Media Culture in Film and Television
It is not unusual to hear people discussing the fact that many of our views and perceptions are based on stereotypes that are perpetuated by the media, yet to a large degree these are that same people with 3-4 televisions in their homes, running for up to 30 hours a day. We assume that the television news speaks the truth, even though we are told by the media itself that television is slanted by ratings, owner and stakeholder opinion and even the concept of what sells and what offends. We are now a culture whose information, ideas and epistemology are given form by television, not by the printed word. (Postman, 2005, p.10) The danger then comes from the idea that the media, television and film, subtly and overtly defines identity, of self and "other" to an alarming degree. One expert contends that the influence on the next generations is even more dangerous, as the only rival of the classroom and the playground is television and film.The schools' major rival for influencing youth may be the mass media. Students of television programming typically decry its shallowness, violence, materialism, and sexism. But they note less often its main characteristic, celebrating values as close to the center of the mainstream as it can get. 7
Versace, no stranger to using hot beefcake in ads, features two naked women "spooning" amidst his Home Signature pillow collection. Rather than depict the female erotic symbol, the films and television programs or ads depict the male ideal of beauty, which has sadly become the female ideal of self expectation and for the majority of women reproach. 137)In a work detailing the nature of the influence that advertising has over our overall health the author had this to say about the effect of advertising on our health. 363) One great example of the abilty of the "mass middle" that the media is attempting to reach is the new trend to define certain expressions of sexuality as trendy and even normative. 123)Even though just twenty years ago this would have created a boycott frenzy in local and national media. the promotional ad for the film Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion features Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow"pressing the flesh. Although recent audience studies reveal that viewers do not automatically mimic what they see on television, the imagery they observe facilitates specific forms of understanding, interpretation, and experience (Press, 1991). " These are only a few instances of steamy "girl/girl" ads appearing in mainstream advertising that display the phenomenon of "lesbian chic. advertising can affect our emotional health by delivering media-imposed definitions of beauty, sexuality, maturity, and problem-solving. Gender is also largely constructed by media, as parents who once complained about gendered colors and toys are facing a barrage of subtle advertising psychology that further pigeon holes children into very rigid patterns of gender identity. Nearly 20 years ago, Greenberg found that even three-year-olds who are heavy television viewers demonstrated more rigid attitudes about what jobs men and women should have, as opposed to their light-viewing counterparts.
Common topics in this essay:
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Coltrane Messineo,
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Carstarphen Zavoina,
Age Innocence,
Lisa Kudrowpressing,
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Brooke Shields,
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2000 363,
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2001 62,
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race class gender,
zavoina 1999 123,
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Acceptance Essays
