T.V. and Nonverbal Communication

For my Communications course I was asked to record an episode of a television show I do not normally watch and first watch it with the sound turned off and consider these questions.

• What do you think the characters' relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating?
• What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?

Then  watched the show with the sound turned on and responded to these questions.

• What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed?
• Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well?

I chose to watch the ABC Family show Young and Hungry.  While I have watched many series on the network this is a new series that I had yet to get around to watching so this assignment was the perfect excuse. I knew that the premise of the show was about a young twenty something female lead character trying to make it on her own in a big city who somehow got the opportunity to be a personal chef.

1st watch without sound:

The episode opens with the lead female, I'll call her Emily ( after the actress's real name) knocking on the door to what appeared to be an apartment. When the door swings open to reveal anotehr older woman Emily immediately perks up straightening her posture. Her shoulders slide bakc nadn her chest protrudes forward in what appears to be confidence. She looks the other woman directly in the eye and begins a dialogue while smiling nad including gentle nods, again exuding confidence. The older female character, I'll call her Lisa, smile politely returns the dialogue with raised eyebrows and closes the door in Emily's face! This sort of banter contines back and forth as Emily shuffles in high heels between what seems to be two doors tot he apartment with Lisa answering each time. With each exchange Emily's body language becomes more dejected when the door is closed and more desperate when opened. She is finally allowed in. She walks into plush appartnemt and appears to be excited and in awe as she rushes around the space gestrueing to objects and quickly turnign her head back and forth beween the object and  new male character, I'll call him George in what appears to be a dialogue about the siade objects and their true cost or sentimental value. After this exchange EMily proceeds to sit down ina chair only to quickly rebound bakc up upon noticing a male sitting at a desk.George sits down at the desk and looks at Emily ina mocking way. She proceeds to address the second male who is sitting down dressed in a black chef's uniform. Emily stands above him talkingand gesturing qucikly a he nods and smiles looking up at her. the two men then proceed to finish a conversation they appear to have already started ending in an exhuberant high five with smiles. Teh two stand up and shake hands and the "chef" leaves the apartment. It is at this time that I noticed the contrast in what Emily is wearing, a knee length structured pattern dress with 3-4 inch stilletto heels to what the "chef" is wearng a clean uniform with sensible shoes. Emily then begins follwoing George around the apratment in what appears to be begging. Her upper body is leaning forward and her gestures vary from large and exhuberant to small and dejected. Her facial expressions also appear to be pleading. At this time a thrid male enters the appartment, leaps on to the sofa landing in reclined position and opens a magazine. Georgor rushes over and sits down next to the new male who I'll call Will. As Will talks George's body posture appears much more submissive than before as he leans forward and laughs in an over the top fashion to which Will puts what hand up in a stop gestrue and George instantly stops laughing. During the conversation the two say something that prompts Emily to comment. It appeared that Will had not noticed her before and looks at Georgr while gesturing to Emily in what looks to be a question of who she is. Dialogue ensues in which it George gestrues toward Emily in a dismissive way and begins walking her to the door as Emily attempts a rebuttal. Will says something that stops the two in their tracks , both look at Georgr with very different expressions, George's shocked and Emily's excited. I nthe next scene Lisa,Emily and George are all in the kitchen with Emily at the stove cooking and Will on the other side sitting down on a barstool wit ha plate in front of him. Emily places the food on his plate. As Will bites in to the food the other three lean forward anxiously. Will closes his eyes and sighes deeply after a moment with simultaneously releasing the height on the stool in what becomes  dramatizes sigh of pleasure. Emily claps her hands and bounces up and down with excitement.

2nd watch with sound:

After watching the episode with sound I realized how many small details were missed such as specifics  in conversation but I was able to get the overall gist of the antics that were occurring in the show. Based on the way the characters interacted I got the impression that George was a hired employee to took his position very seriously and held it over the heads of others. Lisa seemed to be good natured but enjoys making others work for what they want. Will seemed to be disconnected from all the antics that occur in his home but has a good idea of what kind of people George and Lisa are. Emily seems to be bubbly and eager to please.

A major assumption that I made that turend out to be inaccurate was that Will gave Emily a chnce to cook for him because he was attracted to her..She was wearing a very femimine outfit that I thought caught Will's eye. However as it turns out he was simply hungry that moment and when the chef who George actually hired wasn't present Will was happy to give Emily the chance to cook for him. Prior to watching with the sound turned on  wasn't sure if Emily was actually a trained chef or if she was simply looking to get hired by any means. 

If I had been watching a show I knew well I would have better been able to interpret the dialogue that was occurring and even anticipated certain gestures, facial expressions and actions. However, I wasn't too surprised that I was able to pretty accurately "read" the non verbal cues. The show fits in a specific genre of television programming so it was easy to recognize patterns and archetypes in characters. Once I established the archetypes and general premise of the show I was able to understand a lot of what was occurring. What I did notice is that I missed out on much of the humor because very little was physical comedy and more so quick quips and jabs among the characters accentuated by facial expression and gestures.