Media Diary – Week 3

‘Hollyoaks’

First, using the 4Cs model, I decided that the audience of this Channel 4’s TV Soap Opera would fit into the groups of the Mainstream and Aspirers.

The Mainstream is definitely targeted here and one way of easily is identifying this is by the reflection of the Mainstreamer’s family, domestic and everyday lifestyle. The soap is supposed to partly represent reality, so most of the characters group together into families and households, furthering both the elements of representing reality and family too. The Mainstreams are able to relate to a large proportion of the storylines, or if more dramatic, the emotions involved. In particular, the episode I watched was mid-storyline about Tom, the teenager member of the Osbourne family, being kidnapped and missing. This kidnapping/missing storyline would challenge the Mainstreams core need for security, whilst it would reflect again the difficulties of family and reality itself and has a somewhat dramatic, yet ‘it could happen to you’ attitude, so the need for security is threatened and is seen to be bordering on a possible threat in this Mainstreamers life too.

More recently in Hollyoaks, there has been a shuffling of cast and direction, in which the programme has shifted it’s genre title from Teen-Soap, to Serial-Drama to now regaining it’s title as a Soap-Opera, now showing a more mixed age cast, again pushing even more towards the Mainstream audience by reflecting people of different ages, so targeting the different ages of a family.

The Aspirer group is also targeted, by reflecting Hollyoaks primarily teenage audience and a stereotypical core need for teenagers being ‘status’, just like the Aspirers, so most teenagers could be presumed to be in this Aspirers group, as many teenagers seek esteem and peer-acceptance/admiration. An unrealistically high proportion of the cast members playing the characters are arguably too ‘attractive’ to represent real-life and many of these characters are sometimes sexualised and efforts are made to push their attractiveness/sexuality onto the audience, which would interest Aspirers.

Using the Lifestyle Categories model I decided that Drifters, Groupies and Trendies are the targeted lifestyles here.

Drifters are seen as those who are unsure of /lost in life and are trying to find their place in the world. Hollyoaks seems to constantly leave their characters in doubts about their identity, in particular, the episode I watched featured a scene in which a character Vincent questioned his sexuality and told his love interest George that he wanted to be ‘cured of this homosexual illness’, reflecting an element of identity crisis and this showing of being. This scene also relates to Groupies, as Vincent explains his fears of what his family and friends will think of him, when he goes back to Nigeria, so reflecting the Groupies need for society acceptance.

Trendies are desperate for peer-admiration and Hollyoaks echoes this need with the strong message of ‘friends are important’. The most popular (within the soap scenario) characters seem to be the happiest in this particular episode, with Sinead being wished many a ‘Happy Birthday’ from other characters.

Using the Income & Status model, I decided that group E is the main audience target, but other groups such as C and D are also targeted. Within this E group are students, who not only are reflected in the soap, but go through similar issues, in relation to general needs of people in group E. In this episode, Tilly and Esther are seen worrying about getting jobs to help pay their way through university, aswell as pay their student accommodation rent. This tackling of money issues would seem all to familiar with many students who will be having to handle the little money they have for the first time.

Using the Audience Profiling model, I created a profile of a typical person who might consume this text.

1. Gender – Female

The gender viewing will probably be fairly equal, but in a stereotypical viewing, the emotional and human relationships content of Hollyoaks might appeal more to someone more seen as ‘female’.

2. Age-group – 13-19

This soap would appeal to the teenage group, due to its many teen-related issues such as peer pressure, drug use and identity.

3. Family – Single Parent/Separated family & has some siblings.

Again, like gender this will be fairly equally balanced over all family types, but I think it could interest a Single Parent family teenager, because of the strong theme of ‘family’ running through Hollyoaks, in all different shapes and sizes, when issues could have occurred in their own family. They may also look for escapism in Hollyoaks’ surreal storyline twists etc. such as the recent Flats explosion.

4. Self-image – Generally happy/neutral with life, maybe lacks self-identity.

I say this due to the slight realistic approach of Hollyoaks, which reflects most peoples attitudes/moods in life (generally happy/neutral with life) with various storylines and characterisations.

5. Class – Working Class Household – is a student.

A student, due to the general age group targeted being so and reflected in the majority of the characters ages.

6. Nation – United Kingdom

Seen as the programme is aired here first and primarily.

7. White/Mixed Background

Hollyoaks is fairly culturally diverse in terms of reflection of issues, society and characters.

8. Education – Going through school/college/university.

Again, related to the age group.

9. Religion – None/Agnostic.

The Soap doesn’t reflect religion too much, due to the realism approach of the soap and it’s content, so tries to show how people would deal with things first, before turning to say religion etc. for guidance.

10. Politics – None/Liberal/Labour

The show shows many working class people and their financial/social issues, which would reflect the viewer’s issues.

11. Location – An MEDC/Main City (such as Liverpool/Birmingham)