Therapeutic Impact of TV Show 'Supernatural'
The event of 9/11 2001 was not ended up with the terrorist attack, but it left a great effect on everyone's life. After the attack of 9/11, the entire world turned towards new challenges in the form of raising terrorism. It was one of the first largest terrorist attacks recorded in America to date. This incident put survivors in great depression that affected their physical and psychological health. In this incident around 6000 people injured whereas 2996 innocent people lost their lives. The 9/11 raised a wave of fear and terror within the culture due to which people feel insecure and fearful. The incident of 9/11 completely transformed the entire world and started a new challenging era. In this aspect, the writer Goncalves has talked about the link between the TV program Supernatural and the incident of 9/1. He said that the program is an example of double function such as he explained that "it both showcases a world in turmoil and danger, evocative of present-day terrorism-induced anxieties and insecurities, and integrates what can be described as a post-9/11 culture"(Gonçalves).
The impact of 9/11 greatly disturbed the lives of the Americans and even after few years of the incident it affects remained same as people feel insecure and fearful. Therefore, everywhere the efforts were made to help the 9/11 survivors and victim to come back into their normal life. In this way, media played a vital role to help people to come out of the depression. Subsequently, the TV show Supernatural was started with an aim to distract the attention of the people from the deadliest event of 9/11.
For the following writing, the TV series Supernatural is selected as the subject of writing attempt. Through this writing, it is aimed to analyze the impacts of a Supernatural TV show on the survivors of 9/11. Supernatural is American based horror television series, and Eric Kripke introduced it. The television show Supernatural was started in September 2005, and it was produced by through the Warner Bros Television Network which is known as CWB. In this regards, the writer stated that "Supernatural" is one of CW's most watched series" (BELLAFANTE).
In the following essay, it is aimed to discuss the therapeutic impact of the TV show Supernatural with an aim to create understand that in what ways the TV show has played its role to reduce the depression among the 9/11 survivors. Therefore, through this writing, it is aimed to analyze that how the TV series Supernatural does is distracting the attention of the viewers from the fear of the 9/11. For this aspect, it is aimed to analyze the culture before 9/11 to that is affected by the terrorist event of 9/11 and the wave of terror that rose after it.
The aim of this writing is to everyone agree on the fact that the 9/11 event has completely changed the life or it is not wrong to say that it has completely transformed a peaceful world into a fearful world. This wave is terrorism is still uncontrollably and continuously spreading fear everywhere. Therefore, in this situation, it is the responsibility of the concern authorities to understand and then play their role to reduce the impact of 9/11 and help the people to come out of the state of fear and terror. In this aspect, I believe that the effort made through the TV serial Supernatural to reduce the impact fearful impact of a terrorist incident is admirable.
It is said that "A picture is worth a thousand words" because human receives more from what they watch instead of what they read. Likewise, since the invention of television technology, it has been used as an effective source to create intellectual development. Following this, in the modern time, the television can be apparent as a way to develop and to change the views of the society. Television gives its impact on the society in the form of reality shows, News programs, advertisements, Movies or TV shows. Therefore, it is claimed that the role of television is not passive but at the same time television plays a vital role in developing and constituting a society that has direct on the culture of the society. It can be seen in everyday practice, that the TV shows are note merely become the part of the everyday discussion but at the same time, the Television programs become ultimate part of the cultural because TV shows are the major reason to create new trends and set standards of social behavior. If we evaluate, the impact of television on the social cognitive theory, it could realize that Television has a great impact on the societal norms and values. According to the social cognitive theory, people learn from their observations and life experiences. Therefore, people are unconsciously taking effect of what they watch on television (Bandura).
"Supernatural" TV Show Reviews:-
Likewise, the Eric Kripke's TV serial named as Supernatural is the best example of the impact of TV channels on the lives of the people. If we look into detail, it can be seen that the serial has a double function as it is an entertaining program but at the same time, it reflects the world in turmoil suggestive the current circumstances where terrorism-induced insecurities and anxiety(Gonçalves).
Following this, the story of the supernatural TV shows is based on the story of two brothers named Sam and Dean Winchester. After the death of their mother, father trained them to take revenge on their mother from the supernatural spirits. Accordingly, both brothers have adopted this revenge as a family business, and they travel all over the country and hunt supernatural spirits such as vampires, ghosts, witches, shape-shifters, monsters, and demons. They are considered as Avengers and vigilantes and working with an aim to free this world from the evil being, therefore; they are fuelling a prompt in correlation with the American crusade-like effort against a terrorist with proposed to protect this world from the evil beings (Dafni).
However, the TV Show gives a sense of horror genre, but at the same time, it is also characterized with various other genres including the meta-fiction, inter-textuality that give certain engines and originality to the TV serial. Supernatural became very popular among the viewers, and its success appears in the form of a mixture of reality and fiction that develops the contemporariness of the show. Moreover, in the further writing, it is aimed to analyze the supernatural TV show in the context of political, social and cultural with an aim to evaluate and understand the impact of the culture on the show as well as to evaluate the impact of the show on the popular culture. For this aspect, I aimed to focus on how the context of the play incorporates with the show through the storyline as well as through the use the cultural references. These two factors reinforce each other and create a sense of community as well as it reflects the role, importance and place of the Supernatural as a shown in present day's culture. By considering the impact of the Supernatural like shows on the culture, the Writer Jarvis has said that "Over the past 15 years, popular culture has been floodedby true-life crime stories, biographies, best-selling fiction, video games and television documentaries devoted to this subject"(Jarvis).
By addressing the impact of the culture on the play, it can be seen that the play started in September 2005 after almost four years of the 9/11 event. At the time the Supernatural show aired, people were still under the influence of the deadliest terrorist event. On the other hand, the government of America set a war against terrorism. In this regards, it can be stated that the theme of the show can also be related to this scenario such as like the war on terror, this TV serial also shows the battle against evils. Therefore, the supernatural is claimed as a fantasized representation of American society after the 9/11 terrorist attack as it can be seen that this serial always reflects the struggle of good against evil. Christina has supported the relations of the Supernatural with the 9/11 attack as she said that "9/11 Survivor Featured in TV Series Exploring Supernatural Angelic Encounters"(CHRISTIAN).
Moreover, the story of the play reflects the struggle of the American forces that fights against the evils. In this aspect, the writer of the play Eric Kripke has said that the celebrities that are used in this show are very much similar to the present days as well as the show reflects the current scenario because we all are fighting against the evil and living in the age of anxiety. Further, he explained this idea that this show reflects the struggle of the Americans as they are fighting against evils, likewise, the story of the show reflects the struggle of the characters against the evil being that have penalized the peace of society. In a book, the writer Robb has said that (Gonçalves).
Likewise, the American government and the American armed forces are fighting against the terrorists to protect the Americans from the evils. Likewise, the central character of the serial supernatural; the two brothers do the same job as they are fighting against the evil to regain the peace in the lives of the suffering people. In this context, this show gives a positive and hopeful message to the survivors of 9/11 that they should not be worried, but they need to support their and their forces because they are always attentive and focused on protecting the Americans from the evils. This aspect gives a positive message as well as it helps the Americans to come out of the state of fear and terror by realizing that they are being protected by their forces (Harrison).
Furthermore, it can also be seen in the show that the two brothers that help the people to get rid of the evil supernatural spirits, they sometimes lose which reflects that victory and defeat are the part of the game. At the same time, through the characters of the show, a message has given that defeat does not mean that everything has finished but it is the part of the game, and it does not mean that your life has completely changed.However, it means that you need to make improvement and have to change your strategies to deal with the circumstances. Through this aspect, it is aimed to give a message that there is development should always continue Likewise when two brothers have to face in the supernatural show, they do not stop the struggle, but they started to find other ways to fight with the evil being (Bandura).
If they stop the struggle, then many others will not get help from them and evil will continue to take control, and there are equal possibilities that it will grow. This act of the brother in the show gives a message to the survivor of the 9/11 that instead of just having fear about the deadliest event, there is need to learn a lesson from it that raise questions over the security lapse. Instead of losing heart, there is need to be focused on to find the ways to fight with the circumstances. In this ways, the survivor of the 9/11 has to support the government and the armed forces so that they could move forward with confidence and ensure the protection of their lives (Faludi).
Moreover, in various articles and other literary material it has claimed that the event of 9/11 has divided the time into pre and past era and left the entire world, especially the American nation into a sense of terror. This error also resulted in a way that it realized the Americans to admit and recognize their weaknesses as well as this event has intimated them to improve their plans to avoid uncertainties in the future. The changes are required to improve the surveillance and security by addressing the power of the terrorism (CHRISTIAN).
Supernatural (American TV Series 2005 -2020) Reviews
Following this, it can be seen that the Supernatural TV show has created a sense of realizing the realities instead of just being influenced by it. In this way, the show evokes a self of self-help and the role of every person in the making this world a better place. It was commonly seen that without the help, and the support of people govern can do nothing. Therefore, this show played a vital role to realize people about their role. It is intended to communicate that if people will always feel fearful and do nothing to make things better, then things become more critical with every passing moment. Therefore, the show gives a message to live with the growing world. It is aimed to encourage the viewers to realize the reality because it is the fact that the terrorism is still not controlled but at the same time, if we will continue to be afraid of it, then we will not be able to return to the life (Bandura).
Instead of adopting the approach of getting fearful and stop going outside, it is more important to understand the reality and find the ways to deal with the circumstances instead turning your face from the reality. It is very similar to the example that if some people rob a person, then he will not stop earning with the fear that he will be robbed again, but he realizes that learning is a basic necessity to live. Therefore, instead of stop earning, he will adopt new ways to avoid uncertainties. Likewise, through the Supernatural show, it is aimed to change the state of fear by realizing the people that they have to face the challenges and this are the only way to move forwards (Dafni).
In the end, it has concluded that the television serial Supernatural has played a therapeutic role for the people that were under the fear of 9/11 event. It is a fact that the 9/11 event was one of the deadliest events in the history that took many innocent lives a left many injured behind. The survivor of the 9/11 can never forget the bitter reality, but at the same time, it is very important to help them to come back into their normal life. In this aspect, the creator of the series Eric Kripke and the producer Warnes Bros realized their responsibility towards the society and presented their efforts in a highly artistic way through the series of Supernatural (Harrison).
The story of the Supernatural reflects the impact of the culture as well as it also influenced the culture. The Supernatural introduced after four years when people were fearful due to the rising wave of terrorism. However, the Supernatural played and artistic and influenced role as they helped the people to embrace the reality by realizing that this world is itself a continuous struggle between good and bad. The only way to survive is to move on with the flow of water. Therefore, through this series, the characters reflect that the victory and defeat are part of life, but defeat happens only when it is accepted. Therefore, the continuous struggle is the way to tackle the challenging situations (Faludi).
Furthermore, the serial appears as a therapeutic element for the survivor of 9/11 as it gives motivation to the people to realize their responsibilities towards the society. This play seems very effective to help the people to come out of the sense of fear by realizing that this state will improve nothing but the things will continue to go on in this way. On the base of these factors, it could be concluded that the Supernatural series has a therapeutic impact as it helped the people to come out of the state of fear and to become a part of the continuous struggle against the evil. The characters of the serial are the real motivation and give determination to the people by realizing them that they have to embrace the reality at any cost, but it is up to them that in what way they want to live.