
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 23, 1994                   TAG: 9408250011
SECTION: WELCOME STUDENTS                    PAGE: 6   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KEN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IT'LL GET YOU IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT

It's Thursday night. You've got a 12-page English paper to write, 28 calculus problems to solve and four chapters of political theory to read. What would most college students do?

Simple. Watch "Seinfeld."

"That's about the only time I set aside for watching TV is when 'Seinfeld' is on," said Tony Shockley, a 21-year-old junior at Radford University and a dedicated fan of NBC's highly rated comedy. "But I try to get all of my studying done before then."

While classes and homework are most college students' top priority, several television shows also compete for their attention with a unique brand of drama and humor that has become almost sacred on college campuses. And while some collegiate television addicts admit they can't remember what the Philosophy 101 professor said about Nietzsche, they say they can quote what Kramer said about "the little man" down to the last letter.

"Yeah, there are a lot of people like that," Shockley said.

The Fox network appears to have cornered the market on student viewing, with a lineup that includes the animated situation comedy "The Simpsons" and the melodramas "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place."

Popular shows on other networks include "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS and "Beavis and Butt-head" on MTV.

And of course, there's "Seinfeld."

Shockley said that when he lived in the university dorms two years ago, Thursday nights were highlighted by NBC's comedy duo of "Seinfeld" and the last season of "Cheers."

And, like most dorms, books were closed, music was turned off and TV sets were turned on, especially for "Seinfeld."

"I guess it's so popular because they take simple things in everyday life and make it really funny," Shockley said. "It's hard to put into words."

Matt McAllister, an assistant professor of communication studies at Virginia Tech, has no trouble putting it into words.

McAllister, who has researched television and its effects on popular culture, said the popularity of many shows is not a matter of coincidence.

"I would say the biggest one as far as group watching is 'Melrose Place', but there are a lot of other popular shows out there as well," he said. "It's not chance. They're aimed directly at young people like college students."

McAllister said there are two explanations for the different types of programs and their popularity.

For shows such as Melrose and 90210, McAllister said, popularity has little to do with acting, humor or plot lines.

"Clearly, what drives those is sex," he said. "They're about the raciest shows on television."

McAllister said other shows, such as "Seinfeld" and "The Simpsons," are popular simply because they are centered around topics that young people, in particular, can relate to.

"There are a lot of popular-culture references on those programs," he said, referring to a Pez dispenser episode of Seinfeld. "If you were to count the references, you'd probably find one every two or three minutes."

The references tend to create an in-group, out-group atmosphere among viewing audiences, McAllister said, which helps to separate young people from older generations.

"It's like a hidden joke about the everyday experiences of youth," he said. "I think Letterman works on the same dynamic."

by CNB