MEDIA

I recently watched a movie called "Network" that I think the entire class should check out if anyone hasn't yet. This film was released in 1976 so I would like to think that many of us have not seen it. This movie really caught me by surprise, because it was created so long ago and holds true to what effects media plays today.The main character was a legendary talk show host who was going to kill himself after finding out that he would be fired due to low ratings. Media was taking a personal toll on his life, because it was his financial support. As time progressed through the movie he was allowed to express his views on how media controlled everything, and how we were not living at all. With statements like these back then he was stirring up a lot of attention to the station he was broadcasting from to the point that he was the highest viewed person on television. He was bringing in a lot of money into the "network". Until they decided to kill him because his message was conflicting with deals being made at "higher powers", and it was also depressing the viewers and inspiring them to question who was really in control. At a time in the movie he even directed his viewers to turn their televisions off and keep them off forever. I would also like to say that popular culture IS media or heavily influenced by it at least, and our study of it just so happens to be perfectly explained in this film. Check it out!