Page 21 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 2

The manifest function of a genre is often subordinate to its latent
purposes. For instance, websites directed at children typically include
games, with the chance to win free “stuff.” However, the contest forms
that they fill out are actually marketing surveys that furnish marketing
firms with invaluable data they can use as the children grow up. Moreover,
marketing companies often sell this information to other companies who
want to separate children from their money.
In addition, a genric program may contain multiple functions. For
instance, the summer 2005 reality series The Scholar (ABC), which
was a competition among ten high school seniors, contained a series of
manifest functions:

• Education: The contestants competed in a variety of academic
challenges. Consequently, the audience had the opportunity to learn
about a variety of academic subjects.
• Entertainment: The format of the show was designed to make the
competition exciting, interesting, and entertaining.
• Community service: The series provided educational opportunities
for the participants. The winner received a grand prize of a full col-
lege scholarship, valued at $250,000, covering tuition and expenses.
In addition, the other contestants received scholarships totaling
$300,000.
• Advertising: The sponsor of the series, Wal-Mart, appeared during
the commercial breaks, promoting its stores and products.

In addition, the program contained layers of latent functions:

• Product integration: Wal-Mart entered into a branded-entertain-
ment agreement with the reality series. This means that, in addition
to the commercials, Wal-Mart was actually incorporated into each
episode. For instance, in one of the “events,” the five members of
the winning team each received a $2,000 Wal-Mart gift card to outfit
their dormitory rooms.
• Image enhancement: Sponsorship of shows like The Scholar was
designed to send positive messages to its young audience about Wal-
Mart, to counter the recent negative publicity about the company’s
low salaries, deficient employee benefits, and frequent violations of
safety codes, as well as news stories about the impact of these mega-
stores on small businesses as they spread into local communities.

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