Netflix Synthesis Essay

987 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The influence of the media

Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer fled Germany during the Second World War, where they were exiled in America. Once there, they were exposed to American entertainment, and generated the now famous theory of the ‘culture industry’. The pair saw the media products of 1940s America as identical, all built around similar ideas with no individual creativity to distinguish them from one another. This is what constituted the culture industry, a production line in which media products are sent out one after another, none of which challenge the status quo, instead simply supporting it. When we look at this theory in our current media climate, it is clear that the revolutionary works of online streaming services such as Netflix have fundamentally challenged notions of what we know as the culture industry, through …show more content…

A program such as ‘Orange is the New Black’ (2013) which features a diverse cast of transgender and queer people of colour set in a women’s prison falls wide outside the status quo of 21st century society. This program instead encourages its viewers to challenge the dominant ideologies of now by placing a spotlight on those emerging ones. This includes the treatment of transgender women in prison, America’s growing rate of private penitentiaries and the overrepresentation of black and Hispanic women in the prison system. Additionally, Netflix produced ’13 Reasons Why’ (2017) is another series that brings stories of those underrepresented to the main screen. The program follows a teenage girl who commits suicide, exploring the impact of topics rarely, or not effectively, discussed in the media landscape including sexual assault, mental health and bullying. The belief that the culture industry, of which Netflix is now a significant part of, aims to uphold the status quo is challenged by programs such as

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of Michael Medved's America versus Hollywood

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    Film critic, Michael Medved is aware that by publishing his book, "Hollywood verses America," he will not only enrage mostly everyone in the show business industry, but he will also loose some of his friends because of what he wrote. His strongly opinionated critique of popular culture examines the recent shift in the content of today's television, films, music and art. He has gathered statistics and opinions as well as shared personal experiences, all to illustrate one major point; popular culture has taken a turn for the worst.

    Read More

  • Television As The Cultural Forum Summary

    1749 Words  | 4 Pages

    No longer is it common for a single show to present a mass audience a range and variety of ideas and ideologies, which she makes evident in her study of Parks and Recreation which she claims still attracts a heterogeneous audience after the old cultural forum fizzled out with the decline of the Network Era and fragmentation overtook the television industry. Even though the show attracts a heterogeneous audience, she explains that it still does not reach the mass audience of Network Era shows like Father Knows Best and, thus preventing the show from maintaining the sense of cultural collectivity and investment through simultaneous viewing. Thus, the special interest groups that Newcomb and Hirsch view as an important part of the cultural forum and its effects within a society no longer exist in the Post-Network Era. With hundreds of channels and platforms through which viewers can access television programs, it is easy for them to avoid what they deem controversial or oppositional and the necessity of network programs, which could perhaps garner the audience necessary for controversy to erupt, to maintain advertiser support, suppresses potentially edgy or controversial topics for fear networks will lose funding. Thus, it is harder to produce high profile controversy.

    Read More

  • Synthesis Essay

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite the world being full of diverse people with varying accomplishments and skill sets, people oftentimes assume the qualities and traits of an individual based purely on the stereotypes set forth by society. Although these stereotypes are unavoidable, an individual can be liberated, empowered and ultimately overcome these stereotypes by obtaining an advanced education.

    Read More

  • Amusing Ourselves To Death By Neil Postman Analysis

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    Society may seek answers to an issue through a medium that most directly cause them. Neil Postman examines this alarming problem in his work of nonfiction Amusing Ourselves to Death, explaining how television challenges public discourse by transfiguring events from our life into a form of entertainment. This very country designates, “...A city entirely...to the idea of entertainment” (Postman 3) which shows the accepting common norm that usually goes disregarded. Postman’s argument circles the idea of a washed out culture who, “...Come to love their oppression” (xix) controlled by television. He juxtaposes two prophecies, Orwell’s, “...Dark vision” (xix) of societies bond to authority and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, where people allow

    Read More

  • An Analysis of the Media and Culture Issues of Society

    3042 Words  | 7 Pages

    The issue of the relationship between the mass media and the popular culture has always been a controversial issue in social sciences. The political economists insist on the role of the media industry in the creation of this phenomenon of the twentieth century. Though, advocates such as John Fiske, argue that popular culture is actually the creation of the populous itself, and is independent of the capitalist production process of the communication sector. Basing his argument on the immense interpretive power of the people, Fiske believes that the audience is able to break all the indented meanings within a media message. He also believes- by giving new meanings to that specific message they can oppose the power block that is trying to impose its ideology to the public. Consequently, this anarchistic activity of the audience creates the popular culture as a defence mechanism. Even when we accept Fiske’s ideas, we can not disregard the manipulative power of the media and its effects on cultural and social life.

    Read More

  • How the ‘Culture Industry’ had Profound Social Impacts in Society

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    Theodore Adorno and Max Horkheimer were two renowned Jewish representatives of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory; they were particularly dominant during the early 20th century, approximately around the time of the 1920’s to 1960s. They took refuge in America after Adolf Hitler’s rise in Germany. These to philosophers developed the ‘Culture Industry Theory’ in the 1940s, in light of the disturbed society they had seen during this time. They witnessed how Nazi Fascism used mass media such as films, radio and newspapers to brainwash millions into partaking in this ideology. Similarly they saw the rise of Capitalism in America, which also used mass media such as Hollywood films and advertising to disseminate the masses into the capitalist Ideology. This essay will evaluate how the ‘culture industry’ had profound social impacts in society and examine weather it is valid in contemporary society.

    Read More

  • Synthesis Essay

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    Television has affected every aspect of life in society, radically changing the way individuals live and interact with the world. However, change is not always for the better, especially the influence of television on political campaigns towards presidency. Since the 1960s, presidential elections in the United States were greatly impacted by television, yet the impact has not been positive. Television allowed the public to have more access to information and gained reassurance to which candidate they chose to vote for. However, the media failed to recognize the importance of elections. Candidates became image based rather than issue based using a “celebrity system” to concern the public with subjects regarding debates (Hart and Trice). Due to “hyperfamiliarity” television turned numerous people away from being interested in debates between candidates (Hart and Trice). Although television had the ability to reach a greater number of people than it did before the Nixon/Kennedy debate, it shortened the attention span of the public, which made the overall process of elections unfair, due to the emphasis on image rather than issue.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Adorno And Horkheimer's Culture Industry Argument

    1675 Words  | 4 Pages

    As society becomes more engrossed in the capitalist side of the culture industry, the use value is taken over the exchange value of the particular item. People can become isolated within society and unable to make successful decisions for themselves. Through standardization of production, distribution and sales, people are treated as a commodity. People begin to lose the aesthetic appeal of cultural events and people become consumed by the fact their attendance to an event gives them status. Adorno and Horkheimer successfully show what will happen to society if the culture industry takeover of mass media continues.

    Read More

  • Gramsci's Theory of Hegemony

    2347 Words  | 5 Pages

    Kerry Manderback. “Hegemony, Cultural Hegemony, and The Americanization of Imported Media.” Accessed November 28, 2013. http://www.academia.edu/2942539/Hegemony_Cultural_Hegemony_and_The_Americanization_of_Imported_Media.

    Read More

  • The History of Netflix

    2022 Words  | 5 Pages

    Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix headquartered in Los Gatos, CA, began the company’s operations in 1997 after receiving an enormous late charge from a movie rental he returned long overdue. However, Hastings had the desire to be different than traditional movie outlets; whereas, customers had to drive to the location, pay a certain amount for each movie they rented, and were given a deadline in which to return the movie. Instead of using a method established by other video markets “to attract customers to a retail location, Netflix offered home delivery of DVDs through the mail” which eventually led to a booming business towards streaming forms of entertainment (Shih, Kaufman, & Spinola, 2009, p. 3). Today, Netflix exists along with several competitors; however, offers the most streaming content available for viewing, and continues to grow its subscriber base both domestically and globally. Although, direct and indirect competitors, acquisition costs, and several barriers present a financial threat for Netflix, the company has managed to grow with the acclamation of partnerships, expand to international territories, and vastly increase its price in shares of stock.

    Read More

  • Netflix´s Competitive Advantage and Strategies

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    Video Rental and Streaming has partly been of the most significant avenues of the general home entertainment industry in the United States for many years. It promotes constructive development through various channels such as Information Technology, Public Multimedia and it also has a huge impact on people’s lives and their entertainment on demand. One of the best companies which provide this high-advanced service is Netflix, Inc (Netflix). It was incorporated on August 29th in 1997 in California by Reed Hastings & Marc Randolph; listed on NASDAQ as NFLX in 2002. Netflix is the world’s largest Internet subscription service streaming television shows and movies with over 40 million members in 40 countries (Netflix, 2013).

    Read More

  • Netflix

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    Introduction Reed Hastings (co-founder) founded Netflix in 1997. During this time, Netflix offered DVD rentals by mail. As Netflix went public in 2002, shortly a year later their subscription reached the one million mark (Netflix Management, 2011). Recently, Netflix was recognized as one of the 50 most innovative companies, ranking number eight for “streaming itself into a $9 billion powerhouse (and crushing Blockbuster)” with 20 million subscribers (fastcompany.com, 2011). This success shows how Netflix embraced a business approach where their mission was to take the troublesome experience of everyday consumers and transform them into a business opportunity.

    Read More

  • Culture Industry Theory

    2025 Words  | 5 Pages

    It is increasingly clear that media and culture today are of central importance to the maintenance and reproduction of contemporary societies. Cultures expose society to different personalities, provide models, which display various forms of societal life and cultivate various ways to introduce people into dominant forms of thought and action. These are the types of activities integrate people into society and create our public sphere. Media and technology surround our society; engrained into the fabric of our existence so much so, that it has become hard to find an aspect of life not influenced by its effects. For this reason, media controllers, wield extreme power and influence over the lives of everyday people. Although, they increasingly continue to feed the audience trash, despite their authority as the creator of our social/cultural interactions, and justify their actions by calling themselves industries. Reducing themselves to just businesses whose sole purpose is to create a profit. This admittance of what they feel to be their true purpose however does not hinder their control and power but instead adds to it. Creating a need for there to be some way to analyze and discuss whether they are using their position and power wisely. Filling this void, scholars have theorized ways for individuals to be critical of the media that they intake. One of these critical theories is the “Culture Industry” theory. Using Cultural Theory, as well as other complementary neo Marxist theories, it is possible to determine how Stacy Peralta, once urban youth culture advocate, became incorporated into the superstructure through media use, thus making him a tool for the continued commoditization of society, and a youth marketer for industries l...

    Read More

  • Pop Culture Is A Reflection Of Social Change

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pop culture is a reflection of social change, not a cause of social change” (John Podhoretz). It encompasses the advertisements we see on T.V, the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, and it’s the reason Leonardo DiCaprio has not won an Oscar yet. It defines and dictates the desires and fears of the mainstream members of society and it is so ingrained into our lives that it has become as natural as breathing. Moreover, adults never even bat an eyelash at all the pop culture and advertising that surrounds them since it has become just another part of everyday life. Pop culture is still somewhat seen as entertainment enjoyed by the lower class members of society but pop culture standards change over time.

    Read More

  • Essay On Entertainment And Entertainment

    1506 Words  | 4 Pages

    Every morning along with my alarm, I am greeted by notifications from the news, social media, and celebrities. Throughout my day I continue to experience literature, news, and social media. Before bed, like countless other teenagers, I like to relax by watching a TV show on the ever-popular streaming website, Netflix. Needless to say, entertainment is always present in today 's society. Entertainment has the capacity to be informative and enjoyable: a source of relaxation and mindless fun. However, it is what we, as members of society, do with entertainment that determines the impact it will have on our society. While it can be beneficial, entertainment does indeed have the capacity to “ruin.” Not only does the broader entertainment industry

    Read More

More about Netflix Synthesis Essay

Open Document