How Television Affects Target Audiences

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People are said to have positive reactions toward television. As a person watches television, he or she can interact with what is happening. Whether it is happiness or sadness, a person will not be affected by television; he or she will understand the values of each show. In “A Moral Never-Never Land: Identifying with Tony Soprano,” James Harold indicates that television helps a person compare problems and emotions on a show. Television makes people look deep inside and think about the notions of good and evil. Not every person that watches television is affected by and shares emotions. In the television series The Sopranos, Tony Soprano kills, threatens and projects anger to other people. Harold says, “We do not just take on one character or one point of view, and we do not respond emotionally in only one way” (248). Harold also says that it’s okay to like Tony because he is a fictional character (241). This is true because when people realize that Tony is not real, they do not relate their problems and emotions to the show, because the show has no real emotion. Fictional television series like The Sopranos make people think of every emotion and problem on the show, learn about the chaos and love of different societies and cultures, and bring a positive reaction toward their thoughts of television. When people realize that The Sopranos is a fictional show, they know not to become emotional about what happens. Then, they can learn about different troubles and emotions of other societies. Harold states, “One of the things that worries some of us is that television shows like The Sopranos make very bad people seem, well, likeable” (242). When a person feels anger from watching a television show, he or she must realize that it is not real. Even if a television show gives an impression that a bad person is likeable, there are indications that characters are not
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