edia Studies M Case Study: My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding In 2010, an episode of Channel 4 s documentary series Cutting Edge became a surprise hit with audiences. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was so popular the channel commissioned a followup series, Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, which drew record audiences for the channel. (http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/mybig-fat-gypsy-wedding/ep01426869) The aims of this Factsheet are to: provide some background information on the Channel 4 programmes My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (2010) and Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (2011) consider the programmes in light of a range of media concepts identify how the programmes can act as a starting point for a range of case studies at both AS and A2 level Institutional Information My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding is a reality TV / documentary hybrid show that was broadcast on Channel 4. It began as a one-off observational documentary that was broadcast in 2010 as part of C4 s documentary series Cutting Edge. ( http://www.channel4.com/ programmes/themes/cutting-edge) Cutting Edge is one of the channel s longest running series and is described as one of C4 s flagship programmes. It has been running since 1990 and is a framework for showcasing documentaries that deal with a range of social issues. The topics covered by the series tend to have a tabloid feel as they often tap into quite sensational topics and deal with extreme human interest stories, many of which can be seen to be deliberately aimed at generating an emotional response. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was made by Firecracker Films, a production company that has made a number of documentaries screened by C4 including The Human Spider, The Seven Year Old Surgeon and The Man Whose Arms Exploded! Cutting Edge has provided C4 with several highly successful shows including A Boy Called Alex and Blind Young Things, both focused on young people dealing with physical disability with the latter winning a Royal Television Society award. Katie: My Beautiful Face was extremely successful in 2009 and its subject, Katie Piper, who was disfigured in a brutal attack, has gone on to have a media career of her own. (http://www.philsbury.co.uk/ work/firecracker-films) 1 Number 084 Cutting Edge s My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding attracted 5.5 million viewers and was developed into a five episode series, Big Fat Gypsy Weddings broadcast on C4 in January 2011. It became C4 s most watched factual programme with viewing figures peaking at around 9 million viewers. A second stand-alone film was timed to coincide with the Royal Wedding and aired in April 2011. This episode was framed as a challenge to the featured wedding dressmaker, Thelma, who was asked to create the biggest Gypsy wedding ever in just three weeks. Capitalising on its success another series is being planned and a Christmas Special has been announced for December 2011. The show has been sold to broadcasters across the world and Simon Cowell is rumoured to be interested in taking the format of the show to America. Confirming his reality TV star status, Paddy Doherty, who featured in the first film and the series was the winner of Channel 5 s first Celebrity Big Brother (2011). Paddy in the Cutting Edge Film and celebrating his win and celebrity status (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/02/25/ ) (http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/sep/08/ celebrity-big-brother-live-final) Whilst the viewing figures for the documentary and the following series were very strong, C4 s online catch up service, 4OD, ensured that the initial success of the broadcasts could be increased by giving audiences access to the programme outside of its scheduled broadcast times. At the time of writing all the films in the series are available on-line. Part of the show s success could be seen to be down to the viral marketing it generated during its broadcast run; it featured in the global top ten trends on Twitter generating four topics out of the ten during the broadcast of one episode. Tabloid newspapers tapped into this popularity and ran stories that commented on the programmes and followed participants, treating them like reality TV stars. Broadsheet newspapers approached the programme differently but wrote articles which commented on the sociological issues and issues of representation.
Tabloid Responses (www.thesun.co.uk) (www.dailymail.co.uk ) (www.theguardian.co.uk) Broadsheet Discussions Audiences were able to interact with the show and the issues it raised in the many chat forums that were generated by the broadcaster, newspapers, blog sites and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Audience reactions varied and some wrote supportively of both the programme and the culture being portrayed. Unfortunately, some of the audience reactions did nothing more than further the negative stereotyping of the group and some responses were filled with vicious racial hatred. However, social networking has provided a platform for a range of viewpoints. For example the Facebook page My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding isn t about Proper Travellers criticised the representations within the films and attracted over 2000 members. The success of the films has opened up a fresh debate regarding the representation of minority groups, the marketing of programmes such as this as documentaries and the audience pleasures gained from this type of voyeuristic programming. Its initial success was a surprise for the broadcasting institution but they were quick to maximize on this success and provide more entertainment for the audience created by the original film. The first programme raised some of the representational issues that were later more widely discussed when the series was on air so it is also clear that C4 and Firecracker Films were well aware that an important factor in the success of the series would be the controversy and the internet interest it would generate. As such, the construction of the series can be seen to be based upon its potential to generate an audience over a number of weeks and to bring in advertising revenue. 2
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and Media Concepts Using media concepts can help to identify ways the programme could be used as a starting point for a number of A-Level Media case study topics. For example: Genre: what are the differences between documentaries and reality TV or has the hybrid become so complex that there is little to tell the two forms apart? Representations / ideology: how accurate can reality TV ever be when representing a minority group? Should programme makers consider the wider social issues of the representations they broadcast? Audience: what makes a programme like this so successful? What pleasures do audiences get from the shows? Genre/Style and Audience Pleasures My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding is presented as a fly on the wall, observational documentary. The camera appears to follow events as they unfold and editing techniques are used between scenes and events that construct the idea of narrative cause and effect. The film-maker is never seen on screen but is sometimes heard asking questions or being spoken to by the subjects of the documentary. The latter implies a close relationship has developed between the subjects and the film-makers which adds to the idea that, as observational films, they offer the audience a truthful representation. The observational style is punctuated by the use of interviews with participants. (http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebritynews/tv-news/512978/) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1350903/) The apparent function of the original film and the subsequent series was to provide an insight into a little known cultural group. Firecracker Film s web-site claims the following: Big Fat Gypsy Weddings paints a visually arresting portrait of the secretive, extravagant and surprising world of gypsies and travellers in Britain today. Each episode stands alone offering insight into attitudes toward gender roles, education and the non-gypsy or traveller community. Through the experiences of the unforgettable cast of characters, some of them familiar to viewers of the first film, the series will explore the remarkable rituals, traditions and beliefs held by this minority group to tell the story of 21st century gypsy and traveller life in Britain. (www.channel4.com) The stated function is framed in a way that implies the producers view the films as documentary providing social and cultural information. The programme s presentation, however, can be seen to be more focused on creating entertaining programming for a mainstream audience. This is quite common in contemporary documentaries broadcast on ITV, C4 and C5 and demonstrates the importance of considering how producers stated intentions may not always match the gratifications generated by programmes nor truly reflect the reasons why audiences might find them appealing. This also identifies the main difference between reality and documentary programming. On the surface the two forms are difficult to separate as they both show the lives of regular people in some way but programming with more of a reality focus will prioritise the entertainment gratification for its audience over information or insight. Channel 4 ran trailers for the Gypsy Wedding films which focussed on the comedy element of the films and ensured some of the more shocking aspects of the show were identified: the sexism, visual extravagance and the sexual nature of the young women s costumes were all focused on and the trailer promised shows that would be bigger, brasher and glitzier than ever before. It is clear that, regardless of what the production company had to say, C4 seemed to realise that the audience s main reasons for watching the show would be voyeuristic and, in some part, judgemental. The programme was described by Frost as attempting an uneasy balance between gawping at ruffles and rhinestones, and understanding a culture portrayed as turning teenage girls into housewives (The Guardian 7th Feb 2011). Perhaps what Firecracker Films recognised was that, however much we enjoy watching shows for these less than worthy reality TV reasons, we don t always like to admit it. It is possible that audiences prefer the documentary justifications provided by the PR material. 3
Activity Access an episode of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding either on Channel 4 OD (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/big-fat-gypsyweddings/4od) or some of the clips that are available on Channel 4 s YouTube Channel. Watch the episode and write down techniques that are being used by the film-maker to create an entertaining programme. Consider each technique and think about how it may be contribute to constructing a representation and / or creating an ideological perspective. Technique used Carnivalesque music Focus on gender attitudes e.g. the participants attitudes towards domestic work Use of talking heads interviews Analysis of the effect of the technique (Representation/Ideology) Creates a non-serious tone and could be seen to frame the subjects as a bit of a joke creating connotations of the circus / fairs which taps into existing stereotypes of travellers. Use of voice-over???? Representation / Ideology Representations / ideology: how accurately can reality TV ever be when representing a minority group? Should programme makers consider the wider social issues of representations they broadcast? Audience: what makes a programme like this so successful? What pleasures do audiences get from the shows? Given the fact that the films claimed to provide an insight into the lives of a minority group whose lifestyle had previously been hidden and unknown to mainstream culture, several criticisms have been made of the programme claiming it to be inaccurate and even going so far as to accuse it of reinforcing negative stereotypes and feeding into prejudices. Even the title has been argued to be inaccurate as the term Gypsy refers to a specific racial group whereas the characters in the documentary are often identified as being Travellers who have a different racial and cultural background to Gypsies. The BBC reported that Jackie Boyd, the National Leader of the Gypsy Mission, told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire he feels the programme is not representative: It s a very small slice of a very small part of the gypsy traveller community. For example, I m a gypsy and I m 50 years old but I ve never known anyone who has had a 5 stone dress for their wedding. Channel 4 issued the following statement in response: The series features a mix of Irish travellers and Romany gypsies and the programme makes a clear distinction between these different groups. Whenever a person is introduced, we are careful to identify who they are and what community they come from. The series is an observational documentary and made predominantly from the perspective of gypsies and travellers talking about their own experiences. We have intentionally avoided many commonly held stereotypes and attempted to provide a balanced view of all featured communities across the series. We ve received many messages of support from viewers who feel they have gained a better understanding of traveller and gypsy communities after watching the programme. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/coventry/hi/ people_and_places/newsid_9384000/9384055.stm) 4 Many of the cultural practices shown were unfamiliar to mainstream audiences and in some may be seen to be contrary to dominant values. The weddings themselves were shown to be extravagant and excessive. Recognisable conventions of mainstream weddings are exaggerated in the ones shown and the programme focuses on the extreme size of wedding cakes and dresses in a gypsy wedding. Many values communicated in the films could be considered sexist from a mainstream perspective. Girls were shown to be pulled out of school to get married in their teens and accepting a full-time domestic role; a courting ritual called grabbing generated a lot of criticism as it involved a violent attack from a boy who wanted a kiss from a girl. One programme caused outrage by showing preteen girls emulating the older girls wearing skimpy clothes and dancing provocatively in full tan and make-up. This was deemed inappropriate to some mainstream commentators and has been raised in relation to wider debates on the sexualiation of pre-teen females. A central character was created in Thelma, a non-traveller who has created the dresses for many Traveller and Gypsy brides. Thelma can be seen to represent the audience as she is part of mainstream non-traveller culture. She admitted being sceptical and mistrustful of the Traveller culture at first. She shares our cultural values but is also able to provide an insight into the Traveller culture. Thelma and has close relationships with many of the brides she has worked for and is often taken into their confidence in a way other outsiders are not. She is used as a device for the filmmakers to provide commentary which appears to be more spontaneous and real than the words of the film-maker would be. She is a useful for the narrative as she interprets what is being shown for the audience, creating a specific set of preferred readings for the situations and events depicted. Thelma acknowledges mainstream opinions but provides an insider s perspective when she observes that people could mistake [Traveller girls] for being prostitutes because their dresses are so short... but they have got the highest morals of anybody, any culture I know.
Similarly she recognises the many prejudices the groups have to contend with and has seen how weddings are often cancelled when people realise they are dealing with Travellers or Gypsies. She observes that other minority groups seemed to have found a voice and are now being heard - but with the Travellers, no one listens. Contemporary media producers are very aware of the potential negative outcome from the creation of inaccurate representations, specifically those that simplify and have the potential for creating negative responses to the subject group. However, whilst an awareness has grown around representations of gender or race, some marginalised groups may still find that the mainstream represents them in limited and stereotypical ways. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding created a problem for the film-makers as they aimed to cast a light on a little known and underrepresented group by highlighting their culture, specifically where it is distinctly different from mainstream culture. The paradox the film makers found themselves in was that by fulfilling its remit of creating a representation of a marginalised group, the programme threatened to increase the marginalization by focussing on cultural differences that are outside the experience of the average mainstream viewer. E-media / Marketing Exam Hint/Activity Effective case studies ask questions of the text / area of interest and frame the responses by using media concepts. Consider the following: How did the internet help make the series more successful? How did the series itself ensure it would generate on-line discussion and interest? Audience Realism Representation Genre What pleasures would watching the text provide for the audience? How did social networking add to the gratifications? How did the text create the impression of a realistic representation? How did the text ensure its subjects were depicted as other? Where the subjects had very different values that the mainstream audiences, which values were made to feel more valid? How? Why? How does the text follow generic codes and conventions of both documentaries and reality TV? What makes the presentation of the programme fresh and interesting? How is it tapping into generic expectations created by other programmes such as Jersey / Geordie Shore (MTV)? Four Weddings (Living)? Don t Tell the Bride (BBC) Wedding House (C4)? A Big Fat Wedding House Wedding (http://www.peoniesandpearls.co.uk/2010/10/) Thelma (http://www.tvthrong.co.uk/big-fatgypsy-weddings) Four Brides from Four Weddings (http://www.sugarscape.com/tags/wedding/366023/onewatch-four-weddings) Acknowledgements: This Media Studies Factsheet was researched and written by Steph Hendry Curriculum Press. Bank House, 105 King Street, Wellington, TF1 1NU. Media Factsheets may be copied free of charge by teaching staff or students, provided that their school is a registered subscriber. No part of these Factsheets may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any other form or by any other means, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISSN 1351-5136 5