Blog Post #3

I’ve always enjoyed analyzing entertainment I consume by theorizing and noticing symbolism and with this class it’s nice to begin to know how to do so formally and have an outlet for discussion. Semiotics comes somewhat naturally to me, but reading about Marxist analysis has made me look at stories differently. When looking for symbols, I’m looking at it from a story point of view, how the theme is represented visually, foreshadowing, what characters represent, and so on. But Marxism asks an analyst to look outside the story at the society that built it and how that society is reflected in the story. I really enjoy watching sitcoms. They are meant to be fun, lighthearted entertainment that can be consumed passively. But by being passive they subconsciously feed us a fantasy of what our lives are meant to be like. This week I finished rewatching New Girl, a show where a group of friends get into all kinds of antics but are always there to support each other. The five characters who share a loft often have trouble with their jobs, yet they never seem to have financial trouble nor do their jobs ever seem to interfere much with their personal lives. Most of that is probably for convenience of plot, but it also lets many viewers escape from the reality of having their lives run by their jobs. It also gives the idea that “if this bunch of idiots can do this well then certainly I can have that kind of life”. Most sitcoms are like that, they give an idyllic reality with just enough weird unbelievable mischief to remind us that it’s fantasy.