Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Kendall and Media
I agree with Kednall's assertion that "the media do not simply mirror society rather, they help to shape it and to create cultural perceptions". Fox News, for example, can tell us that just 30% of America supports Barack Obama and people will believe it. News, especially statistics, can me manipulated, or even made up, in such a way that the media can broadcast almost any message they want. There are plenty of ways to combat this misinformation such as fact check websites, observing other media sources, and being able to recognize outright lies. The majority of America, for whatever reason, does not have the ability to do so, however. Reasons for this include time, laziness, lack of education, carelessness, and bias. Therefore, I believe that the media can distort our perception of social inequality and I agree that watching TV inclines Americans to run up credit card debt. . Upon reflection, the media has the power to do almost anything it wants. While some people are smart enough to recognize abuses when they see it, others are not. The media therefore has a huge responsibility to present the truth.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Mickey Mouse -----> Rocawear
Blog – What is Gitlin saying about the streams of rhetoric that pour out of America? Do you agree with him?
Gitilin is saying that America sends out a message of "with us". The kids in Hong Kong may not be able to be American, but they can experience America culture. They can go to Disneyland and eat McDonald's and watch Will Smith in a movie. These people can experience the connection with the most watched media in the world. In this regards, Gitilin says that it is not just because the media is American, but because it is so widely popular. "As devotees of Japanese video games, Hong Kong movies, and Mexican telenovelas would quickly remind us, the blends, juxtapositions, and recommendations of popular culture are not just American. American and American based models styles, and symbols are simply the most far-flung, successful, and consequential". While Gitilin recognizes the importance of the actual characters and settings (like Mickey Mouse and Disnelyand), the most important exported idea from America, according to Gitilin, is the models and ideas. In my experience, this has been true. When I lived in Kenya there were a couple of television channels. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was on every night on one channel. Friends was on every night on another. The news, which improved dramatically over the years, kept increasing in similarity to the format that is common in America. Sometimes they would even show political meetings - a format that is American in both democracy and the broadcast of major events. If one wanted movies or music, they could simply walk over to the supermarket and pick up (often boot-legged) copies from the group of teenagers hanging out. The teenagers would often wear clothes that were similar to their teenage counterparts in America - Rocawear, Reebok, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Jordan, etc. Never mind that these clothes were brought at the local market, which imported them from organizations collecting clothes that were heavily worn already. They were wearing those clothes - a stark contrast to the clothing of other Kenyans.
Gitilin is saying that America sends out a message of "with us". The kids in Hong Kong may not be able to be American, but they can experience America culture. They can go to Disneyland and eat McDonald's and watch Will Smith in a movie. These people can experience the connection with the most watched media in the world. In this regards, Gitilin says that it is not just because the media is American, but because it is so widely popular. "As devotees of Japanese video games, Hong Kong movies, and Mexican telenovelas would quickly remind us, the blends, juxtapositions, and recommendations of popular culture are not just American. American and American based models styles, and symbols are simply the most far-flung, successful, and consequential". While Gitilin recognizes the importance of the actual characters and settings (like Mickey Mouse and Disnelyand), the most important exported idea from America, according to Gitilin, is the models and ideas. In my experience, this has been true. When I lived in Kenya there were a couple of television channels. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was on every night on one channel. Friends was on every night on another. The news, which improved dramatically over the years, kept increasing in similarity to the format that is common in America. Sometimes they would even show political meetings - a format that is American in both democracy and the broadcast of major events. If one wanted movies or music, they could simply walk over to the supermarket and pick up (often boot-legged) copies from the group of teenagers hanging out. The teenagers would often wear clothes that were similar to their teenage counterparts in America - Rocawear, Reebok, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Jordan, etc. Never mind that these clothes were brought at the local market, which imported them from organizations collecting clothes that were heavily worn already. They were wearing those clothes - a stark contrast to the clothing of other Kenyans.
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