Hey guys!
My name is Kendall and I’m senior graduating in May. It’s crazy that it’s only about two months away. Time does really go by in the blink of an eye. The plan is to work at CBRE in Bethesda where a lot of my family (cousins, uncles, etc.) have worked or currently work and then I’m hoping to transfer to another location within the company after I do my time in Bethesda. I’m looking at states with a lot of sun and palm trees!
Media Criticism stuck out to me when registering for classes for a couple of reasons. One, I needed another comm elective and this fulfilled that requirement. And two, I have never taken a mass comm class and thought I could learn a thing or two about mass media.
Mass media plays a very powerful role in today’s society. Personally, I believe the most important way that it does this is by influencing viewers. Whatever is seen on and in media (styles, music, brands, views, attitudes, etc) people jump on board. It’s important to look at mass media through a careful and critical eye. This is called- media criticism. Media criticism is very important for developing media literacy skills. Media criticism isn’t always negative but more of an analytical stance that helps understand the media that is being served to us.
There are many tv shows you can pull from. One tv show that might influence our perceptions and shape our values and culture is Friends.
Friends is a 90’s sitcom that centered around six friends living in New Yok City as they go through their young adult life. Due to the nature and age of the characters on the show, many are quick to assume that the audience demographic is between 18-30. However, the show has proven to reach all ages.
The show taught many lessons- you can always rely on your true friends, don’t give up on your dreams, don’t be afraid to take risks, and that the best way to move a couch is to PIVOT!
Those values are just a few of the ones projected from the tv show. But they are values that influence us and shape us as we watch the show. Everyone wanted to be like the characters or at least mimic some part of their lives.
So why is it important to critically examine media texts?
The answer is that it will better help understand the text and its affect on the audience and culture.
Thanks for reading!
Kendall's Blog 