“Heroes have to be all or most of the following: intelligent, strong, resilient, selfless, caring, charismatic, reliable, and inspiring. A hero is the person who can be bothered, who does get off the sofa, who will save the day.”
These are characteristics that can be applied to the protagonist from ‘The Mentalist’. The protagonist has these qualities throughout each episode. For example, he shows to be resilient when attempting to solve the case and he is constantly modest about his work. He feels uncomfortable with people thanking him for solving a crime and he is a reliable person that is always asked for help for something and he seems to always pull through for them.
"However there has been a shift toward investigative crime series, where the protagonist must think instead of fight"
This is something that needs to be taken into account when producing the linked production piece. The protagonist would have to be more intellectual and more similar to the narrative hero in the Mentalist as this is something that applies to him. It is the key factor which makes this character so unique in his own way and to differentiate from other texts such as Dexter. He is rather the brains of operations instead of the ‘muscle’ which his special crimes unit may be referred to as.
“All dialogue is lies”
This quote then suggests that characters in television drama should never be seen to say what they mean. It’s all about subtext and how dialogue is shaped by personality and context. This is the method in which the protagonist should be able to clearly portray a message without the use of dialogue.
“Our main protagonist endures a love/hate relationship with himself”
This is something that the main protagonist in The Mentalist endures and therefore this needs to be portrayed through the linked production piece if I decide to produce a trailer/opening. The only way that he will be seen is to show his feelings within himself that are represented on-screen and the audience will be able to understand these without dialogue because this makes it more effective and possible. It also allows for a significant meaning to be met through the uses and gratifications theory and therefore you will be able to see both sides of the character.
“However, this is not the only narrative function that the crime drama partnership performs; such partnerships also play an important role in the construction and exploration of binary oppositions. It is these oppositions, according to Claude Lévi-Strauss, that provide narratives with their meaning and cultural significance”.
This quote from an extract relating to the collaboration between TV crime and drama explains that this partnership is something that allows readings of thee texts to differ and therefore this should be used to ensure that these two readings are read by the audience to show that there are meant to be different meanings to things.
“The Uses and Gratifications theory assists us here, with its emphasis on the cognitive and emotional abilities of the audience that are used to think, rethink, and reinterpret a text and its wider contextual significance”
This is significant to my study because it allows the audience to become aware of the ways in which they are gratified through the uses of texts and people can have their own interpretation of it and therefore find something more appealing to them. This is the hypothesis that I have set, and this is something that can apply to everything in the media and in people’s everyday lives. For example, the way someone views Obama’s presidential recent win can differ extremely from one person saying that it is good for America to be supported by such a person with the intelligence of Obama; however, someone could argue that there are things that Obama has promised to complete which he has not done in the past four years that he has been the president of the USA and as a result of this they oppose the values and beliefs that Obama stands for. Thus this therefore simply comes down to the interpretation and thinking about something.
“Unanswered questions that still circulate in the subconscious resurface and encourage a two-step recommendation in the hope of a ‘let’s see what they think’ response”
This is important for the study of the Mentalist because most episodes include cliff-hangers which is the most important part of the series to ensure that the audience is constantly wondering what is going to happen next. Furthermore, it could allow people to discuss these things that allow the directors/creators of a text to become aware of what their audience think about their text and work to improve or to further meet their needs if they enjoy the suspense and the opportunity that they have to voice their opinions. Moreover, the audience are able to create their own theories which encourage creativity and their intelligence to evolve.
“Representations provide models of how we see gender, social group’s individuals and aspects of the world we all inhabit. They are ideological in that they are constructed witching a framework of representations therefore, mediated and reflect the values system of their sources. No representation is ever real, only a version of the real”
This is something that is important for the uses of representation so that the audience sees what they think is real and this can also relate to some form of mediation. The main character in The Mentalist can be applied to this because the audience will be able to identify the fact that some of the things that he does are only a version of the truth which means that there is an element of truth within them. It also relates to mediation and how the creator changes the way something is represented to put across their own personal opinion or a particular message about the subject.
“Barthes considered the meaning of the finished text – a book, song, film or advertisement – is to be created by the audience, therefore a text always remains open”
This is something that the audience should have and will be given to the audience instead of forcing a message about the subject onto them, it allows them to think and therefore become more involved with the subject and could possible find something potentially more appealing.
“Let's say you're a soulful, brooding male hero, living a sheltered, emotionless existence."
This can relate to my study because the protagonist in the Mentalist has his own psychological battle with himself that captivates audiences and causes them to become more intrigued with the plot and the show itself. He always seems to be sheltered from the ‘bad guys’ by his team that works with him and hardly shows personal emotion something relating to his deceased family.
“In media, male characters are defined more by what they do rather than who they are."
This can be applied to Patrick Jane because he is judged by both what he does and who he is. You are able to see his personality throughout the series and understand the sort of man that he is and also the work that he does is always like none other and therefore becomes the most valued member of the whole unit within the CBI.
"The 'whodunit' makes its dramatic question absolutely explicit, and the quest to find the answer is lead by the protagonist."
Thursday 29 November 2012
Wednesday 28 November 2012
Thursday 22 November 2012
Critical Investigation
New title: - How is the narrative hero in 'The Mentalist' a typical American TV protagonist and why does he appeal to audiences?
Linked production piece: - Title sequence/opening of a British TV programme that incorporates the codes and conventions of 'The Mentalist'.
Linked production piece: - Title sequence/opening of a British TV programme that incorporates the codes and conventions of 'The Mentalist'.
Critical Investigation Proposal
How have the portrayal of male protagonists been represented within American institutions. How and why does this appeal to a 16-34 audience using Blumler &Katz theory of Uses and Gratifications?
Angle:
Why does the portrayal of male protagonists become significant to the attraction from a wide audience range? What kinds of factors do the audience take into account to decide if something is appealing to them or not?
Hypothesis:
The Americanisation of the world has allowed a wider range of audiences to recognise things such as glamorous actors and something that is unique to appeal to them and become something that is intriguing.
Linked production piece:
- Short clip of a TV series using the codes and conventions of comedy-drama.
MIGRAIN:
Media Language:
Most shots that are used connote a sense of foreshadowing and tend to have a deeper significant meaning. For example, in The Mentalist, there is a shot where the main character lays on a mattress with the insignia of his family’s killer over his head which symbolises the control that the killer has over this character and how he is constantly always one step ahead of him.
The costume of the main character Patrick Jane is a three piece suit which portrays a sense of professionalism about him, however, as each episode progresses; the audience is able to identify various aspects of his personality. For example, he appears humorous, proud and arrogant at times whereas sometimes when under a lot of pressure he becomes modest, shy and humble.
Top lighting is mostly used to promote star appeal as Simon Baker is a highly recognised actor across the media. Additionally, top lighting is also used on the women in the Mentalist to promote their sexuality and to attract male audiences. Moreover, the identity of the antagonist in the show remains anonymous and there are hints of his identity however only his voice is heard which creates suspense for the audience and draws them in further.
The setting constantly changes within each episode; however the office of the CBI (where the characters work) remains the same and is always shown in some form. For example, the team deals with cases that requires them to travel to different places such as a golf course, train stations or even adult clubs.
Institution:
The Mentalist is produced by CBS which is second largest broadcaster in the world behind the BBC.
Creator is Bruno Heller who has done the teleplay for The Expendables
Various directors for each episode one of which includes Chris Long, and David Nutter.
Watershed – 9-10pm
Product placement including merchandise such as shirts, mugs, posters etc.
Genre:
Belongs to the crime, police procedural, mystery, comedy and drama.
Uses the typical conventions of the mystery genre such as the anonymity of the antagonist Red John.
Comedy is bought out through some of the token character’s nervousness or the protagonist himself throughout every episode to keep the audience entertained.
Drama is portrayed through the main arc of the plot involving Red John and the impact of this chase on the protagonist.
The blend of genres appeal to a wide target audience
Representation:
Patrick Jane is represented as lonely with an intellectual capacity that no other man has excluding Red John.
He is represented as happy whereas the audience can clearly see that he battles with himself what he should do in a situation involving Red John
He remains focused on catching and killing the murderer of his wife and child and this is represented each night
The representation of loneliness is constantly portrayed as he sleeps in the office in which he works and this causes the audience to question whether he wants to go home or not, because of the bad memories that are triggered from seeing the killer’s signature above his ‘bed at home’.
He is also represented as fun-loving and lazy because it is a rare occasion where the audience see him either on a computer or sitting at a desk at work filling out paperwork.
He sometimes uses illegal methods of solving cases such as hypnosis and deceiving the media which represents him as careless and focused.
Other characters including the women are often sexualised and objectified; not by the protagonist, but instead by others around them within the programme and they are represented as strong but not with the same intellectual ability.
The protagonist’s costume involves a three-piece suit which connotes a sense of seriousness about him yet when watching the programme, audiences will be able to identify his immaturity at times and his childish ways.
Top lighting is used to allow the audience to identify the actors and make them seem more glamorous however, the shots during the series are mostly dull which symbolises the mood that Patrick is in.
Audience:
The target audience would fall into the age range of 16 and over
The plot, characters or the actors are all factors which can appeal to various audiences
The fact that there are many elements of a wide range of genres attracts a wide target audience and people that enjoy watching programmes with underpinned meanings will enjoy The Mentalist.
There are lots of guest stars that appear in many episodes such as David Paymer, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Gaston and Leslie Hope which can attract wide audiences
The actors are all well-known and bring an established fan-base to automatically watch The Mentalist and the plot will allow a wider audience to be drawn in and gain narrative pleasures from it.
The audience is able to identify with the character of Patrick Jane as he is hurt inside but attempts to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself (U&G Blumer and Katz)
Audience theories, Socio economic model, audience demographic- how you know this?
Ideologies:
The Mentalist promotes heterosexual ideologies as there are various relationships with other characters but Patrick is not shown to be affectionate to anyone because of the loss of his wife and child
Positive values are promoted throughout the programme which is to create sympathy and to want to support Patrick in the hunt for his family’s killer.
The status quo is constantly challenged within the programme such as the formation of the relationship between Agent Rigsby and Agent Van Pelt which is strictly prohibited by the CBI’s policies.
Narrative:
There is a constant narrative of the Red John plot which is portrayed throughout few episodes per season.
This programme doesn’t follow Todorov’s theory as it is stuck at the disequilibrium of him never finding a solution to the problem of his life.
This however contrasts to the new equilibrium which leaves Patrick smarter and believes in his abilities even more than before
Each episode that does not involve Red John tend to find a new equilibrium at the ending whereby Patrick solves the cases and find the culprit for each
The fact that the narrative is stuck at this disequilibrium appeals to audiences and draws in a wider target audience.
SHEP:
Social:
More acceptable of women moving up in the world as they represented as strong and independent.
At times, subverts patriarchal society but mostly you are able to see men in the higher positions in the CBI.
Historical:
This challenges the history of society whereby women are normally seen as token characters or the femme fatale in a film or TV programme especially in the American industry.
The storyline in comedy-dramas tend to be serialized and this applies to the Mentalist.
Character development is continual and is more relevant than in traditional TV programmes.
Economic:
The fact that Patrick does not do his job for money is quite a significant factor in attracting audiences as they begin to question his reasoning for conducting his role at the CBI.
This could be intriguing for viewers as they are in a climate that has declined which makes them question his ulterior motive.
Political:
The illegal methods that Jane often uses to prove a point or find something out - escapism
Issues/Debates:
Representation and Stereotyping:
The characters within the team excluding the protagonist follow the stereotype of serious members of a team that occasionally have fun when they have completed work. Furthermore, the portrayal of characters within the programme mainly focusing on Red John, are questionable by the viewer and subverts the representation of murderers as he is cunning and has outsmarted every person that has ever looked into his cases, and has also managed to keep his identity hidden.
Media effects:
The effect that media has on the portrayal of people is different to what the Mentalist portrays, especially focusing on the anonymous murderer Red John. The media portrays killers to be mostly men that have no sense and kill for gaining something which could be revenge or because they have psychological problems. For example, the man in America that thought he was the Joker from Batman began to shoot during cinema screenings and the media didn’t take into account the fact that he had psychological problems before publishing the story whereas Red John is a man that kills for satisfaction and for his own self-indulgence. Moreover, the fact that Red John, has outsmarted Patrick and authority to evade capture and thwarted every plan that people have put into action against him, shows a high level of intellectual ability and this is portrayed throughout the seasons.
Theories:
Binary opposition – Patrick VS Red John (typical protagonist VS antagonist and good VS evil) – Levi-Strauss
Additionally, Red John overcoming every move of Patrick’s shows that he is superior to him whereas Patrick is superior to others around him (due to his intellectual skill) and this is again is reinforced by binary opposition.
Audience theories – Uses and Gratifications (Blumer and Katz) escapism and identification of characters
By subverting stereotypes, this will then allow for audiences to become more interested in the show and are more likely to watch it.
Barthes theory of enigma due to the suspense that occurs every episode and cliff-hangers from the end of each episode involving the main antagonist Red John.
Contemporary Media Landscape:
My study fits into this because it has various roles that subvert stereotypes and the protagonist is a unique character on his own and has many theories that can apply to him and the plot of the show.
Research Plan:
Media Text:
I will be focusing upon the TV programme The Mentalist.
Related Examples:
Psych (TV Series 2006)
Hawaii Five-O (TV Series 2010)
Dexter (TV Series 2006)
Nikita (TV Series 2010)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Film – 1939)
TV Documentary:
Evil, I (Investigation)
Couples Who Kill (Crime)
Snapped, Women Who Kill (Crime)
Public Enemies (Film, 2009)
Academic Texts:
The Dark Comedy - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=w1DNaVCV2YgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=comedy-drama&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WiSkULbaGOSg0QXrlIGoBQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=comedy-drama&f=false
Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed As a Professional Writer in TV - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=O5Gbyp9l-T4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=drama%20on%20tv&f=false
Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y80zrdhZCn8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=drama%20on%20tv&f=false
TV Cops: The Contemporary American Television Police Drama - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hKWea_h2n4AC&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBw
Internet Links:
Simon Baker is terrific as Jane, the urbane, charming, yet ultimately tragic hero - http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2012/mar/05/tv-detectives-patrick-jane
The Mentalist attracted 3.6 million viewers to Channel Five last night - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/27/mentalist-tv-ratings
Whenever there is a tense and sullen scene, Jane seems to have a smile on his face - http://technorati.com/entertainment/tv/article/the-mentalist-why-is-it-better/
University Links:
People can consume as much as they wish and what they wish - http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/1.2/Fiske.html
Angle:
Why does the portrayal of male protagonists become significant to the attraction from a wide audience range? What kinds of factors do the audience take into account to decide if something is appealing to them or not?
Hypothesis:
The Americanisation of the world has allowed a wider range of audiences to recognise things such as glamorous actors and something that is unique to appeal to them and become something that is intriguing.
Linked production piece:
- Short clip of a TV series using the codes and conventions of comedy-drama.
MIGRAIN:
Media Language:
Most shots that are used connote a sense of foreshadowing and tend to have a deeper significant meaning. For example, in The Mentalist, there is a shot where the main character lays on a mattress with the insignia of his family’s killer over his head which symbolises the control that the killer has over this character and how he is constantly always one step ahead of him.
The costume of the main character Patrick Jane is a three piece suit which portrays a sense of professionalism about him, however, as each episode progresses; the audience is able to identify various aspects of his personality. For example, he appears humorous, proud and arrogant at times whereas sometimes when under a lot of pressure he becomes modest, shy and humble.
Top lighting is mostly used to promote star appeal as Simon Baker is a highly recognised actor across the media. Additionally, top lighting is also used on the women in the Mentalist to promote their sexuality and to attract male audiences. Moreover, the identity of the antagonist in the show remains anonymous and there are hints of his identity however only his voice is heard which creates suspense for the audience and draws them in further.
The setting constantly changes within each episode; however the office of the CBI (where the characters work) remains the same and is always shown in some form. For example, the team deals with cases that requires them to travel to different places such as a golf course, train stations or even adult clubs.
Institution:
The Mentalist is produced by CBS which is second largest broadcaster in the world behind the BBC.
Creator is Bruno Heller who has done the teleplay for The Expendables
Various directors for each episode one of which includes Chris Long, and David Nutter.
Watershed – 9-10pm
Product placement including merchandise such as shirts, mugs, posters etc.
Genre:
Belongs to the crime, police procedural, mystery, comedy and drama.
Uses the typical conventions of the mystery genre such as the anonymity of the antagonist Red John.
Comedy is bought out through some of the token character’s nervousness or the protagonist himself throughout every episode to keep the audience entertained.
Drama is portrayed through the main arc of the plot involving Red John and the impact of this chase on the protagonist.
The blend of genres appeal to a wide target audience
Representation:
Patrick Jane is represented as lonely with an intellectual capacity that no other man has excluding Red John.
He is represented as happy whereas the audience can clearly see that he battles with himself what he should do in a situation involving Red John
He remains focused on catching and killing the murderer of his wife and child and this is represented each night
The representation of loneliness is constantly portrayed as he sleeps in the office in which he works and this causes the audience to question whether he wants to go home or not, because of the bad memories that are triggered from seeing the killer’s signature above his ‘bed at home’.
He is also represented as fun-loving and lazy because it is a rare occasion where the audience see him either on a computer or sitting at a desk at work filling out paperwork.
He sometimes uses illegal methods of solving cases such as hypnosis and deceiving the media which represents him as careless and focused.
Other characters including the women are often sexualised and objectified; not by the protagonist, but instead by others around them within the programme and they are represented as strong but not with the same intellectual ability.
The protagonist’s costume involves a three-piece suit which connotes a sense of seriousness about him yet when watching the programme, audiences will be able to identify his immaturity at times and his childish ways.
Top lighting is used to allow the audience to identify the actors and make them seem more glamorous however, the shots during the series are mostly dull which symbolises the mood that Patrick is in.
Audience:
The target audience would fall into the age range of 16 and over
The plot, characters or the actors are all factors which can appeal to various audiences
The fact that there are many elements of a wide range of genres attracts a wide target audience and people that enjoy watching programmes with underpinned meanings will enjoy The Mentalist.
There are lots of guest stars that appear in many episodes such as David Paymer, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Gaston and Leslie Hope which can attract wide audiences
The actors are all well-known and bring an established fan-base to automatically watch The Mentalist and the plot will allow a wider audience to be drawn in and gain narrative pleasures from it.
The audience is able to identify with the character of Patrick Jane as he is hurt inside but attempts to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself (U&G Blumer and Katz)
Audience theories, Socio economic model, audience demographic- how you know this?
Ideologies:
The Mentalist promotes heterosexual ideologies as there are various relationships with other characters but Patrick is not shown to be affectionate to anyone because of the loss of his wife and child
Positive values are promoted throughout the programme which is to create sympathy and to want to support Patrick in the hunt for his family’s killer.
The status quo is constantly challenged within the programme such as the formation of the relationship between Agent Rigsby and Agent Van Pelt which is strictly prohibited by the CBI’s policies.
Narrative:
There is a constant narrative of the Red John plot which is portrayed throughout few episodes per season.
This programme doesn’t follow Todorov’s theory as it is stuck at the disequilibrium of him never finding a solution to the problem of his life.
This however contrasts to the new equilibrium which leaves Patrick smarter and believes in his abilities even more than before
Each episode that does not involve Red John tend to find a new equilibrium at the ending whereby Patrick solves the cases and find the culprit for each
The fact that the narrative is stuck at this disequilibrium appeals to audiences and draws in a wider target audience.
SHEP:
Social:
More acceptable of women moving up in the world as they represented as strong and independent.
At times, subverts patriarchal society but mostly you are able to see men in the higher positions in the CBI.
Historical:
This challenges the history of society whereby women are normally seen as token characters or the femme fatale in a film or TV programme especially in the American industry.
The storyline in comedy-dramas tend to be serialized and this applies to the Mentalist.
Character development is continual and is more relevant than in traditional TV programmes.
Economic:
The fact that Patrick does not do his job for money is quite a significant factor in attracting audiences as they begin to question his reasoning for conducting his role at the CBI.
This could be intriguing for viewers as they are in a climate that has declined which makes them question his ulterior motive.
Political:
The illegal methods that Jane often uses to prove a point or find something out - escapism
Issues/Debates:
Representation and Stereotyping:
The characters within the team excluding the protagonist follow the stereotype of serious members of a team that occasionally have fun when they have completed work. Furthermore, the portrayal of characters within the programme mainly focusing on Red John, are questionable by the viewer and subverts the representation of murderers as he is cunning and has outsmarted every person that has ever looked into his cases, and has also managed to keep his identity hidden.
Media effects:
The effect that media has on the portrayal of people is different to what the Mentalist portrays, especially focusing on the anonymous murderer Red John. The media portrays killers to be mostly men that have no sense and kill for gaining something which could be revenge or because they have psychological problems. For example, the man in America that thought he was the Joker from Batman began to shoot during cinema screenings and the media didn’t take into account the fact that he had psychological problems before publishing the story whereas Red John is a man that kills for satisfaction and for his own self-indulgence. Moreover, the fact that Red John, has outsmarted Patrick and authority to evade capture and thwarted every plan that people have put into action against him, shows a high level of intellectual ability and this is portrayed throughout the seasons.
Theories:
Binary opposition – Patrick VS Red John (typical protagonist VS antagonist and good VS evil) – Levi-Strauss
Additionally, Red John overcoming every move of Patrick’s shows that he is superior to him whereas Patrick is superior to others around him (due to his intellectual skill) and this is again is reinforced by binary opposition.
Audience theories – Uses and Gratifications (Blumer and Katz) escapism and identification of characters
By subverting stereotypes, this will then allow for audiences to become more interested in the show and are more likely to watch it.
Barthes theory of enigma due to the suspense that occurs every episode and cliff-hangers from the end of each episode involving the main antagonist Red John.
Contemporary Media Landscape:
My study fits into this because it has various roles that subvert stereotypes and the protagonist is a unique character on his own and has many theories that can apply to him and the plot of the show.
Research Plan:
Media Text:
I will be focusing upon the TV programme The Mentalist.
Related Examples:
Psych (TV Series 2006)
Hawaii Five-O (TV Series 2010)
Dexter (TV Series 2006)
Nikita (TV Series 2010)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Film – 1939)
TV Documentary:
Evil, I (Investigation)
Couples Who Kill (Crime)
Snapped, Women Who Kill (Crime)
Public Enemies (Film, 2009)
Academic Texts:
The Dark Comedy - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=w1DNaVCV2YgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=comedy-drama&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WiSkULbaGOSg0QXrlIGoBQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=comedy-drama&f=false
Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed As a Professional Writer in TV - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=O5Gbyp9l-T4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=drama%20on%20tv&f=false
Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y80zrdhZCn8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=drama%20on%20tv&f=false
TV Cops: The Contemporary American Television Police Drama - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hKWea_h2n4AC&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBw
Internet Links:
Simon Baker is terrific as Jane, the urbane, charming, yet ultimately tragic hero - http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2012/mar/05/tv-detectives-patrick-jane
The Mentalist attracted 3.6 million viewers to Channel Five last night - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/27/mentalist-tv-ratings
Whenever there is a tense and sullen scene, Jane seems to have a smile on his face - http://technorati.com/entertainment/tv/article/the-mentalist-why-is-it-better/
University Links:
People can consume as much as they wish and what they wish - http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/1.2/Fiske.html
Wednesday 14 November 2012
Critical Investigation Proposal
How does the representation of antagonists in American programming focusing on The Mentalist appeal to wide target audiences?
Angle:
Why does the portrayal of male protagonists become significant to the attraction from a wide audience range? What kinds of factors do the audience take into account to decide if something is appealing to them or not?
Hypothesis:
The Americanisation of the world has allowed a wider range of audiences to recognise things such as glamorous actors and something that is unique to appeal to them and become something that is intriguing.
Linked production piece:
-_-
MIGRAIN:
Media Language:
Most shots that are used connote a sense of foreshadowing and tend to have a deeper significant meaning. For example, in The Mentalist, there is a shot where the main character lays on a mattress with the insignia of his family’s killer over his head which symbolises the control that the killer has over this character and how he is constantly always one step ahead of him.
The costume of the main character Patrick Jane is a three piece suit which portrays a sense of professionalism about him, however, as each episode progresses; the audience is able to identify various aspects of his personality. For example, he appears humorous, proud and arrogant at times whereas sometimes when under a lot of pressure he becomes modest, shy and humble.
Top lighting is mostly used to promote star appeal as Simon Baker is a highly recognised actor across the media. Additionally, top lighting is also used on the women in the Mentalist to promote their sexuality and to attract male audiences. Moreover, the identity of the antagonist in the show remains anonymous and there are hints of his identity however only his voice is heard which creates suspense for the audience and draws them in further.
The setting constantly changes within each episode; however the office of the CBI (where the characters work) remains the same and is always shown in some form. For example, the team deals with cases that requires them to travel to different places such as a golf course, train stations or even adult clubs.
Institution:
The Mentalist is produced by CBS which is second largest broadcaster in the world behind the BBC.
Creator is Bruno Heller who has done the teleplay for The Expendables
Various directors for each episode one of which includes Chris Long, and David Nutter.
Genre:
Belongs to the crime, police procedural, mystery, comedy and drama.
Uses the typical conventions of the mystery genre such as the anonymity of the antagonist Red John.
Comedy is bought out through some of the token character’s nervousness or the protagonist himself throughout every episode to keep the audience entertained.
Representation:
Patrick Jane is represented as lonely with an intellectual capacity that no other man has excluding Red John.
He is represented as happy whereas the audience can clearly see that he battles with himself what he should do in a situation involving Red John
He remains focused on catching and killing the murderer of his wife and child and this is represented each night
The representation of loneliness is constantly portrayed as he sleeps in the office in which he works and this causes the audience to question whether he wants to go home or not, because of the bad memories that are triggered from seeing the killer’s signature above his ‘bed at home’.
He is also represented as fun-loving and lazy because it is a rare occasion where the audience see him either on a computer or sitting at a desk at work filling out paperwork.
He sometimes uses illegal methods of solving cases such as hypnosis and deceiving the media which represents him as careless and focused.
Other characters including the women are often sexualised and objectified; not by the protagonist, but instead by others around them within the programme and they are represented as strong but not as smart as Patrick.
Audience:
The target audience would fall into the age range of 16 and over
The plot, characters or the actors are all factors which can appeal to various audiences
The fact that there are many elements of a wide range of genres attracts a wide target audience and people that enjoy watching programmes with underpinned meanings will enjoy The Mentalist.
There are lots of guest stars that appear in many episodes such as David Paymer, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Gaston and Leslie Hope which can attract wide audiences
The actors are all well-known and bring an established fan-base to automatically watch The Mentalist and the plot will allow a wider audience to be drawn in and gain narrative pleasures from it.
The audience is able to identify with the character of Patrick Jane as he is hurt inside but attempts to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself (U&G Blumer and Katz)
Ideologies:
The Mentalist promotes heterosexual ideologies as there are various relationships with other characters but Patrick is not shown to be affectionate to anyone because of the loss of his wife and child
Positive values are promoted throughout the programme which is to create sympathy and to want to support Patrick in the hunt for his family’s killer.
The status quo is constantly challenged within the programme such as the formation of the relationship between Agent Rigsby and Agent Van Pelt which is strictly prohibited by the CBI’s policies.
Narrative:
There is a constant narrative of the Red John plot which is portrayed throughout few episodes per season.
This programme doesn’t follow Todorov’s theory as it is stuck at the disequilibrium of him never finding a solution to the problem of his life.
This however contrasts to the new equilibrium which leaves Patrick smarter and believes in his abilities even more than before
Each episode that does not involve Red John tend to find a new equilibrium at the ending whereby Patrick solves the cases and find the culprit for each
The fact that the narrative is stuck at this disequilibrium appeals to audiences and draws in a wider target audience.
SHEP:
Social:
More acceptable of women moving up in the world as they represented as strong and independent.
At times, subverts patriarchal society but mostly you are able to see men in the higher positions in the CBI.
Historical:
This challenges the history of society whereby women are normally seen as token characters or the femme fatale in a film or TV programme especially in the American industry.
The storyline in comedy-dramas tend to be serialized and this applies to the Mentalist.
Character development is continual and is more relevant than in traditional TV programmes.
Economic:
The fact that Patrick does not do his job for money is quite a significant factor in attracting audiences as they begin to question his reasoning for conducting his role at the CBI.
This could be intriguing for viewers as they are in a climate that has declined which makes them question his ulterior motive.
Political:
The illegal methods that Jane often uses to prove a point or find something out
Issues/Debates:
Representation and Stereotyping:
The characters within the team excluding the protagonist follow the stereotype of serious members of a team that occasionally have fun when they have completed work. Furthermore, the portrayal of characters within the programme mainly focusing on Red John, are questionable by the viewer and subverts the representation of murderers as he is cunning and has outsmarted every person that has ever looked into his cases, and has also managed to keep his identity hidden.
Media effects:
The effect that media has on the portrayal of people is different to what the Mentalist portrays, especially focusing on the anonymous murderer Red John. The media portrays killers to be mostly men that have no sense and kill for gaining something which could be revenge or because they have psychological problems. For example, the man in America that thought he was the Joker from Batman began to shoot during cinema screenings and the media didn’t take into account the fact that he had psychological problems before publishing the story whereas Red John is a man that kills for satisfaction and for his own self-indulgence. Moreover, the fact that Red John, has outsmarted Patrick and authority to evade capture and thwarted every plan that people have put into action against him, shows a high level of intellectual ability and this is portrayed throughout the seasons.
Theories:
Binary opposition – Patrick VS Red John (typical protagonist VS antagonist and good VS evil) – Levi-Strauss
Additionally, Red John overcoming every move of Patrick’s shows that he is superior to him whereas Patrick is superior to others around him (due to his intellectual skill) and this is again is reinforced by binary opposition.
Audience theories – Uses and Gratifications (Blumer and Katz) escapism and identification of characters
By subverting stereotypes, this will then allow for audiences to become more interested in the show and are more likely to watch it.
Contemporary Media Landscape:
My study fits into this because it has various roles that subvert stereotypes and the protagonist is a unique character on his own and has many theories that can apply to him and the plot of the show.
Research Plan:
Media Text:
I will be focusing upon the TV programme The Mentalist.
Related Examples:
Psych (TV Series 2006)
Hawaii Five-O (TV Series 2010)
Dexter (TV Series 2006)
Nikita (TV Series 2010)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Film – 1939)
TV Documentary:
Evil, I (Investigation)
Couples Who Kill (Crime)
Snapped, Women Who Kill (Crime)
Public Enemies (Film, 2009)
Academic Texts:
The Dark Comedy - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=w1DNaVCV2YgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=comedy-drama&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WiSkULbaGOSg0QXrlIGoBQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=comedy-drama&f=false
Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed As a Professional Writer in TV - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=O5Gbyp9l-T4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=drama%20on%20tv&f=false
Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y80zrdhZCn8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=drama%20on%20tv&f=false
TV Cops: The Contemporary American Television Police Drama - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hKWea_h2n4AC&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBw
Internet Links:
Simon Baker is terrific as Jane, the urbane, charming, yet ultimately tragic hero - http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2012/mar/05/tv-detectives-patrick-jane
The Mentalist attracted 3.6 million viewers to Channel Five last night - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/27/mentalist-tv-ratings
Whenever there is a tense and sullen scene, Jane seems to have a smile on his face - http://technorati.com/entertainment/tv/article/the-mentalist-why-is-it-better/
University Links:
People can consume as much as they wish and what they wish - http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/1.2/Fiske.html
Angle:
Why does the portrayal of male protagonists become significant to the attraction from a wide audience range? What kinds of factors do the audience take into account to decide if something is appealing to them or not?
Hypothesis:
The Americanisation of the world has allowed a wider range of audiences to recognise things such as glamorous actors and something that is unique to appeal to them and become something that is intriguing.
Linked production piece:
-_-
MIGRAIN:
Media Language:
Most shots that are used connote a sense of foreshadowing and tend to have a deeper significant meaning. For example, in The Mentalist, there is a shot where the main character lays on a mattress with the insignia of his family’s killer over his head which symbolises the control that the killer has over this character and how he is constantly always one step ahead of him.
The costume of the main character Patrick Jane is a three piece suit which portrays a sense of professionalism about him, however, as each episode progresses; the audience is able to identify various aspects of his personality. For example, he appears humorous, proud and arrogant at times whereas sometimes when under a lot of pressure he becomes modest, shy and humble.
Top lighting is mostly used to promote star appeal as Simon Baker is a highly recognised actor across the media. Additionally, top lighting is also used on the women in the Mentalist to promote their sexuality and to attract male audiences. Moreover, the identity of the antagonist in the show remains anonymous and there are hints of his identity however only his voice is heard which creates suspense for the audience and draws them in further.
The setting constantly changes within each episode; however the office of the CBI (where the characters work) remains the same and is always shown in some form. For example, the team deals with cases that requires them to travel to different places such as a golf course, train stations or even adult clubs.
Institution:
The Mentalist is produced by CBS which is second largest broadcaster in the world behind the BBC.
Creator is Bruno Heller who has done the teleplay for The Expendables
Various directors for each episode one of which includes Chris Long, and David Nutter.
Genre:
Belongs to the crime, police procedural, mystery, comedy and drama.
Uses the typical conventions of the mystery genre such as the anonymity of the antagonist Red John.
Comedy is bought out through some of the token character’s nervousness or the protagonist himself throughout every episode to keep the audience entertained.
Representation:
Patrick Jane is represented as lonely with an intellectual capacity that no other man has excluding Red John.
He is represented as happy whereas the audience can clearly see that he battles with himself what he should do in a situation involving Red John
He remains focused on catching and killing the murderer of his wife and child and this is represented each night
The representation of loneliness is constantly portrayed as he sleeps in the office in which he works and this causes the audience to question whether he wants to go home or not, because of the bad memories that are triggered from seeing the killer’s signature above his ‘bed at home’.
He is also represented as fun-loving and lazy because it is a rare occasion where the audience see him either on a computer or sitting at a desk at work filling out paperwork.
He sometimes uses illegal methods of solving cases such as hypnosis and deceiving the media which represents him as careless and focused.
Other characters including the women are often sexualised and objectified; not by the protagonist, but instead by others around them within the programme and they are represented as strong but not as smart as Patrick.
Audience:
The target audience would fall into the age range of 16 and over
The plot, characters or the actors are all factors which can appeal to various audiences
The fact that there are many elements of a wide range of genres attracts a wide target audience and people that enjoy watching programmes with underpinned meanings will enjoy The Mentalist.
There are lots of guest stars that appear in many episodes such as David Paymer, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Gaston and Leslie Hope which can attract wide audiences
The actors are all well-known and bring an established fan-base to automatically watch The Mentalist and the plot will allow a wider audience to be drawn in and gain narrative pleasures from it.
The audience is able to identify with the character of Patrick Jane as he is hurt inside but attempts to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself (U&G Blumer and Katz)
Ideologies:
The Mentalist promotes heterosexual ideologies as there are various relationships with other characters but Patrick is not shown to be affectionate to anyone because of the loss of his wife and child
Positive values are promoted throughout the programme which is to create sympathy and to want to support Patrick in the hunt for his family’s killer.
The status quo is constantly challenged within the programme such as the formation of the relationship between Agent Rigsby and Agent Van Pelt which is strictly prohibited by the CBI’s policies.
Narrative:
There is a constant narrative of the Red John plot which is portrayed throughout few episodes per season.
This programme doesn’t follow Todorov’s theory as it is stuck at the disequilibrium of him never finding a solution to the problem of his life.
This however contrasts to the new equilibrium which leaves Patrick smarter and believes in his abilities even more than before
Each episode that does not involve Red John tend to find a new equilibrium at the ending whereby Patrick solves the cases and find the culprit for each
The fact that the narrative is stuck at this disequilibrium appeals to audiences and draws in a wider target audience.
SHEP:
Social:
More acceptable of women moving up in the world as they represented as strong and independent.
At times, subverts patriarchal society but mostly you are able to see men in the higher positions in the CBI.
Historical:
This challenges the history of society whereby women are normally seen as token characters or the femme fatale in a film or TV programme especially in the American industry.
The storyline in comedy-dramas tend to be serialized and this applies to the Mentalist.
Character development is continual and is more relevant than in traditional TV programmes.
Economic:
The fact that Patrick does not do his job for money is quite a significant factor in attracting audiences as they begin to question his reasoning for conducting his role at the CBI.
This could be intriguing for viewers as they are in a climate that has declined which makes them question his ulterior motive.
Political:
The illegal methods that Jane often uses to prove a point or find something out
Issues/Debates:
Representation and Stereotyping:
The characters within the team excluding the protagonist follow the stereotype of serious members of a team that occasionally have fun when they have completed work. Furthermore, the portrayal of characters within the programme mainly focusing on Red John, are questionable by the viewer and subverts the representation of murderers as he is cunning and has outsmarted every person that has ever looked into his cases, and has also managed to keep his identity hidden.
Media effects:
The effect that media has on the portrayal of people is different to what the Mentalist portrays, especially focusing on the anonymous murderer Red John. The media portrays killers to be mostly men that have no sense and kill for gaining something which could be revenge or because they have psychological problems. For example, the man in America that thought he was the Joker from Batman began to shoot during cinema screenings and the media didn’t take into account the fact that he had psychological problems before publishing the story whereas Red John is a man that kills for satisfaction and for his own self-indulgence. Moreover, the fact that Red John, has outsmarted Patrick and authority to evade capture and thwarted every plan that people have put into action against him, shows a high level of intellectual ability and this is portrayed throughout the seasons.
Theories:
Binary opposition – Patrick VS Red John (typical protagonist VS antagonist and good VS evil) – Levi-Strauss
Additionally, Red John overcoming every move of Patrick’s shows that he is superior to him whereas Patrick is superior to others around him (due to his intellectual skill) and this is again is reinforced by binary opposition.
Audience theories – Uses and Gratifications (Blumer and Katz) escapism and identification of characters
By subverting stereotypes, this will then allow for audiences to become more interested in the show and are more likely to watch it.
Contemporary Media Landscape:
My study fits into this because it has various roles that subvert stereotypes and the protagonist is a unique character on his own and has many theories that can apply to him and the plot of the show.
Research Plan:
Media Text:
I will be focusing upon the TV programme The Mentalist.
Related Examples:
Psych (TV Series 2006)
Hawaii Five-O (TV Series 2010)
Dexter (TV Series 2006)
Nikita (TV Series 2010)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Film – 1939)
TV Documentary:
Evil, I (Investigation)
Couples Who Kill (Crime)
Snapped, Women Who Kill (Crime)
Public Enemies (Film, 2009)
Academic Texts:
The Dark Comedy - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=w1DNaVCV2YgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=comedy-drama&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WiSkULbaGOSg0QXrlIGoBQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=comedy-drama&f=false
Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed As a Professional Writer in TV - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=O5Gbyp9l-T4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=drama%20on%20tv&f=false
Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y80zrdhZCn8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=drama%20on%20tv&f=false
TV Cops: The Contemporary American Television Police Drama - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hKWea_h2n4AC&printsec=frontcover&dq=drama+on+tv&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sySkULTeIuax0AXZ7IHACA&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBw
Internet Links:
Simon Baker is terrific as Jane, the urbane, charming, yet ultimately tragic hero - http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2012/mar/05/tv-detectives-patrick-jane
The Mentalist attracted 3.6 million viewers to Channel Five last night - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/27/mentalist-tv-ratings
Whenever there is a tense and sullen scene, Jane seems to have a smile on his face - http://technorati.com/entertainment/tv/article/the-mentalist-why-is-it-better/
University Links:
People can consume as much as they wish and what they wish - http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/1.2/Fiske.html
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