Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; an Exploration in Media as a Cultural Industry

Mindy Nelsen

TMA 691

Online Response #1

“Stop this!”

“He’s not doing anything wrong.”

“He’s telling people to change the channel.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about anyone changing the channel right now!”

This argument between the head of content and the director of Studio 60 centers in on the overall predicament.  Are people watching, and if they are, what are they seeing?  Studio 60 on the Sunset Stripdeals primarily with the backstage politics of a sketch comedy show, its position within the network and the conglomerate that the network executives answer to.  The conglomerates like TMG who, of their new President of Entertainment, Jordan McDeere, asks “only unprecedented success.”  From the first moment, both the TV audience and the real audience are inundated with numbers, how many watch, how long have you been watching, etc.  Even Wes’ outburst deals with numbers: how many households tune in, and how much of their content is determined by “idiotic twelve year old boys.”  We know right from the start that television is a business, it’s an industry and its content is consumed by the audience; an audience with their own codes who still laugh and don’t quite understand what’s happening when Wes goes against the expectations and tells everyone to change the channel. 

Aaron Sorkin, who was writing based on his own experiences in television, was likely also “looking for a hit.”  Unfortunately, the show was cancelled after one season.  But Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip still has a fan base, and certainly had some comments to make about the industry and the power struggle between media and the capitalist super-structure; between censorship and art.  Garnham points out that everything, including cultural studies, is based on a capitalist superstructure and that as a result, there has been a “focus on cultural consumption rather than cultural production and on the cultural practices of leisure rather than on those of work.” (Political Economy, 64-65)  Smythe, further observes that the media sees the audience as a commodity, a workforce from the comfort of their own homes.  And in this realm, the audience, advertisers and affiliates response to Wes’ outburst is at the crux of the predicament. 

There needs to be a focus on how we access and distribute information and communication.  The people in charge of content are afraid, and understandably so, of the large viewership of this sketch comedy show. They order “muzzles” to be put on the cast, where “no one talks.”  They will stop at nothing to prevent something that could be deemed offensive to a number of their affiliates and advertisers from being broadcast on the air.  But it is the very repealing of that power that drives the producer to commit the ultimate crime in a scripted comedy – to go off script.  You see, he too is concerned with how communication is being distributed.  And even more so with what information is being distributed.   Fully cognoscente that he is working and operating under a structure of domination, and that he has no choice but to participate in the system (Media, 42), Wes enumerates his monologue of truth, wherein he states that media is “the country’s most influential industry.”  He asserts that there is a struggle with art and commerce. And “art it getting its ass kicked.”  Sitting on my bed, watching this pivotal moment that happened within the first few minutes of the show, I wanted to raise my fist and say, “Ya!  Stick it to the man”…or something equally as profound.  But I think it’s important to note that I was watching a television show; one for which I had paid Amazon.com $1.99, and not a real life happening.  My leisure time was really my work time as an audience member.  I was being manipulated to side in one way or another with a fictitious character all while encountering a number of products that caught my eye.  But yet, I choose to sustain this power play, and if I ever get time, I will likely go back and watch the rest of the season. 

Perhaps we should return to the conundrum and the notion that we have “Every reason not to trust you – you work in television…” The emergency meeting deals first with money.  There first reference to the “big three” leaders of the show, is mistaken for car companies and advertizing.  Indeed, the executives present frantically try to collect and disseminate information on how the advertisers and affiliates will react to the outburst.  There is a need to fit their standards to exist, but this practice is the very thing that limits artistic expression.  They should be worried.  There is definite cause for concern when talking about consumerism vs. meaningful content.  Years ago KSL removed SNL from their lineup due to content and so an entire demographic of people was unable to watch the program and partake in its inherent consumerism. 

Smythe noted that it is important, therefore, to re-examine the role of the audience.  He sees the audience as a powerful entity through which the “mass media under monopoly capitalism produce(s) audiences to market commodities, candidates, and issues to themselves.” (25)  Affiliates who control or privately own their stations get to choose what to broadcast, which in turn decide advertising support.  Audience is a commodity – its power is produced, sold, purchased, and consumed by advertisers, and therefore, commands a price. 

Media is driven by the need from production.  According to Garnham, supply and demand play an obvious part.  It is clear to see, in that case, why Jordan thought they were under-exaggerating their opportunity with this crisis.  They had the audience – the consumer workforce – at rapt attention.  They got to make the next move to determine how they would come out of this.  Their demand was heightened through both interest and media response, and therefore the supply became far more valuable.  They just had to find the right team to spearhead the operation and get enough people “partaking of the service.” (Media, 52).  Because, as Granham determines, an unlimited amount of people can consume any given media, the conglomerates that own the media have to stop “free-riders”, (Media, 57) those who are getting their media from another source, like the numerous member of the press who are reporting on the incident on that night’s programming.  If they can put the ball back in their court, they might be able to not only save the show, but come out on top.  At least that is the hope of their new president.  Curiously, she chooses to have them open the following week with the very sketch with was cut.  Does this further “stick it to the man” or does the press it will generate further the exposure to their public goods?  I admit, Jordan’s choice in that moment somewhat perplexed me.  But I think we are going to see how smart she really is.  All we can really know, in those final shots, is that Matt and Danny are “under pressure.”