Application Of The Laws Of Popular Culture - TMZ
1. What do the title sequence and the opening music tell you about the show?
It gives me the feel that it's very news like and that I am about receive a lot of information. Also it gives me the feeling that the show is very fast paced and jumps from one topic to another.
2. What messages are being passed to the viewers by the appearance, body language and style of the host?
The host Harvey Levin was pretty laid back. He gave the impression that he wasn't that serious about his job and knew how to have fun but at the same time he wanted the best results from his staff. He would always crack jokes and make light of situations which gives viewers a more enjoyable time viewing the program.
3. a) List the topics and items the show deals with. Can you categorize them?
The show deals with celebrity news and gossip. It talks about every celebrity you can possibly think of and more. They also have weekend editions that are an hour long and wrap up the most interesting or entertaining stories of the week. Sometimes they even have holiday editions.
b) What is the average length of an item? Can you account for this?
The show itself on a regular episode runs for 30 minutes, but each seperate celebrity segment usually runs about a minute, give or take.
4. a) List the commercial products advertised.
The show itself never really promotes any products on air but the commercial that air during the breaks vary widely.
b) What does this tell you about the intended or target audience?
The way the show is and what they talk about on it shows that it is directed to an audience from around 15-20 years of age. It isn't very serious and doesn't professionally deliver news or shove it down your throat like a normal news cast or even like Entertainment Tonight.
5. What is the main purpose of this show?
The main purpose of TMZ is to deliver news and gossip about celebrities faster than anyone else. They are always first on the scene with photos, videos, etc.. I think what makes TMZ more appealing in my opinion than Entertainment Tonight or other celebrity news shows is that they take a much lighter and laid back approach to delivering the news. They act as if they are all just buddies hanging out talking about stuff they've heard rather than being totally professional and talking off a teleprompter.
6. What do the credits tell us about this show?
Usually, in the credits they show a little clip of a celebrity they got on film while the names of the producers, etc. roll on the side. I think it shows us that they are more worried on getting people more celebrity info rather than show us who was a sound director or producer.
7. Does the show reflect any or all of the Laws Of Popular Culture?
I feel that this show reflects all of the laws of Popular Culture. This show is constantly changing news-wise moving quickly and delivering the latest news and gossip. It usually shows the lighter side of things rather than the hard, serious side. It shows us the fashion, style and what's cool and always makes it seem that everything is fun.
I think this show has a slightly different target audience than Entertainment Tonight - probably they are trying to draw in more young viewers, especially considering how this show was born from a website and one of its main purposes is to get people to visit the website. That's where the idea of "Pop culture is money" fits in, because the site contains a great deal of advertising.
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