Lynn --
My goal is not, by any stretch of the imagination, to exclude "the realism
of those who are still learning." Screen-L presents itself as among other
things a forum by which film and media scholars can discuss professional
issues. I would like to see us take up that challenge. I enjoy many of the
other posts as well. But I see no reason why we can not constructively
engage in discussion about the future of film studies as a discipline. I suspect
 you would have a lot to say about this issue, as someone encountering our
discipline for the first time. In fact, what I am describing as the third
group is precisely concerned with restoring a certain degree of "realism" to
the field, attempting to translate what we say about popular culture back into
popular forums.  I find myself going on talk radio or doing newspaper interviews
 or speaking at science fiction conventions about my work on fan culture, and
my book has been one which has been taken up by large numbers of popular
 readers, if my mail is any indication. What I want to know is how a discipline
 which
for two decade has pulled away from the popular to establish its status as
a discipline within academic institutions can begin to rethink its relation
to popular culture in response to a new generational perspective. The point
is to create a field which does not go over the heads of our students and
does speak to real issues in our lives. Instead of pulling back, I challenge
you to try to help us think about these issues more fully.
 
--Henry