Category: Television

Introduction

Writing and film as different forms of art often come together to front particular ideas which are easily denoted from the thematic structuring of the specific pieces that one is looking at. This essay seeks to show how the TV series 24 has ideas reflected in a poem titled Traveling through the dark and a song called the future.

To this end, a summary of the various seasons of the show will be illustrated in order to get a clear picture of what the entire show is all about. The main ideas which the authors of both the poem and the song are proposing will also be summarized and finally a link will be provided between the piece of literary work, the song and the television show.

Summary of the seasonal structuring of the show 24

The television drama 24 is a show based on a wide array of concepts mainly targeted at addressing social issues plaguing modern day America. The series which is now in its ninth season piloted with the lead character Jack Bauer trying to protect the senator of the country David Palmer from being assassinated by individuals who find both Bauers and Palmers involvement in the Balkan unacceptable. These hit men are out to frustrate Bauer and they even go to the extent of threatening harm to his family members.

In the second season, Bauer is challenged with the task of stopping a nuclear bomb before it explodes in Los Angeles essentially taking down the entire population. He is also tasked with the job of identifying the individuals behind the plot to detonate the bomb in the heavily populated city.

In the third season, jack Bauer needs to infiltrate the ranks of a Mexican cartel dealing in illegal drug distribution. The situation is complicated by the fact that he is also battling an addiction to heroine even as he seeks to recover a stringent strain of killer virus being sold by the gangs. In the meantime, Palmer is getting ready for general elections in which he intends to vie for the top seat in the country.

In the fourth season, Bauer has to protect the secretary of defense, Mr. James Heller and his (Hellers) daughter from criminals intending to kill them. The story takes a dramatic turn when jack and the people he is supposed to protect are kidnapped by the terrorists. With Jack out of the way, the terrorists plot to unleash terror in the country but Jack puts all the necessary effort to stop them.

In season five, people all over the country save for a few close friends believe that he is dead. He is however forced to come out of his self imposed exile prematurely after some of these close friends are murdered mysteriously. He is actually accused of committing the murders and he is out to clear his name. As the story unfolds, the terrorist plot to release nerve gas into the air to front their agenda of protecting Americas interests in the Asian oil sources.

In the sixth season Bauer comes out of detention in China where he has been held for a period of twenty months. He is met with a crisis in the US occasioned by terrorists scheming to set off nuclear explosives and it is up to Bauer to do all that he can to avert this crisis.

The seventh season plays around events that occur when terrorists penetrate the security defenses of the USs computer systems. The individuals responsible for this infringement are also linked to conflict in Sangala. It is further revealed that a number of government officials are involved in the conspiracy in the season that welcomes Americas first female president.

In the eighth season, Bauer is required to unravel a plot to murder the Islamic leader Omar Hassan. Russian extremists plan to take down Hassan as he holds peace talks with Americas president.

Analysis of the song The Future and the poem Traveling through the dark

Right from the outset, it is easy to conclude that the song The Future is about the apocalypse. The author of the song points out from the song the fact that at the end of the world there will be untold misery and suffering occasioned by the evil things that mankind does while on earth (Cohen N.p.).

This is according to the Christian point of view. The element of suffering has been given a lot of emphasis in the throughout the song with claims such as when the world comes to an end people will face suffering whose magnitude can only be equated to death. In later stanzas of the song, Christian religious aspects are introduced especially by the citation of the verse of the song that explains how God will judge the sinners and save those who followed His teachings.

While analyzing the part of the song that details the Buddhist notion of the apocalypse, the writer of this song summarizes this part as claiming that the future is already happening. The apocalypse from this point of view will only serve to illustrate to mankind how evil he has made the world. The writer of the song defines the apocalypse as the time when it will be revealed that mankind is not different from God.

From the poem Traveling through the dark the author informs the readers about the inconsistencies of life especially in modern days. The author of this poem isolates certain statements to show how life can be challenging especially for the men (Stafford N.p.). A conclusion is arrived at that the poem though pessimistic at first glance, serves to illustrate the disappointments in life.

The author of the poem for instance picks out the theme of loneliness which has been highlighted in the poem as well as the issue of failed dreams to further drive home his point. He identifies a point from the essay showing how difficult it is for most people to accept the bitter truths of life.

As a reader of the poem, it is very easy to come to the conclusion that the poem is a broad life metaphor. The author cites certain social issues and highlights them in the poem to give his argument substance. For instance we can pick a point from the poem which speaks of how life passes by way too fast to the extent that individuals would like to go back and relive it again.

Finally we can come to a conclusion that the entire poem just seeks to show how disappointments in life can never come to an end as long as an individual is alive. We arrive at this thought citing the way the poet has used the imagery of the river to show a flow in the sequence of life events.

Ideas expressed in the poem and the song which present in the show 24

The poem Traveling through the dark and the song The Future both emphasize strong points which can directly relate to the themes expressed in the show 24. The song highlights the manifestation of the apocalypse cannot be more wrong by focusing on the fact that man will get punished for evil deeds done on earth.

Though this is derived from the Christian point of view, it is evident from the show 24 that mankind is constantly planning the downfall of fellow human beings. Jack Bauer moves from one case to another all the time saving people from killing each other.

From the second season where Bauer manages to halt the detonation of a nuclear bomb to the third season where he halts the trade of killer viruses in underground markets, to the sixth season where he blocks extremists from once again setting off nuclear explosives, it is evident that man will get punished in the end for this sort of deliberate destructions.

The author of the song picks the Buddhist explanation that the apocalypse is happening here and now. It is clear from the show 24 that wrong deeds cannot go unpunished and that the truth will always set individuals free. Bauer is able to halt the actions of terrorists and other criminal groups plotting evil on innocent individuals.

Most of these culprits have their lives cut short as they are felled by bullets or are arrested. When Bauer is framed for the murder of his friends in season five, it is only when he goes out to seek the truth that he is cut loose. It also comes as a chance for the criminals to face their due punishment.

From the poem Traveling through the dark, it is easy to draw parallels between the poem and the television show 24. The author of the poem categorically points out that his work is on the regular disappointments that men face in their lives. Jack Bauer comes a lot of challenges in the never ending quest that his life has become. Sometimes the people that he is trying to save are the ones who turn on him and plot to get rid of him.

He is presented in the show as a very lonely person because he never gets proper time to settle down. The relationships he has especially with women are not quite meaningful because he often has to distant himself from individuals in order to protect them from attacks by terrorists and other criminals.

The metaphor of lifes challenges as a river presents in the series 24 in the sense that from the first season to the current ninth season, issues keep following Jack Bauer. For instance, even when he goes into hiding and everybody thinks he is dead, criminals manage to kill his friends and frame him for the murders forcing him back into the investigative field.

Conclusion

In conclusion it is worth noting that art is mainly based on thematic subjection. This is more so in writing and film where meaning can be achieved from a given piece of work if a proper analysis of the themes that the work is based on are clearly identified. This paper has shown how parallels can be drawn between a television show a piece of literary work and a song.

Works Cited

Cohen, Leonard. The Future. A-Z Lyrics.com. A-Z. Web.

Stafford, William. Traveling Through The Dark. Poem Hunter. PoemHunter. Web.

The high school football drama, Friday Night Lights, is a great piece of literary work. This is a great television drama, which reflects different literary characteristics, just like other literary works, such as poems, novels, short stories, paintings, plays, and others (Heffernan 1).

While there are non-literary works, they tend to be formal with clear structures and form, precise function, and style. This essay focuses on the use of characters, plot or episodes, and storyline to show that Friday Night Lights is literary.

Friday Night Lights has characters that meet qualities of other characters in works of literature. Characters are people in the narrative or the television series. The television series has round characters, who appear to be complex and experience several development and surprise audience. Characters vary from one episode to the next one.

However, the focus remains on the main character, the Panthers football coach Eric Taylor (Berg 1). The director creates a coach who must struggle to balance his roles as a father, his status as a coach for a demand fans, and his own ambitions. Another character is Tami Taylor, the coachs wife. She becomes a principal at Dillon High School from a counselor.

In addition, Julie Taylor, the teenage daughter of the coach is also a central character in the series. However, it is only Tami and the coach who appear in all episodes of show. Tension sets in the family as Tami gets pregnant and gives birth to another baby. Julie rebels against her parents.

Players are also important characters in the television drama. Football players also change as the plot develops. For instance, Jason Street is the star quarterback who sustains a serious injury that would eventually get him out of the game and make him handicapped. Jason must struggle in order to adjust to his new life. Lyla Garrity also changes from a cheerleader to a youth leader at the church.

The television series depicts characters who struggle and develop to pick up new roles or responsibilities in their lives. Generally, the show depicts various characters of a small town, Dillon who must deal with several challenges in the contemporary American society associated with football. These characters must develop to handle family issues, life lessons, child issues, abortion, alcoholism, football and school funding, and poor economic progress and opportunities.

Friday Night Lights has five seasons, which present the plot of the drama. The plot of the drama is engaging to viewers. A plot presents incidents of the drama to viewers. It is the structure of the drama. Every episode in the drama has a whole element of a plot i.e., beginning, middle, and end.

The beginning sets the pace for the rest of the drama. For instance, season one focuses on two crucial events, which are the rise of Coach Taylor to the position of the head coach and the injury of Street. These are events, which affect and lead the first season to its end. They show cause-and-effect chain in the drama.

This television series has complete plots to reflect unity of actions. In other words, all episodes structurally self-supporting in which all incidents are bound together through internal action and necessity, which lead to next incidents. However, this television series presents an episodic plot in which episodes succeed one another.

It is the events of the play, which tight the play together because they happen to the same characters, who appear in all episodes of the drama. For instance, in episode one, we have Coach Taylor who will take the team throughout the last episode four. One must recognize that events change in every episode. Nevertheless, they happen to the same coach and other characters who appear in all episodes. This brings element of unity in Friday Night Lights.

Finally, the plot of the television drama reflects elements of a certain magnitude in terms of length, intensity, complexity, and universal significance. Episodes or seasons in this television are not too brief. The director strived to include several themes in organic unity to enhance the richness and artistic value.

For example, in season four, the Coach struggles with undesirable players and dilapidated ground. Vince Howard reflects youth challenges in society and justice while a character like Matt Saracen struggles to find a balance in his life. The episode also reflects grief and loss as Matt struggles to come to terms with the death of his father in Iraq.

This episode also shows how Tim Riggins has developed to a reliable and focused character from a hopeless alcoholic. At the same time, the play has universal significant and meaning to many viewers. Hence, the drama is able to capture and hold emotions of viewers.

The storyline of Friday Night Lights reflects that the work is literary. The director uses a story arc to present the storyline. A story arc applies in a running storyline with episodic plots. It was common in television series, films, or other comic books. The story director explores story details in several episodes and seasons. It is a common method, which drives drama in a story.

The storyline is able to attract several viewers and develop fans who follow and discuss different episodes. The development of the storyline raises questions among viewers. For instance, in season two, viewers may wonder whether Coach Taylor would ever return to Dillon after taking a new role as an assistant coach TMU. At the end of the episode, viewers will find a solution to their question as the coach goes back to Dillon.

As the storyline develops, viewers also raise questions whether several economic, social, racial, and political challenges that afflict Dillon would end. Viewers also appreciate the importance of football Dillon because it is able to hold the community together. Still, curious viewers would understand how football or sports could highlight social and economic challenges in American societies where football is core.

The essay has used characters, plot, and storyline to illustrate that Friday Night Lights is a television series that meets all qualities of a literary work. The process of writing a literary drama is intense, intricate, intuitive, and intimate and sometimes emotional, yet it requires a balance between all these agents of literary styles. The story uses round characters who develop and change as events in the drama unfold.

Viewers identify with these characters as they confront and struggle to overcome their daily challenges, desires, and anxieties to change and win. The plot, through episodes and seasons, artistically puts events of the story together for viewers while the storyline maintain coherence of all episodes that make Friday Night Lights.

Works Cited

Berg, Peter, dir. Friday Night Lights. 2006. Film.

Heffernan, Virginia. Friday Night Lights: On the Field and Off, Losing Isnt an Option. 2006. Web.

Methodology

The Data

The data collected for the current research is taken from the first four episodes of the Japanese TV drama 14 Sai no Haha or 14 Year Old Mother. The analysis is conducted on the basis of the expressions, language use, tone, emotions and other specific language characteristics used by the characters in the movie.

Much attention is paid to the main characters, the level of their education, their politeness and the ability to conduct conversations. The choice of words and expressions is analyzed as well. To be specific, the language of the four main characters is analyzed with the remarks to the use of words and expressions. Moreover, the issues which impact language and the choice of the patterns mentioned above are also considered in this research paper.

Miki, the main character of the drama, Tadohiko, her father, Satoshi, Mikis boyfriend and Shisuka, Mikis mother are the central subjects whose language is analyzed in this work. Moreover, some specific expressions and intonations of other students are going to be considered to stress the universality of language use by teenagers.

The data is collected with the stress on subjects age, their intelligence and education as these factors are considered to be the main in the choice of the words. The data collected for Mikis language use and that of other students is important as it helps us check the impact of surrounding world on teenagers.

Using the data of Mikis expressions and those of other students in the drama helps us make conclusions that teenagers are impacted by similar factors (Fong, 2010). Thus, the data gathered from the first four episodes is going to be practically supported.

The Method

The research is based on observation and data analysis. Four first episodes of the Japanese drama 14 Sai no Haha are going to be watched. While watching those episodes, we are going to check the intonations, tones, expressions, used words and word combinations of the main characters.

Having identified four main subjects, we are going to follow their communication through all the episodes, consider their impact on each other and their language use in different situations. Thus, much attention is paid to specific cases when Miki is involved in communication and to people she talks to. The same concerns others subjects of the research. The research participants use words and expressions while talking to classmates, teachers, parents, colleagues, etc.

These are considered to be the central issues for research while watching a drama. Intonation and pronunciation also play important role as these characterises of language are considered to impact the choice of words and are affected by the situation. We are going to watch the four first episodes and write down colloquial phrases used by the subjects chosen for data analysis.

Then, we plan to analyze the observed results with the identification of the number of used interjections, colloquial words, or, vice versa, highly intelligent words. All specific language is going to be gathered in particular groups and organized in a table with stating the intensity and frequency of being used by specific characters. This may help us understand the use of language by different social and age groups.

The Framework

The research methodology and especially the choice of the characteristics used for the analysis are gathered on the basis of the discussion conducted by Berns (2000). He pays attention to age, social groups, gender, education, and occupation. Making a sociolinguistic analysis of the language used by four identified subjects, the attention should be paid to sounds and pronunciation. Using the experience shared by Berns (2000), we have understood that people use their language.

Thus, they do not communicate in the same way all the time. Berns (2000) states that people constantly change their manner and styles in communication depending on situation and the main purposes they pursue; he is sure that people use different language style and expressions when they talk to co-workers, neighbours and friends, interacting with clients, students or car mechanics, buying or selling a commodity, scolding or soothing a child; asking for help or giving an order; extending or declining an invitation; excluding someone from a conversation; or seeking identity with a speech community (p. 556).

Therefore, using the mentioned framework, we want to prove that some people change their communication style while communicating in different situations. We also check the idea that depending on human social status, age, and the place of work, they use different language. Therefore, some conclusions drawn by Berns (2000) helped us state the research questions and identify the principles of the research.

Results

Miki

According to the plot, Miki is a student who runs a school radio program. Considering Mikis intonation, it may be noticed that she is very emotional. Her reaction to the situations and the words is burst and impressive. Her tone is sharp even when she talks to her teachers and parents. She does not express her direct dissatisfaction or does not sound rude, but the tome she uses, the intonation she applies and the pronunciation of words she implements points at her age.

Her emotiveness is expressed via a number of phrases which are repeated consequentially, such as I did it (when Miki leaves school when classes are on), Come (when she wants to secure a puppy), Its okay and Thats me (when a puppy is saved). Turning to the language she uses, it should be stated that short phrases, colloquial expressions and standard word-combinations dominate in her language.

The most common phrases she uses are as follows, Its fine, O-ouch, Yeah, Its okay, and Kind of are the phrases which support Mikis communication during all the episodes. Moreover, she uses reduced forms of the words, like coz in her speech. Moreover, Miki uses such colloquial expressions as Its stupid or Its a big deal (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006). Looking at the situations and the use of language, Miki answers with short statements when she is nervous and when she talks to her parents or teachers. At the same time, she tries to remain speechless talking to authorities, which seems to be a cultural sign.

Satoshi

Satoshi is also a high-school student. He is one of those characters who prefer to remain silent. However, the phrases he uses are informative and always to the point. However, it is impossible to say that he is too intelligent and sincere. His phrases are often grammatically incorrect. The way Satoshi communicates can be considered via the following dialog he leads with Miki over the telephone:

Miki (M): Kiki-chan? Its me.

Satoshi (S): You want something?

M: Kind of.

S: What is it?

M: Un, What, you say, nothing, really, but&

S: Sorry, my home tutor is coming

M: Ah, I see& (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006)

This small phone conversation helps draw a number of conclusions. First of all, the age and the scope of knowledge the participants of the conversation possess are on the low level. Moreover, it is obvious that students lead the conversation as the specific vocabulary is used. Moreover, all the phrases used by Satoshi are monosyllabic. He talks interruptedly, without using long sentences. It shows that a person does not have wide vocabulary and the scope of his knowledge is too little.

Tadohiko

Tadohiko is Mikis father. According to the plot he is a respected man who occupies a good position. However, his manner of communicating with clients and family differs greatly. Using such exclamations as Hey or Eh (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006) he shows lack of intelligence.

His intonation in the family differs depending on the situation; he can be strict and funny, severe and kind. At the same time, talking to the clients, he is kind and even greasy, which is expressed in his way of talking. Even though that Tadohiko talks not that intelligent in the family circle, his grammar is perfect.

Shisuka

Shisuka is Mikis mother. She uses long sentences which are full of sense. She rarely uses short statements and remark. Her manner of speaking reminds that of a lecture who wants to put as much sense in one sentence as she can. No matter who she is turning to, her phrases cannot be called meaningless. Shisukas speech is sometimes filled out with negations. It says about her hidden desire to avoid some specific situation, to refuse from understanding something important.

Returning to Shisukas way of speech, several sentences are going to be offered as the examples. Being informative, Shisukas sentences are grammatically correct. Here is a dialog between Mikis father, Tadohiko, and Mikis mother, Shisuka, to show the difference in their communication styles, even though their age and education is similar.

The situation is as follows, the mother is called to school. Parents do not know for sure what is going to be there, but they know that it is connected with the pregnancy of their daughter. This dialog perfectly discloses the characters of the participants of the communication, their reaction to stressful situations. Much information can be considered from the language itself, as well as the intonations the participants use.

F (Father): if the schools found out, after all& it might be a simple course consultation, or a request for help with bazaar.

M (Mother): I guess not. Eh? Theres no other reason to be called in.

F: How can you& say with such a calm expression?

M: Panicking wont change the situation, right (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006)?

The monolog in the hospital, where Shisuka talks to her daughter about responsibility also deserves attention, When raising a baby, there is no break. Look& Theres days off from schools or companies, right? But& with a baby there is none. Coz if youre absent-minded for even a moment, it might die. Its such a small, weak life. Can you raise one? As you are now, can you raise one? (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006).

Considering the information in this monologue from stylistic points of view, it is possible to notice many words with negative meaning (e.g. die, weak, absent-minded) and negations. Using those words and forms, mother wanted to impact her daughter mentally, on the consciousness level. This shows us that mother is a clever woman, apart from the father who cried on his daughter thinking that such behaviour would give any results.

Discussion

Dwelling upon the results of our research, we are going to rely on the information and results obtained in other specific research. To begin with, it should be mentioned that considering the use of language, intonation, and pronunciation, tone and vocabulary used in the conversations in the first four episodes from the series 14 Sai no Haha much information may be obtained.

Even without looking at people, only listening to their conversations, it is possible to say the age and social position, the level of education and the literacy of those who take part in communication.

The similarity in language used by father and daughter is observed. Both of them use too many exclamations, both of them apply the same words in the same situations, and similarly react to the events. This conclusion may be applied to the research conducted by Mancilla-Martinez and Lesaux (2011) who have proved that the vocabulary of children is formulated at home at the age of 4 years.

Three of four subjects used short phrases in their communication. Watt (2010) explains this by the impact of innovative technologies. Using the Internet as the means for communication, people get used to use short phrases which are easier for typing. Therefore, people do not notice how such way of communication comes into their lives.

Thus, being high school students, Miki and Satoshi use online communication like all students do it. Mikis father uses the Internet for communicating as the part of his job. Working as a waiter, Mikis mother got used to live conversations and short meaningless phrases are not met in her talk.

Gender also plays much in the conversations and the choice of the words. Considering the dialog between Miki and Satoshi presented in the results section, and other conversations, especially those which were held between Mikis mother and a school director, it may be seen that women are more polite, their language is more affective, wile men prefer to operate with facts and strictly express their opinion.

The same conclusions are drawn in the research based on Chinese personal letters written by men and women (Cao, 2007). At the same time, individual, microsocial and macrosocial environment also impacts the choice of words (de Luna & Suberbiola, 2008). Language used at school before the whole class differs from that Miki uses when she quarrels with her friend, the quarrel also takes place at school.

Thus, when the whole class looks at Miki, she speaks in a polite matter, choosing the words which suits the situation and do not sound sharp. However, while quarrel because of a disk, girl used another language. The words were stronger and their negative meaning was directed at each other.

One of the main outcomes of this research is the possibility to draw a conclusion that home communication impacts students choice of words in classroom. Having a mother who expresses her thoughts strictly, with sentences full of meaning, Miki also tries to use this pattern in her communication.

This is seen during her radio program. At the same time, school influence is also noticed (Brown, Hammond, & Onlkama, 1997; Changying, 2010). Lovelace (2006) is sure that the differences in cultural patterns at school and at home may bring a number of problems in the choice of language and communication in general. However, watching the series, no specific differences were connoted. Vice versa, the similarity in attitude in the respect to many issues is observed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be stated that the research conducted on the basis of the Japanese television series 14 Sai no Haha or 14 Year Old Mother has shown that human choice of language depends on many factors. First of all, the situation plays much role. Appearing in various circumstances, people think differently, and the use of their language becomes purposeful.

Thus, to reach specific goals people use different constructions, intonations, and even grammatical forms. Moreover, the language depends from the gender. Women tend to express their feelings and ideas more emotionally, more polite, while men prefer to use factual language, without stylistic devices, etc. The language of teenagers is shorter and more impressive. The influence of innovative technologies is seen.

Therefore, the use of language in communication helps consider much about a person, his/her social status, education, etc. Further research should be conducted with the reference to the impact of human language by globalization, innovative technologies and media referring to the real-life situations. Much attention should be paid to the differences in the age groups of the subjects.

Reference List

Berns, M. (2000). Sociolinguistics. In Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching & Learning (pp. 555-560). New York: Taylor & Francis Ltd / Books.

Brown, Z. A., Hammond, O. W., & Onlkama, D. L. (1997). Language use at home and school: A synthesis of research for pacific educators. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, pp. 1-26.

Cao, X. (2007). The effect of age and gender on the choice of address forms in Chinese personal letters. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 11(3), 392-407.

Changying, L. (2010). Home Language: A Stigma or a Vehicle to Literacy? Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 18(1), 26-40.

de Luna, I., & Suberbiola, P. (2008). Measuring student language use in the school context. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 21(1), 59-68.

Fong, E. (2010). Changing intergroup relations with Mainland Chinese: An analysis of changes in Hong Kong movies as a popular cultural discourse. Multilingua, 29(1), 29-53.

Ken, M., & Chizu, A. (Producers), & Toya, S. & Noriyoshi, S. (Directors). (2006). 14 Sai no Haha. [Television series]. Tokyo: NTV.

Lovelace, S. R. (2006). Cultural discontinuity between home and school language socialization patterns: Implications for teachers. Education, 127(2), 303-309.

Mancilla-Martinez, J., & Lesaux, N. K. (2011). Early home language use and later vocabulary development. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 535-546.

Watt, H. (2010). How Does the Use of Modern Communication Technology Influence Language and Literacy Development? A Review. Contemporary Issues in Communication Science & Disorders, 38, 141-148.

Introduction

Reality TV broadcasts programs that are meant to portray how various activities happen in reality. However, they often exaggerate the reality of those activities to create a thrilling program for the viewers. According to health experts, childbirth is exaggerated in reality TV. Reality TV portrays childbirth as a painful and dangerous experience yet it is not in real life. This form of description imparts fear and wrong perceptions to many women, across the globe. Traditionally, midwifery was a commonality practiced, within the community, to help women through their labor. This was done by midwives who had experience in childbirth.

Childbirth was taught to the majority of women in the community because it was perceived to be their duty. Later on, childbirth was handled by professional doctors in hospitals. Given the advent of hospitals, the need for midwifery decreased and eventually, the majority of women lacked the know-how on childbirth. This created an information gap, which is being filled by the media. Through reality shows on childbirth, women across the globe get birth information. The only reservation is that media programs are not always accurate. This essay seeks to highlight the media portrayal of childbirth and actual reality.

Genesis of Media Reporting and Childbirth

The 19th century represents a period when childbirth was a task done by community women. This meant that pregnant women were to be assisted during labor by their fellow women at home. The women who assisted during childbirth were called midwives. The midwives applied their knowledge of cultural knowledge and traditions. However, this trend changed in 1900 when childbirth was incorporated into the doctors tasks. The number of doctors was increasing gradually; hence, childbirth became synonymous with the doctors. The media campaigned for the abandonment of the midwives because they caused a lot of pain to women.

They also argued that doctors could perform childbirth without the women experiencing any pain. Initially, women were reluctant to seek medical birth since it did not incorporate local culture. Continued media influence made a majority of women lose faith in their traditional methods of childbirth. This change of perception resulted in a high number of women going to hospitals for childbirth services.

Doctors apply only medical knowledge when assisting women through childbirth. Childbirth knowledge, as a result, can only be received during labor since a majority of women lack that experience. This has created a vacuum of the uncertainty of childbirth. This vacuum is being exploited by reality TV, which is misrepresenting, the concept of childbirth. The majority of women believed perceptions from these reality programs due to a lack of information on the issue.

The media have undergone a series of evolutions in casting their programs related to childbirth. In the 1920s, the media treated childbirth as a natural phenomenon that occurred without any complications. It further depicted childbirth as a biological role for women. All media programs portrayed childbirth as a private affair since it was related to sex, which attracted a barrage of taboos. During the 1930s and 1940s, hospitals were predominantly used for childbirth.

This period was marked by decreased infant mortality rates. Maternal complications were easily dealt with effectively reducing maternal deaths. The media came up with programs that demonized traditional childbirth for causing high mortality rates. They reflected on the loss of life due to traditional practices. As the hospital intervention was growing in its sophistication, the media were focused deeply on reporting about various methods and equipment for childbirth. There was a lot of innovation in this field that became the subject for the majority of media programs. The 1980s marked the advent of fictional programs on childbirth. Fiction depicts that the process of childbirth is a highly sophisticated process that involves complex equipment and technology. It portrays the womens reaction with a deceptive exaggeration of their emotions.

TV Childbirth and the Reality

The majority of expectant women have a high degree of interest to watch TV programs on childbirth. They claim that the programs are not only instructive but also make them aware of what to expect (Gabriel, 2011, p.58). However, most analysts think that these shows are often not accurate. This, thus, gives a misguiding perception of what transpires during childbirth. In these shows, labor takes too long and is somewhat a tedious process. All the shows depict childbirth as an excruciating process that is rife with fatal complications. Further, almost all women in reality shows are portrayed to scream in agony during childbirth.

These perceptions induce this form of reaction to the majority of women at labor. For instance, a woman who believes that labor is painful; will always experience pain during childbirth. These shows also portray midwives and women who give birth naturally as backward and uncivilized. The shows portray natural birth in a demeaning manner and thus the rising preference for cesarean births. Doulas are not spared either in these TV shows. They are delineated as demented human beings. The majority of critics of TV shows think that the shows are not factual hence should be watched for entertainment purposes only.

The prevalence of commercial broadcasts has triggered the propagation of dramatized and inaccurate shows on childbirth. The women and girls who watch these shows develop a misconception about labor and birth. The information vacuum created by the rejection of doulas and midwives is filled by information in magazines, the internet, and TV. The effect of media on childbirth is tremendously significant to the extent that the majority of women prefer getting information from TV shows to attending prenatal clinics. This exposure to inaccurate material has left many women vulnerable due to the enormous negative influence of the shows.

This negative depiction has forced the midwives and doulas to sensitize women on the myths surrounding their role in childbirth. A study conducted by Clement in 1997 about TV childbirth revealed many disparities from real childbirth. In TV shows, childbirth is associated with complications and uncertain labor outcomes. This scenario underscores the thrill that these shows intend to pass to the viewers, which is not the reality. According to the findings from the study, about 75% of women gave birth in hospital while the rest were at home (Varney, Kriebs, & Gegor, 2004, p. 463).

TV shows describe the births at home as accidental and attribute them to failure of timely access to the hospital. Premeditated births at home were risky and unpredictable. In British TV, the Majority of women believe TV births are not real. These births occur unexpectedly in stadiums, in class, in toilets, or in any other place. The drama is created due to failure to access a health facility.

The studies carried out by Clement found that most TV shows exhibited labor as an emergency. Labors attracted rushed reactions from doctors with the family members drowned in panic. This move is purely for purposes of comedy, as it does not happen that way in reality. These were responded to by doctors who were dressed in surgical caps and dust coats all the time. In Britain, maternal care was provided by midwives who never put on theater gowns. In TV shows, few births involved their partners partly due to the emergency laborers. The intensity of birth is depicted as extremely agonizing and exhausting.

Common to the majority shows is the emergency treatments accorded women in labor. Anesthesia is commonly used during labor, to remove the pain. These statistics compelled Clement to conclude that the inherent variations between TV shows and reality were a world apart pointing to the inaccuracy of TV childbirth. According to studies by VandeVusse, in a majority of laborers, there was regular check on the fetal heartbeat rate and blood pressure checks.

He further stated that about 73% had epidural services whereas about 27% used Pitocin to stimulate labor. Midwives were portrayed as offering minimal medical interventions and irregular fetal observation. The midwives did not provide induction and epidural. The midwives used methods like walking, bathing, and standing to reduce pain. TV reality shows described medical childbirth and midwifery as employing unique approaches.

Conclusion

Negative publicity imparts misconceived perceptions to women about birth. These wrong perceptions have influenced adversely to decision-making capacity by women, partly because of tokophobia that has been imparted to the women. The majority of young women are avoiding pregnancy, natural birth, or even regularly terminating a pregnancy due to fear. It has also caused the majority to opt for elective cesarean to natural birth. In conclusion, midwives, doulas, and other people providing care to pregnant women should provide adequate sensitization about the TV shows, depiction of childbirth, and the actual reality.

References

Gabriel, C. (2011). Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Varney, H., Kriebs, J. M., & Gegor, C. L. (2004). Varneys Midwifery. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Introduction

Future fulfilment and success that is enjoyed by people in their adult life depends mainly on the emotional as well as the intellectual development that was experienced in their childhood. The experiences are derived from direct experiences that results from interactions with people around us and indirect experiences that are attributed to the ever growing media sources in the technological world we are living in. In the modern world, the media sources have been taken over by the mass media which incorporates the television; its most prominent and prevalent category. Television is attributed to influencing the societys perception on the real world through the images it depicts. It has however experienced its share of negative and positive criticism. Despite this, it has continued to be adopted throughout the world hence becoming the favourable mass media device. Over the years a lot has been said and written over the impact of television within our society.

Argument for positive effects of TV watching

The general perceptions and explanations that are attributed to the effects of television in the social life tend to incline on the negative aspects thereby disregarding the other factors that bring about the positive effects of television. Television is considered as a socializing agent (Fisch 112, 113).

One of the functions of the media is to depict the current happenings in the modern world. These happenings are often depicted in the television dramas or the news. For instance while dealing with violence, the media plays its role by indicating the threat it poses and implies the appropriate response that arises from the threat. The focus therefore needs to be shifted from the simple journalistic idea, if the reality which is expected to be captured by the media is to change the motive media of images that are structured to have a role in the determination of social agendas.

Educational Television programs are regarded to have a positive effect on childrens cognitive development as well as social development in adults. There are programs that encourage prosocial behaviours within the society. Positive effects have been identified in the variety of different cultures as they advocate sharing and respect within the society. Among the positive effects of prosocial shows are the increase in interaction levels and a decrease in aggression levels among the viewers as the effects will be will be visible in the real world. Watching TV programs has also been regarded as another way of fostering group identity as teenagers or viewers are known to identify themselves with media preferences (Parke and Clarke-Stewart 307).

Argument for negative effects of TV watching

According to Straubhaar and LaRose, violent behaviour effects from television have received a lot of attention from researchers than any other antisocial behaviour. Teenagers are regarded to possess the biggest percentage of television viewers. This therefore means that majority of the studies conducted are based on the teenagers within our society. The effect of television on the youngsters and teenagers at large has been an issue of concern in the public domain. This is because it is difficult for the youngsters to comprehend the difference between the current world they are living in and the world they perceive in the small screen. In the current world teenagers tend to spend numerous hours in a day watching the television without supervision. This hence creates room for possibility of harming the young developing mind with contents that are regarded as antisocial behaviour and as well as violent behaviour (Straubhaar and LaRose 407).

According to Martin, majority of the experts laid the blame of increase decay of social behaviours on the television and other forms of the media. It is these forms of media that glorify the unacceptable norms of the society such as drug use and irresponsible sexual behaviours. When these behaviours are seen or encouraged over the televisions the viewers are attracted to them and tend to try the theoretical behaviours practically. This therefore indicates that the viewers imitate what they see or hear over the various sources of media. The fact that the television or the film industries glorify these behaviours, they bear the burden of causing a decline in moral behaviour and increase in moral decay within the society. In the modern world majority of the rap and rock songs are incorporated with messages of violence in their lyrics. This will bound to increase deviance among the teenagers as the forms of entertainment known to them glamorizes the themes that are inclined to deviance behaviours (Martin 89).According to the cultivation theory, television addicts are mainly less concerned with violent acts as they perceive these acts as justified and they can tolerate it. The viewers perception on violence is moulded according to what he or she sees on the television thus in time, violence is not viewed as problematic but rather as an acceptable behaviour. The cultivation theory suggests that addicts of the television often perceive the world in a frightening and violent dimension which is contrary to the situation at hand. In addition to this, these viewers tend to be victims of the same violence they are watching. In summation, the violent televised shows are one of the root causes of violent behaviours in the social world as they tend to be more desensitized and aggressive to the aftermath of watching these programs in the sense that they consider the world revolving around them to be fearful, a phenomenon regarded as mean world syndrome.

Stand

Despite the various factors that contribute to the negative development of behaviours within the society, the one factor that cannot be ignored is the impact the television has in shaping the behaviour of the whole society we are living in. Media violence is one of the factors that are attributed to negative and antisocial behaviours among the developing teenagers and the society as whole. Human beings tend to imitate what they see a process called observational learning. It is at this stage that the youths are normally curious in trying out any kind of behaviour. The observational learning has been described as one of the main psychological process upon which the effects of media violence are based especially in a teenagers that are developing.

In April 6, 1998 the Time Magazine wrote an article that indicated that a time was coming when the debate on media violence will be put in the same platform as the one the debate on tobaccos impact on health was kept on. In addition the article went on to condemn researchers who dont bother in debating over the increased bloodshed over the television that is bound to affect the viewers witnessing it.

Slapstick humour as well as other comedic elements has a way of camouflaging scenes of moral decay. As from its definition, it is regarded as humour achieved from physical action, slapstick humour has been incorporated in various television shows. There are several reasons as to why comedy which is one of the many television shows is regarded to condone violence. Some of the reasons include: 1) in comedies, the seriousness of the violent scenes is downplayed leading to the notion that violence is just another trivial by the viewer; 2) violence is camouflaged by excluding it from the schemas; and 3) when combined together humour and violence will result to downplaying the level of violence.

As regarding the deviant behaviours some of the entertainment shows are centrally focus on portraying a negative perception. The music entertainment shows that depict singers advocating on the use of drugs such as marijuana are bound to instigate negative and deviant behaviours among the teenagers. Majority of these singers are depicted in a lavished life of comfort that is yearned by majority of the teenagers and the moment they portray the use of drugs and other negative sexual behaviours as a common way of life, the teenagers will incline to the newly acquired way of life by trying out the same behaviours shown on the TV.

Conclusion

A lot of the attention from the researchers while conducting their researches has mainly been focused on the negative effects that television has as opposed to its positive effects. While considering the due care that is needed in showing the various programs to the viewers, it must be noted that television when used sensibly will give rise to numerous benefits. However the current form of media has been used to instigate negative social behaviours within the society we are living in.

References

Fisch, M. Shalom. Childrens learning from educational television: Sesame Street and beyond. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 2004.

Martin, Gus. Juvenile justice: process and systems. CA: Sage Publication Ltd. 2005.

Parke, D. Ross. and Clarke-Stewart, Alison. Social Development. NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2011.

Straubhaar, D. Joseph. Media now: understanding media, culture, and technology. CA: Thomson Corporation. 2006.

The occurrence of the CSI effect is widely discussed in scholarly resources such as Public Understanding of Science, for instance. By the example of the article, derived from this journal, one may see that the impact of the SCI effect is tracked in the minds of regular television viewers (Cole 130-146). The research, made by the author, proves that for the majority of those who watch the series the borderland between fiction and reality becomes blurred. The main goal of the study was to identify to what extent different factors had contributed to the programs high level of credibility and how they affected the viewers perception of TV reality.

As Steenberg states, the CSI franchise has solidified the now conventional iconography of popular forensic science in visual culture (3). Eventually, the main purposes of the article were to define how the CSI effect had led to a distorted way of thinking and, thus, peoples wrong perception of events. The study brightly demonstrates how the CSI effect makes a pernicious impact on the way judges, attorneys, and regular citizens make conclusions regarding crimes. The author highlights that although, the storylines are fiction. Their effect is real (Cole 132). People tend to believe those police departments work exactly the way they are shown on TV. Despite the fact the program creators apply for computer graphics to more precisely reflect their vision of a particular situation (the way a bullet penetrates tissues, etc.), viewers still accept the given information as a reliable fact. This statement proves that a detailed depiction of how the crimes are being investigated and solved makes the influence of heavy forensic television program viewership on perceptions of scientific evidence and juror decision-making (Mancini 543).

The key research questions, the author is attempting to answer, are narrowed down to two major sections: how the actual reality is becoming distorted by a mentioned effect and to what extent this fact influences the minds of regular citizens and judges in particular. Knowing that the CSI effect does exist and may alter the trial strategies, the researcher applies various approaches and methods of data collecting (Hayes and Levett 220). Thus, to prove the claim of Maeder and Corbett that higher frequencies of TV show viewing make viewers increase their expectations regarding evidence, the author refers to a quantitative method of data retrieving and provides tables where main statistical figures are gathered (89). These figures show that jury consultants and judges are influenced by the CSI effect to the degree of 90 in percentage equivalent (Cole 135).

In addition to the mentioned quantitative method, the researcher also uses a qualitative approach to the data analysis. With regards to the fact that quite often the public formed opinions not based on crime statistics, but rather how the media represented crime the author expresses his view of the situation and tries to highlight the premises for their occurrence (Ogletree and Sarat 23). His opinion coincides with the one this review is backing. The CSI effect does have an influence on the way trials currently operate and the way they make decisions. Expectedly, the reasons for this fact lie in the mass media misfeed and distorted depiction of facts by the program creators, which leads to the wrong comprehension of the given information.

Works Cited

Cole, Simon A. A Surfeit of Science: The SCI Effect and the Media Appropriation of the Public Understanding of Science. Public Understanding of Science, vol. 24, no. 2, 2015, pp. 130-146.

Hayes, Rebecca M., and Lora M. Levett. Community Members Perceptions of the CSI Effect. American Journal of Criminal Justice, vol. 38, no. 2, 2013, pp. 216-235.

Maeder, Evelyn M., and Richard Corbett. Beyond Frequency: Perceived Realism and the CSI Effect. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, vol. 57, no. 1, 2015, pp. 83-114.

Mancini, Dante E. The CSI Effect in an Actual Juror Sample: Why Crime Show Genre May Matter. North American Journal of Psychology, vol. 15, no. 3, 2013, p. 543.

Ogletree, Charles J., and Austin Sarat. Punishment in Popular Culture. NYU Press, 2015.

Steenberg, Lindsay. Forensic Science in Contemporary American Popular Culture: Gender, Crime, and Science. Routledge, 2013.

In the research of Alissa E. Setliff and Mary L. Courage Background Television and Infants Allocation of Their Attention during Toy Play, the authors address the influence of background television on infants environment. The issue of the effect of TV on the distribution of their attention during the play was raised. Those who spend time at background television while playing may have many disadvantages in their later childhood (Chonchaiya, Sirachairat, Vijakkhana, Wilaisakditipakorn, and Pruksananonda, 2015).

88 infants at six months of age took part in the study. Due to such circumstances as somnolence, fussiness, crying, and parents interruption material from 28 of them was eliminated. Consequently, the final selection included 60 infants (30 female, 30 male). It is important to note that that the average age of infants during the research was 26 weeks. All participants were Caucasians, mainly middle class, who were enrolled from the information base where the data was provided by parents. 52 of infants returned at the age of 12 months to take part in an additional session. However, five of them were eliminated because of fussiness, crying, and somnolence. The number of participants was 47 (22 female, 25 male) (Setliff & Courage, 2011).

The initial analyses did not reveal any differences in primary indicators of attention to toys or to television between those 13 participants who took part only in the first session and those who participated in both. A year later, when infants were two years old, 37 of them took part in additional session (Setliff & Courage, 2011). During this procedure, three of them were eliminated because of equipment errors. 34 participants (19 girls, 15 boys) were examined at an average age of 100 weeks (Pempek, Kirkorian, & Anderson, 2014). Preliminary researches did not show differences between infants who participated in the previous sessions and those who took part in all procedures. Such equipment as analog cameras was used for the research. The first sessions participants were presented with bright-colored toys with movable parts that met age requirements. Infants in the second procedure were given seven toys as well as the same as was provided for six-month old participants. As for the third session, it should be noted that new models of age-appropriate toys were given to infants.

According to Setliff and Courage (2011), the distinction between exposure to television that is background and that which is foreground is an important one that was first made by Anderson and Evans who defined foreground television as programming to which young children show sustained attention (p.612). 30 clips were randomly generated for them. The first session participants were provided with ten minutes of TV programs. For the second and third sessions, infants were presented with other clips. Participants were secured in a childrens chair in the room and freely playing with toys. During the first half of the procedure, the TV was on, and the rest of the time it was off.

Parents were situated in the same room sitting behind the infants. The length of participants gaze at toys and television was judged by observers by viewing digital files in a real time condition. According to data provided by parents, 42 per cent of them reported on having at least two TV sets. Furthermore, their children at six months age watched approximately 40 minutes of TV programs while at twelve months they watched one hour per day (Pempek et al., 2014). The number of participants who had TV sets in their bedrooms was not high.

Various types of visual attention that represent the participants interest for toys and TV were taken into account: gaze duration and an overall number of glances. The results revealed the fact that infants directed their attention to toys rather than to TV (Setliff & Courage, 2011). The first goal of the research was to observe how background television influences the infants attention while they are playing. The following two issues were whether TV attracts their attention and how programs may hold it. The results revealed that at the ages of six and 12 months infants prefer playing to watching TV disregarding the type of programs provided as television interrupts their activity. One may note that when TV was on, the average length of childrens looks was considerably shorter than when it was off since infants focused their attention during 26 seconds (Pempek et al., 2014).

The above data states that programs were successful in gaining infants attention but not in holding it. For most infants, TV did not become a foreground activity. This should allay the concerns of those who contend that the typical fast pace of current television programs compels visual fixation in young infants who find themselves unable to look away, regardless of comprehension (Setliff & Courage, 2011, p.631). The failure of TV to attract infants attention is evident since the length of the gaze depends on such factors as viewing context and whether a parent co-views with the infant (Setliff & Courage, 2011, p.631). It should be noted that toys preference depends on the order of programs presentation. Participants, who were shown a program at the end of their session, were more distracted by TV in comparison to those who were presented with it during the first half of session.

The average length of a look to TV in the second group was twice more than of the first (7 seconds against 3 seconds) (Setliff & Courage, 2011). Hence, this order reflects a change of TV over time and familiarity with toys. According to Setliff and Courage (2011), infant-appropriate TV implemented in the study was beyond the comprehension level of the studied group, and it performed as a distractor rather than play. Furthermore, distraction of attention is more likely to decrease during the childrens growth. During the study, no differences of age distractibility were obvious. One may note that the study of the same group of participants who were reexamined at the age of 24 months indicated that they do not spend that much time looking at TV as they did at previous sessions (Pempek et al., 2014).

To conclude, TV presence in the life of infants may constrain their attention and interrupt from their activity. Despite the fact that children continue to engage in ongoing activities while exposing to background TV, watching programs may diminish their attention. Moreover, it even could slow down cognitive processing. The main concern is that diversion of attention from playing due to their frequent looks to TV. Play is considered to be the main factor of infants cognitive and social development, where they practice their motor habits and discover objects characteristics.

Reference

Chonchaiya, W., Sirachairat, C., Vijakkhana, N., Wilaisakditipakorn, T., & Pruksananonda, C. (2015). Elevated background TV exposure over time increases behavioural scores of 18monthold toddlers. Acta Paediatrica, 104(10), 1039-1046.

Pempek, T. A., Kirkorian, H. L., & Anderson, D. R. (2014). The effects of background television on the quantity and quality of child-directed speech by parents. Journal of Children and Media, 8(3), 211-222.

Setliff, A. E., & Courage, M. L. (2011). Background television and infants allocation of their attention during toy play. Infancy, 16(6), 611-639.

Introduction

Television shows are very popular with children in the modern society. These shows have overtaken the outdoor games as a favorite leisure activity, especially among the children below twelve years. Games such as hide-and-seek, athletics, and football are not common among children in the current society.

Those who live in urban centers have been more addicted to these shows. There has been a debate in the public domain about the real effect of television shows. While a section of the society argues that television shows are beneficial to children because they are educative, others feel that they have a negative influence on them. Each of the two factions has reasons, which support their opinions.

Children are spending more time watching television shows than ever before despite this raging debate. In this argumentative paper, the researcher seeks to give reasons, which prove that television shows have serious negative influence on children.

Discussion

Exposure to some television shows promotes violence among children. Most of the shows, which are meant for children, contain violence, which may affect children negatively. In these shows, life is demonstrated as being full of physical wars that one must win in order to be considered a hero.

At this early stage in life, children learn a lot from what they see and hear from their immediate environments. They watch movies where heroes kill villain violently in order to achieve victory. The victory they receive after committing such actions show that violence is cool. Children learn very fast and come to realize that the only way they can have their way is through violence.

Most of the cartoons that are very popular among children below ten years also have violent actions that involve destruction of property and even killings. These children would grow up knowing that life is defined by physical force. This may not affect them only, but also people around them.

Television shows have also been associated with risky behaviors, especially among young teenagers. It is not possible to control the channels that children can access in the house. In various cases, children end up watching shows, which are meant for adults. They are exposed to information that may corrupt their minds at very early stages.

Given the fact that they are very curious and eager to learn, they may end up engaging in risky behaviors that may not be good for their own health. For instance, alcoholism among the adolescents has largely been blamed on shows, which present the habit as being cool.

These children would then indulge in these habits seeking acceptance among their peers because of their desire to associate with the characters they see in these shows. In some cases, a child would try to imitate some of the habits they see in the characters at school. This increases cases of indiscipline at school.

Television shows have had serious negative impacts on the physical health of many children. As mentioned before, children now spend most of their time watching television than playing physical games. This affects their normal development.

Physical activities not only help in the development of bones and muscles among children, but also their brain capacity. Reduced physical activities may bring physical complications among children such as obesity, retarded growth, or weak bones that can easily break when little pressure is exerted on them. Some of the television shows advocate for violence.

Television shows such as wrestling always create temptation among children to try the moves made by these professional wrestlers. Several cases of broken bones or even death have been witnessed as young children try to practice these dangerous moves. When they see these activities in their screen, they believe it is normal and can be practiced without straining.

Conclusion

Television shows may have a number of good benefits for children in our modern society. However, its negative impacts far outweigh these benefits. Children who are constantly exposed to violent shows may end up being violent. They cannot reason rationally like adults to realize that what they see is fiction. Some children are exposed to adult contents, which may make them develop risky behaviors that may have serious consequences in their life today, and in future.

Health experts have also insisted that television shows have reduced the time that children spend in physical activities. This makes them vulnerable to health problems such as obesity, coronary diseases, and weak bones. Parents may not have control over what these children watch. This makes the situation even more delicate. Their curiosity to learn about various issues, especially those that parents prohibit them from, put them at serious risks in their normal development.

The growing popularity of television as a form of mass media has resulted in the development of many comedy genres. They can appeal to people who may differ in terms of their educational level, political views, age, family status, employment, and so forth. In many cases, it is difficult to classify television comedies because film-makers may combine the elements of different genres. For instance, one can refer to animated sitcoms that may include some components that are typical of drama (Stabile 9). Overall, television comedies can differ considerably in terms of such criteria as the setting of the movie, the number of actors involved in the film, the themes explored by the authors, and the use of cinematographic techniques; in turn, this paper is aimed at examining the key attributes of sitcoms, television comedies, tragicomedies, and animated comedies because these types are of great interest to many viewers.

It is possible to argue that TV comedies have a rather long history, and they were produced even at the time when television was only beginning to grow in popularity. In particular, they were released in the late thirties. For instance, one can mention Starlight that was produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1936 (Newton 27). In addition to that, it is possible to mention Pinwrights Progress that is viewed as one of the earliest sitcoms. This television series was released right after the end of World War II. Since that time, there have been many movies that can be described as comedies, and much attention should be paid to their primary attributes and distinguishing traits.

At first, one should discuss situational comedies or sitcoms that represent recurrent characters; moreover, their action usually takes place in the same setting (Mills 28). For instance, the characters can work in the same organization. In this case, one can refer to the television series named The Office. Apart from that, sitcoms can explore the experiences of people who know each other for a long time; in many cases, they have similar lifestyles. For instance, it is possible to consider the famous sitcom Friends. Apart from that, such movies can portray the life of family members; in this case, one can refer to such a sitcom as The Middle. It depicts the life of a middle-class American family (Spangler 472). A single episode of such television comedies usually lasts for approximately 30 minutes (Mills 28). The chief peculiarities of this genre are examined by Brett Mills, who discusses the reasons why the production of such films has become an important part of the show business (10). It is probably the most widespread format. Such movies enjoy popularity among various social and age groups.

Apart from that, one should consider the so-called sketch comedies that consist of short and unrelated vignettes (Harrison 13). In particular, these narratives are not the parts of a larger plot. They can explore various themes such as relations between family members, co-workers, friends, and so forth. Additionally, they depict people, who represent social or age groups such as teenagers, students, police officers, journalists, and so forth (Harrison 13). Among the most famous sketch comedies, one can distinguish Little Britain that presents a satirical description of the British lifestyles or values (Harrison 13). In addition to that, it is possible to mention Monty Pythons Flying Circus. Overall, this type of television comedies can be useful for exploring for various issues such as social or economic problems, peoples values, conflicts within families, and many other topics. In this case, film-makers are not limited by the necessity to follow the plot line. However, one should remember that sketch comedies often reflect the issues that are familiar to the representatives of a particular culture. For instance, Charles Harrison argues that it is often difficult to adapt such shows to the needs of foreign viewers (Harrison 13). Apart from that, the elements of sketch comedies can be observed in various television shows. These shows often feature two or more comedians who perform on stage.

It is important to remember that film-makers can incorporate the elements of different genres such as comedy and drama. Therefore, they can explore various themes such as the role of mass media in the life of individuals, healthcare organizations, crime and so forth (Britton 94). This type of movies can be called comedy-dramas. They may even highlight the experiences of individuals who may struggle with some psychological problems. In this case, it is possible to mention such television series as Psych or Moonlighting that depicting the work of detectives and police officers (Britton 94). One should bear in mind that such television comedies can take place in different settings as such healthcare organizations, law firms, police departments, and so forth. Apart from that, many sitcoms have the elements of comedy-dramas. For instance, the television series named The Middle highlights the experiences of a family struggling through the recession that began in 2008 (Spangler 472). It is possible to refer to the scholarly article written by Lynn Spangler who notes that the characters of many sitcoms may live from paycheck to paycheck (Spangler 479). Thus, these fictional individuals are not isolated from the trends affecting the entire American society. These examples are important for showing that the boundaries between different types of comedies often can be blurred. Furthermore, such television series can be useful for understanding the social and economic problems faced by the community.

Additionally, the production of television comedies may involve the use of different cinematographic techniques. For instance, some cartoons can also be regarded as television comedies. As a rule, their plot and setting are typical of sitcoms and comedy-dramas. In particular, one should consider such comedies as Simpsons, Futurama, or South Park. They usually explore the experiences of some recurrent characters such as family members or close friends. At the same time, they can explore such themes as the role of religion, domestic violence, unemployment, psychological problems of children or adolescents, and so forth. Thus, one can say that television comedies can combine different formats. It is one of the trends that can be distinguished.

Overall, these details are important for showing that television comedies have evolved considerably during the last 70 years. They can serve the needs of viewers who may have various values and attitudes. The main trend is that film-makers can apply the elements of different cinematographic genres. For instance, they prefer to use the elements of comedy and drama since this approach is useful for exploring a broad range of topics. It is important to consider such types as sitcoms, animated comedies, comedy-dramas, and sketch comedies because they are the most popular formats.

Works Cited

Britton, Piers. Reading between Designs: Visual Imagery and the Generation of Meaning in The Avengers, The Prisoner, and Doctor Who. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2010. Print.

Harrison, Charles. Difficulties of translating humour: From English into Spanish using the subtitled British comedy sketch show Little Britain as a case study. New York: Anchor Academic Publishing, 2013. Print.

Mills, Brett. The Sitcom. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009. Print.

Newton, Darrell. Paving the Empire Road: BBC Television and West Indian Immigration. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2011. Print.

Spangler, Lynn. Class On Television: Stuck In The Middle. Journal Of Popular Culture 47.3 (2014): 470-488. Print.

Stabile, Carol. Prime Time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.

Cannon arguments on TV violence

The articles, Honey, I warped the kids, and The Hollow Crusade against TV Violence elaborate on the impacts of TV violence programs. They illustrate how TV programs have affected society, since the early 1950s (Cannon 1). In these articles, the authors argue on several effects emanating from increasing programs on TV violence. To comprehend the current effects of TV violence, one has to analyze the authors main points and their common grounds.

In both essays, the authors argue that violence is harmful to society. As affirmed by Cannon, the effects of television violence were witnessed as early as 1954 (Cannon 1). Though the TV industry was relatively young, its negative impacts across society had already been experienced. This issue came into public scope when it was reported in the first congressional hearings held in 1954. Additionally, the television industrys bizarre marketing power was felt across American society immediately after the inception of the television industry. Despite such phenomenon, when one analyzes of worlds societies prior to the invention of the TV is done, it can be realized that violence was on the increase.

Both Cannon and Todds arguments denounce TV violence. Todd claims that he has campaigned against movie violence for more than two decades, since the times of The Wild Bunch and The Godfather. Similarly, Cannon argues that numerous groups calls to curb television violence over the years, should act as a reminder that society as a whole, is gaining concern on the effects of TV violence.

Similarly, both Todd and canons arguments on TV violence have resulted in numerous adverse effects on society. Referring to David Nasaws findings in the 1910 film shows, Todd shows that forty percent of the sampled films were unfit for children (Gitlin 1). These films encouraged vulnerable children to engage in violence through their themes. Using the Deer Hunter show, on the TV cables in the year 1982, Todd attributes that several people killed themselves while playing Russian roulette because of the show (Gitlin 1). This implies that in the process of movie emulation, some individuals end up losing their lives. In addition, the author claims that the increasing carnage, suicide, and murders might be a result of TV violence.

An analysis of the two articles reveals the different opinions held by both authors concerning the effects of TV violence. Cannons arguments assert that the current increase of violence in society is due to the effects of TV violence. To support his claim, Cannon indicates that there have been more than three thousand studies, all aimed at finding the relationship between real violence and TV violence.

Out of eighty-five major studies conducted, only one research failed to illustrate the linkage between TV violence and crime (Cannon 1). Subsequent reviews by independent social scientists affirmed that indeed there was a high correlation between TV violence and societal violence. Similarly, Cannon uses TV violence research conducted from the year 1973 to date to support his arguments (Cannon 1). Throughout the research analysis, negative impacts resulting from TV shows within the society are illustrated.

Todd argument regarding TV violence

On the other hand, Todd claims that violence in society is not necessarily caused by TV violence shows. As indicated by evidence from the article, the author disagrees with the universal beliefs on TV violence. Despite the fact that he considers various TV shows as a disgrace to society, he elaborates how other factors have perpetuated violence (Gitlin 1). Citing the current increase of violence in society, Todd argues that those advocating against media violence are making grave mistakes. In this regard, he argues that they should be treated like those advocating for pornography shows. He believes that these individuals are trying to distract the medias real purpose of airing appropriate shows, aimed at reducing violence within the society.

Unlike Cannon, Todd claims that the media played a role in perpetuating violence in society, way before the introduction of the TV shows. He maintains that in the past, English and American middle-class people blamed the media for inciting the working-class youth, resulting in numerous demonstrations and strikes (Gitlin 1). Thus, the article suggests that society should solve other factors that cause violence, before targeting TV shows as the main cause of violence in society. Based on his arguments, he believed that poverty, discrimination, and increase in unemployment rates in our societies should be blamed for the rise in violence.

Another major difference between Cannon and Todds arguments is that Todds arguments are more realistic because real-world violence is not only perpetuated by the media, but also by other social factors. Thus, the need to minimize the increasing violence rate within our society demands that all root causes must be addressed (Lamson 4).

In my opinion, the increase in violence in society should not only be attributed to the TV violence shows, but also to the decay of societys morals (Freedman 34). Thus, TV companies should abide by the code of ethics. This ensures that whatever is aired has appropriate content only, especially on childrens channels. Likewise, the TV companies should air more family shows, comical shows, and other non-violence shows at the expense of violent shows. Equally, parents should protect their children from extreme TV violent shows by ensuring that their children watch the right shows under their observation.

Works Cited

Cannon, Carl M.. MotherJones JA93: Honey, I warped the kids | Mother Jones. Mother Jones | Smart, Fearless Journalism. Version 1. no publisher, 1993. Web.

Freedman, Jonathan L.. Media violence and its effect on aggression: assessing the scientific evidence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002. Print.

Gitlin, Todd, Imagebusters: The Hollow Crusade Against TV Violence. MEDIA AWARENESS NETWORK. Version 16. The American Prospect, 1994. Web.

Lamson, susan. tv violence does it cause real-life mayhem. The arts, media studies and popular culture . New York: no puplisher, 1993. 4. Print.