Audience and Realism of Soap Operas
Audiences:
The audiences targeted differ from soap to soap, but essentially they all target the same base group – those enticed by the undemanding nature and low level of concentration needed to stay caught up with the storyline.
Some soaps are targeted at an older audience (such as Emmerdale) and same are targeted at a much younger audience (such as Hollyoaks). Hollyoaks caters to its younger audience by featuring a generally younger set of characters.
Audiences may also relate to what is being portrayed, with the genre's popularity coming partly from the viewer's need after the events of their day to find out what happened in the characters’ same day. Due to this, the viewer can often gain pleasure from the notion that everyday life in the soaps is 'real' and on-going just as our lives are.
Realism:
Soaps will very rarely (if at all) use any unnecessary editing. This is to keep it as close and as accurate to reality as possible. If the soap is inaccurate and unrealistic, then typically it will lose popularity, since that is what attracts the viewers in the first place. Furthermore, the date and time corresponds with the real world, so one episode will be one day, and Christmas in the soap opera will be at the same time as Christmas in reality.
Typically, soaps tend to tackle controversial or difficult situations seen in modern society. Issues such as suicide, abortion, murder, and numerous other ethical issues are portrayed to inform and represent these issues in the real world. Sometimes, the way these issues are shown can cause controversy and outcry from the public or organisations set up to deal with the issue that is being portrayed.
More often than not, the truth can be distorted until the reality of the situation is revealed. However, there are also times where the audience know what is going on, but a character within does not – known as dramatic irony. For example, when Roxy Mitchell murders Carl White in EastEnders, we know what happened because we were shown. However, when his Mother comes looking for him, we see Roxy telling her that she does not know her son’s whereabouts – while we know that she is lying.
Audiences:
The audiences targeted differ from soap to soap, but essentially they all target the same base group – those enticed by the undemanding nature and low level of concentration needed to stay caught up with the storyline.
Some soaps are targeted at an older audience (such as Emmerdale) and same are targeted at a much younger audience (such as Hollyoaks). Hollyoaks caters to its younger audience by featuring a generally younger set of characters.
Audiences may also relate to what is being portrayed, with the genre's popularity coming partly from the viewer's need after the events of their day to find out what happened in the characters’ same day. Due to this, the viewer can often gain pleasure from the notion that everyday life in the soaps is 'real' and on-going just as our lives are.
Realism:
Soaps will very rarely (if at all) use any unnecessary editing. This is to keep it as close and as accurate to reality as possible. If the soap is inaccurate and unrealistic, then typically it will lose popularity, since that is what attracts the viewers in the first place. Furthermore, the date and time corresponds with the real world, so one episode will be one day, and Christmas in the soap opera will be at the same time as Christmas in reality.
Typically, soaps tend to tackle controversial or difficult situations seen in modern society. Issues such as suicide, abortion, murder, and numerous other ethical issues are portrayed to inform and represent these issues in the real world. Sometimes, the way these issues are shown can cause controversy and outcry from the public or organisations set up to deal with the issue that is being portrayed.
More often than not, the truth can be distorted until the reality of the situation is revealed. However, there are also times where the audience know what is going on, but a character within does not – known as dramatic irony. For example, when Roxy Mitchell murders Carl White in EastEnders, we know what happened because we were shown. However, when his Mother comes looking for him, we see Roxy telling her that she does not know her son’s whereabouts – while we know that she is lying.
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