Irony and Sincerity in Contemporary Television

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Playing Nice in Aesthetics and Politics

Inbunden, Engelska, 2026

1 869 kr

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In the wake of the contemporary Golden Age of Television and political polarization in the United States, this collection argues that the tension between sincerity and irony in nicecore television is crucial to understanding its aesthetic and political aims.An interdisciplinary range of both established and emerging scholars analyze shows like Schitt’s Creek, Ted Lasso, Jury Duty, and The Bear to highlight how creators are responding to audience demands for sincerity in the contemporary television landscape. Placing the concept of ‘niceness’ in relation to queerness, class, unlikability, traditional gender norms, and the comfort of sincerity, contributors demonstrate how even across genres and individual creators, these seemingly lighthearted shows each have unique and important messages and goals beneath the surface. As a whole, this collection presents a clear picture of how the 21st-century political landscape has shaped both manifestations and interpretations of the New Sincerity aesthetic in televisual media.Ultimately, Irony and Sincerity in Contemporary Television argues that the 21st-century political landscape has shaped modern manifestations and interpretations of the New Sincerity aesthetic in televisual media.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-06-11
Mått152 x 229 x undefined mm
Vikt508 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor256
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN9781666968606

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AcknowledgementsIntroduction: “Better Today Than They Were Yesterday”: Playing Nice in Nicecore TV Owen Cantrell (Georgia State University, USA) & Sage Westfall (Independent Scholar, USA)PART I: Gender and Niceness1. Reimagining Niceness: The Role of Indian Television Soap Operas in Perpetuating Traditional Gender Norms Sony Jalarajan Raj (MacEwan University, Canada) & Adith K. Suresh (MacEwan University, Canada)2. “'Hey, takin' ona challenge is a lot like ridin' a horse”: Ted Lasso and Left-Populism Colleen Tripp (California State University-Northridge, USA)3. In the Matter of Ronald Gladden vs. James Marsden: Nicecore Guys Finish First in Freevee's Jury DutyEmily Hoffman (Arkansas Tech University, USA)4. Just a Small Town Girl: Hallmark Movie Small Towns and the Politics of Niceness Andrea Braithwaite (Ontario Tech University, Canada)PART II: Nicecore TV Roster5. “Just your typical all-American, Catholic, divorcing, disgraced, lawbreaking, gay family”: Nicely Queering the Sitcom with ABC’s The Real O’Neals Francesca Petronio (Stony Brook University, USA) 6. You’re Simply the Best: Character Growth and Making the Unlikable Likable in Schitt’s Creek Colleen Etman (University of South Carolina, USA)7. "Real and alive and good”: Nicecore Conventions in The Bear Judith Clemens-Smucker (Sam Houston State University, USA)PART III: New Sincerity and Irony8. Joe Pera Talks with You and the Post-Ironic Comfort Watch Sage Westfall9. “Do You Want to Feel Something Real?” Sincere Irony in the Work of Nathan Fielder Owen Cantrell10. “More than just ball hairs”: (Post-)Irony, Sincerity, and Digitization Netflix’s American Vandal Dominik Steinhilber (University of Konstanz, Germany) About the Editors and Contributors Index

There is something profound and interesting happening on television today. Creators and audiences are both using the medium to do and to be more, constructing elaborate fictions and pointing to complicated realities in ways that are overwhelming in their absurdity and in their earnestness. It can feel strange, fraught, or contradictory, even as we laugh at what we see and enjoy how preposterous it all is. This excellent collection confronts all this and more, offering compelling analyses of a bevy of spectacular shows and offering challenging insights into the ways these programs offer profound connections to audiences and craft unique entertainment experiences in one of the most traditional media forms.