Uses & Gratifications

One text that I consumed this week is a 90's American sit-com; Friends. The show is based around 6 average friends, all in their 30's, trying to make it in their suburban lifestyles.

This text fulfilled three out of the four uses and gratifications, for me personally. To begin with, and the most obvious of them all; entertainment. The show is a sit-com, therefore with the primary purpose to entertain its audience through the use of comedy. The style of humor delivered by all of the characters is slapstick and almost cartoon-esque in the sense that the characters are all so unique yet normal in their own respects. An example of this, Chandler, who is renown for his witty comebacks and one-liners. How unexpected these sort of whips are is what delivers the comedic effect that the show aims for. That being said, the writers also cleverly balance the levels of comedy and drama evenly; serious moments will remain serious in tone, however comedy will remain humorous. This is entertaining as it keeps the excitement high, mainly following the tragic love story of two characters.

With this in mind, the drama can often be related to, which is why personal identity is met. The characters are all normal people, living ordinary lives, just portrayed in a different way to our own. To that regard, the ease of being able to relate to such characters can often make the audience compare certain events to their own lives, thus being able to empathize with certain circumstances.

Comedy Central, the broadcasting network that owns the rights to Friends, are very profound when it comes to involving the audience. Friends has always been known for being quoted out of context, myself included with several friends (hence why this show falls into social interaction with myself). This became so notable that Comedy Central took advantage of the wide spread love for the 'favorite moments' idea that they made an entire month (or so) dedicated to using Twitter follower's suggestions when it came to which episodes to broadcast.

Another media text that I consumed this week was Jurassic World.

I heard a lot of excitement around this film given that it appeals to people's nostalgia, given that it is a sequel to the popular Speilberg movies. So, naturally, I watched this film for its social currency. I was able to join in with conversations regarding the film as I understood the context from that point onward. (Although I seem to be the only person who didn't enjoy it.)

Additionally, some assets within the film appeal to me personally, as I am the youngest brother of the family, and therefore can relate to the young brother in the film.