ipl-logo

Sitcom Friends: Discourse Analysis

1956 Words8 Pages

CHAPTER IV
METHODOLOGY
A. Research Design This study aims to analyze the representation of different genders in the sitcom Friends and find out what role humor plays in this portrayal. This study employed a qualitative discourse analysis as its research design.
Discourse Analysis
Discourse analysis is a method of analyzing media texts that looks at the interplay of knowledge and power (domination of men and subordination of women and the genderqueer) in discourse. It examines how texts are used to reflect and maintain dominant ideologies while suppressing those which do not fall within these ideologies. Moreover, discourse analysis is an interpretive process and is, therefore, subjective. As a result, the interpretation formed from the researcher’s …show more content…

Data Gathering The researcher secured all episodes of the sitcom Friends from its pilot episode which aired on September 22, 1994 up to the final season finale broadcasted on May 6, 2004.
The researcher viewed the entire ten seasons of the Friends series at least twice. The researcher first casually watched all 236 episodes of Friends without being informed much about dominant gender ideologies, feminist theory, and queer theory. The second time it was viewed in full, the researcher looked for the relationship between the text and the theories used in this study.

C. Method of …show more content…

Adorable. Courageous. Terrified. Monica's best friend from high school. Has worked for none of what she has. On her own for the first time. And equipped to do nothing.
MONICA GELLER (Played by Courteney Cox) – Smart. Cynical. Defended. Very attractive. Had to work for everything she has. An assistant chef for a chic uptown restaurant. And a romantic disaster area.
PHOEBE BUFFAY (Played by Lisa Kudrow) – Sweet. Flaky. New Age Waif. Monica's former roommate. Sells barrettes on the street and plays guitar in the subway. A good soul.
ROSS GELLER (Played by David Schwimmer) – Intelligent. Emotional. Romantic. Monica's brother. Suddenly divorced. Facing singlehood with phenomenal reluctance. A paleontologist. Not that it matters.
CHANDLER BING (Played by Matthew Perry) – Droll. Dry. A wry observer of everyone's life. And his own. Works in front of a computer doing something tedious in a claustrophobic cubicle in a nondescript office building. Survives by way of his sense of humor. And

Show More
Related
1208 Words | 5 Pages

Television programs often retain an aspect of reality in order to relate to the audience and commentate on social issues. Although both The Goldbergs and The Twilight Zone address controversial issues such as gender roles, insanity, and ethnic stereotypes, genre differentiates their approach and their audiences’ receptiveness to change. Whereas The Goldbergs, an ethnic sitcom, addresses the external world using comedic relief, The Twilight Zone, a science fiction program, delves into the human mind using imagination. Despite their common efforts to direct social change, the programs are inverse images of one another, and The Twilight Zone’s genre structure allows it to resonate more with the audience. From 1949 to 1956, The Goldbergs dominated television as the first televised sitcom.

Read More
994 Words | 4 Pages

She is always quite witty and has an arsenal full of snarky comebacks that she can unleash at any time. When thrown into a tricky situation, she can be unsure of herself, terrified, confused, and excited all at the same time. But when the going gets tough she will always find a way to take care of her loved ones and herself. Nonetheless, she is not your badass character with innate physical strength common to most heroines. Most of the time she will muddle through problems by sheer will, which is what makes her such a brave and personable character that light up the entire

Read More
460 Words | 2 Pages

She is an evil, nasty person. When she walks around town she plays nice to everyone. She asks about their day and makes pleasant small talk. Then she might see something she does not like or does not agree with entirely and that just sets her off.

Read More
590 Words | 3 Pages

Her social skills weren't exactly up to date. Suddenly, she got enrolled in Mica Area High. During her time at Mica Area High she wasn’t accepted by the other students. Her boyfriend Leo Borlock even convinces her to change to try to fit in. In my opinion, she shouldn't have changed herself, I think she would be happy staying true to herself.

Read More
1794 Words | 8 Pages

I. Introduction Parenthood, a drama television series, attends to the adversity of an extended and imperfect family. The Bravermans are a blended California family who face a series of both fortunate and unfortunate events but together find a way to get by (Katims, 2010). Television consumers have been introduced to many fictional families overtime and continue to fall in love with family related television shows. Historically, the media has transformed and continues to adapt to the changes in present day family types. “Writers often take seeds from real life experiences and plant then in their scripts,” consumers both consciously or subconsciously attend to cues on television and want to apply what they see to their lives.

Read More
800 Words | 4 Pages

Television situational comedies have the ability to represent different values or concerns of their audience, these values often change every decade or so to reflect and highlight the changes that the audience is experiencing within society, at the time of production. Between the years of 1950 and 2010, the representation of gender roles and family structure has been addressed and featured in various sitcoms, such as “Father Knows Best” and “Modern Family”, through the use of narrative conventions, symbolic, audio and technical codes. These representations have transformed over time to reflect the changes in social, political, and historical contexts. The 1950’s sitcom “Father Knows Best” traditionally represents the values of gender roles and family structure in a 1950’society, with the father, held high as the breadwinner of the family and the mother as the sole homemaker.

Read More
1221 Words | 5 Pages

She serves as the voice of reason to the guys in her life. She constantly mediates between Bill and Willy, in attempts to salvage their broken relationship. More than family mediator, she is Willy’s rock; “She sings to him, dresses him, and mothers him through his disillusion and distress. As the rock of a dysfunctional family, this stay at home mom and wife wraps her life around her husband and boys, whose arrested development saddens her.” (Rosenzweig).

Read More
790 Words | 4 Pages

NightCry, previously known as Project Scissors, is a spiritual successor to the cult-classic Clock Tower series - made possible by a successful Kickstarter campaign courtesy of the franchise's original creator Hifumi Kouno's new studio Nude Maker. NightCry stars a group of students who are terrorized by a mysterious entity wielding a massive pair of razor sharp scissors aboard a luxurious cruise ship located somewhere in the Carribean. Should you strive to ensure the safety of the students aboard the Oceanus or should you leave them to fend for themselves? Worst. Cruise.

Read More
274 Words | 2 Pages

The people within the house are all different. Phoebe is cheery

Read More
1886 Words | 8 Pages

Evolution of Family Sitcoms “Blood is thicker than water.” A saying commonly heralded by family members in order to reaffirm the importance of family unity. These words spoke loud to the entertainment industry as they were trying to create new content for television. Situational comedies were quite popular, but there was a lack of relatability to families. The most logical step was to combine the two.

Read More
258 Words | 2 Pages

(General personality type stuff) Tiffany is first and most a genuinely kind-hearted person, always quick to sacrifice her needs for friends and family, and always looks for the best in people. This talent for understanding people sets her apart as a great listener and confidant, able to give advice not just from her own opinions, but because she can really empathize with them. Her favorite quote shows how she strives to greet each new day with optimism. “Tomorrow the sun will rise, and who knows what the tide will bring?”

Read More
268 Words | 2 Pages

Gender roles and stereotypes are commonly known throughout society and continuously demonstrated as film as well. Through the work of director Judd Apatow, we can compare these stereotypes to the portrayal of gender in Knocked Up and identify how this film pokes fun at gender stereotypes. As we watch this film and follow the story line of Allison and Ben, we can see how Apatow reversed the gender roles of the two lead characters, Ben and Allison and how this effected the films meaning. In romantic, geek centered comedies such as “Knocked Up”, the roles of men and women are often reversed.

Read More
1091 Words | 5 Pages

Character Relationship Maddy, the protagonist doesn’t have a “normal” life. She

Read More
910 Words | 4 Pages

Gabriella Montez’s primary stereotype is the “nerd.” The first time Gabriella is seen, she is reading a book. This is a common indication used throughout the film industry that leads viewers to make the assumption that the character in question is introverted and intelligent. When Gabriella transfers to a new school, it is made clear that she is in fact academically talented. She is referred to as a “freaky genius girl” and “an Einsteinette.”

Read More
688 Words | 3 Pages

Lisa is a smart mouth and crazy. She was my favorite character out the movie because she the only sociopath introduced in the movie. A sociopath is with a personality disorder that advances. She proved to be a sociopath because she would lie manipulate, hurt others, not very organized and she was very charming towards Susanna. Lisa was product of her environment.

Read More

More about Sitcom Friends: Discourse Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document