Television and Sexual Orientation

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that television is arguably our most pervasive mass medium, and reaches millions of viewers, often for many hours per day. As such, it is reasonable to expect that it may play a substantial role in forming and moulding public opinion. This essay examines how race, sexual orientation, social class, gender and class are portrayed on television, with specific reference to four very popular television series: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'; 'Ellen'; 'Frasier' and 'Friends'. It is argued that the relationship between television and the masses is becoming increasingly interactive, with the latter increasingly impacting the former, and both exerting a moulding action upon one another.

From the Paper:

"First, it must be conceded that there is abundant evidence of television moulding our current society, conveying a view of the world that reinforces the current status quo. Take for example the enormously popular television series Friends. This series features four fabulously shallow, attractive, white, heterosexual, gender-role-conforming, slim, reasonably affluent, utterly self-centred thirty-somethings living in a US city. These characters surely represent the current patriarchal North American status quo. None of them transgresses any societal norms, and all devote themselves with indefatigable vigour to the most important social virtue of our time - consumption. Indeed, much of the action takes place in a coffee shop, where the characters simply spend their time spending money and being amusing. This is reminiscent of the television series Frasier, where the characters also appear to have a bottomless capacity for expensive coffee (as well as fine wine and good food)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, Karen L. Sociology: A Critical Introduction. (Please fill in rest of reference - I do not have it)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.
• Ellen television series.
• Frasier television series.
• Friends television series.

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