MEDIA AS A CULTURAL STORYTELLER
Written by Nur Batrisyia & Farah Nabila
With the advance of technology, the important role of
storytelling has been devolved to mass media. Scriptwriters and directors have
replaced primary storytellers such as parents and teachers. This is proven true
by the media, mainly television. In addition to becoming a platform to expose
various cultures to the public, mass media takes away cultural boundaries and
gives us different perspectives of various cultures. Such interpretations allows us the opportunity to explore and understand different cultures. Ultimately,
the media, shaping and changing our culture, defines our realities. Hence, given
the title “cultural storyteller”.
The conservatives in Malaysia are constantly uttering
controversies and contention towards the differences between the Western
culture and the Malaysian culture. It is to no doubt that storytelling has
become a fundamental part of mass media. However, to what extend has the media
influenced our perception and acceptance of certain cultures? The way we think,
feel, and act are highly influenced by the media. The media even imposes our fashion sense and social standards. Since the Western culture is dominating mass media, we are
unconsciously adapting to their lifestyles.
Television is one of the most influential and widely
used media in the world today. Evolving throughout the years, television plays a fundamental role in entertaining, informing and influencing.
Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother are television sitcoms that has doubtlessly influenced audience's perception of culture and reality as well as promotes cultural values.
EQUALITY
Equality and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) has become an important issue to the world today. While most of us are still conservative and traditional, due to the incorporated homosexuals in TV shows, we are more accepting towards the homosexual lifestyle. Modern Family is one of the many shows that has gay leads – Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett, whom are happily married with an adopted daughter. How I Met Your Mother also portrays the importance of acceptance towards homosexuals as the lead character Barney Stinson – a womanizer, loves and accepts his gay African-American half-brother James Stinson for who he is, despite their different sexual interests. Barney’s best friends, Lily Aldrin and Marshall Eriksen also expresses their support towards homosexuality as they both agreed to love their child, Marvin Eriksen regardless of his sexuality, while he was only a baby.
AGE DISPARITY IN RELATIONSHIPS
Age disparity in relationships are usually associated with wealth. Women who are sexually involved with older men are often categorized as “gold diggers”. However, the modern world has given us a positive perspective to age disparity through the television. In the show Modern Family, Gloria Pritchett is married to Jason Pritchett, who is of middle age and often mistaken as her father. However, they show a great level of affection towards each other, which eliminates the belief of “gold diggers”. Ted Mosby, the lead character of How I Met Your Mother was also involved in an age disparity relationship when he briefly dated his graduate student at the university where he teaches. Student-teacher romance is still a sensitive issue to this day, however the media reveals the norm in what seemed like a completely unethical and inappropriate behaviour.
FAMILY VALUES
Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother are television sitcoms that has doubtlessly influenced audience's perception of culture and reality as well as promotes cultural values.
EQUALITY
Equality and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) has become an important issue to the world today. While most of us are still conservative and traditional, due to the incorporated homosexuals in TV shows, we are more accepting towards the homosexual lifestyle. Modern Family is one of the many shows that has gay leads – Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett, whom are happily married with an adopted daughter. How I Met Your Mother also portrays the importance of acceptance towards homosexuals as the lead character Barney Stinson – a womanizer, loves and accepts his gay African-American half-brother James Stinson for who he is, despite their different sexual interests. Barney’s best friends, Lily Aldrin and Marshall Eriksen also expresses their support towards homosexuality as they both agreed to love their child, Marvin Eriksen regardless of his sexuality, while he was only a baby.
AGE DISPARITY IN RELATIONSHIPS
Age disparity in relationships are usually associated with wealth. Women who are sexually involved with older men are often categorized as “gold diggers”. However, the modern world has given us a positive perspective to age disparity through the television. In the show Modern Family, Gloria Pritchett is married to Jason Pritchett, who is of middle age and often mistaken as her father. However, they show a great level of affection towards each other, which eliminates the belief of “gold diggers”. Ted Mosby, the lead character of How I Met Your Mother was also involved in an age disparity relationship when he briefly dated his graduate student at the university where he teaches. Student-teacher romance is still a sensitive issue to this day, however the media reveals the norm in what seemed like a completely unethical and inappropriate behaviour.
FAMILY VALUES
Claire Dunphy portrays an
overprotective mother of her three children in Modern Family. She is loving but
strict, and is often approached by her friends for parenting advices. Her
husband, Philip Dunphy is described as a “cool dad” and uses a parenting method
he calls “peerenting”, which is a combination of peer and parent. He tries to
relate to his children like a peer but ultimately acts as a parent. Lili Aldrin
and Marshall Eriksen are loving and overly attached parents of their son Marvin
Eriksen in How I Met Your Mother. They do not trust their child in the hands of
any stranger and are not able to stay away from their child without constantly
thinking about him. As soon as Marvin was born, Lily and Marshall entrusted
their three best friends to become his godparents in case they pass away. Both TV shows portrays different parenting skills, therefore removes the stereotype belief that Western parents are permissive.
Photo credit (from left to right): https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/modern-5__140605173923.jpg & http://ibutajir.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/how-i-met-your-mother-poster-bca998.jpg
In conclusion, mass media
strongly influences and shapes our perceptions about reality through the role
of cultural storytelling. While there are clear benefits, there is always a
downside. The primary goal of mass media is to sell and entertain, whereas education
and facts are often minor considerations. What is being shown by the media
is not necessarily beneficial, but profitable. The constant exposure of sex
images, excessive violence and explicit usage of vulgar words is unhealthy to children. Extreme praising of celebrities will ultimately result
in depression, lack of self-esteem and anorexia. The media also tends to use racism to form enemies
and hatred to certain cultures. It is to our responsibility to question and
interpret the media in a thoughtful manner. Parents should restrict certain content
to their children and educate them with actual facts. When used wisely, the
media can install important social values in our lives. In addition to becoming a civilized nation, we must accept diversity.
Source:
http://www.academia.edu/1302382/How_modern_is_Modern_Family_A_Critical_Review_on_the_U.S._Sitcom_Regard
http://familyvaluesinthemedia.blogspot.my/
Researcher: Farah Hana
Editor: Averille Goh
About the Author
2 comments
Hey guys, I'm very impressed with your blog in general as well as this post. Amazing job! There's plenty I want to mention about so let me get right into it.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, The main page. I especially love how you picked a minimalist design for your blog as it really compliments the interactive icons to your posts. Social media links and the Video of The Week section was definitely a great touch to an otherwise average blog.
Moving onto the blog post, not long after reading the introduction, elements of a great read were noticeable. Solid hook, great body, nice and short closing. Also, kudos for breaking up and organizing the content of your post instead of writing it in one huge chunk as that can be a little sore on the eyes for some readers.
A word of advice for the future is to include moving visuals like clips of the show that you are mentioning in your text so your audience is provided with visual and audio aid to better understand what is being described in the text.
All in all, everybody did a great job in setting this blog/writing this post. Keep up the good work!
-Randall Khoo (FICM January 2015)
Hello, Randall!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your positive feedback. We appreciate the kind words. Suggestions and advises will be taken into consideration. Have a pleasant read!
Regards,
East Meets West.