Supplemental Post 1 - TV & Audiences- Gina Gonsalves

 After reading Watching Television Without Pity, I found it really interesting and honestly relatable in some  ways. I've never been a board-poster for any show but I do watch some shows religiously and often come across boards like these and spend time reading them and comparing my own opinions. For example, I am a huge Grey's Anatomy fan, once I started picking up production knowledge, I started analyzing the show deeply; by plot, character development, camera shots, lighting, and acting. I have come to do this with every show I get deeply invested in and often times I will read boards I come across to see what others thought, if anyone had similar options to me and sometimes just to judge if they were over-praising or over-criticizing parts of the show. 

I suppose I've always been aware of interactivity in television, at least in my generation as a millennial since it's only grown more and more since I've grown up, but I've never thought so deeply into the effect it may have on producers or even thought about the "free labor" portion; how by interacting on boards by providing criticism or praise, people are unaware they are voluntarily participating in an impromptu focus group. I agree that this is greatly impactful on television today, both as a way for viewers to see more of what they want and for producers and show runners to gauge audience interest by "free research" by feedback and interaction with their toughest critics, their viewers.

I did find it a little surprising that in the examples in the reading, such as The West Wing, the producers responded to online criticism with a degrading portrayal of internet users as obese, obsessed shut-ins. I could see that these online viewer critics could be ruthless in their criticisms, but I don't think that is a good way to handle it, in such a derogatory fashion; though it did address that these critics were heard. With the assumption these viewers have the best interest of a show and would like to give a viewer's input, I think it is important and necessary to hear from others perspectives, opinions, and criticisms for the sake of the show's direction and success with its viewers.