The “Friends” TV Show as a Cultural Artifact

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The cultural artifact selected for this assignment is the TV show “Friends,” which aired in the 1990s. The intended audience is men and women between the ages of 15 and 20 or the ones who were born after the 2000s. The intended audience is of different ethnicities and can differ culturally. The reason for this is that “Friends” is a relatable show for adolescents. In it, the authors show the everyday struggles of young men and women, which can make it easier for the audience members to understand how to deal with challenges. Although “Friends” itself is not culturally diverse, since all of the main characters are white, people of different ethnicities can still benefit from watching this TV series. The lack of cultural diversity was considered normal in the 1990s when the show was filmed (Morris; Smith). Culturally, people who were born and grew up in America, and especially those who live in big cities such as New York, would be the intended audience because the main characters live in a large city. Linguistically, those whose native language is English would be the intended audience. “Friends” are a culturally significant artifact since this show was one of the most viewed when it aired and it should be seen by younger generations.

The rhetorical strategy to reach the intended audience would be antagonage. An antanagoge is a combination of negative and positive remarks. This rhetorical method can be used to portray a problem and its eventual remedy (“10 Commonly Used”). This tactic may allow one to have a well-developed and convincing approach to communication, both in writing and in speech. In the case of “Friends,” the anatagonage would mean explaining the issues with representation and diversity on the show and then addressing its positive elements. Next, for structure, it is best to use the standard approach of an introduction with some background information, main part, and conclusion. The conclusion should summarize the remarks made in the main part of the text. The main body should contain references to the show’s episodes and the current social problems. The language should be simple English to ensure that the audience can easily understand the text. This approach will be the most effective for reaching the audience because “Friends” has already been criticized in popular media. Additionally, using a standard structure and simple language is suitable for the audience between the ages of 15 and 20.