A2 Question - Section B
Discuss the audience appeal of your 3 main texts.
Refer to your 3 main texts in your answer
Madmen
Mad Men is a drama set within a 1950's advertising agency, realistically portraying societies controversial values, personal struggles, and stylistic values. One way in which Madmen would appeal to a preferred active audience is through its high cinematography and aesthetic value. Madmen creator Matthew Weiner placed huge importance on the realistically replicating the fashion and artistic styles during the 1950's and gratified a cine literate audience who took a preferred reading through providing intrinsic cultural and aesthetic enjoyment, linking to Blumler and Kats 'Uses and Gratifications' model. In one scene we see Don return home to his Wife Megan, who is lying in an accurately styles 1950's esque bedroom, complete with accurate period specific decor and furniture, along with both Don and Megan sporting period specific items of clothing, accurately representing the fashion values and aesthetic values at the time.
A further was Madmen appeals to its active audience is through its Lack of exposition. The lack of Exposition is specifically appealing to an active audience, who would seek to actively decode narrative plots. Through is rare use of a Score, cleverly constructed and inter-twining plot lines, and heavy reliance on Diegetic sound, Madmen is highly appealing to an active audience who would seek to be challenged in their viewing. One example of Madmen's lack of exposition in its narrative would be when Don visits Joan to tell her sleeping with the Jaguar Executive is not necessary, however we are challenged to actively decode whether Don is doing this in foresight of a successful pitch so he could potentially take the full credit, or whether he genuinely cares about Joan's wellbeing.
The complex representation of characters in Madmen's narrative is a further convention which would appeal to a preferred active audience. Particularly in the representations of Joan, Megan, and Peggy, we can apply Blumler and Katz Integration gratification, particularly gaining an insight and empathy for other circumstances, and could further allow an active audience to personally identify and associate with the characters. In Joan we are realistically presented with the common society role of women in the 1950's, she is dependant on using her looks to gain power and appease the main dominated industry of advertising, and is unable to gain respect and is reduced to selling herself to the Jaguar Executive to aid Don in his Jaguar pitch. In Megan, we see a woman who is determined to shrugg Don's grasp upon her, and although defying his orders by going to a job interview, id objectified by the interviewers. Lastly, Peggy's complex battle with her confidence eventually results in her losing the dependence on Don and the male dominated office environment, becoming an independent woman, which in the 1950's was uncommon.
Lost
Lost is a drama/sci-fi/adventure hybrid in which a group of protagonists are stranded upon an mysterious island as a result of a plane crash. Lost is encoded to appeal to a passive audience, one way in which it appeals to such an audience is through its Ensemble Cast. Linking to Blumler and Katz's 'Personal Identity' strand, Lost's ensemble cast allows a passive audience to personaly identify with wide audiences representing various ethnicity's, social groups and character roles. Losts Ensemble Cast also links to Propp's Character Roles theory, which encourage a passive viewing through its relatively common and non complex character roles. In Jack we have the dominant confident hero esque protagonist and Kate acting as the 'Helper', working with Jack and projecting a confident assertive role. Hurley, is an over-weight teenager who is often disrespected by his peers, and Michael and Wait are a dysfunctional Father and Son, who's father/son dynamic is bad and allows a passive audience to easily relate and seek a gratification of relatability.
A further way in which Lost appeals to its passive audience is through its hybridity. Lost combines drama, sci-fi, and adventure, widening its audience and increasing its chance of appeal as it caters for most audiences. Blumler and Katz's Entertainment theory applies here, as an audience is able to achieve escapism and entertainment though its hybrid narrative. For example, in one scene we seen Sawyer confront a mysterious Polar Bear which is residing on a tropical island, appealing to its sci/fi audience, and previously we see an example of its Drama genre conventions in the father/son dynamic between Wait and Michael, in which they disagree with each other.
Finally, Lost's use of a Score is highly encouraging of passive viewing, and through providing this high exposition the score is able to encourage and mould the audience's responses. The heavy appeal lost has to a passive audience is aided by the score, which doesn't require the passive audience to decode the narrative, instead alludes to the way in which an audience should receive a scene and its response. Complying with Blumler and Katz's relaxations strand of its uses and gratifications, the score decodes for the audience and encourage passive viewing, in contrast to madmen which rarely feature a score and instead encourage an active viewing. An example of a core in Lost is seen in a scene in which we see Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Charlie and Sajid come to a standstill after becoming suspicious of a situation; we then hear a high pitched note implying the sense of approaching danger.
Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a BBC2 drama set post 1918 (WW1), based on a real events involving a Birmingham gang of criminals called the Peaky Blinders. One which in which Peaky Blinders appeals to a very wide audience is its casting of familiar film stars. This appeals to an audience who can be drawn in by the appeal of watching a know actor such as Sam Neil (Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III) or Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Inception). In particular casting of Cillain Murphy, it can be argues that is provides a gratifications on aesthetic appreciation as Murphy is acknowledges for his attractive personality, which in turn increases the appeal Peaky Blinders has upon a specific audience.
A futher way in which Peaky Blinders appeals to its audience is through its Historical Value. Its historical context encourages active viewing, and allows an understanding and appreciation of an audience who is familiar with post WW1 history, and allows an audience who is not familiar to decode the narrative to self educate and learn (Blumler and Katz). An example is present in one scene in which Tommy is discussing a deal with corrupt Inspector Campbell, with the latter mentioning Tommy's sister slept with a Communist. This allows a historically educated audience to realise the negative connotations which surrounded communism post WW1, and an active audience to seek a gratification of self learning. Also in the scene, Tommy states after the proposal of a handshake from Inspector Campbell "Why should i shake the hand of a man who didn't fight for his country?". This again proposes an opportunity for an active audience to decode the historical context and understand the bitterness Tommy feels towards anyone who did not join him in fighting in WW1.
The use of a modern day soundtrack is a further convention implemented by Steven Knight to appeal to its audience. The use of a soundtrack encourages a passive viewing, and is something we see implemented in lost used to allow a passive audience to easily decode a sequence. 'The White Stripes' are a current Rock duo, and by adding this relevant soundtrack, an audiences appeal is widened due to the commonly known popular tracks. An example of a soundtrack being used to encourage a passive reading is before we see Tommy spearheading a mass incineration of pictures of the King, 'Hardest Button to Button' is played and its upbeat tempo allows an audience to easily decode the upcoming sequence and allows an easy passive viewing; in contrast to madmen which challenges an audience to understand the moods within a score without the help of a soundtrack setting to tone.
