Media depravity caused by American consumerism
Lisa Bivens - April 24th, 2008There’s something very wrong with the American media, and I have a sneaking suspicion it is partly our fault.
That’s right – you and me, buddy. And anyone, actually, who belongs to the demographic of young, American consumers who are willing to tolerate the superficial, mental-Vicodin the media continues to spew in our direction.
The fact that an interview with Kim Kardashian or Paris Hilton passes, according to CNN, as an issue deserving of our attention is ridiculous.
The fact that ratings support that kind of programming is even worse.
The line between entertainment and integrity is rapidly dissolving in the name of profit and we’re letting it happen.
It is easy to blame the state of things on the media itself, the big, bad companies, the people creating the 30 seconds of fanfare to introduce an exclusive about the girl who was photographed sobbing on the curb outside of her mansion. Or, of course, there’s the argument that the current state of pop culture is a corporate project, intent on shaping us more forcefully into a consumerist society. As if we needed their help.
But the truth is, the media, like everything else that succeeds in America, is largely a money game; theoretically, they’re just supplying our demand.
As important political changes loom in the near future (it’s 2008, do you know where your global reputation is?), we cannot afford to play the victim card. We, the generation that will shortly be inheriting the responsibility of maintaining the empire that is the United States – or reconstructing it into something different – need to start caring about things that stretch beyond tabloid scandal. We need to redefine our demand.
Not to discredit pop culture completely. A society needs to relax sometimes. No one can be expected to wear his or her serious face 24 hours a day. But a more equal balance needs to exist. It is not right that celebrity squabbles are given precedence, or even equal coverage, over relevant social and political concerns.
I don’t mean to paint a too-grim picture or discredit those people who are purposeful in their media interests. But I do think a lot of what is happening is a result of a certain level of passivity.
There is a large percentage of young people who care about things that are not getting media attention. Spend 10 minutes surfing Facebook or Aljazeerah.com or aboutmyplanet.com, and you’ll find countless meaningful, conscious groups of people trying to organize themselves around a cause. Unfortunately, joining a virtual group is the most accessible way to learn about some of those very non-virtual concerns.
Save the occasional MTV side-glance at environmental concerns, or the ironic, new shipment of “Go Green”-themed handbags on display at Walmart, there’s really not a whole lot of serious-mindedness aimed at our demographic.
The point is, why is it that this group of people is not asserting themselves as a demographic with demands to be met?
Can it be that the majority of us is more concerned with the development of Ashlee Simpson’s facial bone structure than the economic situation? Or are we just too lazy and over-confidant, having been born into an America that had already secured its status as a global superpower, having been introduced to the world of politics through the Clinton sex scandal?
Whatever the reason, the bulk of the current focus of the mainstream media is a far cry from anything that reflects the seriousness of current events, and sooner or later we’ll be damned for it. And unless we do anything about it, we’ll deserve it.