Television and cultural forms

1. In your own words, describe reasons the author discusses for the rise of “dysfunctional family sitcoms”.
2. What is the most noticeable difference between Orange is the New Black and almost every other show set in a prison that came before it?
3. What are two possible symbolic interpretations of the chicken in the episode of Orange is the New Black called “The Chickening”? (Notice the format for title of series = italics, and title of the particular episode = quotation marks.)
4. What seems significant about the limitations that network television have (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox) that cable channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.) and streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, etc.) don’t have?
5. In what ways is Reality Television perpetuating the social and political divide in the U.S.?

Sample Solution