I have seen "The Mindy Project" advertised on tv frequently, but I really had no idea what it was about, so I chose to watch this for this assignment. I watched the first 15 minutes with no sound and then switched the sound on. What I was surprised at is how correct most of my assumptions were based on what I thought I saw through non-verbal communications.
In the beginning of the show, Mindy and a guy are in a coffee shop and they just appear to be talking in a friendly manner, not as if they were dating. It looks as though she is trying to get his opinion on something and he is giving advice because she keeps having these very puzzled looks on her face.
Mindy then goes to work and at first it looks like a very serious work environment. People are working at desks and Mindy is helping a collegue look up something on the computer. A male collegue comes over to talk to them and they both appear annoyed based on the large hand gestures that I am seeing. I noticed the two women are looking at someone's facebook page though on the computer, so then I am confused about the scene because it really does not appear as serious.
The next scene shows Mindy walking in a hospital and I'm pretty sure she sees the guy she likes (maybe it was his facebook page?) because she does this hesistation in her step and also puts her head down shyly so he won't see her. She ended up knocking him down and he needs stitches based on the cut on his head. I guess Mindy is a Dr. (I must have missed this somewhere, but I never saw her in scrubs so that is why I assumed that) because she stiches the guy up. She is talking a lot during the stitching and I can tell the guy is not interested in her because he just stares at her with this blank and annoyed look and gets out his cell phone while she is speaking. At one point he even covers his eyes and ears so he won't have to see or hear anymore. Not knowing their relationship, it is hard to understand how rude this is. If it is someone she knows, then maybe he is just joking with her and I can't tell because I can't hear what is going on. If he doesn't know her at all, this is extremely rude and very immature for a grown man to be doing.
The show goes back to the office where Mindy works and it has become a very casual almost non-worklike environment. Three of her co-workers are pulling out different kinds of costumes she can wear and she is not looking happy because she is putting her heads in her hands in disgust. She ends up calling the guy from the coffee shop for advice and also sends him pictures of different costumes she can wear. At this point, I'm still thinking their relationship is just friends.
After this scene, I turn the sound on and it really makes everything so much easier. With the sound off, I found myself drawing cues about what was going on from things around the characters. I paid more attention to details in their clothes, the pictures on the wall and their hand gestures.
Not as much action seems to occur in the last 15 minutes as it did in the first. Maybe this is because I can hear what is going on and I can decide if it is important, where with the sound off, everything is important to figure out what is going on. The main thing that happens is Mindy decides she is not going to the costume party and calls up her friend, that has a little girl. The little girl gives her advice and then Mindy decides to dress up and heads to the guys house she is shown with at the beginning of the show in the coffee shop. It is interesting to listen to their exchange because he tells her the reason he chose his costume is because it was based on her favorite movie. It makes me think maybe there is something more going on between them, but I think I would need more background info. to understand.
This was an interesting assignment because with the sound off, a person can make a lot of assumptions about what is going on, but may not be correct. Most times people's gestures match up with their meanings, but that is not always the case. Had I been watching, Parenthood, a show I love and watch on a regular basis, with no sound, I could have easily figured out what was going on because I have a lot of background information on the characters. Maybe in order to be a good communicator it is best to have an understanding of the background of the people you will be talking to and interacting with.
Great post and very informative! I chose to watch the Jersey Shore on MTV and it was pretty easy to understand what was going on by watching them communicate. This was a fun assignment.
ReplyDeleteAmber,
ReplyDeleteYou were very thorough in your observation. I have never heard of that program, but through all of your information I learned a great deal about it. I think you are correct when you said it is important that we have an understanding about the background of people. I try to have an idea of how my families are before I meet them by reading their files. It is so easy to make assumptions about people just because of how they look and act. Great Post!!!
Very thorough Amber. This assignment goes to show us, that though we may have never seen these programs before, we were willing to pay a lot attention to them to understand what is being said. I was so tempted to turn the volume on. As you said, we find ourselves drawing cues on what is going on, but we never know for sure unless we turn on the volume(listen effectively). Great post.
ReplyDeleteHi Amber, I too was surprised by how well I was able to perceive what was going on in the show I watched without sound... However, it says an awful lot about the acting. The actors I saw were amazing in their non-verbal communication. I was impressed by the talent!
ReplyDeleteAmber,
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting assignment. It was easy to tell what was happening while watching teen mom because of the body gestures and facial expressions.I have never watched the Mindy project before. Sounds interesting.