Category: Television

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 women’s 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). Varney’s Midwifery. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Introduction

Live video streaming platforms are discussed today as virtual communities that attract not only broadcasters but also spectators. In China, Douyu TV is one of the most popular streaming websites. The platform’s content covers not only gaming videos but also outdoor videos, and TV shows (Osawa par. 2). The phenomenon of Douyu TV in Chinese society is similar to the phenomenon of Twitch TV in American society; however, the ethnographic research needs to be conducted about the online community of Douyu TV. The ethnographic question that is aimed to be answered with the help of this research is the following one: How can such a developed virtual community as Douyu TV based on the idea of the live video streaming influence or change the everyday life of Chinese young people? The popularity of the website has increased significantly, and it is important to examine how the website can affect the lives of young individuals.

Background

Douyu TV is a live streaming video platform in China that was established in 2013 under another name. The website’s content is focused on video gaming, including League of Legends, Counter-Strike, DOTA, and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft among others. In addition to individual broadcasting, there are also popular e-sports competitions, outdoor videos, and shows that are actively watched by spectators (Osawa par. 2). Douyu TV takes the leading position in the live video streaming market of China. Moreover, the financial potential of the website has increased to almost USD 100 million recently (Osawa par. 7). Douyu TV is also selected by investors to sign contracts with the most successful broadcasters who can work to increase the number of viewers not only in the region but also globally. More than 1 million viewers watch different types of videos a day (Osawa par. 8). This fact allows speaking about the impact of this virtual community on the development of young people’s visions and their daily life in China.

Theoretical Framework

The virtual community that is associated with sharing and watching the live videos broadcasted with the help of streaming platforms similar to Douyu TV is characterized by features typical of other virtual communities, and it can be discussed in the context of such issues as the personal and virtual identity of young people, the role of online activity in the users’ everyday life, and privacy. Also, the specifics of the community related to living video streaming can be explained with references to the analysis of the connection between the virtual and real lives of broadcasters and viewers in the context of the gratification theory.

The self-identity is an important concept that explains the young people’s attitudes to oneself and each other, and their vision of personal identity can influence their life significantly. According to Hongladarom, today young people are inclined to focus on the development of not only their identities in the real life but also on building the specific kind of self in the virtual world (533). The researcher states that the online lives of virtual personalities can influence the real life of young persons significantly because individuals often do not distinguish between their virtual and real selves since their virtual identities are formed depending on the inner desires of young people and their actual visions of themselves (Hongladarom 535). Such projection typical of online communities’ members is important to be understood to clarify how the virtual life can influence the users’ everyday life about different aspects, including their visions of themselves. While applying this theoretical approach to the virtual community of users of live video streaming platforms, it is important to examine how the daily lives, personalities, behaviors, and attitudes of broadcasters and viewers are influenced by their virtual lives as successful or unsuccessful gamers and spectators.

Following the findings and ideas by Haight, Quan-Haase, and Corbett, it is possible to state that the level of the online activity is traditionally the highest one among young people, and this fact allows speaking about the significant role of virtual communities in the young people’s social practices (504). According to the researchers, the active life in the online setting is possible only with the help of using the latest technologies. The young people have the most developed skills in this area, and their social practices, attitudes, and behaviors become considerably affected by their online activities (Haight, Quan-Haase, and Corbett 504). The active users of live video streaming platforms like Douyu TV are young people for whom the use of computers and the Internet is the natural part of their daily life. It is possible to state that the impact of the virtual life and activities in the virtual communities on the everyday life of a young person increases proportionally to the time spent on communicating, gaming, or watching how others play using live videos.

While providing the theoretical background to the discussion of the phenomenon of live video streaming, it is also necessary to focus on the issue of privacy. According to Rosenzweig, the protection of privacy in the online world will be a significant problem in the future as more and more members of online communities can violate privacy rules (345). Rosenzweig states that “we need to look at privacy as a construct we use to protect other important values – things like autonomy, self-determination, democracy, and liberty of conscience” (344). The development of different online platforms is associated with the spread of using nicknames that often become brands in the virtual environment. However, the privacy and autonomy of young people who become public persons because of their online activities are usually not protected enough. Thus, non-protected online privacy is an issue that can affect the real life of a person.

It is also important to focus on discussing the specific phenomenon of streaming in the context of analyzing the virtual community and its impact on the life of young people in China while referring to the users of such live video streaming platforms as Douyu TV. According to Edge, streaming is not only about playing computer games online (2). Thus, streaming can be associated with the “two-way communication” that “fosters a unique relationship between the streamer and its spectators” (2). As a result, a new virtual community that consists of gamers, who prefer playing the games online and share their experience with spectators, and viewers, who can become the real fans of broadcasters, can develop (Edge 2).

In this context, it is possible to observe the changes in the daily life of both groups as members of this particular online community because broadcasters can become ‘stars’ in the community, and viewers can choose gamers as role models to follow, share their values, and repeat their successes (Edge 3). From this perspective, the life on broadcasters change because they begin to associate their real and virtual successful identities according to Hongladarom’s ideas, and the life of viewers can change as they spend more time watching the videos and practicing because the involvement in the online activities is typical of many young people, as it was noted by Haight, Quan-Haase, and Corbett. These facts also allow discussing the gratification theory that tends to explain the impact of the virtual community on young people’s life.

The gratification theory explains how people are inclined to choose their communication practices and behaviors with the focus on the media. The choice of media depends on the person’s motivation and intentions. According to Edge, it is characteristic of young people to choose the communication within online communities because the Internet as the medium provides individuals with an opportunity to share the information quickly, get feedback, entertain, and spend time with pleasure (3). Moreover, in contrast to the use of televisions, the Internet provides more opportunities to control personal behavior within the selected community. This theory allows understanding why many spectators who watch live videos prefer to follow the gamers’ successes without being involved in the game as active participants.

Methods

The online ethnography was selected as the methodology for this research. The selected virtual community is the community of Douyu TV, the video streaming platform that is popular in China. The community includes broadcasters or gamers, who play such popular games as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and DOTA among others online; the viewers or spectators, who regularly watch individuals playing games or competitions; and managers, who are responsible for organizing the process. For this research, it was important to interview two viewers (Viewer A and Viewer B), one broadcaster (Broadcaster A), and one manager (Manager A). The names or nicknames of participants are not mentioned in the research to maintain confidentiality. In addition to interviews, the observation of the selected community was conducted while watching the live videos and discussing the gamers in the virtual setting. The interviews were analyzed in the context of the proposed theoretical framework, and the observation was analyzed with the focus on the possible impact of the website on the daily life of an individual.

Findings and Analysis

The results of the observation of Douyu TV as the virtual community indicate that the website is designed effectively to select the type of videos to watch, including games and outdoor videos; to find the broadcaster to watch and follow; to get the updated information regarding the competitions, and to choose the game to try as a broadcaster. Furthermore, it is possible to find all the necessary contact information to send a message to managers. Also, while watching the video, it is possible to share the ideas in a chat that supports Douyu TV. As a result, viewers are involved in the virtual community as active participants who can watch live videos passively or share their views, support popular broadcasters, and influence their ratings.

The target and actual audiences of the website are young people who are interested in gaming, and they prefer to spend much time while playing the game or observing how broadcasters play. This fact is in line with the discussions by researchers (Haight, Quan-Haase, and Corbett 504). While following the principles of the gratification theory, it is possible to state that the activities in the community of Douyu TV provide viewers with the expected pleasure, entertainment, vivid emotions, and the feeling of control and significance (Edge 3). Moreover, the feeling of personal significance is also explained with the focus on the virtual identity that can influence how a person sees oneself in real life (Hongladarom 535). The positive experience in the community of Douyu TV fans influences the viewers’ vision of themselves positively, and this aspect can affect their behaviors in daily life.

The interviews also provide information regarding the impact of viewers’ experience on their life. Spectators are even more important actors in the community than broadcasters are because the number of viewers is more than 1 million people about Douyu TV. Viewer A, a 23-year-old male interviewee, stated that even though he studies at the university, he spends about 5 hours per day watching videos on Douyu TV. The simple reason to spend so much time watching live videos is boredom. Moreover, being the part of the virtual community, the male also becomes the part of his real-life community while interacting with roommates, “We talk much about Douyu TV, and all of my roommates watch LOL on Douyu TV. If I don’t know the specific word they use on Douyu TV, I feel like being out of date.” Thus, the virtual community influences the life of the viewer significantly as he spends much of his free time watching videos, and he feels separated or isolated in the real-life while communicating with his friends if he does not understand the used slang or nicknames.

The online community can provide the person with a better vision of oneself and with the feeling of belonging (Hongladarom 536). However, Viewer A does not want to become a broadcaster because the process of watching videos is more pleasant and relaxing for him than the process of playing. This situation is explained with references to the gratification theory when a user chooses the medium to entertain oneself (Edge 3). Still, the community of Douyu TV plays a key role in the life of the young man as he is ready to spend all his free time watching videos, compensate for the lack of emotions in the real-life, and combine the real and virtual communities while discussing videos with friends. In his turn, Viewer B, a 22-year-old male, noted that outdoor living videos are more attractive to him because he can observe popular female broadcasters. His motivation is also based on the idea of being entertained quickly. Moreover, such behavior can influence his daily life as the process of watching videos broadcasted by females can substitute face-to-face communication with young women. Following the ideas by Hongladarom, this male can regard his virtual personality’s experiences as equal to his real ones.

It is also important to analyze the experiences of broadcasters. In the virtual community of Douyu TV, broadcasters are responsible for playing well to attract more viewers, and they are also motivated by the potential salary, as it is noted by Broadcaster A. Those broadcasters who sign the contract with Douyu TV need to broadcast at least 60 hours a month according to the certain schedule. This aspect makes broadcasters deeply engaged in the development of this virtual community as the success of gaming influences their popularity and wages. From this point, live video streaming can affect the young person’s life directly while becoming his or her career and the main occupation during a day.

However, according to Broadcaster A, he tends to control the influence of the community on his life as he does not leave his main job. The reason is that “broadcasters are changing so quickly. I may keep my audience on my channel for five months but not for one year or more.” These notes indicate that the male tends to perceive his virtual personality of a gamer as separated from his real personality (Hongladarom 536). Broadcaster A is more focused on the fun component of broadcasting in contrast to many users who are inclined to perceive live video streaming as a significant part of their life. The man’s life is influenced as he is part of the community and can interact with other gamers and his viewers, but he understands that broadcasting is like a hobby rather than a career.

The interview with Manager A also added to the examination of the impact of Douyu TV on the life of young people. Managers in this community are young persons who control the activities of broadcasters and viewers and resolve ethical and legal issues. The broadcaster’s and managers’ activities can be discussed in the context of the privacy issue. While speaking, Manager A tends to protect his privacy and confidentiality, and he does not disclose such information. However, he answers the question about legal issues, and there is a risk of disclosing private information regarding broadcasters who used pornography movies to attract more viewers to their channels. The issue of privacy influences the life of members of the virtual community significantly as there are many risks that the confidential information will become public (Rosenzweig 346). This problem is urgent for ‘star’ broadcasters whose private life can be influenced if fans learn the information regarding the broadcasters’ real names and addresses.

Conclusion

The analysis of the ethnographic data indicates that the use of live video streaming platforms similar to Douyu TV can influence the life of Chinese young people in several ways. On the one hand, young individuals can spend many hours while watching videos and sharing their thoughts with friends online and offline. From this point, watching videos becomes a kind of hobbies and entertainment activities that influence personal identity and creates a feeling of belonging to the community. On the other hand, the experience of a broadcaster can change the life of many young people who choose to play games online as not only amateurs but also as professional broadcasters who develop a kind of career in such a community while becoming popular among viewers. Still, the research demonstrates that those broadcasters who receive wages can evaluate their activities with the lower level of commitment than viewers do because of discussing the community as the way to change the life in terms of receiving the additional compensation.

Works Cited

Edge, Nathan. “Evolution of the Gaming Experience: Live Video Streaming and the Emergence of a New Web Community.” Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications 4.2 (2013): 1-9. Print.

Haight, Michael, Anabel Quan-Haase, and Bradley Corbett. “Revisiting the Digital Divide in Canada: The Impact of Demographic Factors on Access to the Internet, Level of Online Activity, and Social Networking Site Usage.” Information, Communication & Society 17.4 (2014): 503-519. Print.

Hongladarom, Soraj. “Personal Identity and the Self in the Online and Offline World.” Minds and Machines 21.4 (2011): 533-548. Print.

Osawa, Juro. Tencent Nears Deal with Chinese Game Video Streaming Platform Douyu TV. 2015. Web.

Rosenzweig, Paul. “Whither privacy?” Surveillance & Society 10.3 (2012): 344-347. Print.

The Plot of the Television Series and Major Conflicts

The Walking Dead is one of the most successful television series of the 2010s. The television series is set in an apocalyptic world where people have turned into zombies. Rick, the show’s main character, is a sheriff who wakes up from a coma only to discover half of a corpse that moves and tries to kill him (“Days Gone Bye”). Rick learns some information about these so-called “walkers” from other survivors. Rick decides to go further to find his family, while other survivors prefer to stay where they are (“Days Gone Bye”).

Rick is lucky to find his wife and child living in a camp of survivors in which a man named Shane is trying to be the leader (“Tell It to the Frogs”). After many fights with the walkers, Rick and the people who believe in him travel to a CDC facility, where they hope to find a cure or, at the very least, shelter and some answers. However, they are forced to leave the facility as it will self-destruct once it runs out of power (“TS-19”). Thus, Rick and his followers have to move on in their search for a safe place and a possible cure.

In general, films and shows about zombies tend to focus on living because the zombies are unable to speak, feel, or even think (Stanley par. 8). Therefore, the major conflicts always take place between the survivors. In The Walking Dead, the filmmakers tried to choose a relatable actor for the role of Rick, making him an everyman (Patterson par. 5). It is possible to single out at least three main conflicts in the television series.

The major conflict is, of course, between the living people and the walking dead. However, there is also a significant conflict between Rick and Shane, both of whom want to lead the group of survivors. Another common element in films and television shows, a love triangle also provides an important conflict between the main characters. The triangle involves Rick, Lori, and Shane. Rick and Lori are married couples loving each other. However, Lori thinking that Rick is dead starts a sexual relationship with Shane who (seemingly) loves her. When Rick reunites with the family, Lori is back with Rick leaving Shane to suffer.

Major Characters’ Characteristics

Because the characters of The Walking Dead live in a post-apocalyptic world, their current roles in society and their habits somewhat differ from their past lives. However, it is still possible to identify some major traits of the main characters as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Main Characters’ Features

Although the characters choose comfortable clothes that are available to them, they still carry some items that characterize them in certain ways.

Rick and His Dress

The protagonist of The Walking Dead, Rick is a man in his mid-30s. Before the apocalypse, Rick is already in uniform as a sheriff: a hat, shirt, trousers, and weapons. This dress gives the first impression of Rick as a strong, courageous man who is often ready to help people and restore justice if necessary. Moreover, when he recovers from the coma, he is wearing his uniform and continues to wear it for a large part of the season. In this way, it is clear that the man does not change, and the viewer’s first impression persists. His dress helps emphasize that Rick is the good guy who will protect others, will help them survive, and may even lead them to some cure or a safe haven.

Some personal objects serve to provide more information about Rick and his personality and feelings. First of all, he never takes off his wedding ring. This shows his feelings and his commitment to being with his beloved wife, no matter what. He is ready to forgive her for her relationship with his best friend, which would be a serious problem for many other people. This idea is supported by Rick’s words as he says, “Baby, we’ve got the second chance” (“Tell It to the Frogs”). When she mentions that she is sorry for everything and that she recognizes her mistake, he simply kisses her.

Thus, he shows that she is forgiven and understood. Another important item that helps the viewer understand Rick better is his watch. This accessory shows that he always wants to keep track of time, which seems quite ridiculous under the existing circumstances as there can be no order in the world of zombies. In this way, it is possible to note that Rick seeks precision and accuracy. Although he never actually speaks about this item or his attitude towards time, it is clear that he always makes choices based on an analysis of accurate data.

Building a Character from Scratch

Samantha Gregson, also known as Sam, could be a new character who would appear in the last episode of the season. She would be a reporter who knows about the origins of the plague that humanity had to face. However, the specifics of this information would not be revealed in the season (Kung par. 6). Sam discovered the truth when she interviewed a scientist who worked on the elixir of life. Shortly before the first walkers appeared, she learned about the secret laboratories where the substance was developed, but she did not have time to tell the world about it. Sam is a woman in her late 30s who is smart and has a degree in biology. She is courageous, curious, accurate, careful, and strong.

She is in a good physical shape due to her intensive training in karate. She is also a good shooter, as she comes from a military family (her parents served in the army). She wants to find a cure and help people recover from this plague. This character would add a number of conflicts to the show. First, she would bring hope that it can all end, even though some people might still try to remain in their comfort zones—if that is even possible under the circumstances. Moreover, Sam could instigate a love triangle between Rick, Lori, and herself. Sam could be in love with Rick, forcing Lori to struggle for Rick’s affection. Sarah Michelle Gellar would be the perfect choice of actor for this character.

In this role, Sam would wear a pair of jeans, a top, and a leather or denim jacket. These items would be able to endure a lot of fighting, which is important for a survivor in the world of zombies.

She has long fair hair and carries a small rucksack under her jacket. This rucksack keeps all of Sam’s most important things, including some documents and one item (or rather a set of items) that serve as her differentiating features. She would always have crimson lipstick on her lips, noting that she is alive as long as her lips are bright. This character would add beauty and more of a feminine element to the television series. All the items could be worn for a year and could be easily scavenged, if necessary.

The Walking Dead can be regarded as an example of stereotypes and their role in both society and cinematography. First of all, filmmakers always try to make their characters more appealing to the viewers. In this case, the characters are ordinary people who wear casual clothes and are simply trying to survive. Moreover, in this television series, the significance of a uniform is shown. Although the main character wears a uniform because he has nothing else, it also seems that the uniform is a shield and symbol of order. The filmmakers stress that zombies wear deteriorating casual clothes, just as their bodies and minds also deteriorate rapidly. It is clear that clothes play an important role in films as these items help filmmakers convey certain ideas, make viewers think in a specific way, and create the necessary atmosphere.

Works Cited

“Days Gone Bye.” The Walking Dead., AMC, New York, 31 Oct. 2010. Television.

Kung, Michelle. “The Walking Dead Season 1, Episode 6 Finale ‘TS-19’: TV Recap.” The Wall Street Journal 6 December 2010.

Patterson, John. “The Walking Dead: First Night Review.” The Guardian 2010.

Stanley, Alessandra. “The Undead Are Undaunted and Unruly.” The New York Times 2010.

“Tell It to the Frogs.” The Walking Dead., AMC, New York, 2010. Television.

“TS-19.” The Walking Dead., AMC, New York, 2010. Television.

Media has always been the tool for capturing reality, yet the presentation thereof has never been accurate, especially in movies. It is very easy to see Hollywood as a money-grabbing machine that is trying to cash in on people’s fears and prejudices. The latest foray into attempting at explaining the basics of the Arab culture to the American citizens, Tyrant falls flat as such, being a hypocritical redesign of the traditional clichés and stereotypes related to Arab people.

On the one hand, Tyrant can be viewed as an attempt to make a fresh start and to open a new page of relationships between the Arab and the American cultures. With an update of the setting to the present days and the shift to the identification of the traditions of the target culture, the series seems a rather promising start. However, some of the tropes that the moviemakers use to portray the characters, including both positive and negative ones, applaud to the existing prejudices about the Arab people and the Arab culture. For example, the series is oozing with the idea that Arab people are intrinsically cruel:

I’m curious. What twisted path brought a pathetic Western whore to think that she could come to my county and dictate to me her perverted misinterpretations of the Koran? Did your parents not love you enough? Is that why you lay with murders? Is that why you stood by while the people of this house were slaughtered? So you could sleep in their bed and call it your own? (Tyrant 2015)

There is a slim argument that the citation above subverts the typical representation of an Arab person, as the lead character goes against the traditional patterns of the expected behavior by stressing the pointlessness of violence. However, the very fact that the issues regarding the outrageous behavior and traditions are brought up needs to be acknowledged as a nod in the direction of an Arab stereotype. True, some of the Arab traditions, especially the ones rooted in the ancient concept of gender and social relationships, are imperfect and are most likely to be viewed as bizarre in modern society (Kymlicka & Pföstl, 2014). There is no fault in bringing these issues up; however, the series does nothing to address the issues that they raise, resorting to merely pointing out the societal and cultural problems instead of suggesting the ways to correct them.

The lack of emotional stability is also somehow attributed to Arab people as an intrinsically negative feature, which is especially evident in the series mentioned above. For instance, at one point of the conflict development, Molly tells Barry:

I forgot to tell you, Barry, how badly you’ve destroyed me, how badly you’ve damaged our family, and that you’re a horrible person. Since you’ve called, I’ve had moments where I found myself wishing you were dead. Truly dead. Gone. (Tyrant 2015)

At first, the monolog above might seem comparatively innocent as it does not imply any innuendoes concerning terrorism and does not incite an intercultural conflict. On second thought, however, Molly’s complaint defines Barry as the representative of the Arab culture and, therefore, the rest of the people that belong to it, as barbaric and lacking basic human qualities, such as compassion, sympathy, and kindness. The episode, in general, perpetuates the image of an Arab person as a tyrant, as the titular series title suggests.

It is quite remarkable that the Arab-related stereotyping of the contemporary era has gained a range of new characteristics, the tendency to vilify the representatives of the culture has become more subtle and less noticeable, yet nonetheless effective. The producers do not explicitly choose a particular set of traits for their characters. They seemingly have an intention to make their villains vain, aggressive, and impulsive as a part of the plot and character development, and, somewhere along the line, it turns out to make them look threatening.

An overview of the characters portrayed in the show will display a complete absence of a comic relief that is typically incorporated into the plot of a TV series. Arguably an improvement in terms of character development, the lack of comedy in the series could also be attributed to the intent to portray Arab people as threatening and, therefore, worth being feared.

The setting, in which the characters are placed, though admittedly reflecting the hardships of life in the state prone to mutinies and terrorist attacks, also serves as the means of reinforcing the existing prejudice against the Arab people. Even the trailer, which is supposed to set a bar for people’s expectations for the show, mentions the issue above at some point.

However, Hollywood is hardly malicious in this regard, being, perhaps, only somewhat thoughtless about the message that it is trying to convey. The movie directors tend to assign their characters with a set of particular traits without fully realizing the implications. One could argue that the mass hysteria concerning the possibility of another terrorist attack is the primary factor that defines how Hollywood portrays Arab characters.

Therefore, Hollywood arguably tends to assign its characters certain features without fully realizing the implications. After all, the current representation of Arabs in Hollywood movies can be viewed as an attempt to take advantage of the tropes used by the people who were intentionally trying to make the Arabs look bad.

One could argue that the above tendency to make Arab people look threatening to the American society came on the heels of the social attitudes, particularly, the fears that the notorious political issues had caused. Hollywood, in its turn, may have merely taken advantage of the situation, using people’s fears as the means of making quick cash, thus, perpetuating the image of the quote-unquote “bad Arab.”

Unfortunately, after a thorough scrutiny of the TV series in question, one will have to admit that the stereotypical images of Arab people are often used by Hollywood filmmakers. However, even as far as vilifying Arab people goes, Hollywood has been taking a rather hypocritical stance on the subject matter, preferring to maintain the policy based on silencing the issue. Therefore, instead of helping Arab people gain better visibility in the media that has made them invisible, at best, and straight-out vilified at worst, Hollywood continues foisting the stereotypical image of a “bad Arab” on the target population (Shohat & Stam, 2014).

The analysis of Tyrant, therefore, has shown that media affects society. Therefore, the time to change the current stereotypical patterns of portraying the Arab population in media has come. People deserve to know more about the Arab culture, and portraying it in a one-sided, bigoted manner as Tyrant does should be discouraged.

Reference List

Kymlicka, W., & Pföstl, E. (2014). Multiculturalism and minority rights in the Arab world. Oxford, UK: OUP Oxford.

Lehmann, M., Nir, A., Fitzpatrick, H., Yates, D., Raff, G., Wright, C., & Gordon, H. (Executive producers). (2015). Tyrant [DVD]. New York, NY: Fox 21 Television Studios.

Shohat, E., & Stam, R. (2014). Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the media. New York, NY: Routledge.

The topicality of the issue of how TV viewing and computer games affect the development of toddlers, children, and teenagers is rising. Jackson’s (2018) article “Does TV viewing during toddlerhood predict social difficulties and conduct problems?” is dedicated to discussing the correlation between TV viewing and the behavioral development of toddlers. The most significant conclusion of Jackson (2018) is that the development of toddlers depends not on the amount of time they spend watching TV per se but on the content they consume.

According to the conducted observations, if a family does not engage the child in watching interactive TV programs, there is a high risk that he will have behavioral problems and social difficulties. In other words, this means that watching age‐appropriate content will help a toddler’s development. Besides, Jackson (2018) informs that excessive TV viewing does not cause toddlers’ social or behavioral problems. From what is written above, Jackson (2018) infers that a child will be better off if he excessively watches TV programs that were created for his age than spends an average amount of time watching content for adults.

Remarkably, the article of Jackson (2018) is based on the quantitative analysis of the data retrieved from numerous studies conducted earlier. The conclusions are not based only on subjective interpretation of observation of the behavior of a small sample of toddlers. More precisely, the study analyzes the behavior of approximately 10,000 toddlers. The big sample guarantees the quality and the reliability of the results. In addition to that, the article shows that a researcher should be flexible and check more than one variable even if he tests whether there is a correlation between behavioral problems and excessive TV viewing. For example, Jackson (2018) also investigates correlations between social and behavioral issues, on one side, and family conflict, maternal involvement, depression and age, corporal punishment, low cognitive ability, and child’s gender and race, on the other side.

The article of Jackson (2018) is also illustrative of the research methods that could be used to investigate human development. For example, usually, such studies as based either on experimental or correlational methods or case studies. In the article on the behavioral development of children, the author employs the correlational approach because he analyzes relationships between several variables. The dependent variable is the behavioral development of toddlers, while independent variables are excessive TV viewing, adult programs viewing, and unattended TV viewing.

The most valuable skill that should be used during the analysis of scholarly resources is critical thinking. Undoubtedly, authors do a lot of work while preparing an article. Besides, before being published in scientific journals, articles are peer-reviewed because it helps to improve their quality.

Nonetheless, students should critically evaluate any materials they read and compare and contrast the results of various papers before coming to a conclusion. In addition to that, this assignment illustrates that note-taking is an essential part of working with scholarly resources. Notes help not to forget ideas that come to mind during the process of reading an article. Finally, it also should be mentioned that this assignment helps to realize how to read articles more efficiently. More precisely, the first step is to indicate the purpose of the article and the reason to read it. When the first step is completed, a student could easily understand which details of the paper to focus attention on.

References

Jackson, D. B. (2018). Does TV viewing during toddlerhood predict social difficulties and conduct problems? Infant and Child Development, 27(4), e2086. Web.

Boardwalk Empire is an American television series depicting a criminal life in the period between the 1920s and the 1930s. The plot focuses on the society that underwent a drastic change after the entry of Prohibition providing responsibility for the production and sale of alcoholic products. At this point, there was no need to rob, kill, or abduct people but simply to establish an illegal alcohol business to make money.

This television show involves such conflicts as the division of spheres of influence between the criminal bands, racial discrimination, and gang wars. Among other themes, one might note society and class relations and technology implementation. In effect, the TV show presents the becoming of a newly industrialized era.

After watching first three episodes, I understood the scope of the situation. In particular, a viewer notes that the main character Enoch Thompson kills a rat so that his family can eat something after the alcoholic father left it (“01: Boardwalk Empire” par. 1).

Furthermore, the opportunities provided by Prohibition were used by other leaders of the criminal gangs in Atlantic City. Stanley states that “Boardwalk Empire is a ‘Ragtime’ of an adventure story that mixes fictional characters with real ones” (par. 9). The most historical characters such as Big Jim Colosimo (Frank Crudele) or Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza) are gangsters. They interact with each other with time yet not intensively. The following chart presents the detailed analysis of the key characters of this TV series.

Enoch “Nucky” Thompson can be regarded as an example of a perfect style. First, it seems appropriate to list his typical clothing:

• Costumes from Scottish wool plain, either stripes or squared. Solid single-breasted or double-breasted knee-length coat with a belt at the waist.
• Pants with pleats and cuffed or without them.
• Wool jackets, often with lapels and collar with the back of the lining fabric in a contrasting color or tone. Watch with chain.
• Plain or striped shirts, often with a white collar and cuffs. Collars of different shapes, sometimes with rounded ends.
• Pins for a collar as a mandatory element of the suit. Cufflinks in the cuffs of shirts and carnation in the breast pocket of the jacket.
• Brogues shoes with perforation, either open-lacing or closed-lacing.

According to Stanley’s review, a style of Prince of Wales was used for designing a special wardrobe for Nucky Thompson (para. 12). It should be mentioned that the Prince had his own taste in clothes. He did not need tips of tailors like the rest of his contemporaries. The same can be said of such a bright individualist as Nucky. He has an innate sense of the perfect appearance and understands that others, looking at him, are likely to try to emulate and estimate his clothing. The demonstration of a strong character of a confident man was a daunting task, but the costumers of Boardwalk Empire resolved this issue brilliantly.

The epoch described in these TV series is characterized by a victory of hedonism, sex, unrestrained energy of jazz, and alcohol despite Prohibition. In this connection, clothing reflects all these features. Indeed, in those days, clothing could help to understand the person and his or her personality. For example, clothes made of coarse fabric and simple cut told about an ordinary guy and hard worker while a suit with decadent glamor from expensive tailor pointed to a gangster dealing with luxury. In women, one can note the same phenomenon.

The strict and exquisite clothes were a sign of women who made their own meals, and the handmade dresses with a scattering of jewelry belonged to gangsters’ women and showgirls. Furthermore, it is possible to suggest that this fashion tendency was caused by a desire to forget the years of the devastating horror of the First World War. By choosing bright clothes, people wanted to forget the painful memories and chronicle of the war. At this point, Atlantic City was an epicenter of the modernization.

In order to fully combine the main character and his costume in the series, the fabrics for sewing serial clothes were a full copy of those of the 1920s or originals. This was done not only due to the aspiration to believability but also to ensure a particular compatibility of the man and the costume. The key characteristic of the bold style of Nucky is a mix of garments and patterns in one image. Each time this is done with a very precise compliance with the 1920s style.

Likewise the Prince of Wales, Nucky dresses so that he immediately catches the eyes of the audience and stands out from the crowd. Both good taste and brightness in the clothes provide such an attitude of people. Nucky is a confident man who is at the peak of his criminal game. One of the distinctive features in his suits is a collar bar the wearing of which is not available for the other characters of the series at the behest of the costume designers. The shirts for Nucky had a special type of collar which was provided especially for the collar bar. Besides, in order to miss the tie through the hole resulting from the collar bar, the tie should be made by a particular node that was small in size.

From the above observations, it becomes clear that clothing of Nucky represents his personality in depth as well as communication practices. Nucky’s clothing proves that he is one of the most influential politicians of his time and one of the key players of a criminal game. Being a brother of the head of police, he uses this position to get money illegally. Nucky’s dandy style reflects his determination, rigidity, and alluring temptation. He says that “we have whiskey, wine, women, songs, and slot machines”, and this becomes a life motto matching with dress preferences.

However, Chilton argues that “he sold his soul for a piece of silver after talking a young, impressionable teenage girl into becoming the sex slave of a paedophile” (para. 5). This means that in spite of his excellent appearance, the male character gets his just deserts for all the actions. In any way, Nucky’s personality and clothing coincide in the main aspect of the character, in particular, in the capability of finding common ground with everyone and always being in the right place at the right time.

In my opinion, Boardwalk Empire lacks a female character acting as a competitor of the male protagonist. This improvement of the series is useful in order to introduce the conflict of diversity, namely, initial refusal to acknowledge female criminal authority. It can be 40-years-old American women with English roots and bright personality. Being the former housewife, Katherine Black can act as a politician and be the antagonist of Nucky. I guess that such actress as Keira Knightley perfectly suits this role due to both her appearance and experience (see Fig.1).

This new character should be dressed accordingly as well. Likewise Nucky, Katherine would be fully aware of her sexuality and attractiveness and make every effort to show it to the audience through clothing. Margaret’s style can be a prototype yet needs to be improved (see Fig. 2).

The above images are taken from the Boardwalk Empire series and represent a mix of female clothes. I believe that the proposed character should implement rigor of the politician and female sexuality making the overall image comprehensive and versatile. As for the match-up between the price, fashionability, and modesty, this choice is quite suitable in the context of the fact that the creation of historical films always carries significant costs and should be complied with the epoch.

TV shows strive to reflect the time by using certain clothing that sometimes leads to stereotyping. However, this process is necessary for revealing the core values, tendencies, and other specific features. Therefore, TV series need stereotyping, yet it should be appropriate and limited to some extent.

Works Cited

“01: Boardwalk Empire.” HBO. HBO, n.d.

Chilton, Martin. “Boardwalk Empire: A Bittersweet Triumph of Television.” The Telegraph. The Telegraph, 2016.

“Keira Knightley.” IMDb. IMDb, n.d.

Laverty, Christopher. “Boardwalk Empire: Women of the Empire.” Clothes on Film. Clothes on Film, 2014.

Stanley, Alessandra. “Jersey Shore, the Early Years.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 2010.

First Visitors Snickers commercial

First visitor snickers TV commercial utilizes a humorous execution style. The ad takes advantage of the current world situation caused by the pandemic to evoke a humorous appeal creatively. A couple is having visitors in their homes for the first time in-person interaction post lockdown. The male spouse thinks the meeting is happening over zoom and hence ends up emerging with a shirt and underwear (Snickers, 2020). The ad humorously exposes the male spouse by taking advantage of the zoom meeting, which only requires a good appearance on the upper part of the body. The television ad targets all age groups, including middle, upper-middle and upper classes in the society.

Kelly Ripa’s 2X Ultra Tide Commercial

This ad represents a slice-of-life scenario where a real-life issue is used by the tide to show how it can make the world and life better. The advertisement makes customers have a sense of relation to the events presented. It mirrors everyday life by depicting a normal event with guests at a table and an act of cleanness (Ourdailyripa, 2008). The ad targets the middle, upper-middle and upper people who are likely to utilize the product. This is a good ad because it utilizes social appeal to make customers believe the product can be a solution to routine problems by describing the beneficial effects of 2x Ultra Tide.

Squatty Potty TV Commercial

This ad provides a fantasy way mixed with a creative idea to bring a topic that could have appeared challenging to present in an advertisement. The ad targets middle and upper classes consumers who are likely to find new ways of enjoying bathroom matters. The attractive ad explains the bodily functions in relation to excretion by transporting viewers to a fantasy realm (Squatty Potty, 2015). The ad was excellent and effective as it utilized fantasy to talk about a topic that was rarely expected by many. It helps explain the advantages of using the squatty potty product in a manner that can be listened to and viewed by all age groups.

References

Ourdailyripa. (2008). Kelly Ripa 2x ultra tide commercial. YouTube. Web.

Snickers. (2020). First visitors. YouTube. Web.

Squatty Potty. (2015). This Unicorn Changed the Way I Poop – #SquattyPotty. YouTube. Web.

Violence and aggression are inevitable in contemporary media. However, they are frequently not only in the news. TV shows have many episodes where characters demonstrate aggressive or violent behavior in diverse situations.

One of the examples of violence on TV is a scene from Vikings. Ragnar Lothbrok, the main character of the story, is, according to the Norse legend, the first Viking. The scene full of aggression and violence takes place on the battlefield. The main character kills one of the rivals with a sword and the moment when the sword transpierces the warrior is depicted in close-up. It is difficult to define one episode of violence and aggression in this series because there are many violent battle scenes.

The context of the scene is a battle. Both characters depicted are male in their late twenties or early thirties. As for the cultural belonging, the main character is a Viking, while the culture of his rival cannot be identified. Although there are many displays of violence and aggression in this TV series, their use can be probably justified by the fact that the film is a historical drama. Thus, one of the reasons the TV show includes much violent and aggressive behavior of characters was to reflect the situation of the epoch when Vikings had to fight to the last drop of their blood.

Ragnar Lothbrok, who became a king of Vikings, had to make his way to the throne. Another reason for the series to be so violent is the desire of its creators to add a dramatic effect. Since it is a fiction series, the impact on the spectator is important. Thus, the image of a courageous warrior who fights for the wellbeing of his family and his people is appealing to spectators. The fact that Ragnar Lothbrok was not born a warrior but had to leave farming and start a fight has an impact on the perception of his image. Instead of disgust, contempt, and fear, which are common feelings people share about violators and aggressors, Ragnar Lothbrok finds support and appraisal of spectators.

Still, there is too much violence, and aggression on TV and they finally cause desensitization in people. There are two ways in which TV influences spectators. One of these ways is constant exposure to violence which leads to the awareness that violent and aggressive behavior is normal and is an integral part of life. This way makes people less sensitive to violent episodes and makes them believe that exposure to violence is the norm. The other way in which violence and aggression in the movies are influencing people is using changing their self-perception. People who watch the series frequently compare themselves to the characters or just want to resemble them. This situation is mainly dangerous for people who are easily influenced or adolescents whose mind is still not ready for such amounts of violence. They develop a desire to resemble their favorite characters and can demonstrate aggressive or violent behavior as well.

On the whole, the issue of violence and aggression on TV should become a global concern. Due to the development of technology, TV is available to the majority of the population. Thus, its adverse impacts could have negative consequences, such as the belief that violence is normal, for many individuals, who may become violators and aggressors themselves.

In his reflections on TV production, Jason Mittell (2010) refers to the concepts of risk and innovation as the driving forces of TV programs creation. The author suggests that the process of TV programs development is quite challenging since the projects’ directors are always vulnerable to the customers’ unresponsiveness and inattention. However, Mittell states that there is a unique formula, which focuses on the successful TV program verification. Thus, the new product should pass three stages on its way to the wide public. These are innovation, imitation, and saturation (Mittell, 2010).

Besides, the author dwells on the issue of pilots’ flaws. Due to Mittell (2010), many media workers do not recognize pilot production as competitive and winning on the market of TV programming. Thus, it is claimed that some popular trial episodes evolve into weak projects while no-pilot products can overtake the sales in real broadcasting. Therefore, there are some specialists, who refuse to work with the trial versions of TV programs.

Reference

Mittell, J. (2010). Television and American culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The television program is based on the sudden escalation of an infectious epidemic that brought back dead men as cannibal zombies (The Walking Dead). A few men and women that avoided infection began their survival journey through the apocalyptic world. Consequently, the presence of violence in the program is in the storyline as it is the story of human survival. Violence is defined as the physical act or intent of the aggressor, directed at causing damage, injury, or death to another (Jamieson and Romer 34).

The essay analyses the content of six episodes in the first season of the television drama The Walking Dead. The show is analyzed for the presence of sex, drugs, violence, and language (SDVL). The total runtime that has been analyzed is 4.5 hours. Two counts of SDVL are done – frequency and the duration of occurrence.

Table 1: Content Analysis of The Walking Dead, season 1.

The coding for violence is done following Gunter and Harrison, who differentiated between explicit and aggravated violence, like murder, physical damage to another person or property, and the image of violence that includes showing post-violence scenes (297). Images are coded even though the scenes do not show the occurrence of violence. This is done because these scenes are just a sanitized version or implied show of the past violent outbreak.

The scenes of violence are coded as 1 when there are scenes of killing with or without a weapon, physical aggression in the form of fistfight or assault, and implied violence for the scenes that show violence that had occurred in the past, or weapons are shown.

Sex-related content depicted in the program is divided into three types – sexual intercourse on the screen, scenes indicating the occurrence of sex, and the act of kissing or embrace. Drug use is coded as one when any character is explicitly shown using drugs, there is an implied reference to drugs or substance abuse, or the scenes show drug trafficking or peddling (Primack, Dalton and Carroll 171).

Language in televised programs has become an important aspect that demonstrates the specific kind of behavior. Language can be classified as foul or bad language, which is related to the use of sexual words like “bastard”, “fuck”, etc. The usage of swear words, such as “goddamn”, is also coded as one in the analysis. In addition, gestures, which are considered as part of non-verbal communication, are coded as one in language. They are coded in this category because they are direct proof of physical aggression or non-verbal abuse.

The content analysis of The Walking Dead shows that the usage of profane language and the presence of violence is higher than sex or drug abuse on the screen. The analysis is done in two parts. First, the frequency of occurrences is tabulated, and then the time of the activities shown on the screen is calculated. According to the frequency of occurrence, foul language is used 108 times in the six episodes, while there are 100 occurrences of violent acts.

Time analysis of the series shows violence is present in 33 minutes out of 270 minutes of the total airing time. In terms of percentage, it is about 18.3% of the total airing time (Table 2). The duration of the usage of obscene language is much less as it comprises only 1.3% of the airing time even though its frequency of occurrence is higher. The show does not present a lot of sexual acts or substance abuse that occur only 5 and 1 times respectively in the six episodes. Evidently, language and violence assumes greater predominance in The Walking Dead show.

Table 2: SLVD analysis of The Walking Dead, Season 1 (own calculation).

Upon analyzing the six episodes separately, it is observed that there is a definite rise and fall in the occurrences of violence in the series. The incidence of violence in the six episodes is high. However, it is lower in the first two episodes when frequency is 13 and 15. However, the frequency increases to 33 in the third episode, and then falls again from the fourth to the sixth episode (Table 3).

Table 3: Frequency of SLVD in each episode of season 1 (own calculation).

However, when observing the duration of violence occurrence as a percentage of the total airing time, it is noted that violence occurs for the longest duration in E04, which has gradually increased compared to the first episode. However, the lowest spell is observed in E05, and not in E06. A linear correlation between frequency of violence and bad language shows that the two have a statistically significant positive relation indicating a rise in the use of obscene language when there is more violence on the screen.

Table 4: Percentage of time SVDL was shown on screen in each episode (own calculation).

Violence shown on the screen is more related to zombies than men. The reason for violence was embedded in the story, as it shows an existential endeavor to survive. The positive correlation between the occurrence of violence and bad language shows that the latter used in the series is directly proportional to the occurrence of violence, indicating that the former is more frequently applied when the characters are in an intense situation. Most of the foul language is used in the show by men. Female characters in the show use “son of bitch” more often. The use of curse words, such as “hell”, and “damn”, is quite frequent as has been found in the previous research (Kaye and Sapolsky 316).

Was violence shown on the screen necessary? The Walking Dead is a story about zombie apocalypse where the whole modern world was destroyed. The few living men were striving to survive and retain their humanity. In such a tale of survival violence is inevitable. In stories like this, people who can fight for their lives tend to live (Canavan 445).

Further, with intense stress of survival comes the need to cope, and the obscene language often becomes a source of showing verbal aggression. Consequently, curse or sexual words are more abundantly used during zombie attacks. Therefore, I believe the frequent recurrence of obscene language and violence in the series is justified as it helps the storyline.

No punishment for such rampant violence is shown as the world order was destroyed in the zombie revival. The apocalyptic disaster of the zombie attack was followed by complete chaos and anarchy. Thus, the few men who could live had to resort to extreme measures, such as killing, vandalism, and assault, to survive. Men chose to trust their fierce survival instincts to live. As the world is destroyed, so is the law and order. Therefore, no action, irrespective of the intensity of violence, is punished.

Works Cited

Canavan, Gerry. “We are the walking dead”: race, time, and survival in zombie narrative.” Extrapolation, vol. 51, no. 3, 2010, pp. 431-453.

Darabont, Frank, creator. The Walking Dead, AMC, 2010.

Gunter, Barrie and Jackie Harrison. Violence on Television: An Analysis of Amount, Nature, Location and Origin of Violence in British Programmes. Rutledge, 2001.

Jamieson, Patrick E. and Daniel Romer. “Violence in Popular U.S. Prime Time TV Dramas and the Cultivation of Fear: A Time Series Analysis.” Media and Communication, vol. 2, no. 2, 2014, pp. 31-41.

Kaye, Barbara K. and Barry S. Sapolsky. “Offensive language in prime time television: Before and after content ratings.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, vol. 45, no. 2, 2001, pp. 303-319.

Primack, Brian A., Madeline A. Dalton, Mary V. Carroll, Aaron A. Agarwal, and Michael J. Fine. “Content Analysis of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drugs in Popular Music.” Archives Pediatric Adolescence Medicine, vol. 162, no. 2, 2008, pp. 169–175.