How much of what you know and believe about the world has been influenced by things you have read, heard or watched?
In his book, Media, Gender and Identity, David Gauntlett explores the fascinating concept of media being a key componet in our impressions of daily life. In one of his opening paragraphs he says "In modern societies, people typically consume many hours of television each week, look at magazines and other publications, surf the Internet, pass billboards, go to the movies, and are generally unable to avoid popular culture and advertising. In the most obvious example, people in Europe and the USA spend three or four hours per day watching TV. That's a lot of information going into people's heads-- even if they don't see it as "information", and even if they say they're not really paying much attention to it" (Gauntlett, 2). I love that quote because it sums up the overall attitude that we hold today. We absorb all this and then do not even acknowledge it as anything but entertainment. I guess I never thought about all that I ingest from the media as information. How many of my views have been influenced by the shows I have watched, the websites I browse, or the articles I read? I would venture to say that its a big influence, for good or bad.
The chapter goes on to talk about the impact (positive or negative) media has on the way women, marriage, masculinity, femininity and sexual identity. Most fascinating to me was the section on gays/lesbians. Gauntlett admits that these still face great prejudice, but there is an overwhelming sense that these groups are becoming more accepted as time goes on.
The best example of this that I can think of involves Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen. Rosie and Ellen are both very vocal about their homosexual lifestyles, yet Ellen has more of a fan base. Rosie used to have a talk show, back in the 90's. It was a favorite of mine, I'd watch it everyday after school. Her show in
cluded interviews with top celebrities, prizes galore, helping the less fortunate, great on location shows, and fun fun fun. She had Christmas shows, held fundrasiers for charities and gave a great deal to help others. In 2002, Rosie came out, acknowledging herself as a lesbian. Her show ended that same year. Before this confession, Rosie was a beloved celebrity. In the years that followed, up to the present, did she maintain this image? I'd dare say that she did not, in fact, I might even say she went in the opposite direction. Rosie is no longer the happy, fun loving celebrity that everyone loves; instead she is the angry, bitter one who likes to start trouble. Everytime she is on the news, its usually because she is involved in some argument or has done something controversial. Is this really the way Rosie is or has the media just painted her in this way since she came out?
cluded interviews with top celebrities, prizes galore, helping the less fortunate, great on location shows, and fun fun fun. She had Christmas shows, held fundrasiers for charities and gave a great deal to help others. In 2002, Rosie came out, acknowledging herself as a lesbian. Her show ended that same year. Before this confession, Rosie was a beloved celebrity. In the years that followed, up to the present, did she maintain this image? I'd dare say that she did not, in fact, I might even say she went in the opposite direction. Rosie is no longer the happy, fun loving celebrity that everyone loves; instead she is the angry, bitter one who likes to start trouble. Everytime she is on the news, its usually because she is involved in some argument or has done something controversial. Is this really the way Rosie is or has the media just painted her in this way since she came out? Look at Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen is also a lesbian, an activist and a big name in the media. Her talk show has started a year after Rosie's ended. The show not only took off, but has wo
n countless awards. Ellen's image in the media is so positive, she is admired and respected by many. She just married longtime girlfriend Porsche, and there was an overwhelming wave of support from the public. What is the difference between the two women? Does the fact that they are lesbians factor into their approval ratings or is it their overall attitudes? I honestly do not know. For me personally, I love Ellen. I watch her show often and think she does a great deal to help people in need. I see Rosie pretty negatively, which is so interesting, considering that I used to look at her as I do Ellen now. What played into this change of heart? I think that its the attitudes that have affected my positive or negative outlooks on these two.
n countless awards. Ellen's image in the media is so positive, she is admired and respected by many. She just married longtime girlfriend Porsche, and there was an overwhelming wave of support from the public. What is the difference between the two women? Does the fact that they are lesbians factor into their approval ratings or is it their overall attitudes? I honestly do not know. For me personally, I love Ellen. I watch her show often and think she does a great deal to help people in need. I see Rosie pretty negatively, which is so interesting, considering that I used to look at her as I do Ellen now. What played into this change of heart? I think that its the attitudes that have affected my positive or negative outlooks on these two. Gauntlett further argues, in chapter 2, that the culture industry 'impedes development of autonomous, indepedent individuals who judge and decide conciously for themselves" (Gauntlett, 22). That is a powerful statement. That is basically saying that all of us so called "individuals" are trained to think in the way the media perscribes. That is unsettling. I'd like to think that it isn't true, but I do see some truth in it. I think that the views we hold can be conditioned by what groups we are apart of. I'm interested to hear what everyone thinks of that statement...are we all really just media's robots in terms of our thinking??
0 comments:
Post a Comment