Unit 6 Assignment 1

The Big Bang Theory : The Itchy Brain Simulation

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-big-bang-theory/4od

Audience

• The target audience would be male and female because there are 4 main male characters and 3 main female characters
• The age of the target audience would be 16+ because the humour is quite sarcastic and more understandable at this age.
• People who would have an oppositional reading to the big bang theory would most likely be religious people because it's about four young scientists who aren't religious
• The show's title also gives away that it isn't religious.

Mode Of Address

• The mode of address of the big bang theory very comedic but it has an underline tone of some seriousness because there are some issues tackled in the show that you wouldn't naturally realise first hand
• For example the character Sheldon has issues of obsessive compulsive disorder, minor autism and social anxiety.
• The big bang theory makes me feel happy because even though the main characters are scientists with very complex jobs which the show often shows us, you can still understand what's going on in the show, you don't have to be a physicist, a biologist or an engineer to understand the characters or the jobs that they do because of the comedy that you see in the show.

Narrative

• The big bang theory has a multi strand narrative. We know this because each character has different narratives within episode.
• One narrative of Sheldon and Leonard and the rental DVD that Sheldon wants Leonard to return after 7 years and the other narrative about Penny confronting Raj's ex girlfriend about her breaking things off with Raj and how Raj finally gets over her after she tells him she's moved on.

Sheldon&Leonard Narrative

Genre

Raj&Penny Narrative

Typical wide shot of Sheldon's flat

Psychographics

• The big bang theory is a situation comedy.
• A generic convention of a sitcom would be a catchy, memorable title sequence and theme tune and the big bang theory definitely has this.
• Where the show is set has the same few locations with the odd new or one off location in different episodes and series. For example, the set locations that we see in every episode would be places like Sheldon&Leonard's apartment, Penny's apartment and the hallway with the infamous broken lift that is an iconic part of the show and a generic convention of a sitcom as we see it in every episode.
• Cinematography in the big bang theory is also very generic as the shots used in all episodes are pretty much the same throughout because if the locations are the same, the shots need to be the same because it is all a part of the show's identity.
• We know the big bang theory is a comedy because there are a lot of long running jokes such as Howard not being having a Phd like Sheldon, Leonard and Raj do.
• Generic convention of this sitcom is the costume that the main characters wear. They all wear the same out fit but change it with different colours

This clip is an example ofwhy the resigned pyschgraphic would like The Big Bang Theory. It shows a scene where character Sheldon is eating a take out where he has to have the exact same thing every time with the same familiar branded items.

I think that The Big Bang Theory would appeal to reformers and resigned pyschographics. I think they would appeal to reformers because they are known to likely be in higher education and favour natural things, and this show is based around scientists that work and study at a university. I also think that it would appeal to the resigned pyschographic because they like safety and familiarity in their lives which we can see from the character Sheldon.

Representation

This clip is an example of why reformers would like the big bang theory, it shows the character leonard at his lab in the university he works at working on an experiment.

• The main characters could be seen as stereotypical geeks, into sci-fi films, science and their personalities are conventional of a geek, scared to talk to girls, don't have a lot of friends etc.
• Some aspects of the characters aren't stereotypical. For example Leonard has an on and off relationship with Penny who would stereotypically be seen as out of Leonard's league because he's a geeky scientist and she's a beautiful blonde bombshell who isn't geeky at all and is quite dumb and very headstrong which can sometimes be intimidating to somebody like Leonard.

Representation

• One way we can tell that the characters are through their costume. Sheldon is often wearing t-shirts with superhero logo's on them and Howard always wears an alien broach and superhero belt buckles.
• Also the sets on the show are stereotypical of where a geeky kind of person would be for example the comic book store set is a prime example of this. People who like comics are seen as nerdy. Also in Sheldon&Leonard's apartment is jam packed with sci-fi and superhero film memorabilia and scientific objects.

Representation of women

I think that The Big Big Bang represent women quite positively because they have a variation of different personalities within their main female characters and some are successful and well educated even more so than some of the men in the show. This can be seen with characters Bernadette and Amy. They are both have PHDs in biology related fields whereas one of the male characters, Howard does not. This could be seen as positive because these women are represented fairly alongside the male characters.

Although some could argue that the character Penny is a stereotypical dumb blonde who didn't go to university and has had lots of relationships because of her looks.