By: Edward Wyatt
Thursday, March 12, 2009
NYT-The Arts, C1
This article talks about how very popular television comedy shows are coming out with episodes that relate to our economic crisis. The reader can tell what the article is about based on the lede, which grabs attention because it is very blunt, “Full-time moms are being forced to take part-time jobs, and corporate executives treat themselves to expensive wine after asking for a government bailout…”
Wyatt’s “but” statement comes shortly after in the third paragraph stating the shows that express economic crisis, such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty” on ABC, “The Simpsons” on Fox, “Flashpoint” on CBS and “30 Rock” on NBC: “Popular entertainment often takes the form of escapism in tough economic times. But a growing number of broadcast network shows have recently incorporated more real-life issues into their stories--a reflection, producers say, of how widespread the current financial troubles are.”
I think it is a good idea that these popular shows are coming out with these episodes, because it shows that the economic crisis is effecting everyone, not just the working and middle class.
One thing Wyatt mentions for readers to look forward to is the fact that networks are working to create series that involves things about the economic crisis, “Networks are even considering entire series based on the recession. Fox is developing a comedy titled ‘Two Dollar Beer,’ that features a group of friends living in Detroit who are trying to weather that city’s worsening financial condition, and ABC Studios is developing ’Canned’ a situation comedy about a group of friends who all get fired on the same day.”
The article ends with a quote from chairman of 20th century Fox Television, Gary Newman, “When our characters are dealing with things that are relatable to our own lives, it can become more meaningful,” which I agree, and they are still entertaining.
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For some reason, it still throws me when TV shows respond to reality so quickly. I think its weird when the television world tries to mesh with the real world in real time- aren't they supposed to be separate? It makes the characters seem more real but its disconcerting, like when you can't remember if something that happened was in a dream or reality.
ReplyDeleteI like it when television responds to the real world. I don't like to watch things that are unbelievable in my life ALL the time, and so to have a few shows that show the troubles in the economy is nice, I think it lets people know that its not just them going through the hard times, its everyone (for the most part).
ReplyDeleteDon't you think they may be taking advantage of the economic crisis and using it for their own benefit?
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