Monica’s apartment is used as the setting for many of the scenes depicted in Friends. There are several aspects of the interior design that make viewers feel comfortable when they watch this movie. For example, the living room is adorned with upholstered furniture, and it looks rather cozy. The walls are painted in purple, and this color produces a very soothing impression on the audience.
There is another detail which also attracts attention. In particular, various objects are scattered in a haphazard way, and the room looks rather disorderly. Nevertheless, this apartment does not seem untidy. This is one of the main features that should not be overlooked. On the whole, this interior design reflects the character of people depicted in this television series.
For instance, one can say that these people can be absent-minded, awkward, eccentric, illogical, and even childlike. Yet, these are the qualities that make these characters very engaging and unpredictable.
Furthermore, these interior design indicates that this apartment will be a gathering place for place for the main characters. Moreover, their day-to-day conversations will be the basis for the plot of this television series. So, the audience may expect the actors to talk about such issues as their personal relations, employment, family, and so forth. These are some of the details that should be considered.
It is possible to say that the design of setting often depends on the genre of a movie or a television series. Such differences can be illustrated if one looks at a comedy series and a dramatic series. For example, in comedies, many living rooms are portrayed as extremely disorganized places. Moreover, the viewers can say that such living rooms are not supposed to impress possible guests with the wealth of an owner (Bonner, 2003).
Such movies as Friends and Big Bang Theory are the most eloquent examples of this approach to design. In contrast, dramatic television series may present images. For example, one can refer to the television series called House of Cards. The apartment in which the main character lives differs significantly from settings featured in sitcoms. At first glance, the living room looks very austere and minimalistic.
Nevertheless, the design is supposed to highlight the high social status of a person. For example, the articles of furniture suggest that the main character is a very affluent person and he can afford the most expensive products. So, one can argue that this interior design reflects the values of an individual. This is one of the arguments that can be put forward.
Very often, film-makers rely on interior design in order to give viewers some clues about the socio-economic status of the main characters. For example, if it is necessary to describe a well-to-do person, they decide to include expensive articles of furniture. It should be mentioned that the furniture does not necessarily look extremely luxurious and expensive. In many cases, the interior design is rather minimalistic.
Nevertheless, there are some details to which the film-makers attract attention of audience, for example, the furniture can be made of very expensive materials such as mahogany. So, one can argue that a certain character is rather wealthy. To understand this trend, one can look at the television series named Suits which depicts the everyday life of lawyers.
In contrast, the film-makers can also show that a certain character is much less affluent. For example, the viewers can see that interior décor of a room looks shabby. Apart from that, the film-makers can show that furniture is made of inexpensive materials. Such details are very informative, and they are useful for identifying the social and economic status of a person. These are some of the details that can be distinguished.
Overall, characters in different programs can use language in distinct ways. Much attention should be paid to the genre of a particular program or a show. Moreover, it is important to consider the effect that the authors try to produce. If their goal is to make the audience laugh, the characters can discuss interpersonal relations in a casual and comic way. Friends can be viewed as a good illustration of this approach.
There are many situations when the actors discuss such issues as marriage or divorce as though such events are commonplace. They can rely on wordplay, intonation and body language in order to demonstrate their attitudes (Richardson & Burridge 2014). In dramatic series, the actors try to emphasize their emotions and feelings such as joy, distress, excitement, sadness, or anxiety. This is one of the differences that should not be disregarded.
Much attention should be paid to the way in which the issues of gender and race are addressed. In both dramatic and comedy series, the film-makers try to refute common stereotypes about femininity or masculinity, especially gender norms. For example, the show Friends demonstrates that close friendship between men can be associated with homosexuality.
For example, Joey and Chandler are often thought to be gay only because they are not afraid of expressing their emotions in front of one another (Feasey, 2008, p. 26). Overall, comedy and dramatic series show that in many cases, widespread views on gender are too rigid.
Various questions related to race can also be explored in television series. In many cases, the main message is that race must never be used as the criterion for assessing the actions of an individual. So, various film-makers attempt to show that people should be free from prejudices against other individuals.
Furthermore, while assessing different TV series, one should focus on the way in which, viewers form their attitude toward the characters. In comedies, it is rather difficult to find a character who can be immediately disliked. There are people whose qualities do not seem very appealing.
Very often, they can be arrogant or bossy. However, these shortcomings are usually mitigated by other character traits like compassion. As a rule, a character, who is disliked by the audience, is guilty of such ethical crimes as hypocrisy, betrayal, or callousness. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about melodramatic series. These are the main points that can be made.
Finally, it is important to discuss reality shows because they are an important part of the modern media industry. In my opinion, such shows often lack authenticity, because in many cases, it is evident that the actors follow a specific script which has been developed beforehand. Moreover, the characters are distinctly aware of being observed by other people.
Therefore, one cannot say that such programs reflect real-life behavior of people. This is the major limitations of such shows.
Reference List
Bonner, F. (2003). Ordinary Television: Analyzing Popular TV. New York, NY: SAGE.
Feasey, R. (2008). Masculinity and Popular Television. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Richardson, J., & Burridge, J. (2014). Analysing Media Discourses. New York, NY: Routledge.