Week 9 - Cinema and Television

Name your favourite television and film. Explain how the film could shape a person’s identity.

There are numerous television shows and films that I like but my favorite television show of all time is 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' while my favorite film is 'Eastern Promises'. The television show that I have chosen has a genre of situational comedy and it was aired on television during the 90s. The show spanned 6 seasons and focused on the ups and downs of life of a young Will Smith after he moved from Philadelphia to California. The show television often shows moral values like friendship, family, loyalty and honesty. As for film, I have chosen 'Eastern Promises'. The film has a genre of thriller and crime which revolves around issues such as rape, gang related violence and murder but in the end of the film positive moral values can be seen.

Firstly, I will explain about how the television and film shows can shape a person's identity. The television show is broadcast during prime time to allow more viewers to tune in to the channel. Gitlin (1979) states that shows that air during prime time have more impact towards viewers as the television allows the broadcast of ideologies towards millions of viewers. With this in mind, the television show mentioned above could shape a person's identity by the events that are portrayed in the television show. Additionally, these events can affect the psychology and communicative patterns of the viewers (Madsen, 1973). For instance, some people may be inspired by how the character speaks in the movie or how they react in certain situations and then apply them to real life. These small actions if left on their own accord may shape their own identity and with the advent of digital broadcasting, more of these film and television shows can be accessed by the public (Caldwell, 2005). Therefore, careful consideration should be done when viewing such broadcasts as they might affect one's ideologies.

In conclusion, the way the actors play out their characters in television or film have quite an impact to the viewers. They can affect their behaviour and thus may affect the ideologies that shape their identity thus it is important to see what a person is viewing so they do not be swayed by the entertainment industry.

Promotional image for the television show featuring the cast

Theatrical movie poster for the film

References:

• Caldwell, J. T. (2005). Welcome to the viral future of cinema (Television). Cinema Journal. 45, 90 - 97.

• Gitlin, T. (1979). Prime time ideology: the hegemonic process in television entertainment [Electronic version]. Social Problems. 26, 251 -256. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from http://www.csub.edu/~rdugan2/SOC%20577%20Pop%20Culture/gitlin%20and%20prime%20time%20ideology.pdf

• Madsen, R. P. (1973). The Impact of Film: How Ideas Are Communicated Through Cinema and Television. New York: MacMillan Publishing.