Media Representations
In these series, a group of American high school students are represented through their social and private life. Their representation of how they live, what they do, and how they act in different ‘typical’ student/teenage situations is very glamorised and exaggerated to generate excitement and cliff hangers throughout the series. The main characters are seen to be the most popular in the school with their fashion, posh behaviour, boys with strong male egos and the women and their ‘cat’ fights and talking behind each other’s backs alongside spreading rumours.
Each character is represented differently depending on their background and where they come from and the past they carry. For example, Adrianna has been represented as a drug addicted which led her to miss auditions as her dream was to pursue acting. This caused her to get pregnant with a random guy. This character in being represented this way as certain issues like this can arise in America and it is addressing to the audience who are watching the dangers and complications that your decision brings in your life. In some respect, this particular representation is quite accurate but of course TV producers exaggerate the idea to create a tenser situation.
Secondly, another character Naomi is shown to be rich, judgemental and flirtatious with the opposite sex. Throughout season 1, she lives with her older sister in a very expensive house which consists of several rooms and a swimming pool. Naomi goes through the first season very materialised with fashion and other products, her main earnings are from her trust fund. This popular fashionable representation has a drastic change due to several backstabbing scenes with her sister. In the second series she is represented as a poor, scruffy depressed teenage girl. In school she is now seen as the ‘tramp’ but this is due to a sexual harassment by her English teacher which led to her to be like that and go through psychological problems. Between these two seasons, the way Naomi was represented were exaggerated on both ends of the spectrum, but beneath that, throwing away money carelessly and harassment does happen in a real life situation which is a positive learning curve for the audience to take notice of with an open mind.
Narrative
In one episode the general basic structure starts off with a recap of the episode before then leads to the opening of the new episode. Whilst that continues, a roll of the actor’s name comes up. After about five minutes, some tension has built, the opening sequence of the show starts which leads up to a break. For the next 45 minutes, the programme is shown for 15 minutes and then followed by a break; this sequence is repeated three times during the hour.
More specifically, within the narrative, using Todorov’s theories, it is disequilibrium with various multi narratives between different characters. Each character possesses their own story for example Liam is a troubled homeless, fatherless teenager living in his car and doing jobs he doesn’t want to, Dixon adopted into the school’s principle’s family whilst tracking down his birth mother which cause jealousy and disruption to his sister, mother and girlfriend, and lastly Teddy who seems to be a player with the women but has feelings for men and how is story of revealing his sexuality causes tension. As you can see the characters build the multi narrative, friends with them either go against or comfort them which can cause friction.
Through an episode, each of those independent narratives develop in some way or another, but 90210 generally brings the characters who are within a friends group to a party where they are all involved for example Adrianna’s Christmas party. Within that setting the narratives develop and one of them may disrupt the party slowly increasing tension towards the end of the episode, resulting in a cliff-hanger in the form of hatred, betrayal or a secret revealed.
Although 90210 is glamorised, underneath the exaggerated narratives there are lesson to learn with the audience are entitled to learn. American culture is different to Britain’s however lessons like drug abuse, underage sex or simply politeness and trust within your friends are important to learn. Therefore through the deeper meanings, the audience is positioned to get both enjoyment and some lessons out of the programme.
In 90210, they seem to introduce the villains in a sinister way which creates a lot of tension and more and more questions arise the viewer’s mind. Through about 3 episodes, whilst Annie was suffering with guilt of a hit and run, an unexpected young teenager was shown to be hiding and spying on Annie. The camera shots were varied between close ups and longs shots in order for the audience to witness where he was and his expression. He seemed quite mysterious and sinister. After 3 episodes the audience witnessed him speak, and as the narrative developed, he was a psycho drug dealer, manipulating Annie to do things as the person who died was Jasper’s uncle.
Genre
This text very much belongs to seasonal drama because of the constant disruptions between friends, student teacher relationships, and family problems. Every episode there is some sort of dramatic scene that happens which creates the tension and suspense which are key characteristics of a drama. Throughout the programme, the major generic conventions that are shown are materialisation, relationships and betrayal. This circles round the characters and in some way or another they all end up going through a relationship problem or experience betrayal continuously between different friends.
90210 is set in Beverly Hills which is a very rich setting, from this you can expect to see icons such as big expensive houses where many parties would take place, fashionable people, distinct appealing sceneries such on top of hills and the beach. These areas are where most scenes take place apart from within school.
In my opinion, I feel that the text’s environment creates an over glamorised setting which leads to an over glamorised narrative. The audience therefore feel that in some respects the setting and narrative are coherent but the actual real life meaning beneath the story may not have any relevance because of the glamorisation.
Media Institutions
90210 are produced by CBS productions which is company connected to Viacom which then led to a merge with Paramount Television. After a few problems, 90210 were the first series to be made under CBS productions independently.
This source is a public service as it broadcasted on the channel e4 in the UK which is a free channel received when you buy a Sky box. In America it is broadcasted on the CW channel which offers many shows Monday to Friday in the afternoon and evenings and then on Saturday for little kids. This is therefore a public service in the states. As this show is aired from 9pm which is passed the water shed. Because this is a public service, more people tend to watch the text because they don’t have to spend extra money on their sky box to watch the programme, most revenue for the show comes from advertising on Facebook, in magazines and TV adverts on other channels.
Media Audiences
This drama is primarily targeted at both female and male between the ages of 16 and 24 because the characters are of a similar age therefore the audience can identify with the themes within the episodes.
You can assume that the type of audience that watches this programme likes American teenage lifestyle and like to indulge into other’s relationships, maybe identify with the relationships and pressures they may face. The audience may be experience similar betrayal and school problems with the work. More or less, I would say the complete audience like to have fun, go to parties and experience new things in their life that may be good or bad.
The audience may receive the text through online or broadcast possibly by themselves because they can really identify with what’s going on. Of course the text would love for most of the target audience to watch on TV however with the internet access and technology developing, more of this target audience would watch on TV sharing websites and potentially watch episodes ahead, therefore it’s really difficult for the TV network to gather how many are watching the series and to decide if its popular or not.
The text receives between 1.77 – 2.45 million viewers which is quite substantial, and majority would be in the bracket of 16-24. This show clearly represents popularity which is reflected through various nominations for awards and 2 which they have received for Young Hollywood Performance and Breakthrough Standout performance.
As an audience member I enjoy watching the various multi narratives and how they all link together in some way or another. Even though the setting and materialistic people are shown, I like to escape into that sort of world which is an important gratification for TV because that is a key aim in which producers like to achieve from their audience. Most of what happens in the show is true on a lower scale and more British valued rather than American. Overall, this show brings a lot of entertainment through the narratives and exaggerated settings and parties.
Media Languages and Forms
Firstly, denotative meaning suggests that the object represents itself for what it is compared to connotative which evaluates the deeper meaning of the object. For example, the denotative meaning of a rose its red colour, but the connotative meaning suggests that a rose represents love.
In the context of my text 90210, throughout the series there are various statements that could be taken for what it is, or someone like Adrianna who likes to twist the meaning takes the connotative meaning. This situation continuously occurs between Silver and Adrianna as they start to argue and betray each other towards the end of season 3 which generates twists and dramas within the series, therefore the level of meaning through connotations clearly creates the suspension and tension in narratives.
As the series is set in a high school, the use of a school is definitely important, and through close analysis I’ve noticed that when there is some tension between two characters, there facial expressions are stern towards each other, and one seems to hide in the locked while the other walks past them in the hallway. This is an example of a non verbal structure of meaning because of the use of just expressions and reactions in the situation compared to verbal; it still allows the audience to understand what is happening.
Another example within the series is that Naomi the queen bee in the school generally is the most fashionable and posh with her clothing which represents her personality. Ivy who is seen to be a ‘tom boy’ in the series dresses simply but due to status, Ivy is picked on for the way she looks by Naomi which again reflects personality. Image helps create a detailed image for the audience to acknowledge in order making their own opinions of the character.
In 90210, there are a variety of sets from the school hallway to the beach and others such as restaurants, bars and homes which generally are having a party. These scenes reflect the life of a teenager who focuses on socialising more than spending after hours in school. However characters like Silver and Naveed who are considerably the most academic in the group of friends, they join the media club and are editors for the school magazine. Each set relates and represents to a certain character and emphasises their behaviour and personality.
I have noticed during moments of sadness, calm slow music is being played softly underneath the scene where someone is crying or reflecting on their past. Similarly this music appears during montages past times either between two who were in a relationship. During upbeat, transitional montages, the music is relatively new and lyric free to keep the focus on the screen and use it as a compliment to the image. 90210 generally use a mixture of songs from unknown American artists to world popular artists like Keri Hilson. This may attract a wider audience and generate more interest into the music rather than the show.
Media Values and Ideology
The content is generally chosen to value the audience’s interest appeal because producers ideally want to attract their target audience which would be young adults and females. The dominant ideologies of this target audience are they enjoy escaping to other’s lives primarily relationships for women. Also the idea of young adult being targeted, scenes such as parties and ‘typical’ school problems are scenes which allow them to identify with.
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