Reaction Paper 2 (option 2)
The Real Orange County
Geography of film investigates many influences of media on places and people’s
perceptions of a place. As filming has moved from the studio to reality based
settings, the “place” often becomes its own character. Geographers are
interested in how media creates a real place for viewers and how a place is
affected by media. This is the question that Ann Fletchall attempted to answer
in her dissertation, using Orange County as her case study. At that time,
Orange County was the location for several hit television shows such as “The
O.C”, “Laguna Beach” and “The Real Housewives”. Dr. Ann Fletchall received
her Ph.D from Arizona State University in 2009. She is currently a lecturer at
Western Carolina University. This chapter is from her dissertation titled “Place,
Television and the Real Orange County”.
(We are jumping into Chapter 5, which is the results chapter. The first section is the Literature Review, where she
summarizes the various theories regarding media, place and experience. It’s okay if this section is over your head….)
Questions to Answer
What was the goal of the study? What were the research questions she hoped to answer?
Who were the three groups surveyed?
What knowledge or perceptions did viewers have about Orange County from shows?
Which group was most critical of the portrayal of Orange County? Why did Orange County respondents find
the portrayal “somewhat accurate”?
What characteristics have viewers “decoded” about Orange County through these shows?
What were the primary descriptors of Orange County from the fans and Midwest students? How did they differ
from Orange County students?
As a result of the reality shows, what is the perception of Orange County in the Midwest? Do you agree with
the statements of Orange County students?