Postmodern TV: Gogglebox

L.O: To identify the pomo

features of Gogglebox
 Why is it pomo?
Were watching people watching tv this is pomo in
itself.
Recycling culture: Its a real-life version of TV drama
The Royle Family, which Goggleboxs producers have
described as an inspiration.
Challenging originality - Culture eats itself as there
is no longer anything new to produce or distribute.
Postmodern media rejects the idea that any media
text is of any greater value than another. All
judgements of value are merely taste. Anything can
be art, anything can deserve to reach an audience.
 Rejects conventions of tv programmes and an organising pricnicple: No
narrative, just people watching tv, the programme is dependent on
peoples reactions.
Differing reactions fragmentation of meaning
Voyeurism, insights into relationships, making private realities public
collapsing the spheres of private and public

Hyperreality. The programme has an element of hyperreality but this is

not what it is interesting about it and should not be part of your analysis
of it.
They know theyre being filmed so it cant be entirely genuine reactions
some self modification inevitable? The observer's paradox
(phenomena where the observation of an event or experiment is
influenced by the presence of the observer/investigator)? Challenging
the producer consumer relationships. Self-aware and were aware of
construct their reactions to tv have become our tv.
Were aware of editing decisions that must have been made.
Culture asymptotically approaches reality in these works; it cannot fully
replicate it. There is no such thing as an undistorted lens Cecily Long
FlamingoMumbai.
 Why does it work?
Accessing, replicating and displaying
reality.
Comical and enjoyable to see our reactions
mirrored back at us. Reflecting our lives.

We are all, every single one of us, like

Greek god Narcissus. We just love our own
reflection. (The Radio Times 07 March
2014)
 We relate to and identify with the people.
Bonding experience within families and on a broader national scale.
Diverse range of people positive representations brings Britain together.
Bringing TV viewing back to a communal experience after viewing became a
more disparate experience due to the proliferation of viewing devices and
cordcutting from schedules. - Uses and gratifications socialbut faux
social as were not really watching with them.
Viewing the viewer, it reframes cultural observation as an act of
participation.
Hashtagging joining in, becoming critic and creator. Others can watch you
watching them watching tv.
The programme simultaneously draws together the audience while
reflecting the diversity and difference of the participants and the viewers.
Farah Ramzan Golant, the boss of production giant All3Media, whose
subsidiary Studio Lambert created Gogglebox, believes there is a simple
explanation for its appeal. Everyone loves watching TV and talking about
TV, she says. But the show isnt really about TV. The show is about
peoples lives, their relationships, their living rooms and the way children
and parents talk about TV. (The Evening Standard: 18 December 2013)
 Arguably part of the reason Gogglebox struck a chord is
that it replicates the way millions of people have begun
talking about their favourite shows on social media and
has brought that conversation back to the big screen in
the Twitter era, when anyone can be a television critic.
Ramzan Golant goes so far as to claim that its a
cultural phenomenon as we get to see people react to
events such as the death of Nelson Mandela. Its near
real-time because youre watching what happened in
the seven days before, she says. Thats quite
priceless. It captures a cultural response to something
thats happening in the world.