The Notion of Television as Cultural Forum
by C.J. Thompson
In the syndicated television game show, “Change of Heart,” Newcomb and Hirsch’s notion of television as a cultural forum is displayed through the context of the program and the advertisements that appear on the show. The dominant message of disposability and casualness in today’s relationships between men and women is exhibited through the flow and presentation of the television program. In evaluating the relationship between society and television, one must consider the context, advertisements and target audience of the television show; as well as the multiplicity of meanings conveyed in the show.
Television programs are ultimately produced for audiences, whose interpretations and reactions are critical to an understanding of television and its effects as a cultural forum. The mobile privatization of television, or the exclusive social leisure attained by watching, encapsulates much of the viewing audience through shows like “Change of Heart.” The target audiences of a younger generation in their early 20's to mid 30's, as well as middle-aged women are able to watch “Change of Heart” daily at 5pm on their local cable network as an invisible third wheel on a blind date. Literally and figuratively, this notion of mobile privatization is exemplified as audiences enter to the personal lives of others in the comfort of their own homes.
"Change of Heart" is a podium for young couples to express their views on relationships and explore other possibilities when men and women come to a crossroad in their relationship. Questioning couples go on separate blind dates with single men and women who might meet the criteria for their ideal mate. Following their separate dates, the couple returns to discuss whether they have a future together or if one or both of them has had a "change of heart." The format of the show is one that mirrors the construct of relationships of today's society, predominantly in the younger generation. The shift to more casual dating throughout American culture has become the norm as more young men and women become more experimental in their relationships by engaging in casual affairs. This is also evident in much of the middle-aged generation, as the national divorce rate has sky rocketed and women’s sense of independenc thrives.
There is an ever growing number of women who have found that it is better to empower themselves by eliminating their own unhappiness than to remain unhappily dependent upon unnecessary adage. It is popular for some women to separate themselves and "do-away" with unsatisfactory relationships. The liberation of women as independent, self-sufficient beings is seen throughout television, including "Change of Heart." At the end of the show, the conflict is resolved as the couples decide to stay together or "do away" with the relationship and have a "change of heart.” The change in society from a strict one man, one women "courting" system of the past to a more free, casual dating experience of today is seen through the disposability of relationships between men and women on "Change of Heart."
Today’s younger couples are quicker to dispose of a relationship and seek companionship with another person, making their lives simpler, instead of working to strengthen their current relationship. This notion of simplicity is also seen in the advertisements placed on “Change of Heart.” Hefty introduces their new garbage bags with elastic liners for easy disposal in an advertisement that appears during the show, which appeals to both a younger generation and middle-aged women. The casualness of today’s relationships between men and women is reinforced in ads with easy disposal of your garbage just as “Change of Heart” reiterates the disposal of your relationships.
Disposability is also seen in the audiences’ ability to change the channel—one channel is at the disposal of another. Because of this freedom of choice the viewer has, advertisers tend to repeat the same ad over again during one program. The advertisements for the Hefty trash bags with elastic liners was shown three times in one showing of “Change of Heart.” Advertisers feel that repetition is necessary because of the disposability that has empowered the implied viewer.
Another advertisement displayed on “Change of Heart” is for Valtrex, a once-a-day prescription medication that disrupts the process by which the herpes virus spreads through the body. Appropriately placed, the ad for Valtrex is displayed on a show targeted to young Americans in their early 20’s to mid 30’s, a population in which the number of sexually transmitted infections and viruses are growing rampant; and middle-aged women, who have been sexually active longer which increases their chances for STI contraction. Although anyone who is sexually active can get any STIs, it is medically proven that younger people are often at higher risk for STIs and viruses like herpes simplex. The casualness of sexual acts in both men and women and the underestimation of actually contracting a disease contribute to the growing popularity of such drugs as Valtrex and their advertisements on cable broadcast stations. In today’s society, social issues being addressed, like men and women not practicing the safest sex, make television a cultural forum for sex awareness.
Advertisements for Zoloft, a medication that treats patients suffering from depression, panic disorder, compulsive-obsessive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder, also are shown on "Change of Heart." These ads not only demonstrate the instability in many of today's relationships but also the disposability in American culture today. "When you know more about what's wrong, you can make it right" is the slogan for Zoloft that streams across the television screen. Disposing the problems you have in your life and simplifying your life is the message given in the advertisement. The Zoloft advertisement is particularly targeted to the female viewers of "Change of Heart," the largest group of depressed people. This advertisement enables the intended viewer, in this case women, who tend to be more sensitive, know that it will be okay if your relationship is not successful because Zoloft is there for you. This particular advertisement, as well as many others that appear on “Change of Heart” influence the messages of the show.
The Attorney at Law Hotline, Credit and Debt Helpline, and Rader Programs (systems for all eating disorders) are other advertisements that appear on "Change of Heart." These ads and many others that are shown during "Change of Heart" exemplify a change in society—to a more adventurous viewer who lives for the moment and does what he or she wants and accepts the consequences of their actions later on down the road. Those who subsequently are having problems with the law because of poor decisions might call the Attorney at Law Hotline. Viewers who suffer from impulsive buying or unexpected debt problems might call the credit helpline. The Rader programs are for those who suffer from eating disorders, low self-esteem or perhaps depression. Consequently, they are now taking responsibility for their actions and seek help for those actions.
These advertisements differentiate television narratives from other narratives like film. They are interrupted by commercial breaks, in the case of "Change of Heart," the various advertisements described above. Television producers have adapted to this by organizing programs around the breaks. The breaks may therefore come at convenient moments in the narrative to emphasize a high point or to signal a shift in time. The disposable Hefty trash bags advertisement is aired again right before the "do or die" moment when the couples decide whether they will stay to together or dispose their current mate and have a "change of heart."
Commercials whose content has some relation to the program are usually screened, as demonstrated by the advertisements that appear on "Change of Heart." Advertisers buy “eyeballs” from the networks in order to sell their products. The dominant message of “Change of Heart” is a culmination of these advertisements and the text of the show. The advertisers' message is only complete when the whole program has been viewed along with the advertisements, commercial breaks, and text of the show. This concept of television "flow" is important when considering the dominant message of disposability and casualness in today's relationship between men and women. The flow between the text and ads is the defining characteristic that makes television a cultural form (Altman, 51).
The dominant message of the program is established when the audience’s point of view is established. The point of view of the “Change of Heart” viewer is constructed around opposing sexes. Invented by the French philosopher Jacque Derrida, this notion of deconstruction is best described as “terms in such binary oppositions depend on each other.” The fundamental difference over identity is what guides deconstruction as an extension of semiotics, which are the codes in which systems of signs, rules, and conventions are shared among members of a culture. Through semiotics, the viewer is able to decode the program by interpreting the meanings and codes presented in its content and advertisements. Within the context of “Change of Heart,” the meaning of male and female is defined by their interaction on the show. A deconstructionist would argue that, as viewers, we understand the relation between men and women because they are always “implemented together and one constitutes another;” and apart they would have no meaning. Ultimately, in “Change of Heart,” the casualness and disposability of today's relationships are established, understood, and enforced to the viewer, by means of the organized belief between the binary oppositions, male and female (Grossberg, 172-73).
Today, television is the dominant producer of cultural symbolism. Its imagery is prescriptive as well as descriptive, and not only mirrors what is happening in society, but also demonstrates how one would adjust to social issues in society. Newcomb and Hirsch’s notion of television as a cultural forum with polysemous meaning is displayed on “Change of Heart” through the various social issues addressed in its advertisements and content. A social shift to more casual, less serious relationships is depicted through “Change of Heart’s” vast cable broadcast medium, which not only allows the producers and advertisers to target its desired audience; but also celebrates and communicates the changing of time through the medium of television.
Work Cited
Altman, Rick. "Television/Sound,” Studies in Entertainment: Critical Approaches to Mass Culture. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986. 39-41.Grossberg, Lawrence. Media Making: Mass Media in a Popular Culture. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 1998. 170-173.