The Reactions We Are Supposed to Have?

Monday's lecture really opened my eyes to the way we watch television. Gap Filling which brings the reader assumptions, experiences, and knowledge of similar texts to the construction of meaning, explains why we react differently to television shows depending on who is around us. The Rhetorical nature of Television explains why certain advertisements play certain shows (Ex: Makeup Advertisements during America's Next Top Model).  As well, the idea of having a live audience as a surrogate for the audience at home. The live audience portrays what viewers at home should be experiencing or what producers want them to be experiencing. 

Over December break, I visited New York City and attended a live taping of the Late Show with David Letterman. My friend and I entered a lottery to get tickets and realized the more enthusiastic we were the more likely we were to get tickets. We ended up "winning" the lottery and when we went to pick up our tickets, we acted like we were extremely excited to win the tickets. As a result, they put my friend and I in the front row in the middle seats. The Letterman "team" prepped our section saying how we were the crowd leaders. As well, throughout the long process waiting to get in the show, the "team" kept reminding us how important it was to laugh loudly at Letterman's jokes even if we did not find them assuming (And if we didn't, they would escort us out). As the surrogate for the viewers at home, the "team" wanted us to help influence the viewer's experience. After attending the show, my friend and I discussed how we thought Letterman wasn't actually that funny but people at home may think so because of the surrogate effect. Many other television shows must use this tactic to promote viewer's reactions or lead them to believe something is funny when it actually is not.