The media creates many sterotypes, show like say “Queer eye for the straight guy”, or even shows like “Seventh Heaven”. They create sterotypes, images of how certain groups act, they imply that they act a certain way. The media does this for a reason, it sells, it’s nice to see a happy preaching minister family, it creates a false identity, a false world which we can believe for an hour.
In shows such as Queer eye for the straight guy”, they give this impression that gays all have this sort of girlish voice, a kind of feminine tone, and mannerisms. It also gives the impression that all gays are these fashion in vogue people, that have this innate sense for it. The media creates these certain perceptions, and because of it, we watch, and I’m sure it has some effect on us. It might not immediately effect our opinions, but for example lets say I see somebody on the street that exemplifies this stereotype of Gays, it would than remind me of the show, and through that cause me to believe the stereotype that the show presents. The media creates the stereotype on the television, but slowly it carries through and affects our views, the media’s stereotype becoming our stereotype.
The media does not however always create negative Stereotypes, the example of say a ministers family. In “Seventh Heaven” they show this perfect happy family that is seemingly morally perfect. It creates another kind of image, creating a rather positive stereotype, that all ministers and that kind of community are all so morally correct. The media is not always a negative force when it comes to Stereotypes, it can do the opposite as well, such as with this show.
The media, though it does create these Stereotypes, does not do this for any particular reason, there is no malicious motive behind there actions, in actuality they do this, they create Stereotypes simply because it sells, it creates ratings. It may be wrong morally to create Stereotypes, however if we keep watching then there is no reason for the media to change its ways. In the end the media will constantly creates Stereotypes. Wether good or bad, they will continue to create those Stereotypes, and as we continue to watch these shows, there is no reason for them to stop doing so.
The media does not really have an effect on politics, or our view of what
is going on, at least visual media, television. It does give us opinions, and
stances, and does say what we should be worrying about, but in the end it
really does not do anything to control our opinions, it trys to tell us what we
should think, and like, and have opinions about, but does not actually suceed in
doing so, at least directly, it only affects what subjects we think about, but not
the actual opinions.
The media can talk about war, and how effective or ineffective the
President is, but there is some that disproves it does anything to cause people
to change their feeling on a topic. The best example I can think of was Dean.
He had huge press about him, how he was the up incomer, the person who was
going to face the president. He was supposed to turn things around, the press
was all about him, but in the end he was a flop. The people did not vote for him,
they voted for Kerry. Clearly, even though they may give us a stance, tell us
who we think we want, in the end it does not have enough of impact on us, to
push us in a direction we did not what to already go in.
The only way I can see the media really having an impact, pushing
us in one direction is through what they do not talk about. They talk about
terrorism, about the dangers of exterior threats, which perhaps make the
people worry, and makes us, the people think of the seriousness of topics like
these. However, by doing this they also make us forget about the other
situations going on. Its truth, though we may have opinions about say war, and
terrorism, and the papers may not change our thoughts on the topics, by the
media ignoring other topics, we the people also are not made aware of those
other issues, and topics, and so cause us the people not to focus on certain
subjects. For example they may talk, or write about the Middle East, about all
these different dictators in the area, and how say in Iraq, we had to free the
country from Saddam who was dictator, which is true. However, they also at
the same time ignore that there are many other dictators in the world, so why
not talk about them? When they do not talk about them, those
other foreign dictators are ignored, and we the people, through the media
ignoring those certain subjects, make us not notice these topics, these other
dictators as well. So in that way the media does have some power to
manipulate what topics we focus on.
Regardless of the fact that the media may be able to control the
topics we think about, they still do not control our decisions. The media’s power
is limited in that way. As much as they can try to push us in a direction, as
much as they might try and attempt to persuade us and point us in a certain
direction, ultimately it is our own decision, and regardless of how they may try
to push us into a certain view, all they can really do is make us see certain
topics, but they can never control our opinions on those topics, and subjects.
What makes a good film?
I think what makes a good film is the music, the suspense and drama created by the actors, and the use of background and camera shots. The music makes the emotions in a movie more clear. The acting is instrumental as they are the ones trying to express the theme or idea of a movie and carry it out. The use of camera shots and background can both be used to set the mood of a scene and a way to diversify the movie, make it more interesting and less bland.
The music creates the feeling, and the atmosphere. For exaple one thing that made lord of the rings so good was how they made the battle sccenes so dramatic and powerful, they did this through the music, it set every scene of the movie making each scene so more extravegent and powerful, the music creating the atmosphere. Music used properly also makes scenes where the emotion is not so clear, clear. Or it can be used in the opposite way making a scene sound happy, but the scene turns out to be totally different from what you might of expected.
The actors are one of the more important qualities of a movie, they carry out the action, and therfor are one of the most important things in making a good film. The actors express the feelings and actions going on in a movie. If they do it badly, speaking very monotone, not expressing the emotions that they were supposed to show. They create the effect of a film, in “Monster”, could it havebeen done as well if the actress had not been able to portray the feelings and distrubed nature of her character? They are an absolutly neccesary component to any film.
Just as important as eithier the actors or the music is the film background and the camera angling. The camera angling important because without it the film would be bland, imagine a movie shot only in medium shot, it would become dull, using the camera well really effects the drama and feelings in a movie. The background is important also because it sets the scenery, what if a movie was just filmed in one room, it can still be good, but it would still be harder to enjoy, it would make the film dull. Creating a lush environment that sets the scene verus a cardboard box, which is better? The background and use of camera are absolutly needed in making a film, making it less dull and more exiciting.
I saw the ads for the “littlest groom”, I can't believe they went that far. It really is amazing what reality television is coming too...
They are taking an overused idea, and somehow extending it further. It really is disturbing how far they will go for ratings, without the cost of actors. Now I’m not saying reality T.V. is all bad, but really you can only create so much variation on the same idea before it gets pointless and this show... This show is just on that borderline. Oh well, hopefully people will start getting tired and perhaps they can go back to creating something half way decent - someday.
Michael Garber-Barron
New media – feelings on the media
The news/media is in it self just as powerful as the military, more effective then any politician. To me the media is a force that is both good and bad. It can be helpful as it does inform the public about what is going on, what is happening and makes them more aware of the world and their community. However at the same time it is negative because it can easily be used to manipulate, giving only one side to a story or one opinion, pushing certain ideas, even through regular T.V. shows. When the people see it they only become aware of that one side, that one truth and so they are manipulated into believing one thing just because it was what the media decides is right and that is all they hear.
The news/media is a dominating force. The reason is because they can control the minds of the people. For example lets say there is some law there trying to get passed, but they are having trouble getting it through, what the media does is make people aware, make understand what this law will do and it might get some people interested in getting it passed as well, this puts pressure on the people who make the decisions to get it passed as they want to get elected. The same idea can of course be applied to some military campaign also, if enough people hear about it through the media and disagree with it then it puts pressure to stop the campaign on those who advocate that military movement. In the end what the media really does is get people interested in what the media wants them to be interested in and through that makes the media just as an effective power as other force existent, at least under a
Non-oppressive government.
I consider media something that has a very mixed effect in my life, I listen to it but I never trust it. There is always some agenda or idea that the media is trying get through and so though I hear something that they mention I try not to get to into what they say, and usually change the channel, as much of what they say feels so pointless like: “The owner of some big finical business committed fraud”, or “this politician was caught in some scandal”. It is interesting to listen too, but I try not to get to into it and trust what the news says, at least there stance. So I feel that though it is something that does have some significance in my life, not enough to totally dominant it.