This is an audience analysis of “Friends”. The datawas collected by two sources. Firstly our group members sent the survey to their own friends by e-mail. Secondly, the survey was completed by classmates in course. The total number of surveys we received is 15, but 1 people answered that he does not like and watch the “Friends”, so I do n’t count it . I will divide my audiences into different age group and gender.

    All Subjects in this survey have to go to school and work in daytime. The time they watch “Friends” are evening and prime time. Maybe they want to relax after school and work, so there is no wondering why more than half their reason for watching “Friends” is for fun. Their focus is on the funny of the show. Does it mean audiences who are only enjoy and relax without thinking and interpretation through the entertainment? The answer is no. According to Herrmann’s argument, audiences have to know how to ‘read’ a TV show in order to interpret the meaning, or the funny of the “Friends”.
 

    In the age group of 30+, a person answered that he doesn’t really understand the background of the show because he watches it on and off. He knows the show is an entertainment but he doesn’t feel funny. I think that is because of the language barrier or the cultural difference. The person’s background is Chinese. Some plots of “Friends” are very fun for western people, but not for Chinese. This is exactly what Herrmann said, ‘ due to differences in cultural and social background all over the world we are likely to interpret the same symbols differently, depending on whatever convention a society has agreed on.’ Also, how people interpret “Friends” depends on not only different cultural difference, but also life style’s difference.

       Most people who answered the survey feel “Friends” is funny because we are living in a same society and same situation; Urban, North American, Big city, young, active, and individual…etc. “Friends” also is a representation of Urban and its characters are young. It is not difficult for us to understand the show. ‘The way we put meaning to what we see on TV does not differ too much from how we understand the world we live in anyway’ ( Herrman). Because of the same experience and background, we accept the meaning, or the hamour, of the show that the producers want to promote.

     However, in the survey we can find that some people think the meaning of “Friends” is more than funny. We have five people who said that the show hasn’t sent any message to them. Rest of them think that the show involves a message about either, or both friendship, love and family. Rose refers to Hall who notes that the same visual images would be decoded in quite different terms by a specific audience. Although our data is not enough to prove this argument due to a fact that the distinction of responses between male and female is not a big different (2 female and 3 male feel no message in the show), I that there are difference between age groups. In the age group of 20-25, 4 out of 9 people think the show doesn’t involve message, but we have only one person who think there is no message in “Friends” combined another two groups. The result means that people who are still in school period should not be in sympathy with those characters of “Friends” who are working in society, but the people in age group of 25+ can be impressed by the show. They share some same experiences and problem such as job or marriage.

       Mostly people clearly show that their intention to watch “Friends” is for fun, but there is different in the age group of 20-25. One said she watch it because of her friends watch it. We can see that some people, especially in the age group of 20-25, watch the show because the influence of other factors such as peer group. Another one said she watch it because no other option in TV. This is because she is influenced by her habit that she wants to watch TV, no matter what that is.

       An interesting response is that a person thinks that “Friends” is not realistic. Actually, I believe that all of them believe this point, but they don’t say this word. Instead, they said that the show is funny. They think that the show is not serious, and just for fun. They also don’t take any serious attitude to the show. As Herrmann explain that, ‘…we know that television is “lying”, making up stories, often driven by sensationalism due to a growing competition.’ The 14 people know what they are watching. They have a same interpretation to the show: the show is not realistic.

       In this research, there is evidence that the interpretations are influenced by the condition that watching TV alone, with family or with friends. 3 people watch “Friends” with family, but two’s interpretation are related to the value of family.

     Through this analysis, we can know about how people 'read' the show of Friends and interpretate it. Mostly Our subjects consider "Friends" as a funny show, but few said that they don't really undertand the show. Due to different backgrounds and culture, people have different interpretations and understanding to the show.

 

   By Daniel Kwok