Representations of social, cultural
and historical events can vary within long-form television dramas from
different countries.’ Discuss how and why audiences might respond
to and interpret these representations differently.
Stranger
Things reflect the continuing success of streaming services such as Netflix,
who strive to maintain its brand with innovative and original programming,
which is apparent through the episodes hybrid genre of action, sci-fi and
horror, as well as their 1980's inspired nostalgia, attracting a range and wide
audience. Netflix has successfully enabled immersive viewing, known as binge
watching, which gives the audience the opportunity to consume a piece of media
within a day whilst not having to wait for a new episode, therefore Netflix's
viewers can watch when, where and how they want, which decreases the interest
of linear TV. For example, Netflix generates on average roughly 38 minutes of
viewing per day in households that have it, whilst linear TV generates 3.5
hours. It also has over 167 million subscribers and is available in over 190 countries,
excluding China, North Korea, Singapore and Syria due to their privacy laws and
government. Due to Stranger Things' success, it is now the most-watched Netflix
programme of 2019 and has been released on Blue-Ray and DVD, as well as being available
on the web, and on the app. Deutschland 83 reflects the highly competitive
nature of US cable and satellite television in which channels such as Sundance
Channel seeks quality programming to maintain the brand and the reliance of
German commercial broadcasters on international co-productions for prestige
drama.
Typical
of LFTVD, both Deutschland 83's and Stranger Things' narrative structure are novelistic;
they show multiple
storylines and characters that stretch over a number of episodes and seasons. D83's
spy narrative is of global cultural resonance and helps explain the
international success of the series, despite its poor audience figures in
Germany. Additionally, both narrative's supports Todorov's theory of narratology. ST
portrays an untroubled, quiet town with traditional families, but Will soon
goes missing and disrupts the equilibrium. The discovery of Eleven further
disrupts this separation of equilibrium and this problem is not resolved by the
ending of the episode. In a similar way, D83 shows a character that lives a
happy, normal life in East Germany but Lenora, who embodies this disruption, disturbs
the equilibrium as she takes Martin away from his home. It is this theory and
structure that entices the audience and enforces this process of binge-watching
with unresolved endings and a disruptive atmosphere.
Stranger Things intertextuality reflects
the traditional 1980’s family and gender relations, set within a mostly white
world of suburban family life. Mothers are represented as strong, yet struggling
figures trying to hold their families together. Joyce Byers opposes to the typical,
domestic role of a mother; she is over-worked and conscientious. She is represented
as an emotionally unstable and vulnerable character after her son goes missing,
and this weak state is represented through not only her emotive dialogue and
characteristics but also by her clothes and home; she is dressed in dark and
miserable colours and her house is cluttered. Supporting Van Zoonen's idea that
a genders meaning can vary according to cultural and historical context, Joyce
would have faced extreme judging due to her divorce, representing a broken
family, adding extra weight to her stress, as it was unusual to be divorced in
the 1980s. Moreover, during her screen time, the lighting of the shots is
mostly dark and dim, and she is mostly placed in the background when with atypical
male leader son, Jonathan Byers. To contrast to this, Karen represents the
domestic role of a mother in this era – she cooks, cleans and strongly supports
her family with strict responsibility. During her screen time, Karen
is positioned in the foreground and in strong lighting, signifying her
importance and dominant role. However, whilst the females signify some element
of control, the fathers are atypically represented as absent or
insensitive through their out of focus camera shots, positioned in the
background with little dialogue. Mike’s teenage sister, Nancy, is
represented in contradictory ways: she anti-stereotypically excels at science
while still fitting stereotypes of the girly teenager. Nancy, therefore, supports
Gauntlet's theory that the media tended to convey singular, straightforward
messages about the ideal types of gender identities, but now it offers a more
diverse range of characters. This is also apparent through the contrasting
mother roles and the disparity of the absent fathers with Hopper's dominant and
supporting role as a police officer once realising the seriousness of Will's
disappearance.
Showing signs of Gilroy's idea of binary
oppositions, gender in Deutschland 83 reflects the social contradictions in the divided
1980s Germany, which is reflected through the Levi - Strauss' split screens and
comparison of lack or extreme colour and choice. East Germany is represented as
a rigidly controlled state that promotes women’s equality, with Leonora as the
powerful woman, reinforced through the low angled close-ups, her serious body
language and overpowering dialogue. Whereas in West Germany, which is less
controlled, the military is represented as rigidly patriarchal, and the women,
especially Ingrid, are represented as anxious and vulnerable.
Another
representation in Stranger things is the authority of the police and
government. The episode represents a shadowy world of possibly sinister
enforcement agents, suggesting an all-powerful secret state. Silver
Fox (Mathew Modean) is represented as a masterful and powerful character,
represented through the low angles, and smartly dressed costumes. When on-screen, foreboding, non-diegetic sounds appear. He also creates a sense of
nostalgia for the older audience as he was a well-known actor of the 1980s. Whereas, the local
police, by contrast, is represented in a humanised way – they are good-natured
but made lazy and complacent until forced into action. short cut shots between Joyce and Jonathon are interrupted by
tracking and panning shots when Hopper arrives representing how Hopper is
taking control of the case and is attempting to eliminate panic amongst his town’s
citizens, especially the traumatised family of the Byers. Their cream boiler
shirt and trousers along with a sheriff hat, police badge, walkie-talkie and
police car all represent Hopper as an authoritative member of the town.
In Deutschland 83 complex, diverse and ambiguous
representations are used to reflect the difficulties faced by Germany incoming
to terms with its divided past and the political and military tensions of the early 1980s. For example, this episode shows diverse characters within
authority; Wolfgang Edel
conforms the stereotypical role of a general – he shows signs of leadership and the direction in a fatherly manner, showing support and assistance, whilst Walter
Schweppenstette is presented as conceited,
arrogant and selfish.
To conclude, representations
of social, cultural and historical events can vary within form television dramas from different countries due to the
audience and the effect it has on them.
