MAD MEN

Most media texts target a wide range of audiences, how true is this of your chosen text?

My first studied text is the critically acclaimed 'Mad Men' produced by AMC. The text i have studied is episode 11 of season 5 called 'The other woman'. The preferred audience for this text is a similar age to the cast, with an interest in historical issues and similar models of behaviour. I think this text does not target a wide range of audience because the programme has a niche audience because of the scheduling, non-diegetic sound and lack of variety in the cast.

The first reason i believe Mad Men targets a niche audience is the channel the programme is shown on. In the UK, the show is played on Sky Atlantic at 10pm. Sky Atlantic is a subscription channel therefore not available to a large proportion of available audiences. The time it is scheduled is late into the evening, making it difficult for the younger or older generations to catch the episode. Meaning that the targeted audience is adult and wealthy enough to afford the subscription, making us think they will be successful and take a preferred reading as they interact with the narrative on an intellectual level.  

Secondly, episode 11, like all other episodes of Mad Men do not include any diegetic sound. All sound in the 50 minute running time is in the scenes from when they were filmed. An oppositional audience would find this very dull and boring, as no sound effects or music will not make the text a 'light' viewing. However the preferred niche audience would find this gives the programme a sense of realism and help them relate to the situations.

The cast of the show is all of a similar age, ethnicity and is slightly more male dominated. The age range is from 30-50's for all characters, making it difficult for an audience outside this range to understand the feelings and actions the characters make. In episode 11, only one African-Amerian woman is seen for about 3 seconds in the whole episode consequently the text is dominated by white, middle class characters. For a multi-cultural audience they may feel objectified by the lack of variety in the audience and not become gratified. Others may accept the time setting of the text and realise this is an accurate reflection of the lives lived in that era and gain information from being transported back in time. 

In summary following on from my analysis i believe the statement of "Most media texts target a wide range of audiences, how true is this of your chosen text?" is false in regard to Mad Men.