Comments on: Downloading Serial (part 3)

By: Cynthia B. Meyers

Cynthia B. Meyers — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 19:15:42 +0000

Your point about the fuzzy chronology of Serial’s episodes (e.g., when did Koenig talk to the Innocence Project? when did Koenig talk to Jay?) helps explain why some of these narrative strategies are beginning to feel “unfair” or manipulative to me. Seems like Serial’s effort to be “authentic” in the “You Are There” style–the audience is supposed to be experiencing the narrative turns the way Koenig did (or has or will)–is beginning to feel exploitative (of its audience, of its subjects). Hmmm, how to discuss without being accused of concern-trolling? 😉

By: Jason Mittell

Jason Mittell — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 16:59:08 +0000

Personally, I think being manipulated is part of the contract we make when we engage with a fiction – we want to go for a ride, and be surprised by the twists and turns. Every genre has its conventions and assumptions for that manipulation to be “fair,” but we accept that the author is withholding information, misleading, or otherwise sculpting our experiences. But nonfiction is another ballgame, and when drawn out over time like SERIAL is, those manipulations start to feel unfair, or at least unclear as to what the groundrules are.

By: Cynthia B. Meyers

Cynthia B. Meyers — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 02:44:26 +0000

Not only is Serial going to confound audience expectations for answers, it seems set to go down as total whiplash. The posters on Reddit–yes, I am a lurker now–constantly complain (brag?) of being emotionally swayed back and forth and back again. Documentaries, in general, have always been criticized for being too manipulative (selective editing, narrators, dramatic music)–hence the rise of cinema verite, which positioned documentary as merely authentic observation, although that’s just a pose too. And here we are, the Serial audience, wondering just how manipulated we are, just how authentic this narrative journey is, and just who is being the pathological liar here. Is this essential to good storytelling? Or is this just base manipulation? The Reddit threads are full of this debate: I look forward to the dissertation to come!