Introduction
One of the social issues that affect and influences almost every aspect of our lives in the media. The influence that the media wields in our lives is very significant since the media provides the backdrop against which we make sense of any new conditions and information that we encounter in a world that is increasingly becoming globalized. Some of the information presented is aimed at propagating some personal agendas or reinforce some stereotype which may be harmful to a viewer. As such, it is important to become an active and questioning recipient of the information presented by the media as opposed to being a passive viewer. In this paper, I shall analyze a television program that I like viewing to critically analyze the gendered themes and advertisements presented.
Program Analysis
The program that I watched was the Eight season of “Scrubs”. “Scrubs” is a medical comedy set in a fictitious hospital called “Sacred Hearts”. The scripting of most of the episodes is based on the premise that racial integration is a positive attribute of society and that all people no matter their race or gender can make it in the world through hard work and dedication. The theme of friendship is also greatly accentuated in all the episodes that I watched.
The program “Scrubs” has several main characters. The lead character is undoubtedly John Dorian, one of the young doctors in the hospital. The program is centered on him as he provides the viewers with his insights on various issues by use of his inner monologues. Another main character is Dr. Perry Cox, a senior doctor whose approval Dr. Dorian incessantly seeks without much success. Dr. Elliot Reed is the other lead character. She is also a young doctor, skilled but dogged by numerous personal issues. The last main character is Dr. Christopher Duncan (Turk), a young black surgeon who is Dr. Dorian’s best friend.
The various episodes that I watched exhibited various plots. In the first episode, the plot revolves around Dr. Dorian struggling to teach the interns who constantly thwarted his attempts at teaching them. Eliot, the female doctor is also coming to terms with how her attitude hurts those around them. In the end, the characters effectively deal with their problems thus restoring harmony. In the second episode, the plot develops around coping with death. The theme of friendship is also advanced by Dorien and Turk as they assist a patient deal with imminent death. The two also prove to be extraordinary doctors as they take care of a dying patient. In the third episode, the hospital staff gangs up to fight against the chief doctor who is deemed as uncompassionate. Alliances are forged and in the end, the unpleasant chief of medicine is fired. In the fourth episode, the issue of trust is reviewed as Turk and Dr. Cox resolve their trust issues. Personal issues are also handled by Dorien and Eliot who decide on having a romantic relationship.
In each of the episodes, the women were portrayed in the same manner. Women always play a secondary role to the men who are not only afforded most of the airtime but also consist of the majority of doctors and surgeons. It is only in the nursing field that women are a majority. The hospital’s hierarchy also presents a glimpse as to how women are viewed in this program. The senior doctors in the hospital are all male and Elliot is the only female fighting to succeed in this male-dominated hospital. Women are portrayed as being materialistic as is exhibited in numerous instances where the women use their femininity to score favors in the hospital. While women are seen to work side by side with their male counterparts in the hospital, women are additionally relegated to the task of homemakers as is seen by Carla. However, the program also presents women as being strong determined people as is exhibited by Jordan, an intimidating hospital board member.
Men are the dominant force in the program. While the ratio of men to women is almost equal, men are afforded the most time in the program. In addition to this, men occupy most of the senior positions in the hospital and most doctors are men. All the surgeons are men and the field is even dubbed a “boys club” by the staff. Men are portrayed as being sexist as is observed from the kind of jokes that Dorien and Turk make. In addition to this, most of the fantasies that the lead character Dorien has involved women dressed in provocative outfits therefore relegating the role of women. “Scrubs” also contains a lot of chauvinistic jokes as presented by the dysfunctional character Todd
The relationship between the sexes is amicable and most of the characters set out to establish good relationships with each other. Professionally, both sexes respect each other and treat each other as equals. Women are not regarded as being less capable and are expected to perform just as well as their male counterparts in their respective fields. Friendships are a key pillar in the hospital and almost all the characters have a deep relationship with each other.
During the program, advertisements by insurance companies were made during the breaks. This shows that the program does not aim to appeal to a particular gender but rather is all-encompassing. Advertisements of Burger king were also made further asserting that this program does not target a specific gender.
Conclusion
The main reason why I watch this program is that I find it enlightening on social and medical issues without burdening one with medical jargon. The program also contains numerous instances of light humor which I find appealing. In my opinion, the portrayal of men as being sexists is stereotypical. The portrayal of women as the primary homemakers and only playing second fiddle to men is also archaic and should be gotten rid of for our society to progress. However, the program Scrubs’s treatment of the racial issue deserves applaud and should be followed for a better-integrated society.