Page 165 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 6

Ultimately, the humor reinforces the message that these people remain
hopelessly stuck in their lower-class malaise, dependent on the generos-
ity of the aristocracy (in the form of the $200,000 gift). Thus, although
the point of view of the series is ostensibly that of working people, the
series actually reinforces the perspective of dominant culture.
In addition, a new subgenre of blue-collar TV sitcoms recently has
emerged, including Jesse, The King of Queens, My Name is Earl, Southie,
and Trinity, in which the primary characters are members of the work-
ing class. But once again, these characters are buffoons whose efforts to
survive in mass culture are the source of ridicule.

Worldview

The worldview of a genre can provide considerable insight into its ideol-
ogy. In some genric programming, the worldview is overtly political. As an
example, Ummah Defense I is an action/adventure video game that conveys
a pro-jihad message. In this game, it is 2114. In that year, the world has
“finally united under the Banner of Islam,” until there is a revolt by disbe-
lievers. The player’s goal is to seek out and destroy the disbelievers. 43
However, every genre shapes its audience’s interpretation of the world
by framing the action within a particular worldview. For instance, in the
cumulative worldview of quiz and game shows, happiness is equated with
material acquisitions. There is always an easy solution to problems: come
in first and win the grand prize. This worldview also places a high value
on competition and achievement. (For further discussion of worldview,
see Chapter 5.)
Function

Identifying the function, or purpose, of a genre is a very useful approach
for detecting its ideology. Because the audience is generally focusing only
on the manifest function, such as entertainment or information, they may
be particularly susceptible to a latent ideology. Increasingly, the latent
function behind the production of popular genres is political persuasion.
To illustrate, reporter Neil MacFarquhar points out that the latent function
of the Palestinian game show The Mission is to persuade:

Quick. What is the name of the Palestinian village near what is now the
Israeli city of Ramla that was destroyed in 1949 and replaced by a town
called Yavne?

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