‘We really enjoyed doing the extracurricular transmedia stuff’How I Met Your Mother and the beginnings of transmedia in the sitcom genre

  1. Víctor Álvarez-Rodríguez
  2. Lucía Caro-Castaño
  3. David Selva-Ruiz
Zeitschrift:
Catalan journal of communication & cultural studies

ISSN: 1757-1898

Datum der Publikation: 2024

Ausgabe: 16

Nummer: 1

Seiten: 45-61

Art: Artikel

DOI: 10.1386/CJCS_00098_1 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR

Andere Publikationen in: Catalan journal of communication & cultural studies

Zusammenfassung

The sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005–14) applies a narrative with a transmedia perspective, using advertising techniques that had been unusual for its genre up to that point. We refer to the reverse product placement tool as a technique to expand the narrative in a ground-breaking way through books apparently written by one of the characters in the series. This study explores the communicative dimensions applied by its developers through an exploratory-descriptive methodology that offers a qualitative analysis. We conduct a bibliographic study alongside an exclusive interview with the co-creator of the series, Carter Bays. Consequently, our study dissects the communicative process from a semantic and advertising perspective with an international reach. Finally, the results identify a paradigmatic case that takes advantage of the communicational context to build a transmedia narrative, giving rise to an intertextual and parasocial interpretation.

Bibliographische Referenzen

  • Álvarez-Rodríguez, V. (2020), ‘Las narrativas expandidas a través del product placement inverso: El caso de las zapatillas NikeMAG’, AdComunica, 19, pp. 189–210, https://doi.org/10.6035/2174-0992.2020.19.11.
  • Álvarez-Rodríguez, V. and Jiménez-Marín, G. (2022), ‘El branded content como ejercicio literario: Castle y la novela policíaca’, Miguel Hernández Communication Journal, 13, pp. 383–405, https://doi.org/10.21134/mhjour- nal.v13i.1485.
  • Cascajosa, C. (2007), ‘Primeros apuntes: Pensando la televisión (norteameri- cana)’, in C. Cascajosa (ed.), La caja lista: Televisión norteamericana de culto, Barcelona: Laertes Ediciones, pp. 19–26.
  • Castelló, A. and Del Pino, C. (2014), ‘Análisis del branded content en tele- visión: Estudio de casos españoles’, Revista de la SEECI, 34, pp. 134–49, https://doi.org/10.15198/seeci.2014.34.134-149.
  • Colwell, S. (2014), ‘From Playboy penthouse to high-rise playboy: The Bachelor’s evolution’, The Word Hoard, 1:3, pp. 96–107.
  • Derhy Kurtz, B. W. L. and Bourdaa, M. (2017), The Rise of Transtexts: Challenges and Opportunities, New York and Abingdon: Routledge.
  • Edwards, L. H. (2012), ‘Transmedia storytelling, corporate synergy, and audience expression’, Global Media Journal, 12:20, pp. 1–12.
  • Europa Press (2013), ‘La “sabiduría” de Barney Stinson de cómo conocí a vuestra madre se convierte en libro’, 6 May, https://www.europapress. es/portaltic/portalgeek/noticia-sabiduria-barney-stinson-conoci-madre- convierte-libro-20130506122618.html. Accessed 12 June 2022.
  • Favard, F. (2014), ‘The yellow umbrella syndrome: Pledging and delaying narrative closure in How I Met Your Mother’, GRAAT Anglophone Studies, 15, pp. 24–49, http://www.graat.fr/2favard.pdf. Accessed 7 March 2024. Friends (1994–2004, USA: National Broadcasting Company).
  • Gallego, F. J. (2014), ‘Sociología folk vs. sociología académica: El caso de “Cómo conocí a vuestra madre”’, Aposta: Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 60, pp. 1–30.
  • García, J. and Heredero, O. (2015),‘Propuesta de un modelo genérico de análi- sis de la estructura de las narrativas transmedia’, Icono14, 13:2, pp. 260–85, https://doi.org/10.7195/ri14.v13i2.745.
  • Gray, J. (2010), Show Sold Separately: Promos, Spoilers, and Other Media Paratexts, NewYork and London: NewYork University Press.
  • Guarinos, V. and Cobo-Durán, S. (2020), ‘The expanded story from transme- dia as a business model: The case of Stranger Things’, in V. Hernández- Santaolalla and M. Barrientos-Bueno (eds), Handbook of Research on Transmedia Storytelling, Audience Engagement, and Business Strategies, Hershey, PA: IGI Global, pp. 382–95.
  • Guerrero-Pico, M. and Scolari, C. A. (2016), ‘Narrativas transmedia y conteni- dos generados por los usuarios: El caso de los crossovers’, Cuadernos.info, 38, pp. 183–200, https://doi.org/10.7764/cdi.38.760.
  • Guynes, S. A. and Hassler-Forest, D. (2018), Star Wars and the History of Transmedia Storytelling, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
  • Haq, H. (2011),‘Parks and Recreation jumps into the book business with Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America’, Christian Science Monitor, 16 June, https://bit. ly/3LNVzVI. Accessed 24 June 2022.
  • Hernández, J., Sánchez, P. and Rovira-Collado, J. (2021), ‘New transme- dia ecosystems for the promotion of reading in the era of booktubers’, Investigaciones Sobre Lectura, 15, pp. 23–45.
  • Hills, M. (2004), ‘Defining cult TV: Texts, inter-texts and fan audiences’, in R. Allen and A. Hill (eds), The Television Studies Reader, London and New York: Routledge, pp. 509–23.
  • How I Met Your Father (2022–23, USA: Bays Thomas Productions, The Walk-Up Company and 20th Television).
  • How I Met Your Mother (2005–14, USA: Bays & Thomas Productions and 20th Century Fox Television). I Love Lucy (1951–57, USA: Desilu Productions).
  • Jenkins, H. (2001), ‘Convergence? I diverge’, MIT Technology Review, 1 June, https://www.technologyreview.com/2001/06/01/235791/convergence- i-diverge/. Accessed 30 June 2022.
  • Jenkins, H. (2008), Convergence Culture: La cultura de la convergencia de los medios de comunicación, Barcelona: Paidós.
  • Johnson, C. (2007), ‘Tele-branding in TVIII: The network as brand and the programme as brand’, New Review of Film and Television Studies, 5:1, pp. 5–24.
  • Johnson, C. (2012), Branding Television, Abingdon and New York: Routledge. Knope, L. (2011), Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America, New York: Hachette. Knox, S. and Derhy Kurtz, B. W. L. (2017), ‘Texture, realism, performance: Exploring the intersection of transtexts and the contemporary sitcom’, in B. W. L. Derhy Kurtz and M. Bourdaa (eds), The Rise of Transtexts: Challenges and Opportunities, New York and Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 49–70.
  • Larrondo-Ureta, A., Peña-Fernández, S. and Agirreazkuenaga-Onaindia, I. (2020),‘Hacia una mayor participación de la audiencia: Experiencias trans- media para jóvenes’, Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 26:4, pp. 1445– 54, https://doi.org/10.5209/esmp.71375.
  • Lauzen, M. M. and Deiss, D. M. (2009), ‘Breaking the fourth wall and sex role stereotypes: An examination of the 2006–2007 prime-time season’, Sex Roles, 60, pp. 379–86.
  • Lost (2004–10, USA: Bad Robot Productions, Touchstone Television and ABC Studios). The Big Bang Theory (2007–19, USA: Warner Bros and Chuck Lorre).
  • The Mandalorian (2019–present, USA: Lucasfilm, Fairview Entertainment and Golem Creations).
  • Manuls (2011),‘Los libros de Barney Stinson, una divertida extensión de“How I Met Your Mother”’, Espinof, 29 April, https://www.espinof.com/libros- de-cine-y-tv/los-libros-de-barney-stinson-una-divertida-extension-de- how-i-met-your-mother. Accessed 30 June 2022.
  • Martí-Parreño, J. (2010), Funny Marketing: Consumidores, entretenimiento y comunicaciones de marketing en la era del branded entertainment, Valencia: Wolters Kluwer España.
  • Meyer, C. (2001), ‘A case in case study methodology’, Field Methods, 13:4, pp. 329–52.
  • Mittell, J. (2013a), ‘Serial orientations: Paratexts and contemporary complex television’, in J. Eckel, B. Leiendecker, D. Olek and C. Piepiorka (eds), (Dis) orientation: (Dis)orienting Media and Narrative Mazes, New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 165–82.
  • Mittell, J. (2013b), ‘The qualities of complexity: Vast versus dense seriality in contemporary’, in S. Peacock and J. Jacobs (eds), Television Aesthetics and Style, New York and London: Bloomsbury Publishing, pp. 45–56.
  • Mittell, J. (2015), Complex TV: The Poetics of Contemporary Television Storytelling, NewYork and London: NewYork University Press.
  • New Girl (2011–18, USA: Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures, American Nitwits, Chernin Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television).
  • Parks and Recreation (2009–15, USA: Open 4 Business Productions, Deedle- Dee Productions, Fremulon, 3 Arts Entertainment and Universal Television).
  • Pellegrini, C. (2023), ‘Anticipating the plot: Overdetermining heteronormative destiny on the twenty-first century screen’, Textual Practice, 37:3, pp. 393– 415, https://doi.org/10.1080/0950236X.2022.2043932.
  • Rodríguez-Ferrándiz, R. (2014),‘El relato por otros medios: ¿Un giro transme- diático?’, Cuadernos de Información y Comunicación, 19, pp. 19–37.
  • Rodríguez-Ferrándiz, R. (2017), ‘Paratextual activity: Updating the Genettian approach within the transmedia turn’, Comunicación y Sociedad, 30:1, pp. 165–82, https://doi.org/10.15581/003.30.35800.
  • Rodríguez-Ferrándiz, R. (2018), ‘A Genettian approach to transmedia (para) textuality’, in M. Freeman and R. R. Rampazzo (eds), The Routledge Companion to Transmedia Studies, New York and Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 455–75.
  • Ryan, M. L. (2015),‘Transmedia storytelling: Industry buzzword or new narra- tive experience?’, Storyworlds: A Journal of Narrative Studies, 7:2, pp. 1–19, https://doi.org/10.5250/storyworlds.7.2.0001.
  • Schmidt (2012), The Douche Journals: Volume One: The Definitive Account of One Man’s Genius, New York: It Books.
  • Scolari, C. A. (2013), Narrativas Transmedia: Cuando todos los medios cuentan, Barcelona: Deusto.
  • Scolari, C. A. and Establés, M. J. (2017),‘El ministerio transmedia: Expansiones narrativas y culturas participativas’, Palabra Clave, 20:4, pp. 1008–41, https://doi.org/10.5294/pacla.2017.20.4.7.
  • Scolari, C. A., Jiménez, M. and Guerrero-Pico, M. (2012), ‘Narrativas transme- diáticas en España: Cuatro ficciones en busca de un destino cross-media’, Comunicación & Sociedad, 25:1, pp. 137–63.
  • Seinfeld (1989–98, USA: Giggling Goose Productions, Fred Barron Productions, West/Shapiro Productions and Castle Rock Entertainment).
  • Seibert Desjarlais, S. (2018), ‘How I met your masculinity: Contrasting male personas portrayed on How I Met Your Mother’, Journal of Popular Film and Television, 46:3, pp. 169–78, https://doi.org/10.1080/01956051.2018.14768 33.
  • Shaw, K. (2015), ‘Negotiating space, class and masculinity in How I Met Your Mother’, The Word Hoard, 1:3, pp. 108–14. Star Wars (1977–2019, USA: Lucasfilm).
  • Stake, R. E. (2020), Investigación con estudio de casos, San Sebastián de los Reyes: Morata.
  • Stinson, B. and Kuhn, M. (2008), The Bro Code, New York: Pocket Books / Fireside. Stinson, B. and Kuhn, M. (2009), Bro on the Go, NewYork: Pocket Books / Fireside.
  • Stinson, B. and Kuhn, M. (2010), The Playbook: Suit Up: Score Chicks: Be Awesome, New York: Pocket Books / Fireside.
  • Stranger Things (2016–present, USA: 21 Laps Entertainment, Monkey Massacre and Upside Down Pictures).
  • Such, M. (2007), ‘La huelga de guionistas ya está aquí’, Espinof, 5 November, https://www.espinof.com/series-de-ficcion/la-huelga-de-guionistas- ya-esta-aqui. Accessed 29 June 2022.
  • Thompson, L. J. (2015),‘“Nothing suits me like a suit”: Performing masculinity in How I Met Your Mother’, Critical Studies in Television, 10:2, pp. 21–36, https://doi.org/10.7227/CST.10.2.3.
  • Torregrosa-Carmona, J. and Rodríguez-Gómez, E. (2017), ‘Comunidades de fans y ficción televisiva. Estudio de caso: El ministerio del tiempo (TVE)’, Profesional de la Información, 26:6, pp. 1139–48, https://doi.org/10.3145/ epi.2017.nov.13.
  • Tous, A. (2010), La era del drama en televisión. Perdidos, C.S.I.: Las Vegas, El Ala Oeste de la Casa Blanca y House, Barcelona: Editorial UoC.
  • Twin Peaks (1990–91, USA: Rancho Rosa Partnership Production and Lynch/ Frost Production).
  • Whalen, J. (2016), ‘Is being a single man okay? A critical analysis of mascu- linity and singledom in the series How I Met Your Mother’, in A. Hetsroni (ed.), Television and Romance: Studies, Observations and Interpretations, Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, pp. 61–70.
  • Yates, M. (2019), ‘The secret history of BOB: Transmedia storytelling and Twin Peaks’, Supernatural Studies, 5:2, pp. 148–70. Zemeckis, R. (1989), Back to the Future Part II, USA: Universal Pictures.
Fuente de los datos: Dialnet