Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Telecommunications, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Oct. 5, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-02, Section: A, page: 0397. Adviser: David Waterman.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Communication and Culture, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Oct. 6, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-02, Section: A, page: 0401. Adviser: Barbara Klinger.

<p>Television is a widespread, easily accessible component of popular culture that we invite into the most intimate of environments: our homes. Like other forms of popular culture, it is not only influenced by religious belief, but also has the power to transmit both traditional and subversive religious ideas to viewers. This thesis draws upon methods used in the study of religion and popular culture to argue for the potential of television to influence religious belief. Television can transform contemporary thought and renegotiate ideas of identity as well as reposition social debate and conflict in both secular and religious environments. Focusing on the British television show Doctor Who, this thesis closely analyzes recent episodes of the series to illustrate the ways in which current show-runner Steven Moffat's story arc puts forth a Freudian critique institutional religion. This thesis demonstrates that Doctor Who has developed in such a way as to reveal the deception of organized religion and its destabilization of modern notions of rationality. Rather than banishing religion to the trash heap of history, however, Moffat's Doctor Who encourages believers to reevaluate traditional religious belief and practice.

<p> This study delves into the world of nerd culture as it is presented on network, cable and web television. Drawing on foundational research within both popular culture and scholarly research, the author examines the culture through textual analysis of one episode from each of five television shows: <i>The Big Bang Theory; 30 Rock; King of the Nerds; The Nerdist; </i> and <i>The Guild.</i> As this study's theoretical framework is the Frankfurt scholars' theory of the commodification of culture, the authenticity of nerd culture in its present state is a central issue. Findings from the literature and textual analyses show that the portrayals of nerds on television designed for mass audiences often exploit traditional nerd stereotypes to encourage viewers to "play nerd" while also presenting certain nerdish characteristics as a social warning. Conversely, nerd culture as presented for niche audiences are indeed closer to what the authentic culture is, which is a community of like-minded individuals who wish to create, innovate and express their uniqueness rather than simply consume products and trends associated with the culture. </p>

<p> This paper offers an analysis of the AMC television series <i>Breaking Bad</i> by placing it directly into the tradition of frontier narratives and the Western film. It looks to understand the aspects of the Western genre that the series revises as well as understand <i>Breaking Bad</i> as both a revisionist Western that redefines certain tropes common to the family-centered Western, as well as a Meta-Western that calls attention to the impact of the frontier myth on modern characters like Walter White. It finds that to make a "contemporary Western," as creator Vince Gilligan termed it, the show revises the traditional Western narrative by denying a regenerative quality to violence and demanding a multicultural, complicated, and ongoing understanding of the American frontier. The paper concludes by analyzing how the show's cultural allegories are a reaction to, and a critique of, a modern crisis of masculinity and the American empire.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-05, Section: A, page: 1958. Adviser: Maryellen Bieder. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed Jan. 12, 2008)."

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Mass Communications, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-10, Section: A, page: 4280. Adviser: Peter Bondanella. Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 20, 2008).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Telecommunications, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 7, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-10, Section: A, page: 3688. Adviser: David Waterman.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: A, page: 2371. Adviser: Cameron McCarthy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 329-354) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 8, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-05, Section: A, page: 1745. Adviser: Greg Schrempp.