Age Of Television example essay topic

BY R SPILSBURY Critically examine the implications of the postmodern era on television viewing for its audiences. Postmodernism can be defined as having two meanings, firstly as a type of society (coming after the modern). Driven by the new age (information), encompassing the entire world diversifying through many sub-groups and sub-cultures. Secondly it can be used as a way of knowing the world, by its nature allows society to question the "truth" and the very perception of "reality". At its core is the belief that there are no standards by which to judge multi-cultural societies, art, fashion etc, or even core beliefs or values. The postmodernist view on knowledge is a relativist ideology; the rejection of universal standards of judgement, by this is meant that everyone can determine the standards that are envisaged.

Nothing else compares to the cultural phenomenon that is television, arguably the 'Post-modern' medium of the 20th Centaury and beyond. The explosion of which lead to men like, Foucault, Baudrillard, Jameson and others giving us words like; hyper-reality, consumerism, simulation and many others. These concepts were born out of a desire to gain an understanding of the new 'discourse', others formed from the very concept itself. Television is a global industry directly mimicking the socio-economic process of post modernization, the multi-faceted channels offer the viewer the opportunity to participate in the 'new world' or not depending on the channel their watching at the time.

Society today lives in a media saturated world, dominated by its own vastness and complexity. To investigate its many forms (books, radio, television, press, video etc) would be impossible to do in one short essay. Their technologies are constantly improving speed and deliveries are equalled by the great diversification among each genre. They have become commodities in their own right, entwining themselves in the social cultural web. Postmodern theorist Jean Baudrillard (1983) suggested that we live in a media-dominated world, this world is at one remove from reality, i.e. a world of 'hyperreality'.

He argues that the massive increases in the 'signs' and images that became to dominate the media vehicles after World War Two resulted in the differences between objects and their meanings disappearing. This reality has become a 'simulation's elf-perpetuating itself independently allowing for the conceptual hype by advertisers for whatever gain they see fit. Much of this can be seen on everyday television, the blurring of real life with the perceived 'reality', take the everyday soap opera (Coronation Street, Eastenders etc) many would argue that perception is not to difficult to distinguish. But is doesn't stop people from stopping an actor in the street, to abuse them over how they are treating a fictional character. Many would argue that these types of programming represent a more traditional anti postmodernistic view. Pg 1 Infact they act as a catalyst for the debate in the real world, enabling for the dissection of social and cultural problems.

He even went on to suggest that the 1991 Gulf War did not take place, logic dictates that it did, but what he means is that it was media driven event. They 'Hyped' the whole thing 'Codified' pre-selected material for the Western audience, fuelling the xenophobic attitude that was prevailing, or was it? Television more than any other medium allows us to experience vastly different perspectives and motivations in a simultaneous environment. This medium is a vehicle for 'sigh-codes's ome blatant others hidden as secondary messages.

Take for example 'Car Adverts' at a surface level merely selling a car, as you go deeper they are suggesting that the car is a sexy, fun, romantic, status enhancing product; that you the consumer should not be missing out on. And lastly that their product is the 'complete package' infact its been 'Hyped' making you want, desire and more importantly remember, the advertisers have attached 'Values' that were not originally there. We can come to accept that television has changed our perception; this medium has by its own perversion manipulated our vision of the world, and of the society that we live in. No longer do we have to read books, or travel to foreign lands, you can go there at a touch of a button. How this effect the 'Real' is open to argument, John Fiske (1991) argues, "In one hour's television viewing, one of us is likely to experience more images than a member on a non-industrial society would in a lifetime.

The quantitative difference is so great as to become categorical [... ] we live in a postmodern period when there is no difference between the image and the other orders of experience". Baudrillard certainly was not a Marxist; he suggested that this theory weighed heavily on production at the expense of consumption. He considered consumption in terms greater than simply those of an economic and materialistic ideology; the hidden agenda became apparent subtle nuances carefully selected, filtered in to the mind. Fredric Jameson (1991) described postmodernism as 'the cultural logic of late capitalism', the very ideology acting as a framework to enable the modern consumer driven society to hang from. Certainly after the war the United States and then Europe became focused on the machine that was to become 'Consumerism' and television was the perfect tool. Jameson in his book 'Postmodernism' (1991) writing in a neo-Marxist style used the ideas and values of the avant-garde and modernism, to codify consumerism.

The attributes of one became the strengths of the other; the great icons of the modern age became nothing more than pawns to be manipulated, and hawked by the advertisers necessity to find the perfect angle or pitch. The object of which was not to sell the 'product' but to sell the idea, enable the viewer to dream, imagine and desire. Television by its own evolution has transformed from a single concept into a multitude of diverse sub-groups, certainly in the post 1960's era new and exciting influences were as work in the 'Electronic Village'. Pg 2 Though at no time until the late 1970's early 1980's did television and the information bulb really flower, with the explosion of computing and microelectronics television became the new 'buzz' word. Almost at once open markets became available on a global level, and established cores of control weakened allowing commercialisation and decentralization.

The 'Technological Age', new and exciting forms of communication accelerated this fragmentation, allowing new forms of discourse to be viewed. These new 'Kids' on the block were challenging television, i.e. Satellite, Cable and by the 1990's saw the evolution of the Digital age and Interactive Television. These new commercially driven companies capitalised on this given freedom, no longer was television going to be used as a mechanism for social control. All of a sudden the world became a much smaller place, consequently all this competition lead to volatility which some argued resulted in 'Disorganised Capitalism'. Strongly debated by all the perception is a relative one, the format (Television) is highly adaptable, emotional, economically driven vehicle, that doesn't seem to be slowing down. From the initial conception television has slowly and deliberately become the cornerstone of modern culture, something that was not lost on companies and advertisers.

Commercials are commonplace, and almost get more attention than the programmes themselves; these segments of 'Life' are the key for consumerism. However with the diversification of TV, whole sub-groups have emerged right across the social cultural spectrum, television has become a targeted commodity, specific in its goal and determined in its path. Nowadays viewers are not faced with just a few channels, but hundreds covering every conceivable topic, like postmodernism in general the problem of 'difference' had become a perceived attitude. This diversity inside the new world enabled the viewer to interact by choice, something not available in the beginning. The postmodernistic viewer is free to explore, question and ultimately except nothing or everything, which is seen, heard or offered. This position opens up the question; 'What type of person is the Postmodernistic Viewer?' Some would argue that all this choice results in a viewer 'decentred' in rational, who is only capable of a few short bursts of concentration at any given time, channel hopping the world unconcerned with the perception of time and place and the very content of programmes.

This 'cherry-picking' results in a veneer of information only useful for quiz shows, or a few pints at the local. Of course the alternative is just as postmodernistic, and arguably just as fallible as the first. This viewer is more informed, aware of the choices and costs, comfortable in those decisions, happily watching television in numerous environments and situations. And of being aware of the emotional and intellectual stimulus, evident in each given context. Instead of television controlling the environmental situation, the viewer has amalgamated the technology into their social and cultural existence. Pg 3 Were both types converge is not in ideology, but in the fact that TV, is still central in both environments.

It might not be actually broadcasting, instead they could be watching a pre-recorded tape (VCR) or playing a video game, but more importantly central to both types is the necessity of the television in providing the required entertainment. So were does this leave the viewer of the postmodernistic age, on the one hand it would seem a 'vegetable' to the alter of TV. Or a more rounded individual able to articulate on different levels about numerous subjects. This is indeed the age of television and more widely communications in general, with the explosion of this cultural icon from rigidity to great diversity.

When taken alongside the postmodernistic euphoria that has become the new 'Enlightenment' period only goes to give society an understanding about the newage. Multi-conceptual as television is it nearly falls flat on its face, offering so much can dilute what it has to offer, by this is meant that society undertakes to accept this 'discourse', but should not ultimately allow to become its slave, its arguable who really is the dominant species. Though it's the very facet of television that betrays life, the viewer can sit and plan their very existence on a daily, weekly and in some cases monthly bases. Television has evolved alongside society this can be seen in many areas of the diversity that TV has to offer. Programmes have become more than just a 'timeslot' they have become an economic necessity, society can gorge its self on the 'table' of adverts that are laid at the viewers feet.

These jewels of the modern culture are historical 'Rubik's cubes' offering in one sense a path to an answer, but in reality they only offer another problem, one of a blurred perception. History and culture are reunited in such a way as to enable the masses to readily accept a 'freeze dried' package of life.