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Effects of Television on Our Society Essays

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Effects of Television on Our Society

INTRODUCTION

Plato once, prophetically, posed a question that hints at the very core of this project. In philosophizing on the issue of entertainment and its various, sometimes questionable, sources he asked his fellow citizens to consider the following

“Shall we just carelessly allow our children to hear casual tales which may be devised by casual persons, and to receive into their minds ideas for the most part the very opposite of those which we should wish them to have when they are grown up?”

Shall we indeed? It is an ongoing debate. Plato obviously recognized the power stories have to shape who and what we are, and although some may be reluctant to admit to how much influence TV …show more content…

The work of communication theorist and professor, Stuart Hall, confirms that meanings are not inherently in people; rather they are derived from external sources, one primary source being the mass media to which we are repeatedly exposed; in our homes, in our cars, and on the job. Hall asserts " the media serves the myth of democratic pluralism-the pretense that society is held together by common norms, including equal opportunity, respect for diversity, individual rights.."(Griffin 2000). TV sitcoms may not be intended to mirror our society, but they are perceived as such and the resulting ideology is a culture that at some level accepts what's being handed to them without examining the messages within. This newsletter is an attempt to examine these messages on a deeper, more critical level. OUTLINE

Race Portrayal and Sitcoms Gender Issues

Stereotypes TV Families

Television Violence Religion in Contemporary Sitcoms Religion in The Simpsons

Pop Culture and The Simpsons Race Portrayal on Sitcoms

In today’s society, it is safe to say that everyone has seen at least one sitcom in his or her life. The sitcom is simply a show about day-to-day life, with funny situations and problems and obstacles that must be overcome. People can relate to sitcoms because the characters are just average families and average people with average jobs. Sitcoms are essentially tapping at the root of American Humanism; drawing people’s interest about

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