Is Television cultural propaganda?

Question

Look at the TV.

All those sitcoms, all those movies, all those music videos. Many of them showcasing society's image of how a perfect life should be. Beautiful people living exciting, adventurous lives 24-7. Call to adventure, save the world, love stories, etc.

And for many of us, our lives are nowhere near that fantastic. We live in reality. Work 9-5, get laid once in a blue moon if you're lucky. But the TV shows a much better reality. Then we look at our own and see our own existence as inferior.

Is all this creating a boon in depression? When people the world round compare their lives to the lives they see in the television?

Maybe a similar thing can be seen with World of Warcraft addicts and other similar video games? Perhaps they prefer their perfected avatar in a simulated reality over their imperfect selves in this reality?

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

I agree with you. Television and other "art" mediums don't reflect real culture at all. I much prefer watching British television programs to U.S. shows. They use REAL looking people. Some are fat, many are middle-aged and older. Their sitcoms are actually funny to watch.

I am totally amazed that today's young women actually want to look like and emulate these crazy, mixed-up "pop" stars. Young girls want their faces reconstructed to look like someone whose name won't be remembered 5 years from now. Imagine desiring to look like a shoplifting, drug-using, 3x divorced 22 year old and thinking of them as an idol? How sick is that?

Answer 2

if anyone is dumb enough to watch a sitcom they deserve it

Answer 3

Your exactly right but it really goes even further than that. The news is also written to sway our opinions and manipulate us. The video games are to distract us and make us complacent so we won't get involved with the world around us and see the truth about whats going on.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?c...

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?c...

Answer 4

I couldn't agree more with you man!! entertainment has gotten pathetic, and to think that most people idolize the characters on TV shows and really unintelligent musicians who bounce around going on about how many cars/women/gold chains/guns/bags of drugs they have... I'm sure it rots peoples brains and corrodes their intelligence.... like you said, most of us live in reality, and reality sux ***, which is probably why people like to bombard themselves with mindless entertainment.. its an escape, an escape that turns into an unattainable reality, which probably does explain a boom in depression.

Answer 5

I think it's used to keep the middle class people in check. They don't want the poor to get rich but they do want the rich to get richer. People are just nothing but numbers we add to certain things and subtract from others. Isn't are capitalistic fascist government great!!!?

Answer 6

Life is what we make it, spending all that time in front of a TV screen leaves little time to do anything exciting, its hardly surprising that depression is at epidemic levels. I spent 5 years living in a Scottish bothy by the sea without any amenities at all, I mean none, not even a bathroom (a challenge for all women) and it was the best time of my life without doubt. I had no TV, radio or telephone and nothing to keep me in touch with the outside other than what I saw, and the fabulous highland people who's main concern is their livestock. I can only say that its a cathartic experience and a great way to learn about yourself and to discover what really matters.  

Answer 7

If it's in the mainstream media, there's propaganda all over it. Although the propaganda in the mainstream media may not be so good, not all propaganda is bad. It just depends on what message you're trying to send, who you send it to, and how you send it.