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Effect and influence of mass media on individual
Psychological impact of television
Psychological impact of television
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The contemporary writing period is considered to still be occurring as we speak so many of the themes and ideas presented in these works are still prevalent in today’s world. One piece that highlights a particularly gruesome trait of our culture is “Videotape,” written by Don DeLillo which tells a story about us, America, watching a video of horrific murder over and over again while it plays on the news. The story is slightly slow paced at the beginning but you can tell that the author is foreshadowing a big event especially when he bluntly states “It is not just another video homicide. It is a homicide recorded by a child who thought she was doing something simple and maybe halfway clever.” He goes on to tell how the man that the girl was …show more content…
recording gets brutally murdered by someone known as the Texas Highway Killer and for some reason we cannot stop watching this appalling footage. The viewer even feels the need to call our wife in order to ensure that she is also watching this shocking event. This piece addresses the fact that for some reason our culture is somehow entertained by watching violent and disturbing videos simply for our amusement.
The Author uses second person in this piece in order to implicate the reader, all of us, because we are all guilty of this as well as creating a society that values these kinds of news stories over ones that cover real news and actually make a difference. I believe this is still extremely prevalent today especially when combined with the boom of mass media in recent years. This is why this piece is still culturally relevant as this piece speaks to many people such as myself when one realizes that the viewer in the story is us as a collective society you realize the dark nature of the human race. This obsession with brutality is not new as I believe this fascination of violence stems from the primal nature of humans and the violent tendencies of our ancestors. In medieval times the entire town would gather in order to watch the hanging of a man and the audience would cheer for death just like how millions of Americans will tune in to a news station such as the one in the story in order to satisfy our craving for violence and destruction. An example of this happening in modern times was when the video of ISIS beheading an American journalist was put on the internet and although people knew exactly what they were going to see they still searched for the video and talked about it with as many people
as possible. The news was constantly covering the story even after they had decided to stop showing any of the footage from the tape because the demand for a violent story was so high. The author address this problem with news when he states “They show it because it exists, because they have to show it, because this is why they're out there” by which he means they are there for our entertainment and our twisted society finds violence and death entertaining. In the text the viewer even begins to romanticize watching the video and almost glorifies the act when explaining that “You look because this is the nature of the footage, to make a channeled path through time, to give things a shape and a destiny.” The camera is a piece of technology that nearly every American has access to now a day so this was an early example of how the invention of video was going to desensitize our society and only make us crave more. The medium of video will never fade away and will always be a significant part of our society which makes it a cornerstone of American culture and if you do not believe that, imagine New York’s Time Square without any televisions lighting up the streets. This story shows how much more power and influence media holds in the modern time compared to the other periods we have explored and I believe this advancement of technology and mass media defines a major aspect of the contemporary period.
2. According to Sobchack, contemporary screen violence greatly differs than portrayals of violence in years past. Today, violent scenes are careless and lack significance because we as audiences have become calloused and desensitized to any acts of violence. She states that there is “no grace or benediction attached to violence. Indeed, its very intensity seems diminished” (Sobchack 432). Senseless violence, gruesome acts, and profound amounts of gore are prevalent in movies today, and because even this is not enough, it must be accompanied by loud blasts and noise, constantly moving scenes to keep audiences stimulated and large quantities of violence for viewers to enjoy what they are watching. Decades ago, it was the story that was engaging to audiences and filmmaking was an art.
...shocked or afraid to get involved. The narration is meant to make his audience feel uncomfortable or inadequate, so that they will agree with him that they need help dealing with these types of problems. He has already spelled out the solution for them in the preceding paragraph by saying that giving the power to the state is the civilized thing to do (324). He is hoping that this last burst of pathos will close the deal and that his audience will be bound to agree that the death penalty is necessary to deter crime and mete out justice.
According to the text “ there were relatively few stories or images focusing on aging, poverty, isolation, crime and fear, and the ethno racial, or gender distribution of mortality, morbidity, and access to care.” They went to the extreme by looking for more information and pictures with people in body bags to put on their front page. People use the media as their information source to guide them on what is going on in their countries and around the world. What is portrayed in the media is often taken as true even if it actually is not completely accurate. Throughout the text it was clear to see that there is pressure when it comes to the media. News reporter often think about what they are going to present to the public because it has to be brain washing and appealing, but they also want to keep their connections to sources such as public officials. This means what they end up reporting is effected by what public officials will approve of, to make them look
This examination will look at the short story “Killings” by Andre Dubus and the main characters in the story. The story begins on a warm August day with the burial of Matt and Ruth Fowler’s youngest son Frank. Frank’s age: “twenty-one years, eight months, and four days” (Dubus 107). Attending the funeral were Matt, his wife Ruth, their adult children and spouses. Matt’s family is extremely distraught over the murder of their youngest son/brother, in their own way. There are implications of wanting to kill Richard Strout, the guy accused of being the murderer: “I should kill him” (107), as stated after the service. This comment is considered a fore-shadowing of what is to come in the thought progression of Matt and Ruth.
“Killings", written by Andre Dubus in 1979, involves several aspects such as revenge, morality, and murder. Elements, such as the story’s title, the order of events, and the development of the characters, are very unique. It successfully evokes emotion and suspense as the plot unfolds in sequence. Though it seems easily overlooked, the title “Killings” is very important due to the fact that the thrill of suspense is left in the mind of the reader. The title encourages readers to question who and what. It is also an intricate setting for the plot’s mood. It implies that a murder has taken place, but that is all the reader knows. The chronology of the story uses a style called "in media res”, a term used to describe the common strategy of beginning a story in the middle of the action or entering on the verge of some important moment (Meyer 2198). In this story, the readers are shown that murder not only takes a life, but it can also take away a living persons sense of self worth, their spirit.
When one turns on the television today they are made witness to all the crimes that are present in society. It is impossible to sit through thirty-five minutes of news without anger and rage becoming aroused. This is because society is bothered by infinitesimal paraphernalia. Society also believes in human rights and punishment for those who violate such rights. Yet what constitutes humanity? Ever sit there and watch the news and wonder just how far humanity reaches? When is it time to say this is a human rights violation? Every wonder when someone’s morals and ethics begin to effect their ability to do their job? Ever wonder why in every news story the “bad guy” always become caught? Ever wonder how many people on death row might not be guilt? Some of them could have even been used as scapegoats. Yet how does one become a scapegoat? Could someone out there have that much hatred and anger to blame one person for the faults of many? Is the need for blame significant? Does desire lead to more hatred and evil? What does it feel like to be blamed for something that might not be wrong, and to be put on trial knowing that the jury wants to blame someone? In society and in the United States since its founding, there has been a need to place blame. Imagine how the person being blamed would feel. Henry Wirz did not have to image it; he lived through it and died for it. Someone is always to be blamed, even if they were just following orders. Orders which can only go so far until humanity takes effect. Henry Wirz was used as a scapegoat for war crimes committed during the Civil War at Andersonville Prison, however that does not justify his acts or make him an American hero.
In recent years, the subject of crime has become an increasingly important theme of political, academic, and public debate. In particular, the media today is more focused on victims than it has ever been before. Through media representations of the ‘ideal victim’, this essay will subsequently show how the media are able to construct and re-affirm pre-existing traditional ideologies within the public realm. In effect, this assignment will critically assess the concept of an ‘ideal victim’ and show how the media have used this when describing crime.
Inevitably, there comes a point in everybody’s life at which they have an experience that completely alters their view of the world. This moment is when one loses his or her innocence, or comes of age, and he or she realizes that they do not live in a utopian Golden Age. Parents are charged with the monumental duty of protecting their children’s innocence, but everybody inescapably grows up. This experience can be anything from an embarrassing situation at school to coming within seconds of death. In the short story “Ambush” by Tim O’Brien, the author tells the true story of his daughter confronting him and asked him if he had ever killed anyone. In an effort to be a good parent and protect the nine-year-old’s innocence, the author does not share with her the story he goes on to tell to the reader. He explains how many years ago, he was serving in the army and was taking a shift guarding his troop’s campsite when all of a sudden, a young man from the opposing army came walking up the trail. Without a second thought, O’Brien killed the boy with a grenade, and he lost his innocence after realizing he had killed a defenseless man without hesitation. Tim O’Brien develops Ambush as a coming of age story through the use of literary devices.
A series of shots being fired in the near distance can be heard. A crew of ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks are seen speeding down the streets while blaring their sirens to warn people to move out of the way rapidly. Then, crowds of people are seen running down the street franticly. Sounds of earsplitting yells fill the air. Their eyes are filled with tears of fear and terror. They look as if they were running for their lives. There is a wave of worry and curiosity that washes over everyone’s face as they stand there from a distance watching it take place. There was a sense of wanting to run towards the chaos to see what was going on. But the panic of the people running gave off the feeling of “Warning! Do NOT come this way!” What was happening? Later that night, the news reports that another mass shooting took place earlier on in the day. In the 21st century, many crimes involving mass shootings are the main focus of the public eye in the media. With the technology of the 21st century, investigators are able to look more into depth of the criminal’s background to see if they have a history of mental illness.
It is 6:00 at night the news comes on story after story delivers crime, anger, death, devastation, and little hope. In less then 2 minutes the broadcaster is able to delivering these stories that are missing layers of information and deep history. The clips are unsettling, incomplete and often bias but it is all that is given and opinions start to form. The news suffers from ethnocentrism, the likeliness to use their culture’s standards to judge other people and actions within another culture, and has a large influence on how their audience perceives and processes information. Through cultural relativism we can shed light on some of these issues, start to understand the big picture, and stop judging.
In a world in which acts of heinous violence, murder or crude and shocking behavior seem to be a normal occurrence, it may lead one to wonder what has put society onto this slippery slope. How did this type of behavior come to be so acceptable and in some cases glorifiable? A careful study of society may lead to multi media as being the main cause in this changing of ideals. The modern world has become desensitized to the acts shown on television, movies, video games or printed in newspapers and magazines. Censorship must be employed if morals and decency are to be preserved.
What would it be like to witness a murder? How would you react? Franz Kafka forces his readers to consider the concept of innocent bystanders in his short-story A Fratricide. The reader must think about what it means to do nothing when you witness something terrible, and whether that affects the bystander. In Kafka’s A Fratricide, the use of descriptive imagery combined with a cold tone makes the reader feel as if he were there, witnessing the murder just as Pallas is witnessing it, in order to make him question whether those who observe a crime are obligated to try to stop it.
On March 29, 1971, a thirty-seven-year-old male was convicted of killing seven people and suspected in killing another thirty-five. His methods of killing included gunshots, stabbing with forks, knives, or swords, dissecting, and battering with clubs. He showed no remorse for what he had done, but instead created a media circus in which he had a starring role (Blundell 124-30).
Don DeLillo’s ‘Videotape’ is a short story of man who is absolutely captivated by some footage on the news that can be described as both, raw and shocking. The footage is being repeatedly played over and over. It depicts a young girl with a camcorder travelling in the backseat of her family’s car who happens to be filming a man driving a Dodge behind them. She continues aiming the camera at the man and filming until, suddenly, he is shot and murdered. The man watching the tape at home is clearly mesmerized and fascinated with the footage to the extent that he was trying to get his wife to watch it with him. This story portrays society’s utter fascination of shocking and disturbing content relating to death and other horrible events unless they themselves are involved. This, along with other characteristics, clearly suggests that “Videotape” is a piece of postmodern literature. This report will analyze and describe why “Videotape” belongs to postmodern literature through the in-depth analysis of the selected passage and a brief breakdown of the story as a whole.
Violence, along with pornography, is one of the largest topics of the censorship debate, as well as the effect of exposure to violence. “Until age nineteen, children and teens exposed to media violence are more likely to view violence as a normal behavior and to become criminals themselves,” says New Republic editor Gregg Easterbrook. People, mostly children, who are still in the formative stages of their lives will be much more influenced by maliciously aligned media than those who are older, and have already established their core values and beliefs. However, it has also been shown that the acts of violence and murder frequently shown in movies (and seemingly replicated by some few children) have also occurred in children before the invention of television, or film - such as in the Leopold-Loeb “Perfect Crime” murder case of 1924, which was in fact later adapted into its own violent media five years later (Easterbrook 1). In the Leopold-Loeb murder case, Nathan Le...