Sterptyping

Mass media became on of the main sources of popular culture in modern capitalist society. Media, however, not only entertains and offers news to people, but also transfers the stereotypes, beliefs and values of the society to reproduce the existing order of social life. Louis Althusser in his theory of ideological state apparatuses, says that schools, families, religions play the role of the ideological state apparatuses. These institutions invisibly transfer and indoctrinate the dominant hegemonic ideology of the society into the minds of people in order to be able to control people. In the modern capitalist world, I would argue, media turned to be yet another althusserian ideological apparatus that control the mind of masses. It seems like media creates the unique pieces of art: movies, documentaries, magazines, music, TV shows and others. Theodor Adorno, however, would argue that all of these products of media contain zero level of uniqueness. According to him, what we see on TV screens or in newspapers is produced only with one purpose of being sold. Therefore, what is manufactured (popular culture) by media has to reflect the life of people, it needs to be on such level that people would understand and except. This reflection, however, is created through reproduction of stereotypes, which fill the life of society and, thus, are known to everyone.

One can find multiple examples, supporting argument on indoctrinating role of media in a capitalist society, in the movies shown in Women, Sport and Film class. For instance, in all of the movies we saw how hard the main characters had to work/practice in order to achieve their own goals. Whether it was Velvet or Monica, the whole women baseball team or a young water-surfer, they all had to practice for a long period of time in order to achieve the success. I think that this corresponds very well to such an important value of the capitalist society as competition. In the modern capitalist society it is widely...