Irene James
Prof. Lucca
English 101
17th April 2011
Television: A Reflection of Reality or an Instrument of Persuasion?
Approaching the notion, that children who have watched an excessive amount
of television at an early age, will be more prone to engage in criminal activity during
their adolescent and adult years is a hypothesis that will be explored and proven to be
inaccurate from a media socialist point of view.
Economists, Levitt and Dubner used the coincidental reporting of the Kennedy
assassination and the cancellation of the popular baby boomer Beaver Cleaver show
within the same year as examples of how television can impact the minds of America.
Was the country unable to accept and grieve the death of our president with the added
“shock value” of this new form of “mass media” television. Did the country’s aspirations
and hopes of attaining the American dream die? I don’t think so!
Television is a medium of communication uniquely capable of intensifying or reflecting
the reality of events past and present. It can be manipulated to alter the opinions of
various groups of people. As an African American woman I can appreciate the role
television had in bringing the graphic images of the civil rights movement in the South to
the so-called liberal North. Watching these events unfold in the comfort of one’s living
room verified that the rumors of inequality, injustice, racism, sexism and the concept of
the “haves and have nots” could no longer be tolerated.
Today we can see how powerful television has grown and become part of the fabric of
one’s life. It was used as a tool of persuasion in the election of President Obama.
Before seeing him receive an endorsement from Oprah Winfrey on her show many
people didn’t know who he was. Another example of media manipulation is how the
“Tea Party” and the “extreme right” may use television to promote their issues against
abortion and gay marriage. Although these examples demonstrate the ability of this
instrument of the media to reflect or persuade groups of Americans, it may not
supersede your personal encounters and experiences in forming your opinions and set
of values. In order to have a clearer understanding of the potential influence television
can be on our youth and the probability that they may be persuaded to attain the
“American Dream” through a life of crime rather than becoming a positive productive
citizen.
The TV was invented in the early part of the twentieth century and was only
available in black and white. The first regularly scheduled programming was broadcast starting in 1928. During this time the technology was very primitive and was only affordable by the ultra rich and those with special interest in the product.
Television displayed certain aspects of the world that America experienced on an everyday basis, events and important publically known figures were presented Although, television had a black and white screen…Americans only witnessed anything but white faces..
After a few decades color television was created and most programs adjusted to broadcast to this new technology. For a few years the color televisions sold out on a regular basis as people were very excited to purchase the new units.
In the late 1900's flat screen technology became widely available and many people began to purchase these television sets although the technology was so expensive early on that the majority of people could not afford it. The price has come down in recent years and is expected to continue falling. In the future televisions will become more and more compact as a dimension of width and will probably move on to have many 3D features that are becoming popular in many movies across the nation.
From an African-American media sociologist viewpoint, exploring African-American’s
history of television is important when exploring this subject.
It was rare to see African-American actors and actresses on television.
.In fact, it wasn’t until 33 years after television was created in 1927; that a black actor
and actress were seen on television. During the 1950’s, society was extremely
racist. Especially towards African Americans. During this time period, African
Americans, weren’t allowed the same rights as white people.
In 1950, Beulah was the first television show that debuted
featuring African-American cast members. The show was based on a white
family that hired an African Amercian, overweight, female, housekeeper. It
wasn’t long before the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People(NAACP), forced the network to cancel the series in 1953 because of
the shows demeanor towards African Americans. The NAACP is an organization
who’s principal objective is to ensure the political, educational, social, and
economic equality of minority group citizens of the United States and eliminate
prejudice.
Amos and Andy, which ran from 1951 to 1953; was also one of
the first television shows to air that had African-American cast members.
The show was a comedy that portrayed an all black world. Even though it
was cancelled in 1953, the show continued to be in syndication until 1966.
But like Beulah, the NAACP launched lawsuits and boycotts which were
instrumental to its cancellation and the future for African-Americans in
television.
The TV was invented in the early part of the twentieth century and was only available in black and white. The first regularly scheduled programming was broadcast starting in 1928. During this time the technology was very primitive and was only affordable by the ultra rich and those with a special interest in the product. After a few decades color television was created and most programs adjusted to broadcast to this new technology. For a few years the color televisions sold out on a regular basis as people were very excited to purchase the new units.
In the late 1990's flat screen technology became widely available and many people began to purchase these television sets although the technology was so expensive early on that the majority of people could not afford it. The price has come down in recent years and is expected to continue falling. In the future televisions will become more and more compact as a dimension of width and will probably move on to have many 3D features that are becoming popular in many movies across the nation.
In conclusion, the surge in crime in the United States, cannot be attributed to the excessive viewing of television. Other factors are more important
in the development of a child’s intellectual and emotional mindset. These
social environmental and community demographics play a part in the motivation
in young adults to adapt positive or negative behaviors in an attempt to acquire the American Dream.
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