Page 242 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

MYTHIC APPROACH

is a distortion of reality. Resident Howard Hills asserts that “the MTV
show has hijacked our identity, and people are beginning to feel violated.
It has become a metaphor for everything we don’t want to be.” Though
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perhaps overexaggerated, the cultural myth is based on some reality. For
instance, the city is strikingly homogeneous (it is 92 percent white) and
wealthy (the median household income is over $85,000 a year, nearly
twice the national figure). Another resident, Debi Cortez, observes,
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“I’ve had arguments with people who say it makes us look like a bunch
of spoiled white people. Well, have you looked at the demographics of
Laguna? We may not think we’re privileged, but we are.” 23
Another aspect of the cultural myth of Laguna Beach is the bohemian
lifestyle of the residents. A typical episode shows scenes of casual sex
and drinking. Again, though some residents dispute the validity of this
behavior, local resident Dora Wexell, mother of a recent graduate of
Laguna Beach High School, asserts, “It’s pretty hard to be a parent at
Laguna Beach High School and watch that show. But if it’s new informa-
tion, you’re not living in reality.” 24

Idealized Times

The “retro” sitcom sub-genre consists of stories of a simpler age. Sit-
coms like That ’70s Show present a worldview that is characterized by
its constancy, as noted in the lyrics of the opening theme song:

Hanging out down the street
The same old thing we did last week.
Not a thing to do but talk to you
We’re all alright! We’re all alright.

As playwright Edward Albee observed, “The characters are outra-
geous stereotypes and yet sweet and believable at the same time, and,
oddly, the expected always surprises us.” The cultural references to
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Star Wars characters, streaking, and polyester leisurewear overlook the
turbulence of the 1970s—the disastrous end of the Viet Nam War, a
president resigning in disgrace, Cold War tensions, an oil shortage, and
an international hostage crisis. But for members of today’s audience,
whose world is defined by fear and stress, this romanticized view of
the past is reassuring.

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