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Representation of gender issues in Media
Representation of gender issues in Media
Media dependency theory
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The systemic pattern of hegemony in our political economy is wildly rampant and largely undetected. This creates a systemic problem in our society. The media is everywhere, and all encompassing, but goes practically unregulated in production, content and consumption. Our society has become so used to seeing products being sold and marketed to us we don’t question it anymore. It’s so constant, the validity, ethicality, and honesty of advertisements is almost never questioned. This lack of regulation and media awareness is shaped by systemic white male hegemony in our society. The lack of diversity in media content can be attributed to the lack of diversity in media producers. There are five companies that control nearly all media in the world; …show more content…
One example is the seemingly body-positive Dove commercials. They show “real” women with curves, blemishes, and different skin tones. The women, of all different shapes, sizes and colors, all use Dove soap and love the way it feels. “Makes me feel beautiful” one woman says. Really, a bar of soap? Dove didn’t make this commercial to make women feel empowered. It is nothing more than a marketing tool. With more media awareness, more people have been openly critical of the monotonous advertising images we see daily. Dove could have seen this as an opportunity to set themselves apart from the billions of other beauty products women encounter daily. Almost anyone’s first reaction to seeing “real” women on television would be positive. By having a diversity of women on the screen, more people could identify with the designated consumer in the advertisement, and the producer can then sell more products. This ad is also somewhat saying, “Hey look, there are these less than perfect women, just like you! Maybe if you buy our product, you can be happy too!” This, again ties into the idea that ads don’t necessarily sell products. They often sell values, or …show more content…
This is because modern-day technology is so deeply fused into our daily lives (Lull, pg. 40). From the minute we wake up to right before we go to bed, we are surrounded by mass media. We wake up, check our phones, log in to social media, and remain connected throughout the day. The idea of going a day without one’s cell phone is now practically unheard of. If you’re not on social media, there’s something “wrong with you”. This dependence on technology is all encompassing, you literally cannot escape the wide-reaching grasp of modern day media. That is why the impact of advertising and other forms of media simply cannot be
The first wave of reality TV shows (such as Survivor, The Weakest Link and Dog Eat Dog) played on people's collective anxieties about the new workplace culture whereby nothing is secure. The threat of expulsion and humiliation is what draws people to this style of programming. This was followed by the lifestyle programs, which were the once removed cousins of Reality TV. Naturally no one is entirely satisfied with the way they live so these programs played on people's desires to improve their lifestyle and living conditions. The third wave of Reality shows (such as Joe Millionaire, The Bachelor and For Love or Money) plays with people's fears of falsified relationships; are there ulterior reasons behind a `supposed' loving relationship (such as money)? The main appeal of Reality television is that the viewer experiences raw human emotions like humiliation, deceit and rejection from a removed perspective. The ability to inspect and analyse the happenings of others without being seen takes on a god-like perspective. It invokes the fantasy of having access to all that is hidden.
How Reality TV affects the audience and the characters who were participating into it? Does it really give knowledge to people who were watching and supporting? Or is it just the sake of money and exposing their appearance on television? When it comes to watching television, people at home can choose which types of program they want to want for many reasons. Some people look to television for inspiration; others want to be kept informed about their surroundings and the world. In the article entitled, “Reality TV and Culture” by Jack Perry, he argues, there are some good points to how reality television are formed and offered. Perry explains that, not all of the shows are designed to encourage and promote dangerous and unrealistic. However,
Reality based television has a broad landscape ranging from competitive game-like shows to programs following the daily lives of a group of people. Every major network now has some form of reality programming because the genre’s shows are high in viewership and require low costs for production. The genre is appealing to viewers because it provides them with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which allows them to observe social behavior that helps them determine what is appropriate or not (Tyree, 2011, p. 397). Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality programming believed that fame is obtainable if they appear on a popular show (Mendible, 2004). According to Mendible’s evaluation of the genre in the article Humiliation, Subjectivity, and Reality TV, people enjoy reality programs beca...
History today recalls the Greek traditions starting from the second millennium B.C to date and not just during the Archaic and the Classical periods. The primary aim of history is to provide us with a broad comprehension of the principles that governed the Greek societies (Carey, 2017). Hegemony together with Greek historians provides a comprehensible examination of the fundamental cultural and political elements which pervades Xenophon, Thucydides, Ephorus, and Herodotus. Hegemony mainly explains the master plan.
In summary, the real detriments of reality television far outweigh the artificial claims that some people consider benefits. Reality television is a successful form of entertainment for many people, but no good comes from it. Scripted television shows that are entirely fictional can serve all of the same purposes. They can be just as dramatic, catastrophic, and interesting as reality television shows. It is important that viewers take the time to evaluate and understand the reasons they enjoy reality television. It is essential to become familiar with the statistics of reality television, learn about the process of producing one, and examine the morality of such shows. Presenting contrived situations as reality, promoting unethical values, and presenting humiliation as a form of entertainment are only some of many detriments of reality television shows.
It has long been said that, “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck”. This so-called “duck test” implies that one can identify a subject by observing its characteristics. By this standard assessment, we can then ask, is the United States an empire? The answer, according to the duck test, is a rather definitive yes. However, a nation is more complex than a mere duck and therefore, I believe that there is merit in the argument that slapping this label on the United States can at times be inappropriate and distracting. For this reason, I lean more toward the argument that the United States is in fact, not an empire, but rather a hegemony that is too often mislabeled. In order to fully critique and analyze these opposing arguments, I will define the term “empire” then identify, compare, and contrast the assertions of each position.
Jean Kilbourne, a media specialist, raises an interesting point in one of her lectures when she states, “The average American is exposed to 3000 advertisements per day. Yet, everyone in America still feels personally exempt from the media. They say, “I don’t pay attention to ads. I just tune them out. They have no effect on me.”” She later states most of the people who have said this to her were wearing Gap™ tee-shirts. Whether people realize it or not, there is a direct correlation between the media and an individual’s identity. Along with products, the media also sells values, views, images, and concepts of normalcy. The media tells us who we are and who we should be. Unfortunately, many times the media tells us things that have a major negative impact on individual and collective identity. Without the media, we would see a positive shift in the way people view themselves as individuals and as a collective.
Reality based television has a broad landscape ranging from competitive game-like shows to programs following the daily lives of a group of people. Every major network now has some form of reality programming because these programs are high in viewership and require low costs for production. The genre’s shows provide audiences with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which creates resonance among viewers because they feel like they can relate to the characters on screen (Hasinoff, 2008). Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality television have essentially bought into the belief that they too can achieve overnight fame by appearing on a popular show (Mendible, 2004). According to Mendible’s evaluation i...
As civilization grows and the tentacles of mass media stretch into mankind’s mind from every direction, it is important to note the damaging effects of the images being shown to the masses. In a society where the model being used to sell products to the consumer is on average 20% thinner than the demographic of the consumers themselves (Abraham 3), it’s impossible to ignore the influence these marketing campaigns have on individual psyches. This is supported by the Dittmar and Howard Journal statement on the negative effects of media influence:
Hegemony was derived from the Greek word "egemonia," meaning leader or ruler, often in the sense of a state other than his own (Williams 144). Although the base of this definition remains true, the word has evolved to much more. Hegemony is defined by Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought as "Political and economical control exercised by a dominant class, and its success in projecting its own way of seeing the world, human and social relationships as 'common sense' and part of the natural order by those who are, in fact, subordinated to it." Hegemony is defined as a predominant influence or leadership of a dominant class or institution over a subordinate class; the question is are the "subordinates" forced to follow the beliefs, or do they agree with them?
In today 's society, television is one of the greatest entertainment, and currently reality televisions have become the most commonly watched television programs. Reality tv, beside being entertaining , it has effected society in a negative
Reality Television has changed television in a way that no one could have imagined. Being the one of the most talked about genre in history, it is seen by millions of viewers. It has more ratings than any other kind of show (Breyer 16). From its start, there have been many Reality Television shows. Shows like The Real World, Survivor, Big Brother, and Jersey Shore. All of these give off a negative portrayal of reality. While Americans watch these shows, it seems that the show is real life, but in reality, no pun intended, before the show is even filmed, it’s written, edited, and produced (Breyer 21). Writers humiliate and degrade people just for the plot of the show, making their private lives public (Breyer 16).
In this day and age, there isn’t hardly a person who doesn’t watch some form of reality television. Whether it is an adrenaline pumping baking competition, a talent based show with singing and dancing, or the pure entertainment of a day in the life of celebrities most everyone watches some form of reality television. There seems to be a few different sides of reality TV that make it so entertaining for people to watch. There seems to be the shows that lure people in because of the motivational aspect, the drama, or the deep down genuine appearance. However, most people are oblivious to the fact that the screen they are watching isn’t usually what actually happens in real life. James Poniewozik explains the manipulation going on behind the camera
According to Shannon Kelly, reality television has the worst reputation of any type of television programming. Reality tv has gotten bad ratings and reviews due to its violence, profanity, racism, behavior, etc. if these shows had regulations, there wouldn’t be so much negative feedback upon them. “Complaints about the amount of ‘reality’ that is actually a part of reality television, is not the only issue the genre has to contend with.” (Reality TV 62)
One of the main reasons for watching reality TV is to provide people with entertainment. To an extent, the majority of society has a desire to explore what goes on in the world around them. People like watching drama that occurs on public television. “Insults, temper tantrums, selfishness, gross behavior, and plain old stupidity- these are the main ingredients for most of today’s reality TV shows. Guess who is watching them? Millions of viewers just like you” (Cohen). “Viewers cannot seem to get enough of the torture, embarrassment, temptation, and above all, drama of other regular, everyday people being placed in unrealistic settings and manipulated for the world to see” (Pontius). These two quotes state that the reason that the majority of our society watches these shows, is that they are entertained by the supposed reality that is portrayed.