Wow! Did anyone see this show last night. It makes absolute fools of the contestants and a mockery of the American educational system. This show has five ten year olds who answer the questions that their adult contestants can’t. I was upset that I wasted fifteen minutes watching this television show. So don’t spend your time watching the show, do something a little more intelligent like read a book.
Whether it’s a ‘tell everyone to see it flick’ or a ‘can I get a refund flop’ when you go to the theatre you get more than just the movie. You get people, food and atmosphere to enhance the movie; why else would people pay to see the movie at the theatre when they could just rent it at home. Smith has it all wrong… the cinema experience is so much more than just greasy food and Hollywood actors.
We arrived early to ensure I was able to observe movie goers from ticket purchase to film credits. I encountered a total of three lines and in each I observed people socializing. These are not the dreadful lines at a grocery store; they were a time for people to talk about school, family and work. First I purchased my ticket for a mere four dollars! This is a modest fee compared to the cost of most social activities these days; it costs over five dollars to rent a movie from Blockbuster (which does not include the theatre experience).
We proceeded to the next line, which by the way Mr. Smith is optional. I choose to engage in the entire experience for the sake of my research and therefore, purchased the regular pop and popcorn combo. My senses were tantalized as I waited in this line by the popping sounds and buttery scents. Smith was right that there are huge helpings of food and beverage; why not? The theatre is giving you a bang for your buck if you choose to buy the food and now you can even get a refill if the first helping wasn’t enough. Russell Smith thinks this is simply a greasy, disgusting display of eating habits. To this I say have you ever gone to McDonalds and seen people eat? At least in the theatre it’s dark and you don’t have to watch them eat, you can look at the big screen in front of you.
Although the food line was a bit slower, due to understaffing, I was able to observe a parent and child ahead of me. I realized the movies are a place for all people, young and old, friends and family. The movie theatre is open to all members of the public and it does not have a dress code. I saw a few girls dressed in high heels and four people wearing sweats or pajama pants. This is a place for people to come out, escape their everyday life and get immersed in a story on a big screen with surround sound. This is a rare opportunity for complete strangers to share laughs and tears at the same time.
As we approached the last line I saw people holding hands, smiling and talking. When we go to the movies we are spending time with people. How often do we do this? People are too busy or isolated in their own lives watching TV or typing on their computer to get out and see each other. Going to the movies forces people to leave their house and interact, what is so bad about that Russell?
Now this is one of my favorite things about the movies, the ticket-ripper who welcomes you, rips the ticket and then even informs you which direction to go for your movie. As I entered the theatre I noticed that people go to the movie in pairs and space permitting always allow for a buffer seat between strangers. This eliminates the awkwardness of sharing an arm rest, although the buffer seat is not possible when the theatre is full, most strangers are very considerate to one another in the movie theatres. I have yet to see anyone honk and finger the person beside them at the theatre, even if they do it all the time on the road.
This leads me to my next point people are really quite considerate at the movie theatre. I noticed four people (myself included) who pulled out their cell phones to turn off the ringer. This was the later show and there were no crying babies or loud teens, everyone was quietly speaking to their friend or significant other and enjoying the snacks they had purchased at the concession. Something was missing though; it was the movie trivia that Smith had associated with death. At the Movie Mill they played these terrible Lethbridge business ads that did perhaps remind me of death. The Hollywood trivia is fun and something interesting to do while waiting for the movie. It’s a lot better than just staring at the black screen or those business ads.
As for the people talking that Smith couldn’t stand, which I find strange because there are few places in public where you don’t hear people talking, it immediately came to a quiet hush as the lights dimmed. The speakers got louder and the advertising and previews began, which only lasted for thirteen minutes (less than half of the thirty minutes Smith proclaimed). At this point I actually became enraged with Smith because he so irrationally attacks the cinema for inundating us with commercials, when the media does this everywhere. Those commercials on the big screen are no different than those on the radio, television and street or in magazines and newspapers, on the internet and in our email accounts. Welcome to western society, we are consumers and there are advertisers.
So the feature presentation began, the movie was serious but also had some comical moments. Yes, there was that one person with the crazy laugh who actually made everyone else laugh a little bit harder during the funny parts. The most amazing part of observing the audience was noticing that all the strangers sitting in this dark room were connected and sharing the same emotions. People laughed at the same time, gasped and even cried with the person three rows in front of them. Going to the cinema is a social activity where people interact with friends and strangers in a way that rarely happens anywhere else in public. Smith simply overlooks the socializing that takes place in a movie theatre when he argues that everyone just stares at the big screen.
The movie ended and everyone compiles there belongings and prepares to exit. You are not even expected to clean up after yourself; there are people who do that for you. What I loved most about the exiting post-movie is that people filed out in a completely civilized and uniform fashion. There was no one pushing you from behind or cutting in front of you. As I was leaving I was reminded of a recent airplane experience; when it was time to exit people were savages, pushing and shoving, digging for their bags with no regard for anyone else.
When the audience was leaving I heard discussion of the acting, film, critiques and particularly with this film the issues that were raised. The movie was Blood Diamond and this was not the trivial, sun-dappled, California megastudio film that Russell Smith attributes to film. This was a movie about real issues that evoked awareness in the audience. I actually heard one women ask her husband or fiancé about her diamond and its origins. I personally have never thought about African conflict diamonds as I stroll through the mall peaking at Ben Moss displays, but I will now. When I left this movie I said to my significant other, “this is just about diamonds, what about all of the other resources the developed take from the developing countries”. The entire drive home consisted of a debate about western mass consumption and the consequences of our actions throughout history. So Smith, not everyone is talking about what food they like and dislike.
This is not the trivial conversation Smith complains about regarding the discussions associated with movie going. Although some of it is trivial, the movie lets people leave their everyday life and become immersed in a story, a different culture or a fantasy world. Whether it is fiction or based on a true story, drama or romantic comedy people are entertained at the cinema. The food is tasty and the atmosphere allows every individual to escape into the movie. The dark room, comfy seats, surround sound, big screen and fellow audience members make the movie experience one that is pleasant and far from the exaggerated death that Russell Smith describes.
Anna Nicole Smith… it’s a media mystery. Even if you live under a rock I know by now you have heard that Anna Nicole has died and the paternity of her baby is in question… IT’s ALL OVER THE MEDIA, every third channel has images of the blonde or her baby…
BUT WHAT concerns me more than the media’s extreme sensationalism over the unfortunate death of an individual and a motherless child is that they are drawing it out for the single purpose of ratings.
It is absolutely disgusting that the courts and media have allowed this private, horrible event to be splashed and manipulated into a “hollywood mystery” for the benefit of ratings… Why haven’t they released the cause of death or the paternity of her child? Are they unable to figure it out or are they drawing it out for entertainment???
People relish gossip and the Anna Nicole death/paternity debate are all over the media not because it’s news, but because it’s an attention grabber.
In Manufacturing Consent, I found it really interesting when Chomsky discussed the purpose of sports. If you think about it the majority of the population in North American culture lives around professional sports. Many people have “their team” and “their player” and spend a lot of time watching people play a game with some sort of ball and net.
I think this idea of sports as a distraction to keep the masses focused on trivial things rather than real political and global issues can be extended to the massive amount of Hollywood/entertainment type media. If you don’t waste all your time watching sports, there is something else for you… ET, tabloids, magazines (like people — what people? Hollywood celebrities and which ones are breaking up and hooking up).
The media is filled with sports and celebrity distractions. I mean more people in the US voted for American Idol than in the presidential election… Come on!
What I want to know is who benefits by distracting the general public from real issues? Probably those people with some power in our society who use the general public’s ignorance of issues to gain more power and financial strength.
Pop culture is taking us away from real issues into sports games and celebrity lives…
Example: CNN covered Britney’s new haircut… Was there nothing more important to talk about?
Another eyewitness report on Britney’s tattoos… (Chomsky was right we are being distracted from real issues in the media when their is a 3 min report on a celebrity’s tattoo.)
I couldn’t believe Grey’s last week. It was crazy, Meredith Grey (of Grey’s Anatomy) was out for like 20 minutes and the end of the show was her flat lining…
Is it possible that they would kill off the main character and why? No can’t be, must just be a huge cliff hanger, next Thursday she will be revived. I was actually really annoyed with this episode. After it ended I was swearing and angry, then I thought about this class and how the media is taking over our lives, particularly trivial forms of it and I was really angry. I thought to myself am I actually yelling about a fictional character dying on a set of a 1 hour television show? How ridiculous.
Here is a definition to pick apart:
Propaganda is a type of message aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of people. Instead of impartially providing information, propaganda is often deliberately misleading, using logical fallacies, which, while sometimes convincing, are not necessarily valid. (Wikapedia)
The news on TV and the print in black and white greatly impacts the opinions of the population. The coverage in the news/newspaper is definitely not impartial, because it is the voice of the “owners”. Who are the owners? Well they are the investors, governments and big corporations with money and power in our societies, basically the few elite portraying the media to help their cause.
What does this mean to me? CRITICAL THINKING… You can’t just believe it because someone in a nice suit, behind a wood desk told you over the television. THIS JUST IN… they are reading off a teleprompter and the person who okays the words on that little screen is one of the elites also controlling everything you see on the screen in your living room.
The problem is that when I see something on the news, I don’t really question it. They have the geographic locations, good vocabulary, maps, pictures and video clips to back up what they are telling me. I don’t feel the need to do any more research on the topic, in that 3 minute coverage I figure I have a ‘good enough’ grasp of the issue to get by.
SO WRONG. When you watch this stuff, you have to be critical of the logo you see on the screen, the investors, the government and the advertisers who are all censoring what you ‘get to know’ in order to protect their interests.
This is particularly true with global affairs. As in the article about Venezuela, the average person is only going to understand that simplified version they read or see on the news. Especially when it is outside of their nation and in most cases across an ocean. What does the public do when their media tells them something, believe it. Should they? Probably not.
Here is a clip of an American who just doesn’t know any better, he is just basing it on what the American media told him. (However, I do not believe that justifies the way he acts).
Rated R for language.
SO WHAT TO DO? With the internet at our fingertips we can search the web about issues we hear on the news. Look into the story and find more than just one perspective. BLOGGING is the perfect example, it is not all elite censorship to promote a cause, so check out some blogs if you need some info. But keep in mind even blogs, everywhere you go and everything you hear is from someone, so BE CRITICAL.
Look for the facts beyond just a news broadcast or newspaper column, then maybe get a blog and inform the rest of the world who hasn’t clued in yet that the person behind the teleprompter is not as objective as they want you to think.
Here is an example of someone who uses his critical thinking skills regarding the media…
Noam Chomsky on Latin America, particularly Venezuela.
And I have to say people actually participating in FESTIVUS in their own homes is quite the evidence that mass media is taking over!!
If you have not seen the movie BLOOD DIAMOND, you MUST. This move gave me a new perspective on my life, my world and my jewelry. This is one of those movies that are so important for everyone to see. After watching this movie I was able to see the value of mass media again. People in North America need to be made aware of what is happening on a global scale and portraying it in a 2 hour movie seems to reach more of the population than a few minutes of news coverage.
They said it in the movie, “we see it between the sports and weather broadcast” but not enough to do something about it. Now I am not saying that if everyone in North America saw this movie we would band together and stop the atrocities on the continent of Africa, but public awareness is the first step towards a better future.
I think mass media in the form of “Hollywood movies” and some documentaries are more effectively generating awareness than TV news broadcasts or a tiny column in a newspaper.
I know I would think twice about that sparkling rock on my finger after seeing this movie and I hope it does the same for you.
BUT IT MUST BE SAID, my initial thought after the lights came on was, “there are people living in the most unimaginable situations and here we are with our bags of popcorn and jumbo soft drinks watching a movie about it…”
Are our social lives real? or just mediated by media? Here’s my problem, there are a group of friends who have a Grey’s party every thursday around 9:00 pm. We get together at someone’s house, bring snacks and call it a party. But we don’t really even talk, except on commercials, but 99% of the time we are talking about the show…
This thought just occured to me last sociology class, that perhaps the “social life” is not really real, but programmed by the TV and celebrities on it. Paul gave the example of Paris, we talk about Paris, not real issues. I go to a “TV show party” not a real party, where people talk and socialize and meet new people.
Are we forgetting what is real and what is TV? Seriously, how many of you have every seen someone the next day, or called someone to talk about what just happened to the character on some TV show? I admit it I’ve done it, but never really thought about it until now how much I get into these TV shows but really they are not real people, they are actors with lines and stylists!
Perhaps it is because our lives aren’t as interesting as the characters on TV? BUT perhaps they aren’t as interesting because we are sitting at home watching TV!
Check out this link for an interesting perspective on the world of 100 people. 7 out of the 100 would have access to the internet and 67 out of the 100 would be illiterate. Talk about unequal distribution of global resources.
Furthermore, I thought it was really interesting that only 5 out of the 100 are Americans/Canadians and our lives in North America seem to be so ignorantly focused on ourselves.
I grew up on bunny ears and I still have them. Well my dad was right I watch enough television on 4 channels… Seriously, I can’t even imagine having cable, there are only 24 hours in a day, why spend so much time staring at the TV?
The textbook said kids watch about 900 hours of television a year. No wonder our generations are identified by the TV shows we watched as kids. I am a Fraggle Rock, Alf and Popples kid — if you know these shows you are probably of my TV generation.
What is scary is that we are socialized on TV and we continue watching it for the rest of our lives… what are we watching? We are predominately watching American culture and values in our Canadian homes. We grow up in a satellite Hollywood that portrays sex and violence all over our television screen.
The sex and violence on television continues to push the line and eventually we will be watching porn on CTV at 9:00pm. Seriously, I find it extremely disturbing the way women are portrayed as sexual objects and men as violent and powerful. This is what kids are watching 900 hours of…
I think it is a good idea to get bunny ears and do something else instead of watch TV. There is so much smut, scandal and violence on TV and after I sit on my couch for an hour, I wonder what did I really get out of that? The other night I was going to have a bite to eat and go do some reading, instead I watched an hour and a half of American Idol. Finally at 10:30 on the commercial I asked myself, “why are you still watching this crap?”
It is such a waste of time and money (well I have bunny ears so not the money part); but my time is very valuable.
Here are a few fun clips for the kids of my TV generation. Enjoy!
