Carvell

Question 1: Cavell breaks down the material basis of a television. He describes it "as a current of simultaneous event reception" (205). Viewing, as he defines, is the mode of perception called upon by the film's material basis, while the connection to the stream is monitoring (205). However in this description of the material basis of the TV and how it provides a means for watching an event unfold in realtime, I come to wonder what Cavell means when he says that he does not feel that transmisssion of the video is essential to the TV. "(he) is not regarding broadcasting as essential to the work" (205). I wonder how this can be possible, because that is TV's main purpose: to be able to allow people to watch it. Otherwise, why go through the trouble of making video footage to be broadcasted? In this case, does the use value not play any role in the material basis?

Question 2: I find it interesting when Carvell discusses the introduction of contestants and hosts on various forms of talk shows. He sees it odd that viewers are introduced to contestants in the formal way of real introductions and beginning to get to know them through conversation. He says this process "is repeated endlessly, and without the scary anticipation of consequences in presenting the self that meeting in reality exact" (207). He claims that TV hosts are famous for "Being visible and surviving new encounters" (207). Yet, I would prefer to argue that the TV hosts are the ones that jump between the realms of TV and reality. They are the ones that get the viewer to keep coming back, watching, and being reintroduced to new contestants. They become a part of viewers' lives and those sitting at home begin to believe they are actually close firends with the hosts they watch everyday on TV. Aren't the talk show hosts just being introduced, judged, and related to just as the contestants are?