Television

Track your television viewing for one week. (If you don’t watch television, WATCH SOME!!) What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about television? What does television provide you (fulfillment of a need -- See Chapter 15)?

TV provides me with fulfillment. I look to TV as an escape when I get everything done during the day. I normally watch TV late at night or while I am eating dinner. I like to have noise in the apartment so I am not sitting in the quiet. TV definitely caters to its audiences at different times during the day. If I turned on the TV in the morning it was always morning news. The only other programs offered in the morning are cartoons. In the afternoon there are a lot of soap operas for the women that are home during the day. Of course Prime time TV has the most followed programs. Each station runs commercials that would appeal to their audiences. For example on MTV or VH1 the commercials are for new CD releases,and new technology. Soap net has commercials for medication for osteoporosis and menopause,and vitamin supplements, while ESPN has beer and sporting event commercials.

Critiques argue that in trying to “offend no one,” the networks tend to offer TV programs that appeal to the “lowest common-denominator.” Do you agree? Can you name programs that are definitely for the LCD? Can you think of any network (NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW) programs that defy the LCD label? Explain.

I believe that NBC, ABC and CBS are definitely for the LCD. These networks show programs that are made for the entire family. These shows always have a moral lesson at the end of the show. On the other hand FOX and the CW appeal to a younger crowd. The programs shown on these channels stretch the limits of what can be shown on TV. For example Prison break showing inmates escaping from prison and getting away with it.

Many people would say that television has had a greater impact on society than any other form of media. Do you agree? Why or why not?

I agree that Television has had a greater impact on society than any other form of media. Not only are the majority of individuals exposed to it daily but they have been exposed to TV since a young age. It is a form of media that does not require literacy. Television is in the home, schools, daycare centers, gyms, and the workplace. It has the greatest influence on the greatest number of people. Even when I was in the poorest of the poor places families would have a TV, whether it was in their home or it was a community TV.

Movies

Why is the amount of sex and violence increasing in motion pictures? Is this a case of Hollywood giving society what they want or is it simply society’s acceptance of what we are given?

I believe that the amount of sex and violence in movies is the fault of both the society and Hollywood. There has always been individuals that have tried to stretch the limits and get a reaction from their viewers. Producers are trying to find a new way to portray a character and their story. Controversy brings publicity whether it is bad or good it gets the name of the film out there. Some of the most controversial films include The Birth of a Nation, The Da Vinci Code, and The Passion. These films are a few of the highest grossing films made in their times.

Slowly our society is becoming immune to seeing violence and sex in movies. The majority of audiences are asking for more and more of these things. We tell the movie industry what we want to see by what we pay to see. The most seen films are usually R rated or the PG-13 movies that are very close to R. A lot of the films show what life is really like but others are an extreme exaggeration.

If you were a movie producer, what would you do to make a box office hit in 2008?

The movies that have been the biggest box office hits have been hit books that have been made into films. If I were to make a box office hit now I would produce the Twilight series movies. Twilight already has a large following that you know you will have a hit no matter what.