Homework to the 8th of March

Regional & National Identity - Compare &

Contrast

I watched three different TV programs which are good examples of regional and national identity representation.

I sow the first episode of the first ‘The only way is Essex` series, the first period of the first `Made in Chelsea` series and  the first episode of the `Gerodie Shore’ series one. The first common fact about all this three shows is that they are all based in England and all covering the same genre, reality television. But they are broadcast on different senders.

The main story of them all is about young adults their life, friends, problems, work and free time activities. All the characters relay care in their character specific way about what their look like. ‘Looking nice cost money’ [Mark from The only way is Essex] this sentence describes how important it is for all of them to look good. Al three series are advertising, Made in Chelsea the most. All three shows presenting different classes of people made In Chelsea is about the royals, aristocrats and playboys London, ‘The only way is ESSEX` shows you again playboys and gossip girls and the `Gerodie Shore’ includes about party animals, playboys and party queens.

In the end all the shows are pretty similar. Three different group of friends with similar interests, problems, live styles jut in different environments and different classes.

Especial Made in Chelsea and the only way is Essex are very similar. When the Chelsea boys go rowing or playing polo the Essex boys go to the gym. When the Essex girls are gossiping during get their new fake tan in a beauty studio done the Chelsea girls are gossiping during they meet in a coffee shop.  In both shows you have many similar characters like a ‘model’ and ‘singer’.

One example how similar those two shows are is one of the first scenes in both of them where Spencer and Hugo (Made in Chelsea) are driving to a party and talk about their relationship problems. It’s pretty the same Scene and chat with Mark and James. They even look similar.

You can see the class difference between the two shows already after the first minute. The Essex girls love their spray tan, gel nails and fake lashes and the Chelsea girls heat it. The Chelsea girls don’t wear too much daily make up and just clear nail varnish. The Essex girls are very unnatural and overdressed. The Essex people have to underline the luxury and glamour properties. In Chelsea you just see may brand products without accent to the high price of it. But they all are advertising with close ups on the brand products.

The used vocabulary is in Gordie Shore and Essex is similar. In both they use the word ‘birds’ to say girls and both are supporting unnatural beauty accessorising in form of spray tan, fake lashes, false burst, gel nails and so on.

In my opinion all three shows try to present us the normal life of different people. The media tries to make us jealous by showing us the luxury lifestyle of the Chelsea people, they try to make us feel better by showing us the fake life of the Essex people and to make us feel smart or not hopeless with the Georie Shore. If I would have to pick one of them I would go for Made in Chelsea because the people are a bit brighter than in the rest and it looks better in form of mission in seen and the cuts are nicer.