The Big Bang theory is an American based “Sitcom” (Situation comedy) with its first episode screening in late 2007 (IMDB). It has since gone on to be shown worldwide. This is one of the reasons The Big Bang Theory qualifies as “Popular Media Culture”. It has picked up numerous awards for both the actors involved and the show itself and it has been renewed many times by the company that produces the show. The of the definitions of popular media culture given by Williams are something that is “Well-liked by many people”, “Inferior kinds of work” and “Work deliberately setting out to win favour with the people” (Storey, 5) using these definitions we can place The Big Bang Theory under the label of popular media culture.
This text fits into the definition “Well-liked by many people” (5) because of the awards the show and actors have been awarded, with many of them having been a people’s choice award, meaning that the public has had a say in the result of the outcome. Something that is normally reserved for the best of popular media. To reach this point a text has to be first accepted by the public, in this case it has spread worldwide being screened in many different countries.
The Big Bang Theory also fits the Williams definition of popular media culture “inferior kinds of work” by not being what is classed as “high culture” (Storey) as in that it is not something considered by the masses to be out of reach. An example of this would be the opera or going to the theatre. It is because of this the text is classed as popular media culture by Storey. As it is what is left over after we have decided what is high culture (6) meaning that it is not a live performance as the way many view the text if from their own home.
The Big Bang Theory is made by the people for the people. We can tell this because it is filmed in front of a studio audience and created with comedy as its main priority (CBS). Its main source of comedy is the interlinking between the characters, and their struggles as scientists to come to terms with their social lives when different scenarios begin to arise when they start to socialise with different social groups, something they are not usually very good at (CBS), helping many people to feel a connection between their own lives and the show’s characters, especially the viewers who may not be very good in social situations or at disrupting/changing a daily routine.
The cultural citizenship qualities that The Big Bang theory exhibits are similar to the ones that qualify it for popular media culture, for example the nomination and public voting of The Big Bang Theory to win awards. The definition we are given of cultural citizenship by Hermes is: “Cultural citizenship can be defined as the process of bonding and community building, and reflection on that bonding” (Hermes, 21). The public voting and its subsequent winning of awards help to create a sense of belonging between the show and the public. However how popular culture makes bonding easier has been left out of the definition given to us by Hermes (10) one of the main reasons it has become easier is the access to popular culture, with the internet allowing almost instant access to anything. According to Hermes popular culture is blurring the differences between the public and private lives of the stars and the show. This is also being achieved through the internet, with social networking sites and fan pages allowing access where it normally would not be allowed. The actors have also made appearances at comic con in America, allowing more public access to the actors (Blast Magazine).
The Big Bang Theory shows us that it is “popular media culture” and has signs of cultural citizenship. We can see this by either by viewing the text or by looking on the homepage for the show. When compared to the definitions given to us we can come to the conclusion that it has been deemed popular through the winning of awards and the community/ public discussion boards it has spawned by the producers to renew it for another season each time the previous one concludes.
Word Count – 685
Reference List
Blast Magazine. Comic-Con 2009: The Big Bang Theory. 25 July 2009. 10 April 2011 <http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/comic-con-2009-the-big-bang-theory/>.
CBS. The Big Bang Theory: Community. 1 January 2011. 10 April 2011 <http://www.cbs.com/primetime/big_bang_theory/community/>.
Hermes, Joke. “Introduction: popular culture/cultural citizenship.” Hermes, Joke. Re-reading Popular Culture: Rethinking Gender, Television and Popular Media Audiences. Malden: Blackwell, 2005. 1-17.
IMDB. The Big Bang Theory. 1 January 2011. 10 April 2011 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898266/>.
Storey, John. “What is popular culture?” Storey, John. Clutural Theory and Popular culture: An Introduction. 5th Ed. Portland: Book News, Inc, 2009. 1-15.
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