Stephen Elfenbein
Blog
In class we talked about the article that Professor Burns was quoted in about Twilight, and how the journalist was not interested in the all facts and details regarding the movie, she was just interested in those that would help her story. This led to a class discussion in which we realized that the media has a habit of either over analyzing or crafting facts to fit their stories . In the discussion on Twilight I think at one point someone in the class said, “Get over it’s a love story nothing more”. The basic summary of that discussion was that while some media does stand for something and should be interrupted as more than just a movie or a song some are just songs or just film. In other words Masters of War by Bob Dylan is more than just a song and demands analysis. Whereas Britney Spears’s Hit Me Baby One More time does need not analytical analysis. This is what I believe what Conrad Lodziak was talking about when he said, “media theories often have a tendency to exaggerate the broader social significance of their subject of study”( Mcquail,226) This discussion has made me think of not a just a single medium of media, but a recent development in media, Globalization. Is Globalization really a problem or is it a non issue.
In Chapter 19 John Tomlinson address this very issue of globalization in the media. There are many critics of Globalization; some think it is another form of imperialism, Cultural imperialism. Done just for money. Marxist believe that cultural imperialism and Capitalism go hand and hand and that “capitalism is a homogenizing cultural force”’(Mcquail,229) in other words they believe that capitalism makes everyone the same. Tomlinson brings up an interesting point in that the Modernity of Globalization can be used for and against it.
My main question is, at its most fundamental stage is globalization of media wrong, should we see so much British T.V like The Office or the other works Ricky Gervias should we know what Bollywood is, and should other countries know so much about our media. My personal opinion is yes. I think that globalization is good. Media has the potential to help and impact other forms of media. The globalization of the media has given us the British Invasion, Film Noir and many other positives. Another positive that Globalization has brought is the opportunity to bring in a wider audience and therefore make more money. This is something that David Croteau and William Hoynes address in there article The Media Industry: Structure, Strategy and Debates which is also featured in my Media Studies text book by Eoin Devereux. Croteau and Hoynes give three reasons why Globalization is good for the U.S movie industry. The first however is the one that is most relevant to our discussion, “Domestic markets are saturated with media products, so many companies see international markets as the key to future growth” (Devereux 35) They go on and give an example of a film called The Island starring Ewan McGregor , which did horribly in the U.S. but did rather well in the foreign markets making 124 million dollars, thus making the film a success. In other words they are giving an example of how Globalization helps and is a positive. A recent article form Business Day Online describes just how successful the world wide box office has been this year, “The output of such a combined effort: the tally for 2009 from worldwide box office sales for all films was USD 29.9 billion, which reflects a growth of 7.6% over the previous year. It is estimated that in 2009 over 2500 movies were made across the world, even though in the United States the number of movies produced has declined over the last few years, from 920 in 2005 to 677 in 2009! And, today with the advances in technology, movies are dubbed or sub-titled in almost every language.) (“http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9458:movies-movies-and-more-movies&catid=96:columnists&Itemid=350
This is describing what we already know, movie making is no longer just an American business.
To make clear my main question is what do you think about globalization and its impact on the world of media.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think that globalization has had a very important impact on the world of media, in a mostly positive way. Of course, it would be nice if our country was putting out all of the most popular or well-received television shows, movies, books, and other forms of media, or if all countries were able to have their own distinct forms of entertainment, but this is simply not true. Tomlinson mentions that this often a criticism of cultural imperialism, in that “the perception here is that everywhere in the world is beginning to look and feel the same” (McQuail 228). However, like Steve said, I do not think this is a problem. As he mentioned, globalization has made it possible for shows from other countries to be adapted for American T.V., as in the example of “The Office”. Since this is one of my favorite shows, I would definitely rather have access to it as a result of globalization than worry about whether it is a problem that it makes our television landscape look more like that of Europe.
ReplyDeleteThe same is true for movies. I wonder whether a movie like “Slumdog Millionaire” would have been so successful without the presence of globalization. This “little” movie, with a British director and very few (if any) American actors and a Bollywood dance number at the end, was able to win the most prestigious award in American film. This surely could not have happened without the flow of entertainment across nations and cultures. As Steve mentioned, globalization has made it possible for forms of media to gain a wider audience and make more money, which was certainly true in the case of “Slumdog Millionaire”.
These are both examples of our country adopting forms of entertainment from other cultures, but it certainly goes both ways. Indeed, Herbert Schiller mentions in his article that “As early as September 1991, it was reported that in Moscow, ‘most of the fare at the movie theatres is now American…more than twenty American films are now showing in the city” (Schiller 8). Anytime that I have been in another country, it is easy to spot the comforts of home—from restaurants like McDonalds to seeing American movies and television shows. There is really nothing wrong with sharing forms of entertainment and media with other cultures—if anything, it could help to build relationships with other nations, which can be incredibly beneficial in the global community.
I agree with Stephen, globalization has been beneficial to the global media market. Although worldwide, America is the leading media producer, this has given other countries a basis to begin to form their own forms of media. In a perfect world, each country would have their own unique form of media, however that is unlikely. America has become the leader, and while this may open the doors in other countries there are some who disagree. One negative aspect to the globalization is that the American status quo is the main hegemonic ideal pushed around the world. Many argue, "that mass media often support the status quo and interfere with the efforts of social movements to bring about useful change" (Baran and Davis 224). In simple terms, America's values are the only one's depicted in the most popular film and television programming. It can be seen as though Americans are attempting to persuade the international community to believe in the same values and ideas as they do. Others simply argue that if the international film industry produced films that were equivalent to American films, than they would share in the success. American films and television programs have become the standard on which all others are judged.
ReplyDeleteI found that most all media has become Americanized. In the Spring of 2009 I studied abroad in New Zealand. While I did not have access to a television frequently, whenever one was available the main programs (besides local news) were popular US television programs. This was also true for Australia. "While American cultural product - film, television, fashions, and tapes - still dominate screens, homes, and shops throughout the world, local and regional outputs are also increasing" (Schiller, 5). This is proof that perhaps globalization is pushing foreign countries in the right direction, even if they are modeling the US media. Obviously overall the globalization of media benefitted many countries, it has pushed them to create a higher level of entertainment.
Kelsey Lain
America has dominated the world’s global mass media and the international flow of information throughout the world. A few international media conglomerates own most of the media that is seen around the world and this globalization of communication has been occurring since 1960. Some examples of the most well-known media information corporations are “…Time Warner, Disney, Reuters, SONY, Murdoch’s News Corporation, and Bertlesman. They are based mostly in the developed economies but their activity is worldwide (Schiller 4). “They are multibillion-dollar enterprises, who activities and outputs span all spheres of communication and popular culture”(Schiller 9-10). The distribution of American global media continues to prosper around the world.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Stephen that we should know what Bollywood is and we should be accustomed to other culture’s media, as well as the fact that other countries should be familiarized with our media. However, unfortunately a lot of Americans don’t know about other cultures media, but mostly every foreign country has watched or consumed some type of American media. In my opinion, the distribution of global mass media enhances the lives of those in undeveloped countries. I know that some TV programs are specifically viewed in undeveloped countries to simply increase education and I think that is important for young children who might never be able to attend school. A few years ago, I researched Sesame Street, which is known as an education-entertainment genre or “edutainment.” Sesame Street originated in the United States and now there are over 120 versions that educate the target market of children using concepts to teach them the basic concepts of life. All of the shows are dubbed to fit the language of the specific geographic area and the content of the shows are based upon the conditions that the children live in, the culture that they are part of, and the diseases that might surround them. For instance, there is a Sesame Street version that is aired in Africa and teaches kids about AIDS and HIV. My point of explaining this global TV program is because although there are many versions of Sesame Street, it first emerged in America and has now exemplified Americanization all throughout the world. It has influenced other cultures to air a version of their show, but in the end, part of our culture is in theirs because the show originated in America. Some countries did not want to air the show in their country because of the fear of Americanization. They were worried that American culture would corrupt diversity and that is still a concern that occurs today. It is almost hypocritical for foreign cultures to feel that way because almost every culture has consumed some type of American media. If they are so apprehensive about Americanization than why do foreign cultures continuously want to consume American media? Unfortunately for those foreign cultures that fear Americanization, the western globalization is only becoming more lucidly apparent throughout the world as the future prolongs. “On the one hand, it is clear that the mass media are constantly and rapidly expanding in terms of technical power and penetration, coverage and representation of both public and private life in the West. To this extent it is tempting to see the media as the central cultural reference point of modern Western capitalism” (McQuail 225).
For instance, “As early as September 1991, it was reported that in Moscow, ‘most of the fare at the movie theaters is now American…more than twenty American films are now showing in the city…[and] the brooding statue of Puskin is bathed in the neon glow of a Coca-Cola billboard and the lights from the world’s largest McDonald’s restaurant” (Schiller 8). I know that if I were to watch a movie that was based on another culture and it intertwined their values within it, I would most likely disagree with their norms. Therefore I would not want to watch it. I also do not think that I would choose other cultures media over American media because it is what I am used to, what I relate to the most, and overall find the most appealing. I think that majority of Americans would agree with me, which means that we are probably not going to take the time to consume other cultures media. If we are not going to than I think we should at least be interested in understanding how foreign cultures perceive and interpret the messages within our media. I think it is also important to understand why various foreign cultures consume so much of our media. Many people will never get to know Americans nor will they ever be able to travel to America, so their interpretations of Americans will never be based on a personal encounter, but justly only through our media.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up colleagues, fastidious article and good arguments commented here, I am genuinely enjoying by these.
ReplyDeleteFeel free to visit my homepage - iklan poskota
Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic however I'd figured I'd ask.
ReplyDeleteWould you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest authoring a blog post
or vice-versa? My site addresses a lot of the same subjects as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other.
If you are interested feel free to send me an email.
I look forward to hearing from you! Terrific blog by the way!
Feel free to surf to my web blog cheap mac cosmetics
Aw, this was a very nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to make a great article…
ReplyDeletebut what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and don't seem to get anything done.
my web-site ... chi flat iron official website
Wow, wonderful blog layout! How long have you
ReplyDeletebeen blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your
site is excellent, let alone the content!
My blog ... cheap nike free run
It's appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I've read this post
ReplyDeleteand if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or
tips. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this
article. I desire to read even more things about it!
my site ... cheap mac makeup
As the admin of this web page is working, no hesitation very rapidly it will
ReplyDeletebe renowned, due to its feature contents.
Here is my blog post :: www.xxxsexymilfs.com
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for register web site
ReplyDeleteMy page; amateur porno video