Anjali Lakhani
Media key concept essay

One print text ‘Radio Times (London)’ and one moving image text the opening sequence of ER. The purpose of the print text is to grab the reader’s attention just by looking at the front cover. Then there is the purpose of the institution the BBC, which is, too inform, educate and entertain. The opening sequence of ER is to keep the audiences attention onto the show and to set the pace and tone of the show for the audiences.

On the cover of the ‘Radio Times’ is an image of nurses dressed in a conservative way and with big smiles on their faces. The smiles on their faces suggests that they are happy with their roles, however there status of a nurse is low in a hospital and why are their no male nurses being shown or any female doctors? Whereas in ER there is gender equality an example we can look at is Parmindar Nagra who is represented as a successful Asian female surgeon who is highly educated and independent who is breaking out of the typical out of date stereotypes of Asian women. Females are being shown in a more positive way and this may be due to the feminist movement. ER is a multicultural show and is representing today’s society where in reality it would be more likely to find an Asian or black nurse/doctor in a hospital. By having a more diverse show the makers of ER can appeal to wider audience who can then create a personal identity with the characters (Galtung and Rouge). On the other hand if we look at the women on front of the ‘Radio Times’ cover they are all white thus reflecting society in the seventies, where there was many race riots and a less diverse Britain.

The opening of ER is fast paced. The shots are quick and so is the music, this can be to reflect the pace of a real ER therefore setting the tone for the audience. The fast beating music could connote the beat of a human’s heartbeat, thus basing the genre of this show to be hospital drama. The opening sequence uses iconic elements of a typical hospital drama such as the zig zag lines on the heart machine or the hospital equipment, the costumes of the doctors and nurses this is the mis-en scene. Similarly to the ‘Radio Times’ where the nurses are seen holding an x-ray an iconic element of the genre. The idea of the hospital drama can relate to the wider issues in the country such as the NHS. The NHS has always played an important part in Britain’s culture. The NHS in Britain is an important institution and the service that is provided to the public is free unlike the service, which is provided in America, which is not free.

The nurses in the ‘Radio Times’ cover are all fully covered and are not scantly clad. There uniforms show no flesh or no cleverage. We can link this to Laura Mulvey’s theory that women are only there for the male gaze, however the nurses on the ‘Radio Times’ are not being objectified, neither are the women in the opening sequence of ER, where women are seen as educated professional women with a high status. There is gender equality In ER and this represents today’s society where women are seen to be just as equal as men. They have the same jobs and earn more. The feminist movement helped for this situation to progress and allowed women to have more rights and freedom.