Gogglebox/Gogglesprogs Studio Lambert/ Studio Gogglebox/Gogglesprogs Channel 4

that portrayed kitchen sink drama with In two linked articles, Emma Calway explores the enduring nitty-gritty realism, albeit it in a safe popularity of Gogglebox with its audiences, while Matt environment. We can check our own Kaufman considers what Gogglebox and Gogglesprogs can thoughts, fears and hopes against a teach us about the slippery concept of postmodernism. safe paradigm, where we can judge others but don’t get judged ourselves. In this respect, we hold the power. ogglebox features a concept This safety net is structured around that could only have been a familiar recurring cast who we get realised in the 21st century, a to know over time; families, couples cross between an Orwellian and friends from all over the UK watch nightmareG and a real version of The British TV that spans all genres. We can Royle Family (the late Caroline Aherne, watch them watching it, comfortable screenwriter and actress from the in the fact that what we see won’t be sitcom, first provided the tongue-in- gruesome or shocking. We are screened cheek narration for Gogglebox, followed from shocking content, aware of the by her co-star Craig Cash). This series cast’s reaction before we see the gets us watching other viewers on actual scene in question, providing us their own sofas in their own living with a protective prism but also with rooms, who watch the same TV that a useful way to get the lowdown on we will have watched that week. Is it, the week’s TV. We can choose what to then, mindless reality TV that we can watch and what to avoid, based on switch on when we want to switch the reactions of the Gogglebox cast. off, or is it a study of something more The show is also traditional in the way complex, something symptomatic it places the living room and the TV set of our isolated, modern culture? as the focal point for families, looking Gogglebox’s hit ratings (it’s currently back to a time when the moving image in its seventh series) hint at its unique really was consumed in this way. This character: it’s not part of the tired is of course, completely at odds with reality talent TV formula adhered to evidence of the younger generation’s by Strictly, X Factor, or The Voice, where viewing habits; many prefer to watch/ contestant is set against contestant, stream box sets on services like Netflix instead somehow managing to and view on devices such as tablets, create feelings of togetherness in a laptops and smart phones, or TV catch- disconnected, fragmented society. It up, rather than watching it live on has similarities with 1960s soap operas the box with the rest of the family.

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In this way Gogglebox is nostalgic and to the previous week, and every now reinforces the theme of togetherness and then, a new family, couple or trio and family values. This can also of friends. There will be features we create much hilarity as we see how recognise from the previous week: different generations view the same Steph and Dom invariably quaff an event. We watch TV differently, not alcoholic beverage while the Moffats just in format but also because of have cups of tea and the Malones who we are watching it with. usually have an array of sweet treats. Airing on Channel 4 at 9pm, the However, can the cast’s reactions Bafta-winning show shows warts- really be completely authentic? After and-all reactions: tears, anger, all, like Big Brother, the cast know not swearing, shock and laughter only that they are being watched, but – it manages to span all aspects that they might be prime-time TV of the human spirit, elements gold. They may be particularly careful that unite us all. Farah Ramzan about what they say because they Golant, the boss of TV distribution are conscious of public perception; company, All3Media, commented alternatively, they may deliberately say in the Evening Standard that: shocking, outlandish things to ensure more screen time for themselves. After Everyone loves watching TV all, the posh Sandwich duo, Steph and and talking about TV. But the Dom Parker, have gone on to make show isn’t really about TV. The further programmes with Nigel Farage, show is about people’s lives, while another family was dropped their relationships, their living when the father tried to run as a UKIP rooms and the way children MP. Inevitably some participants may and parents talk about TV. crave the spotlight, and rather than an One of the major attractions of authentic study of human behaviour, Gogglebox is that its cast is accessible. the experiment thus becomes During transmission, you can tweet skewed. Tania Alexander, Executive the cast of the show. Newcastle’s Producer, stated in the Radio Times, Scarlett Moffat is a particularly I knew from the off that I didn’t active participant who frequently want to put people on television interacts with us, the viewers. who wanted to be on television. It’s a fascinating study of human behaviour – we like to see the houses of While this may have been true the cast, what’s changed in comparison at the outset, the cast are now

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relatively famous, and several have a range of potential meanings and already exploited their notoriety that understanding a message can with appearances on talk shows and be problematic. The Gogglebox cast reality programmes. Scarlett Moffat, a consists of a mix of races, sexualities, particularly popular pundit, has now ages and genders and they react joined the 2016 series of I'm a Celebrity. differently on many major themes. To take just one example, an episode Agency and Effects in Series 7 focused on coverage of the Tata Steel crisis: the majority of Stuart Hall’s model of communication the cast was outraged by what was of the 1980s and 1990s challenged the happening, for a range of different view that the media have the power to reasons. The Michael family in Brighton, directly cause a certain behaviour in an for example, were worried about the individual (the so-called hypodermic hundreds of people who would lose needle model), while at the same their jobs. Steph and Dom, in contrast, time exploring the role of media as an concluded that the steel industry was agenda-setting function. Hall’s model finished – why are we still supporting put forward three central premises: this industry when foreigners can 1. the same event can be encoded do it cheaper, they argued? in more than one way; Gogglebox offers a snapshot (albeit 2. a message contains more than a contrived one) of modern, everyday one possible reading; and life. Watching, we see how certain 3. understanding a message can be events can bring the majority of people a problematic process, regardless together as one, regardless of religion, of how natural it may seem. gender, background, or race. Often, it Hall argued that the dominant seems, the most shocking events do ideology is typically inscribed as the this. They seem to make us recognise ‘preferred reading’ in a media text, but our shared values, while others allow that this is not automatically adopted us to celebrate our differences. There by readers. ‘Dominant’ readings are is nothing, it seems, more interesting produced by those whose social than the sociology of human situation favours the preferred reading. beings and this in part, explains the The differing social situations enduring popularity of Gogglebox. and experiences of readers/ viewers/listeners may lead them to adopt different stances. Emma Calway works as a content writer Gogglebox offers a fascinating insight for Ad Rank. into how Hall’s theory can work in practice. In watching the different reactions from different individuals and families to the same footage, we see that an event can indeed be encoded in more than one way, that it contains

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Matt Kaufman offers a postmodern reading of Gogglebox and Gogglesprogs.

ostmodernism is an extensive What is Postmodernism? are no longer any strict rules to be and often challenging concept, adhered to, and everything is in a state which you will need to engage Many comparisons have been of flux. This is reflected in our art and with regardless of which exam made between the era of modernism our architecture, our communications specificationP you’re following. This (arguably from the mid-19th century and our media products. article will discuss a small number of to the mid-1950s) which reflected a key postmodern features in relation sense of the world through rational Recognising Some to case studies of Gogglebox and its approaches that included science and Postmodern Features: academia, reason and logic, and the junior incarnation, Gogglesprogs, which Confusion Over Space and aired in 2015. It follows the same newer thinking of the late 20th century, format as its parent show, except that broadly described as postmodernism. Time the participants are children aged A postmodern perspective argues that In our modern day world we have between 5-12. At the height of their previous approaches which drew on numerous examples of how time popularity both shows have pulled the rational certainties of modernism and space are compressed and can audience figures in excess of 4 million. are no longer viable in our media- become confusing and incoherent. saturated Western culture. Clear geographical distances and time Modernism Postmodernism Together with huge global scales have become jumbled and geo-political developments, Grand narrative of Scepticism of progress, undermined. Rapid flows of culture, progress achieved ambivalence towards the exponential rise of money and information lead to a though following science technology reactions, the media and digital feeling of distortion. We no longer hold and technology neo-Luddism; emerging communication means a firm grasp on the concepts of time new age religions that an abundance of and space because we can learn about Sense of unifi ed Feelings of disconnection voices now suggest any number of far removed cultures and centred self; and a decentred self; a range of alternative and lands at the touch of a button, can ‘individualism’, a unifi ed, multiple, fl uid and models which are more send emails and texts as well as Skype stable identity sometimes confl icting identities e.g. online relevant to modern day and Facetime people across the world, personalities life. Whereas in the past speaking to them instantly despite identifiable paradigms such what may be thousands of miles or Hierarchy, order, Subverted order, loss as Feminism, Marxism or hours of difference in time zones. centralised control of centralised control, fragmentation others allowed us to form a When watching Gogglesprogs coherent understanding of we note how time and space seem Easily recognisable Blending of conventions the world, such absolutes distorted. For starters the segments and identifi able styles, and genres, mixture of are now no longer viable. In of programming such as Britain’s conventions and genres styles a postmodern world there Got Talent or The Voice used within

37 Gogglebox/Gogglesprogs Studio Lambert/ Studio Gogglebox/Gogglesprogs Channel 4 the programme may have already something is copied and mimicked, Looking at Googlesprogs we see been watched by you beforehand, easily recognisable conventions are that whilst child participants may possibly weeks earlier. But now you are repeated but there is also a level of provide an added incentive for some watching it again, this time alongside analysis taking place, often through viewers, it means that the level of people watching it for the very first humour, which seeks to pick holes critical discussion is limited and time. These people are sat in their front in the original. Parody by definition we now also have further points to rooms but as we join them we could implies a critique which highlights consider: media consumption levels move between following participants any issues present. This is effectively amongst the young, passive and in parts of London or Manchester, illustrated in the short news report susceptible audiences and the missed over to those sat in homes in Wales segments performed by Jonathan opportunities by programmes such or Scotland, and then back again. Pie, who mimics news items but then as these that have not only failed to breaks with convention to make various challenge the culture of television Parody or Pastiche? satirical comments about biased news viewing among children, but instead coverage and political and social issues. have celebrated and glorified it. Another of the features of a How pastiche differs is that whilst postmodern society is to recognise that it may involve the use of conventions Where is the Reality? we now have an abundance of style from existing products and genres, over substance, meaning that there often with satirical intent, criticism Described in the Radio is far too much importance placed is secondary to entertainment and Times, Gogglesprogs is… on the surface of things – the way humour. This is why pastiche has The people-watching-TV- products look and present themselves been termed as ‘blank parody’. For watching-people-watching- – as opposed to an exploration of any example, how many music videos of TV show (which) returns for deeper meaning found within. We value boy bands have you seen set on a a seasonal special where the appearance and simplicity of things beach or in an urban location where children, not adults are the over any complex insights or depth. For the performers all sing into camera? All subjects on the sofa. example take any number of celebrities of these videos generically reference who are famous not so much for their each other, yet there is little political French cultural theorist Jean great talents or abilities, but more for comment. When Busted, Take That or Baudrillard argues that we now live simply being attractive or famous for 1-D recycle boy band conventions, in a heavily media-saturated world, being famous. Reality television, the they rarely draw attention to these where we find ourselves surrounded genre that Gogglebox and Gogglesprogs continually repeated formulae. by images and representations, belongs, is well known for producing Gogglebox uses many conventions which we actually use to help us form (C list) celebrities who actually have from reality television shows, including meaning and understanding. However little talent to back up their found cheap settings and locations, unknown because of this, we have lost the ability fame-for example Joey Essex. participants and ‘natural’ reactions to distinguish between what is real Fredrick Jameson, a political theorist, to events that unfold – but does and what is a simulation of reality. takes the idea of style over substance little to try and criticise or discuss Baudrillard makes use of the term and discusses it in terms of pastiche. any of the issues found within this simulacra to describe how there is a To understand what a pastiche is, it type of programme, such as issues of never-ending procession of symbols should be viewed as the opposite of a representation or the contemporary and representations all around us, parody. When something is parodied, acceptance of high levels of media which themselves have no origin and a number of things are happening: consumption within a family setting. are therefore just copies of copies, or

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representations of representations. what is not: we sit in our front rooms Being surrounded by simulacra means watching other people sat in their front we live in a hyper-real: where the rooms enjoying someone on a talent lines that distinguish reality from the show or a bake-off programme which simulation of reality have begun to in itself is not a real experience because blur. In a postmodern world where it is being mediated. We watch their the majority of our experiences are responses to these programmes and filtered through the mass media, how then we respond to their responses. can we tell if what we are thinking In all of that process how much of and feeling is actually genuine? what is happening can actually be Let’s take the simulacrum of New described as a ‘real’ experience? If the York as an example. We have seen emotions we are feeling are based on countless onscreen representations the emotions of someone else, who of its giant skyscrapers, yellow cabs themselves are not experiencing a real and the instantly recognisable Statue event, how far removed are we from of Liberty. Being there in real time as any real meaning and understanding? a tourist, our first-hand experience Getting to grips with these (and of the reality may arguably become other) postmodern features should be blurred and distorted due to our the aim of all Media students so that expectations and the iconography of you can begin to apply them to your New York we have already experienced own found examples in the future countless times over through the (that is – if the future really exists?!). mass media. It is all very confusing. Applying this to Gogglebox or Matt Kaufman is a Multimedia and English Gogglesprogs we can easily see a Lecturer at Heart of Worcestershire blurring between what is real and College.

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