We watch television shows with characters young and old. We watch movies that depict people of many different races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Yes, we consume massive amounts of media that show us all kinds of human beings. Do any of them accurately or adequately reflect me or my community? Even though I see movies with characters who are in similar circumstances to those I find myself in, they are not me. I may read a novel with a character who shares some of my personality traits, but we aren't identical. We are all complex individuals, shaped through all the years of our lives by our own unique set of experiences. No form of media produced by others could ever fully capture that. So then, isn't it dangerous when people rely on "systems of communication that are not subordinated to the sovereignty of territory" to form judgements and perspectives (Seitz, 2010)?
Television, advertisements, and other types of media are hard to resist. They move, unimpeded as shadows, into our homes, our countries, and our lives in ways that nothing else does. Even if we choose to reject media messages we disagree with, it is unlikely that those around us will do the same. So, if a book paints a negative picture of your age group or your culture, what does that mean for the readers of that book? If you read a magazine article about someone who looks like me, does that mean you know more about me? Unfortunately, so many of us get our information on other cultures or groups from media that does a very poor job of showing the many sides of a subject. With mass media, we see the "overwhelming ability that faceless, transnational corporations possess to alter cultures and shape global perceptions of groups (Seitz, 2010).
We must completely reject the world view spoon fed to us by the media. I cannot count on mass media to accurately or adequately depict me. We must get to know people, not music videos. You must talk with someone and find out who they really are. Communities must come together to forge their own identity.
Now, if I was forced to choose one piece of media that best portrayed who I am, it would be the clip below. Like Rambo, I am a man who must cover himself in mud to hide from, and subsequently kill, his enemies.
Works Cited:
Seitz, D. (2010). Cultural Identity In the Age of Ether: Black Entertainment Television and the Island of Guadeloupe. 425-442.
On television why do you think whenever they show Africa they display it as a poor place? I have many friends from Africa and they tell me it is a very wealthy place. Anytime you see Africa on TV, it shows commercials to help feed children who don't have two pennies to rub together.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think the media only show one side of a subject?
ReplyDeleteI'll address both comments together, because they both seem to ask why media coverage of subjects are not more three-dimensional. As we read, media like television is hard to resist, because it enters our lives unlike anything else. Even if we see a one-sided story that we do not agree with and turn it off, others might not do the same. I wish that we would see African success stories on television. I hope that one day American have access to media that simply reports the fact from every angle. That's why a class like this one is so vital, because it opens our eyes to tactics and practices we may not have seen before.
ReplyDeleteObviously most information in media will be partially true in some way. Do you think it is more often true information or are we just being misinformed?
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