Media Diary Week 6

 

For this week's Media Diary, the programme I have chosen to discuss is the soap, 'Emmerdale'. While I will happily admit to watch 'EastEnders’ regularly, one soap I don't tend to own up to watching is 'Emmerdale'. While I view it as a great piece of entertainment, it's not a media text that I would say is directed at teenagers, unlike soaps such as 'Hollyoaks', so therefore it isn't something I have readily discussed with my friends. However, for this blog post I will discuss the show's appeal to me and to other audiences.

'Emmerdale' is a soap which has been on our TV screens for over 40 years. It was originally broadcast under the title, 'Emmerdale Farm', though for the last 25 years it has been known simply as 'Emmerdale'. The soap centres around the lives of the residents of Emmerdale Village. As with most soaps, it's a blend of fiction and reality; while many of the occurrences in the show (e.g. murders, explosions, floods) are true to life, for so many to happen to one village over the course of a few years is extremely bad luck. Not unlike 'Coronation Street' and 'EastEnders', 'Emmerdale' has its own pub in the form of The Woolpack, and it serves of the focal point of the community, being used for parties, announcements, and the like.

I will now attempt to define who the target audience is for this media text using Audience Profiling. Firstly, I think a soap such as 'Emmerdale' would most likely appeal more to a female audience. This is due to the fact that the show features many female characters, whom the audience may personally identify with; furthermore, soaps tend to appeal more to women than they do to men. I think the age group for the majority of 'Emmerdale' viewers will be mid-thirties onwards. This is on account of the fact that many people of this age will relate to the characters in the programme. The show doesn't feature a large amount of children, teenagers or young adults, and very rarely are they given headlining stories. For this reason, I think the show appeals to an older audience that may personally identify with the issues those characters face (e.g. money troubles, jobs, domestic arguments). Additionally, 'Emmerdale' features large families, a notable example being the Dingles, and so it's reasonable to assume that man y of the audience who watch the show also come from large families, possibly with lots of siblings, and children/grandchildren.

Due to the image built up using the Audience Profiling system, I don't feel 'Emmerdale' is targeted at my age group, which is part of the reason why I consider it to be a guilty pleasure of mine, however I feel I enjoy the text just as much as someone would who does fit into the aforementioned categories. As a teenager, I feel a soap that is directed more towards my audience is ‘Hollyoaks’, which features characters that people of my age would personally identify with. The texts I consume on a day-to-day basis are generally of the sci-fi or fantasy genre, so it's surprising to think I would be attracted to a show such as 'Emmerdale', a soap. However, I find myself intrigued by the storylines it has, and the characters are relatable to the extent that I can become emotionally invested in the programme. 

In my personal opinion, I consume the preferred reading of the text. 'Emmerdale' has approached many difficult subjects over the years, such as murder, kidnap and bereavement. But above all, I think the core ideology of the programme is that friendship is important, and that we should appreciate those around us and those who love us. When the village faces trying times, they pull together, showing the bonds that have developed, and this representation of friendship is one that I find to be both accurate and heart-warming. In addition to this, many characters on the show have had to battle with serious illness; however those characters have shown great willpower and strength to overcome their problems, coming to terms with what may be life changing illness. The ideology presented by the show here is that we shouldn't give up in the face of opposition, and this is an idea I approve of wholeheartedly. It sends out a positive message to viewers who may be in a similar situation.

There are several appeals of this media text to me. I will explain these using the Uses & Gratifications system. Firstly, I think 'Emmerdale' fulfils my need for entertainment/escapism. The rural landscape of the show is not one I have experienced in real life, the 1800s brick houses surrounded by countryside is picturesque, and somewhere I would love to live. For that reason, I find the show to be a great form of escapism. Aside from its environment, the show provides a lot of entertainment. The characters in the show are as comical as they are serious, and it's this blend that has ensured the show's success for so many years. The Woolpack is the hub for village gossip, and it's often where arguments and fights will occur - I don't mind admitting that I enjoy watching such scenes, as they are excellently staged and are an example of the great directing present on the show. In addition to this, the show fulfils my need for Personal Identity. Although many of the characters are much older than me, I can personally identify with many of the issues they face, and especially with the younger characters who cope with exams and other teenage problems. It's interesting to observe how other characters approach similar problems I have faced, and I can see whether their response is similar or different to my own. Lastly, I think 'Emmerdale' fulfils my need for social interaction. Although I do not discuss the soap with my friends, it is something I talk about with my family. If there has been a controversial scenario, often we discuss our opinions on why it's happened, which characters we side with and where we think the story will go next. Having characters we are emotionally invested in helps us enjoy the storylines, and I think 'Emmerdale' succeeds more so than 'EastEnders' in creating likable characters who you genuinely love/hate.