Radio Control

     In the 1920s, the advertising industry merged with that of radio, forming a powerful bond that remains intact today, forever affecting what we hear and the choices we make when it comes to radio media.
     Advertising is an incredibly strong industry that has grown from the 18th century to the modern day as a seemingly natural part of our media-consuming experience. Its force has long influenced all parts of American society, forming a large part of our culture. In today's world, ventures can hardly last without an inclusion of advertising; for example, new websites can only last so long as homegrown, unaffected entities before they have sidebars of ads to fuel the economy and media consumption of all forms. This was no exception in the 1920s as radio was booming and becoming a weighty force in American society. Ads soon seamlessly entered the world of radio, altering it and making it what it is today.
     Advertising's marriage to radio began in 1922 with AT&T's station WEAF. As AT&T began charging content providers a fee for the use of its stations, advertising in radio began to evolve. These fees turned into manufacturer sponsorship to advertise their goods, which then turned into the now commonplace concept of advertisers paying the station to play their ads. Ads alone may have changed radio, but the advertising industry altered radio even farther as paying advertisers began nudging radio stations to better suit their own interests. Advertising agencies knew they needed a commercial audience to fully cover the range of customers they wished to reel in, so radio stations began focusing more on entertainment radio, rather than on news or education, areas that only draw in limited audiences. So, as radio itself became more widespread and more influential, so did the advertising industry affixed at its side. The two remain tightly joined today, ever changing our culture and society.

Why do you tweet?

     The uses and gratifications theory states that audiences actively choose to consume media that suits their specific needs. Media can meet needs in all aspects of life, from the acquisition of new knowledge, to social interaction, to simple enjoyment and diversion. Various factors play a role in determining what media an audience consumes and what needs an audience is meeting when doing so. One important factor is time, a variable that can greatly affect media consumption as new media is developed and as the audience's life situation changes. Depending on when and what is needed, media is sought out in different and constantly fluctuating ways.

(twitter.com)

     Twitter, a micro-blogging site used heavily by both everyday citizens and public figures, perfectly demonstrates the uses and gratifications theory of media exposure. Like any form of media, Twitter started small, but it took the world by storm and became a viable way for people to satisfy their media needs. On the outset, Twitter is clearly a means of social exchange between friends, providing an easy way to exchange brief thoughts and replies. However, people can also access Twitter to satisfy their needs for information and pure entertainment. Nearly every major news source is now linked to Twitter, giving users a one stop shop for all the headlines (and links to longer articles) they could ask for. In the entertainment spectrum, there is no doubt that celebrities provide a daily dose of diversion for countless Twitter users. Whether they are promoting their latest movie or simply being themselves,  for all the world to see, celebrities on Twitter can certainly give less prominent users a break from their day. Some may use Twitter to satisfy all of these needs in one blow, while others may keep to Twitter to satisfy one need and seek out different outlets to satisfy others. It's up to the individual person to decide how to use it, but Twitter is certainly a place to obtain media of many forms in day to day life.

Hegemonic Power

By providing examples of how commonplace female objectification is in the media, “Killing Us Softly 3” perfectly demonstrates the concept of hegemony. Advertisements featuring women in various states of undress or weakness hardly seem shocking in today’s society simply because they are so routine.

(photo credit: shapingyouth.org)

Hegemony exists when a certain ideology becomes the unquestioned norm in society. When a group of people willingly accepts a set of dominant beliefs and customs, a hegemonic culture is created. Often, people do not realize this process is occurring, simply because the dominant views are so deeply interwoven into the core of society. Alternate views are then seen as “unnatural” or “wrong” simply because they differ from the overwhelming majority.  Through hegemony, an idea or belief can sweep across a nation with hardly any resistance. This process has been a main source of racism, sexism, and oppression of the weak throughout history.

Although hegemony can be achieved through violent or otherwise forceful means, it tends to be a passive process that most people might not even notice.  This is certainly the case with the assortment of ads shown in “Killing Us Softly 3.” Because we see advertisements that are often particularly sexist toward women on a daily basis, they hardly seem out of the ordinary. When viewed individually and when dissected via commentary, such as that of Jean Kilbourne in “Killing Us Softly 3,” the negative nature of the ads is exposed, but on a day-to-day basis, no one takes a second look and peers into the deeper message. Simply thumbing through a modern day magazine teaches our society that women are solely weak objects of a man’s desire. Not only does this promote the subjugation of women, it shows young, impressionable girls how they “need” to dress and act in order to fit into the norms of society. Once again, this is a hegemonic process that may be unnoticeable at first glance, but that is in fact quite a powerful force in American society.