Once again, Lunachick has posted an eloquent rant on one of the (many) things that are currently wrong with society, this time related to the parents of the Missouri boy missing for missing for 4 years who was recently found. His parents brought him on Oprah. I responded to her site. You can read her post at the link here:
Life of a Lunachick
Lunachick wrote: We live in a society where the media rules.
I wrote" The media rules? Does a bear **** in the woods?
Now I would like to pose a two-part question: If the media rules...
1) Who gave them their power?
2) How did it happen?
Tawk amongst yahselves...
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10 comments:
I love answering a question with a question.
What do you mean by "media?" All of it, or parts of it?
And yet another question! I guess when I say media, I mean "news," in the form of television, radio, print, and meaning hard (political, factual) and soft (entertainment, opinion, 'reality') news. Communications, I guess.
We gave them their power. People have less time to do their own fact-finding nowadays (or, it could just be that its less of a priority-for whatever reason). It's easier to listen to what we are fed.
Ever want to know how many "filters" the "information" we are given goes through before it actually gets to lowly us? Read "Manufacturing Consent" by Noam Chomsky. He's an MIT professor.
You'll never view what you see/read/hear the same way again.
Our bar is entirely too low here.
Thanks for the link, Toni!!!
I think there are an awful lot of media struggling to tell the truth and get the facts in the face of enormous economic and political pressures, so I wouldn't paint the entire media with the same brush.
Having said that, the media is almost always biased in one direction of another.
And media is a business, whether it's for profit or not-for-profit. Commerce is a fact of life.
Get over it.
However, children should be off limits.
From what I can see, there isn't any neutrality in journalism anywhere, right OR left, any more (and yes, that even includes public radio...sacrilege!), no matter what side you're on. And Nancy, when it comes right down to it, we all know there is never just one truth. So if someone is struggling to tell the truth, whose truth are they struggling to tell? What is true for me may not be true for you. But facts are facts. And as long as we are human, we'll never get "just the facts" without a side order of tone or innuendo or opinion. Which, now that I think about it, is probably what you actually meant, anyway.
Yeah, maybe it wasn't just US who gave them their power...it probably all boils down ONCE AGAIN to the big businesses that actually run this country...pharmaceutical and oil companies...sigh
No, I won't be getting over it anytime soon.
People rely on the crap they see on TV for their information, and they let their kids be raised by the media.
Does anyone think the body images thatare put forth to people aren't put forth consciously?
Know how much the diet industry cranks in each year?
Maybe I shouldn't paint all media with the same brush, but certainly the popular (and overly funded) media deserves the one-two punch.The average person isn't listening to the BBC or NPR for their news. And yes, they are all owned and controlled by big business-which is the crux of the problem.
How many times did I have to read that Britney Spears shaved her head on the goddamn news TICKER for MSNBC yesterday? This was tickering across while we were watching congress in their Saturday session. An embarassment to this country.
Someone suggested maybe it's the media consumer who disappoints us by the choices they make. I certainly feel that way a lot, but at the same time one does sometimes feel a curiosity about other types of people, and so one sometimes tunes into Jerry Springer and gets a thrill when the woman takes a lame swing at her cheatin' husband and goes after the girlfriend, nails sharp and ready. Pathetic, but sort of... fascinating.
By the way, I'm in the mood to kick some ass so bring it on.
People WANT to watch a lot of things, it shouldn't mean we have to indulge in that.
Historically, people liked watching stonings and hangings. Should we start putting them on TV too?
I believe people go where they are led (as a collective). Put forth constructive and educational media, and they will follow suit.
It shouldn't matter if people are WILLING to exploit themselves (and their family). Nobody should be facilitating that.
I know what you mean, Nance, watching Jerry Springer is like watching an accident...sometimes flipping channels, you come across it and you kinda stop and watch, stunned. It's like, you just cannot believe these people (and with good reason, it's all an act). But then you catch yourself, shake it off, and continue flipping...
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