Chapter one and twelve impressions
I personally found these two readings rather interesting. I have never noticed that there are two forms of media. One called entertainment, and one Information. Now, obviously I realize that there are those types but I never realized that both have the same intention, and effects. They indoctrinate the people of their beliefs, values, and morals. I find it very true that people will attach themselves to shows that exemplify the same morals and beliefs as them. For example, many people turn to things such as the Cobert report to get their source of news because they feel a strong hatred for Bush, or because they dont believe in the war on Iraq. The Cobert report also tries to lighten the news up in order for audiences to not walk away with a sadned state of mind.
Although we see our nation of one who promotes freedom of speach, the government as well as producers, dictate what can and can’t be done or said on radio, Tv, and newspapers. Therefore, our adoption of views are not coming from society as a whole, but from a few people of high authority. This is very Karl Marx like, where he discusess the bourgeouise and the Proletariot.
Discussed in chapter 12 as well, I found it very interesting t learn about the hidden message. In almost all movies there is some underlying message, that people interpret and understand. The trouble for corperations is to try and get everyones perception of this message to be the same.
The fact is that many people use media as a means to get away from things like boredom in order to relax, stimulate the brain, etc.. People will retain only what they choose to retain , and will develop role models based on there perception of an “amazing” person might be. Therefore, it is evident that media plays a HUGE role in our lives. Media shapes our lives from a baby till our death. It is all around us, and in this day and age I find it near impossible to escape it entirely.
iliketomakelists said,
January 16, 2007 at 8:49 pm
I agree with your comments on Chapter Twelve (specifically). It scares me that anyone with money, and therefore power, can control what the rest of the nation is exposed to. I can’t remember which chapter it is in, but it states how people with power are confident to speak their opinions and to express what they feel everyone should be informed and/or entertained about, and people who feel that they do not have any power, are not confident to speak their opinions. Therefore we are exposed (again) to what a small minority of people think … when in reality, those without power are the majority and should have the overarching say. (like your Karl Marx idea)
iliketomakelists said,
January 16, 2007 at 8:52 pm
I want to comment on the last part of your post there … about how people retain only what they choose to retain. I very much agree with this. The text was saying how we are conscious players in how the media effects us. I agree with this. I think that it’s when our other socializing agents (other than media, such as family, schools, religion, society, peers, etc) are not stepping in and teaching us the norms and values of society, but rather the media is. If the media is the first type of socialization that our children are experiencing, they have no ability to filter out what is inappropriate and unrealistic… and I think that this is when it starts to have a major affect on kids, such as violence. So I do agree that we are conscious players, but that if we are not socialized first to BE conscious players, the media will replace that with whatever happens to be on “babysitting” the children.
sunshine33 said,
January 17, 2007 at 12:23 am
It’s true people only retain what they want to retain. We may not want to admit that we are one of those people but by denying this it proves that we are. It is like the class assignment we have to go and sit in a movie and watch the people around us. I’ve never done this before and I’m sure I will notice things that were never apparent to me before. I go to a movie to watch the movie not the people around me. We tend to like or attact ourselves to things that we find beneficial or entertaining to ourselves. It would be silly to be attached to something that would hurt us or gives us a bad feeling. It is impossible to escape media and the new age of technology. I really know this is true when my basic form of communication between my grandma and me is through email. To me its amazing she even knows how to turn on the computer let alone write an email.
bananatree said,
January 17, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I remember old episodes of “He-Man” and other 80’s cartoons. Every episode had a “message” at the very end about teamwork, not playing too far away from home, being safe around strangers.
Now I’m older and I am listening to CBC radio, to a show about the woman who drowned her 5 children in Houston. Before I heard this radioshow, I had no compassion for the woman, but now I have some understanding of what would drive someone to something like that. Is this the same type of message that He-Man spoke about?