The American Media Machine and How I Learned to Conquer Television

All this week my ears have been ringing from the constant chattering of the American Media Machine that loves to hear itself speak. Even grocery shopping serves as a reminder of our Hollywood-sick and consumerist culture - I can't even pay for some overpriced produce without seeing "Kim Kardashian's New Butt Implants!" or "Arnold's Love Child." American television is a large, slightly terrifying force that and fills one with a stinking sense of emptiness. The emphasis on American rather than Canadian TV is purposeful. American TV truly dominates and it is significantly different from Canadian TV, particularly any news programs. Television itself, however, proves to be the cause of various bouts of dissatisfaction in the "First World" collective psyche. This should come as no surprise since the media is constantly sending messages to the public saying that we need more shit like boulder crushing pickups and chemical cleaners by a fictional bald dude for those tough stains.  


My television set was always used to occupy the silence, to act as a sort of auditory crutch. In fact, any program would do, as long as it was mildly entertaining. This habit started as a child, when I would watch a lot of television in my bedroom. A blue light could be seen blanketing me on a nightly basis as I slept, the noises making me feel a sense of security.

photo found here

By the time I moved out on my own, my self-esteem and self-worth was suffering more than usual as it was being engulfed by patriarchy and emotional sickness. By this time, of course, patriarchy was invisible to me. Television shows about how ugly and wrong women are and how to fix them with makeovers, plastic surgery and psychotic fitness routines were becoming daily "entertainers" in my life. Since these shows were constantly on, either for entertainment or for the sheer purpose of "background noise," my mind slowly became more fixated on fashion, ultra-femininity, male-approval, and thinness.  The things I never gave two shits about before in my life became somehow crucial issues in my life. I learned to criticize my body and the bodies of others, mostly other women; I learned my role as submissive female - feminine and fragile. The TV perpetuated and normalized ideas about beauty and unattainable happiness, with its redundant commercials that succeeded at turning me into a dainty yet terribly unhappy robot. But what keeps us going back?   


American television keeps its pizazz by using the sad or pathetic lives of others for entertainment for the rest of society who in turn feel better about themselves as a result. I plead guilty as charged to this, too, though this post at I Blame the Patriarchy really put it all into perspective. But I digress. Many a' eyes glaze over while watching celebrity family break ups and many are kept bloodshot from those late nights watching CNN; watching gunfire, bombs and the herding of humans while a white dude in an expensive suit gives his "analysis" of the events. But it is not just the images of Bin Laden's compound or the representations of violence in Libya, there are more subtle ways to titillate the masses. 




Thousands of people spend the days trying to keep up with the latest Western Imperialist Fashion that is meant to dictate their social standing and human worth based on the notion that the quest for perfection is only a transaction away. The fashion industry further perpetuates white-supremacist beauty standards, the rampant rise of eating disorders and exploitation of workers across the world. Yet, we are fed fashion as something humans, mostly women, need and should strive for. Nevertheless, when the news or the latest episode of "What not To Wear" (one of my old favourites) is not playing, advertisements are. Ads, as most people can agree with, are horribly annoying and intrusive, sometimes even catchy. Many people who are financially privileged enough, purchase items they do not need in hopes that they can achieve "happiness" - quotes used to indicate the various, diverse definitions of happiness and challenging Western view of the term. Happiness, perfection, satisfaction, freedom - all catch words that are promised to the masses by large companies through a small window of time between programming. Often, many people will mute their sets when the ads come on but many do not. Instead, some people claim they "tune out" the commercials - ignore them. What is interesting, however, is how we remember the commercials that we supposedly ignored and how we then make decisions to purchase one brand over another. It all comes back to the Media Machine controlling the way we view ourselves and the people around us. The Media Machine constructs a false reality based on white middle to upper-class Happiness newspeak that tells us how to live our lives in a way that fits snugly with the status quo. 


The status quo reinforces oppressive social environments and continues the traditions of patriarchy and capitalism by tricking the masses into believing they aren't satisfied or happy enough. But, do not fear readers, a way that has proven essential in beating a large chunk of the status quo into the ground is shutting off the TV. I know that not everyone is financially privileged enough to own a television, but many do and it is impacting the young people and the generations to come. The messages, through the reality television shows, pseudo-psychologist nonsense and racist police programs, ignored or not, are subconsciously taken into the brain as they are carefully constructed to appeal to people's deepest values, beliefs, emotions and lifestyles. The messages do not exist as mere fillers of silence, marketersdisproportionately male-dominated and thus provide "entertainment" based on patriarchal principles, like playing "women's shows" during the day, while they are allegedly in the home. Luckily, if we're not too emotionally deadened from watching reruns of Family Guy or Sex and the City, we can see through the heaping pile of televised dung and grab the remote.When you shut the television off and take in the silence curiosity will prevail again and struggle for an end to patriarchal and capitalist oppression will become much clearer.