1. "But the media are not simply conduits for carrying competing messages; they are more than just the battlefield on which cultural warfare takes place. Much of the substance of the comtemporary culture wars is about the acceptability of the images that the mass media disseminates. These struggles over morality and values often focus on the implications of our popular media images and the apparent lessons they teach about society." p162The text continues to talk about Eminem's album The Marshall Mather LP album being filled with rage and violence. And I have to agree that he is full of hatred and violence especially towards women, gays, and lesbians... and it is clear from the lyrics of Kill Me:
"Texas Chainsaw, left his brains all
dangling from his neck, while his head barely hangs on
Blood, guts, guns, cuts
Knives, lives, wives, nuns, sluts
Bitch I'ma kill you! You don't wanna fuck with me
Girls neither - you ain't nothing but a slut to me"
2. "Media representations are interwined with questions of power and ideology because of the process of giving meaning to events suggests that, potentially, there are multiple definitions of reality. Media have, as Hall (1982) says, 'the power to signify events in a particular way.' The question, then, is, 'What are the patterns by which events are represented?'" p168I thought this was a really interesting quote. Mostly because it really brought everything together for me in terms of power, media, representation, and ideology.
3. "In essence, the accumilation of media images suggests what is 'normal' and what is 'deviant'. This articulation is accomplished, in large part, by the fact that popular media, particularly tevelision and mass advertising, have a tendency to display a remarkably narrow range of behaviors and lifestyles, marginalizing or neglecting people who are 'different' from the mass-mediated norm." p 163This was my favorite section of this piece by Croteau. I agree that we do see the 'norm' in the media and believe that there can't be any other way to live our lives. I for one know I used to be one of those people until I was diagnosed with Timmy the Tumor at age 16.
Last semester, when I blogged about this article I related it to females in the media and about how advertising effects girls of every age in America telling them how to dress, act, how to look, speak, etc.
And I really liked how Mary talked about same-sex couples, posting two photos and prompting the question: Who looks happier?
I think it's really cool that you linked your previous blog here. The picture of this girl wearing the "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" shirt is upsetting. I figured that young girls are affected by the media, but to see a picture makes it more real. I also feel like things in the media are getting worse and I would probably see the effects more now than back when I was in middle school, for example. Especially with cell phones and ipads and whatever else, younger girls now have even more access to this stuff than before.
ReplyDeleteI totally enjoyed your blog post. You have such a cool, fun writing style and I dig the quotes you used as well. I agree with Sarah in the horrifying photo of that adorable little girl wearing a Kate Moss quote on her shirt. It makes you wonder what types of ideas mass media is drilling into our youth's heads and how it affects them in the long run. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHI Noelle!
ReplyDeleteI think your interpretation of the quotes in this article are the way i would interpret them too! we think alike, haha. anyways, i love how you brought a lyric into all of this, shows the great connections we can make to real life situations and experiences to this article. that's what i think a lot of people did this time, since this article really can open our eyes to somethings we don't usually see because we're so used to them. I also enjoyed how you put a picture on your blog as well, just to prove another point. when i see things like that i really get happy to know that these articles can put a light bulb on in our heads to pictyures we see. reading these articles can make us better analyzers of life and make us better people in the end. I also agree with Mary when she says she likes the way you write.. it is fun and and cool; makes me want to keep reading.
as for the picture; i want to talk a little about how this is such an overwhelming issue in the world, just like in Marys blog i commented how gay couples is such an issue. young teenage and even adult girls and women have such issues with how they look and it ultimately makes them feel sad, this shirt is such a horrible thing to read since this is such an ongoing problem in the world. it makes me upset how people could actually print and maybe even sell this shirt. if you are happy in your own skin then nothing else should matter.