Praising pop emotions: media emotions serving social interests

Abstract

This study focuses on analysing the relationship between the media, emotions and popular culture, with particular emphasis on daytime talk shows on generalist television in Portugal. Considering that the content of these programmes not only reflects but also influences popular culture, we analysed 60 complete episodes, approximately 120 h of audiovisual material. Despite their popular rhetoric, fuelled by highly emotive language, these programmes were also able to dilute specialised content with extreme regularity, from professionals such as doctors, psychologists, lawyers and others, on topics ranging from healthy eating to financial literacy. In addition, the study shows that most of the emotionally exaggerated responses from participants were driven by noble motivations around ideas of equality and social justice, such as combating the exclusion of minorities, as well as rejecting toxic masculinity and domestic violence. Contrary to the historical suspicions associated with these talk shows, this qualitative and exploratory study shows that emotional responses in the context of popular media programmes can sometimes contribute to the dissemination and consumption of relevant information focused on individual well-being and the consolidation of some basic principles of living in society and democracy.