Analysis of TV Programmes

Strippers - 4OD
Codes
As soon as the programme starts we are introduced to a woman who is applying her make-up. This shows that the women featured in the programme are concerned about their appearance and how other people perceive them. There is non diegetic music which could be described as 'seedy' and there   is also a voice over talking about the cost of living and why some women have to resort to being strippers. Soon after, there is a mid shot of two girls in their underwear, looking in the mirror. The fact that they are in their underwear shows that they are sexualised for the benefit of others. Next, there is a close up of a womans bottom; the footage is slowed down to make it last longer and look more appealing. The next shot is of feet walking down some stairs. There is red lighting which connotes love but also danger. For many people, the ankle/foot is quite a sexual part of a womans body, hence the close up. After the first 10 seconds there is a series of photographs featuring strippers. There is a strong form of iconography, as a metal pole is featured in most shots - this is one of the first things we think of when thinking of the sex industry. The camera shots are mainly long shots so that the whole body can be seen, and the camera angles are often low. 

Representation
In the first 5 minutes of Strippers, we see both genders being represented in many ways. The women are presented negatively for doing such a degrading job, and allowing themselves to be sexualised, however later on we begin to feel more positive as we hear about her life as a college student and how she only took on the job as a stripper because she needed the money. Men are represented as being quite misogynistic as they talk about the women as if they are just objects. 

There is a negative representation of British people due to the shots we see of the women dancing and  the way the men talk about them. The men are often drunk and this also gives a negative representation. 

In many ways there is a negative representation of young people. The girls are strippers and the boys are objectifying women and getting drunk. The programme is constructed to make us think negatively, as they are not showing the girls talking about their life as students or what the boys are doing with their lives. 

In Strippers, the stereotypes of gender are confirmed because in the media men are often powerful and dominant, whereas women are sexualised and objectified. This is exactly what is being portrayed in this programme. The stereotypes of age are also confirmed as young people are often shown in a negative way, either being thugs or acting older than they are. Again, this is shown in the programme.
However, the stereotypes of ethnicity are contradicted, as people often see British people as quiet, tea-drinking, royal family lovers - the representation of British people in Strippers is the complete opposite, but it does confirm the stereotypes of Scottish people; although the men aren't wearing kilts and eating haggis, they all seem to be quite drunk and tight, where money is concerned. 

Audience
The target audience for this programme is both men and women aged 18-30 years old. It is obvious that it is aimed at men and women because both men and women feature in the programme. Women may watch for information whereas men would probably watch for entertainment. I can tell that it is aimed at 18-30 year olds due to the music, clothes, and age of the people involved - if the characters are young, the audience is much more likely to be quite young as they will be able for relate. Scottish people may be more interested than Welsh, English and Irish, but overall I think that the target audience is British people. The fact that it is set in Scotland makes it obvious that it is targeted at British people. The people who would watch this would probably be in group E and D on the socioeconomic scale due to what the programme is about. It is probably not sophisticated enough for people higher up the scale.

Most people would probably watch this for both information and entertainment. Some people would watch it for personal identity as they may be able to relate, and some people may watch it for social integration. 

People who would take a preferred reading are people who are interested in Strippers, and people who like to watch real life documentaries. This would probably 18-30 year olds.
People who would take an oppositional reading are older people and people who are high up the socioeconomic scale - they would probably find it disgraceful and somewhat unladylike.
People who would take a negotiated reading are people a bit older than the aforementioned targeted age group. Maybe also people in C of the socioeconomic scale.