Numb3rs And The Big Bang Theory
Ideology is the lens through which one views the world. It is the core beliefs and values that one holds most dearly, and it influences nearly every aspect of their lives. Minor decisions, such as what television show to watch, and major decisions, like who to vote for, are influenced by one’s ideological views. According to Marx, ideology is specific to particular economic classes, however, one may not necessarily hold the ideology view of their own class. Marx believed that the economic base of a society was what supported and shaped that society’s beliefs and values. Marx held that in a capitalistic society, where the bourgeoisie controlled the economy, it was the ideology of the bourgeoisie that would become dominant. The core beliefs
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There are two core components of ideology in television studies, the first of which is that a society’s ideology contains many different discourses, or sets of views, which conflict with each other. The second component is a look at an individual’s position on those discourses, “how individuals accept, reject, or negotiate ideology.” (pg. 398) An example of conflicting discourses in television can be seen in the show Numb3rs and The Big Bang Theory. In both shows, the main characters are scientists, and are depicted as geniuses. However, in The Big Bang Theory, all four scientist characters also shared another common trait: extreme social incompetence. Whether it was because they used technobabble in everyday conversations, missed obvious social cues, or made inappropriate or awkward comments, every single scientist became the target of a joke due to the writer’s and director’s belief in a common stereotype. In Numb3rs, the mathematician character is shown in a far different light. He helped solve a case that the police could not figure out with their traditional methods by employing mathematics. He was smart, but otherwise normal, and his interactions with other characters was not the source of a joke. The conflicting messages the shows have about scientists lead to a difference in both the format of the show and target
There are two core components of ideology in television studies, the first of which is that a society’s ideology contains many different discourses, or sets of views, which conflict with each other. The second component is a look at an individual’s position on those discourses, “how individuals accept, reject, or negotiate ideology.” (pg. 398) An example of conflicting discourses in television can be seen in the show Numb3rs and The Big Bang Theory. In both shows, the main characters are scientists, and are depicted as geniuses. However, in The Big Bang Theory, all four scientist characters also shared another common trait: extreme social incompetence. Whether it was because they used technobabble in everyday conversations, missed obvious social cues, or made inappropriate or awkward comments, every single scientist became the target of a joke due to the writer’s and director’s belief in a common stereotype. In Numb3rs, the mathematician character is shown in a far different light. He helped solve a case that the police could not figure out with their traditional methods by employing mathematics. He was smart, but otherwise normal, and his interactions with other characters was not the source of a joke. The conflicting messages the shows have about scientists lead to a difference in both the format of the show and target