While social opinions rarely correlate with private enterprise, the entertainment industry is the one area where it is imperative for corporations to have a core message that is being conveyed to the audience. This is as true for the comics of the mid-1900s as it is for TV shows consumed by mesmerized kids and adolescence today. The issue with this concept is that there are often external factors that complicated the validity and bias of these messages, including thematic popularity, audience, current events, political or social climate, and contrasting values. These companies are usually only focused on what sells or how they can influence their audience to accept their own values. Oftentimes, the entertainment industries is used as a platform of propaganda for the government or interest groups, not just in the obvious sense of commercials, but in subconscious or metaphorical representations of actual current issues, in the form of products that are geared towards young children whose environment greatly impacts their development.
An obvious topic of debate in today's political and economic forum is climate change. I expect to see entertainment to continue exploring climate change, although it is already obvious in plots hat involve some sort of apocalypse. Another prime example of media misrepresentation of a particular group is mental illness. Horror movies take place in asylums, villains always have some sort of mental-health issue that is the result of a horrible childhood or incident, and, just as destructive, main characters who are usually teenage girls discuss mental illness with the same sincerity and weight in which they discuss who has the most expensive purse.
An obvious topic of debate in today's political and economic forum is climate change. I expect to see entertainment to continue exploring climate change, although it is already obvious in plots hat involve some sort of apocalypse. Another prime example of media misrepresentation of a particular group is mental illness. Horror movies take place in asylums, villains always have some sort of mental-health issue that is the result of a horrible childhood or incident, and, just as destructive, main characters who are usually teenage girls discuss mental illness with the same sincerity and weight in which they discuss who has the most expensive purse.
Right on Baillie. I think the second part of your blog post has some really strong ideas - mentioning climate change and mental health, two huge issues among the younger generation, which both suffer from undercoverage - and could really use some more discussion in entertainment medias. I think the first part of the blog, however, is a little mislead in terms of how corporations are currently led. I think that corporations today bend to the will of the public in their views and are often ridiculed strongly for not doing so. Your assessment of entertainment coorps in the past is well thought out and accurate.
ReplyDeleteWow really nice work Bailey! I especially loved your point about how companies are usually only focused on what sells or how they can influence their audience to accept their own values, and that oftentimes, the entertainment industries is used as a platform of propaganda for the government, in the form of products that are geared towards young children whose environment greatly impacts their development. I agree that climate change and mental illness are two controversial topics that are in constant debate today, though I would’ve liked to hear more about what topics you think companies should implement to avoid those controversial areas of discussion. Overall, really nice thoughts and I agree with your earlier points made and would love to hear more about your opinions on topics that should or should not be implemented in order to balance social advocacy and enterprise
ReplyDeleteYour first paragraph contains an idea that I greatly agree with and feel is a real problem in the lives of children growing up. Though not directly propaganda, and cannot be considered "brainwashing," commercials radiate messages that convince viewers to buy their product and shape the minds of children. The developmental mind of a child is prime real estate for companies to set up camp and convince kids to consume their product. Companies may not intend to prey on children in a negative way, only wanting to make a profit, but give children a consumerist based point of view that lasts through adulthood. Looking at your second paragraph, I greatly agree that medias take on mental illness is one that is rather detrimental to the community and society as a whole. Though maybe not intentional in its demonization of this group, writers making the antagonist or "problem" of a story centered around mental illness generalizes a whole group that doesn't play nearly as much of a negative role in society as media portrays.
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