CMS1011Television Texts and Institutions

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CMS1011Television Texts and Institutions

• Semester 2. 2002
• Week 7

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Module 7. Television Sports

• Learning outcomes
• Distinguish between sport as a human activity and
  the way that sport is represented on television.
• Discuss in what ways sport is different on
  television - why is it better or worse?.
• Appraise the mix of competition and co-operation
  in sport and see it, perhaps, as a metaphor for
  other human group activities (work)
• See how TV turns sport into a commodity and how
  audiences turn it back into popular culture
• Decide whether TV sport is largely a male
  preserve.

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Sport as a cultural form

• Nearly all societies practice sport in some form
• Sports have been part of ritualized story telling
  
• Some sports are to impress spectators, others are
  a form of idle pastime for pleasure and
  companionship

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Sport as narrative

• Sport has a beginning middle and end
• Stories are less predictable (3 Outcomes ?).
• In TV narrative becomes a commodity
• Sport has narrative so that we watch. Often
  turning off if it is clear who is going to win.

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Live TV sport

• Difference between sport and other genres is that
  sport is best when live.
• Live seems more real than polished performances
  that have been edited.
• Liveness has attracted a lot of study recently
• Live equates to actual

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The construction of TV sport

• Sport, like other TV is rated
• The more popular it is seen to be the more likely
  it will be that we will see it on TV
• Its important to give the viewer at home a
  better view than those there.
• Sport has changed for TV. Eg uniforms, ball
  colour, removal of Duece from tennis, Kerry
  Packers one day test matches in cricket,
  Superleague

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Exclusively Male?

• Does TV sport reflect the variety of sports
  played?
• Is television sport largely dominated by male
  sports
• Why do you think this?

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Sport as symbolism and metaphor

• Metaphor of battle used in discussing sport
• Sport - is Australias most devoted religion.
• Sport used as a metaphor in general society
• Sport has spectacle as well as narrative, heroes
  and villains
• Sport involves competition (fair play?)
• Sport can involve teams and co-operation
• National sports representatives signify us.

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Sports as viewer pleasure

• The gaze of the viewer sexualises sport
• Calendars of sporting heroes. (Girls night out
  to raise money for local clubs)
• Heroes can move onto other TV, eg Wally Lewis,
  Fatty and Sterlo on The Footy Show

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Which Sports work on TV?

• Think about what makes for good TV sport
• Colour, action, narrative et cetera

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Readings for Next weeks tutorial

• Textbook - Chapter 9
• Selected Readings
• 7.1
• 7.2