Situation of Discourse

Recently in class, we have been discussing the situation of discourse and the fact that from either reading a text or watching a show or movie, you gain insight into the implied author and can grasp certain things that the show is presenting. Since my last few blogs have focused mainly on the courtship presented by Dawson's Creek, I figured I would apply the situation of discourse to see what it will tell me about the show itself.

The Author: Right away from watching a single episode of the show, it is clear that the author/writer(s) of this show is a very emotional, sensitive person. Every character presented in the series has a clear emotional side to them, whether it is sensitivity, humor, wit, or anything else, they all have something unique to their character. The author clearly is intelligent, because though the characters are only in high school, their vocabulary seems far above the level of a typical teenager and the depth to which they examine their own and each other's lives is far beyond the stereotype for that age. The extent to which the characters present themselves as intelligent, thoughtful friends gives the author ethos because it is apparent that the writing is coming from the heart instead of mere entertainment purposes. In actuality, the Executive Producer, Kevin Williamson, is much like Dawson Leery, the main character in the series, and many of the events that take place in the show are pertanent to his own experiences growing up, so that fact alone grants credibility. Also, the main writer, Greg Berlanti, is an openly gay, very successful writer in the television and film world, and his personal experiences are evident in later episodes when Jack, a key character, realizes he is gay and faces so many struggles in accepting himself. Knowing the history and background of both the producer and the writer definitely gives the show ethos and makes a viewer respect the issues being presented on the show, because they are so personal to the authors themselves. Without knowing this information, a viewer could gain insight at least into the emotional side of the authors through the implied author process, because it is evident in each episode that the writers are looking to pull a viewer into the lives of the characters as well as put a point across about whatever issue is being dealt with.


The Audience: Since this show features teenagers as the main characters and deals with teenage issues, I would say that it is directed towards the same age audience. The actors and actresses in the show are the heartthrobs that viewers will be drawn to, but also the issues discussed in each episode are those which a high school and college audience can relate to. Personally, when I watched the show, it was not during the time in which it first aired, as I was in about 6th grade then, but I was just out of high school, and could easily connect with most every issue. The characters deal with falling for a best friend, with breaking up and trying to maintain the friendship that was present before, with hating someone but realizing they may actually be right for you, basically every issue that comes along with the drama that is high school. Given, the show is a little overdone with some of the topics, as the characters seem to overanalyze most every issue, but all the same, they are issues common to everyone. My reaction to the show was comfortable and relative, since I could personally connect with most things that were being discussed. This said, I definitely would include myself in the implied audience since I fall into the age group that I believe the show is directed towards. Though this implied audience is directed mostly towards the high school to college young adult sector, I think that even adults will gain insight from a show like this, not only from their own experiences as young students, but also from the experience of raising kids and dealing with the issues from a different perspective. So, although the implied audience pertains only to a small audience, those even far outside the audience can easily relate to the issues.


The Message: In a show such as Dawson's Creek, there is not one clear message that comes out of the episodes. Instead, there is a smaller message in each episode that relates to the struggles of courtship and friendship and deals with issues that come along with high school. Each episode takes the relationship of the characters into consideration and deals with problems that commonly come about in those relationships. Consider, for instance, an episode in which Dawson and Joey have tried dating, as they have always been "soulmates" but the trial was a failure. Their relationship was not as functional as imagined, and they essentially ended up in an awkward situation. The message of this would be that relationships are hard, especially when they involve moving from a strong friendship to courting, and that even if you trust someone with everything, things may still be rocky. It would be cliche to say that the message has to do with love not being perfect, with the fact that life is not always a walk in the park and that things will come up that require working through, but those ultimately are messages that stem out of the episode. There is ethos granted in this episode through the emotional traumas experienced by the characters and the obvious thought put forth by the writers to make the episode seem realistic. There is logos shown through the language used by the characters and their ability to truly analyze the situation they are presented with and deal with it. The thought it very straightforward in its complexity, and the show has definite credibility in the issues it deals with.

The Assumptions: In this show, there are assumptions made that the viewers can relate to the struggles being dealt with and that the viewers will easily be able to relate. Dawson and his friends obviously overanalyze their situations, but the core of each issue in the episodes is relative to real life and real issues in youthful years. The purpose of a show such as Dawson's Creek is to provide insight into the troublesome years that a person experiences when going through both high school and the step into college after high school. It exists to provide both entertainment and thoughfulnes on the subjects and to be relevant to the viewer's life. Most every viewer will gain something from a show such as this, because almost everyone has dealt with an issue similar to the ones discussed in the episodes. The occasion of the show is to provide an example of a small-town community and a close group of friends that goes through changes and struggles together, and works hard to stay intact.

Overall, there are many outlets provided in a show such as Dawson's Creek, both insightful and overdramatic, but a show such as this provides a clear example of courtship and its struggles.