Reading Media Critically #2

I Love Lucy Vs. Seinfeld

I have a belief system that very much corresponds to the 1950's; I Love Lucy has always been one of my favorite shows for that reason. While watching both of these shows, (I Love Lucy & Seinfeld) I was looking for the signs of Empowerment vs. Dis-empowerment and was surprised at how vastly different television has become since the "good ole days".

When Lucy and Ethel went to work they really gave it there all. They honestly tried to be the breadwinner and after just one day realized that wasn't something they excelled at. Ricky and Fred realized much of the same thing, they are not cut out for cooking and cleaning. Both parties tried their hardest and came to the same conclusion: their counterpart has it equally as hard as they did but hadn't realized that before. What men and women no-a-days don't realize is, it is all important! Women who cook and clean are just as important as the men who go out and earn the money. If cooking, cleaning and doing all of the other things as seen in the show I Love Lucy weren't important we wouldn't have to do it. Some people don't, which is why we have shows like "Pack Rat" and "The Biggest Loser", doing housework like the women of the 50's shouldn't be looked down upon as those women being dis-empowered, they are actually empowered because they are given the responsibility to run the house.

Homosexuality is something that has become more prevalent on television and other media mediums. To disagree with someone being gay, is to be politically incorrect and sometimes you can be called a racist. In the episode we watched of Seinfeld, the two main characters were thought to be gay, not that there's anything wrong with that. I lost count on how many times that phrase was used, "not that there's anything wrong with that".

I was very annoyed because it highlights the fact that women have become much more masculine and how feminine men have become, people have become extremely disrespectful toward everyone except when they think it's not politically correct, and it also highlights how accepting people have become on sex and crude humor on television. In the show I Love Lucy the most affection we saw was a "peck" on the lips from a married couple. On Seinfeld we were subjected to witness a non-married couple making out passionately.

The empowerment in these episodes, in my opinion are as follows:

*I Love Lucy empowers the working man.

*Seinfeld empowers homosexuals, and "famous" people, America as a whole is dependent on idolizing "famous" people.

As a whole, people perceive everything in a tainted way with pre-conceived ideas.

Reading Media Critically #1

When you look at the media, there are many different facets that you have to consider, the television media, magazines, music, and signs. I believe the media is out of control, you can't drive down the street without being bombarded by signs and advertisements for products that you may not ever want. I hardly watch television at my house, (about an hour a week, when Friday night lights is on) because I don't like commercials, and I would rather be sewing or doing something useful with my time. We as Americans, like the video we watched in class says, are on "information overload" and there is a constant media overload thrust upon us. As I stood at work the other day I counted the signs that were advertising different products, and counted 15 just from that spot without moving. There are advertisements trying to influence us to purchase different items, on shopping carts, in the bathrooms, and even on the back of sales receipts.

I believe we need to stop buying into all this media and start being more savvy shoppers and consumers. There is absolutely no reason we should have to be entertained or ad-bombarded while going to the bathroom. The media also is making it okay to use slang, curse words, and other degrading ways to converse. If the people making the shows, movies, and advertisements would clean up their act that might influence others to act in more of an appropriate way. Because as a whole Americans are extremely influenced by the media and celebrity's.