Archive for October 2009
Violence
On 17th September, Australia Classification Board announced that they will be banning Left 4 Dead 2, which is set to be released worldwide on 17 November, due to high impact violence.
According to the following link ( http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/09/heres-why-left-4-dead-2-was-banned-in-australia/), the Board finds that the “interactive nature of the game increases the overall impact of the frequent and intense depictions of violence. This coupled with the graphic depictions of blood and gore combine to create a playing impact which is high.” Despite the high hostility towards the “terribly archaic classification system” as claimed by many of the Australian gamers, I do agree with the Board’s reasoning for the banning of such violent games.
Mean World Syndrome is a phenomenon where the violence-related content of mass media convinces viewers that the world is more dangerous than it actually is, and prompts a desire for more protection than is warranted by any actual threat. This means that they tend to overestimate the amount violence that actually occurs in their communities and in the rest of the world. People who are exposed to less media violence, are hence perceived to have a more realistic sense of the amount of violence in the real world.
Though many gamers might beg to differ and criticize such theory for being non-sensical and overly critical, the cultivation theory, coined by George Gerbner, proves otherwise.
In the cultivation theory, Gerbner argues that mass media is highly responsible for shaping and “cultivating” viewers’ conception of social reality
Attached below, is a short clip that explain the relationship between the cultivation theory and gaming violence
In short, the clip suggest that
1. Mass media imposes long term effects which can be small, gradual or indirect, but are cumulative and significant
2. “Murder Simulator unethically train children with the use of weapons, and also harden the emotionally to the act of murder.
3. Most believe that the video games are more threatening to violent tv shows, due to the fact that the gamers personally uses the controller to make an on screen character act out the violent behaviours.
Cultivation theory presents television as ‘not a window on or reflection of the world, but a world in itself’
I believe that the media heavily influences our perception of violence today. Heavy viewers and avid gamers are more susceptible to such “numbness” of violent behaviors and acts due to their constant exposure to them. As it may tend to induce a general mindset about violence in the world, quite apart form any effects it might have in inducing violent behaviours. This is further proven by the clip above. In addition, in a survey of about 450 New Jersey schoolchildren, 73 percent of heavy viewers compared to 62 percent of light viewers gave the TV answer to a question asking them to estimate the number of people involved in violence in a typical week. The same survey showed that children who were heavy viewers were more fearful about walking alone in a city at night. They also overestimated the number of people who commit serious crimes. ( http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/cultiv.html). In short, many of these heavy viewers are completely disillusional and are unable to make out the difference between what is real and what is not.
Hence, I find the Australian Classification Board’s decision to ban the video games, due to high impact violence, a justifiable one.
Media
It was a hoax and it was all staged.
On October 15, a media frenzy was sparked when Denver International Airport was temporarily shut down and military helicopters were sent out to rescue a 6 years-old boy who was feared to be aboard a helium balloon that hurtled 50 miles through the sky. However, after 5 hours of frenzied search, the missing boy walked out of his attic, unhurt, claiming that he have fell asleep in it. Honestly, who believes in this hyped up media frenzy? A boy aboard a helium balloon that hurtled 50 miles through the sky? Is this some form of publicity for the recent movie “UP” ? Oh please.
After 3 days of wild speculations,authorities announced what millions, including myself, have already suspected: It was staged. The light of truth was shone during an interview on CNN’s ” Larry King Live”. During the interview, the Heenes asked their son why he did not come out from hiding when they called his name.
“You guys said we did this for the show,” the boy responded.
Sherif Alderden of Larimer County called the incident a “hoax,” adding that investigators believe that the evidence indicates that “it was a publicity stunt” used by the family in hopes of “better marketing themselves for a reality television show at some point in the future.”
And for all who didnt know, Richard Heene is an infamous self-promoter who will pursue all sorts of off-the-wall stunts to capture media attention. Flying saucers, mountaintop helicopter stunts, storm chasing, reality TV shows — nothing is beyond him.
This is just what the media wants us to know and believe in.
However, viewers and readers are not too quick to accept whatever information and view the media throws at them. Though in this case where many are in approval of the media’s view, there were still a small handful of people who are skeptical about it; claiming that the media is overly judgmental and harsh when pursuing this matter. I mean, who knows? This whole incident might not be true, and the statement made by the boy might have been simply manipulated to fit the accusation!
http://forums.vogue.com.au/showthread.php?s=ad85c5c472954ea29342a725fc80fd3b&p=5722963#post5722963
http://trance.nu/v4/forum/viewtopic.php?t=173708
Well, my point is, unlike the past, where the media was all powerful over the mind of the viewers, viewers today are able to resist media manipulations and interpret messages in their own way.
With alternate forms of mass media, like the internet, newspaper and radio, being made available today, viewers are able to voice out their opinions more freely and with more ease. Through blogs and internet forums, netizens are able to constantly share their views and opinions on everyday’s topic and news, which ranges from global to any other senseless news. This introduction of alternative media have made way for the obstinate audience theory, which sees receivers as creative and responsive viewers.
But of course, the informations and news we are receiving today are not as straightforward and transparent as they seem. As media hegemony, a theory that suggest the media is seen to reflect and reproduce ideas and values that upholds the interests of the power elite, is clearly relevant today. Such hegemony is clearly significant in Singapore and China, where informations are heavily filtered by the government and higher authorities, in favour of their own views. Today’s audiences, while able to sift for themselves and choose to believe what is true and what isnt, are still susceptible and liable to take what is written/said in the media at full value. This is especially true with younger audiences who are impressionable and tend to be more naive than a more mature, or experienced audience .
However, if asked, i will choose to believe that viewers are aware of such political agenda embedded in most media text and are constantly deciphering such distorted views.
CULTURE.
A pictures speaks a thousand words. Yes,the topic i am blogging about this week is on issue of being gay. No, I am not referring to the term traditionally used to refer to one being happy and carefree, but the term used in reference to homosexuality. Before I begin, I would like to clearly state my stand on this issue. Well, I am definitely not bias towards gay, but neither am I an advocate to it. So yes, I hold a perfectly neutral stand or view towards this unique and appraisable act of love.
However, the culture that provides us with the template for living proves otherwise. Since we were young, we have been brought up with the concept and belief that any intimidate relationship should only exist between people of different genders. Such cultural influences have caused us to immediately reject any ideas or actions that do not conform to such teachings. Since homosexuality deviates from such teachings and social norms, homosexuality have hence been defined an as act of deviance.
Culture, i feel, will have an inevitable and deep impact on us, especially if its influence is effected on us from a young impressionable age, going on to shape our personal principles and ideals, which on the surface may seem entirely our own, but actually owes part (if not most) of its roots to culture.
However, cultures do not always remain stagnant, but progress and change with time. In today’s society, the once foreign and widely rejected acts of homosexuality are now slowly accepted by the masses. Though such love and affection between people of similar genders are still pretty deviant to many of us, the level of discriminations is not severe as before.
Recently in the United States, President Barack Obama surprised the world by praising the gay community for taking its major step in equal rights, and pledged to stand by them in the fight for the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in the country.
(http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/10/obama.gay.rights/index.html)
Honestly, I am having mixed thoughts about his sudden stand on this issue. I mean, why would the most influential man in the world so daringly defy the socially defined attitude or stand of being anti-gay? Was he trying to change this traditionally defined culture, with his self-assuming influence? Or is this just another one of his publicity stunt or campaign, which he amazingly enjoys? Well, I believe time will tell. However, I would personally love to witness the formal, as it will prove a giant step as far as culture is concerned.
As I have always wonder if challenging a culture is an act of deviance.
L-O-V-E
Tired of unrealistic and predictable love stories with a happy ending? Well, then I believe 500 Days of Summer is the probably the right show for you. Oh and if you are wondering why are there 500 days of summer in a year, don’t worry; it just proves that you are still sane.
Summer ( Zooey Deschanel ) is an independent and intelligent lady who isn’t interested in love after a bitter divorce. Tom ( Joseph Gordon Levitt ), on the other hand, carries a childhood fantasy of him finding his true love and living with her happily ever after. And I won’t want to spoil the show, by going too much into detail about how the show will progress and all. But like how the film so boldly tells us right at the start of the show: this is not a love story.
However, there are certain parts of the show that I personally find quite interesting and true to life, as far as romance is concerned.
2. I am personally a subscriber to the belief that people are more inclined to form a relationship with those they perceive as similar to them. And common interest plays a vital role in such belief.
2. The Joy and Happiness in Romance. This scene is probably one of the most heartfelt scenes in the movie. As it simply brings us back to the very core of love and romance. The nostalgic feeling of waking up in the morning and feeling as if he/she is the luckiest person in the world is probably something everyone can relate to when they are in love.
3. Expectations vs Reality. Like it or not, most relationships do not progress or work out the way we expect it to. So often, the media presents us a fairy tale concept of how a relationship should be like, that we tend to turn a blind eye to the harsh reality of it.
4.The next clip probably has no relation to relationships in general. But I personally enjoy this part of the movie as it is something so lighthearted and one that we can easily relate to. Role playing in Ikea? Definitely something I would enjoy doing with the partner.
Well, I am not doing a movie review here, but 500 days of Summer is definitely a must watch, as there is so much we can bring out of and relate to in this movie. To end my post, I would like to share with you something that I chanced upon recently on the internet. Its about how kids perceive love. (http://home.att.net/~scorh2/MeaningOfLove.html )
Enjoy!
