The media doesn't really affect our behavior, it just shows us our deepest desires

SipsSparklingWater · 2016-10-01T13:49:34+00:00

They see what they wanna see. At no point in a Disney movie does a character act like a bitch to get a woman.

Princeso_Bubblegum · 2016-10-01T12:40:07+00:00

What about characters which ARE suppose to be role models. You mention the Simpsons, but in early Simpson's episodes Lisa is like definitely designed to be a feminist role model.

Although I am not really sure about Daria... I think she kind of just bumped into being that because of her vicious cynical nihilism.

Entropy-7 · 2016-10-01T12:51:18+00:00

People who work in the media are not a representative cross section of American society and they don't try to reflect public desires or sentiments. You can see what is really going on in Primetime Propaganda, as on detailed example.

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alreadyredschool · 2016-10-01T10:17:49+00:00

Chicken or egg situation, true.

I think it's the male supplicating nature that fucks us.

ThirdEyeSqueegeed · 2016-10-01T11:09:02+00:00

Watch this. It's a good example of how easily brainwashed we all are.

truthuncensored · 2016-10-01T18:25:55+00:00

Marketing works.

KrispyMcSockington · 2016-10-02T05:51:38+00:00

Former reporter here. Studied this and while there is no "conclusive" evidence to suggest that the media affects your behaviour, there is one piece of evidence contradicting this. In fact, it's an entire industry.

Advertising.

Sure, you're not forced to buy the cars, clothes and toys, but look at what happens. Why is it that companies will spend millions on a 30 second ad during peak viewership hours when it doesn't affect your behaviour? Why are food commercials displayed when it's near supper time? Why do they analyse the market, try to gather as much information on potential customers (even reducing privacy within an operating system like Windows 10) and target certain demographics?

Because they know it works. The industry would be dead if it didn't. Now, expand this, just a little, to the rest of the media world. It is not impossible to say that, at times, the media pushes public opinion to a certain direction. It is why dictators want control over the media. To assume it cannot at least affect peoples' perceptions is foolhardy. Why would they want control over the news if it didn't matter or at least affect anyone?

The media does indeed affect people. It is also a mix of opinion leading and holding a mirror up to society. This is why it's hard to say what exactly it does. It would be more clear cut if the news only reported on what happened, and even that has bias, but there are so many aspects to media - entertainment (one of the biggest parts of the media), information, education, community based stuff, hard news, soft news etc - it becomes next to impossible to state whether it leads or represents public opinion.

This is partially why gossipy/tabloid style newspapers get away with a lot of poor examples of journalism. They can report serious news and claim that no one takes them seriously because they're wacky to being with, thereby harming others in the process. This does affect lives, especially when it's defamation. When a news report can get away with an inaccurate version of the truth and affect how people treat someone - such as someone accused of rape - then it does indeed affect people.

The media's claim that there is no conclusive proof relies a lot on technicalities because it is difficult to make a direct link between Grand Theft Auto, violence in the media, gangster rap and a high school shooting. There is no "on" switch in the brain that gets activated when a kid shoots virtual people, but being bombarded with violent images daily cannot be harmless, especially to people who might be easily influenced.

There is no question of morality when someone buys a burger after seeing an ad as opposed to someone who hurt someone after seeing some violence on TV. The media cannot be held accountable but we cannot assume Disney has no effect on children's perception about life and about love. The TV should also never be a baby sitter.

sunkindonut149 · 2016-10-03T15:50:26+00:00

It's kind of both. The media reflects our behavior but it also affects our behavior. More specifically, advertising affects our behavior more than just "media".

How do you think TV shows make money? Advertising and product placement. Seriously, your cable bill mostly goes to the upkeep of cable infrastructure. Actors and athletes make money from selling products.

As a musician, one of the holy grails for us is to get 'endorsements' from musical instrument companies or for our songs to appear on ads. Basically all media is about selling shit.

The reason the media shows feminist, Spanish language, halal food ads and Black Lives Matter stuff isn't because it's part of an (((affirmative action conspiracy against the white man))) kek.

It's because they want to sell shit to women and minorities. Thats it. They don't give a fuck about any color but green and a lot of these people are just WASP guys... the only thing the black-hatted Jew in the /pol caricature controls is $80 in food stamps and a few scuffed-up Bibles.

The reason American women shave our legs is because Gillette wanted to sell more razors. The reason we typically live in little houses made of ticky-tacky in cul-de-sacs is because house builders wanted to sell more houses, banks wanted to sell mortgages, and car makers wanted to sell more cars. Thats it. Lol

despisedlove2 · 2016-10-06T00:05:25+00:00

Don't you think that your grandfather predates the collapse of traditional marriage, especially in Greece?

Cartesian_Duelist · 2016-10-01T17:36:03+00:00

While I generally agree with you, if I had to say, it's that the reality of these movies not showing overt sexual interest is being mistaken for betaness.

This said, I think there may be a seed of rhetoric in this and cultivation theory. Many men have grown up without male role models or just men and thus do not know what to emulate. Cultivation theory posits that, in the absence of information, media will not inform our behaviour per-se, but inform our knowledge base. In the case of young boys, they see girls fawning over Disney princesses, and given that these are the few 'romances' they see, informs their ideas about how courting 'ought' to be.

that it's Homer Simpson's fault they are the way they are.

I think this is a bit of a strawman (hopefully). It's not that Homer Simpson created their problems, it's that Homer Simpson influenced the cultural 'script' and promoted generally misandric ideals. I think this is retarded. Homer Simpson and the willingness to make him a buffoon is merely reflective of the general view of lower-class men.

That said, I don't know what movies they're watching. Eric from the Little Mermaid kicked ass and showed his immensely-good qualities within the first five minutes of screentime. Aladdin, the one I think they may be talking about, got the princess by showing her adventure but nearly skunked everything by acting like a 'stuffed shirt'. Beast was a huge asshole who only started to win over Belle by beating the shit out of wolves. Bit later, but Shang was a captain of a fighting force who forged his affection for Mulan in battle. Hell, go back further, and Sleeping Beauty's prince killed a Satan-invoking dragon.

God Frozen is terrible. Fuck Frozen.

Title	The media doesn't really affect our behavior, it just shows us our deepest desires
Author	ThatGreekLady
Upvotes	1
Comments	28
Date	October 1, 2016 10:02 AM UTC (9 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/PurplePillDebate
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/PurplePillDebate/comments/55cm9m/the_media_doesnt_really_affect_our_behavior_it/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/PurplePillDebate/the-media-doesnt-really-affect-our-behavior-it.272648 https://theredarchive.com/post/272648

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