In class Thursday we discussed different themes that are present in the media that we watch, specifically those that amplify and reduce other aspects. The group that I was in talked about the genre drama, more specifically in hospitals and soap operas. I love watching shows like Greys Anaytomy, House, E.R. and the new show Off the Map has become kind of a "guilty pleasure of mine". Then we see the soap opera General Hospital that can definitely fall in this category. There are so many others, but I will just highlight these few.
Drama is amplified greatly in these shows, there is always something major and scandalous going on, that is what keeps us tuned in week after week or day after day. They are entertaining and exciting and we like to see how each story unfolds. The thing that is reduced however is the lack of medical procedures that are actually performed on the shows themselves, which is comical considering these are shows that are supposed to be about what kinds of things happen in hospital settings or between doctors, or etc.
The major problem that always happens with hospital dramas is the fact of distinguishing fact from fiction. Obviously, the viewing public are not naive and the majority of people can separate fact from fiction, but it cannot be denied that some people may think that it is a true picture of hospital life. Many people also argue the fact that since these are hospital shows they should show more procedures being done, not just snippets.
These dramas, like all other dramas are on air for a reason: entertainment, that is where they get their ratings. If they were going to show more medical procedures being done then they would most likely be in another catagory and on Discovery Health or the Discovery channel. I think they are great the way they are and I hope they don't change because they are all great and they let us enjoy watching the good looking and smart doctors and nurses every week.
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