In the documentary Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity, Jackson Katz discusses how images of masculinity in pop culture have changed over time, and particularly how in the 1980s and 1990s images of male heroes got larger and more violent. He uses many high Hollywood stars, for example; Humphrey Bogart, Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as examples. By watching this short documentary I have learned how we are so easily influenced and shaped through a variety of things: family, community, media and society. Most of the kids of around the world learn at an early age to put on a so called "front" or "guise" to show only the certain parts and qualities that a tough guy possesses. At the beginning of the film there was a part of the documentary where young boys were defined as being manly: being tough, powerful, athletic, muscular, and rude.
Amber Anardi Poe ENG 151019 2/14/12 South Park’s Effectiveness on Mocking Important Issues Society has taught us to avoid making a mockery of important issues, but what if a television series with a million count fan base, gets sky rocketing ratings by using impertinent humor on worldly concerns? The fact of the matter is that using disrespectful humor to present issues common to our generation gets the best ratings by the public. South Park is a leading example of effectively using profane humor to entertain and get a point across to its audience. Given the media hype of today’s age, many of our youth’s presumptions on important issues are influenced by what they see on TV; the show South Park showcases multiple outlooks on each issue therefore giving the viewer the opportunity to formulate their own opinion on the matter. South Park effectively enlightens viewers on concerns that are relevant to daily life, while keeping their attention through bold humor on the issue presented in the episode.
An enormous factor that plays into the number of viewers for The Super Bowl is the commercials; they are often very entertaining and usually funny. However, these endorsements are often very sexist and filled with logic fallacies. According to Merriam-Webster Online, sexism is “prejudice or discrimination based on sex” or “behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex.” These “sexual connotations” (Nilsen 36; 15) are shown throughout commercials year-round, but during the Super Bowl they are especially prevalent. Sexism is often shown through language. In the article “Sexism in English: Embodiment and Language,” Nilsen observes, “Going back to what I learned from my dictionary cards, I was surprised to realize how many pairs of words we have in which the feminine word has acquired sexual connotations while the masculine word
Despite the demonstrative approach, Derf also had a deeper, almost informative, meaning to his comic, poking fun at the actual reasons why society adopts a trend. In the comic, the reader is taken through the life of a fad, from birth to death, and everything in between. The four box comic starts off by showing where the fad is born, in this case with art students at a local coffee shop; the fad itself is a hardened booger hanging from the nose. This trend is picked up by hipsters and unpopular music groups in the next box. The trend travels city wide through this channel and then even nationwide through MTV and finally high school students.
“Nerds and Geeks” Popularity, being well known, and skipping school just to be a part of the “crowd” or the cool people. Though not everyone can be a part of that world, and that’s where the “geeks” and “nerds” come in. Their story and why we need them is exclaimed in Leonid Fridman’s piece, “America needs its nerds.” To make his point clear he uses satire, making it straight forward and humorous, also making it enjoyable for the reader. He uses an appealing set of word choice in his writings to keep the reader interested from the beginning to the end. Creating a relationship between the readers through pathos make Fridman piece a better read.
No matter the topic; history, sports, politics, media, sexuality, etc., The Boondocks will be very truthful and blunt about it. I’ve been watching The Boondocks since it started in 2005 and this show defines me because of its comedic way of telling the truth about society. With my views about the media I really don’t like to believe “the hype” or any of the publicity stunts that go on too often. Sometimes I think the government is full of conspiracies and I find it easy to point out irony, and hypocrisy like Huey. He even took a stand against B.E.T.
“One Anchor, Five Corespondents, Zero Credibility” The Daily Show with John Stewart is definitely not your average news program. Because of its ability to deliver the latest in politics, current events and pop culture, it has become a huge informational source for young Americans. As it is described on the Comedy Central website, the Daily Show is “a nightly half-hour series unburdened by objectivity, journalistic integrity or even accuracy.” Many people have argued that the Daily Show has a negative impact on its viewers because it gives a cynical, biased view of politics and politicians that might not always be true. Others say that the Daily Show is good for young people because it gets them interested in current events that they otherwise
Specifically, such shows like South Park, The Chappelle Show, Saturday Night Live, and The Boondocks are extremely common in the lives of these young adolescents. Although these shows are/were intended for mature audiences and strive for outrageous humor, they can be harmful to those who view them at a young age. These shows attack “people of every race, class, gender, religion, profession, and credo with their parodies, albeit usually
It is necessary to take a closer look at whether or not violence in the media really is responsible for this development and then to examine what censorship may entail before taking such a far-reaching decision. Many concerned people, ranging from worried parents through to reputable psychologists, deplore the ever-present nature of violence in the media, claiming that this is the reason why people are increasingly prepared to commit violent acts. They argue that violence is being propagated as normal or even entertaining. Violence is in the newspapers, on the news, in film plots and in cartoons. Violence is a source of laughter in children's programs; films present it as staple fare; it is served as pseudo-information in sensation-hungry newspapers and on reality TV; and it is even glorified by some musicians in their lyrics and performances.
With all the various T.V stations and programs we have it teaches people about society rules and how to fit in. There are many shows that give advice on dressing, for example the show What Not To Wear, and various dating shows. There are even shows that have videos of people doing outrageous things for pure entertainment and laughing, in which other people mimic because they believe it helps them fit in. An example of how media influences us "Following the 9/11 terrorism, media coverage followed accusations by government authorities that pointed toward al Qaeda as the group that carried out the attack on the United States and Osama bin Laden as leader of that group. Those news reports on the attack and the aftermath shaped public opinion to support the war on terrorism."