WEBSEX: WHAT'S THE HARM ANSWERS

The voiceover is effective because the directors have chosen to introduce them to the viewer which creates a trusting and honest relationship. This leads us to believe that everything the voice over/presenter says is the truth therefore creating anchorage between the text and the meaning.  The soundtrack is very modern and is representative of the demographic that BBC3 are aiming this program at. The combination of upbeat non diegetic sounds and superimposed special effects conveys a meaning of contemporary society and that the of sex is now being discussed openly and is no longer stigmatised. The dominant images that are shown repeatedly is the presenters iPad, which again is used to convey a meaning of modernity and the superimposed effects which show social networking sites when the camera is made to look like a computer screen.

One clear assumption that is made is that everybody is interested in sex, however there are people who occupy the 16-24 age group, that are not interested in the program for many reasons such as religion or moral values. However, the majority of people who are between the 16-24 age group are interested in sex and therefore will have a positive reaction to the text. The text appeals to the audience because this 16-24 age period is when individuals are exploring and understanding their sexuality and to increase their understanding, programs like these are vital. My personal opinion is that programs like these are further glamorising sex, how long before people having sex in the street becomes socially accepted? The combination of text, music, time slot and broadcast channel all suggest that this program is being aimed at the 16-24 audience.

This text belongs to the documentary genre. The conventions which are clearly present includes the use of a ‘voice over’, unstructured scenarios, use of an handheld camera, real life scenarios and interviews which gain personal viewpoints and experiences. The generic expectation is for the program to educate them about ‘websex’. These expectation are fulfilled and show the documentary from different sexual perspectives such as gays and straight people.

The people that this text represents are the people who the BBC aim the program at, because everybody is interested in the sexual life of their peers and the BBC and other providers have recognized this leading to the creation of similar shows like ‘The Joys of Teen Sex’. The subject that is being represented sex among 16-24 and focuses on how the web has made it easier for this to occur. The subject has been represented in this way because it not only informs and educates, but also entertains and this is something that must be addressed when aiming a text at the 16-24 age group. I think that everybody was represented fairly and accurately throughout the text.

The major ideologies, values and assumptions that this text thrives on is the social acceptance of sex being discussed and done outside of marriage. In the 1950’s this social acceptance was almost unknown about. These ideas are put across in a different ways. For example they address the changing position of women, which means less marriage and therefore more sex outside marriage, by using a female mixed race presenter. Also, the use of sexual words like ‘penis’ puts across the idea of social acceptance.

The institution that this text was being shown on meant that the film makers could take it one step further and show a more raw and honest representation of the subject. If this program was shown on perhaps BBC1, the film makers would have to make this a much more soft text during post production, however this is not what the 16-24 age group wants to see. This text seems to have sources through the presenters use of social networking sites. This text has been distributed through trailers in between post watershed programs such as ‘Hustle’ which shows on BBC1. The BBC Is a public broadcasting service which means they are government funded and because the text is broadcasted using a public broadcasting service, the text is also a public service institution.