Blog 6: Appeal

While I believe much of mass media does use the lowest common denominator (LCD) to appeal to a wide demographic, many movies and television shows are situated so that their appeal is more centered on a specific demographic. That being said, most smaller genres (children's movies, for example) have elements for those who are closely related, such as more adult jokes set out for parents who will inevitably be watching children movies with their kids.

The LCD is also said to dumb down mass media so that larger audiences can understand. I disagree with this sentiment in general, but Disney does tend to do this if only because their audiences are children who won't get the nuances of filmography and animation. Perhaps a few complicated elements would be added for parents' sake, but with their kids being the main demographic, the story is not going to be incredibly complicated. The "dumbing down" seen with Disney is less about appealing to a mass audience and more about appealing to children.

For example, although Disney caters to a young audience, they also have all four the Pirates of the Caribbean movies made for adults with complicated storylines and multifaceted character.

Looking at typical Disney films, however, such as the new film "Frozen," the story line is fairly simple. However, and as proved by its long-standing run in theatres, it appeals to a wide audience. Its overall theme of familial love applies to a mass demographic, without finding the LCD to make the story less interesting. In fact, there are spells and trolls and betrayals throughout that a five-year-old may not be able to keep up with, but the songs and visuals are enough to keep their attention.