Media Globalization: Impacts

It seems the authors, Lustyik and Strelitz, can both see the positives and negatives of media globalization. They worry about the everlasting effects of homogenization on cultural diversity in smaller nations. Both authors seem to agree that the best transnational programs are ones that have made efforts to assimilate their programs to align with local attitudes and practices of the nations they are reproduced for. Producers must understand the disparity between Western values and many Asian and African values.

Even other American industries alter their business to suit international consumers. In England, Starbucks Coffee offers traditional British faire like prawn sandwiches in their cafes. The McDonalds menu in India respects Hindi belief that the cow is a sacred animal and is not to be consumed and therefore does not include hamburgers or any beef on the menu. Now, the consumption of food is clearly different than consumption of media since media can be consumed passively. Showcasing sexually explicit content in a nation where sex is taboo can be negotiated in the minds of American media producers. Preserving the cultural autonomy of individual nations is important and it seems the best way to do that is to create media subsidiaries, in nations that can support them, to serve as ambassadors for the major media conglomerates.

Managing Impressions - Your Mom is on Facebook

I can’t speak from experience about the validity of image representation on dating sites like match and eHarmony, but judging from the study done by Ellison et. al. it seems that people tend to present the best version of themselves, a desirable version of themself. They did not, however, wish to misrepresent themselves. They were honest about who they are and what they do, but play some aspects up, like one would do on a resume. Let’s be honest, no one wants to be seen first thing in the morning in their pajamas, puffy eyed wondering around the kitchen in slippers munchin’ on a bowl of fruity pebbles. Even though the morning version of yourself is true representation of you, you don’t parade that version around for the world. (well, some pajama dependent people might ) Ideally, people want to present themselves as well-groomed and well-dressed; a better version of yourself, an enhanced version. As the article stated, people’s motivation to portray an honest image of themselves is due to the fact that an eventual face-to-face meeting is likely to happen and it would be more embarrassing to be caught lying than to have their profile over-looked, to their ignorance, because of shortcomings.

Facebook is another amazing online realm of self-representation. Many people use Facebook as a place to explore others, declare opinions and entertain people with wit, knowledge and charm. Unfortunately, when a person updates their status it is there for all to read; old friends, new friends, bosses, co-workers, cousins, aunts, uncles, moms and dads. People have to censor their thoughts to retain an image that they would like unmarred. SNL produced a funny commercial related to this topic. It’s called “Your Mom’s on Facebook.” It is truly appropriate to this discussion.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/184577/saturday-night-live-moms-on-facebook

TV Sexual Content: Past and Present

As we discuss the problem of too much sexual content on primetime network television I think it would be appropriate to gaze back to a time when there was not enough sex on TV. Television has a come a long way from the separated beds of Lucy and Ricky in the CBS comedy I Love Lucy which began in 1951. Most of the television shows of the 1950 and 1960s were variety show formats but some of the most popular ones were story driven shows like I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith Show, Lassie and Gunsmoke. These shows especially Lucy and Beaver portrayed contemporary married couples as happy but seemingly sexless. Ricky and Lucy shared an occasional peck but their bedroom was set up with two separate beds. Their neighbors, Fred and Ethel, were even less sexual than Ricky and Lucy. All they did was fight and complain about the other. I suppose they foiled Lucy and Ricky so that they seemed more loving but didn’t need to publicly display affection.

Many shows of the 1950s and 1960s treated sex as taboo. Audiences of the 1950s had puritanical ideals and values and would not tolerate inappropriate references to sex. As the late sixties ushered in new attitudes about sex and people’s bodies, television began to reflect that social change. Programs began to include more scenes displaying sexual content. And today nearly every show on primetime network TV can make reference and openly display sex consequence free, because a large portion of the audience has become desensitized to exposure of sexual content.