Discussions concerning minorities in the media can get touchy along with painfully politically correct. Race often takes center stage when discussing minority groups and topics like class and wealth receive less attention while dominating our television and film industries.
If there’s one U.S. minority that gets constant airtime, it’s the wealthy. Most Americans aren’t millionaires, decked out in designer clothes, driving Range Rovers—even if primetime TV portrays them in that light.
Primetime can’t get enough of rich people. Big Shots follows four extremely wealthy, country club men. Dirty, Sexy Money is about the Darlings, a New York business tycoon’s family that, shockingly, has so much money it causes continual problems.
Gossip Girl revolves around wealthy, New York prep school kids featuring fashion trends that most high school students can’t afford. Attractive doctors in L.A. live comfortable lives on Private Practice. Even shows like the former Gilmore Girls about a single mother raising a daughter brought money into the picture in that she came from a very wealthy family. The list goes on.
Even shows that don’t blatantly discuss money, like friends, portray lifestyles that are financially unrealistic. Average people can’t afford enormous apartments in New York City, yet Friends makes it seem pretty run of the mill.
With all the wealth, it’s not too surprising a recent study found that 74 percent of college seniors believe they will be millionaires. Not that TV alone caused this—it’s just too bad that one of the few minorities in the limelight is the rich.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Movie Effects
One of the first scary movies I remember watching was The Shining , a 1980s psychological thriller based on a Steven King novel. I watched it with my best friend—we didn’t react too much during the movie, but it definitely left its mark.
Throughout the movie, the director, Stanley Kubric, made good use of excitation transfer, which involves arousing the viewer with different techniques before scenes to enhance a reaction. What made The Shining was the music. Whenever the young boy experiences trauma, all you hear is this heartbeat in the background.
I never realized how much this one feature impacted me until a few years ago. Around the time I saw the movie, I started having nightmares where all I heard was my heartbeat. Nothing really horrible even had to happen in the dream to make it horrifying. Every time I would wake up in a sweat.
After I learned in school about film techniques people use to captivate audiences, scary movies haven’t had too much of an effect on me, but I don’t think I’ll ever really forget that heartbeat.
Throughout the movie, the director, Stanley Kubric, made good use of excitation transfer, which involves arousing the viewer with different techniques before scenes to enhance a reaction. What made The Shining was the music. Whenever the young boy experiences trauma, all you hear is this heartbeat in the background.
I never realized how much this one feature impacted me until a few years ago. Around the time I saw the movie, I started having nightmares where all I heard was my heartbeat. Nothing really horrible even had to happen in the dream to make it horrifying. Every time I would wake up in a sweat.
After I learned in school about film techniques people use to captivate audiences, scary movies haven’t had too much of an effect on me, but I don’t think I’ll ever really forget that heartbeat.
Nagging Fear
I’m a natural worrier. When I was 2, I would scream when my parents tried to put me in sand. At 4, bugs terrified me. For years I had a serious phobia about my teeth falling out. Fears seem to follow me, and any medium that highlights old or new worries never ends well for me.
Right now I’m reading a fictional book about leprosy. Now, this is a disease with an actual cure, yet I still get the creeps and secretly have started thinking about any possible way I could contract the disease.
It’s sad how paranoid I am. After reading about new studies in the health section of the news, I find myself avoiding foods or activities doctors link to cancer or some other health problem. When I was around 12 years old I remember seeing on the news that strawberries were said to cause some cancer. I gave up one of my favorite fruits out of fear.
I would love if journalists could lay off the scary health and safety topics because I really can’t handle them. I tell myself that I’m an adult, so worrying is pathetic, but all my logic flies right out the door the second I hear about some new scary aspect of the world.
So, I don’t watch or read enough news as I should as a journalist major. Now, in all fairness, injustice and harm from corruption does not scare me. I just hate hearing constantly about health problems and crime.
Right now I’m reading a fictional book about leprosy. Now, this is a disease with an actual cure, yet I still get the creeps and secretly have started thinking about any possible way I could contract the disease.
It’s sad how paranoid I am. After reading about new studies in the health section of the news, I find myself avoiding foods or activities doctors link to cancer or some other health problem. When I was around 12 years old I remember seeing on the news that strawberries were said to cause some cancer. I gave up one of my favorite fruits out of fear.
I would love if journalists could lay off the scary health and safety topics because I really can’t handle them. I tell myself that I’m an adult, so worrying is pathetic, but all my logic flies right out the door the second I hear about some new scary aspect of the world.
So, I don’t watch or read enough news as I should as a journalist major. Now, in all fairness, injustice and harm from corruption does not scare me. I just hate hearing constantly about health problems and crime.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Who wants to think about kids having sex?
Take one look at primetime TV and it’s not so surprising that a lot of teens are having sex. I know it’s not fair to blame the media for every moral crisis in our country, but sex is one thing the media has changed. Fifty years ago, you would never watch a TV show constantly highlighting extramarital sex, but now the majority of sexual exploits involve the unmarried or adulterous.
Frankly, I’m sick of shows’ that revolve around sex. I’ve grown up believing that casual sex is normal and expected largely based on what I’ve learned from TV shows. My generation already has widely different ideas about sex than our parents, so will things reach another level with even younger generations?
On a recent episode of Private Practice, a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy, a 13-year-old had a severe case of gonorrhea and nearly died due to a miscarriage. This girl, in her grade school uniform talked about how she always used condoms and has had sex with multiple boys. I’m sorry, but 13? I think this was irresponsible. I know sex sells, but let’s not sell it to kids quite yet.
Frankly, I’m sick of shows’ that revolve around sex. I’ve grown up believing that casual sex is normal and expected largely based on what I’ve learned from TV shows. My generation already has widely different ideas about sex than our parents, so will things reach another level with even younger generations?
On a recent episode of Private Practice, a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy, a 13-year-old had a severe case of gonorrhea and nearly died due to a miscarriage. This girl, in her grade school uniform talked about how she always used condoms and has had sex with multiple boys. I’m sorry, but 13? I think this was irresponsible. I know sex sells, but let’s not sell it to kids quite yet.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sex in Primetime TV
If an alien were to watch any primetime show, it would think humans must be having crazy sex, every hour of the day. I had recorded this week’s Grey’s Anatomy and Big Shots and watched them back-to-back the other day. It’s insane how much sex drives the plot of both show. I know that sex sells, but you would think the writers could be a little more creative.
Between the two shows, I watched a doctor have sex with a former patient in the hospital, a casual sex-only relationship, the aftermath of an affair brought to light, a husband getting sex tips from his former mistress in order to better please his wife, and the aftermath of a soirée with a transvestite.
Funnily enough, a guest lecturer told my wellness class that teen abstinence is on the rise…who would’ve thought?
Between the two shows, I watched a doctor have sex with a former patient in the hospital, a casual sex-only relationship, the aftermath of an affair brought to light, a husband getting sex tips from his former mistress in order to better please his wife, and the aftermath of a soirée with a transvestite.
Funnily enough, a guest lecturer told my wellness class that teen abstinence is on the rise…who would’ve thought?
Sex scenes with parents equals awkward
There are few things more uncomfortable than watching or listening to sexual content with a parent. For me, it tends to far more awkward when I am with my dad. Since leaving home and coming to college, I haven’t had to deal see too many sex scenes with my dad present, which means fewer awkward moments—yay!
Unfortunately, last summer there was an exception. My family has driven to Destin, Florida for vacation ever since I was a kid. That means a 12-hour car ride usually drawn out over two days. Now, my dad loves a good mystery book, so he always buys an audio book tape or two to entertain everyone on the drive down.
We haven’t gone to Florida for a few years, so when my dad pulled out a book tape, I decided it would be fun to listen to one again. For the most part it was great and made the trip seem a little quicker.
However, there was one, well actually four, painfully uncomfortable moments—the good ole sex scenes. I’ve come to realize that sex scenes in books are far worse than watching them in movies. A quick two-minute scene in a movie drags on forever in books, and it’s so much more intimate to hear descriptions versus watching them.
I realize I should be an adult, but sitting next my dad in the car listening to what the female cop is doing to her husband was really awful. Books leave so much for the readers to imagine, and I was far too aware that my dad and I were both imaging this sex.
After I made it through the first one, I made sure to close my eyes when listening, so he wouldn’t know if I was awake—childish but very effective.
Unfortunately, last summer there was an exception. My family has driven to Destin, Florida for vacation ever since I was a kid. That means a 12-hour car ride usually drawn out over two days. Now, my dad loves a good mystery book, so he always buys an audio book tape or two to entertain everyone on the drive down.
We haven’t gone to Florida for a few years, so when my dad pulled out a book tape, I decided it would be fun to listen to one again. For the most part it was great and made the trip seem a little quicker.
However, there was one, well actually four, painfully uncomfortable moments—the good ole sex scenes. I’ve come to realize that sex scenes in books are far worse than watching them in movies. A quick two-minute scene in a movie drags on forever in books, and it’s so much more intimate to hear descriptions versus watching them.
I realize I should be an adult, but sitting next my dad in the car listening to what the female cop is doing to her husband was really awful. Books leave so much for the readers to imagine, and I was far too aware that my dad and I were both imaging this sex.
After I made it through the first one, I made sure to close my eyes when listening, so he wouldn’t know if I was awake—childish but very effective.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Desensitized
I think I’ve become very desensitized…I can watch the news about rapes and robberies, and I don’t feel much of anything—this disturbs me!
I react more strongly to uncomfortable emotions than violent deaths. For example, I can’t stand to watch a show like friends and watch a character do something really embarrassing because I hate to feel embarrassed for him or her.
Yet, when I see on the news that a mom most likely put her dead baby in an attic I’m horrified but don’t feel anything. I can’t imagine it, so I almost block out the fact that it is real.
I react more strongly to uncomfortable emotions than violent deaths. For example, I can’t stand to watch a show like friends and watch a character do something really embarrassing because I hate to feel embarrassed for him or her.
Yet, when I see on the news that a mom most likely put her dead baby in an attic I’m horrified but don’t feel anything. I can’t imagine it, so I almost block out the fact that it is real.
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