Media Criticism

Getting the right scope of a television program enables it to penetrate the viewing habits of the audiences. Since the complete line up of ideas and program formats are intended to satisfy the viewers, it would be appropriate to input program and story aspects according to the currently accepted social situation. In line with this, viewing a previously run TV show may provide a great sense of nostalgia especially for the people who have experienced watching it in the past.

The “old school” TV program chosen for this article is Charlie’s Angels. Apparently, this program was considered to be one of the pioneers in providing the viewers satisfying and exciting storylines back in the 1970’s. If the program format is to be identified with the aspect of postmodernism, then it can easily fit in that category, simply because of the fact that the ideology and the events of most episodes reflect the criterion of a post modernist era. Some of the best ways to recognize the philosophy of post modernism in the show is by identifying how the characters and the plot of each episode interacted with one another.

One very clear aspect of a modernly patterned theme of Charlie’s Angels may be recognized on the type of empowerment given to women. Since in the past, women are looked below the standards of the society, the show was able to inhibit the previous notion of not letting women enter any types of physical activities especially those of which that induce masculinity factor. It can be seen in most episodes that the three lady characters were always set to complete missions that were clearly identified for men.

Another very good example of modernism aspect in the show is the introduction of different things and objects for the purpose of assisting the missions of the protagonists. The then modern technology played an important role in providing the audiences some fresh ideas on how science has ultimately changed the tasks of ordinary people. Different devices, gadgets and instruments were all part of the Charlie’s Angles missions.

Apart from the post modernism structure of the show, Charlie’s Angels also induces a very huge aspect of nostalgia. Even for younger people during those times, the concept of having a TV show regularly viewed have already introduced some great memories for them to be always cherished. The way the main actresses dressed, the simple yet unique materials they used and even the musical score or theme song of the program all play an important part in bringing good memories of the show in the present time.

Nostalgia is referred to as an emotional or mental condition in which a person feels a longing of the past’s observed matters. For Charlie’s Angels, this type of emotional attachment can be felt especially for those people who were so dearly attached to the program. Patiently waiting for the next episode to be broadcasted was a part of their lives, giving a sense of affection even to the main characters of the program.

In today’s generation of Television programs on the other hand, post-modernism can still be observed. For example, the TV series The Amazing Race provides some very good factors in which the modern era of showcasing different concepts in broadcasting may be observed. Looking at the complete structure of the program, one may easily identify how it already embodies the current social structure of the human population. Since it is a reality program, it has already stabilized its approach on what post-modernism really is-the general and non-alignment to a hierarchical format of presentation (Wikipedia, 2007).

Obviously, The Amazing Race do not follow a particular script and depend all of the program’s events according to the way the contestant’s and their surroundings interact with each other. Everything is to be observed in relative to the person (contestants) who build the program structure. The modern day individual tend to be more adaptive to his surroundings as depicted in the TV program. Although there is the essence of teamwork, each of the people involved has his own decision making power and may sometimes even contradict the decision of other members.

One more attribute about the post-modernism aspect of the show is readily evident on the freedom of the producer and the director to choose the type of sequence they want to shoot for the purpose of immersing the audience in the program. Since the budgetary aspects are independent of the terms of large Hollywood outfits, modern process of instilling one’s creativity to the program will directly affect its viewers.

Overall, The Amazing Race is a complete replica of Charlie’s Angles in terms of a liberated approach in entertainment. Both programs diverted away from the normal custom of producing shows based on the conservative structure of past generations of society.

The acceptance of post modernism ideas is somehow controversial on the part of the social analyst’s perception. Since the philosophy reflect the outcome of events after the Second World War, it can’t be justified whether such philosophy is an independent one or basically a form of thinking based on the overall flow of past history. One thing is certain; post modernism’s definition of philosophy is evident even in today’s media.

References

Wikipedia. 2007. Postmodernism. Wikipedia-The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism.