The predominantly white cast of How I Met Your Mother, the tv series.
How many of you are aware of how you will be affected by the tv shows that you watch? Take for example popular American shows playing right now like Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, Gossip Girls, Heroes. Consciously, you will know that you are being entertained by the show’s materials (one of the media’s functions). However, subconsciously, are you aware of the messages of the show that are being drilled into your head, taking a hold of your brain and influencing the very core of who you are? One of the most deceptive forms of racism takes place in the television set. Out of the tv shows that I just mentioned, how many provide a balanced view of the world’s racial demographic? NONE! They are all portrayed as a predominantly white population. Other ethnic groups are subjugated to second class positions and are placed in menial jobs (e.g. John, the sexy Latino gardener having an affair with Gabrielle in Desperate Housewives). The presence of Native Americans are practically non-existant, Asians are stereotyped (Hiro in Heroes, who is played by an actor who speaks perfect English in real life but has to dumb it down to a pidgin Japanese accent during the show), and women are sexualized and placed in sexist positions (Desperate Housewives where all the leading females are extremely feminine and yes, housewives).
The super sexualised Desperate Housewives!What kind of a message is this sending out? Although you might not be affected by it first, a couple of years later after watching such shows regularly, these televised ideas about the world will no doubt affect the way you think. It may not obvious, but I believe some change would have occurred. This proves the power of the Cultivation Theory, which is that you will inevitably succumb to the media’s chosen dominant ideology. Influenced people will start to believe that your sex and race will determine your status in the world. Such a mean world hypothesis will be formed, as groups of people believe in this skewed reality. Mainstreaming will hence occur too, as people share similar viewpoints after being affected by the shows. American primetime drama shows are relatively consistent in the corruptness and twistedness of the values that they choose to portray in their tv series (free sex, lying, cheating, deceptiveness, insecurity, etc). It makes it all the sadder that these values are even accepted by people in the first place, justified as merely a source of entertainment. Kind of says something about the state of humanity in the first place, don't you think.
Most of us are victims of the powerful effects theory. We are passive, watching tv shows for the fun of it, and hence taking in whatever information they dictate to us. As a result, we absorb their messages. Unless we deliberately choose what shows we want to watch and are aware of any imbedded hidden messages or agendas to resist, we will never be able to subscribe to the limited effects theory.
Which theory do you think you follow? Do you watch such shows knowing full well that they are destructive to your world view or morally corrupt? Can you ever believe that even if you choose to continue watching it, you won’t be influenced in the end?
12 comments:
Since these shows are meant for the American audience, the use of white Americans to cast for the show is common so that it can better relate to them. However, the same shows exported to other countries will carry different messages to them as the original intended target was not them. Thus, in a way we are being tweak to think like an American in some aspects.
I think there is a lot of rubbish on TV today, and when it's entertaining, there are someetimes immoral connotations, acts and practices involved. If this is excessive in the particular show, I would think twice about watching it, let alone following the series. However, I also think that as mature human beings we have the capacity to discern what's right from wrong and distinguish fantasy from reality. With the knowledge that some of the content in the show contradicts your personal moral code or belief system, one can make the conscious effort not to assimilate such "evil" into themselves and their real lives.
With that said, I understand where you are coming from. The more you watch such stuff, there is a possibility of affecting you subliminally. The more you are exposed to such things, the more you think about them and it may have certain influence on your thought process. I guess we have to strike a balance and not take too extreme of a stand. If it's very entertaining, watch it and take it all with a pinch of salt. The most important thing is to be aware and have a strong personal code to live by.
i feel that TV shows, whether we like it or not, has a strong impact on all of us.
when i converse with my friends or peers, its very often that i subconsciously find myself quoting the scripts of the tv shows i've watched the day before, etc.
but i'm totally stuck to the belief that we ultimately control what we think, regardless of the tv shows.
true, i've watched the first season of Desperate Housewives, but stopped after it (it is now into its 5th season) because i feel that all the scandals and cheatings on one another is ever-recurring, not morally right, and of course had no an entertainment factor for me :)
i guess it affected how we think, but ultimately we will still stick to our own values and norms.
after all, what happens on tv is greatly dramatized and have slim chances of happening in the real world. :)
Kristy! I just came back from French and Steph's throwing this in my face, so apologies for the short comment xD
Yes, I think we are controlled by tv shows. Especially those with out favourite icons.
Even if we think we're not getting influenced, it can show, slowly manifesting itself.
I, for example watch Desperate Housewives for the entertainment. But it doesn't mean I feel that the messages they show like Cancer can be cured or that cheating on your husband will be okay - in the end.
Ugly Betty on the other hand I feel sends out positive messages :D Like being thin doesn't mean you're beautiful. Inner beauty counts. I bet a lot of girls can relate to Betty's life.
Lastly, there's CSI :D it helps broaden your General Knowledge and may come in handy one day :D I used one of the many things I learned on CSI in my Bio papers :D
So, it all comes down tot which tv shows you're watching and how practical you are. Whether you're naive enough to believe everything you watch on tv or if you can separate tv from reality.
Kai Siang, the American audience consists of all races other than the Caucasian strain, like the African-Americans and Hispanics. So, to only show white Americans in tv shows, especially in settings like New York (How I Met Your Mother) where the racial demographic is extremely varied, is an unfair interpretation.
And yes, it is true that cultural diffusion will occur as we absorb their Americanized messages the longer we watch them. It's kinda like brainwashing of another kind, don't you think? :DDDD
Good read!
Yes, media has a powerful impact on our perceptions, steroetypes and beliefs today. That is why we need to be able to choose what we allow ourselves to watch carefully. When media is produced, the producers are mostly concerned with what sells. Sex sells. So does violence and mumbling japanese superpowered heroes. If the audience is mature enough to see a show for what it is, than fine. But if kids are able to get their hands on GTA4 and then start to believe that killing, raping, and robbing is the norm, then we have a problem.
Regards,
Shawn Lee Wei Bin
Shawn, you made a valid comment there. It is true that adults have the right to watch what they want, since they are after all mature enough to discern what will affect them or not. However, children are altogether a different matter. It is our duty as adults to shield them from corrupt influences no matter what. As they are impressionable, all the more we should strive to imbue them with good values. It's just sad that today, even people's views of good values have become corroded.
Without a doubt, TV media has indeed made a great impact of all of us. I guess I belong to 'victims of the powerful effects theory'. I do watch shows 'knowing full well that they are destructive to your world view or morally corrupt'. Why is this so? I guess I know where to draw the line. Like what Mia said, we know what happens on TV is dramatised and chances of it occurring in real life is almost impossible. Therefore, I feel that as long as one knows where to draw that line, they will be safe.
As for the racism issue, I would feel not to take such issues that seriously as it is still a TV show, which is purely entertainment purposes. They use such 'tactics', be it the gardener in Desperate Housewives etc to draw people in. I will not care about the race or their religion while watchin the show. I would probably consider its content and the actors or actresses in it.
In the first place, tv shows are purely entertainment, if a person does get influenced, I would feel that it is not the media's fault, but more of the person's own fault.
i think the media defeinately plays a big role in influencing us, its without a doubt that we're slightly or in the simplest ways, affected by the media.
we watch these tv shows mainly for entertainment, but when we do see something we like, we remember it, and we tend to follow suit.
for example, some girls take after the fashion in gossip girl, or guys adopt speech patterns from friends, ie, JOEY, (:
these subtle things are also influences of the media which some of us may do but do unconsciously, but nevertheless still an influence.
with regard to the part on racism, i think it's not exactly racist, but maybe more towards the fact that general stereotypes are used, which may not be a good thing, but with these general stereotypes, people can relate more and will understand it better.
imagine if tv shows change the "norm" or stereotypes, people may not get it, and the number of viewers may go down, cause face it, when we watch something on tv for entertainment, we tend not to want to think, right(unless it does require thinking and we're prepared to think)?
haha.
Hey princess, I think it WOULD be perfectly fine if these stereotypes were erased and a more realistic view of the world were given. It could something as simple as including more black, asian, and hispanic people in the background or main character roles. Maybe How I Met Your Mother could insert a funny Asian dude, since they are after all living in one of the most cosmopolitan nations in the world - New York.
That being said, I do realise that general stereotypes can help add some comic humour to the show (Such as Hiro who is so cute as the innocent Japanese migrant). I am just expressing my wish for a fairer portrayal of sexes and racial demographics on the tv screens.
most of these shows are for the american population and it is made in such a manner to suit their taste. i would agree that these shows do infulence the culture in s'pore though. Take the japanese cartoons many ppl here are being influnced by their sense of fashion and their culture.
Well that's why i don't watch much TV. Most of its pretty lame. Watch football then. You get to see people of different races. There are beautiful plays. There are ugly tackles. There's racism. And there's also efforts to kick out racism. The completed package.
Well maybe the supply of such programmes might due to the demand for it. Subconsciously this is what we want to see. A reason why people watch television is to escape. To escape from this boring life. Wouldn't it be nice to have superpowers? Wouldn't it be nice to live in a suburb thriving with hot, sexy housewives? I wouldn't mind. But reality is different. Most of the housewives around my place looks like an extra from the House of the Dead. That is why people watch such shows. To escape.
The issue here is when the lines between reality and TV becomes too blur for many to see clearly. Then problems would arise. Disillusion and low self confidence would set in. The racial issue? Well, i don't think anyone can say that he is not a least bit racist at all. Producers are then again giving the viewers what they want. Another example of demand and supply. It is not just how the telly changes us, it is also how we change the face of television.
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