Carmen Spanò

On the basis of the qualitative analysis of Italian and New Zealand audiences' forms of involvement with Mad Men, this chapter argues that viewers’ modalities of engagement do not respond to the dictates of the trans-media strategy, but rather find the text 'in itself' to be the main source of attraction and interest. Audiences' voices, in the forms of ideas, comments and observations, support and explain the existing correlation between the show's textual attributes and audiences' modes of involvement in the media text, which proves central for understanding users’ dynamics as well as the limits of the trans-media strategies.

Traditionally, in media studies research, the direct address or aside, i.e., a construction in which a speaker communicates a message directly to the audience breaking the continuity of the narrative flow, has been investigated mainly for its dramaturgical function. The present study aims to consider the direct address as a research object of the social psychology of communication to increase our understanding of this technique by going beyond the analysis of its dramaturgical function. In particular, the direct address will be examined through an integrated approach based on argumentative and conversational tools to highlight its less known polydimensional structure, i.e., diegetic and extra-diegetic dimensions and their interactions, and psychosocial functions, i.e., connecting the characters among each other within the show as well as with the audience. This objective will be achieved by analyzing two different direct addresses from the American TV series House of Cards. The anal...

This paper presents a multi-perspective analysis of the argumentative and dialogical dimensions of the use of direct address in the American TV series House of Cards (2013 – in production) on audience responses. As known, in the construction of its storylines, this original Netflix series intensively employs the direct address. In this study, we consider the dynamics engendered by Frank Underwood’s direct addresses taking into consideration their argumentative and conversational nature. In particular, we highlight the interweave of the cognitive, psycho-social and cultural dimensions that characterize Underwood’s interpellations. The conversational pair composed by a direct interpellation (1st turn of speech) and the online comments made as a form of response to it by fans of the show on social media (2nd turn of speech) constitute our unity of analysis (Meredith and Potter, 2014) - ‘poliphonic’ and/or ’polilogic’ online comments made by fans are considered as 3rd turns of speech.

In the field of media studies, the articulation between diegetic and extra-diegetic has become a privileged place for the exploration of textual phenomena that characterize media objects. The direct address can be considered an ideal ‘border place’ for the articulation of the diegetic and extra-diegetic dimensions. This paper will analyze the use of the direct address in the TV series House of Cards (first season) from textual, argumentative and interlocutory points of view.

My analysis is structured as a comparative study between two countries – New Zealand and Italy – and focuses on the relationship between national audiences and the trans-media structure of the popular television series Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011– present). Game of Thrones’ narrative is characterized by elements that emphasize its fictitious world, since these elements belong to the fantasy genre, which, by definition, deals with the supernatural. From this standpoint, the fantastic universe of the series functions as an escape route from everyday life. However, instead of following the genre rules, “Game of Thrones articulates a striking refusal of the hopeful mythologies of high epic fantasy” (Tasker & Steenberg, 2016, p. 189) by focusing on the brutal, the extreme, and the overall injustice and chaos that permeate a society in which war and death appear to be inescapable. In this chapter, the textual schematic of Game of Thrones is examined through the emotional reactions, during ...

In the current multi-modal environment rich in on-demand content, audiences operate as active users of media content by exercising control over their viewing schedules, and by integrating media texts into their lives according to new patterns of consumption. My analysis focuses on the relationship between Italian fans and the transmedia structure of the popular television series Game of Thrones. The show’s imaginary universe has been conceived in a way that allows complex and diverse forms of audience engagement. Indeed, Game of Thrones’ transmedia narratives constitute a ‘world-building experience, unfolding content and generating the possibilities for the story to evolve with new and pertinent content’ (Gambarato 2012, p.4). The complexity of the experience(s) is determined by the existence of sub-worlds within the Game of Thrones’ universe: the literary one, the one recreated on screen and one that is built on the media extensions that enrich and deepen the storylines and the cha...

Traditionally, in media studies research, the direct address or aside, i.e., a construction in which a speaker communicates a message directly to the audience breaking the continuity of the narrative flow, has been investigated mainly for its dramaturgical function. The present study aims to consider the direct address as a research object of the social psychology of communication to increase our understanding of this technique by going beyond the analysis of its dramaturgical function. In particular, the direct address will be examined through an integrated approach based on argumentative and conversational tools to highlight its less known polydimensional structure, i.e., diegetic and extra-diegetic dimensions and their interactions, and psychosocial functions, i.e., connecting the characters among each other within the show as well as with the audience. This objective will be achieved by analyzing two different direct addresses from the American TV series House of Cards. The anal...

The analysis of Italian fans’ devotion to Game of Thrones extends to psychological considerations about the construction of viewer subjectivity and inter-subjectivity, with reference to the process of engagement with the series. In particular, the notions of ‘text’ and ‘context’ are found to be mutually influential: the narrative properties of Game of Thrones – i.e., production values and complexity of the storylines – tend to influence the viewing process of the show, which in turn confirms the incursions of the text into the context.

In the current multi-modal environment rich in on-demand content, audiences operate as active users of media content by exercising control over their viewing schedules, and by integrating media texts into their lives according to new patterns of consumption. My analysis focuses on the relationship between Italian fans and the transmedia structure of the popular television series Game of Thrones. The show's imaginary universe has been conceived in a way that allows complex and diverse forms of audience engagement. Indeed, Game of Thrones' transmedia narratives constitute a 'world-building experience, unfolding content and generating the possibilities for the story to evolve with new and pertinent content' (Gambarato 2012, p.4). The complexity of the experience(s) is determined by the existence of sub-worlds within the Game of Thrones' universe: the literary one, the one recreated on screen and one that is built on the media extensions that enrich and deepen the storylines and the characters' profiles. This multi-level architecture offers audience members different venues of consumption as well as the possibility to appropriate original media content in order to produce and distribute new content as a result of individuals' free labor; this means that convergence (Jenkins, 2006) can become a 'field of struggle' between media conglomerates and empowered consumers. The investigation of Italian fans' immersion into Game of Thrones' transmedia framework, therefore, aims at identifying the concrete practices that fans engage in as determined by their exploitation of the universe of the text and their ability to re-work/re-use original material from that universe in alternative ways, outside of the established paths provided by traditional media producers in the first place.

On the basis of the qualitative analysis of Italian and New Zealand audiences' forms of involvement with Mad Men, this chapter argues that viewers’ modalities of engagement do not respond to the dictates of the trans-media strategy, but rather find the text 'in itself' to be the main source of attraction and interest. Audiences' voices, in the forms of ideas, comments and observations, support and explain the existing correlation between the show's textual attributes and audiences' modes of involvement in the media text, which proves central for understanding users’ dynamics as well as the limits of the trans-media strategies.

The examination of the textual attributes of Game of Thrones, developed through the comments of both Italian and New Zealand fans, aims at developing a theoretical framework that takes into account the specificities of the narrative as a relevant component to audiences' engagement with media texts.

The investigation of national fan groups’ engagement with Game of Thrones’ transmedia framework aims at identifying the fans’ practices as determined by their exploitation of the universe of the text and their ability to re-work/re-use original material from that universe in alternative ways, outside of the established paths provided by traditional media producers in the first place.

The TV series Altered Carbon by Laeta Kalogridis (2018 – in production) emerges as a significant media text thanks to its capacity of integrating in its plot themes that refer to specific psycho-social notions of ‘Self’, ‘Identity’, ‘Identity Repertoire’ and ‘Subjectivity’. The present paper will focus on the analysis of specific narrative passages in which the representation of the above mentioned psycho-social elements becomes object of narrative explanations and, in this sense, instrumental in defining the ‘obsession’ of the series for the idea of identity and human relations.

In this paper, the textual schematic of Game of Thrones is examined through the emotional reactions of national fan groups to themes and events of the show. In particular, the analysis of Italian and New Zealand followers’ comments on Game of Thrones, as reported in their own words, will be instrumental to illustrating the reasons for their passion for the series as well as the main concerns that arise during the viewing of this TV program. This ambivalent attitude in the responses of fans will emerge as significantly dependent on the media text’s capacity to transcend the boundaries of a simple categorization, so as to stand as a notable example of a program that manages to appeal to diverse audiences beyond the country of origin.

Television as a traditional medium has been changing for a number of years due to the development of a complex scenario characterized by the growing proliferation of platforms and the interconnection of multiple media forms. In this current multi-modal environment rich in on-demand content, audiences operate as active users of media content by exercising control over their viewing schedules, and by integrating media texts into their lives according to new patterns of consumption. My analysis focuses on the relationship between Italian and New Zealand fan groups and the trans-media structure of the popular television series Mad Men. The show's imaginary universe has been conceived in a way that allows complex and diverse forms of audience engagement. Indeed, Mad Men's trans-media narrative constitutes a "world-building experience, unfolding content and generating the possibilities for the story to evolve with new and pertinent content" (Gambarato 4). The show' multi-level architecture offers audience members different venues of consumption as well as the possibility to appropriate original media content in order to produce and distribute new content as a result of individuals' free labor.

My analysis focuses on the relationship between national fan groups and the trans-media structure of the popular television series Game of Thrones. The show's imaginary universe has been conceived in a way that allows complex and diverse forms of audience engagement. Indeed, Game of Thrones' trans-media narratives constitute a "world-building experience, unfolding content and generating the possibilities for the story to evolve with new and pertinent content" (Gambarato 4). The complexity of the experience(s) is determined by the existence of multiple fictional worlds within the Game of Thrones' universe: the literary one, the one recreated on screen and one that is built on the media extensions that enrich and deepen the storylines and the characters' profiles. This multi-level architecture offers audience members different venues of consumption as well as the possibility to appropriate original media content in order to produce and distribute new content as a result of individuals' free labor; this means that convergence can become a 'field of struggle' between old media conglomerates and empowered consumers.

In the current multi-modal environment rich in on-demand content, audiences operate as active users by exercising control over their viewing schedules and by integrating media texts into their lives according to new patterns of consumption. My analysis investigates this new form of agency possessed by the audience with reference to two television texts: Game of Thrones and Mad Men. The two popular American TV shows are typical products of the convergence era (Jenkins 2006), which is characterized by trans-media storytelling. Audiences' freedom in the modes of consumption, however, is limited by the control that media corporations still exert on the circulation of media texts; this struggle for media content management becomes central for the understanding of the changes in the television texts as well as in audiences' behaviors. My research is structured as a comparative study between two countries: Italy and New Zealand. Comparative research has been applied by scholars as a valid way to investigate audience practices. However, there is still a dearth of international, cross-cultural comparisons. In selecting and comparing two nations that are different from the dominant media market (the US), my study aims to show that audiences' behaviors are specific to the culture and society to which they belong. The methodology employed for the data collection is the focus group, which allows for a rich understanding of

This paper focuses on the comparative analysis of three fictional characters, the female lawyers of the American TV series The Good Wife (CBS, 2009-2016), Suits (USA Network, 2011 – present) and Damages (FX; Audience Network, 2007-2012). Set in the male-dominated environment of North-American top-notch law firms, the stories of Alicia Florrick, Jessica Pearson and Patty Hewes emerge as exemplary cases of media discourses centered on the representation of American ideology and feminist politics. In order to achieve and preserve leading positions within the firms they manage and for which they work, these women end up acting according to a set of moral values that can be labelled as ‘questionable’. This definition, however, holds different meanings and implications when applied to each case of the three under examination. Indeed, Alicia, Jessica and Patty represent three possible variations of the “empowered heroines, single career women, and professionals struggling with family commitments and occupational demands” (Lotz 2006). In this sense, it is worth analyzing the array of similarities and differences that substantiate the development of the three characters with a particular focus on:

- The conquest and preservation of power in the workplace and what this process entails, specifically with regards to the balance of work life and private existence;
- The relations of antagonism/alliance with other women and/or with men;
- The use and relevance of language as an expression of power in the interaction with others, in particular with men;
- The significance of a definite fashion style as indicative of a specific role/position within the socio-cultural contexts of reference (formal relation between role and identity).

The article’s final aim is to examine these women’s different forms of empowerment in the pursuit of both professional success and personal satisfaction, ultimately reflecting on the cultural and ideological messages behind the representation of gender roles and power dynamics.

In the last decade, the number of TV series that deal with the relation human being-technology has considerably increased. In addition to the classics from the 1970s to the 1990s-Star Trek, Doctor Who, X-Files, Lost-in this category it is now possible to find original productions such as: Altered Carbon, Orphan Black, Mr Robot, Westworld, The Handmaid's Tale and The Man in the High Castle.

In this landscape, a media product emerges as significant thanks to its capacity of providing highly disturbing and unsettling representations of a futuristic reality overwhelmed by the pervasive use of technology: Black Mirror by Charlie Brooker (2011-in production). Indeed, the series delves into, for instance, the obsession with voyeuristic practices, the brutal invasion of privacy and the ambivalent pleasure related to extreme forms of entertainment. In the Black Mirror world, humankind is lost in the homogenization of acts as well as in the progressive, more and more alarming, condition of desensitization towards outrageous representations of violence and abuse.

The present paper will focus on the analysis of specific passages from the the series' episodes that manage to offer its viewers a spectacle of horrors and excitement with the final intent to foster ambivalent forms of pleasure. In particular, the analysis of the selected scenes/sequences will take into account the relevance of the audience role in substantiating the rationale behind the creation and the understanding of Black Mirror's fictitious world(s), and in managing the consequences of a particularly 'troubled' viewing experience. In this sense, for those who exert their capacity to actively look -and who can be, at the same time, within the narrative and outside of it- watching Black Mirror can be regarded as liberating and enlightening but also as brutal and disruptive.

As a media text, Black Mirror can help us to illustrate how today's television series can:
a) stimulate debate around relevant socio-cultural themes, in particular with regards to the possible developments in the relation human being-technology;
b) point out psychosocial dynamics that make of Black Mirror a sort of 'taboo', that is: something that manages to attract and, simultaneously, estrange the viewer's gaze;
c) contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics that characterize active viewing and forms of media engagement, with a specific focus on the accountability of spectators in pursuing disconcerting media content.

Cersei Lannister and Claire Underwood are central female figures in the fictional worlds of Game of Thrones and House of Cards, respectively. Queen of the Seven Kingdom the first, First Lady turned Madame President the second, they have climbed the ladder of power by engaging in extreme acts of manipulation and violence. Even more devious and sadistic than some of their male counterparts, Cersei and Claire proudly belong to the category of female supervillains offered us by current quality television dramas. In this sense, their ambiguity and complex fascination as ruthless 'women of power' has already been investigated in a variety of academic papers.

In this article, I propose a comparative analysis of these two characters. Indeed, I believe that, more than the similarities, it is the main difference between Cersei and Claire that can provide us with further reflections on television representations of gender roles and power dynamics. I identify this trait with the condition, or lack thereof, of motherhood. Indeed, throughout the many seasons of the shows, motherhood emerges as a controversial issue for both women, in particular with regards to the substantial relation that it appears to have with the propensity for humanity and compassion as displayed or denied, on particular occasions, by these characters' words and actions.

I intend to explore the nature of this complex relation by focusing on:
1) the significance of this female role and its impact on Cersei and Claire's forms of empowerment within the political societies of Game of Thrones and House of Cards;
2) fans' responses to and considerations on the extreme deeds perpetrated by these characters in the light of their personal attitude toward this specific role and its implications.

This work's final aim is to identify the cultural and ideological messages behind the representations of these female figures, ultimately reflecting on the actual significance of their unrestrainable pursuit of independence and power.

The TV series Altered Carbon by Laeta Kalogridis (2018-in production) is a media text in which the representation of the post-human body is strictly related to the idea of immortality. In the dystopian society depicted by the series, bodies have become replaceable sleeves in which the identity of each individual is contained in transferable stacks.

This factual separation between the physical and the spiritual becomes exemplary: a) of the internal de-construction of the individual as a subject, who experiences progressive loneliness and dramatic instability with regards to his own identity as well as human relations; b) of the disjunction of economics from the rest of life, a direct result of the extensive application of the capitalistic logic. Indeed, Altered Carbon offers a fictional representation of a future society in which capitalism, also thanks to the development of technology, seems to have achieved its ultimate goal: the defeat of death through the practice of accumulation.

The present work will focus on the modalities through which the series critically reflects on these conditions, both at a visual and discursive level. In particular, the concept of 'immortality' in relation to the logic of accumulation will be analyzed:
-In the first place, from the perspective offered by the show's representation of distinct spaces (physical and symbolic divide between the rich and the poor) and by its expressive use of cinematography (selection of colors, use of light).
-Subsequently, with regards to the dynamics that characterize the practices of body replacement as traumatic passages in individuals' existences, to the point that they exemplify the drifts of accumulation (thus of capitalism) as the driving force within the society. Significant narrative passages from the text will be selected for the carrying out of the analysis.

The final goal is to describe Altered Carbon as a text that demonstrates how contemporary television series are capable of providing relevant interpretations of socio-cultural and economic processes that, in turn, impact profoundly on the transformations of both human identity and relations.