Media Effects

Jenkins article was very interesting. It showed us how as viewers (of media) we tend to focus on one part of media and accuse it of being the only influence of our children's imagination. Why is it that as people, we tend to make accusations of people base on how they look? What are the media influences that people are inspire by and how does it affect them.

In Jenkins reading, he mentions that we shouldn't judge our children but rather learn to understand them. Just because someone wears a certain attire, or listens to a specific genre of music, that SHOULD NOT identify who the person is, as a whole.  In Paradise Lost, a man was accusing a student of committing a under simply because he was wearing black attire, while listening to music that talked about "taking blood". What stood out for me was when the man was at court and was actually trying to blame the violence on witchcraft, attire etc without having actual examples to show.

In Bowling for Columbine, we actually get to see an interview with Marilyn Manson and what was his thoughts. "Media wants people to fear ....because your being pumped with fear and consumption. Keep everyone afraid and they will consume." This is a man who plays music and yet, he gets the blame for being a "bad influence" to children. He gets to express who he is and yet, media has put in people's mind that he is to be feared of. The fact that Marilyn Manson spoke out really struck me, in a good way. It is a reminder to all that we shouldn't judge people. He knows what the media is doing, and informs the viewers that he is not to blame.

I think Jenkins would have been happy with the way that Manson responded. Not just for him, but for those who follow his music as well. Those people should not be getting all the credit for committing crimes and gun violence. We should also put a) the environment that a person grew up in b) the personality of  a person and c) a person's experience into consideration when 'debating on who to blame for influencing people towards violence'.

Seiter vs Jenkins on Media Effects

The first thing I thought when watching Bowling for Columbine and Paradise Lost is the sympathy Professor Jenkins would have for the murderers, and how he would try to figure out the reasoning behind what happened, rather than blaming the reasoning on things that are irrelevant. For example, they show the camera footage from Bowling for Columbine while playing the frantic sounding phone calls in the background. This makes this situation more horrifying for the viewers, and it also plants phone calls that may have been placed at any time, not necessarily at the moment being shown. In Paradise Lost, hard rock music begins to play when the children accused of murder are being interviewed. While I don’t doubt that the accused suspects are guilty, these specific scenes demonstrate how the media twists the way these suspects are viewed. There is also a scene in Paradise Lost where a man is in the church singing a song entitled “Whatever It Takes.” While this song is being played in the background, they are showing how “happy” the neighborhood is, and how religious everyone is, implying these children that committed the crime were worshiping Satan. I believe Professor Jenkins would make more of an effort to understand the children, rather than be quick to make an assumption related to their religious beliefs.

Seiter believes that parents and teachers should worry “less about the debilitating effects of television on affluent children and more about improving access to education for children against whom the odds are already stacked.” (12) She believes that more access to popular culture would open the childrens eyes to more possibilities and give them a better idea of reality, rather than a blocked off ignorant idea.  It is hard to say what her opinion would be on the case regarding the child murders in Paradise Lost, it is almost too much information for a child to be absorbing at a young age yet it is important to know what is happening in the world. It is important to see the way that media twists these stories in order to pick up on the false images media displays to sway the viewers opinion in the future.

Media Effects

I believe after watching both films Paradise lost and Bowling for Columbine it showcased just how people can judge solely off of appearance and label them based off of what society or the media thinks is not the "norm". In Paradise lost people had preconceived notions about the teenage boys who were being held at trial for murder. In the film they showcase the trial and kept bringing up their appearance, tastes in music and how they were said to believe in satan. All of these acussations were dragged through each interview to lead people to believe that just because you dress in all black or listen to a certain type of genre of music you are capable of murder or any type of crime. 

I have to say that the media has a huge effect on this because they have formed people to believe that "Goth" or "Emo" kids are troubled kids. They put out in the world through movies and television shows that the kids who bully people or rebel are usually dressed a certain type of way and have interests that are different from the rest. The media influences the youth and what they believe. People watch these shows and think that it is cool to act a certain way and they end up mimicking the charters behavior. 

Media Effects Paradigm

In class we learn about the Media Effects Paradigm also known as the Cultivation Theory claims that prolonged exposure to Heavy TV viewing will effect the vulnerable minds of us people. We are viewed “empty vessels” and can easily be filled up with negative influences such as violence which we acquire through media. 

In “Paradise Lost” we see three kids on trial for the suspected murder of three children. The basis of this trial was based on their taste in music, choice of clothing and literature. They are associated with “Goth” lifestyle, and because of their interest in Wicca. We see that the “specialist” claims these children are Satan worshippers. The evidence they have is questionable, and because these kids do not fit into the “norm.” Like the Media Effects Paradigm the specialist claims these kids have their minds taken over by the media they associate themselves with even though Damien, one of the defendants, reassures his religious and good nature background and upbringing. They might be children, and the Media Effects Paradigm may suggest that these kids have had their minds infested with evil but we are not a “inactive audience.” We learned in the Seiter reading that even children can differentiate “make believe” from reality why wouldn’t teachers be able to? They underestimate the human population if they believe we cannot decipher good and bad in media. If we cannot even do that much how are we suppose to make ethical decisions in our everyday lives?

In “Bowling for Columbine” we focus on the issue of guns and the “fear of violence” and how it plays a active role in the Columbine massacre. I don’t necessarily agree with this documentary entirely because like the Media Effects Paradigm, it’s not solely the guns or the media that “caused” this tragedy but a number of factors. It is the gun laws, it is the bullying that causes these kids not to have a healthy outlet for all the negativity, and it may be mental disorders, whether it is caused by the environment or a chemical imbalance. 

Does Media Effect Our Youth?

In Henry Jenkins article, he writes about how he was invited to testify to the Senate about how the Media Effects Paradigm is flawed. The Paradigm explains that children are influenced by violence shown in movies, television shows, and video games. According to the paradigm, these influences cause children to engage in acts of violence and sometimes even murder. Jenkins, however, believes that these acts of violence are caused by social factors between youth and not by the effects of what they see on television. He also points out how many of the proofs for the Media Effects Paradigm have been taken out of context.

I, however, don't understand why these two theories can not both contribute to the violence we see in our youth.

One of the issues that we discussed in class, in response to both Paradise Lost and Bowling for Columbine was that many of the mass killings that have come up in the news were found to be in response to the killers having been bullied or targeted in the past. What the Media Effects Paradigm were to be applied to the bullies and not the killers and the killers had snapped because of their social issues.

Think about it, although there are acts of violence and murder shown on television and in films, it is not incredibly often that you see a mass murder depicted on screen. Bullying, however, is seen in television and in movies on a regular basis. Characters curse each other out, tease each other, play nasty tricks on each other, and sometimes even hurt each other. Many times the bullies are depicted as the "cool" characters. If this is the case, does the media give off the impression that this way of treating your fellow human being is acceptable? If it does, then i believe that the bullies are influenced by media much more then killers and murderers.

A person who is targeted by these bullies may not know the proper way socially react to their attackers. Every so often, someone who is targeted too much with poor on how to handle the situation may commit acts of dire consequences.