Soc 334 Content Analysis Assignment
* Adapted from Adler & Clark
EXERCISE 13.3
The Utopianism of Television Commercials
It has been said that commercials for children’s television programs are utopian – that they tap
into utopian sentiments for something different, something better; that they express utopian
values of energy, abundance, and community (see, for example, Ellen Seiter, 1993: 133) – rather
than extolling the virtues of things as they are. But are commercials for children’s programs really
all that different in this regard from those for adult programs? This is your research question for
this exercise.
1. Select a children’s television show and an adult’s television show on commercial stations.
(Hint: Saturday mornings are particularly fruitful times to look for children’s commercial
television programs.) Pick shows of at least 30 minutes in duration (preferably 1 hour).
2. Indicate the shows you have chosen and the times you watched them.
Children’s show:
Time watched:
Adult’s show:
Time watched:
3. Describe the measures you will use to determine whether a commercial appealed to
utopian sentiments or values. (For example, you might ask whether the commercial
makes an explicit appeal to the viewer’s desire for a better life [for instance, by showing
an initially depressed-looking character fulfilled by the discovery of a soft drink or an
initially bored breakfaster enlivened by the acquisition of a new cereal] or if it makes
implicit appeals to, say, the viewer’s wish for energy [is there dancing or singing
associated with a product?], abundance [is anyone shown to be constrained by
considerations of price?], or community [do folks seem to get along better after acquiring
brand X?].) Show an example of the code sheet you will use, including a space for the
product advertised in the commercial and a place for you to check if you observe the
presence of what it is you are using to measure an appeal to utopian sentiments or
values.
4. Use your coding scheme to analyze the first five commercials you see in both the
children’s and the adult’s show.
5. Report your findings. In which kind of programming (for children or adults) did you find a
higher percentage of commercials appealing to utopian sentiments or values? Interpret
your findings.