01st Sep 2008
Reading Media Fall 08
Looking at all the signifiers of media from the Canadian venue…mostly American…reporters covering the DNC, now the non-RNC, Hurricane Gustav…wondering where Canada comes in? As much as the Southerners affect the lives of Canadians, I am concerned that we continue to loose the maple leaf within the larger behemoth which has led much of the world into war, economic depression, and anger.
And looking up…will it come to pass that a Black man will become President of the US? I am not convinced that the Americans are indeed openminded enough to truly consider this leap into the postmodern era, and that somehow, the senile old man the Republicans have trotted out will actually win–accompanied by the pitchy voiced, screaming, gun-toting, anti-feminist candidate from the far North.
Images, signs, sounds…all mediated for us by biased news media–a media who determins just “what we should need to know” and “how we should know it.” The hegemonic forces of the North American (mostly US) news envelope us into an audience compliance which is seriously disturbing…Followed along by the “entertainment” images of Hannah Montana modelling just how little girls should be, and the Jonas Brothers and their faux-chastity vibes. Do kids have any chance of making up their own minds?
What do you think?
I personally think that your comment regarding the American people being less than open-minded an interesting one. Having grown up in a very open-minded family, with parents who instilled a strong sense of empathy and understanding, I struggle with accepting the fact that others cannot (or choose to not) take a step back and to figuratively walk in another person’s shoes. As an example, I was watching an episode of “Intervention” on A&E last night and was appalled by one of the users family’s beliefs. They were from the Mid-west part of the States and were some of the most closed-minded people that I have ever seen/heard speak. The addict’s family just could not accept that their daughter/sister was a lesbian. They were so adamant that this lifestyle was wrong, and that in her “choosing” to live that type of life, that she was essentially taking the hand of the devil. Now, my question is, in this day and age, with all of the information, research, education, and available MEDIA, how can anyone justify judging another’s actions or chosen lifestyle? I am beyond curious to know how people are still being taught that it is ok to be homophobic, racist, sexist, etc. What sorts of messages are being taught to these children? It’s ok to judge others if they are not like you?…
I think that America would finally be taking a step in the right direction by electing Obama. It is high time that the right message be transmitted to the American youth…one of acceptance.
We are constantly bombarded with messages from a multitude of sources, it is time that they start being positive and hopeful. It certainly makes me thankful that I live in a country, and city, where the messages that WE receive are that it is indeed ok to be yourself. I am proud to live in the “land of the free”…It’s my opinion that it is time for the States to prove themselves, and to get caught up to speed.
In response to what Alison A said, regarding if it’s ok to pass judgement on others who are not like you… I would have to say that I strongly feel that it is not ok in any way, however does it happen? Is that even a question? Of course it happens. We are so influenced by what we see on TV, and of course what we read and see on the Internet.
As mentioned in class today, Blacks are depicted on television as drug dealers and murderers. Is that who will become the new president if Obama is elected? Well if I believed everything I watched on TV and how different races and ethnicities were depicted on TV then of course I would think that Obama would not be the right candidate. But thankfully I was raised in a home of tolerance and acceptance. I was raised to not judge people based on their skin colour, where they came from nor what G-d they believe in.
However, we live in a society that dictates who we should like and what we should believe in. The problem is, if continue to allow our children to follow that notion without giving them the proper tools to allow them to see both sides, then we are setting ourselves up for disaster. It will be more than just thinking that Hannah Montana is how little girls should be, or that if Obama was to become the next President, he of course was in one time during his life a drug dealer based on the colour of his skin.
Since I’ve been here I’ve noticed that so much of the media is focused on the US. We barely hear anything about the Canadians. In fact, you can probably ask any Canadian who the president of the US is and they’ll immediately tell you its George W. Bush. In my Economics class in high school we were asked who the Prime Minister of Canada was (and mind you, I live a half an hour from the border) and I was the only student out of 30 who knew it was Stephen Harper. This was only because my family is Quebecois. Canada is so rarely in our news that students that live a half an hour from the Canadian border don’t even know who the Prime minister is! However, any Canadian could probably recognize the names of McCain and Obama. US students aren’t even aware that there even is such a thing as a leader of the opposition. It is distressing to be in an environment that is so controlled by the media that they don’t know other political leaders because they’re not in the news! How will this generation grow up? Will their minds be filled with prejudiced American views because that’s what is always being circulated? Will they be unable to create themselves and be their own person? Or will they follow in Hannah Montana’s footsteps?
I feel as if children won’t be able to make up their own minds anymore, especially since they are more exposed to the media than any other generation before them. We all fell for the media when we were children and we didn’t even have access to the internet like these children do! Not to mention seeing 10 year olds with cell phones in hand like their favourite idols. Where did they see someone with a cell phone their age? Maybe they saw it on a T.V show, maybe on the internet. This generation will be unlike any generation before us…but will it be an improvement?
Ever since I was able to understand and make my own opinion about what I see on TV, I felt that the media did not talk enough about Canadian issues or what goes on in Canada. Our Canadian population knows more about the US and its constant emerging problems than our own. I strongly agree with Alexie C when she talks about Canadians not hesitating to answer George W. Bush when being asked to name the president of the US. I was once watching this program on TV about how oblivious Canadians may be when it comes to basic and very crucial topics that concern Canada and its government. One of the questions that were asked to several Canadians all around Canada was in fact to name the Prime Minister. It shocked me to see how many hesitated to answer and even admitted that they did not know. These children that were asked will grow up one day and be the new adults of our country. How will they make up our population without having any knowledge about our country? Their minds are so consumed with celebrities and all these insignificant people like Hannah Montana that they are boxed into this superficial world the media feeds into each day of our lives. Thanks to the media, our children idolize these celebrities and try their best to mimic them as much as possible. In my opinion, there will be no improvement to our state. Things will only get worst as the years go by!
Christina makes the point that the Canadian population knows more about the US but is it just the Canadian population? I grew up in Trinidad where we have four local channels and of course everyone wants to see all the latest movies and TV shows so we all have cable. All 50 channels included in the cable package are US channels. Isn’t it scary how in control the US media is? I mean at home I find my family watching US news at night while our local news is on. Everyday we watch American programs with American advertisements. Advertisements are an extreme example of how influential the media is. In Trinidad, and I’m sure many other places, everyone believes that the American brands are better, they are constantly seeing these brand names flashing across the TV screen so why would we think otherwise? In school teachers always say repetition is the best way to learn and the media definitely uses this approach. During certain programs the same five advertisements play over and over again and although we might find it annoying we have now seem and heard the brand and product name so many times that the next time we go to buy a similar product and there are options we may subconciously grab the one we saw on TV. This is exactly what these companies want but do we want to be controlled like this. I believe that at this point in my life I don’t automatically do this but I remember wanting the same snacks and toys as the ones I saw on TV when I was younger. It really is important that we find ways for teachers to help children think on their own.
Alexie C story about her economic class not knowing who the Prime Minister of Canada is reminds of a time when I was with a couple of people from California in a group travelling around Europe. As we became friends, I quickly discovered how sheltered some Americans can really be. Upon learning that I live in Canada, one girl actually asked me if I lived in an igloo, no joke. Do I believe that our southern neighbors live in their own bubble? Yes I do and I believe the media plays a HUGE part in this. I don’t place all the blame on the American public (and I’m not saying that the whole US population is ignorant). I also place blame on those who control what they watch on TV, what they read in newspapers and magazines and what they learn in school. There is no way we can deny the fact that the media influences the majority of things in our lives.
In response to if Obama can become President of the United States, I really hope he will be elected but unfourtunately I just don’t think the American people are ready for such a big change. I completely agree that the Americans are not yet open minded enough to consider such a huge step in the right direction. If you look back in history, every person that was ready to revolutionize the US (JFK, Martin Luther King) was met with a lot of admiration but just as much opposition.
Nowadays, there are so many people that devote a huge chunk of their free time to watching television or somehow involving themselves in the media – seemingly captivated by what it has to offer. It is generally believed that the constant watching of television is thought to have varying influences in the way we and specifically children, understand and interpret both television and the world in which we live. Issues regarding the media and its effects have been a central discussion, particularly in Westernized societies, as it has become more readily available and increasingly watched by adults and children alike. Furthermore, studies have shown that the more time one spends watching TV or sitting at a computer, the amount of time devoted not only to homework and study but other important aspects of life such as social development and physical involvement decreases. On the other hand, the media really isn’t all that bad. It is one of the most effective ways to create awareness of a wide range of human problems ranging from pollution to homelessness. Like anything else, television in moderation can be a good thing as it can be an excellent educator and entertainer. Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on shows dedicated for children, grade-schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows or even the discovery channel, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news.
It is pretty clear that the media’s influence is not going away or even slowing down. It is becoming a larger part of our society, so instead of bashing it, we should learn to accept if for its flaws. We as adults have the ability to make up our own minds and make our own decisions…it’s your decision to either accept it or reject it. And as for children, it is ultimately the parents to decide what is beneficial for his/her child. If that means attempting to control and/or monitor the content and the use of TV or computer, then so be it. At the end of the day, we can only do our best.
I am a little interested in what you say about the presidential election in the states. I been following it pretty closely and really the main thing is Obama has to really gain the southern white supremacist vote. Most of the north is supporting him and his values and ideas. He has the votes of the educated, the problem is that the media in the states is so filtered through CNN and fox that they never know what is going on. Many of them think the war is going to do great things but it costing many lives American and middle eastern. So the America population that does not choose to educate themselves in anything but the regular news if that is appealed to McCain and his military experience. They believe he will lead the troops to victory. At the same time we do have to look at the vice president that were chosen Obama chose his VP very carefully for the experience factor, the American population likes Biden’s experience. This gives Obama a better chance with the American supporters because now he has experience on his side. While talking about VP’s you can also see that McCain choice was not the best no real experience other than Alaska population 500, as well as her pregnant daughter. So the American population does not like this. This looses votes for McCain. A lot will be decided on October the 2nd with the VP debate if Biden uses his strong debating tactics like he normally does he will walk all over Palin. This will show the American culture that there can be Obama hope and Biden experience. Instead of the same old redneck war lead by a 72 year old man that has cancer and his VP that is dealing with a pregnant daughter. But do not worry a least she has the respect of Alaska. One last thing I would like to comment on is that everyone is always saying Obama is only black we need to remember that his mother is a white American and father a Kenyan , he is half white half black. The public has seen his mother and this in turn has helped him gain some of the votes all in all I think much will be settled after the 2nd of October
This whole election has got everyone talking but my question is will anything really change? I do not want McCain to use fear and terror to bully the U.S people into another Republican government. I was watching the Republican National Convention on TV and I personally find listening to them talk about radical terrorism is getting old. Terrorism is serious, everyone understands how horrible it is but it should not be used as a scapegoat or a scare tactic to win a presidency. Of course it’s important but the war has been going on for years now and there seems to be no end in sight. American lives are being lost everyday, that’s not okay! The next U.S government NEEDS to see how un-okay that is!
Obama may not be as experienced as McCain but hopefully he’s going to give us a new, fresh perspective and other alternatives to war. I’m not suggesting abandoning the effort but rethink and maybe approach the problem less aggressively. Nobody should kid themselves; the U.S will not be miraculously changed overnight. Change is hard. Obama’s campaign is all about change; people will either embrace it or will vote for the status quo. I should give the people more credit but I fear that we have been conditioned to accept our present circumstances. The U.S is such a powerful country. It affects and influences so many things such as media, politics and economics worldwide. I’m hoping that the U.S can open their minds and decide that they need to take a positive role in world affairs as opposed to a very destructive one they’ve been playing thus far.
In response to Rebecca, the media’s influence is always big on my mind. i am trying to balence it for my 6 year old son. as someone who grew up without a television and who still doesn’t have one, it is frustrating that television has become such a need for families in our modern society. we spent time doing other things, most of which involved physical activity and socializing with family and friends. i fear that our society is missing out on this time because we are spending it doing useless and often harmful things like watching television. i think that a little TV every once and a while is ok, but if kids are spending hours of watching TV everyday, they are missing out on social and physical development. they are becommming unhealthy. it is no coincidence that violence has increased with increasing access to media. not only because of all the violent TV shows and video games that kids are exposed to but also because they are spending less time interacting with other people, and i think this is impairing them from developing empathy and an appreciation for the delacate balance of living things.
In response to the last two comments on American politics, i agree that there is alot of craziness going on down there with mccain. i went to some of the town meetings in new hampshire for the primaries and i was dissappionted and surprised at how republicans and democrats alike are not ready for what it will take to really make a change. i think politics, through using religion to control the masses and biased media has lead the population to feel a sense of entiltlement to what they have. and the real truth that many americans (and i say this as an american myself) are not ready for is that this society of overconsumption is not sustainable. and if we really want our country to be at peace our international relations must change and we must treat the other countries around the world with fairness and pay a fair price for their products if we want them even if it means that we can afford less of them. and as the readings talked about a hierarchtical class system in the united states where the gaps between rich and poor are increasing, we have to destroy this system. otherwise violence in the untied states will continue to increase, and eventually this is going to decrease the quality of life for everyone rich and poor.
Coming across the statement made by Shirley on how news media is biased, made me remember a very intriguing film which I viewed during my media class in CEGEP. This film focused on uncovering the different news stations which tend to manipulate its viewers. The film states that the owner of one particular news station has very strong republican views, and therefore wants his news station to reflect these views. An example of how this particular news network supports republicans rather than democrats was during the 2000 elections. This news station decided to interview members of the Democratic Party, but instead of listening to their views these members were constantly being disrupted and told to be quiet. However, when the republicans were interviewed, the news anchors established a warm relationship with them. This gives the impression to the viewers that the Republicans are far more qualified and favored than the Democrats. If news media is constantly shedding a negative light on one particular party, than they are not doing their job, for news is supposed to be fair and just. If the news favors one party over another, than people who are loyal to that particular station will then vote for the party which their news favors. This can cause a huge problem during election time, for instead of listening to their hearts, people might listen to a biased news station. In conclusion, I would like to say that I support Alexie C’s view that kids aren’t able to “make up their own minds anymore”. Now a days there are so many different forms of media that children are constantly being bombarded by ads. As a result, instead of being creative and figuring out who they are, children are emulating celebrities which they hardly know anything about.
I feel that the media is a very complex system. On one hand I agree with most of the statements said about its negative impact but other hand I absolutely love it. The internet (haha of course I primarily mean facebook) Grey’s, Friday Night Lights, magazine’s, clothing lines- the list goes on! The wonders of the media are incredibly entertaining. Should we be super cautious about the media to the point of not having T.V.’s in our house or refusing to get internet? Or maybe as kids grow they should be trained on how to become a critical viewer as Professor Steinberg mentioned in class. It feels that sheltering yourself and others does not equip you with any tools on how to process the media as it bombards your life. If you train, however, your children, your students and yourself to understand what you are seeing, to realize the message that is trying to influence you, then you are empowering yourself as a viewer and taking control of your life.
Stereotypes are one things that has always frustrated me. Yes i am aware that not every black man is a drug dealer, or that every man with a “camp” voice is gay but when I walk home at night I am more aware when I pass a gangsta white man then if I were to pass a “business” type black man.
I am not sure where this poem came from but I felt like writing one…
Black is who
and who is me
White is we
and we are here
who is here
and we are near
all is everywhere
I am experiencing a confusion of the senses. Sweet for the pleasures of the media…guilty as they are. Bitter for the prejudices i feel have affected me.
Everyone seems to be so enthralled in the American elections that it certainly leaves little else to talk aboutif you want more than a 4 year old childs atention which is truly beginning to drive me up the nearest gum tree! Now I know that the Canadian elections do not have year long prelimaries with the candidates chasing down a car(celebrity) and prom date(VP) but that is my point it is not a fucking prom! The whole election is made out to be some sort of popularity contest as opposed to an actual contest of stances on certain issues like the war in Iraq or whatever. However the american elections are so heavily publized that it might as well have its own commercials, oops wait it ALREADY DOES! but until one of them begins to announce the election as “Presidential Election 59, return of the revenge, with a vengeance” it will still fail to bring in a larger demographic. The media portrays the election as a glorious event that is our duty but a lot of people find duty shitty so they tend to stray away from it or simply wipe it off their shoe with a stick. So what I am trying to say is that given our insatiable thirst for sub par sequels no one is really going to give a damn who they vote for, they will just go because they want to see how it ends. So the only point of all of this dick waving is for the candidates to simply get some attention which is just ridiculous because the only attention it gets from me is disgust because all I really want the media to cover is their parties stances which could be done in a block format and we can simply get to voting. Well if the media was trying to create audience interest in the campaign they have gone about it all wrong and so therefore the only campaign coverage that will be of any use to me will continue to be the newspaper if and when I start to give a damn.
WOW! Russel,
You inspire me.
That poem was so touching. I know exactly what you mean. I am torn with my feelings between the media as well.
(Also, FNL rules)
I find it funny that we are looking into the influence of media on people and the exposure of the US within these medias.It’s ironic that we are doing an essay on the United States because that’s what they want us to do (talk about them). So we are pushing the American medias, and we are guilty of feeding this publicity beast. We talk about the american election only because its the most mediatased in the world and people are curious to know what is going on in the US. Medias are biased because they portray the country as a leader, an inovator and a savior, which they are! But medias often omit to present problems that are evolving from within the country. As for children it is true that they are influenced by television and internet. The number of hours of exposure could not do otherwise. I don’t think children aren’t able to do their own opinion. I think they are influenced by everything around them but the impact of all these influences can be controled. Parents can help their kids understand that its a give and take situation when it comes to media.
Along with everyone I do have to agree that Canadians know much more about the United States than the world combined knows about Canada. By the way this includes Canada. For the most part, the most Canadians know about Canada is what a loonie is. It is sad how we are all dependent on the U.S. for our source of news around the world because it is always presented in a gloomy fashion.
Unfortunately I do not watch a whole lot of television, but I do know that most news is from the U.S. It is sad because even with my limited viewing I still know the details about Obama. In my opinion the only big deal about Obama, is that he is black. He is just a man trying to help his country to me, yet everyone payed attention to him from the beginning because he was black. I find it extremely unfair to him that his skin color has amplified the media’s attention on him and that every little hiccup on his campaign will blow him out of the water. Media can be pretty cruel sometimes, most of the time.
Kids are overwhelmed by the media. They want everything and they can now see everything they want on TV, the internet or hear it on the radio. Unfortunately, in my opinion, if a child does become a lost cause to the media, then it is the parents fault for not sheltering them. Nowhere in this situation can the parents blame the media because the parents are responsible for teaching understanding of the media. The parents should be responsible for making sure the their child can think clearly when being bombarded with media.
Personally I think that in modern society today we are consumed by media whether, it be the internet, television or magazines. I think that media is a big part of who we are, no matter where you go there is always an advertisement encouraging you to eat their food! Or wear this brand because it is the new trend, or even the commercials for voting how they use celebrities to try and encourage the younger generation to vote. Like Mrs. Steinberg said in her blog “do kids actually have a chance at making up their own minds”….. Honestly I do not think they do.. I think the media persuades people to follow certain trends and ideas. Just to explain what I am getting at think about the video’s done for Obama’s presidential campaign, they use popular celebrities to do commercials to promote him, these celebrities are role models to a lot of the younger generation so……. if they see them supporting Obama then who is to say they would not be influenced to follow in that direction. With that idea in mind I think that is why it is extremely important in today’s society to be aware of different kinds of media and the different techniques they use to influence us. After reading the text book I realized that I totally agree that media literacy should be taught in schools so that we as individuals can make up our own minds without placing total control in the media’s hands.
Canadians may be viewed as the minority group of North America. Canada’s population is 33 million versus 36 million in California only. We don’t have the spending dollars that the US has to have an impact in the media. How many Canadian corporations can afford to spend $2.7 million for a 30-second commercial during the Superbowl? Most media and brands that surround us are from US compnaies, unless you are referring to Maple Leaf products being recalled. It does sometimes feel that we are just another one of their states. We hear more about Clintons, Obama, McCain, Bush, Giuliani, Al Gore, and Schwarzenegger than our own prime ministers. Would Harper have to marry Oprah, Miley Cyrus, or Paris Hilton to be mentioned in the US media for us to learn more about Harper? Maybe Canada should be changed to U.P.A. (United Provinces of America) and change territories to provinces. BTW, aren’t we all Americans since we live in one of the Americas. It’s a question of time before US corporations begin funding trips to the moon to build a huge Coca-Cola bottle, Golden Arches or a Swoosh logo and then we will have wars as to who has the right to advertise on the moon. The good news is that people won’t be limited to cable/satellite TV. Video killed the Radio Star and internet will kill cable TV. The internet is available to the world and we will have an unimaginable number of channels to choose from. If people stop watching TV, corporations will have no choice other than to pull out of cable TV. No more soap ads during soap operas. I will admit that cable TV wouldn’t be as entertaining without US media. What would Canadian TV be like without CSI, Prison Break, House, The Hills, Heroes, 24, Big Brother, Survivor, American Idol, Friends, Seinfeld, The Price is Right, Oprah….? Canadians need more than Degrassi and Hockey Night in Canada. For those who need a break from US media, I recommend watching more BBC but you probably won’t escape from Paris Hilton. Some of us are frustrated about the influence that US media or media in general has on us, but I believe that we have greater problems ahead of us with unregulated media on the internet. Can you imagine how French-speaking people in Quebec feel about US media?
Ashley R. brought up the idea that the media is inescapable and that no matter what the case, it influences who we and the next generation of kids are. I agree that we are unable to escape the media; however media does not take away our freedom to make choices about who we are, it just limits the many variables to choose from. Through advertisements, movies, TV, etc. the media offers us possible role models and sets of values. For every personality or value offered, there are a million others presented that either contradict or compliment them. As we are only we and future generations are limited to the choices that the media offers us, there are nearly endless possibilities. When constructing an image or a personality people generally borrow aspects of other already existing personalities and put them together. It is incredibly difficult to find something new under the sun and therefore guidelines hat the media offer are inescapable and needed. So yes, we cannot get away from the media’s influence but it is still we that make the final decisions about what to accept or reject. Since we choose how to live our lives based on the media, being able to interpret it properly is crucial in the development of a strong character. Teaching media literacy in school’s would help students understand themselves as products of the media and at the same time help them change for the better if needed. Many people view the media’s control over society as a bad thing and I think that this is only so if we are uneducated about what is in front of our own eyes because this leads to making poor life altering decisions.
I agree with Rebecca. Media is not going anywhere and it is everywhere. Media can get very annoying with all its advertisements and all but it can also be very informative and entertaining.
Today, most children are not active and it is, in fact, due to television, internet and playstations. But we cannot bash the media for it. Parents need to be more strict and do their part in making sure that children have an adequate amount of time socializing and being physically active.
Personally, i cannot imagine a life without media. We have become so use to it that i think it would be difficult to adapt to a life without internet or television. Whether we like it or not, media is a big part of today’s society, and we as people, need not be so easily influenced by everything we see.
As long as we do not watch television excessively and let the media make up our minds about everything, media is not all that bad.
While reading this blog, I couldn’t help latching on to the first paragraph’s discussion of the way that Canadian media seems to increasingly lose sight of matters of Canadian interest in its coverage of American news. Flipping through the channels last night, (in search of an ever-elusive glimpse of the unicorn called Canadian programming) I found coverage of the Republican National Convention on one channel, and an update on how Louisiana was doing in the wake of Hurricane Gustav on another. Seeing this, the cheesy poet in the back of my mind jumped up and cried out to the heavens: “Where art thou, O Maple leaf?!”
In all seriousness though, I do share some concerns about how Canada seems to be becoming increasingly absent from her own networks. Our media would have us believe that Canada is, in a sense, a hollow entity—a country without a culture. Our favourite TV shows are American TV shows, our favourite movies and music are American movies and music, and it is says something about our entertainment industry that our artists can only “make it big” by migrating to the States. As a Canadian, I must embarrassingly admit that more of my Canadian friends watch American Idol than our home-grown Canadian version of the show. Media is everywhere; we are soaked and saturated with it. I would claim however, that Canadians are more steeped in American media than we are in the media of our own home country. I love Americans and American culture, but I must admit that the increasing Americanization of Canadian media poses difficult problems for the question of Canadian national identity and the larger question of whether we can even meaningfully speak of such an identity at all.
***
The question of national identity leads me to wonder about the more general question of media-modeled identity, particularly as it affects children and teenagers: our future students. As Shirley touched on in her blog, media is a prime socializing force in our contemporary, techno-centric society and the youth of today look to the media for answers to the question of how they “should be.” I recently watched an amazing documentary on YouTube that looked at how the media manufactures “cool” and sells it to teenagers (it is called the Merchants of Cool if anyone is interested). A scene that I found particularly disturbing showed a group of tweens who, when filmed with a camera and music playing, replicated the dances and moves they saw on Girls Gone Wild videos on MTV. Having watched those videos, they believed this is what “girls do” and took the videos as models for behaviour and identity. It’s definitely becoming increasingly difficult for the TV-taught kids of today to think for themselves and feel free to be who they want to be without merely enacting representations and roles from the media. As a future teacher, I try to be really mindful of this, and I hope that our generation of teachers can do something to help empower our students with the tools they need to be “lights unto themselves,” as the Buddha put it, rather than mere followers of the seductive glow of their television and computer screens.
Media is a huge role in today’s society. It can either be looked at positively or negatively depending on which angle you examine it from. Each person independantly has his/her own way of understanding and interpreting things. Whether it be a commercial or a T.V show, no two people will respond to what they see in the same manner. Some televisions shows can really allow children to learn important things such as multiculturalism, education, racism and cooperation. For example, Barney showed children how to get along, how to work together and how to clean their toys up. Other shows can do the complete opposite. For example, Family Guy shows how swearing is O.K, how being rude can be acceptable, and how children are allowed to have thoughts about killing their mothers.
Getting back to Dr. Steinberg’s question, I do believe that children can make up their own minds about things they hear and see on T.V, but before doing so, they need direction and explanation. Parents and teachers should help children understand the realism and unrealistic things that can occur in the media. Although I agree that alot of the time the media can send very mixed messages forth, they shouldn’t be blamed for everything. I believe that children’s two closest role models are their parents and their teachers, and they should help them realize that not everything shown on television is acceptable, but at the same time how certain things on television can actually be helpful. I definetely believe that media literacy courses should be taught in schools!!!
I strongly believe that the media plays a vital role in influencing today’s youth, and that media literacy should be a necessary part of the curriculum in schools today. As aspiring teachers, we must learn to adapt and understand how much our culture is changing and consequently, educate our youth on how to interpret and even create these media messages that affect us so greatly. I think one of the things that separate good teachers from mediocre ones is the very fact that they are aware and willing to change with our evolving society. As mentioned in the reading, we shouldn’t stress the extreme view that all print and book literacy are no longer necessary, but we definitely are going to have to include media literacy as a fundamental part of the educational system. Although this idea might have some parents a bit apprehensive, and may cause them to have a more protectionist approach, I think it’s essential to assure them that the media literacy movement is only going to empower today’s youth, and make them more aware. Children who are media literate are in my opinion more likely to understand and filter the misconceptions and false implications that the media can portray, since they themselves will possibly even be creating it (media arts education). If children can be shown the aesthetic qualities of making ads and commercials, perhaps the next time a young girl picks up a magazine and sees a flawless body of a model, she’ll smirk and think of the editing process that was done, put down the magazine and erase it from her mind, instead of stressing and striving for that unattainable “perfection”.
After reading the rant about 2008 U.S.A presidential elections, I realized that three major questions seeking for answers were stated. The first interrogation is on the issue of american”s readiness to choose a black president. Personally, I think that this country needs a change with a convinced leader. So what if Obama is black? Why does race has to do anything if America wants a change? Particularly I do not believe that the United States come far enough to accept a black family leaving in the White House. Can America accept the leadership of a man who identifies himself as black? In some interviews on TV, I saw journalists treating better Obama because of his race. At this moment, I question myself on the issue that if it is some priceless advantage to be born black in America and an Insurmontable disadvantage to be white, or if media is just trying to get more viewers on the screen by advantaging Obama. Are Americans open minded enough to truly consider electing a black president and fulfill this jump into a new post modern time? The media often asks this question. I was convinced that the American people were ready for a change with this election. I read a lot about Barack Obama’s program ,about his death penalty opinion, about his against to the Iraq war belief and I was persuaded that finally Americans were ready for this leap. This was my convinction until last july when I was vacationing in Florida. On the beach, I used to chat with people asking them their opinions about the Novenber elections. Most of them, were not quite sure if their vote will be for Obama, although they find him the right person for the right job. Among these americans, I met a gentlemen in his 70′s ,whose son was a general in the army in Iraq. He told me that despite their against the war attitude, american voters will think twice before electing a black man. This answer was the best proof and evidence that Americans are still not enough open-minded to elect a black man. Finally in some way McCain will win because of the racism still is hidden in American peoples judgement and consideration. Obama is maybe a brilliant speaker, thoughtful and intelligent, but he is also African-American and Obama”s race matters. Maybe that choosing Hlilary as his vice-president will probably help him win. In his campaign McCain says that Obama shouldnt be elected because he is a risk, becuase he is black and has a foreign sounding name. After these elegations and since more than half of American population in states like Florida are white old people, I think that McCain will win because this election will be the one of black against white and young against old. This confirms my belief that racism is still deeply hidden in American people”s judgement and that despite his qualities for a good president, Obama will not become the next black person who will govern the USA.
I agree with Adam Pearson completely; how Canadian media doesn’t really showcase Canadian culture.Sometimes it feels like most “hit” Candian shows are just copied and pasted from American networks onto Canadian ones.
Even if you do watch Canadian shows on Canadian networks they’re riddled with American news, American celebrities, American ideals and American life. An example that comes to mind would Entertainment Tonight Canada. Not only does this celeberty gossip television show mostly showcase American celebirties; the title isn’t even in the least bit original…considering plain old Entertainment Toninght has been around for years.
Sometimes I even wonder what is Canadian culture exactly? Not American….right? I had a teacher describe American culture as vaudeville; everything was a dramatic scene, a show, a song and dance. Candian culture may not be quite like American culture, but it’s the show Candians are watching and immitating.
Most people have the inate sense that the youth is being corrupted by the overflow of media messages, especially young girls.
To be fair,I did watch the sexist music videos, and imitate the dance moves, and try and convice my parents to buy me those low cut tops and ect… I was influenced by those negative media media messages.I did see the light and change my media conditioned ways. Examinig various forms of media critically did most of the work.I do think the focus on young girls, in particular, to be a bit much.Why isn’t their more concern about young male role modles? Where are the strong male role modles that reflect contemporary values? Is the bodily perfection of comic book heroes that great for male self esteem? Or all the Parasouco advertisments of men with no body hair and perfect abdominal muscles? Young boys have about as many negative media messages pointed at them as young girls. From violent video games to TV personna recycling (literally) from before women’s lib. I think the girls are doing fine…with loads of eduvational oppurtunies.
Even with the mass amounts of negative messages out to ensnare naive little girls,the fact is that North American life for the biologically female population has never been better. More girls are enrolled in universities and are taking on leadership roles than boys. Women are approaching equality in the workplace.The message that girls are flexible and can accomplish anything that they want is still out there; and girls are still picking up on it…even if they also pick up on the other not so postive messages as well it’s all about the learning process.
I have to say that I truly believe Americans are not as open-minded, and are often oblivious to reality, because they choose to believe what they want to. In this time, when Americans are fighting in a war, many of these Americans refuse to face the reality that hundreds of soldiers are dying because it is not spoken about, as it is in Canada. In Canada, fallen soldiers are remembered and spoken about in the media, whereas this is not the case in the US. This is just another way to keep citizens of the US oblivious to what is going on, even though it is something that should be openly spoken about.
Similarly, with the upcoming election, it seems the more favorable candidate would in fact be Obama, but in a country where facing the reality and brutality of war seems impossible, are they really ready to bring in an African American to lead their country? I personally find it to be sad that the media has found a way to make the citizens of their own country oblivious to what is going on, to protect their image.
As soon as people discuss this closed-mindedness in the US, however, it leads to disaster. When Rosie O’Donnell used to be a host on The View and openly spoke about the war and her feelings about how the American government hid much of the truth from their own people, she was heavily criticized, and it eventually forced her to leave the show. In my opinion, many Americans cannot face reality, and much of this problem is caused by the media and what they choose to present to the citizens. People should be able to make their own judgments and interpret media from their own point of view, but how can this be done if they aren’t being exposed to the full truth?
I believe that as Canadians we do lack correct identity in the media. Stereotypes surround us. We do not live in igloos and it is not any colder in February then it is in Chicago. Beavers are not unique to Canada and we don’t finish every sentence with “eh,” well most of us anyway! Little known facts that Americans are most likely unaware of. Hockey, football, and basketball got their starts in Canada. Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox, Joni Mitchell, Mordecai Richler, Frederick Banting, all very influential people (and just naming a few) in varying fields over the last century. Unfortunately today we lose any kind of Canadian identity as everyone is assimilated into American pop culture. I also include myself of this as I much prefer to listen to some Crosby, Stills, and Nash, or even Lil Wayne then Stompin Tom Conners. And let’s face it; Anne of Green Gables does not hold my attention like the Sopranos does. Quick thought about Obama- Is America ready for a black president……why not. Its gonna take plenty of white votes to win. Given the state of the penal system 1 out of 9 black men are in prison and this is creating a new generation of people that will lack the right to vote. It will take decades of social change before we see any form of equality amongst races. Someone needs to challenge white privilege.
Media has obviously become a huge part of everyone’s daily life; even those who have been sheltered from the media are still a part of the media, with the billboards, large commercial shopping centers, the newspaper and so much more. It’s not to say that is negative though, a lot of what is shown on the media can also be positive. On the cartoon channels commercials (often by the government) show a negative portrayal of smoking or being physically inactive. On the other side, media is negative when it shows what can be known as the “American” way of life, which is in essence believed to be perfect bodies while still eating McDonald’s by the truck load, having every latest technology and the concept that money is very important. The media obviously portrays very little reality, but I think that it’s our job as viewers to understand the unreality and the little reality that is shown. If we’re going to be teachers we should be able to teach students the importance of media, because it is a huge part of our world, but also to show them its faults.
I agree with what Catina and Adam (and other people) said about the Canadian culture that is shown on television. One of the few shows that I do watch that is Canadian is Corner Gas. However, the portrayal of the show is of a small town in the boonies where there is only one gas station. Canada isn’t like that at all, in any way… Montreal is one of the nicest cities and has so much more culture; even the Prairies have a lot of culture. If someone could just put on a show about the rest of Canada, and how we don’t live in igloos, or in small towns where everyone does know each other, perhaps the rest of the world could see that Canada ain’t so shabby.
First, I’ll answer dimitri’s first question: So what if Obama is black? I am someone who really likes politics, canadian or american. Definitely, Obama has the best open-minded program a future president could have. But, we are looking at his program with a different eye than the “average” american. I read an article in “La Presse”, a french quebecois paper about the american elections, that were explaining why they think people won’t vote for Obama. (I’m saying what they wrote:) People, especially people from outside the US, forget that most americans still live in small rural/farm towns, in the middle of almost nowhere. The Americans are also much closer to religion that many people (especially quebecois
) are. In those small towns, religion is very important and we all know that the church is conservative, so republican. People don’t want too much changes, they want stability. Obama, for them, is too “elitist”, too “big” for them, like he doesn’t understand their real life. And it is partly true. Some weeks ago, we saw Obama doing a speech in Germany, while McCain was somewhere in the US. Obama is trying to please every country, when McCain seduces people one by one, in their own country, not somewhere else in the world. Like many people, I would prefer Obama as a president, because we would have less to fear the rest of the world 
But I don’t think he will be elected, despise everything Bush has done and that republican voters didn’t like.
) would have had more chances to be elected because people already knew her because she was first lady and Clinton was (in my opinion) one of the best president the US have had. She is like a family member for the americans. I think most of her potential voters have changed for McCain and that doesn’t help Obama, even if she would be vice-president.
). That topic makes me very frustrated as I am an artist. It is like we can’t do something. It is the same thing in music and cinema. So please, please, if you think of become TVA’s next show programmer, try to include quebecois shows and quebecois culture. (or if you are on CBC, try canadian culture. please!)
So, to answer the question, I think that maybe Obama’s skin color is a problem for conservative voters because they still are racist, but even for non-racist voters, Obama is too far away from their reality. I think Hillary Clinton (my personal choice
Just a short word about Canadian culture vs American culture on the tv. It is like if Canadians were not able to create anything. First, there was American idol. Then, CBC copied it to do Canadian idol. same thing with America’s Next Top model. Same thing this season with So you think youcan dance. Where is Canadian originality?!?!?!? Even on the french media, it’s the same. When I was young, we had almost only quebecois shows on SRC and TVA. La petite vie, Lance et compte, Un gars, une fille, La fureur, all the game shows, even on Canal famille, most of the shows were made by quebecois. Now, when you turn on the TV, most of the shows are American shows translated in French (Desperate housewives, CSI, Top Model, So you think you can dance…) of based on american series. Even in the kid’s channel, Vrak Tv, almost nothing is made by quebecois. How can we promote our unique culture and promote quebecois success if we never show it? When they try new series, sometimes it doesn’t last one month. And when something last, it last very long (Virginie
It’s so saddening to see young canadians knowing less and less about our own history and culture and more and more of our southern neighbors. There are many original canadian programs on t.v today but they always seem to be of lesser quality and in a society that values money over morals, is it any wonder that they usually fall to the wayside of the newest canadian rip-off of american programming?
I always said, even back in high school, that i feel sad for our generations and those to come because we have no real, public role models to base our aspirations on. you ask an elementary school child who their role model is and the answer will probably be either a fictionalized media character or celebrity. And even if they do choose an athlete, politician or other such figure you could probably find alot of media that bathes this person in negative light by bringing up some nasty, juicy personal tidbit. What ever happened to role models such as Rosa Parks, Mahatma Ghandi, Bob Geldof, Desmond Tutu or David Suzuki?
Yes, media is inescapable but parents have taken a backseat approach to filtering the images and messages their children receive. Children have never made up their own minds, that’s not how the learning process occurs. Before, family and community was the basis for children’s evolving ideals and values but now we use the t.v as the tool. parents need to shape up and realizing that it’s our world’s future leaders and shapers that are being schooled life lessons’ by Hannah Montana and the Disney channel.
Upon completing the readings on media literacy I immediately wondered how essential it is really that we teach our kids to receive media critically. Sometimes I feel like we view our Canadian youth as a group of automaton-drones, blindly soaking up every message thrown at them, regardless of its validity. Do people really murder after playing video games? Do girls go out and have sex after watching an episode of the Simple Life? I certainly don’t.
I believe most well-adjusted kids have been raised to act cautiously and analytically; to hold fast to their morals; to resist peer pressure and to evaluate the advice offered by others in order to determine whether or not this advice adheres to their moral scripts. Most individuals who are able to function effectively are equipped with the knowledge that things are not always as they seem. This knowledge undoubtedly comes into play when receiving messages sent by the media.
Those who truly want to be like Paris when they watch The Simple Life probably have sense of self issues which require a course of action far greater than a Media Literacy class. For those who have not been raised to receive ALL messages with a critical ear, it is likely that these kids will be deceived and lead down dangerous paths by many other influential voices in addition to the media.
This however is NOT to say that I find Media Literacy irrelevant. I do think it is important to point out the messages being sent by the media and to engage in discussions on this topic. I think it is important to know where our news stations receive their funding and thus whose agendas they are trying to push. Ultimately, I think it is important to be an informed member of society, but I do not think that most well-adjusted, well-educated children will gladly forgo their morals in the face of the media’s messages. Let’s give our kids a little more credit than that. I like Amy Winehouse and I’ve NEVER been to rehab.
The media is an ever-growing industry that continues to guide or in some cases brainwash the up and coming generation. Through commercials, music videos, movies, television shows there are many messages that are being sent and to the eyes and mind of the viewer. It is up to the viewer to learn and to learn how to decode or interpret the message that the media is sending out. Especially the young generation is what makes them so vulnerable to media messages when they are young and somewhat ignorant. We are all exposed to the world as being ignorant but as time goes by, we gain experience and proper knowledge in order to interpret, express the right way. Most media messages are either negative or positive. Music videos such as half naked women rubbing themselves near the rapper; while the rapper smokes a cigarette and has champagne in the other hand does not promote positive messages towards the youths. Of course we know it is not realistic, but do the young 10-13 year olds know? This is why media literacy should be involved in their lives! The better they are to interpret and to understand or differentiate between realism and commercialism, the better they are to make better decisions. I believe that the media sends messages and at sometimes guidelines to which the chosen demography should follow. With media literacy, the youthful generation can understand what it means as well as how to react to this. Concerning the media, I believe that with every action comes a reaction, as well with every reaction comes an action. Therefore with proper media literacy comes proper reaction which in the end will lead to proper action!
The idea that Americans are not as open-minded as we would like to think, I believe is partly why Obama won over Clinton. Although an Obama supporter myself, being alive to witness the first female president of the US would be something. However as was mentioned before if we can not even believe that they would elect a Black man as president, why would they a woman. I think Obama has a chance and I also believe that when one change is made many can follow it. To change the North American view on gender and race is a huge amount of change we are asking of people, although I believe it shouldn’t be such a big deal, it is. It is because we have millions of years of ideology to change and I am hoping that we can start now. If we see in one of the most powerful countries a Black leader than we start to believe that everyone believes all men are equal. Once we get to that the only sensible thing would be to give women the same equality. I mean I do wish we could skip some steps and have leaders elected because of what they stood for and not because of their race or gender, but there are many people out in the world and many different ideologies to reconcile to eachother and these things don’t happen overnight.
I remember the first thing I was taught about media back in high school: was to always see not only who your direct source was but also who is working behind the scenes. Since all news is basically now lumped together in 5 conglomerates we as the audience really need to check and question where our information is coming from. And to maybe switch off America centered media and try something different instead. Maybe to actually see what and where Canada is in the world. See what Canadians are doing and maybe focus on our own politics and who is running our country. Ian Austen also touched upon this idea in his article in the NY Times about the early election we’ll be having October 14. I am hoping that there will be more coverage of Canadian politics in the next month so that I can feel as if I am making an informed decision come Oct 14.
Ever since I could remember the media that we watch has always be gravitated towards the US. However you could take it upon ourselves to find another media outlet through the internet to really find out more about Canada.But, how could it not, every show we watch, all the music we listen to its all American. They are the great power in the world; Canadians are more interested in their political race then our own. But this is not only the case for Canada there are so many countries in the world that are following this political race. Whether you like them or hate the US is the center of the world for all types of media.
I think that the Americans in general are very closed-minded people. However when it comes to their country they tend to do the right thing. Even though Obama is an African-American he will become the next American president. He is the hope that will bring a stable economy and end the useless war in Iraq. The American people can see that McCain will only continue down the same path as George Bush.
This generation of young kids are being bombarded by the media on how they should act and how they should dress. Unfortunately there is no escape for the kids whether it is on tv, the internet or even by their fellow friends. They are being pressured to act and imitate what they see on tv, like Hannah Montana.
Because the media is centered on the United States, many Canadians are oblivious to the issues going on in their own country. Instead, they’re involved with what’s going on in the United States, like the war in Iraq for example. Earlier, Alexie mentioned a story about how in high school, the majority of her economics class didn’t even know who the president of the United States was, which doesn’t surprise me at all. To be completely honest, I don’t know much about politics myself. Many teenagers nowadays are too involved with celebrities, fashion, sports or cars to be concerned about politics or worldly events. They’re simply following what they see in the media.
In my opinion, it would be fine for children to watch shows like Hannah Montana, as long as their parents talk to them about what they’re seeing, and tell them that not every little girl has to act like her. One problem is that Hannah Montana doesn’t seem to be a very good role model. There are videos circulating on YouTube of Miley Cyrus being promiscuous, photos of her in her bra and underwear, and photos of her in a nude photo shoot. There are also videos of her making fun of another Disney celebrity, Demi Levato. What about Vanessa Hudgens? A Disney star from High School Musical, who has nude pictures circulating around the internet! Children these days are getting the wrong messages, and they need better role models to watch and learn from.
I have a younger sister who is thirteen years old. She tells me stories of teenagers in her grade getting drunk, high, skipping school, and having sex at the age of fourteen! Is it because the media portrays this as acceptable behaviour? Teenagers watching Gossip Girl, and Sex and the City might think that it’s okay to sleep around, or to backstab your friends. Children and teenagers watch shows on television like the Simple Life, which make them think it’s okay to be rude and act like an airhead. I think it is crucial that parents and teachers talk to children about what they’re seeing on television, and give them some sort of media literacy.
I don’t think we can entirely blame the media for instilling bad values in children and teenagers, because in my opinion it’s the parent’s job to teach their children to read the media critically, as opposed to simply imitating everything they see on television. Instead of sitting your child in front of the television for hours, watch it with them and help them to understand that they don’t have to look or act the way the characters do. Although the media does play a huge role in shaping children’s views, the parents themselves need to teach their children good morals and to think critically about the media.
Like many others, I believe that media plays a huge role in our society today and it is not something we can get out of because it is just everywhere around us. For sure, there are positive and negative sides about the media depending on how we interpret it, but I feel that media don’t provide enough positive aspects for younger viewers to follow and look up to. I strongly feel that the media poses many serious misconceptions to the younger children today, guiding them into an unrealistic and materialistic world of delusions and unhealthy interpretation of our society. Children are being consumed by the media every second, which disconnects them from the real world we live in. All the brand names, idols and latest technologies brainwashes them into thinking those are what’s important in our world today; those are the things which measures our level of popularity and it’s what makes us fit in with the rest of the clan. The media is so big and so powerful in our society that many adults who are supposedly capable of distinguishing what’s proper to believe or not gets consumed and influenced by it. If this is the case, then it’s seldom that younger children are able to differentiate what is acceptable to mimic or not. As a result, I also believe that children today are not given a chance to pick for themselves because of the narrow array of choices in front of them. The media surrounds everyone inch of their environment with mostly false conceptions that they are pressured into trends/ideas the media tries to impose. Until these children build on their own set of values and learn what are acceptable to believe, they are invisibly pressured into following what’s shown on TV. Moreover, I think that media literacy classes in schools helps children locate their true self, instead of mimicking the same idol as the girl they sit next to in class in the same naïve way, they have the opportunity and capability to choose what they think is proper.
What is media? The media is a representation of us. We create the media and it in turn mirrors who we are as a society in 2008. As a reflection of the media we create and impose our ideas onto others, in the same way that the media manipulates situations to create ideas and notions that it imposes onto us, ideals that ultimately effect our perception of reality.
We say that the media has never before been so prevalent in our society. That T.V. shows, music lyrics/videos, teenyboppers, you name it, have never before now been so outrageous, sexual and violent. What I’m trying to get at here is… hasn’t that always been the case? Didn’t everyone freak out over Madonna showing her belly button in the eighties? Or the Power Rangers being too violent for kids in the nineties? Take a look at the Batman movies for example, I’m sure Jack Nicholson wouldn’t have been able to pull off slamming a guys head into a pencil in his opening scene back when he played the joker. “Times they are a changin” (B. Dylan) and they will continue to do so as will we. I think it’s natural that as we continue to progress technologically so will our dependence /addiction to media. The bar will only continue rising…I’m just curious as to how high it could go.
In this codependent relationship (society & media) where one cannot survive without the other, we have become an extension of the media, a representation of pop culture. All the while, our personal perceptions that we feel are uniquely our own are by no exception either partly influenced or entirely predetermined by the media that creates us.
I do agree that children and teens in todays society are overly influenced by the media. Most of my childhood memories were spent playing outside in my grandparents backyard. Yes, i watched television, but only for about an hour after school. As i got older i began to see that even by just watching television for one hour a day influenced me in the games i played. Such as playing “house” or “princess”. Today children watch so much televsion that even their attitudes have changed. This summer, i worked at a summer camp. There i saw the difference from my childhood to there’s. My group was inactive and were more worried about their wieght and their hair than just being a kid and they were just ten years old. I believe they acted this way because of the movies ad television thay watch. Like Maria said, media is not the only thing that shoud be blamed. Parents should also be blamed for not takng time to expose their children to th outdoors. Instead of buying your child an Exbox for his birthday, buy him or her a bike.
Personally, i do beleive that we cannot live without media. I know that I can’t. However, if given the chance to, i would most deinitely be outside than inside watching television.
I get back to the issue of the Canadian media being centered on the United States, and as said before, of Canadians knowing much more about the US than Americans do about Canada. I have not been here for a long time, and since I have no TV and no internet yet, it is hard for me to evaluate that, but I do know that this kind of phenomenon does not only happen between Canada and the United States.
American culture has pervaded the whole world, and you could hardly find a high school student in any country who would not know names such as George Bush, MacDonald’s and Hollywood. America is all over the media everywhere in the world, which makes it virtually inescapable. I remember that when I was an eleven-year old kid in Senegal, it was the time of the American elections, and my classmates spent much time speculating and arguing about whom they would vote for if they could – Bush or Al Gore. On the contrary, I wonder how many American kids know who the chancellor of Germany is, where Ivory Coast is located, or have heard anything about the conflict between Pakistan and India – just to give a few examples.
Well, when I think about it, it is not that surprising. The US is one of the most – if not the most – powerful countries in the world, and I am not talking only about economic or military power, but also about cultural power. And the means through which it acts is media… I think what is important is that parents and educators take the time to explain all this to the children, and teach them how to read between the lines and be critical about what they hear and see. And of course, an effort should be made to give them alternative views and ideas, in order to help them open their mind.
Media is an incredible thing in a good and a bad way. It is a great way to be informed about issues and events that are occuring around the world, but I do agree that it does tend to focus greatly on the U.S. To go back on what Alexie C. mentioned, it is very true that many Canadians do not know much about the country that they live in. I remember being in history class in High School and having been asked who is the Prime Minister or who was the first Prime Minister of Canada. Very few knew the answer. If today you walked into a history class at a local High School and asked the same questiopns, you would get the same results. If you asked them who is running for president, I am sure that they will all know the answer. This could be because who ever becomes president will affect the whole world. Just look at how Bush’s decisions has affected everyone. All he created was more wars and deaths of innocent people.
Media does have a large impact on children which is not always bad. This all depends on how much their parents are involved in their lives. It is ok for kids to watch Hannah Montana or High School Musical just as long as their parents reassure them that eventhough Hannah’s life is great, theirs is just as great in a different or better way.These young celebrities affect many children especially in the way they look and dress. If you look through the children’s clothes department, most of that clothes is innapropriate for them to wear. I remember my sister telling about one of her friends in Kindergarten who wouldn’t eat lunch because she thought she was fat. Most of the people portrayed in the media are very thin and send a bad message.
Many recent shows like Gossip Girls and 90210 are very popular and impact teens. These shows have a lot of sex, drinking, and partying involved. The worst part aboutt these shows is that the characters are suposed to portray 15 to 18 year olds. They don’t look at all like that age. Their missbehaviours make it seem that it is ok and normal for teenagers to do.
Like I mentioned earlier, there are good and bad sides to media and it will affect people depending on the way they were raised. Many children now a days come from broken families which mean they get little support. These children the turn to the media who in the end portrays bad habits.
As many of you have stated, I don’t think Americans having control over our media is going to change any time soon. And as has been proven by other bloggers, it’s not just Canada that is under American-media control! America is simply a power-house nation that seems to somehow intrigue all other countries. I feel like the American presidential race has been going on for years already, and it’s really just starting! It is plastered all over our media and I am sure it will be more prominent than our upcoming federal election. I do hope Obama will pull through and become the first ever African-American president: the United States could do with some political change.
As for Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, I think kids will continue to struggle to make up their own minds about life. How can they with the technology today? From the internet to cell phones, to American satellite T.V., kids face an immense about of exposure to the media daily. I feel that youngsters will continue to look up to celebrities more so than ever, and this probably isn’t a good thing the way some teen-idols seem to behave! Technology is going to continue to progress and I’m sure kids have more media-exposure in store for them in the future.
After reading the comment made by Dr.Steinberg, which said, “Do kids have any chance of making up their own minds?” I truly believe that today’s society is less open-minded than ever! Walking around the streets of Montreal you see young girls wearing clothes with characters from shows such as Hannah Montana and High School Musical, while all the younger guys are dressing and acting similar to the style of the Jonas Brothers. The media plays a significant role in today’s society and it will only increase in the near future because our youth spends more time watching television and playing video games, rather than enjoying life by playing sports and interacting with people. The US media dominates North American society, and I believe that we are losing our “Canadian” qualities and conforming to those of the rich and famous of Hollywood.
As for the Presidential elections, I feel that if Barack Obama is elected as the next president of the United States he will bring great change North American society altogether. He is a very family orientated man, and believes in improving all areas in society, rather than just benefiting the rich. Obama is a very smart man, by using the media in his favor to promote his nomination. At all of his conventions he has big media personalities such as Bono, Jon Bon Jovi and Ludacris. Ludacris even wrote a rap song to promote Obama, and I leave you with a few lines from his song: “You can’t stop what’s bout to happen, we bout to make history/The first black president is destined and it’s meant to be/Paint the White House black and I’m sure that’s got ‘em terrified
McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzedGet out and vote or the end’ll be near/The world is ready for change because Obama is here”
I feel Canadian identity is lost in today’s media. In large part Canadians are more aware of American events than Canadian ones. As well Canadians express a similar sort of culture as American do. As well, I do agree with the previous mention that Canada is not the only country that is seemingly becoming more and more influenced by American values and media. I feel that Canadians seem to be more informed about American politics than their own. could this be because we are so influenced by Americans culture and media that we care more about it?
In interest to your comment towards the presidential elections in the USA I agree with your notion that Americans are not open minded enough to vote for an African American president (Yet). I feel that if the United States is indeed ready for such a president then the color of his skin would not be an issue in the media regarding his campaign. A presidential leader should be elected on the basis of their campaign goals and qualifications. As well, Obama has had great success in gaining the vote of the younger generation (18-30). I feel that this does not mean that this generation does not express any prejudice, but that Obama campaign has been portrayed as a “hip” thing to do that would define the post modern era. If Obama does not win I think he will have at least help open the mind of many Americans.
Along with the mention that the media feeds us information, “What we should need to know” makes it difficult for children to make up their own minds because they are fed an ideal typical set of values and beliefs. If we are only exposed to some things, that’s all we will believe and understand. The way children are exposed to the media I feel they do not have a chance to take what they want from it because it puts such a large pressure on them to conform.
As Dr. Steinberg questioned, “Do kids have any chance of making up their own minds?”, the predominant answer among the bloggers seems to be, that no, they do not. I as well agree with the fact that media is being so heavily ingrained in the minds of the population, it proves to be virtually impossible to in fact, ‘make up your own mind’. Every advertisement we see and television show we watch is designed to influence our thinking in one way or another.
Television shows are possibly one of the most dominant forms of manipulating our view of society. While most deal with middle-class families, the families are not depicted accurately. We are shown images of a happy working class family, who are working class because it was their choice. TV ‘blames’ the working class family for being working class, based on their lack of ambition to succeed, their contentment with being working class and thus they are depicted as having no desire of moving up. Usually these characters are depicted as being lazy, as they show no intention of being socially mobile, when in fact from birth, many people are deprived the chance to be socially mobile. Rarely has a show ever depicted middle-class life accurately. A show that has come close is ‘Roseanne’, which aired in the late 1980′s. ‘Roseanne’, was the first to truthfully depict gender and class, it showed they trials and tribulations of a real working class family. The most interesting thing to note about the decision made by ‘ABC’ to air the show is that, their ratings were down, they were willing to try anything to increase their ratings and they were able to hire non-union workers. So in reality they weren’t trying to accurately depict the common American family, they desperately wanted to raise they ratings. ‘Roseanne’ would have never aired, if it wasn’t for ‘ABC’‘s desperate attempt to “get rich quick”. It’s scary to think a huge American network would never actually depict real American life unless they had no other choice.
If I were to stand back and really examine the youth of today I would have to agree that what I see are teenagers who are being not only influenced but manipulated by the media and its characters and images like the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana. From the clothing down to the attitudes, more and more teens are responding to what they see now on television and the internet more than ever, their daily goals and concerns are their dress, their facebook or myspace pages and attaining the newest cell phones or ipods. This is disturbing when we are talking about the latest American political coverage on television, I believe to be correct when assuming that most American and even Canadian teens barely understand the differences between the current candidates and what their political standpoints are. Far from political and global issues are the minds of American teens today. Worse I am sure that the coming Canadian elections will hardly be a concern or thought in the minds of Canadian teens. Speaking for myself, ever since I can remember I’ve always known more about American culture and elections than that of my own culture and the Canadian elections. As for the open mindedness of Americans in electing a black president I would have to agree that America is not ready to see a black president run the white house. Racism is still very much an issue in American culture, despite popular culture and the enormous popularity of hip hop music and African American musical icons, I am prepared as I am sure most Canadians are to see McCain elected as president, if Americans were able to make the mistake of electing Bush for a second time I’m not exactly sure that they will learn from their mistake and make the conscious decision of electing someone who might actually be the ideal candidate in changing American history as we know it.
I would have to disagree with one of the statements above that suggested that “the media is a representation of us”. Our media, especially speaking as a Canadian, is centralized and pours out of one particular base camp where all networks and studios reside in the United States. I do not think that what is going on in the media is a direct representation of all Canadians, or Americans for that matter. Every second of a news report, talk show, or sitcom is controlled and manipulated to represent an ideal or view of the creator and their company. We might be a little naive and begin to idolize the Gossip Girls, believing that that is how our lives should be, although simultaneously knowing that is not how our lives actually are. As long as we can recognize the illusions and exaggerations portrayed in the media why not sit back, laugh and enjoy the ‘entertainment’. In high school, I had a very wise teacher that opened our eyes to bias media networks. She presented us with breaking news and then pull out 3 different newspapers all covering the same event – of course each telling a different side to the story. Just being aware of the fact that not everything you read in true, especially as an adolescent, has made it easier for me to listen and read all sides of a story. It is much easier to make up my mind on where I stand on an issue once I’ve taken a step back and analysed my media sources. It also helped me find new reliable sources that I know I can trust. As an Obama supporter, I have searched for every video, article and interview out there. And even though Sarah Palin makes me cringe and McCain and I stand on two different platforms, I still attempted to watch the entire Conservative Convention – for the sake of attaining new knowledge and restore my confidence in Obama. I think that my generation and those of the future have many options and opportunities to learn valuable information, and they have it at their finger tips. They have the opportunity to see the story from all side, and if we can educate them to effectively analyse and search for valuable information then they can break away from the media facades. If we could just remind them of the stories less often told then I believe that kids can make their own decisions about who they believe in and what they support. I do not fear that what my little sister sees in the media will change who she is as an individual because my parents and her teachers have instilled a power in her that presents her with options, opportunities and a need to question what she is at times being force fed.
Regarding media influence on young children, I beleive it to be a really big social problem. Being the oldest in my family and having two much younger sisters i see first hand the strong effects these shows like Hana Montana and movies like High School Musical as well as disney movies, have on them. Moreover, by taking several courses dealing with child development, it is evident to me that all children copy what they see. They are gullable and easily influenced by otheres around them, inlcuding the media. Furthermore,their brains are like sponges, they take eveything in. Therefore, in my opinion, it is at these young ages that people take in and accept what is being presented to them through media as reality. So this leads me to support the idea, discussed in the reading, that media literacy should be part of the curriculum for all children from grades K-12. It is important to inform young children that what they are watching on tv or in movies doesnt necessarily depict reality.
Regarding Obama, I believe it would be a great change for the United States to elect a African American president. He can maybe change the stereotypical view of black males in the US. As well as make the Sounthern states end their ongoing struggle to accept African Americans as equal citizens of the United States.
While reading many of the blogs of some of the people above me, i realized something many of those people said they were Obama supporters or McCain supporters. this discovery kinda made me laugh and think to myself what difference does your suppport or opposition ( as Canadians) for one of the american candidates make? the answer is it makes absolutley no difference at all. this also made me think, do these people who claim to be Obama Supporters and McCain Supporters realize that their opinion on the US election means nothing, because in the end they have no say or no power over what happens because they are not american so they cant vote. so there is no point in wasting any of our valuable time. another thing i thought about as i read, was do these people who are McCain and Obama “supporters” call themselves Harper supporters or Dion supporters or Layton supporters? something gives me the feeling that they don’t. and i think it sucks that many Canadians know more about or care more about a foreign country’s political climate than they do about their own.
I just wanted to add that I think that hilary clinton would have made a really good president. I think a women president would also be a really good change, rather then the usual : a man. She can prove all those who belive women arent important and have nothing to offer the world completely wrong. However, since Hilary Clinton is no longer running for president i am completly pro Obama, he’s such an amzing speaker. He seems like he has alot to offer to the States.
ps, i think the time on this website is screwed up it’s actually 7:52pm not 11:48pm.
Canadian culture is without a doubt lost in today’s media, not to mention the huge influence coming from our firends south of the border. Take Quebec culture for example, we claim to be a distinct society from the rest of Canada, but really, our identity as french speaking canadians is just as lost in media as the rest of Canada’s. We have a rise in québécois hip hop artists raping about money, girls and expensive cars just like the americans when it used to be about preserving what is unique about our culture as québécois. Nonetheless, I think that the influence is inevitable considering the proximity of the States and the omnipresence of the media.
Just the other day, my vietnamese roomate asked me why are québécois so damn proud to be québécois when she saw no difference between Quebec, the rest of Canada and American culture. I didnt quite know what to respond.
So when it comes down to it, we (talking for all the québécois) may not be as unique as we think we are, and our society may not be as distinct as we so proudly think it is. Nope, our identity is just as lost in the media as the rest of western societies!
In response to Mike C-G,
In my opinion, canadians can call themselves supporters of american politicians all they want. the fact that they dont have the right to vote for them is irrelivant. being a “supporter” of a political figure simply means that they agree with the ideas and actions of the candidate and that they feel they would be better suited to lead the unitied states than the competition. also, canada and the rest of the world are greatly affeted by american politics so its understandable that so many citizens of the world are so-called supporters of american politicians. bottom line: support does not have to mean cast a ballad for, it can simply mean holding an opinion on whom they think should become the next leader of the free world…and in my opinion, knowing your american politics and having an opinion is not at all a waste of time.
as for youre opinion that canadians lack knowledge of our own country’s politics, i completely agree. of course, this all goes back to the media. the election has been given so much media attention that it is practically impossible to ignore. even canadian news shows broadcast the latest political drama nightly. and how could you not get drawn in to all of this excitment and scandal? so we sit back and watch the tale unfold in front of our eyes and all around us because it’s interesting, more interesting than canandian politics are right now by far. in a society where we are always looking for new forms of entertainment, it’s not surprising that we are soaking it up, and neglecting to follow up on the more mundane details of the poltics in our own country
p.s. the time is wrong…it’s only 9:11
After reading the assigned chapters, I realized how much our lives are focused around media and even more so, television. I really enjoyed reading the 5th chapter. I found that the little anecdotes and quotes from various television shows was very interesting and quite funny at times. The thing that really got me though was when the Cosby Show was mentioned. I thought that more would be talked about rather than the 2 sentences that were discussed. During the years the Cosby Show was on (1984-1992), and having not actually watched the show, just hearing from my mother and more importantly and might I say more recently Oprah, how the Cosby Show had sparked such different opinions. I heard on the Oprah show how it was a false dipiction of Blacks living in the US at the time. How it can’t exist that an upper middle class family can be Black, and that not just one, but both parents are well educated and successful. Dr. Huxtable was a successful character who happened to be black. What’s wrong with that?
What surprised also me was how the chapter also focused the television show Rosanne. I also never watched this show regularly however, I do have a vague idea of the show and do remember that Rosanne was a driving force of the family and she was the focal point of the family and not the father, as in most television shows.
I suppose I always knew that television was a focus in my own life but that it affected us all so much as it has never really crossed my mind until reading these chapters. I guess if we took other aspects of the world (such as “going green”) as we take our TV watching, then we might be living in a better world, but then…where is the fun in that?
It is unfortunate to say, but through all forms of media, Canadians are drowned in a sea of all that is American; from political decisions to what we wear and eat, its influence can be strongly sensed and hard to avoid. Unfortunately our children and youth are the ones most at risk of its all too often hypocritical influence. The American media “sells” and glorifies slutty looking pop stars, who all sing the same songs (it seems), if they even sing, and gangster rap singers whose claims to fame are bitches and hoes and ridiculous amounts of useless bling. But In the same breath, it implicitly frowns upon teenage mothers and the “black man” in general, portraying them as somewhat unfit and not up to par to fully and positively contribute to their glorious and proud nation. So what are kids suppose to do with all this contradictive brainwashing? It is unfortunate that our less than perfect neighbour to the south takes up as much space as it does and has so much influence on our society despite the fact that they seem to be in a perpetual state of confused and frightened narcoleptic like daze when it comes to what they create and ingurgitate. It is of the utmost importance that, not only as teachers, but as responsible citizens as well, we become more aware of our own levels of blindness and biases derived from what was fed to us through the media. Only then can we become helpful gatekeepers when helping our munchkies navigate through this web of often misleading information that is the almighty media.
BTW it is 9:28 p.m. Monday evening
I disagree slightly is saying that Canadian’s are drowned in sea of American culture. It is this ignorance that has been bestowed upon Canadians, excusing our poor decisions as “American” culture, that is at the root at our problem. Yes, the idea of American pop/media culture infesting our globe is plausible, but we must look deeper into the issue and begin to take ownership for the issues. I think North American’s, in general, are experts in pointing the finger at others. Media, defined as any form of music, clothing, television, video, internet, magazine, or news is constantly thrown in our face and assumed to be American. Canadian’s play just as prominent role in the world of media instigators as American’s. Canadian’s mould and alter news, and images to create a product that is tailored to our lifestyle. The fact is, we are all affected by media is some direct (or indirect) way. To further this, we as teachers sisters, brothers, parents etc. act as filters moulding our peer’s decisions as to what to watch (and how to react to it).
So, is it truly fair to blame all the media problems on our southern neighbours? Or are we ready to combat the media issues as a Canadian society and take ownership; take a real role in the precious world that is media.
I’ve read through several replies here and have found them to be pretty insightful. Unfortunately I don’t have the time to read them all right now, so I apologize if I say anything redundant. I think it is great that the world is paying so much attention to the presidential race, but agree that we, as Canadians, should maybe focus more of our efforts on our own politics. That is not to say that we should stop paying attention to American politics, as they are obviously hugely influential to the rest of the world, but as someone mentioned earlier- we have little power over who wins in the US. If we strongly believe in one candidate’s ambitions and stances then I think we should find the most comparable Canadian candidate and at least devote the same amount of support to them. That being said, I need to take my own advice. I am incredibly guilty of not following Canadian politics- so much so that I learned about the upcoming Canadian election via CNN.com. I was ashamed to see the headline and then go “Oh, really?”. If any good comes out of this presidential race, then maybe it will be that it has lighted a political fire under our asses, and perhaps we will be motivated to make a difference where we can.
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Until I have educated myself more on the inner workings of the Canadian government, I would still like to comment on what has been happening in America. I am devastated by McCain choosing Palin as a running mate. I had argued before, obviously naively, that there was no way an old white man like McCain could be in touch with today’s society. He has proven me wrong though. While Obama seems to have tried to pick a safe choice (by choosing an old, white man…hmm…), McCain chose a relatively young, loud-mouthed woman, with an no-name husband, a child with down-syndrome, and another child who is pregnant out of wedlock. This seemed at first to me to be a very strange decision. Yet very quickly I realized that no, this was a very good plan.
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Good stances or not, a lot of what Obama had going for him, to keep him in the eye of the media, was that he came off as younger, more in-touch (and, of course, black). McCain has now stolen that buzz. I still sit here going “Biden who?”. I simply have not been motivated to learn anything about him. Yet I seem to know all about Palin without even trying. In fact, I may know more about her than even Obama. That is frightening to me. People have also noted that McCain is probably trying to steal the votes of the women who previously backed Hilary and are still dissatisfied with Obama. I can only hope that people will not vote for McCain/Palin just because there is a woman on the ticket. Hilary and Palin share none of the same beliefs (that I am aware of) and that would probably be the stupidest decision one could make.
While I am not very informed when it comes to politics, I still feel like I know much more about Canadian politics than most of my peers. What little I know about Canadian politics seems paramount to how much I know about American politics. But, this is what I have always found disturbing – many of my peers can discuss American politics endlessly, yet they could not even name Quebec’s premier. All of this is a result of our obsession with the American media. We should start focusing more on our own country’s issues. I do believe that many Canadians latch on to American culture because they seem to know exactly who they are. The Canadian identity is very vague. With Canada being so multicultural, it is difficult for us to form a generalized culture that everyone can relate to. (I know that the United States is very ethnically diverse also, but they don’t seem to be as influenced by this as we are (at least that’s how the media makes it seem)). The Canadian identity is still a work in progress, but, how will it ever be complete if everyone ignores it and focuses on the United States?
As for the question, “do kids have any chance of making up their own minds?”, I honestly think that they can if parents and teachers help kids analyse the messages the media is throwing at them. They have to learn how to question these messages and learn where they are coming from – usually, money-hungry advertisers. We need to encourage kids to discover alternative views and let them set their own standards.
Wrong date and time: it’s actually Sept. 8th at 10:17pm
OKAY, so I dont think this is the right place to post this, however, I dont know where else to post it, so I’m going to go ahead and switch gears a little and start talking about the homework reading assignment for EDEC 262, and the question Shirley posed in the original post.
SO, I think kids DO have a chance of making up their own minds. Everyday millions of people watch the news, read the paper, and search the web mindlessly – without thinking questioning or otherwise analyzing.
It’s so easy to ignore all the issues of race, sexuality, gender, class, power, etc. that Kellner and Share reference in their essay in CHapter 1, and passively accept all that the media feeds you and your consumer driven surroundings. However, I found this essay to be quite inspiring in that it urges students and teachers to work together to promote media literacy and deconstruct all that is socially, politically, and otherwise artificially constructed in past and present society.
I was pleased they highlighted it is the responsibility of educators to develop pedagogies that reconstruct the institution of education on a whole and individual basis, thus adapting to the ever evolving media influence.
A funny thing happened when I was reading this essay – I flashbacked to an early point on my “relationship with media” timeline. The essay cites Disney at one point, and I remembered the first time I saw Toy Story – it was the first movie I saw that wasn’t a Disney film. I was confused and was looking for the Disney symbols, and didn’t understand the little lamp dancing around for Pixar. I remember so vividly understanding suddenly that Disney was the same as Pixar in that they both were the “people” who made movies. And It was then that I realized that Disney was just a company. It wasn’t the definition of kids movies, it was just ONE kind of kids movie. It was a weird moment. I thought DIsney = childhood, and then all of a sudden it didn’t. Now I see Disney as this huge conglomerate blah blah blah etc about Disney’s status in the business world.
It is up to parents, teachers, all those who influence children, to practice critical media skills and pass those on to the children they work worth. Yes, kids do have a chance of making up their own minds – it is up to good teachers to teach them how to make decisions and form opinions. Teachers do not tell, they facilitate. And that is what teaching media literacy is all about, facilitating critical thinking.
wrong date and time – sept 8 at 10:38pm
I agree with Jordan on his discussion of media. We seem to put a lot of emphasis on the American culture and influence in our society. It is easy to point and blame others for things that go wrong in our lives. I think that taking a more active approach and working for a future of independence and free thinking is more worthwhile then blaming others for our media infested society.
People today are desensitized by the amount of overloaded advertisements and commercials which are thrown at them every moment of the day. Because of this we tend to lose all rational thought. It is easier in this day and age to just go with the flow and except what is being feed to us. We are indeed bombarded with the ideology of the media everyday in our television, films, video games and music. No matter where we go we are surrounded by the media governing us on how to dress, act, and even what to say. Young children and adolescents are sponges and pick up attitudes and conceptions so very quickly without stopping and thinking for themselves. The media thrives on this and until we can wake up and realize the control and authority we are giving them, children will never have the strength and power to make up their own mind.
In regards to the recently asked question, I’d say children do have a chance of making up their own minds, it is just up to us, the educators to give them the tools and skills to read the media and break from convention. Chapter 1 of our textbook states that, “Literacy involves gaining the skills and knowledge to read, interpret, produce texts and artefacts to gain the intellectual tools and capacities to fully participate in one’s culture and society.” In order to give the students a fighting chance for the future, to conquer the constant bullying of the media we as teachers and role models need to give them the knowledge to understand the media and to be able to read their messaging for themselves.
In response to Shanna D., I must say it is true that canadians should focus a little more on their own politics and on their own issues. Afterall, it is part of our duty as a citizen. But I don’t think because canadians are interested in American politics they have more difficulties to find their own culture. Furthurmore, I think canadians not only should, but have to understand what is going on in the U.S.A. Since the americans have such a big impact on the way we live, it is necessary for us to get into american politics.
I’ll just take oil as an example : you probably all know that the United States is the biggest consumer of petrol in the world. In fact, they need more than what they can afford and with the fragile situation in the middle-east countries, it is always harder for them to get enough oil. This being said, Canada, with his ”oil sands” (sable bitumineux) is now one of the top oil producer in the world. Thus, Americans are eventually going to look north when they will need oil. Just imagine the huge impacts it would have on the canadian economy and on the environment…
The same situation applies when it comes down to fresh water. Americans don’t have that much drinkable water and they are well aware about the blue gold we have in Quebec. According to me, it is important for canadians to know what the political leaders in the U.S.A think about all those situations. I know canadians are not allowed the vote and that our opinion won’t make a change. But still, if we can understand more about the americans, it willl certainly be helpful when we’ll have to choose our own leaders.
Those are only two examples (and I could keep going forever) why canadians should care about american politics. Whether canadians like it or not, they should definitely understand at least the basis of american politics.
*I’m sorry if I made some mistake… I’m a french-canadian and my english is not perfect yet !
wrong date and time !!! sept. 8 at 11:17 p.m.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I strongly agree with the book about the emphasized importance of media in our society. People nowadays learn almost everything via media technology, such as the internet and television. Media has such a great influence mainly on children, proof of which is how all young girls want to be “Hannah Montanna’s” after the Hannah Montanna series kicked off.
However, children cannot blame media for their actions. Teenagers can’t blame media for getting pregnant because it is so common in the television shows, and so on, because the majority of media is to entertain, and not to teach ethics and core values. Children should be responsible for their own actions, and parents responsible for teaching their children right from wrong.
Media Literacy is dominating schools and universities as a teaching tool, and is increasing the efficiency of education through visual images and sounds. Nevertheless, the increasing importance of tangible print literacy is evident.
However, schools are increasingly adding multimedia and technological methods to aid in educating students, since it grasps the student’s interest more than plain text in books.
As for the impact media in general has on people of all ages; media implies issues of racism and powerlessness of women sometimes without even meaning to, for example the news broadcast several patches of information about a certain incident, and somehow ignores other information. A more elaborate example is how I watch an american news channel broadcasts a political incident which is also broadcasted in it’s enemy’s country’s channel, but each channel displays different photos to make themselves look like the victimised country.
Generally, media is capable of having a great impact on people’s opinions and perspectives, but it should be kept in mind that what is broadcasted on the news and televisions is created by people, and the data is a reflection of their own personal thoughts and beliefs. So, people should remember their own core values before being swept away by a few strong advertisements.
Regarding what Dr. Steinberg has said, I definitely agree that we do not hear enough about Canadians. I also do agree that we should focus on Canadian affairs and issues, instead of taking the USA as our example and mentor in everything we try to achieve. I think the Canadian society is different in many aspects from the United States’. We do share common values and behaviors, but there are definitely some differences in the way we are governed or even in the way we are thinking. If we would be exactly like them, we would not realize that Obama should be the next president of the USA, which is clearly not the case for most Canadians who stand behind that “Black man”, like he was labelled in Steinberg’s post.
Moreover, I do not understand why their culture should prevail over ours, especially as they are manipulated by people with ideologies I do not agree with (actual Republicans). I think that has a society, we Canadians should try to dissociate ourselves from the United States so we can start focusing on our own needs and our own politics.
I think we have too often tried to become like them, but that would mean, just like Steinberg was talking about in her post, that we would become as ignorant as them. In such case, that would definitely be the end of the “maple leaf” as we know it. In that same train of thoughts, the issue of media and the impact it has on our children that was raised by Steinberg in her post is just one more reason for why we should dissociate ourselves from the Americans. Pressure would be easier to handle for every Canadian if we would have the backbone to resist to the Americans when they ask from us to conform to their ways of living. However, I must say that this would represent a personal as well as a collective effort to change and to better ourselves.
Reading the last sentence of Steinberg’s post, I can however doubt that we will succeed in doing so… For this, media would have to question its content and popular culture would have to change as well, so our children would not be intoxicated with improper material.
This is mainly a response to Nadine Al Khudari. I don’t necessarily agree with all that I am writing but I am writing it for that fundamentalist effect.
Media is being brought into schools at an alarming rate. As one example, my high school wanted to teach us with the best technology around. They were somehow convinced to purchase not one, but TWO $5000 Smartboards, the true value of which I am still unsure of. For my two final years of high school the monstrosities collected dust in the janitor’s closet right next to equally useful brooms, mops and buckets.
I think that as schools try to be at the “forefront” of educational technology, they seem to forget time and time again that the most technological piece of equipment that will EVER step foot in a classroom is the teacher. No amount of technological backup will substitute for that man or woman, nor can technology increase the child’s desire and capacity to learn the desired material, respect or social grace. The student who won’t open a textbook of his own accord surely will not explore technology to supplement his learning. Are we really that stupid? There is just as much subject related material in a textbook, as far as elementary pedagogy is concerned, then there is on the entire internet. The limiting factor here is the child’s brain and attention span, not the information’s availability. The best argument for technologising the classroom is the “interactive” argument. It goes like this: “If we put technology into the classroom it will become (more?) interactive and the students will be more engaged, so they will learn.” If anybody reading this agrees then please come and speak to me. I think it a most ridiculous thing to argue. Aside from the occasionally useful scientific or literary demonstration, human interaction is the interaction that should be emphasized in schools! Humans. Remember them? Those bipedal creatures that grew you and now (strangely) beckon you to consume digestibles with them in the kitchen come feeding time, taking you away from your precious technology?
In response to Ms. Al Khudari’s comment: “…I watch an American news channel broadcasts a political incident which is also broadcasted in its enemy’s country’s channel, but each channel displays different photos to make themselves look like the victimised country.” This is called propaganda. Imagine watching, listening to or reading any sort of media. Now imagine that that media had no sort of message whatsoever. I’ve had a few course packs like that and they are now sitting between a rotting carrot and a discarded tampon in some landfill off the south shore. Of course the media has a message they want you to understand and of course you want to understand it. That’s why you “tune in”. It’s unfortunate to experience such biased propaganda in the news but we’re all human and humans are biased.
For example, suppose for a moment that the “war on terrorism” really was a war on terrorism and that all the Western world really wanted to do was spread democracy. Well, if someone agreed with this, they would issue media in support of it. One-sided media, to be sure. I think that this is both good and bad, but not something that we can ever change. For that we need wealth, majority, and a collective conscience. Sounds like an extremist society to me.
I strongly disagree with idea that not supporting Obama makes someone closeminded. This type of thinking is a sippery slope and hurts the disourse regarding racism, as it implies that not supporting a black candidate automatically makes someone a racist. This knee-jerk reactionary thinking seems incredibley silly to me. There are plenty of reasons to not support Obama that have nohing to do with his racial idenitity, sush as his lack of political experience and far fetched promises. Or maybe the fact that he seems to believe that average Americans are ‘bitter’ rednecks clinging to their guns and bibles.I have trouble supporting McCain as well, as I’m against his stance on the war, but how openminded is it to refer to him as a ‘senile old man’? I also don’t understand why Palin is labeled ‘anti-feminist’ Is this because she does’nt fit the mold or share the beliefs held by radical left-wing feminists? If feminism is about agency and choice for women, then should’nt they be free to form their own opinions? I’m sorry if this post seems pro-conservative, but i felt the need to add a dissenting voice to the mix. Ultimately, I believe Obama will win, but if he doesn’t, let’s not be so quick to put the blame on ‘close-minded’ Americans.
Class and Media
It was awkward to see shows that I enjoyed watching being criticized. Should we feel bad for enjoying some of the shows that are being criticized in Chapter 5? Are we hypocrites?
70% of prisoners are non-white. Cop shows upset people because minority groups are often the criminals. Is the media trying to reflect the 70% or is trying to please a specific audience? Others are upset when minority groups have upper-class professions because it leads us to believe that minority groups are now treated equally when this isn’t the case. So in which context should minority groups be displayed? What you won’t see in TV shows is that the largest group of poor people in the US is white.
TV also makes working-class whites seem as cultural outcasts from the middle-class. They will immediately be labeled as rednecks or white trash. Working-class is seen as a failure for whites. If middle-class guy has a lack of desire to work, then media tells us that he’s skrewing-up. If a working-class guy demonstrates the same behavior, then media tells us that’s exactly who they are.
What is the American Dream in a capitalist country? There was a time when workers could move up in classes through hard work. The cream would eventually rise to the top and live the American Dream. Now, if you are labeled as working-class, then you are to stay in that class because you are inadequate to advance. Working-class means that you failed and you are to blame for your lack of intelligence and poor work ethic. In the meantime, US corporations believe that it is better to move working-class positions to Third World countries where there’s great illiteracy. US working-class people are too qualified? The American Dream is accessible to very few. 80% of all political contributions come from less than 1% of the population, therefore, less than 1% of Americans calls the shots. 99% of Americans have no say. That 1% of Americans (top political contributors) control the media and they will continue to manipulate 99% of the population in believing that with hard work you will make it to the top. And if you don’t you don’t like it, they can export the American Dream to other countries. You see how beneficial it would be for US corporations if they could lower minimum wages in the US.
The reality is that many of us are becoming poorer because the price of food, gas, and housing has increased dramatically over the years but a teacher’s salary hasn’t. A base salary of $30,000 wasn’t that great when houses were $60,000 and gas was 30 cents a liter, but houses are now starting at $200,000 and gas is $1.34 a liter.
Seeing as how the blogs are about media issues I will begin a series of blogs about an issue I seem to have with the media. Now it seems that some president of some company had a round table discussion in which it was decided that it would be cool to start a crusade to destroy videogames popularity and isolate themselves from the younger generation. Of course I applaud the laughable and sometimes questionable choices taken by the television news in the portrayal of any other type of media but this one takes the cake and not only eats it but try’s to shove it down our throats as well. Basically just when you thought it was safe to shout “I love video games!” without getting a look that could turn you into salt and scatter you to the four winds some breaking news shows up that makes you want to eat your words and then swallow the shit to make sure no one ever knows about it like some deranged hunter.
It seems that despite studies that have shown that video games can be good for you in moderation t.v. still hangs out with the “video games are bad” fanclub inspite of it all. Granted there is proof to suggest that both sides of the arguement has its point but there is so much proof that it snapped the preverbial see-saw in half. Perhaps television news just can’t find any good stories and it decides to pick on its younger media brother or more accurately middle child. Growing up between t.v. and the internet is hard, so just cut video games some slack right? Or maybe it gets picked on because it can’t fight back because a game about bad t.v. is never going to sell unless there was some femme fatal with enormous breasts and promises of wanton violence which leads me to next weeks point, why is the rating system so utterly raped by the media for its ineptitude? It isn’t the only bad rating system!
We now live in a media saturated society in which every waking moment we’re bombarded with ideals, goals, and views held and protected by the corporate power structure. Media now, as opposed to being an objective source of information, has taken the conscious role of swaying mass appeal; pacifying the masses. In North American society we commend ourselves on our abundance of freedoms and opportunities, yet with a growing level of media manipulation and double-speak how can we truly understand our liberty under the all encompassing bubble of Western sway? The relationship between freedom and control in the media is probably most poignantly portrayed in Orwell’s 1984. In his vision, Orwell depicts a society subdued and manipulated by the pervasive message of the power structure while simultaneously under the ever watchful gaze of Big Brother. What we see here is essentially mind control and surveillance as the controlling tools of the powers that be. These concepts, however frightening in the book itself, take on an entirely new level of insanity when placed in our modern context.
One example from contemporary media that I would like to pay close attention to while relating to the themes brought up by Orwell is Facebook. In 1984, we see an entire society under constant and acknowledged surveillance yet the majority of people see little problem with this as the omnipotence and righteousness of The Party is preached relentlessly. This is a perfect example of media manipulation to sway mass appeal and impose control; specifically in instilling full faith and subservience in the power structure therefore laying the foundation for little to no resistance against the destruction of the basic right of privacy. This tactic may have worked in 1984, yet it would clearly not fly today (however the surveillance system in London draws frightening parallels). Nonetheless, Facebook emerges as a foreboding modern representation of Orwell’s theme of surveillance and control. As I said before, the tactics exhibited by Big Brother wouldn’t necessarily fly today, this is why I feel the corporate media as well as the political power structure have come together to provide the grounds for a crucial paradigm shift to fulfill 21st century control and surveillance. Seeing as the people would be up in arms against imposed surveillance, I feel that the media and the government have put in place the grounds for a reversal of roles. Through constant representations of the ideal lifestyle, consumerism, and vanity, the media has created more so than ever before the desire to be on display. In addition, reality television seems to have subconsciously placed within the youth a pleasurable sense of being watched as if we’re LIVING reality tv. These influences, among others, have provided the necessary framework for the voyeuristic obsession that is Facebook to rise to prominence. This in itself is troublesome enough, yet when the watchful eyes of the power structure are added to the equation poor Orwell’s probably rolling in his grave. As many people know, Facebook is now under the umbrella of a number of corporations with obvious ties and common interests as the power structure itself. Furthermore, it is well known that Facebook, no matter what privacy settings are put in place, can be accessed by those higher up (for example, employers often sift through Facebook profiles while taking job applications). So when the growing desire to be on display and the ability of the power structure to watch over such display collides, we have a scenario frighteningly close to the image envisioned by Orwell. Yet there will be no government workers knocking at your door to install the surveillance cameras, no posters advertising Big Brother’s gaze because we the masses have taken it upon ourselves to be watched and we quite like it.
It is true that people think of television shows as only a means of entertainment, which causes them not to realize that the ideas portrayed leave a great impact on our view of life, and thus our behavior in life! For example, although someone watching an exciting, fictional movie like “Mission Impossible” is aware of the fact that it is just an untrue, imaginary story, that person might think of his life as boring and will look down on himself as soon as the movie is over.
Shows like “The Cosby Show” made a positive impact on viewers at the time where people were suffering from financial and racial issues. The show encouraged black poor people that if they work hard enough they will achieve things in life by portraying a humorous yet not goofy black father figure who is dependable and supports his family.
Also, shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” portrays a middle class family taking poor youth out of the ghetto and taking care of him. This boy, performed by Will Smith, shows that poor people from the ghetto have potential to succeed with a little push, and they do not all tend to end up as criminals!
Another example is the show “George Lopez” where a family of Latino’s are “following the american dream” and trying to reach to the top. The family represents real middle class, working Latino’s in society who are trying to succeed in life.
“Will and Grace” also represents the different ways homosexuals can be present in upper – middle class society. Jack and Will are both gay, but behave substantially different. This shows viewers that it is okay to be homosexual and not act like stereotypical homosexual people.
As mentioned in the film “Class Dismissed”, which is done by the Media Education Foundation, people are placed in different social class according to their occupation, lifestyles, level of education, and most importantly, their annual income. This is evident in the media for you never see a show about rich people with bad taste and low class, or vice versa.
According to what television shows display about the working class’s lifestyles throughout the decades, the flaws of the working class are that:
1. They require bad taste. They’re always slobs, drinking alcohol on the tacky furniture, as in “The Drew Carey Show” and “According to Jim”, where the men are also making stupid decisions, showing stupidity. They don’t often appreciate finer things in life and are seen mocking the upper class. It is awkward for them to mingle with the upper class, like in “The Nanny” where the working class characters embarrass themselves. Personal makeover shows that transform working class people to fit into the upper class is proof for their viewers that basically says that the lower class people are not capable of entering the high class life, that they even need a physical makeover to allow them to.
2. They’re reactionary politicians. Extremely close minded, and horrendous about the current advancements in the current society’s behaviors. Although they are anti-intellectual, they are still the domineering figure in the household.
3. They possess poor work ethics. They lack leadership skills, and never work hard enough and yet complain about low salaries, and high taxes! “Married With Children” is a suitable example for all the points mentioned.
These typical aspects of lower class working people spreads the stereotypical message to the audience that all working class people behave this way.
Reality shows like “Most shocking videos” and police fighting crime lay great emphasis on the ghetto, where black, poor people is a result of lack of guidance or parenthood, and how it is typical of them to end up as criminals and deserve to go to jail. Even if the police and judges in a fighting crime show are also black or african americans, they are not removing the stereotypical image of black criminals in the ghetto.
In a nut shell, this is how media somehow reflects the stereotypical reality of people and class, and those stereotypes reside in our minds after watching what is on television. That is why we should remember that television shows are mostly fictional stories made to entertain, and if we choose to believe what we see are examples of life, we should remain open minded for the possibility that there are people in life that do not fit their stereotypes, and you can be whoever you want to be, and achieve whatever you want regardless where you’re from. You don’t need to have bad taste if you don’t have money to live in luxury, and you don’t have to be a criminal if you live in the ghetto.
.. if you did
I am SO SORRY for the length of this post
But thanks for reading
It is interesting to think back now about all the hours wasted as an adolescent watching television. It was always “must see tv.” Sporting event… “best of the century”. Season Finale… “most important night on television”. And on, and on, and on… But now today we barely remember any of these events.
November 3, 2000 at the Leisure Centre in Ebbw Vale, Wales, in the United Kingdom a boxing fight occurred. The featherweight fight was Russell Rees vs. Des Sowden and was available internationally on Pay-Per-Vu. Dubbed “the greatest featherweight fight in the history of mankind,” viewers were quickly let down. Despite the billing, the multimillion-dollar promotions, and the $49.99 viewing cost, the fight lasted a grand total of four seconds. That’s right, four seconds. The first punch knocked out Des Sowden and Russell Rees won. The only thing to come out of the fight was the statistic of – the quickest boxing knockout ever recorded, and me being out $50 bucks.
Another incredibly overrated block of programming has been reality television. Survivor, Big Brother and American Idol have been, in my opinion, overrated and overstated. Most of these shows, the formers in seasons 10+, the latter going into season 8, have promised making celebrities and superstars. American Idol, and subsequently Canadian Idol, claim that they are creating superstars. Really? How many people can name the winners of the Idols? How can there be a new better than ever idol every year? Granted Kelly Clarkson has had success, as well has Carrie Underwood, but who are the others? I don’t even want to touch Canadian Idols, just a bunch of Nickelbacks’.
I guess my point is that despite constant billing as the greatest television event, they are not. Its false advertising and they need to stop. Fuck.
Scotty G.
Are my posts in the right place!?
Scotty, you’re right in a sense. Media does make things seem bigger than they really are. “It’s gonna be the biggest event of the year..” and most of the time it is just false advertisement..but do you think they care? They won’t stop. Headlines like those draw people to the shows and that’s all that matters to them. They don’t give a shit if it’s not really going to be the biggest event to hit television, if the headline is going to increase viewers, that’s all they give a shit about. They got you to spend money on a boxing event didn’t they? So their strategy works.
American Idol is really overrated. All those shows are overrated but they’re a big success. Media knows exactly what to do to make it a big success. If we look at American Idol..its not only the way they describe the show that make it a big success but what they present on the actual show. During the auditions, they don’t show people with talent..they show people who make fools of themselves…who knows if these people aren’t really acting just to make the show more interesting (i hope they are, cuz if some people really think their good they have serious freagin issues). Anyway, media uses a variety of different strategies to get people interested and as annoyiny as it really is, most people fall for it. Whether we enjoy it or not, media is a huge influence. And even if they use false advertisement, it’ll never stop, cuz it really does attract people/viewers.
After doing some of the class readings I was shocked to discover just how controlled our media is. Glancing at the very short list of the 5 massive transnational corporations I was outraged to realize that what I was watching could be manipulated and run by massive corporations with political and personal agendas. It almost makes me sick to think that the general public can be coerced into believing the mass media and taking everything in as fact, completely unaware of the corruption behind it all. It is stated in the book that the “corporate for-profit media are driven by interests that are antagonistic to their contractual mission of public service.” The airwaves are a public good. We as a society have a right to the airwaves for the public’s general information. How are we to be rightly serviced if the media has created hegemony? Is this not a violation of our rights as people and citizens?
I found the saying, “You are only as liberal as the man that owns you” highly appropriate for this context. To be controlled by someone or something by force or no other opposition is a form of fascism. The Dictionary of Encarta states that fascism is any movement, ideology, or attitude that favours dictatorial government, centralized control of enterprise, repression of all opposition, and extreme nationalism. By having very few choices in what we watch and whom we watch it from, we are dictated in the way we regard the media. We are being told how to think, how to vote and what to consume. The idea of repression of all opposition is highly significant as well. What is the employer going to do when their very job depends whether they support or oppose the media’s objectives. This idea of fear and threat is what empowers the media and keeps them in domination. So my question is this, how are we to stop the dictatorship of the media and recreate democracy?
A main idea that is brought up numerous times in the readings regarding the link between media literacy and education of our youth is the importance of teaching students to “read critically” images and views that they may encounter through various forms of media. Considering the fact that we are living in a digital age and that a large majority of today’s students have been brought up in a society surrounded by digital media, it makes perfect sense that digital means of learning are introduced and referred to in classrooms as a means of engaging students in learning styles that are authentic and meaningful to them. However, as many of you have discussed and as is made clear in the readings, it is very easy, especially for younger children, to become influenced by what they are exposed to through different forms of media. Therefore, it is here that we see how crucial it is for students (and, in fact, all of us!) to become media literate, because the reality of the situation is that there are a number of greedy corporations out there that are driven by “for-profit interests” rather than “public interests”.
I myself do believe that incorporating different technologies and media into the classroom can enhance the learning experience and make it more significant and enjoyable for students; however, before making use of these technologies as learning tools, the main ideas behind critical media literacy must be introduced. Young people need to learn how to make decisions about the world and create their own opinions, which is becoming a daunting task in a society in which we are being manipulated to view the world as it is depicted through different forms of media, which is usually not very accurate. Therefore, the question now becomes how can we successfully incorporate media literacy into our classrooms?
I was very interested in the readings this week and the topic of critical media literacy. Everyone, at some point, is subjected to messages in the media and it is crucial that people know how to read these messages “critically”, or else you could be stuck being sucked into something you didn’t even know was there. Personally, this is my first time ever taking a class focused solely on media and technology and I think that this type of class is vital in our technology-based world. As an answer to Melinda’s question, can we incorporate media literacy in our classrooms; I think yes, we can! I believe this class is the first step in teaching us, as educators, to be aware of the media and to pass on the knowledge we gain to our future students. Our society is only going to continue to be controlled by the media and propaganda messages so I feel it is absolutely necessary to open the youth’s eyes to profit-driven media. To think that young people have a buying power of 9 to 11 billion dollars in disposable income is almost unbelievable (plus what they weasel out of their parents!). No wonder there are companies out there trying to make a buck, creating media messages meant to sell their products to the youth of today.
I also found the comparison of The Incredibles to contemporary politics intriguing. It’s weird to think a children’s cartoon has connections to democracy and politics. The reading even went to compare the movie with Plato’s philosophy!
Ok, my blog has nothing to do with what was put up here initially nor about the readings, but I need to rant about this. Every second time I go to the bathroom in our school (or at Concordia… ya I know, I’m sorry) I feel my intelligence as a young woman is being insulted. Plan B (the morning after pill that is now available over the counter) has an add campaign that has been going on for about a year and is usually advertised in bathroom stalls. The ads are in French and are usually composed of writing in bold letters and bright colors. One of them can read the following (or something along those lines): “ooh, ooh, oh oui, ooh, oh oui, oh, oh, euh, non, oh non!” This is basically describing a girl enjoying a sexual intercourse session but then realizing the guy is ejaculating without any protection on either end. But hey, no worries right? Plan B is there to save the day! All of their adds pretty much go along the same lines. They all take away our responsibility to have safe sex by 1. making girls appear ditsy, and therefore undermining their intelligence and capacity to be responsible 2. making it seem okay to be irresponsible since there exists a magic pill to prevent undesired pregnancies. Someone commented with a black marker in one of the stalls (and I love this):“how about Plan A, actual birth control”. And I add, how about real protection, you know, the kind that prevents the spread of STD`s as well. Such advertisement campaigns should be banned in my opinion; if only for the fact that I feel such adds is a danger to our society. I can understand accidents happen, but I do believe in higher standards for our society’s women.
In response to Melinda, I completely agree with you. Introducing modern technology like computers into the class room is a great idea. Now a days young adolescents (even young children) use technology very often and as such it is an essential of every day life for the majority of individuals. Therefore, by incorporating technology into the classroom you are relating to the student’s interests. Being able to relate class material to the media is a great way to attract your students attention. Moreover, another benefit of using technology in the classroom is that students who do not have a computer at home or who aren’t familiar with the new technology can learn how to actually use it, which now a days is a very good skill to have.
In addition, introducing technology and media into the classroom does also have disadvantages. Like Melinda said, young children are easily influenced; therefore, it is essential that media literacy is taught in classes as of grade 1. Children must be able to distinguish fantasy from reality. Teachers may decide to play a Disney movie, like Cinderella, in class and demonstrate to the children the certain stereotypes that exist in these films. Although very young, children are able, with the help from the teacher, to understand the misconceptions of gender roles presented to them in the films. By using materials (media) which are age appropriate and of course of interest to the children, I believe a professor is able to teach his or her students about media literacy.
this is a reponse to Cassandra Guedes.
i don’t know if imtroducing technology (such as computers) into a classroom is such a great idea. im not saying that it won’t help but the teacher has to be very vigilant, because how often do we see students in college and university on their laptops and on sites like facebook, when they should be paying attetion.
Also, i really don’t think that young children will be able to “understand the misconceptions of gender roles presented to them in the films”to kids all they are is stories. to them its nice to have a prince come and rescue them and sweep them off their feet.
as far as media literacy goes i do agree that it is taught, it is important that we teach the children how to look at media critically. the only issue with this is to teach it to older kids like grade 5 and up.
Have any of you ever heard of Yelle?
“Je veux te voir
Dans un film pornographique
En action avec ta bite”
I was singing this song the other day when my friend, who is a Quebec City native, stared at me with bulging eyes. After she translated the lyrics for me, I felt slightly embarrassed because I was singing the song probably a bit too loud. I think this is a great example of how when you don’t look at media critically it can seriously fuck you over.
I think the problem is that media is a constant part of our life. It wakes us up in the morning, follows us to school, and puts us to sleep. How are we seriously expected to “critically” look at media when it embodies everything we do?
So here is my real question: If I cannot keep a conscious effort on the media and look at it critically, how am I supposed to educate vulnerably and easily-influenced children about becoming media literate? Staying on top of media in today’s society has become exhausting.
Perhaps this is a method for ‘brainwashing’ us. We begin repeating something we heard in the media because it has managed to slip into our subconscious, slowly infecting us. It is like a drug; addicting and deliberate in the moment but deathly the future. We crave the media but somehow it eventually turns around and bites us in the ass. Don’t get me wrong, I think media is a great catalyst for understanding our modern world and a great aid for teaching. However, it has become so easy to slip into this zombie, lethargic state. Or perhaps we have just become lazy and intolerant to the media that surrounds us; we don’t put the effort into sifting out what is truth.
In response to Zoë’s post: I thought it was excellent! I totally agree with you, and find the adds degrading to women. I think these types of advertisements are great to discuss in a Secondary classroom. It gives students grounds to debate media while still dealing with real teen issues.
Personally i never really, and still fail to, understand what the whole Hannah Montana craze is all about. It boggles my mind how young teens and little girls look up to her as their role model. Even more so is the fact that they LOVE her and the show. I mean my own young sister wants to buy EveryThing that has Hannah Montana’s face on it! This, i find, is a little disturbing, just a little though. Not! i find it disturbing like there is no tomorrow! i mean why should little children want to buy everything that has her face on it? more so why are they so obsessed about her? In addition, What is it that makes her show better and obsessive to young children than many other shows?!
From my observation, young girls (7-12 yrs old) want to watch the show and even change some of their plans just so they don’t miss the show. Furthermore, it is interesting to see that they take her as a role model even though Hannah Montana does not do any good (in terms of charity work, promoting good moral conduct-not that i’m saying she promotes bad ones, or any other things that make a person qualified to be a role model for younger children). It also does not help that as a 15 year old she posed in pics that hinted at nudity! I mean 8 year old look up to her. What message do they get out of that? –that posing half nude is alright because it will make them just as cool as Hannah because anything that Hannah does is ultra cool and hip?
But obviously im missing something–right? Because she does have a LOT of merchandise-everything from dolls to school supplies to bedroom accessories. Not to mention revenue and movies and concert. In fact she is so popular that even the governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, attended her concert “Best of Both Worlds” AND admits he watched all the episodes. Quite an accomplishment for a 15 year old. She was even nominated for the Emmy Awards.
Now even with all this information, obviously i know that there is something about the show or whole Hannah Montana character that is so attracting that she has the attention from “affluent” people like the governor of Illinois. Despite all this there is just something that still makes me dislike the show and the whole marketing of Hannah Montana’s merchandise. I infer, then, that there is also a reason for my dislike and opinion of the show as one that is very much consumeristic and promotes an early growth in 8 year olds, for example, of becoming teens. Which i am uncomfortable with because i beleive in the whole thing of living your childhood when your a child–not trying to be an adolescent before your time (i.e. going to concerts and what not).
Okay so this is also unrelated to the majority of the posts but it’s the most prominent media-related collection of thoughts i’ve had today..I’m wondering..why is it that american media, culture, politics, celebrity, environmental disasters and economic meltdowns (today’s in particular) are soooo much more engaging than all the lame stuff that happens in the country WE LIVE IN?!?! Okay so that’s an exaggeration but realistically, the amount of time i spend talking, reading, thinking about what’s going on south of the border, totally trumps the rare occasions when i feel compelled to address good old Canada and it’s goings on. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country, tim hortons, the canadiens, free health care!! what’s not to love? And it is out of love that I ask the question.. why do we care so much about what’s going on downstairs?? When was the last time i had a stimulating discussion about our suddenly upcoming elections? Psh! i’m too busy being outraged about sarah palin’s projected cut-backs on..the endangered species list?! (But that’s another blog for another day). The point is that while corporate media are taking a dangerous toll on american society..they’re doing Canadians an even greater disservice by causing us to lose touch with our sense of nationalism (because ‘patriotism’ sounds too american for this context). If our ability to think freely and creatively is going to be overtaken by giant media conglomerates then shouldn’t it atleast benefit our own economy and not theirs??! Sadly, as aware as i am that this is happening i don’t feel particularly motivated to do anything about it. Call me a pessimist but i feel the weight of the undeniable truth that we will always in some ways by stuck in the shadow of our less intelligent but better-endowed big sister. So the least i can do is put my concern for the issues of the united states to good use, move there after i graduate, and do my best to shape the young minds that will hopefully grow up to try and clean up the terribly interesting mess..
The media has never-ending contradictions… It has brought us to a world of truth and lies, beauty and ugliness, sometimes presents moral excellence and other times moral vice….
I believe that everything that has to do with reality of the world and the art of it, has become so plagiarized and commercialized, there is no real appreciation of talent and virtue. There seems to be only one “norm” nowadays and everything that deviates from it is queer and peculiar, and since everyone wants to fit in, they’ll sure as hell want to fight for what they “love” even if it costs them everything along the way.
For some reason, everything is being repeated over and over, you cannot find true creativity anymore and i feel like there’s nothing left to learn anymore neither on the verbal nor philosophical level, it all saturates at some point, all recycled and repeated. It’s like life has paused for a while there and everything has to do with images and abstractions, and everything associated with the past things that everyone used to enjoy, like meaning and communication, etc… it’s all gone and I doubt it will ever come again. Creativity has evaporated and people have no source of inspiration to find out new things anymore.
I hope that there are still some out there who work quietly to make something new without falling apart… I bet those are hidden under the image of normalcy.
In response to Jordan, I know exactly what she is referring to – I myself have had many songs stuck in my head for numerous days. In fact, the worst case of this is when a tune from a commercial gets stuck in your head. This is a way for the media to, in a sense, ‘brainwash’ us, as Jordan states above. We subconsciously lean towards certain products rather than others, and not necessarily based on personal experience. Consumers today know what they want because it is branded somewhere in the back of their minds. Commercials with catch tunes and easy mottos make it hard to ignore their messages. Supposedly, the more terrible the commercial is, the more likely you are to remembering it. Now doesn’t that suck!
The media affects children at all ages, from Barbie commercials to Disney to Gossip Girl. It is important to address media literacy right from the get-go; however it will take on a different shape in each grade. Media literacy is more than just critically analyzing the media; it’s looking at consumerism and its impact of our life. Children must be able to distinguish reality from reality tv, and they must be aware of their potential urges to literally buy into the clothes, cars, and merchandise of the artists and tv characters they love. At one time, the media was to push the envelope and opening doors to lost information – now it’s a fight to find quality in the media. Critical media literacy is a method of helping adolescents find the hidden messages of truth that have been buried under lies.
Yesterday I had the most interesting discussion with a friend. He, unlike myself, is very politically aware. He understands the extend of US propaganda, knowledge control, media, and especially the filtering of information down from the major corporations to finally us, the citizens.
The topic of Barak Obama came up, and I asked him if he thought Obama would get elected as president. His response: “McCain will be bought in, just like the last election.” All of a sudden my pretty paradigm of North America being a democratic society suddenly vanished. People make such a fuss about the importance of voting. For example the new Jessica Alba advertisement. There is tape wrapped around her mouth underscoring how crucial it is to not let other people speak for you. Yet… when it comes down to it… is there a point?
Another area that was brought us was the knowledge that we understand to be the truth- is it actually true? What we learn, what we hear on the news is censored, filtered through many people that have the power to decide what we, as the mass, get to absorb and understand as truth. An example of this is life on other planets. Supposedly there are documents about this, yet they are all blacked out. I personally feel foolish writing this, it sounds so uncreible, but yet worth thinking about.
After our talk I felt almost scared. It seems like our society has more in common with Brave New World than we think. I believe the power that many of us feel is an illusion.
Thank you Russell!
Brave New World. The conspiracy of the classes and the omnipotent media. I thought it was a delightful rendition of our society’s future and past, considering that slavery has existed well before the 15th c. feudalist Europe began planning the takeover of the world. I think that the title Brave New World in itself was the ultimate irony, suggesting that the world had not yet reached out to an Epicurean, narcissistic way of life.
As for your media conspiracy realisation, it’s nothing new and you certainly don’t have to look as far as life on other planets to get a glimpse of it. Have you ever heard of Monsanto, owning the rights to its genetically modified seeds even if they are planted by the farmer from the year before’s crops? How can it be legal, you might ask, that a corporation should own the rights to our food, the single most valuable and influential resource of all time? If you want to tie our general lack of knowledge on the subject back to the media, there was actually a documentary made and never allowed to air on the topic . Huh. You can only see it on http://www.youtube.com under “The World According to Monsanto” (start with part one and follow until part 10). The number of scientists sacked internationally, the censorship, the FDA complicity and the sheer size of this corporation with the power and precedent of suing entire countries almost makes it worth watching.
We can also talk about media and McCarthy. This senator and drunkard from the ineffectual state of Wisconsin single-handedly used the media in order to take advantage of people’s irrational fear of communism (also a media invention…are you scared of Capitalists? Liberals? I didn’t think so) in order to gain an inordinate amount of power. He did this by threatening to call people communists thereby lining them up for crippling federal investigations, economic disaster and reputation homicide. Since he was the leader of the movement (dubbed McCarthyism) he yielded the ultimate power of the “communist designation”. How was this ordinary government official ever given this ridiculous and imaginary power over the lives of innocent Americans? Needless to say that it was granted by an overzealous sensationalist media. It was taken away by a similar media force, in large part by the responsible reporting of Edward R. Murrow on See It Now, a documentary series c. 1954. An excellent film about this is called Goodnight and Good Luck directed by George Clooney, 2005.
Media is the ideological vehicle of every person with big dreams and a desire to get a message across. The scary thing is that people actually listen! When Dr. Steinberg asked us about our media pet peeves in class, I couldn’t think of one on the spot. Then I remembered: I used to watch the Discovery Channel every day after coming home from school. I loved to watch the documentaries and learn some things from the television. Then my afterschool learning was interrupted by corporate media. “Why don’t we become more sensationalist like everyone else?” the Discovery Channel said. They began to slowly replace their mandate with ratings, including brainless shows like Monster Garage, OC chopper, and my personal and ultimate pet peeve, the faux-intellectual television show Animal Faceoff. How I loathe the very essence of that show. It took two random animals, such as an alligator and a hippopotamus, pretended to be scientific by reconstructing their jaws from metal to measure their “bite force” (ooohh, sensationalism) and then computer-simulated a deadly encounter between the two animals to determine who would win in a fight, thereby (completely arbitrarily and based on irrelevant and questionable data) declaring that one animal would theoretically win in a fight over the other. Let me just say that if both Microsoft and Apple cannot predict which word you would like to type next then 4 scientists with a complete disregard for their professions and a team of computer animators cannot predict the result of a fight between a hippo and a crocodile! Shame on the Discovery Channel for airing such despicable garbage after so many years of integrity! The worst part is that there are those people who actually believe that shows like Animal Faceoff represent reality. Show these people a biased newscast, for instance the commentary on a presidential debate, and away they go.
Come see for yourselves how the once esteemed Discovery Channel has degraded itself. This link will allow you to plot animal X vs. animal Y and see who comes out on top…
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/animalfaceoff/game/play.html
All right so last week I ranted about how the media makes video games out to be some sort of corrupting force against all the weak willed consumer types out in the world. So how does everybody get a hold of it? Is it so uncontrollable that a child could go to the counter at Walmart and pickup the most gore infested and most sexually nauseating video games on the market? Short answer, no. Long answer, noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! At least in theory because it seems that parents are constantly giving into their child’s requests for these things and that act (not the child playing the game) will create the shit faced spawn that we see acting in every summer action movie blockbuster that sucks balls. But anyways who gives a damn right? Well I do and you no why? Because the video game rating system is not the only flawed rating system.
Should a child play any game? No, just like they should not watch any movie. The fact that an unknowing parent chooses to buy a video game that is rated M for mature for example doesn’t change the other fact that a 12 year old child can rent or even buy a movie that is rated R in which they will see all the nudity and gore they need to keep themselves awake for the next week or until they have the sudden urge to drive spikes into their friends heads. So is it because a videogame is an interactive experience that it is exemplified as some sort of demonic ritual in which fun loving children lose their souls to the pits of hell and simply cease to be able to interact with other humans in a normal way? An interesting question to keep in mind is this; does interactivity have a greater influence rather than repetitive viewing?
Sorry it should be “you know why” at the end of the 10th line.
ps. oops double post!
In response to Cassandra Guedes’, I agree with you that modern technology such as computers should be introduce in classrooms. Not only should they be in our classrooms, each child in this world should have access to one. How? Have you heard of Nicholas Negroponte? He’s a professor at MIT who has a dream for each child on this planet to have a laptop. For this to be possible, the laptop has to be inexpensive and it has to be robust so that it can function in all climates including deserts, jungles, cold, hot…. It would be possible for homes without electricity, television, or telephones to now communicate with the world and learn. This is great in theory but how feasible is it in reality? Let’s say we were to look at only the US for help. The US war in Iraq may cost around 3 trillion dollars. Let’s do some quick math. $3,000,000,000,000 divided $100 for each laptop = 30,000,000,000 (30 billion) laptops. The world population is 6,602,224,175 (6.6 billion). We wouldn’t need all 30 billion laptops and not ever 6.6 billion because we would only be targeting those who need them. So getting a laptop for each child in the world is possible. It’s true that it would be a challenge to initiate all children to the internet because many of them don’t know how to read. They would also need to know how to operate the laptop. Can you image if every single child had a laptop and access to an education? Children could communicate with others from this world. The media would have to make drastic changes to target an even greater audience. Here’s the link to learn more about onelaptopperchild http://www.olpcnews.com/commentary/press/olpc_60_minutes_video.html
http://www.laptop.org/
Computers are a great technology and a great resource for information. It would be great if each student had a computer or laptop in each classroom. Before i read Kelly’s response i thought it was impossible for every child to have a laptop. But if you look at it the way she presented it, she’s right, it’s possible. If the gov’t would use the money to benefit us, instead of using it for war, children less fortunate, all over the world, can have a laptop. Besides games, facebook, email, computers are extremely useful and really help us get knowledge of things we don’t know about.
However, Mike does have a point. When i look around the classroom at people’s laptops, most of the students aren’t using them to take notes or find information..they’re on facebook. Computers are a distraction and are not always used for work in a classroom setting. Computers are fantastic..very useful..but computers arent only used for work but for entertainment as well and i don’t think bringing laptops into the classroom is such a good idea. Having said that, i still believe every child should have one. It’s a good resource for information, to know what’s going on around the world, interaction and entertainment.
Regarding the one laptop for every child that Kelly brought up I am not sure that I completely agree. I do believe that having a computer of any kind, with Internet, expands the opportunities for learning, meeting new people, networking and keeping in contact with people. It would have the potential to give agency to many children and young adults who are limited. Having access to the Internet would enable any age group to explore other cultures, and show them the immensity of their own potential. But I also feel my desensitization to the “American Dream” is leaking through. What if every child did have a laptop? Would it show them what is out there but out of reach for most of them? We are sitting contemplating this from the other side of the fence, the side of privilege. We, as a western society, are only able to live in the excessive culture that we do because of the many people who are impoverished. So we give them a laptop, show the poor child in India how to use it and then what? S/he goes on it at night but during the day still slaves away in the Nike factory to produce clothing that we consume but yet we are trying to make their lives better right? This idea seems great but yet backwards at the same time. The world isn’t going to change- and even if it did, even if the increase ability to educate oneself spurred the motivation for people all over the world to reject their impoverished, discriminated life, would we let them change? Would we as a western society allow cultures that we dominate in power and money rise up and live an equal fuller life beside us?
Even the idea that every child should have a laptop is, once again, an excessive western thought. Everyone child owning one would increase energy consumption, money and waste. Would computer labs be enough to suffice? Coming from the side of the fence with all the opportunities and luxury I feel hypocritical in criticizing this when all my friends have laptops of their own. I just feel that this idea is unrealistic and superficial. With this idea we are acting as though people across the globe are on the same page as us in terms of societal, economic and political development so having a laptop would be vital component missing in their life. I feel as though most starving children in Africa would rather go to bed without hunger pains then know, because they were surfing the net that evening, that Canada is facing an obesity epidemic due to over eating.
It’s amazing how talk shows are able to convert people’s lives and cultures into commodity! I find it rude to take people’s situations and issues – whether good or bad, and to broadcast them for thousands of people to watch in order to have a successful talk show that entertains their audience. People’s lives aren’t stories that strangers can tune into when watching Dr. Phill for example, they are real life situations, where people are entitled to their privacy. However, they also allow the public media to make a business out of their personal dilemma’s!
There is one Dr. Phil episode that I found extremely interesting, a part of it is found on this website: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNPvdsJS-qE ) where the guest on the show believes he is helping the homeless by abusing them, and Dr. Phil suddenly stops the video and refuses to publicize the guest’s opinion that “it’s a sick world”. Then the guest who does “despicable” work tells Dr. Phil “if you think I exploit people, every time you bring a guess on this show, you exploit them and spread every problems they have to the whole world. You think that’s helpin them?”. Although this twisted man who made millions by broadcasting footage of him abusing and hitting homeless people because of their status, in my opinion, he couldn’t have described talk shows’ commodification of people’s lives in any better way.
On the other hand, the fact that Dr. Phil refuses to publicize that guest gives him credit for showing that there are limits to making a business product out of other people’s lives and opinions that were once for free.
Another clip where Dr. Phil commodifies a family’s situation is found on this website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn18H3FKDV4 where a raging young boy slaps his mother. I believe many young children occasionally feel angry towards their parents when they need more attention or they miss their parents. And many of them express negative behavior to get some attention. But good parenting teaches children to control their feelings and to resort to a different approach for attention than acting rebeilous and agressive. However, due to the Dr. Phil show, as seen in the clip, that child felt like he had the spotlight and the right to rage out on his mother to the extent that he slaps her at one piont. That show materialized the mother-son’s relationship to make a show out of it, whereas their relationship worsened and the child felt like he had the right to act out like a brat.
I strongly disagree with talk shows that commodifies people’s sensitve personal problems for their own financial benefit. It does not help those family’s lives when they are being used as entertainment for thousands of strangers.
That is one way of abusing media in a negative and selfish way.
Nadine.
As Nadine previously mentioned, I also find it pretty fascinating how culture can be commodified through talk shows. It is incredible to think that such meaningful, private, and at times serious issues in people’s lives can be turned into commodities. The term “vulture spectacle” used throughout the chapter is quite accurate in describing the general aim behind talk shows, which is to engage in themes and issues that will entertain the greatest amount of people possible, no matter how unrealistic or hyper-realistic they may be. From my own exposure to talk shows, there are two main types of talk shows that seem to engage large audiences of people: we either have talk shows like Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, Maury or Ricky Lake, which engage viewers through their over-the-top topics and their truly amusing, laugh at loud spectacles, or we have the Oprah Winfrey show and, what ustoo be, the Rosie O’Donnell show, which are viewed as being “ad-friendly” or possibly more people friendly. Whatever the case may be, all of these talk shows use various techniques, such as exploiting people’s personal lives, giving away different types of promotional products, taking part in home or personal makeovers, etc, in order to advertise certain products, books, life strategies or philosophies on life and to promote consumer consumption.
Just an example on how influential talk shows can be in people’s lives, and that is people of all ages and not just young people, comes from an episode of the Oprah show. Previously to the show I had been watching, Oprah had a show on “The Secret”, which is a philosophy on life that is said to make it possible for people to attain unlimited happiness in all aspects of their lives. Basically, the idea behind this philosophy is that if someone sends out positive vibes into the Universe or thinks positively, and lives life as though they had everything they longed for, then the Universe would respond in magnificent ways. Oprah had received a great deal of feedback regarding that show in particular, and on the episode that I watched, she had a viewer come in and share her story. This viewer had been diagnosed with breast cancer and because of the episode on “The Secret” that she viewed on the Oprah Winfrey show she decided that she would not get treated for her cancer and that instead she would try to heal herself through the philosophies behind “The Secret”. I was quite surprised to hear the path this woman was taking, but I was even more surprise to hear Oprah tell her how irresponsible her actions were and how she was putting her life in danger by not getting properly treated for her illness. This just goes to show how seriously some people take things that they see or hear about on talk shows, and how they find ways to apply it to every part of their lives, even when it may not be appropriate.
I think it is important to remember that like many other forms of media, the primary goal behind talk shows is not the well-being of its viewers, but rather what needs to be done in order to benefit businesses.
In response to Melinda, I completely agree. I believe talk shows are horrible. Starting with Jerry Springer and the Maury show, they are the worst!!! Their story lines are ridiculous. I remember watching an episode of Maury where a young girl, who definitely was no older then 21, had went on the show. It was her 7th time on the show. She was still trying to find the father of her baby boy. Another other talk show, I’m not sure of the name but it’s new. The host is the bodyguard from the Jerry Springer show. On this talk show they discuss issues like child molestation. However, the way they discuss these topic, I believe, is in such a sickening manner. They don’t take the issues discussed seriously. Most of the viewers are probably laughing at how ridiculous the people on the show are. By doing so, they are paying no attention to the important issues being presented to them. However, there are also some good talk shows I believe. Today, on Dr.Phil he was talking about recent kidnappings. What was good about this episode was that he was educating the viewers as to how often children get abducted. He also gave a few pictures of some of these children and gave a number to call in case any of the viewers had any clues or information that could help find these emission children. Although, I truly believe some of the topics and people he brings on the show, or even his advice, is ridiculous; talk shows like these are quite educative/helpful.
Just wanted to add, today was my first day on stage and just by observing and talking to some of the students I realized how strongly influenced they were by the media. The majority of the students were wearing brands or talking in slang. Some students discussed the shows they watched on tv, whereas others spoke about the clothes they had forced their mother to buy them because they saw their favourite celebrity wearing it. Just by observing these children I learned a lot. However, after my first day, I realize how important it is to include media literacy in the classroom because it really has a huge impact and more importantly the majority of these students don’t even know it!
Im never sure whether or not im posting it on the right wall but here goes…
The most interesting thing about talk shows it that most of time they center around the average joes life which is for the most part a life that most people can connect with and relate to. On Oprah a slew of men had been questioned about cheating on their wives. The show was called “Why do men Cheat?.” On this show marriage counselor Gary M Neuman and author of “The Truth About Cheating” was questioned about his notions about how to “affair-proof” peoples marriages. According to statistics one in 2.7 men will cheat – with their wives being completely oblivious to it or never knowing about it most of the time. My question is this: Is there such a thing as figuring things out on our own anymore? ; Have we become intellectually lazy? Seems like we always need some “expert” to tell us what were doing wrong and how to fix it. People have built strong foundations for their marriages and homes before without the help of a shrink so why all of a sudden is a book the answer to all of peoples problems. I don’t deny that this book may be helpful to a lot of people but at the end of the day, I just don’t think it works that way. I don’t deny that people face hardships in life. I don’t deny that marriages have their ups and downs but isn’t resolving the situation unique to any given couple and any given individual? How can a person categorize an entire population of people with different wants, needs ethnicities, cultures etc., in order to provide a “guideline” for how people can and should conjure up a “strong” and “solid” relationship? I really don’t see how that works. Furthermore, isn’t it just common sense to talk to your partner about what you need from them in your relationship and work on making sure both of you are satisfied with the way things are and where things are at? Obviously communication is key to any long lasting and solid relationship but surely knowing something like this would not be considered rocket science. It’s like I said different couples have different wants and needs and it is up to them to discuss and decide amongst themselves what works best for them. In addition to this, at the end of the day people are going to do what they feel is right anyway, regardless of whether or not their gut feelings are in accordance with a book or not.
For our little “homework” assignment I watched the Tyra Banks show. It is such a ridiculous show!!!! The show was about black women who bleach their skin in an attempt to make it lighter. The topic isn’t the ridiculous part of the show; it’s how Tyra parades around acting like she’s the next Oprah (which she’s not!). Another one I watched was about sex workers and their hopes to escape their sex industry. This episode really reminded me of Maury more than Oprah. They all claimed to want out and yet there were videos of them showing off their fancy cars and “lavish” lifestyles. Unlike Oprah, Tyra is not really even nice to the people on her show. She’s pretty rude and treats them like she’s much better than they are. Not to mention, she’s a little crazy. Has anyone seen the Vaseline video of her going nuts?? (Also, as a side note, my friend went to her show and apparently her a$$ really is huge).
As mentioned in chapter 30, I think talk shows definitely sell products. An example of this is “Oprah’s Favourites.” The episode when she picks all her favourite products just before Christmas. Oprah definitely has the power to influence everyone in this world to go out and purchase whatever she claims to be the “it” product of the year. But Oprah really isn’t all good. I lost so much respect for her after she tore apart James Frey on her show. So what if he made a few things up, you loved the book before, what really changed? He definitely didn’t deserve the humiliation, especially on a show that has millions of viewers (I guess he was sort of asking for it messing with Oprah though!).
Personally, I agree fully with Ms. Steinbergs remarks stating that everything we see and hear are mediated by biased news media, “a media who determines just what we should need to know and how we should know it.” The media has always been something that is branded on telling you “the latest, in-depth news stories”, fooling its audience into thinking they are getting a behind the scenes look at national and worldwide news stories. What the audience isn’t aware of is that everything that is shown on the media is filtered completely. The media blocks out everything and anything that seems to be unflattering or not very exciting to the viewers. Politics is probably one of the worst cases of this, being most prevalent in American media. The media has the ability and control to completely manipulate peoples perspectives on everything from political issues, to falsifying a politicians personality and characteristics so that you see them in a complete opposite light than they really are; whether the media wants to glamorize them or make them into someone who seems to have all the wrong incentives and perspectives on issues. For example, the Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton issue; the media completely favoured Barack over Hilary, giving him more air-time and making him seem like some sort of a saint compared to her, which quite evidently had a major influence on viewers, thus impacting their decisions, and probably one of the main reasons why Hilary is no longer running in the presidential election any longer. Basically, the media can and will make someone out to look exactly the way they need to, in order to marginalize viewing capacity. Not to mention how much influence the media has on politics in return, due to this particular power they hold.
As for children, I think that it is the same problem. The media will brand certain commodities, such as The Jonas Brothers, so that every child must own something of that brand. The media controls exactly what they want kids to see (cute boys, good songs and girls fantasizing about them). They would never allow kids to see the somewhat normal lives they live behind the scenes, which is much less glamorous. If the media continues to control children’s decisions like this, then yes I do believe that kids will never be able to think for themselves. This is exactly why we need media awareness in classrooms so that the media no longer wins and has such an effect on people’s decisions, especially when we know how the media always portrays what is furthest from the truth.
Most talk shows are stupid and annoying (Maury, Jerry Springer, The Tyra show) but some shows are very informative and entertaining. The other day Oprah had a show on puppy mills and it really touched me..i cried so much (hehe)..i have a dog and i adore him..and to see how some dogs get treated in puppy mills is really sad…i think that Oprah has a few good shows…she makes ppl aware of things that happen in today’s society..and even tho she sometimes gets on my nerves, she’s a very generous person. I love Ellen’s show, i think she’s hilarious and very entertaining. Tyra’s show, on the other hand, just gets on my nerves. Most of the time her show’s are so pointless and useless..she should just stick to America’s Next Top Model..she’ll never be the next Oprah.
In response to Briah..the media really does control children’s decisions..They influence children so much whether it be with the Jonas Brothers (i must admit, im a fan lol), hannah montana, highschool musical…Media has such a strong impact on our lives today…
It is sad that our western society has allowed violence to almost become a necessity in our daily lives. People have developed what seems to be somewhat of a thirst for constant images of war, torture, murder, and all other forms of violence. And by watching so much of what is being fed to us, we have become desensitized to it. Not only do we watch violence with the same critical eye as we do when looking at a loaf of bread, we ignorantly swallow the justifications provided by the government, and the media, to explain its “righteous” decisions. What is far scarier, however, is that children grow up saturated in this. As discussed in our psychology class, latest researches now do indeed prove that violence on television does have a direct impact on children. Obviously parents can say “well I monitor what my kid watches on television, and what kind of video games they play”, but it seems the six o’clock news is just as bad. Isn’t the message the same? Hey, look at the bad guys, they started it, let’s retaliate, we have the perfect excuse! Since 9/11, I have heard on several occasions students make completely absurd (and obviously uneducated) comments about the Middle East and/or people from the Middle East. The Bush administration should be proud because a lot of kids blindly believe the messages it is sending. As future teachers, we need to encourage our students to be far more critical and to question what is happening in our world, or in this case, what we are shown is happening through manipulated media.
The fact that NATO and the United States have been able to declare civilians deaths as “mistakes” or somehow try to justify them is simply unbelievable. It is ridiculous to try and say that people deserved what they got because they support their leader. Obviously not everyone in a country is going to agree with what their leaders decide, but they usually don’t really have a say in the matter. I really liked the sentence, “As if one atrocity deserves another!” Trying to justify murders by bringing up the Holocaust is so ridiculous. I think we’ve all learned that two wrong don’t make a right – when we were in elementary school. Furthermore, children are always innocent victims of war. As if they have any power in the world to change their countries. And yet too often children are the victims of “accidental” bombings. Imagine bombs were being “accidentally” dropped on North America? I don’t think that would fly the way Americans and NATO have seemed to get away with it. And, as we all know, the media plays a crucial part in the justifying of the mistakes of American and NATO. Most people believe what they see on T.V., no matter how much truth it contains. And, as Zoë mentioned, children are the ones who grow up immersed in the media and all its messages. The children of today are the ones who are going to watch T.V. and believe all that they see. It’s scary to think that we live in a world where death in any way can be justified.
It’s funny how much power the media possesses over our minds. In response to Zoe’s post, I myself am from the Middle East, and I’ve introduced myself over and over again to oh so many people ever since I came here a month ago. And I’ve met so many people whose reactions varied greatly upon telling them that I’m Jordanian. Some feel excited that I’m from such a far country. Some start discussing the Petra and Jerash as if it’s the only thing I know of :S Other people get confused since I don’t fit the image of an arab that was embedded in their minds. Honest! But many people are friendly though
I discovered that many people have extremely stereotypical misconceptions about my country and culture, and I think the media caused that. I mean, fact is, that I’m a stranger in this country, and I now live on my own without my family so I’d study at McGill and get an exceptional degree. But I’ve met some people who immediately overlook that fact once they hint “middle eastern”, and forget that I’m no different than them, an educated, civilized, non-extremist person! Some think we live in tents and travel on camels. Some people get shocked because they’d have expected “people like me” to be fully covered and to be staying at home, battling with women’s rights issues. And honestly sometimes it pisses me off! But I don’t blame the people for not knowing about my culture. How could they know? Through T.V! and the news! But what do they see? The media does not show our lifestyle in Jordan. It doesn’t show the advances in technology and our true beliefs. The media allows people to link every arab to incidents such as 9/11 whereas that incident was murder acted out by extremist retards! And those retards made triggered the media to label arabs as threatening.
It’s always interesting for me to see people’s reactions when I introduce myself, because it reflects how much of an impact media was able to have on that individual
Like it is said in chapter 10, crime and violence is mostly the primary source of information in the newscasting such as T.V., internet, newspapers, etc.
Earl Warren, a formor Chief justice of the United States, once said :”When I read the newspaper, I always turn to the sport section first. The sports pages records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but crime and man’s failures.” I use to think he was right and I’d love to think it is still the truth, but I’m afraid it is not the case anymore. We are surrounded so bad by violence that it is now everywhere, even in sports. I was looking at the updates on nfl.com (it is the National Football league website) when I saw this article :
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80a700d6&template=with-video&confirm=true
What it basically says is that it’s the 3rd time since January 2007 that an NFL player was being shot. The first two died after being hospitalized and the most recent one, Richard Collier, was in a critical condition.
What I am wondering is, is it always been like that and we just didn’t hear about it? Or violence is gradually taking a bigger place in the world of sport? Just take that huge fight that happened in the Ligue Junior Majeure du Québec last spring with Patrick Roy’s son Jonathan. That was the worst fight ever and I seriously don’t remember seing a think like that in junior hockey when I was a kid. And what about Ron Hartest, that Basket Ball player who jumped into the stands and started fighting with the crowd in 2005-06 or something… did those things happenned in the 20′s as well? Last year, in a championship game in South America, the fans started fighting in the stands and it ended up with several deaths. And what about the olympics? I read an article in august about how many soldiers were hired, how many army planes and tanks were needed to insure the security in Beijing… do we really need this? Why?.. aren’t the Games suposed to be a place were violence is prohibited, where crimes don’t belong? In the Antic Greek, people laid down their arms for the duration of the Games because they understood there were more glory in out-running a man than in killing him. Why isn’t it the case nowadays? During the Second World War, the olympics were cancelled. Are the medias responsible for the growth of violence in sports, or they are just doing their job by reporting to the society the most important stories wich are always about violence?
War as always existed and might never disapear. However, in a perfect world, there would be no crimes nor violence. Some people do think it is possible and they work really hard on it. What I think about all this is : the first step in achieving goals is to dream, so I suggest we start dreaming today!!!
While reading chapter 34 & 35, I came across very interesting information. The second part of our assignment was to watch a cartoon or Disney movie. While choosing with my young sisters which Disney movie to watch it was interesting to note that when I mentioned Mulan their reaction was ‘‘Ew, I hate that movie’’. Although their does exist cartoons and movies where the females are given powerful roles, the majority of young girls would prefer watching a movie like Cinderella where the females main worry is her beauty. With that being said, I believe that no matter how hard feminists try most young girls will always be drawn to stereotypical tv shows.
As discussed in these chapters there are attempts to promote non-stereotypical ideas. An example would be Gordo, a young male character in Lizzie McGuire. As mentioned in the book, Gordo ‘‘offers an alternative model of masculinity to male readers’’. However, in the tv show Gordo is not popular. He often is mocked and made fun of by his peers. It is because of his uniqueness and choice to be ‘‘different’’ that he is unpopular. This image in a way forces the male viewers to avoid being like Gordo. In the viewer’s mind being like Gordo will make them a ‘‘geek’’ or ‘‘outcast’’.
Disney has and will always be a corrupted corporation. The majority, if not all, of their productions are full of stereotypes. Unfortunately, it is only when you are much older and of an age to critically think that we are able to recognize and notice these stereotypes. Therefore, as suggested at the end of the second chapter, as teachers we can introduce to our students as well as teach our students how to critically think. We can use popular shows to attract their attention and get them interested to point out the hidden messages and racist/sexist ideas.
I do agree that slowly introducing shows like Powerpuff Girls, Atomic Betty and Totally Spies are a good start. However, the bottom line is that the main objective of corporations is to make money. Therefore, corporations aren’t interested in making sure that males and females are portrayed equally. Instead they take advantage of the naïve/gullible minds of young children and only care about what sells!
It’s true…media is all about what sells..nothing else matters..and wen we look at what sells..sex is the answer. Sex is pretty much the only answer. Ever see a commercial that has nothing to do with sex..but some sort of sexual fantasy is incorporated in it? For example..a colgate commercial, with a half naked woman..They do that because it is proven that sex sells.
That brings me to my nxt point..disney movies..which have absolutely nothing to do with sex and shouldn’t have anything to do with sex..have hidden sex messages in some of their movies. If you look closely at the picture of the castle on the cover of the little mermaid, you will find a dick. When the little mermaid and Eric are getting married, the priest has a boner. In the Lion King, wen (i believe it is) Simba, is looking up at the stars, you will find that the stars spell out the word sex. Also, in Aladdin..at one point during the movie, Aladdin whispers: All good girls take their clothes off.. I mean, most of it isnt noticeable…but theres a reason why the sexual messages are there, even if they’re hidden..sex sells..and thats that.
Cartoon shows today, such as the Powerpuff Girls, Totally Spies, etc., promote the message of “Girl Power.” This is a message I remember from my youth… the motto of the Spice Girls! So girl empowerment has been present for a while now, it’s nothing too recent. I think it definitely increases girls’ self-esteem, especially in male-dominated world. But it was interesting as the book mentioned that “what girls do best is buy.” When it comes down to it, the merchandise of these cartoons is what is going to be bought by millions of young girls (or their parents). So it’s a vicious circle – girls try and have “girl power” and yet end up doing what they do best, remaining in a form of a stereotype. I sometimes wonder if people look too deeply into cartoons and Disney. I remember being a kid and just loving Saturday morning cartoons and all the Disney movies from Fantasia to Cinderella. I suppose I’m just too big a fan to accept what the book and this class is trying to teach me – the media has control over everything & everyone, including kids with their cartoons!
I also found it interesting to have an in-depth look at Lizzie McGuire. It seems like a harmless Disney show, but when analyzed, you realize its many flaws. The McGuire’s are supposed to be the typical American family and yet few families are actually like that. It also intrigued me that Miranda’s portrayed as the rebellious one – lying, cheating, stealing, and she comes from the family with the working mom. I know my mom always worked when I was growing up and I was never one to steal, lie, and cheat! Disney is definitely leaving a hidden message in Miranda’s character.
And, despite reading the part of chapter 35 about Disney movies and their damsels in distress always giving something up or changing to be with their prince… I will always be a Disney movie fan and I still dream about my prince sometimes… Just kidding !!!
I’m glad this week’s blogging is about the messages delivered to little girls in the media because,yesterday, I went to Wal-Mart and almost blew a fuse. My friend and I (who happens to be a
elementary teacher) stayed in the toys section for a good half hour. I’m already annoyed by the whole Disney Princesses revival; I have an issue with aspiring to find a complete rich and good
looking stranger upon who you can then completely depend on (not very empowering). I also have a major issue with the new “it” girls. Sure there might be a few (power puff girls) who convey more of a “girl power” message, but the majority are utterly shallow. And my biggest beef is with the Bratz. There I was, Standing in the toy aisle, surrounded by an ocean of pink, staring at dolls who wear more makeup than I do when I go clubbing, and have the weirdest body proportions (and we thought Barbie had a large head?!). I especially like the industries effort to incorporate dolls of different ethnic backgrounds. I guess they only had enough money to make molls for dolls with Caucasian features. But wait, they now also have Bratz Boys and Bratz Babies; so now little girls get to play, not only with materialistic shallow dolls, they also get to create entire shallow families!!! I don’t know, maybe it’s just me (which I don’t actually think so), but I don’t get it. Maybe it’s because I played with Lego’s my entire childhood, but I’m very uncomfortable with what is being presented to our little girls. I deeply believe we can do far better than cute tops and hair extensions.
It seems that there is one theme in particular that prevails from all the readings we have done so far this semester, and that is that media basically uses social and cultural issues that are important in people’s lives to mask their underlying goal, which is to make the greatest amount of money possible. In the reading that deals with the idea of “‘mass mediated’ girl power” we see how media can commodify an important issue such as empowering young girls. Although many television shows that are aimed at young girls claim to have as their main goal the empowerment of girls, these shows are often full of contradictions, which I believe can and do lead their audiences to confusion rather than empowerment. As stated in the reading, although we do see many shows where the lead characters are girls and these girls do have special and wonderful powers, these lead characters often operate in a context in which the dominant role belongs to a male who is the force or leader behind that particular group of girls. The fact that the girls in these television shows are active, strong, smart, and have these amazing powers, which they must conceal from the world, sends out the conflicting message that although girls have the ability to be great and do great things, it is safer to keep their talents in the dark.
Basically, the only type of real empowerment that is set forth by these shows is the empowerment to consume products that are “pro-girl power”.
These are just some of the reasons why different forms of media and media literacy should hold a place in the classroom. If we really want to empower today’s youth then let us give them the tools they need to be media knowledgeable and literate so that they can change rather than simply accept what is considered to be the “norm” created through media. Also, because we are living in a society that is dominated by media, incorporating media into classrooms is equivalent to incorporate the world of today’s younger generations into the classroom, which allows them to learn something meaningful in a setting that they find interesting and appealing.
I suffered while watching The Lizzie McGuire Movie today.. Not that I’m embarrassed of watching a cheesy movie, I don’t know why, I was never able to endure watching those typical Disney movies where the young teenager sings and dances and tries out different outfits. I hated Hilary Duff and yet I watched her movies! Such movies reflect 14 year old girls’ daydreams, and when those impressionable girls watch movies like Lizzie McGuire, Hannah Montana or New York Minute, they like what they see. They all start wanting to be like those actresses in movies who are famous and life is just about worrying about the perfect outfit to wear on the perfect date with Mr. Prince charming! So they lose touch with reality! And as the fans’ beloved actresses grow older and more promiscuous, the teenagers might follow their footsteps…
For example, a fan of Mary Kate Olson’s becomes bulimic after seeing how skinny her heroine is in real life, and we aaall want to be like Mary Kate Olson don’t we.
The media is changing though, because the generations are changing too. Kids are more aware of sexuality at an earlier age now that Bratz toys are the new “in” and Barbies are unpopular! Girls always wanted to be a Barbie, with the perfect body and long shiny hair, and now they want to look like Bratz; vulgar and seductive?! It disgusts me how the world is affecting children for their own financial benefit. They want to sell dolls, and make money! To hell with children’s futures and behavior!
In my opinion, those typical Disney movies are feeding young minds with more meaningless, dimwitted ideas that frame their goals that they want to achieve in life. Parents should make sure young teenagers are in touch with reality when they watch these movies so they won’t turn into yet another Hilary Duff.
Ok so I basically grew up on Disney movies and will fully admit that I still love them even today. Though now being older I do blanch sometimes at things that I now understand that I didn’t understand before. For example in the movie the Aristocats the mother cat sings a song with the lines “if you want to turn me on” in it. Now when I was 6 this really meant nothing to me but now that I know what it means I can’t believe that it’s actually in the movie. But can I say that it was harmful to me since I didn’t understand the true meaning of what I was hearing? I can’t say that I was. Turn me on didn’t make sense to me until well I learned about sex through my school years, not through Disney Movies. I did however learn a lot from my favorite characters like Guss Guss, Cinderella, and Mulan. The cute mouse that always just wanted to help out his friend made me on some level know that loyality is a good thing, Cinderella while still saved from Prince showed that even though you can do a lot on your own, taking a little help doesn’t hurt and of course there is Mulan. The ultimate in female impowerment among the Disney characters. A yougn girl who defys an unjust system, makes her own path and conquers herself, and the world around her. Now what little girl wouldn’t be inspired to be like Mulan? Not to mention it has some historical references to the Huns, Emperical system and Chinese history that could spawn onto create a great want to learn about what the context of what they are watching means. I saw the movie Lion King when I was little and wanted to know all about what a ‘Timone’ was and went on to learn about Africa and of course, meercats!!!~!
It says, in chapter 35, that the Disney corporation has the ability to define what is normal for children as they imagine their future possibilities. Indeed, all of us, somewhere in our lives, dreamed about ending up just like one of our favorite disney’s character.
However, what I am concerned about is, why are we saying more and more often that wanting to be like a T.V. superhero is bad? I mean, if a 8 years old girl dreams about being just like Lizzie McGuire, what’s wrong with that? We all know that dreaming and imagination are a huge part of childhood. I remember, when I was a young kid in elementary school, I used to watch the Ninja Turtles religiously because I wanted to be just like them. But I never thought about going to school with a ‘’nunchaku’’ like the one Michelangelo had to hit people with it. In my opinion, the Ninja Turtles was a fairly violent show, but it never made me a bad personne, nor a criminal. Or how many times did I watch Peter Pan fighting against captain Hook? It never made me want to fight against other students at school for real. Disney’s shows never affected my futur. I know that Disney’s Lizzie McGuire movie doesn’t reflect reality but who cares? A Child mind is everything but reality anyways! Like I read in another blog, when kids will grow up, they are going to realize how not real those shows were, but as a child, I don’t think it really can affect their futur.
I don’t think it can affect their future either..how many times do you hear that though? Many times. i think it’s ok for kids to want to be like a cartoon character or superhero, it gives them a sense of creativity and fantasy and imagination. Every child has a vivid imagination, it’s part of childhood. When i was little..i use to play make belief games and i use to be sailor jupiter from the hit show sailor moon and i used to be pink power ranger. It was soooo much fun! i can’t imagine a child who has never played make belief and has never pretended to be a character from television. I mean it has not affected my future negatively at all. I look back at it now and i die of laughter at the things we used to do.
the things we should worry about maybe are violent video games…but even at that, if a person has the right head on his houlders, in the end, its just a game and it shouldn’t affect him in any way at all.
air plane ticket…
air plane ticket…
Since we’ve been reading about racism this week, I thought it would be interesting to blog about the elections we just had, because many people think that most of the Quebeckers are racists in their political choices. Indeed, I read an article in my hometown newspaper this week-end about how the Quebeckers always vote for the French-Canadian candidates. This is the reason they gave why le Bloc Québécois had so many votes again. The article also said that things are not about to change: Stéphane Dion, who is counting his days as the leader of the Liberal party, will likely be replaced by an English-Canadian. Thus, Quebeckers will continue to vote for the French people, wich means the Bloc. According to the article, history demonstrates that every time there are some French candidates, people in the province of Quebec always vote for them. This is why some people think we are racists in the way we elect our leaders.
I am not saying it isn’t true that most of the Quebeckers are voting for the French people, but does it make us racist? I’m not quite sure about that. Meaby some people are truly racist and don’t give a sh** about the rest of Canada, but I voted NPD for the past two elections… and I am not a “souverainiste” at all. I really think Quebec is part of our country and should never get apart. Furthermore, many Quebeckers outside of Montréal think like me, so when I see English people having fun of Quebeckers by saying that we are racist in our political choices, I think they are totally wrong and by treating all the Quebeckers the same, they are being racists as well.
reading the chapters for this week, reminded me of something that happened on my stage. while on my stage the school was holding its student council election, and the one of the candiadate was a black student, his slogan was make me the first black president, which seemed to be a big hit with the students. in the end he won the election. so the day of the results one of the teachers asked who won the election, so one of the other teachers said the name of the student and started to describe him (because the other teacher didn’t know who it was) the teacher said he was tall, smart had glasses and curly hair. but left out the most distinguishing characteristic of the student, which was that he was black. i thought why didn’t she say he was black, does she not want to be called racist? but does saying that someone is black, being racist?
I think Mike brings up a good point… I honestly don’t feel as if bringing up the fact that he’s black racist however, i think i would feel bad just the same if i were to throw in that he’s black…does it really make a difference whether he’s black or not? He’s still human isnt he? Colour shudnt matter should it? It’s a very touchy subject…Lets be realistic…its a very sensitive issue to black people..they get offended quickly..and i dunt blame them…but what bothers me..is wen black people call themselves the N word…i just dunt get it? Why are they allowed to use the term so freely and we’re not…whether we say it or they say it..it still means the same freagin thing..it freagin bothers me…i mean do italians go around calling themselves wops? Do hispanics go around calling eachother spicks? NO!!!! and i dunt see why it’s accepted among black people and why its not seen as racism… then we use the terms balck people or coloured people and we’re the racist ones…
i just want to respond quickly to what maria said. colour is usually irrelevant but in this case it was important because the student was being described and in a school where there are only like 10 black students it would help the teacher remember who the student was.
now to my real blog. so i was watching tv today and i saw a commercial for National Media literacy day or something like that and i thought to myself how bad is the situation, regarding media literacy, that we need an entire day of awarness? i never thought that it was such a problem and i always thought that if people were stupid enough to believe everything they see in advertisments than that was there problem, i still think that but i guess others don’t. so i was curious to see what there is out there in terms of media literacy so i googled it, when you type in “media literacy” in the search bar 1 290 000 links popped up from teching children to read and look at media carefully to the association for media literacy. i think that these are useful tools to have at our disposal but i don’t think that they are necessary. people should just stop being naive and use some common sense.
Tonight is the night all the girls in my dorm look forward to every single week. Every Monday night, over thirty girls cram themselves in the small T.V room wearing their pajamas, and holding buckets of tasty popcorn. They jitter excitedly as they wait for the shows Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill to start.
I watch the shows with the other girls, who expressed their reactions towards the dramatic events in the shows, and I noticed how influential the shows were on them. I watch the shows out of pure curiosity, but I refuse to actually consider the events to be anywhere close to reality. I hear some girls as they walk out of the T.V room, discussing the episode – “did you see how he did this..” ” I can’t believe she said that!” ..
I can not believe the impact these shows have on teenagers. I think Gossip Girl is by far the worst of them all. I’d say it was written by a 14 year old girl, who is expressing her dreams of fashion and boys. One Tree Hill sends out a horrible idea of how life and love is like. Nothing shown in that show actually happens in real life!! In real life, we have a few bad days here and there, not every day. We have dull days where we wake up, have breakfast, tell our husbands and wives “i love you” – no romantic obsessive B.S- and we go to work, come home, sleep. But the shows don’t show that. Teenagers don’t dress and talk at school like they do in Gossip Girl!!!
I watch some television shows due to my sheer curiosity, and I don’t relate the events with my actual life. I think impressionable teenagers and children should not watch these fictional shows that fill their heads with unrealistic fantasies.
I agree, a lot of girls can’t wait for monday nights and tuesday nights. On monday nights we have the thrill of watching Gossip Girl and on tuesdays nights, the thrill of watching 90210. There are a lot dramatic events in the shows and a lot of it is complete bs and unrealistic but thats whats so appealing to the viewers. i’m a big fan of both shows and i dunt wanna see things that go on in every day life…it’s boring. I want to watch the drama and romance..its interesting. Its a completely different depiction of every day life. The clothes they wear are incredibly sick and fashionable, the romance scenes are scenes we (girls) dream about (the kissing scenes are so unrealistic) but thats why its a show…not a reality show…thats wat attracts as many viewers as it does. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with filling our heads with unrealistic fantasies, so long as we know they’re unrealistic. It’s ok to dream and fantasize about things we wish wud happen in real life but only happen on tv..at least it happens somewhere!!
We talked, in today’s class, how the media can badly influence the political choices (Obama girl video), but we often forget about the good videos made by good people. In a society where we always talk about the negative aspects of life, there are still plenty of people out there willing to help us getting a better world. I just wanted to share a pro-Obama video that I found on youtube (you probably already seen it though), wich include many nationalities and different languages. It’s just a proof that not all American fear other cultures…
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSJsEVf0pU&feature=related
In response to Maria’s blog, it’s true and natural that we want to watch overly dramatic and romantic yet unrealistic situations on T.V because they’re much more interesting than what actually happens in every day life. However, you and I are probably old enough to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Whereas young twelve and thirteen year old girls might take them more seriously. They might start acting, dressing, or even talking like them.
Their wardrobe is fabulous yet we never wore things like that while we were in high school!! Also, their immoral physical fantasies of one another are ones we as adults feel ashamed of thinking of! Lol..
I agree that we should feel free to fantasize of the life we can never have, but only when we don’t try to actually incorporate these fantasies into our actual lives. Which is my main concern when young people watch the shows.
I completely understand where you’re coming from. I wrote my blog through the eyes of girls our age, not really considering how it affects younger girls and you’re right. Those shows really do affect the way younger girls percieve society. We’re able to distinguish between reality and fantasy but can they? I think it depends. My little sister, who is only 13 years old, watches the shows and she’s able to tell the difference between reality and fantasy. She wants to dress like them and lead their lives but she knows she can’t. I hear her often say “Oh! That only happens on TV!” But then again, maybe she thinks this way because she has two older sisters..and instead of looking up to the shows, she looks up to us. But again, girls these days really do want to grow up fast and have that glamorous life style and i do believe that the shows have an impact on this.
i guess i understand how people can get affected by television. as a 21 year old university student i still am affected by TV. i am a big hockey fan and when ever the habs lose i get very upset and sad, for instance last summer when the habs were eliminated from the playoffs i was so depressed that i didn’t shave for weeks (something that was pretty stupid i know). or when you are watching your favourite show and u know when it s a good episode you just feel so good inside and when the episode sucked i get a little sad im not going to lie. despite being affected like this by television i stilll think that it is designed solely for entertainment and we are the ones who are stupid enough to let it affect us the way it does.
So this is it, my last blog entry. For this class anyway! It’s been interesting. Until this media class, I had never blogged anywhere on anything. I’ve been ranting for the past 26 years, but never wrote it down for the world to read. I enjoy this new found concept. It’s a work out for your brain. All these opinions, reactions, responses, and so on, have been quite stimulating. Looking at our world critically has become ever more so imperative to me as a future teacher. It’s become obvious how essential it is for us to, not only know how to be critical, but also to know how to teach children to be critical of the world they are immersed in. Empowering children in such ways is a tremendous responsibility that must be approached with much care and educated thought however. The pay off, on the other hand, can be nothing short of phenomenal. Allowing children to expand their mind can be life changing, not just for them, but for our society as well. I must admit that is why I have always gravitated towards the unruly children. They tend to speak their mind and not allow higher authorities to silence their thoughts. As teacher, we must perceive such students as opportunities for change. We need to redirect opposition in a constructive manner. Using media and technology is a great way to begin. I’ve always believed that quiet docile people do not change the world. This class has given me many ideas to on how to encourage mini revolutions!
I totally agree with Mike. Shows are simply for entertainment but when the character feels sad, or the story is sad we, too, tend to feel sad and depressed. For example, A Walk to Remember is just a movie, It’s not based on a true story or anything but it touched me so much. i honestly cried like a baby. Me too, when i watch the Habs and they lose, i get frustrated and sad… when they win, i am jumping for joy. Their just shows in the end, but it makes you fantasize and gets your mind off of a lot of things. That’s why i like to watch TV. For those little moments, i am stress free and im concentrated on wtv is on. Its great!
Wow this is my last blog wohoo!! Lol.. I’ve never blogged on any website before this course, but I actually enjoyed doing it! It was a really easy way to make sure my voice is being heard by others, and I can freely say whatever is on my mind. I was doubting whether or not I would ask my own students to make blog entries when I’m a teacher, because they probably already know how to do that, and I want to teach them a tool they don’t normally use. However, I realized it’s actually a great way for them to share their ideas anytime of the day easily and quickly.
This class has opened my eyes more than before about the media and its effect on society. What I learnt the most is how much the media affects youth through Disney movies and advertisements, which shocked me! I did not notice the hidden message that feeds children the stereotypes, for example how Little Mermaid encourages little girls to think of their pretty hair and shiny prince all the time…
Also, my video for this course was about the effect of media on young females in society. It is amazing how many things you can find online that shows how dangerous the media’s beauty industry is on young girls. Girls see celebrities and beauty products that make you look like the girls in the magazine, (which are by the way so unrealistic and entirely photo shopped).. So girls become obsessed with looking thin at the price of their health .. I was shocked and appalled by how distorted our perception of life is..
Check out these links, they’re amazing.. They show the truth behind the lies the media portrays beauty as..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6JvK0W60I
its not the best song but its pretty cool
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Swine Flu infects children
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