My dad was Deputy Chief of the West Orange Fire Department where he worked for almost 27 years before retiring. With that being said, he has made his way up the ranks and has seen some of the best and worst within a fire department. In the particular form of media, television, firemen are depicted inaccurately on the show Chicago Fire.
In television shows like Chicago Fire, the cultivation effect comes into play. I remember watching the show with my dad a few times and I found myself asking him often “does that actually happen” to which he almost always answered no. As a child of a career fireman, I even found myself getting sucked into the theory of perceiving the real world to be similar to that of television.
The five questions asked in depiction analysis help understand what message is intended to the media’s viewers. In addressing a few of Orlik’s questions in relation to Chicago Fire and real-world firefighters, we can look at “Sexual Consequences” and “What Are Our Responsibilities”.
The sexuality in the workplace displayed by the characters in Chicago Fire is unrealistic and misleading. There are virtually no consequences for any of the characters actions when in reality some of the sexual activity that goes on in the station would lead to being fired in real life.
I do have to argue that although dramatized, when the firefighters of Chicago Fire are out on calls, most depictions are true. The series tackles the responsibilities question pretty well. It’s shown not by what the characters say but by what they do. Fires may not be as dramatic as the ones on TV but when an alarm sounds in the firehouse, the men/women grab their gear, hop on the truck and go out risking their lives to save whatever/whoever may be inside the burning building. The book states that certain role model occupations must fulfill their duties and Chicago Fire is sure to work in the physical occupation aspects of firefighting.
Granted, television producer’s main goal is to make money, so they must make dramatic storylines between the characters with climactic plots. That just makes for good television.
Theresa Tumminello 