Bridget Jones's Diary

Fielding symbolically connects the immorality of the modern dating scene with vacuous journalism and media, for just as the men in the novel objectify and discard women, sensationalized media aims to grab viewers’ attention through scandalous content instead of authentically engaging with important issues. By illustrating this thematic comparison, Fielding critiques a broader societal trend of lowered standards and laments the resulting loss of decency and morality.

Fast media is epitomized by Bridget’s job on Situp Britain, which satirizes the popularity of attention-grabbing headlines that are designed to grab viewers’ attention and sell content. For example, when Richard, Bridget’s boss, generates new ideas for the next big story, he muses, “I’m thinking dirty vicars. I’m thinking sexual acts in church” (210). Similarly, instead of generating content that acknowledges more socially relevant issues, Richard’s aim is to inspire the outrage of conservative and gullible audiences. In the same vein, Pam’s job on the program Suddenly Single aims to elicit sensational content rather than examining the complexities of uncoupling. Pam even goes so far as to exploit her audience’s own experiences to create sensationalized content, as when she “thrust[s] a microphone under the nose of a mousy-looking woman” and uses a “booming” voice to ask, “Have you had suicidal thoughts?” (90). Her demeanor illustrates the thrusting manner of contemporary media outlets that demand new stories to appease content-hungry audiences at the expense of those whose lives are being examined. Ironically, Fielding also satirizes her own creation, drawing attention to the fact that although she critiques vacuous media content, her own novel is a contemporized, satirical take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.