RST100 1st Edition Lecture 18Outline of Last Lecture I. Definition of Popular CultureII. Characteristics of Popular Culture III. Pervasive Forms a. Musicb. Moviesc. Printed mediad. Televisione. Theme parksOutline of Current Lecture I. Pervasive Forms of Popular Culturea. Printed Mediab. Televisionc. Theme ParksCurrent Lecture Continuation of Pop Culture – Lecture 18 April 2ndTelevision- low concentration, becomes less rewarding the longer is it viewed, linked to addictionPrinted Media- Reading is the most valued nonsocial leisure activity among adults- “If you like to read, you will never be alone”- More than any other leisure activity, reading is done alone.- How we read is changedo Nooks, Download books, Amazon- Decline in newspaper subscriptions, but increase in number of people who read electronic versions – get news on phone and onlineo You can tell this is an issue when the newspapers become free These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- In general, time spent reading risen slightly.- Reading connects us o New York Times BestsellerTelevision- “Hub of popular culture” Still?o Maybe not because cell phones, and laptop- Television, more than any other medium, has the power to reach those of different religions, ethnicities, ages, and lifestyles - So many channels out there that not everyone is watching the same showo So many choices – may not be the hub anymore- Communicates and validates what is popular- Passive, relaxing, low-concentration activity- “Less challenging, less social, and less active” activity TV Addiction- Millions hooked on TV and fit the criteria of TV addiction- Heavy viewers fit several symptomso Using TV as sedativeo Indiscriminate viewingo Feeling loss of control while viewing (feel like you have to keep watching it)o Feeling angry with oneself for watching too much Most people are not proud that they watch to much TVo Inability to stop watchingo Feeling miserable when kept from watching Differences Across Background Factors- Non-employed watch more TV- Older people watch more TV- Lower educated and income groups watch more TV- Women watch more than men- Most do not watch television exclusively) e.g., texting, eating, studying, caring for children)- Life satisfaction declines if TV watching reaches too high a proportion of time Total Use of Television Data- Avg time spent watching TV (US) – 5:11 hours- Whites - 5:02- Blacks -7:12- Hispanics – 4:35- Asians – 3:14- Years the average person will have spent watching TV – 9 years - Television viewing does differ on race Television Stats - % households in US that possess at least one TV – 99%- # of TVs in the avg US household – 2.24- % of homes with 3 or more – 65%- % of Americans who regularly watch television while eating dinner – 67% - % of 4-6 year olds who would rather watch TV than spend time with their fathers – 54%- % of Americans who say they watch too much TV – 49%TV is Pleasurable- Scopophilia: pleasure in viewing, being the onlooker to unfolding eventso Pleasurable to see – TV is a series of unfolding events- Provide 4 types of pleasureo Knowledgeo Comedy – phrases that are usedo Fantasyo DistractionReality TV- Why is reality TV so popular?o People are obsessed with fame and fortuneo Most shows have an element of competitiono People are nosey, and like the behind the scenes element (“fly on the wall”view)o People want to be able to talk to others about the show – don’t want to feel left out Which of the following statements true – amusement parks decreased after the great DepressionTheme Parks- Roots of amusement parks go back to the Middle Ages- Following the Great Depression, huge drop in amusement parkso 1500 to 400 parks- Needed a new concept – theme parks- Disney – presents a moralistic and idealized version of the American Wayo Incredibly popular o Sea Worldo Universal Studios Criticisms of Disney- Very expensive, Process to become a princess, the way women are portrayed- Overstep their entertaining role- Highlight the moral and economic superiority of the American way of lifeo White middle class power- Distort history and present American society as free of conflict o “White wash” American history- Gender concerns – women’s proportion - Controllingo The languageo Physical appearanceo How the visitor is handled Popular Culture and Entertainment- We crave entertainment – to have someone or something amuse us, this comes primarily through media- Good and Bado Addicted to fluff, expect life to be in small, disconnected and amusing chunkso It is making us smarter, need to remember lots of information, fill in gaps, and make learned guesses to understand what is going on, good storytelling, likable characters, positive role modelso We need to more critical/selective in how we allow ourselves to be manipulated by the