When Characters Speak Directly to Viewers: Breaking the Fourth Wall in Television

Abstract

What is the reaction of viewers when characters speak directly to the audience—breaking the invisible “fourth wall” of the theater—in films or television programs? Mel Brooks did this in “Blazing Saddles” and, more recently, Gary Shandling did in his television program with questions like: “Does my hair look OK?” This experiment using college students suggests that audiences do, within limits, like to be so involved in the program. Clips that broke the fourth wall were rated significantly more entertaining on a semantic differential scale, and significantly more sophisticated than were clips that did not break the wall. The study concluded that programs that break the fourth wall are more cognitively involving.