Monday, April 6, 2009

A Reunion of sorts



I attended a reunion this past Thursday. No, it wasn’t my high school or college reunion; I would never go to one of those. It was a reunion with the characters from ER, which aired its last episode after fifteen years of being on the air. That’s a long run for any television program, and it is evidence of the continuity that media can provide in a culture that is somewhat volatile. I may not be able to count on my job, government, or relationships, but I could—for the past fifteen years—count on ER being there for me. The continuity of programs such as this provide opportunities to establish imaginary social relationships with the program’s characters. I cannot express how good it felt to see Dr. Carter after all these years (I wondered what had happened to him), and all the other characters from ER I grew over a period of years to know (or at least I thought I did). I haven’t seen the program in quite some time, as I lost interest after the story lines became over-exaggerated (a sign of weak writing in my opinion – hint Grey’s Anatomy). But when I heard that NBC was airing the last episode on Thursday, I just had to watch. I even watched the pre-show in which characters and the producers spoke about the meaning of the program. I think this kind of event provides an opportunity for collective mourning – it is experienced as a loss by fans. I have characterized the loss elsewhere as being more like the loss of a pet then the loss of a close relative. Nevertheless, it is experienced as a loss. Going forward, there will be fewer opportunities to mourn our long held imaginary relationships as not many programs currently being aired provide the opportunity for deep engagement. I mean, are you really going to miss the characters on Survivor when it no long is aired? You can name any reality program you choose and apply the same logic. Okay, The Real World which has been on for a very long time, might be an exception. However, except for a couple of iconic characters, as the cast changed with every season, there was little opportunity to develop the kind of deep engagement that makes for an imaginary social relationship. The dramatic program Lost will not have the longevity of an ER. So, if you bond with one of the characters, the level of engagement will not be deep. Television content has become fleeting as ratings, not quality of writing, drive the medium. And, it’s a losing battle in a highly fragmented media landscape. Jay Leno, who will be moving from his late night slot, will fill ER’s time slot this fall. Yes, Jay Leno is an iconic figure for which many people have developed a para-social relationship. My point, however, is the 10 p.m. time slot is being filled not by a drama that over time develops characters whose dimensions we learn to admire, perhaps love. The media world, to me, is becoming volatile just like other institutions in our society. I yearn for long-running series in which I can find characters to identify with, characters I can admire, and characters I can learn from. It’s ironic, perhaps, how a superficial medium like television can provide a forum in which we can develop deep and abiding relationships. As television transforms into something else, we will have the opportunity to mourn, not just its content, but the loss of the medium itself.