Television and Media - Variety in TV Shows :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Variety in Television Shows There are many different television shows today, practically one for every person in the family. Comedies, dramas, action-adventure all these different forums of television, but they all seem to be about the same people. Threw all the different verity of shows on TV all the characters have common similarities with each other. They are mostly composed of white people and the upper class. Even if the show claims to be about the working class the characters are usually never seen working or even warring about money, they also never have a problem paying rent or buying new clothes. This gives a false image of the working class. The lack of a divers cast also misleads the audience the black population is expected to outnumber the white population in this country by the year 2009. Yet all major television stations don't have many if ant minority in their shows. This leaves most of America's people unrepresentative on television. If these stations where trying to portray the middle class they did not do so in an affective manor. Looking at the show "friends" the whole cast is composed of white actors and never has a minority ever been represented in the show. All the characters have jobs but are never seen at them, occasionally we see Monica in the kitchen where she works, or Rachel in the Coffey shop doing anything but work. Even with the unusual appearance at work the characters still seem to have great apartments and seem fashionably beautiful. "Friend" is one of the most popular shows on television today. How is that possible, the answer is that executives who write and produce the shows have no idea what its really like for young adults in society today. They assume things about the American public and pass it on as the real thing. This in turn is digested by the American public and watched because theirs nothing else that is entertaining enough to keep their attention the reason why television shows seem the same is because they are made and produced by the same people with a formula that i s followed by others. Look at the show "Will and Grace" it seems to have broken the mold of the usual sitcom.