Movies
In an exploration of the HBO phenomena and all the ideas and issues concerning it, the film ‘Thin’ was chosen as a form of case study . The piece is a documentary film whose main themes are concentrated around the image of women in society in regard to their body as well as their self perception, and the influence of body weight and size on self and societal perception of women. The piece explores the lives of four women with eating disorders in an eating disorder treatment facility in Florida and is centered around their experiences. The film premiered in the year 2006.
Selection of this film was informed by its rich themes and their reflection on modern-day society. The fact that it deals with real-life issues that women struggle with and the fact that it is an exposition of society’s prejudices makes it an appealing piece to focus on. Matters of body image have proven quite potent I modern-day society.
HBO has aimed to distinguish itself and presents through its superior quality programming an alternative to normal network television programming. It differs in Production, practice, branding, genres, and audiences (Leverette, Ott and Buckley, 2008). The film thin which premiered on HBO captures the ideas that HBO stands for and continually aspires to. In its thorough expression of the struggles that society places on women in regard to body image, Thin emerges as a portrait of profound understanding on the issue. The film presents the life of four women struggling with eating disorders and demonstrates the influence of society on self-perception. In the end the viewer must ask themselves what role they are playing in the whole issue. Such is the depth of HBO programming as compared to normal network television. The delving into issues that affect society, so as to mirror back to it its role in the same is a main preoccupation of HBO programming. Beyond entertainment, HBO seeks to engage with the viewer concerning issues of importance. Apart from choice of subject matter the film engages the viewer by the use of intense emotionality as it draws one into all aspects of the four women’s lives. Television programs could be used as indicators of actual social problems (Edgerton and Jones, 23). There appears to a linkage of positive attributes with leaner body size( Grogan, 11)..
Thin is not the kind of film that you would expect to watch on normal television networks whose main preoccupation is entertainment and advertisement. This kind of programming demonstrates an attempt tin differentiation of HBO programming. Such distinction coupled with the fact that there are no interruptions in the form of advertisements both makes for good competitive strategy and further serves to facilitate the engaging of viewers with the themes being explored. At the end of the day, not only does the viewer enjoy the program but there is also an element of challenge in it. Television thus emerges as a powerful tool in engaging with people. As far as innovation is concerned as being an ideal to which HBO aspires, the film Thin was the first of its kind, in the manner in which it presented the harsh truth to the society about the issue of body image. The story is told from the perspective of the women who lived them and such an approach makes it impossible to insulate the viewer from the sobering reality, and the lethal nature of this disorder. Shelly in the film still relapses in to the disorder and looses seventeen pound even after having gone through a rehabilitative facility. The viewer finds out through an on-screen text that Polly also continues to battle the disorder after discharge. It would appear that such a film desires that its viewer ponder about its event even after watching it. This and the depth of its content as well as its relevance to society and to the plight of women battling eating disorders gives an impression that HBO programming is well though-through. Some amount of critical thought6 does appear to have been put into the choice of programming.
Picture, sound and film quality is also consistent with HBO’s ideal of quality. The director’s ability to ensure that the depiction of the body size as a form of yardstick to measure beauty, self control and human worthiness is evidently portrayed to the viewer in a powerful way also points to the quality of directing. The number of awards won by the film also demonstrates its superiority and impressiveness as compared to others (HBO.com). This further strengthens HBO’s case for quality programming. Eth film Thin further can also be viewed as an attempt to challenge certain societal ideologies. The film is in itself a form of campaign against societal pressures that result in the exaltation of women’s body image as a yardstick to measure worth. This then becomes a way to challenge those that hold that ideology and they seek to invoke change.
If TV as traditionally known is a tool for pure entertainment, to keep the senses engaged, then HBO completely transcends those limits. The network manages to avoid excessive commercialization through adverts, and instead invests in quality programming, rich in thematic content and challenges as well as quality of deliver in sound and picture quality. BO certainly achieved this I n the documentary film, Thin.
Works Cited
Leverette,Marc, Ott, Brian L. and Buckley, Cara Louise eds. It’s Not TV- Watching HBO in the
Post-Television Age . New York: Routledge, 2008.
Edgerton, Gary Richard, and Jones, Jeffrey . The Essential HBO Reader. Lexington, Kentucky:
University Press of kEntucky.2008.
“Thin”. HBO Documentaries. http://www.hbo.com/documentaries,25 July 2012. Web. 14 November
,2006.
Grogan, Sarah. Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women, and Children
East Sussex:Routledge.2008.
Croteau, David and Hoynes, William.Media Society: Industries, Images, and Audiences. California:
Thousand Oakes, Sage.2003.
