Television
EDITORIAL
Television. Not just an evident example of the evolution concerning social media and technological advances, but also a definite reminder of the revolution overtaking the human race over the span of the last century. We have not only expanded from black and white TV to full colour and occasionally 3D, but television is everywhere we go twenty-four hours a day. It has become both a social and political tool in the modification of society. Used today by not only reality-TV stars and supermodels; Politicians, advocates, businessmen and many other globally-identified television-screen organizations have taken on this innovative way of speaking out to the public. But has more bad than good come from the these new developments in technology?
Nowadays, teenagers and adults waste hours of productivity time in absorbing Netflix soap series' and the reality-TV brain melter. Households have grown from watching approximately two hours of television a day, to an incomprehensible five-to-six hours of completely noneducational broadcast.
Teenagers and children continue to be affected habitually, academically and personally by the onslaught of never-ending TV programs, that yes, do sometimes contain a certain abundance of knowledgeable wealth. Some particularly enriched programs succeed in transmitting a copious amount
of information unto the laptop or iphone beholder. Whether this information is considered valuable in it's potential application to worldly matters is undetermined. In television today, one can learn how to cook, how to create Doctor Who Daleks, how to schmooze your way through an interview, and even how to slay a vampire. Though a lot of these things may seem useless (and some of these things you may not even understand), they have become an evident part of today's Cyber communities through the use of Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and an ever-evolving zenith of other social media devices.
The following articles will proceed in exploring and inspecting the truths about the effects and realities of television and the sub-cultures produced by it's sparkling mirage of television dramas, confrontational shows, and fan-dome based science-fiction productions.
Television has changed the American child from an irresistible force to an immovable object. ~Laurence J. Peter
tv-aholics anonymous
By: Maggie Nevison

Wrapped in a crisp, white duvet and surrounded by a smorgasbord of junk food, Holly Nevison, a senior at St. Francis Xavier High School, tucks herself in and prepares to gorge herself for the next 5 hours with Gossip Girl, a soap opera about the fabulously rich teenagers of the upper east side of Manhattan. She has prepared for her marathon with all the essentials, a litre bottle of water, enough candy to stop a heart, a box of tissues and a power cord to keep her laptop alive. As she joins the shallow and spoiled cast of Gossip girl by clicking on the recently watched category on Netflix, her eyes twinkle, then glaze over and she is quickly immersed in the topsy-turvy world of “Manhattan’s elite.” It seems as though she forgets I am even there as she encourages her beloved characters and bashes those who get in their way. This is a bi-weekly tradition for the busy teen who says binge-watching is, “like a 40 minute vacation that [she] never wants to leave.”
Though you may think this sounds a bit extreme or even absolutely ludicrous, Holly’s case is not one of rarity. In a recent survey performed by Piksel, a media firm which focuses on the evolution and consumption of television, 94% of men and woman surveyed claimed to binge watch and of that group, 69% admitted to developing binger’s insomnia, a mild case of insomnia in which one stays up all night watching their favourite show. With the invention of Netflix and providers of the like, gorging oneself in dramas and sitcoms is the new normal and the only way to experience television. Though binge-watching has been done since Seinfeld, only now have the doors been opened and the phenomena become socially acceptable. This raises the question, what makes binging on your favourite shows so appealing and why now?
We live in a digital age, one in which we no longer need to wait for information to reach us. With Google, texting and social media sites, we have an endless abyss of knowledge at our disposal. All it takes is a click of a mouse to access it all. Gone are the days of waiting for a book at the library or a phone call from a friend. Now, all we need is 30 seconds and a smart-phone. Consequently, the human race has grown impatient and expectant. ADHD numbers have risen 25% in the last decade and addictive personalities are slowly becoming more and more prominent in society. While we may have gained the privilege of not having to wait, we have lost our ability to.
It would seem we follow in this trend with our television habits as well. We can no longer wait for the storyline to unfold before us. We are plagued by our need to know and will do almost anything to avoid a cliff-hanger. Holly Nevison agrees with this and blames her unhealthy habits on her dismay for delay.
“I always begin with a plan of only watching one episode and then I get too caught up in the storyline and I can’t stop. I need to know what happens next”, she explains, “It’s just human nature to want to be in the know.”
This urgency is one that has been slowly intensified by technology and Holly is not the only one noticing.
“In today’s world, everything is nothing more than a mouse-click away”, Colleen Young, a physiology major at the university of Waterloo, observes, “As a result of this constant stream of information and entertainment surrounding us, we have grown to be extremely impatient as a society. Television is no different. Our impatience fuels our consumption of televisions shows.”
Everyday something new and inventive is released into the world. These creations have made our lives straightforward and easier than ever before. We no longer have to work hard to obtain information or perform tasks. Though this may make life appear simpler now, it is clear that it will penalize us in the long run and our television habits act as a canary in a coal mine for this. We have lost our patients and replaced them with a need for constant entertainment and knowledge. Could it be possible that, while fixing things that weren't broken, we have destroyed those that did?
I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. ~Groucho Marx
Fandoms unite!
By: Sigrid Birkwood

A fandom is a group of fans that talk and express their love for the content together. Fandoms are constantly growing as the chosen media reaches more individuals. Many people may watch a TV series and not take part in the fandom, which simply means they don’t express their love for the content by talking to other people. Fandoms thrive on the internet, on sites like Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram. The people on these sites talk to each other about the shows and their love for them. Fandoms have been around since the beginning of TV history, they’ve grown and evolved around us. From the Greeks who watched the battles of men and animals in massive arenas to the thousands of people who sit at their laptops or tvs enjoying shows like Doctor Who, Sherlock, Supernatural etc, fandoms have always been actively present in the fanaticism linked with these hobbies.
I am a part of many fandoms, one of which is the british sci-fi show Doctor Who. Doctor Who recently celebrated its 50th anniversary on the 23rd of November. The celebratory episode was shown in theatres like a movie and I attended the showing. The line started at the doors to theatre 12. I spoke to a lady wearing a full costume of the 11th doctor’s clothes.
“It’s clever, putting us in theatre 12 because we’re meeting the 12th doctor for the first time in this episode.”
“Do you like that this episode is being played in theatres?”
“Yes and no. I like that it’s getting recognition from the public, but I think it is breaking down a wall that a tv series has versus a movie. When I watch at home I have my doctor who tea mug and my PJs on. It feels personal. I like that I feel like I’m going on an adventure from the comfort of my own home and I don’t get that feeling in theatres.”
As a fan myself I agree with this statement. I think the women said perfectly one of the reasons we all love TV shows and the fandoms that surround them. After the doors opened and we all filtered in holding our Doctor Who paraphernalia, I felt excited for the show to begin. People talked about their theories regarding the last episodes. When the show started the atmosphere was tense with anticipation. During the show it was as if you were in a church, silent with respect. This may come to show the intensity that fandom members express while watching their favourite series.
I walked the halls of Canterbury High School asking random people if they were a part of any fandoms or watched any TV shows religiously. 80% of the people I asked were in a fandom, 10% watched tv shows, but did not participate in anything fan related and the other 10% did not know what I was talking about. I continued the conversations with the fans and asked what they liked about the shows. Many of the answers were character development, plot and pretty boys. When I asked if they noticed technical parts of the show or other theatrical components like cinematography, they said they paid the most attention to detail in the set, props and costumes, along with the beautiful shooting of the director.
Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram have thousands of fans all expressing their love for certain TV shows through pictures, fan fiction, poetry and many other art forms. I have accounts for all three of those sites for fandom related art and I thought I could talk to some Canterbury students to see if they were familiar with these sites, if they have them and/or why they like them. Half of the people I spoke to in the halls did know about the website and had accounts themselves. All of those people when asked why they like the sites answered,“It’s a community,” they found the atmosphere accepting and extremely creative.
Fans have been around for centuries and they have always been apart of fandoms. The genre of fans surrounding TV series' has only been around for about 50 years. In the first years of television there were children who were fans of after-school cartoons and as time progressed so did the technology behind not only the shows, but the fan-bases. Doctor Who for example has been on for 50 years and throughout its life has become better with special effects and new writers. The fans of Doctor Who have also aged well. In the last 5 years the cyber fandom has grown hugely, it is now the main place where fans go for information as well as to express themselves.
The typical stereotype of being in a fandom is that the people are nerds, geeks etc. I think that barrier is slowly, but surely coming down as more and more people look through the internet to find others who like the same things in order to initiate easier conversation.
Are you a fan? Would you like to be part of a fandom? Why?
I am a part of many fandoms, one of which is the british sci-fi show Doctor Who. Doctor Who recently celebrated its 50th anniversary on the 23rd of November. The celebratory episode was shown in theatres like a movie and I attended the showing. The line started at the doors to theatre 12. I spoke to a lady wearing a full costume of the 11th doctor’s clothes.
“It’s clever, putting us in theatre 12 because we’re meeting the 12th doctor for the first time in this episode.”
“Do you like that this episode is being played in theatres?”
“Yes and no. I like that it’s getting recognition from the public, but I think it is breaking down a wall that a tv series has versus a movie. When I watch at home I have my doctor who tea mug and my PJs on. It feels personal. I like that I feel like I’m going on an adventure from the comfort of my own home and I don’t get that feeling in theatres.”
As a fan myself I agree with this statement. I think the women said perfectly one of the reasons we all love TV shows and the fandoms that surround them. After the doors opened and we all filtered in holding our Doctor Who paraphernalia, I felt excited for the show to begin. People talked about their theories regarding the last episodes. When the show started the atmosphere was tense with anticipation. During the show it was as if you were in a church, silent with respect. This may come to show the intensity that fandom members express while watching their favourite series.
I walked the halls of Canterbury High School asking random people if they were a part of any fandoms or watched any TV shows religiously. 80% of the people I asked were in a fandom, 10% watched tv shows, but did not participate in anything fan related and the other 10% did not know what I was talking about. I continued the conversations with the fans and asked what they liked about the shows. Many of the answers were character development, plot and pretty boys. When I asked if they noticed technical parts of the show or other theatrical components like cinematography, they said they paid the most attention to detail in the set, props and costumes, along with the beautiful shooting of the director.
Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram have thousands of fans all expressing their love for certain TV shows through pictures, fan fiction, poetry and many other art forms. I have accounts for all three of those sites for fandom related art and I thought I could talk to some Canterbury students to see if they were familiar with these sites, if they have them and/or why they like them. Half of the people I spoke to in the halls did know about the website and had accounts themselves. All of those people when asked why they like the sites answered,“It’s a community,” they found the atmosphere accepting and extremely creative.
Fans have been around for centuries and they have always been apart of fandoms. The genre of fans surrounding TV series' has only been around for about 50 years. In the first years of television there were children who were fans of after-school cartoons and as time progressed so did the technology behind not only the shows, but the fan-bases. Doctor Who for example has been on for 50 years and throughout its life has become better with special effects and new writers. The fans of Doctor Who have also aged well. In the last 5 years the cyber fandom has grown hugely, it is now the main place where fans go for information as well as to express themselves.
The typical stereotype of being in a fandom is that the people are nerds, geeks etc. I think that barrier is slowly, but surely coming down as more and more people look through the internet to find others who like the same things in order to initiate easier conversation.
Are you a fan? Would you like to be part of a fandom? Why?
If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.
~John Lennon
I'll pick you up at 8/7c
By: Cassia Pelton

A first love is exciting. You are drawn in by an intriguing name, alluring characteristics— being clever, amusing, unique, these things spark an interest. Good timing is also helpful.
Nowadays, it seems that looking for a new show isn’t much different from looking for a new relationship. And it’s no surprise, according to a survey done by A.C Nielsen Company, 99% of US homes have at least one television. With so many opportunities to watch TV, why wouldn't you grow attached to it?
Katie McAleer, 15, sits on her brown living room couch with her laptop. There are many things to consider as she searches for her next TV obsession. “I like shows with good acting and something interesting happening in every episode,” says Katie.
One of her favourite shows, Pretty Little Liars, is on break and doesn’t return until January. She scrolls through the hundreds of options on Netflix and eventually decides to watch 90210, recommended to her by a friend. Today, looking for TV shows is as common as shopping for groceries. When searching, people have endless choices of what to watch, so it’s important to have the specifics of what you like in mind. They want to find a show that will join them for lazy weekends wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, lift their spirits and most importantly, never leave their side. So what happens when your favourite series ends? Just like post-breakup emotions, it is easy to feel like you’re in a rut, like nothing that good will ever come around again.
“I feel pretty upset when one of my favourite TV series ends,” says Alanna Pelton, a first-year Cognitive Science student at Carleton University,“But then I just have to find a new one.”
It is hard to let go of memories of sitting in front of the TV for hours on a Friday night; gasping at the very first plot twist, crying when your favourite character is killed off, moving to the edge of your seat during the season finale. We immerse ourselves in these shows and when they end, we feel lost without them.
When the time comes to find a new television soul-mate, there are always recommendations from others. People are usually eager to share their favourite shows, but convincing a friend to watch your preferred selection may not be as easy as it sounds. Think of it as a blind date. Maybe it seems like the perfect match in your mind, but they just don’t have quite what you're looking for. So try not to be too insulted when your friend doesn’t fall in love with My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding. Some would say our love affairs with TV shows are not meant to be; that it should be an occasional indulgence instead of a committed relationship. Maybe if we peel ourselves away from the screen for long enough we will learn whether or not our TV relationship is a match made in heaven.
Nowadays, it seems that looking for a new show isn’t much different from looking for a new relationship. And it’s no surprise, according to a survey done by A.C Nielsen Company, 99% of US homes have at least one television. With so many opportunities to watch TV, why wouldn't you grow attached to it?
Katie McAleer, 15, sits on her brown living room couch with her laptop. There are many things to consider as she searches for her next TV obsession. “I like shows with good acting and something interesting happening in every episode,” says Katie.
One of her favourite shows, Pretty Little Liars, is on break and doesn’t return until January. She scrolls through the hundreds of options on Netflix and eventually decides to watch 90210, recommended to her by a friend. Today, looking for TV shows is as common as shopping for groceries. When searching, people have endless choices of what to watch, so it’s important to have the specifics of what you like in mind. They want to find a show that will join them for lazy weekends wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, lift their spirits and most importantly, never leave their side. So what happens when your favourite series ends? Just like post-breakup emotions, it is easy to feel like you’re in a rut, like nothing that good will ever come around again.
“I feel pretty upset when one of my favourite TV series ends,” says Alanna Pelton, a first-year Cognitive Science student at Carleton University,“But then I just have to find a new one.”
It is hard to let go of memories of sitting in front of the TV for hours on a Friday night; gasping at the very first plot twist, crying when your favourite character is killed off, moving to the edge of your seat during the season finale. We immerse ourselves in these shows and when they end, we feel lost without them.
When the time comes to find a new television soul-mate, there are always recommendations from others. People are usually eager to share their favourite shows, but convincing a friend to watch your preferred selection may not be as easy as it sounds. Think of it as a blind date. Maybe it seems like the perfect match in your mind, but they just don’t have quite what you're looking for. So try not to be too insulted when your friend doesn’t fall in love with My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding. Some would say our love affairs with TV shows are not meant to be; that it should be an occasional indulgence instead of a committed relationship. Maybe if we peel ourselves away from the screen for long enough we will learn whether or not our TV relationship is a match made in heaven.
If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners. ~Johnny Carson
ask your doctor
By: Delaney Mcgill

Settling in to watch an episode of Dr. Phil will have you believing that psychologist Phil McGraw is god’s gift to humanity. After hooking your attention with the most exciting scenes of the upcoming episode, your T.V. screen begins to fill with an expertly designed montage of Phil helping his patients. Accompanying this are recordings of the magic man himself promising that all he’s ever wanted is to help people and that it’s his greatest joy.
Skip ahead and you come to Phil’s grand entrance onto a stage in front of an enthusiastic audience, all prepared to see troubled lives resolved. With his well advertised good heart and a spotlight following him wherever he goes, it does seem as though Dr. Phil is a hero, sent here to better our world. Although not all who’ve heard of him get swept up by his mustache bearing face. Magazine covers with his image and the words “Dr. Phil Sexually Attacked Me!” have permanently tainted the good doctor’s reputation as well as made his viewers question the seemingly sound confrontation methods he employs.
Whatever the media may say, Dr. Phil lacks nothing in way of image protection. A quick Google search mentioning his name will result in a long list of links from his website, each one singing his praises. After further research however, people’s opinions as well as personal stories can be found. One of these stories was posted on Experience Project, a website designed to allow users to discuss their own experiences in forums. The post was a brief and bitter recount of the man and his wife being featured as guests on Dr. Phil. The poster whose user-name is Bentonking, claims that the relationship between he and his wife worsened after being on the show in 2007.
“The show staff misled us and tried to coerce my wife… to say specific things about me that would make me look even worse,” his post reads,“My wife almost committed suicide after being on the show… they [the show staff] would have probably sent a film crew if they thought it would get ratings.”
Despite what this man has experienced however, the fact is that patients attempting to commit suicide is a real risk for any psychologist. According to SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), 15% of all those who are clinically depressed commit suicide and even more attempt to. Approximately 30 000 Americans each year die due to suicide, many of whom see psychologists regularly, so who is to say that Dr. Phil is more at fault than any other psychologist? What makes Phil McGraw any different?
Put simply, other psychologists don’t publicly humiliate their patients or profit from the dramatization of their serious problems.
“Well obviously they [guests/patients of Dr. Phil] are desperate to fix things,” says Dr. Phil fan Mary Ferguson in an interview,“It’s a last resort for those people and they’ll do whatever they need to.” After inviting me into her aging house for an interview, sporting a light purple sweater, jeans and hair up in a bun, Ms. Ferguson leads me to her sitting room where she has been watching Dr. Phil for years. “I guess I enjoy it because it’s interesting, you know? Some of them [guests/patients of Dr. Phil] have such complex problems that I’d have never even thought about before,” she says,“I guess it is embarrassing for them [guests/patients of Dr. Phil], but it’s [the show] been around for so long it must be worth it.”
Along with dedicated fans, Dr. Phil does have an education in his corner as a psychologist and a graduate of the University of North Texas, Midwestern State University and the University of Tulsa. He is also the author of various books including Love Smart (2005) and Life Code (2012), both books expressing Dr. Phil’s professional opinions on how to live a happy and complete life. Although, his methods are not necessarily universally accepted.
“I usually find them [Dr. Phil episodes] painful to watch,” says Stephanie Wiebe when asked whether or not she enjoys the program Dr. Phil,“The primary purpose of these shows is to provide a public display of psychological suffering for the purposes of entertainment.”
Stephanie is a graduate student at Ottawa University for psychology and has been studying the emotional effects of confrontation for years.
“Healing does not happen from the promotion of shame,” she explains in an interview,“which is often what these shows seem to do.”
Stephanie confides that she does however believe that the publication of these shows can, in certain cases, be beneficial. She describes an episode of Dr. Phil where the guest has a severe fear of performing, which she conquers by performing on the show. Stephanie explains that this is called “exposure” and is a widely accepted method of treatment.
With so much controversy surrounding these public confrontation shows, it’s amazing they have lasted this long. Dr. Phil was first aired in 2002 and has now approximately 1 million viewers each episode. The show has survived years of bombardment with negativity but has always pulled through with it’s successes. It’s survival more than anything else, seems to prove that these shows do in fact help people and that despite bumps in the road, will last in the years to come.
Skip ahead and you come to Phil’s grand entrance onto a stage in front of an enthusiastic audience, all prepared to see troubled lives resolved. With his well advertised good heart and a spotlight following him wherever he goes, it does seem as though Dr. Phil is a hero, sent here to better our world. Although not all who’ve heard of him get swept up by his mustache bearing face. Magazine covers with his image and the words “Dr. Phil Sexually Attacked Me!” have permanently tainted the good doctor’s reputation as well as made his viewers question the seemingly sound confrontation methods he employs.
Whatever the media may say, Dr. Phil lacks nothing in way of image protection. A quick Google search mentioning his name will result in a long list of links from his website, each one singing his praises. After further research however, people’s opinions as well as personal stories can be found. One of these stories was posted on Experience Project, a website designed to allow users to discuss their own experiences in forums. The post was a brief and bitter recount of the man and his wife being featured as guests on Dr. Phil. The poster whose user-name is Bentonking, claims that the relationship between he and his wife worsened after being on the show in 2007.
“The show staff misled us and tried to coerce my wife… to say specific things about me that would make me look even worse,” his post reads,“My wife almost committed suicide after being on the show… they [the show staff] would have probably sent a film crew if they thought it would get ratings.”
Despite what this man has experienced however, the fact is that patients attempting to commit suicide is a real risk for any psychologist. According to SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), 15% of all those who are clinically depressed commit suicide and even more attempt to. Approximately 30 000 Americans each year die due to suicide, many of whom see psychologists regularly, so who is to say that Dr. Phil is more at fault than any other psychologist? What makes Phil McGraw any different?
Put simply, other psychologists don’t publicly humiliate their patients or profit from the dramatization of their serious problems.
“Well obviously they [guests/patients of Dr. Phil] are desperate to fix things,” says Dr. Phil fan Mary Ferguson in an interview,“It’s a last resort for those people and they’ll do whatever they need to.” After inviting me into her aging house for an interview, sporting a light purple sweater, jeans and hair up in a bun, Ms. Ferguson leads me to her sitting room where she has been watching Dr. Phil for years. “I guess I enjoy it because it’s interesting, you know? Some of them [guests/patients of Dr. Phil] have such complex problems that I’d have never even thought about before,” she says,“I guess it is embarrassing for them [guests/patients of Dr. Phil], but it’s [the show] been around for so long it must be worth it.”
Along with dedicated fans, Dr. Phil does have an education in his corner as a psychologist and a graduate of the University of North Texas, Midwestern State University and the University of Tulsa. He is also the author of various books including Love Smart (2005) and Life Code (2012), both books expressing Dr. Phil’s professional opinions on how to live a happy and complete life. Although, his methods are not necessarily universally accepted.
“I usually find them [Dr. Phil episodes] painful to watch,” says Stephanie Wiebe when asked whether or not she enjoys the program Dr. Phil,“The primary purpose of these shows is to provide a public display of psychological suffering for the purposes of entertainment.”
Stephanie is a graduate student at Ottawa University for psychology and has been studying the emotional effects of confrontation for years.
“Healing does not happen from the promotion of shame,” she explains in an interview,“which is often what these shows seem to do.”
Stephanie confides that she does however believe that the publication of these shows can, in certain cases, be beneficial. She describes an episode of Dr. Phil where the guest has a severe fear of performing, which she conquers by performing on the show. Stephanie explains that this is called “exposure” and is a widely accepted method of treatment.
With so much controversy surrounding these public confrontation shows, it’s amazing they have lasted this long. Dr. Phil was first aired in 2002 and has now approximately 1 million viewers each episode. The show has survived years of bombardment with negativity but has always pulled through with it’s successes. It’s survival more than anything else, seems to prove that these shows do in fact help people and that despite bumps in the road, will last in the years to come.