In Conclusion

Now that everything's wrapping up, we thought we would all include a bit about what we took away from doing this whole project.

That's a wrap!

I watched a lot of things over the course of this blog that I never would have otherwise. As I watched, I kept the prospect of analysis in the back of my mind. Due to this process, I feel that I am much more aware of my reactions to television, and other forms of media, as they occur. Whereas before this blog, I may have simply reacted without questioning the media source, I now am better equipped to recognize what triggered my response as well the broader influence it could have on the public.

I also realized that I do not watch enough comedy. In the past comedy made up most, if not all of my video entertainment. I enjoyed it immensely despite the fact that most, if not all of the humor, was not meant for my age group at the time. I am definitely going to go back and revisit many things from my childhood.

Archeology is mostly portrayed on television for the purpose of entertainment, even though it can be educational. If archaeologists were to produce a television show or two, then they could really improve the accuracy of how the public perceives the discipline.

-Angus

This semester, I looked at TV in ways that I never would have before.  TV shows either focused their episode around archaeology or sprinkled in it a bit in one episode; there wasn't much in the middle.  Also, a lot of the shows addressed archaeology very simply.  Mostly, it seems to me that TV shows treat archaeology the same as anything else in using stereotypical portrayal, but these stereotypes are more likely to be taken as fact because  many people don't have the exposure to "real" archaeology and can't easily sort out what is fact from what is fiction.

-Alyssa

When all is said and done, TV is made to be entertaining. Be it a documentary or an episode of a kids show, all productions want to pull you in so that you will keep watching. More than anything this blog made me realize that even if a show is biased or portraying a strangely distorted view of archaeology, the pros outweigh the cons. There may be biases and stereotypes, but if the public is more excited about learning about the ancient world, there is nothing to worry about. Over the top shows like Ancient Aliens will never be seen as serious, and if we can make these stereotypes common knowledge, only good things can come from showing archaeology on television.

-Norio

Critically analyzing television shows has really opened my eyes. One of the most important things I took away from this experience was how the bias introduced to the medium varied by the target audience and purpose of the show. Another overall theme was the clever 'lending' of credibility. This was especially relevant in the 'pseudo-science' shows. Finally, my personal opinion regarding archaeology in media has changed. Though the field may be grossly misrepresented, simply having the idea in the media raises awareness. It increases the chance that a person may be encouraged to actually find out what archaeology is all about. Televisions' version of radioactive waste ('Ancient Aliens') is actually justified by the possibility of someone stumbling upon some real knowledge.
-Dan

I feel like I really learned a lot about American culture and media with this blog assignment. After taking a look at a variety of history shows, I think media is the future solution for archaeology to present themselves to the general public. If I were to make an archaeology TV which would be graded an A+ on our scale, it needs to have these elements:

Accurate general background information.

Clear abstract, easy for audience to follow.

Relaxing (no dramatic music), maybe comic pictures added, jokes, comic images for illustration.

A variety of forms of media can be used, like pictures, should also take advantage of the music.

I also think archaeologists should be more involved in these productions. In generation, experienced archaeologists are mostly middle age or elder people, so it is kind of hard for them to learn to how to use “New Tools”, or how to engage people in these forms of media. This is another problem for archaeologists to solve.

-Terry