This image is an advertisement for the scripted HBO television series Entourage, which ran from 2004-2011. The show follows a young film star and his entourage of friends as they navigate the Hollywood lifestyle, both in the entertainment industry and outside in their everyday lives and relationships.

discussion

Conduct an analysis of the image – How would you describe each of the characters displayed? Who seems to be in positions of power? What is the role of the woman in the background?

To what extent can fictional shows about the entertainment industry teach viewers about how it operates in real life? If you have ever watched Entourage, how would you describe the type of “behind the camera” lifestyle featured in the series.

critique

Entourage has been criticized by many for providing a behind-the-scenes view of Hollywood through a chauvinistic male lens. The female characters in the show were generally only important insofar as they were in a relationship with the main male characters, and these female characters were often depicted as sexual objects. Defenders of the show suggest that the fictional representation is meant to depict the experience of a young, successful male Hollywood actor, and that viewers should watch it with a sense of humor.