Portfolio
This is an excerpt from an assignment for Principles of Advertising. The assignment was to evaluate the advertisements that air during a certain television show for one month. To see the paper in its entirety, Click Here.
"The Golden Girls" and Lifetime Television for Women
Not
surprisingly, the target market of Lifetime Television is the 18-34 year old
female. This information is imperative to understanding the viewing audience
of "The Golden Girls" and the reasons why advertisers choose this
spot to promote their products. The concept of a network that caters
openly to women without regard to men seems more than a little risky. However,
given that cable/satellite television is available to 75% of households…
and that the average household television set is operating more than seven and
one half hours a day, every day of the week, with viewers watching anywhere
from three hours a day (teens 12-17) to almost five hours a day (women 18+),
the idea does not seem quite so absurd (Nielson Media Research). Though there
are more women in the work force today, there is still a significant number
who choose to stay at home for whatever reason. These women are the targets
of such networks as Lifetime Television.
"The Golden Girls" shows twice daily on Lifetime Television throughout the week at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., and on Saturday at 11 a.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m. The show portrays the lives of four single women living in Miami Beach, Florida. The show first debuted in 1985 on NBC, and has since been nominated for 57 Emmy Awards, 10 of which were won, along with three Golden Globe Awards(Lifetime Shows: Golden Girls). The long running success of the show and its reruns directly relates to the viewing audience. It is likely that the ratings have maintained a high level because the show has had ample amount of time to establish loyal viewers, most of which are women.
For
my project, I kept a log of the advertisements that appeared on Lifetime Television
during the 30-minute spot of "The Golden Girls." I enjoyed this part
of the project more than any other because it surprised me. I was completely
unaware of the number or frequency of the commercials that air in such a short
time period. Because Lifetime is committed to enriching the lives of its female
viewers, the network hosts a number of public service advertisements. The most
outstanding campaign I noticed while participating in the evaluation was the
fight against Breast Cancer. There were eleven different advertisements promoting
self-awareness and "the need for women to help protect themselves"
by performing breast examinations on a monthly basis. I also noticed publicity
given to a variety of non-profit organizations such as the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society and the Women's Political Caucus. Obviously, Lifetime Television
is the ideal media spot for such groups as they are self promoting.
This is an excerpt from a paper that I wrote for English 58--Shakespeare. The paper compares three Shakespearean characters in three different plays; Titus Andronicus, Hamlet and King Lear. To see the paper in its entirety, Click Here.
The Good Girls of Tragedy
William
Shakespeare created the characters Lavinia, Ophelia, and Cordelia in like image
of one another. Each of these women belongs to a different Shakespearean play,
yet each tells the same nature of story - tragedy. Perhaps the three characters
are able to become one character because their experiences so closely parallel
one another. Each girl is young, beautiful and unmarried as Titus Andronicus,
Hamlet and King Lear open. The relationship shared between each of the girls
and her father is exclusive and devoted, yet rather than enjoy the closeness
the girls suffer because of it. Lavinia is raped and mutilated as part of Tamora's
revenge against her father, Titus. Ophelia becomes mad because of the oppressive
temperament of her father, Polonius. Cordelia's spoiled and ungrateful father,
King Lear, disinherits her after she refuses to flatter him. To complete the
tragic scheme, each girl loses her life in an unsettling way that either directly
or indirectly involves her father.
Hamlet's
Ophelia suffers much the same fate as Lavinia. Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius
and the sister of Laertes. Throughout the beginning of Hamlet, Ophelia is portrayed
as a secondary and unimportant character. She is characterized as beautiful,
kind, simple, innocent, and all things pure, yet Ophelia lacks a strong will.
She is the beloved of Hamlet as revealed by the letter written by the Prince
and read to the King: "To the celestial and my soul's idol, the most beautiful
Ophelia" (Hamlet 2.ii. 109-110). Though she obviously cares a great deal
for Hamlet, it is difficult to tell by the way that she willfully succumbs to
Polonius and Laerte's warnings to stay away from the Prince. Laertes portrays
himself as a brother concerned that his sister will get hurt in the game of
love. Polonius on the other hand chides Ophelia saying:
Do
not believe his vows, for they are brokers,
Not
of that dye, which their investments show,
But
mere [implorators] of unholy suits,
Breathing
like sanctified and pious bonds,
The
better to beguile (Hamlet I, iii. 127-131).
Polonius tells Ophelia that she is mistaken to take Hamlet's
vows for truth because a Prince could not love below his social class. He continues
telling Ophelia that by believing that her love for Hamlet is reciprocated,
she is embarrassing herself and more importantly, her father.
Ophelia
again proves her naïve countenance and weak character when she agrees to
become a pawn for her father. She allows herself to be used in Claudius and
Polonius's attempt to prove Hamlet's madness. Ophelia serves as a foil to see
what Hamlet will say so the two schemers can determine the real cause of his
madness. The very idea that Polonius would agree to, let alone suggest, such
a proposal is evidence of the nature of his relationship with Ophelia. If he
were really concerned that Hamlet were mad and that his daughter was the root
of the lunacy, one would think Polonius would be more cautious and concerned
than to position Ophelia in direct confrontation with a madman. However, Polonius
is a selfish man who is willing to sacrifice anything to win the King's favor.
Ophelia holds no intrinsic value for Polonius and is useful only if she can
be of aid in getting what he wants.
During
the confrontation with Hamlet, Ophelia tries to return the sentiments of love
that were first given to her. Hamlet, in his mad charade, acts oblivious and
questions Ophelia's veracity saying; "Ha, ha! Are you honest/…Are
you fair (Hamlet 3.i, 102-104). The denial of his true feelings by Hamlet crushes
Ophelia. Unable to control her emotions, Ophelia dissolves into tears at Hamlet's
rejection. Had it not been for her father's selfish motives and his desire to
please Claudius, then Ophelia would not have been openly abused by Hamlet. In
order to feign madness the Prince was forced to deny his true feelings for his
beloved.
Click Here to
link to the public relations group project I did for J -140. The project is
at the bottom of Kelly's home page.
Click Here to link to a press release I wrote for The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, N.C.
Email me at aguy@email.unc.edu. This site was last updated June 17, 2002.
This web site was created by Agatha Guy as part of an assignment for Journalism 050 - Electronic Information Sources at the