Final answer:
TV shows and commercials utilize elements of the physical environment, such as landmarks, climate, and natural landscapes, to symbolize values, emotions, or cultural narratives. They often complement storytelling by creating recognizable and emotionally resonant settings, as in the case of E.T. set in a California suburb. Advertisements equally leverage these environments, focusing on creating a desired lifestyle image rather than detailing the product.
Step-by-step explanation:
Television has a powerful influence on how we perceive places, often highlighting certain elements of the physical environment to frame a story. When TV shows depict specific locations, they tend to emphasize features like landmarks, climate, the built environment, and natural landscapes. These elements become symbolic, serving as shorthand to quickly convey certain emotions or ideas to the audience. For instance, a show might use the quaint towns and rugged coastlines of New England to evoke a sense of tradition and quality. By contrast, a corporate insurance advertisement could leverage the imagery of Main Street USA to suggest trustworthiness and neighborly values. Even costumes and set designs convey narrative information, using colors, textures, and styles to reflect character development or thematic motifs within the story.
Shows like E.T. utilize the recognizable setting of a California suburb to tap into viewers' preconceived notions of the place. Similarly, the background noise and hustle of an urban setting can be used to convey the sound of the city, imbuing a scene with energy or tension without explicit explanation. The physical environment portrayed on television can also reflect societal and cultural changes, hinting at issues such as urban sprawl, environmental degradation, or the transformation of landscapes due to human activity. Advertisements have shifted to rely more on visual storytelling, where the car commercials of the 2000s moved away from technical specs to showcase vehicles in cool places, suggesting a lifestyle rather than directly selling a product.