhetoric

• Padre de Familia

“Life as a Mexican immigrant is brutal. Even after seven jobs and joining Menudo, I only made 25 bucks.”

The RA: Immigrant Crucible

• A journey transforming immigrants into Americans.

• Recurrent: – Historical examples: FJ Turner, O. Handlin.– Novels: Betty Smith.– Television: Ugly Betty.– Family Guy: Padre de Familia.

Theoretical Assumptions

• Hall (1973): – Meaningful messages translate into “social practices”.

• Jenkins (2006):– The internet provides spaces for new forms of participation

and belonging.

• Baym (2000)– Online fan groups are communities of practice.

• Jenkins (2006)– Corporations increasingly advocate “affective economics”.

Brand communities are important.

Research Questions

• Study site: Discussion boards (IGN TV.com & TV Squad

• Are representative anecdotes acknowledged in the social practices of fans?

• Which fan practices are prevalent within web spaces operated by corporate media organizations?

Common Fan Practices

• Interpretation• Production • Distribution• Emotional support• Speculation• Criticism• Textual poaching• Information sharing• Creating public

identities.

(Fiske, 1992; Rheingold, 1994; Jenkins, 1994; Baym, 1998; Baym, 2000)

Fan Responses: IGN (44) and TV Squad (20)

• Fans responded to a blog post that framed the discussion.

• Most responses focused on quality of the episode.

• One fan described the episode as a story about exploitation (in IGN).

Sample Responses

• Hang on… the manatees that wrote that show went on strike?

• I’m sure Fox is to blame, at least initially, for finishing the episode without the creator’s consent

• If a Family Guy episode gets preachy its bad. If a South Park episode gets preachy its art.

• The Simpsons parodied Mary Poppins a decade ago.

TV.com (50)

• No blog post provided.• References to writers strike• Main criticisms: repetitiveness,

unoriginal.• Anecdote used to summarize the plot.• One fan characterized the episode as

“informative”• Criticisms of Seth MacFarlane.

Sample Responses

• If Peter didn’t get to have some otherwise well-meaning Mexican immigrants become citizens like he has, at least he learned all immigrants aren’t bad, in fact they built our country!

• This episode is just another way for Seth Macfarlane to push [his] lame liberal agenda of political beliefs and hatred towards the right

Conclusions

• Framing sets up discussion, emphasizing specific practices

• Prevalent practices: – summarizing, criticizing, speculating, and

exchanging information.• Unframed discussions refer to RA to summarize

episode plot.• More research needed to explore relationships

between corporate entities and fans.

Thank you!