When I first came into this class, I knew it would complement the way I look at society. I like to think I’m a pretty liberal individual and am far from judgmental. After our discussion in class I started to look for the ways that the mass media affects our receipt of information as well as our world views.
We discussed the TV show Family Guy in class on Tuesday and I think it’s an excellent example of the views and thought processes of ‘mainstream’ Americans. Peter is a Eurocentric, highly sexist male that feels his patriarchal control of his family should not be questioned, despite his bumbling. The show itself shows his feelings that he is superior to other ethnic and cultural groups, but he’s not afraid to mingle with them. The series does incorporate minority groups in its programming, including the handicapped, homosexual, and racial minorities, albeit at their expense. The show uses these groups for humor, and despite Peter’s attitude to these groups, his lack of understanding usually ends up undermining him in the end.
Bravo was mentioned as being a center for dissemination of counterculture. I have the channel so I thought I’d check it out. It gives minority groups attention and specialized programming that other networks would not. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy demonstrates the network’s commitment to the promotion of this counterculture. It prescribes to the bias that gay men are superior to their straight counterparts on issues such as fashion sense and taste for example. It also fuels the stereotype that straight men cannot be classy and need guidance on how to maintain a nice self image and the maintenance of relationships.
These are only a few ways in which the mass media effects and affects our perceptions of the world around us. Information technology is an excellent source of data on the world around us, but we must always be careful to review that data critically and not forget to explore the world around us. We need to form our own opinions and ideas and not allow others to manipulate our thought processes.
I couldn’t agree more with your closing statement "We need to form our own opinions and ideas and not allow others to manipulate our thought processes". I believe this country in the past eight years has seen a steady increase in people following the popular belief rather than thinking about things on their own.
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