Hey everyone, for my free post I’ve decided to talk about one of my favorite shows, Entourage. As I watched an episode last night it struck me that the show takes a very relaxed stance towards legal issues, especially involving drugs. For example, while marijuana is still an illegal drug, the show features its main characters using it regularly and rarely with any fear of repercussions. This got me thinking; do tv shows such as Entourage reflect society’s feelings towards something, do they shape them, or is the relationship transactional? I know that when I see tv shows embracing marijuana, I feel vindicated in my belief that its socially acceptable and should be legalized. It seems to me that when the network shows find out that most people have accepted something, they feel safe showing it on tv, creating a cycle of something becoming more and more acceptable. I guess what I’m trying to say is that even though mass media has a huge impact on us and influences what we believe; we ultimately have just as much power to shape them. Questions for you the reader to think/respond to: Should the mass media have a role in trying to influence public opinion about various policies? Is mass media actually trying to influence us, or am I reading too far into what television chooses to show and not show?
I have never really gotten into this show, but after reading this blog I think I might have to check it out and actually give it a chance.
ReplyDelete