this has been a good thread so far, I'm pleased
you guys have come upt with some pretty good perspectives on things... PrincessLissa, I feel that the exploitation of death and sex in the media are repululsive, I'm studying media at university and some of the things we've covered are the way news media revolves around -basically- a soap-opera format - really ! its all sex, death, tragedy, mayhem, every extreme as long as you can get people watching and therefore the ratings up...its gross, and its making us so de-sensitised as far as war and stuff is concerned. Think of all the other stuff that is happening out there - and all they can think of is war and violence and sensation because that is what gets the ratings - and therefore the advertising revenue up. I think the medis -especially the news media is doing us a great injustice - because it is making us think that some things are more important than other things when they are not - or equal - there is so much going on and all they focus on is what is going to make them money, full stop, They don't care if they are leaving out the vital details, the evidence of the other side of the story, all they want is to make money and let usbelieve that they are caring for us and giving us unbiased reportage!!! yeah right. (though i don';t think there can ever be such thing as an equal unbiased - objective manner of repoting by any means) The same goes for movies, have you noticed how often blockbusters focus on the whole "good-guys killing the bad guys theme" with all the violence, torture, bloodshed, etc but hardly any of the natural beautiful, human things.....like pure, unsensationalised sexuality! and natural, human relationships! and people who aren't - dare-I-say-it plastic steroptypical types! anything is dramatic or sensationalised and underpinned with a fatal death-wish...as if thats all our culture is based upon, a drive to kill each other for the good of "mankind"....but that is, I admit, getting side-tracked a bit. But its a good point, we are so de-sensitised today than we have ever been... is this a good thing or a bad thing? what are we turning into?
I just feel there is a big opening oput there for someone to depict real life as it really is! and I don't believe america is all murders and violence, but that is all the media depicts! I'm sure the majority of us are good-natured, reasonable, realistic people with goalsd and dreams and highs and lows and flaws like everyone else, and the REAL life is definately left out of stuff in favour of the sensatoinal.
As far as death is concerned, as opposed to the "war in Iraq" hostage footage or the war-fare etc, decent programmes I feel generally reflect a more willing "feeling" if you like, to be freer towards discussing death and issues around death...despite the fact it might be scary - I feel we're easing in towards a newer, ready acceptance more willing to learn and celebrate death rather than cloak it in stiff, formal "undiscussed" misery, which I feel is interesting, as a development, as far as society and culture goes at least. Though It is true that death as a ';"taboo" is only a modern thing, its kinda cool that we;re getting back to recognising the valuable nature of death in our lives as a learning and life-building experience (despite the unrealistic crap bombarded on us from News t.V)
Idle child posted a thread about memento mori which were featured in the Nicole Kidman film "The Others" which got me thinking about how, as a culture, the idea of 'death' and 'the dead' seems to have reached a point of social fixation - in many ways loosening up the previously "taboo" subject in many ways, especially in the media. Well, here in N.Z it seems that way, but it looks as though we're not quite as 'conservative' as many parts of the U.S...???
