Munck, Argentina, p 144.

Julie D‘Acci‘s work on gender, representation, and television provides a useful framework for examining race, representation, and television. D‘Acci‘s (2004) circuit of media study is rooted in cultural studies and builds upon Stuart Hall‘s encoding/decoding model, Richard John-

son‘s circuit of the production, circulation, and consumption of cultural products, and Open Uni- versity‘s circuit of culture.

The circuit of media study is an integrated approach to studying television that engages with four interrelated sites or spheres.98 These four sites are: production, reception, program- ming/cultural artifact, and socio-historical context.99 The production site involves studying the production process but it is not limited to participant observation of television programs. This site includes examining the function of the industry as an economic and social sector. 100 The re- ception sphere involves the institution of viewing and viewer interactions.101 In the program- ming/cultural artifact sphere, the televised content is evaluated. The television images are not examined as isolated images but within a narrative or stylistic context.102 The socio-historical context looks at how social movements and society influence the television industry and the im- ages created within it.103 The circuit of media study allows for different methodologies to be used among the sites. Furthermore, D‘Acci states scholars do not have to use all four in their research, but they must at least acknowledge the other sites.

The circuit of media study is a constructive model for this dissertation because it incorpo- rates approaches to industry, discourse, and text. In my analysis, I will be focusing on the socio-

98 _{Julie D'Acci, "Television, Representation, and Gender," in The TV Studies Reader, ed. Robert Allen and}

Annette Hill(London: Routledge, 2003), 381.

99 _{In previous works, D‘Acci refers to the Circuit of media study as an integrated approach. In the integrat-}

ed approach, D‘Acci refers to production, programming, reception, and socio-historical context as spheres instead of sites. In the circuit of media study model, D‘Acci changes programming to cultural artifact.

100

See Julie D'Acci, "Gender, Representation, and Television," in The Television Studies Book, ed. Toby Miller(London: BFI, 2002), 93.

101 _Ibid. 102

D'Acci, "Television, Representation, and Gender," 384. The stylistic context consists of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound. In addition to narrative and stylistic context, D‘Acci states programming can be evaluated within a generic context.

historical context, production, and programming sites.104 Although I am not examining the audi- ence explicitly, it is important to acknowledge that reception is interconnected to the other sites and that the industry always constructs the audience in particular ways. Banks, Rhimes, and Per- ry have created successful shows that have lasted for several seasons and over one hundred epi- sodes each. All three acknowledge the importance of the audience and connecting with their fans.

This model is also helpful in the examination of race and representation on television be- cause representation is not a separate site: ―each of the four sites is involved in generating or constructing representation . . . and each needs to be examined and analyzed for the way it does so.‖105

D‘Acci argues that ―Representation is what television is all about, denoting as the term does, signs, symbols, images, portrayals, depictions, likenesses, and substitutions.‖106 There is something to be learned from the fact that these very atypical figures are arguably more success- ful than the previous exemplars of black media. Therefore, we should see if their success chang- es the conversation about race and representation on television.

An industrial analysis is useful to look at the connection between race behind the scenes and onscreen. Havens, Lotz, and Tinic (2009) state that D‘Acci‘s circuit of media study made a significant contribution to critical media industry studies. Jonathan Gray and Amanda Lotz (2012) believe a goal of critical media industry studies is ―to explain a particular phenomenon evident in television programming through interrogation of the industrial conditions in which it is located.‖107

104 _{This study examines the production process but not as observation or analysis of the actual production}

of these programs. I am examining production in terms of Banks, Rhimes, and Perry as executive produc- ers/creators.

105 _{D'Acci, "Television, Representation, and Gender," 381.} 106 _{D'Acci, "Gender, Representation, and Television," 91.}

For Gray and Lotz, Ron Becker‘s (2006) work on the increase in gay and lesbian repre- sentations on prime-time television in the 1990s is an example of a critical media industry stud- ies approach. Becker found that the broadcast networks increased representations of gay and lesbian characters as an industrial strategy. During this period, the broadcast networks continued to experience audience fragmentation as viewers had more options available to them such as ca- ble and the ability to time-shift programming through the use of VCRs. Historically, gay and lesbian representations have had a limited presence on the broadcast networks. Increasing their visibility on prime-time appealed to a niche audience, which Becker refers to as the ―slumpy‖ demographic: social liberal urban-minded professionals. Becker utilized trade press, industry discourse, and popular press coverage to examine the industrial shifts that resulted in an increase in gays and lesbians in prime-time.

In Chapter Two, I utilize a critical media industry studies approach to in order to analyze the industrial conditions of the Neo-Cosby moment from 2005-2010. The goal of this chapter is to understand how Banks, Rhimes, and Perry have thrived in an industry that continues to lack in diversity onscreen and behind the scenes. This dissertation examines industrial shifts in broad- cast network television and basic cable from 2005-2010. As previously noted, 1999 was a sig- nificant year in the history of racial representation of African Americans on television. Black- oriented sitcoms and black leading characters on shows were back to the pattern of invisibility, at least on the four major broadcast networks. This moment has been well documented by schol- ars.108 My interest lies in what happened within the industry after this point. Lotz argues that 2005 is the starting point for the post-network era. This year was also very important for Banks,

108 _{For more information see Bogle, Primetime Blues: African Americans on Network Television; Aldore}

Collier, "My Wife and Kids, Backstage at No. 1 Black TV Show," Ebony, Decemver 2003; Hughes; Zondra Hughes, "The New TV Season: What's New, What's Black, What's Back!," Ebony, October 2001; Zondra Hughes, "The 2003 TV Season," Ebony, October 2003. Brook; Gray, Cultural Moves: African Americans and the Politics of

Rhimes, and Perry. In 2005, America‟s Next Top Model was one UPN‘s highest rated shows,

Grey‟s Anatomy was a midseason hit for ABC, and Tyler Perry‘s Diary of a Mad Black Woman

was a financial success. I also identify 2005 as the start of the Neo-Cosby Moment. In this chap- ter, my primary focus is to examine the connection between industrial shifts during this period and diversity behind the scenes. I am placing discourses about industry (post-network era) in conversation with discourses about culture (post/neo-racial) and demonstrating the analytical complications that emerge as a result.

Using trade publications such as Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Broadcasting & Cable, I examine industrial changes that resulted in the decline of black-oriented shows but also allowed for Banks, Rhimes, and Perry to succeed. I also use trades to construct the history of these in- dustrial shifts from 2005-2010. Additional sources include popular newspapers and magazines such as New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, and

Entertainment Weekly. Furthermore, I incorporate African American publications such as Jet,

Essence, Ebony, The Root, Black Enterprise, and The Crisis into my analysis. I use these re- sources to historically contextualize the industrial shifts in mainstream broadcast networks and basic cable channels from 2005-2010. ABC, The CW, and TBS serve as case studies, represent- ing the networks that aired the shows by Banks, Rhimes, and Perry as well as the breadth of ad- supported TV.

In addition to their success behind the scenes, Banks, Rhimes, and Perry have become star television personalities. In Chapter Three, I conduct a star study of Banks, Rhimes, and Perry as public creative figures. Dyer‘s methodology remains a useful tool for examining current star- dom/celebrity (Holmes 2005). Dyer notes that all star studies are limited; it is impossible to cov- er every aspect of a star‘s image in one study. My examination of Banks, Rhimes, and Perry is

limited to their role as public creative figure for their prime-time television programs from 2005- 2010. The people in control (or in this case publicly promoted as the ones in control) can reveal as much if not more than the actors about current ideologies about race in society. My goal with this chapter is to see if Banks, Rhimes, and Perry present themselves as black public creative fig- ures using a post-racial/colorblind or neo-racial ideology.

To examine Banks, Rhimes, and Perry‘s images, mainstream, niche and trade publications are used. The mainstream publications include, but are not limited to, TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, and TheNew York Times. African American targeted publications such as

Ebony, Jet, and Essence. Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Broadcasting & Cable are also used to provide an industrial perspective on Banks, Rhimes, and Perry as the public creative figure. I base the data accrued from how Rhimes, Perry, and Banks represent themselves in these publica- tions from 2005-2010. I also include social media forms such as emails, websites, and blogs. While Banks and Rhimes use Twitter, Perry regularly sends emails to his fans. All three use the- se technologies/platforms to promote their shows and reinforce their image as creator/executive producer. Cumulatively, the mainstream, niche, and trade publications as well as the online re- sources are the media texts that create Banks, Rhimes, and Perry‘s image as the public creative figure. These resources can fall into Dyer‘s categories of publicity, promotion, and criticism and commentary.

Lastly, this dissertation is also an ideological analysis of Banks, Rhimes, and Perry‘s texts. Exploring the industrial context and how Banks, Rhimes, and Perry position themselves as pub- lic creative figures provides a deeper context for examining representations of blackness on their shows. As three of the most successful black public creative figures, their shows provide images of race and blackness to millions of viewers each week. It is important to explore how blackness

is presented onscreen to supplement off-screen discourses. I textually analyze America‟s Next

Top Model, Grey‟s Anatomy, and House of Payne. Furisch (2009) defines textual analysis as a ―type of qualitative analysis that, beyond the manifest content of media, focuses on the underly- ing ideological and cultural assumptions of the text‖ (239). I use seasons 1-6 of Grey‟s Anatomy

and House of Payne and cycles 1-15 of America‟s Next Top Model.109 Because of the large number of episodes and the fact that each series is a different genre, I use Herman Gray‘s catego- ries (assimilationist, pluralist, and multiculturalist) as a framework to conduct a representational analysis of the text. My goal with this chapter is to extend Gray‘s historical analysis of black- ness on television by examining how blackness is presented on ANTM, GA, and HOP in the Neo- Cosby Moment.

My analysis includes dealing with characterization and narratives to see how blackness is presented on these shows over the course of several seasons/cycles. I conduct a close textual analysis of selected episodes from the aforementioned seasons/cycles. I reviewed episodes of these shows from my personal archives and online archives.110 I am interested in how these pro- grams construct and use race narratively in the context of the entire series. This type of analysis is useful to see if these programs reveal any challenges or changes to the familiar representation- al landscape of the past.