Topic #2 -- Television as a Cultural Mirror: "Murder in the First"

            From http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1870253312/tt2402061?ref_=ttmd_md_nxt

On Monday July 14^th at 10pm I watched the sixth episode of a television show on the TNT network called "Murder in the First." It is a drama about the murder of a woman in San Francisco and the subsequent police investigation and criminal trial. This episode was called "Punch Drunk." This episode was about the start of the murder trial where Erich Blunt (played by Tom Felton) is accused of murdering Cindy Straus and her unborn child, which happens to be his. Blunt is the genius CEO of his own software start-up who is used to the high life and so has retained the best lawyer money can buy, Mr. Daniels. The police detectives who investigated the case are Inspector English, played by Taye Diggs, and Inspector Mulligan, played by Kathleen Robertson. Inspector English testifies in this episode, while Inspector Mulligan deals with some personal issues.

Tom Felton is best known for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie series. Taye Diggs is best known for Private Practice and Rent. Kathleen Robertson is known for being on Beverly Hills, 90210 and is also on the most recent season of Bates Motel.

There were commercials for many products and services during this program. They were:

·         Hershey's spreads

·         Range Rover Evoque

·         DirecTV

·         Ocean Spray Diet Juice

·         Walmart – fresh peaches (twice)

·         Sprint Framily Plan – two different commercials for the same thing (twice)

·         Tempurpedic – new mattress pad (twice)

·         Discover Card – fraud protection

·         Kia - Sign It & Drive It Event

·         Target - Subscription service

·         Cadillac – summer collection

·         Garnier Nutrise Hair Color – Tina Fey

·         K-Mart – Yo mama jokes

·         Linzess  - a constipation medication (twice)

·         Fancy Feast Cat Food

·         State Farm Insurance – 3 in the morning?

·         Jaguar F-Type – villains

·         Doritos Chips – kid is a cowboy

·         Red Lobster - CrabFest

·         Target – buy school supplies and Target will match it with a donation

·         Toyota 4Runner

There were also previews for the following shows and movies:

·         "Cold Justice" (another show on TNT) twice

·         "Major Crimes" (another show on TNT) twice

·         "Rizzoli & Isles" (another show on TNT) twice

·         Into the Storm (movie)

·         Crime on TNT – feel the BOOM

·         "Legends" (a new show on TNT) three times

·         "The Last Ship" (another show on TNT) twice

·         Sex Tape Movie (movie)

·         "Murder in the First" (this show; with #letsgoback to remind people to get caught up)

Mentioned/Shown during the show:

·         Erich was shown riding in a Chevy SUV

·         A MacBook computer (along with others)

·         An iPad

·         A cable car in the background of one scene to reinforce San Francisco as the location

·         Xanax

·         A Crown Victoria police car

The overall attitude of the show is gritty and real. I think that the producers are trying to transport us to San Francisco with the detectives as they try to solve the case. It is shot in such a way that it seems realistic, even thought you know that it is staged. There are smooth transitions and establishing shots when you change locations. "Murder in the First" is shot on location in San Francisco for outside scenes, and on set in Los Angeles for interiors, according to their IMDB page. All of the characters dress in a professional manner. Both detectives wear comfortable and stylish clothes and only dress up for court. The lawyers are always wearing suits, but that is to be expected. Everyone talks in a very matter of fact way, nothing fancy or pretentious; realistically in my opinion.  The way that the detectives talk to each other shows that they have known each other for a long time and that they are very comfortable together. It seems like the target audience is people who like cop shows, both male and female, probably young professionals who can relate to both detectives and Erich Blunt. I'd say that the relationships portrayed are targeted toward females, and the police aspects are more targeted to males. "Murder in the First" is similar to "Law & Order" because they both follow an investigation from crime to verdict, but here the case is stretched out over a whole season so that we get more in-depth into each part of the investigation and trial. It is also similar to the FX miniseries "Fargo" because they both focus on one case (or inter-related cases as we see from both) being solved over a series of episodes. I think that this is a unique new show because of the strong character development and realistic relationships portrayed by all the characters.

I found that the character of Erich Blunt is a typical rich guy throwing money at a problem. He fits the stereotype of a rich guy because he thinks that he is better than everyone and can get away with doing whatever he wants as long as he pays good money for it. I find Inspector Mulligan to be that stereotypical single mother who is trying to balancer work, family and dating. The lawyers are stereotypical in that they will do anything for their clients or the case. The media frenzy from Blunt being arrested is both realistic and stereotypical in this day and age. There would be that level of media coverage for any famous person being arrested for anything, and even more for murder. It reminds me of the O.J. Simpson case. The commercials that were aired during the episode seem to be geared toward younger professionals with families. I came to this conclusion because they are for products and services that they might need or aspire to in relation to the Jaguar commercial. Everything else seems fairly apple pie and general. If I were a visitor to the US from another country I would get the impression that the rich think they own the world, that cops are diligent and hardworking but don't always get results after all their hard work, that everyone has personal issues that sometimes interfere with work, that lawyers are sneaky, and that there will be a media frenzy when famous and/or rich people are arrested. I think that all of these are accurate, but it may paint lawyers in a bad light.

I think that the strengths of the show are the actors are all well suited for their roles, the fact that the shoot at least some of it on location, and that it is more or less realistic in the sense that I can imagine it happening pretty close to this in real life. The thing that I like most about the show is the actors: Taye Diggs is great and I really enjoy seeing Malfoy all grown up. I also like the overall  concept of the show, having it take a whole series to solve the case so that we get more details about how people's lives can be turned upside-down in minutes and that it can take months or years to get things straightened out. I also really appreciate that they try to make the characters and settings as realistic as possible, it help me to connect to the characters. The cliff-hanger aspect of the case taking the whole series to be solved give lots of opportunities for theories to come to mind that make for great conversations with friends or random people on the internet.

Here is a quote from a review of the show from the Los Angeles Times:  ""Murder in the First," a masterfully paced balance of tricky whodunit and character development, seems to have benefited from both Bochco's hits and the misses, as well as the cable-led experimentation with shorter seasons." – I agree!

Another review from the San Francisco Chronicle "There's not only great authenticity in the show (that dated Bay Bridge shot notwithstanding), but "Murder" also mines an equally ripe period in the city's history, its status as the center of the 21st century technology revolution." – I agree!

I have been watching this show every week with sister. I am not a fan of the show on Facebook and I don’t follow it on Twitter, but I have been going to their IMDB page for more information about the actors as the season has progressed. A little research into the show lead me to discovering that the executive producer, Steven Bochco, also created "Doogie Howser, M.D." and "NYPD Blue". Find out more information about Bochco here. I've learned that "Murder in the First" is doing relatively well for a new show and that many people agree with me in that it is interesting and realistic. I was surprised to learn that Tom Felton is convincing as a murder suspect with a temper that can change on a dime since I haven't seen him do anything other than Harry Potter.

Interested in learning more? Check out the TNT  page for the show!

Topic #1 – Advertising: 1-800 Contacts

Have you seen the 1-800 Contacts commercials that just came out? They are very funny, in my opinion. They show a two young women and the struggle they face when they run out of contacts. These ads caught my attention because I wear contacts and am fearful of running out and facing similar struggles.

From the 1-800 Contacts Facebook Page

Watch the commercials here at the 1-800 Contacts YouTube page. 

In the first commercial a young woman is getting ready for a date when she realizes that she is out of contacts and will have to wear a large pair of outdated glasses on her date. Her eyes get HUGE! There isn't music per say in the commercial, more like sound effects. You hear a crescendo of a choir and orchestra as she puts on the glasses. There is a freeze-frame of her with huge eyes that shows the words "Never run out of contacts^TM". Then a male announcer voice comes on and says "Never run out of contacts. For a limited time get free shipping when you order online."  At the end there is a jingle that says 1-800 Contacts in a quick up-beat female voice.  The actress in the commercial is not someone I recognize. The ad is only 16 seconds long. I saw it first while watching an episode of House Hunters on HGTV. It was published on July 18^th, 2014 according to the 1-800 Contacts YouTube page. This is one of two new commercials that 1-800 Contacts has out at the moment. The second new commercial shows another woman who accidently drops her contact in the toilet realizing that she is out of contacts when she goes to get a new one out of the box. The commercial ends as she starts to reach for the one in the toilet. Yikes! Similar to the first commercial, there is a freeze-frame on her face as she reaches into the toilet with the text "Never run out of contacts^TM". Again we get the crescendo of a choir and orchestra, followed by the same message from the announcer and then the jingle. This commercial features another actress that I didn't recognize. It is only 14 seconds long. I saw this one for the first time on the YouTube page for 1-800 Contacts. It was also published on July 18^th, 2014.

These ads from 1-800 Contacts, along with older ones I've seen that are on their YouTube page, use the plain-folks technique. They show "average" people using their service to order contacts and have them delivered right to their door. This new pair of ads also uses the hidden-fear approach. This is a good addition in my opinion. I also have the fear of running out of contacts and having to wear my glasses instead of the convenience of contacts. The first ad, with the glasses, touches on the Association Principle because it is saying that her glasses aren't attractive for a date as opposed to her contacts. Both commercials use story-telling because they show the women facing the dilemma of what to do when you run out of contacts. One woman is forced to wear her outdated glasses on a date and the other is forced to fish her contact out of the luckily clean toilet. I think that both commercials use the television media effectively. Both are short and to the point while giving you enough to be grabbed by the story and drawn into their struggles. The announcer voice is well used to tell you about the free shipping while the jingle is catchy enough for you to remember.

This ad campaign is new for the product type. I have never seen another commercial for contacts or glasses that uses the hidden-fear approach. They are usually just showing how much better your vision can be, how much easier your day will be, or how much more confident you can be by using their product. The target audience for these commercials is anyone who wears contacts or is considering switching from glasses to contacts. This means that anyone with poor eyesight is in the demographic. The only stereotype that I can see in the commercials is that people who wear glasses are generally less attractive. I do not agree with this stereotype at all. Glasses can add to a person's appeal as long as they don't distort their eyes. I don't think that it is an offensive use of the stereotype, just one that I don’t agree with.

I feel that the strength of these ads is that they do not rely on a celebrity to sell the product. They effectively show the struggle of an average person who is faced with an awkward situation. The use of humor in how the women deal with their situations is the main reason that these ads grabbed my attention. The first one makes the horrified face that I would make if faced with having to wear those unattractive glasses out on a date. She was all ready to go and then got quite a shock. Next time, thanks to 1-800 Contacts she will not run out of contacts before an important event. The second one showing the woman getting her contact out of the toilet is just unimaginable to me. I would never use a contact again after it was in the garbage, much less the toilet, but her reluctant bending down and unpleasant expression convey her feelings perfectly. If I had to find a weakness, I would say that they should have had a male character in one of the ads, just to be sure to connect with as many people as possible. As a member of the target audience I believe that this pair of ads did effectively connect with me. I am more likely to purchase contacts from 1-800 Contacts so that I can avoid being in either of the situations shown in the commercials. I know that I can order contacts from them quickly and with free shipping now.

I was unable to find an article about these commercials on Ad Age, Forbes, or Business Week. I think this is probably because they are so new. (?) I did find a press release that talks about them. There are some articles on older ad campaigns from 1-800 Contacts, but none recently. Here is the Twitter page for 1-800 Contacts. It gives you an idea of what they are trying to do with the new commercials and the slogan "Never run out of contacts^TM". Based on these two ads I will definitely check out the prices on 1-800 Contacts when I need to order more in a few months. I am not out yet! I still have 3 pairs so I'm not in danger of running out. I did double check after seeing these ads just to be sure though. J I would recommend that anyone in the market for contacts to check out 1-800 Contacts based on these ads.

Looking into these commercials more closely I have learned that they are very new. Hopefully they will be a successful campaign for 1-800 Contacts to attract new customers and retain current ones. I know that they have a shot at my business in the future based on these commercials, as long as their prices are good. Who wants to run out of contacts and have to struggle with old glasses or a contact that has been places most people avoid at all costs? Not me! I was surprised to learn that these commercials were so new that no one had written about them yet in Ad Age, Business Week or Forbes. I thought that they would have given us their take by now.

Interested in ordering from 1-800 Contacts? Click here!