Georges podcast episode 1

 QUESTIONS

1. The podcast begins with a warning of ‘strong language’. What does this suggest about the content and themes? What does it tell you about the target audience for this show? 

This suggests the target audience is for older people to be able to understand and not offend younger audiences. Also shows the episode is for adults and the goal of the episode is to challenge adult situations

2. We then hear some sound effects of children playing in a school which sets up our expectations as an audience. We hear George dropping his nephew off to school. He then introduces himself as ‘George the Poet’ and ‘Uncle George’. What does this signify to his audience? 

This suggests that George is a family man and has his interests to his families and people around him benefit. It also shows he cares about the future and what kind of future leading onto children

3. 00:12 – 00:36 – How does this introduction immediately engage audiences? 

Introduces himself to the audience and instantly gets them thinking and poses with a topic conversation about the future of children. Quite eerie with a lack of sound so it feels quite direct for the audience.

4. 00:36 – 01:05 – How is sound used during this segment? What do the sound effects signify to the audience? How is this complimented by the dialogue? 

Start with children screaming and people talking showing the happiness and optimism of life and how the dialogue contradicts with the creating of stories and the how different people have different things to tell. Sums up the community as 'traumatised community' whilst people talking in the background

5. 01:05 – 02:05 - There is a significant change in music here. Why is this? How are audiences being positioned during this segment? Consider what is being said by George during this part too. 

Starts a feeling of wondering and how all the thoughts are going through George's head. This helps the words and opinions George gives off seem more important and help to get the audience think about it too and understand what he is saying.

6. 02:05 – 02:34 -  George references cultural icons such as NWA. How does this engage audiences? 

Provides examples and uses popular things for audiences to relate to, so they get a better idea and more context as to messages that are trying to be explained.

7.  02:53 – 03:17 - ‘I’ve got an idea. We should revisit our story and instead of retelling it, we should re-write it. I’m not saying let’s fabricate history, let’s learn to interpret what we’re going through in a way that makes us stronger and leaves us with a better idea of how to manage it.’ How does this quote link to the BBC’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan and how does this ‘accurately and authentically represent diversity in the UK’?

This represents that everyone has their own past and their own history and that it is within everybody rights to have their own versions of it and that everybody should be able to have their own past and feel they can share and talk about it to improve society

BBC’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan – (2021) Overhauled recruitment and commissioning content that ‘authentically and accurately represents the diversity in the UK’. Part of this strategy is to have a 50:20:12 target i.e. 50% of the workforce to be women, 20% people of colour and 12% disabled.   

8. 3:19 – 3:24 - Change - How does George welcome audiences to his podcast? Why is this important? What impression do we get of him during this introduction? 

Helps him build a connection to the audience and helps them to feel included in the podcast and as if it is directed at them instead of just a general story with no relation to the audience. This is important so they pay more attention and take the content from the episode more on board. This gives the impression that he is not completely under the impression of doom and gloom and does also have a fun side and a happy side.

9. 03:24 – 05:40 - How are audiences positioned during this section and why? Think about SFX, imagery, music, narration, use of language etc. 

Tries to get the audience members to imagine a scenario and speaks very direct them, and gets them tp think about a song and the lyrics included in it, as if it is in a car style which can be quite realistic to somebody who drives cars.

10. 05:40 – 08:10 – There are lots of rhetorical questions in this section. Write down at least two of them. Why include these here? What impact does this have on audiences? Why does he choose to do podcasts rather than a song.

 

11. George says ‘Telling your own story is the secret to survival’. What does he mean by this? 

George is trying to say that everybody can have their own individual story and that being able to tell people about their story is the secret to how people are able to live by being able to share it and get their own specialised message out there amongst other people.

12. 08:13 – 08:19 - How does George include audiences during this section? 

13. 09:31 – 09:44 - How is sound being used here? (Think about layers of sound.) How might this make an audience feel? 

14. 10:12 – 14:00 - Prison: How might a range of audiences read and respond to this section? Think about the music (including the layering of sounds), use of soundbites, SFX and George’s role as a narrator, helping the audiences to navigate through the complicated narrative. Link your ideas to Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory. How does George use these techniques to ensure the preferred reading is achieved?