Media Culture and Consumer Society

In the reading for Thursday, Douglas Kellner discusses how media culture shapes our views, opinions, and values. I agree with Kellner’s that “media images help shape our view of the world and out deepest values (7).” The media such as television, magazines and online types of media control how we are going to view certain people and products based on what we see and read on a daily basis. “The media are forms of pedagogy that teach us how to be men and women (7).” Kellner tells us in the reading that the media teaches us how to dress, what music to listen to, and creates norms for us at a young age. While reading this article I thought about how at a young age we are taught by the media about the significant difference between men and women. For example, in children’s televisions commercials there are always specific genders playing with the product being advertised. A little girl will be playing with a play kitchen set, or a dollhouse while the boys play with Legos or trucks. Even today, when the gender gap seems to have been repaired to a certain extent, commercials still press in our subconscious the roles that society wants men and women to play. Understanding consumer society becomes crucial so we do not conform to the norms that we have been taught as children.