Gender issues propagated and enhanced by a rise of reality television - Essay Example

ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA AND SOCIAL CHANGE Gender issues propagated and enhanced by a rise of reality television in comparison to television dramas and comedies. Name of student Student Number Department Grade Course Tutor’s Name 5th December 2011. { “Most popular media promote; often in subtle and even contradictory ways, perspectives that support basic social arrangements, and endorse the legitimacy of social institutions; marginalizing attitudes, and behaviors considered to be of the ‘mainstream’”} In support of the above statement by Keller and Luller; dwelling on gender implication by the television shows; in America, the current generation is getting its main behaviors from the media channels. Through the viewing of the reality, comedy and drama shows, give massive population particularly the young, new lease of characters and behaviors. According to Keller (9) products of media culture necessitates ways and means under which we develop characters. People perceive and copy what they view on the television and incorporate as their character. In real life, change occurs influencing the behaviors, characters and the perception of individuals in life. The media have in the 21st century contributed considerably to the social changes experienced in the current life. When evaluating gender issues in America and how it has transformed with time, one can fairy look at the representation in the media shows. The television has presented an arena for various thoughts and values of ideas in which the Americans have use to express and pass ideas perceived to be important in the society. Valuable ideas presented and expressed through the comedies, dramas and televised ideas on gender issues have been of crucial essence in the present life. Many view all these in various perception, some view them as helpful whereas others express them as harmful as they critically address issues perceived to be private. An outstanding example is the reality shows that will air a live broadcast of problems encountered in the family set up and the roles of every partner in the family. The media and its channels of relaying the messages; have provided considerable views on gender issues achieved by use of characters perceived to be the favorite to the viewers. Looking at the presenter of the live reality show Oprah Winfrey, one gets the perfect picture of how the media can transform the society by way of presenting ideas and experiences from certain individuals with first hand experiences and enhance incorporation of change to others going through similar situations. According to Lull; hegemony is defined as the power or dominance of one social group over another. The hegemonic belief about gender is whereby the man is perceived as the dominating species in this context. Further, perspective lies in the caution that whereas improvement towards gender equity has been on the rise, there is strong hope that it will continue as nothing is inevitable, as far as it has started and perfected. Looking critically at the dramas, television shows provide stereotypes families; this result to examples of husbands and wives displayed viewing on the shows. The same case applies to reality shows; according to Oprah Winfrey (5), brings out the issue of how alcoholism can bring down a family. The episode depicted by the consoling of the mother by her three year old daughter; the scene moves the viewers and brought out the opening up of the family and shared issues that helped them release their shame. Various television shows have portrayed a myriad of gender elemental movements by using women characters in different circumstances. The dramas present to the viewers’ different environments like the workplace, where the females work in collaboration with men, as well as in leadership positions and women supervising the men. Moreover, most of all the circumstances, the dramas will present the viewers with common issues associated with women fighting to achieve equal status in the society. According to Aksu (3), the forces of the media characters and what the society views changes them without their knowing. Gender stereotypes are particularly evident whenever generic roles towards either gender have been applied, and the results apparently find their way to the society. Looking at the episodes of the comedy, ‘The Simpson’ gender roles are portrayed in a perfect manner relating to the real life, and how the views of tomorrow may be influenced. The analysis of The Simpsons asserts that gender helps in defining the roles of man and the woman in the society as dictated by certain cultures. It expresses how every person react to different situations in life; like, how a man goes to work to support the family while the wife stays at home taking care of the children. Although inequality has been in existence for long, recent improvement has been significant in the position of women in the public sphere. This is well viewed in the context of wage gaps and executive positions between men and women, which presents a significant disparity. Reality shows like the Ophrah Winfrey has been on the forefront of promoting gender equity and empowering people. Oprah stated in her final episode that, “this show always allows people, hopefully to understand the power they have to change their own lives” (Oprah.com, 1). Oprah asserts that one viewer Carie from Michigan confessed how she felt motivated to be herself by just watching Oprah be herself (Oprah.com, 2). The Oprah Winfrey show is a recognized reality show viewed around the globe with over 150 countries watching it (4). According to Keller (11), “ideologies of gender promote sexist representation of women.” Whenever we look at ideologies, in the context of media towards the cultural behaviors of individuals; inequality is, and subordination appear to be natural and just, therefore, producing consent to relations of domination. Studies show that beliefs in gender exist and are widely held in the current United States (Fiske et al. 878). According to Knol (1) culture and gender work together in the media setting, weaving their way from the visual in the form of media representation to the mind of the viewers. The media relays roles of both genders from one region to the other; like, pictures of women in the Middle East carrying children on their back and doing laundry while their husbands stay without worry. This gives an insight of the Eastern life to an individual in the West. The Simpsons comedy portrays the undertakings of a family full of satire and eludes love in the acting family. The family in The Simpsons portrays challenges encountered in a family and the way of resolving their issues in a noble way unlike in the series viewed after it Family Guy. With the Family Guy, the disagreements are profound and not resolved even with the intervention of their pet dog. The episodes of The Simpsons bring out the characters clearly with regard to their gender roles, as well as masculinity and femininity. According to a British socialist theorist Phillip Elliot, that the majority of potent consequence of mass media is how they delicately influence their audiences to recognize social roles and routine individual activities. Television commercials are highly effective in encouraging their audiences to think of themselves as “market rather than as public, as consumers rather than citizens” (Gitlin 255). The audience perceives most of the characters as real and incorporates them in the real life situation thereby, developing a character instigated by the notion of media implication. In conclusion, the fact that gender roles and gender stereotyping have a significant effect in the field of education, the media has contributed to a large extent in highlighting the gender issues and promoting gender equity. Through TV episodes like reality shows, issues have been raised and discussed critically to the benefit of the viewers. The media has well been used to highlight issues of gender abuse through drama shows and comedies in the acting nature of it, as well as through reality shows where real encounters are highlighted. Therefore, gender issues are propagated and enhanced by the rise of reality television shows, as well as the comedies and drama episodes. References Aksu, Bengu. Barbie Against Superman: Gender stereotypes and Gender Equity in the Clasroom. Journal of Language and Linguistics Studies. Vol. 1, No. 1. April 2005. Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A., Glick, P. and Xu, J. A Model of (often mixed) stereotype content: Competence and warmth respectively follow from perceived status and competence. Journal of Personal and Social Psychology. 2002. 82, pp 878-902. Gitlin, T. Prime-Time Ideology: The Hegemonic Process in Television entertainment. Social Problems, 1979. Vol. 26, pp. 251-266. Knol, Gender Roles in Television. An analysis of The Simpsons. 2010.Available from knoll; a unit of knowledge, at http://knol.google.com/k/gender-roles-in-television. Ridgeway, C. and Correl, S. Unpacking the Gender System; Theoretical Perspective on Gender Beliefs, and Social Relations: Gender and Society, 2004. pp 510-531. The Oprah Winfrey Show finale, Oprahwinfrey.com. (May 25, 2011). Accessed on December 5, 2011 from http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Oprah-Winfrey-Show-Finale pp1-12. Read More