I really would like to look into TV/Movies and how teenagers are portrayed in them. I feel as a teacher, that my students are deprived of the quality television shows that I was able to observe in the late '80's and early '90's. There are so many tv shows now that send such a bad message versus when I was a teenager. I truly feel that because of shows like Growing Pains, Who's the Boss?, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, The Wonder Years, Boy Meets World, Step-By-Step, Family Matters, even Full House with its corny "Talk-With-Dad-At-The-End-Cue-The Music-Let's-Hug-Before-The-Credits-Moments that it made me a better person/decision maker. I don't know, maybe I watched TOO MUCH tv, but I know my students watch tv when they go home and there is NOTHING of any moral fiber to soak in. At the very least, the shows made me laugh inside, and not like laughing at shows like Jackass.
I mean, sometimes I think it's all in the way it is presented too. For example, in the early '80's there was the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High which portrayed the different perspectives boys and girls have toward it. That movie was very well-written and actually, behind some of the silly parts, left viewers with a "real" view of what sex is and ISN'T. Contrastly, a movie like American Pie, which deals with the same issue, has ABSOLUTELY NO REDEEMING QUALITY. It's just frustrating, because I feel that society is representative of the media world and there is definitely a correlation between what is viewed on TV/Movies/YouTube and the Apathetic Umbrella that not only teenagers live under.
Like Lexi, I needed to get this off my chest. Now back to watching the Final Four and Red Sox...AHHHHH, there's that TV thing again:)
I think I disagree with you, Ron. I think shows now DO have strong moral fiber, but the only ones that get media attention to people outside of its audiences tend to be the ones who are more questionable - such as Pretty Little Liars. I also think, much of the time, we remember the positive things shows taught us, and tend to forget the...offensive? things that slipped through. I mean, Full House was the epitome of family show, and remains to be. But were all of it its representations positive? I'm thinking specifically that the relationships shown - such as Uncle Jesse's many women - may not have been truly positive?
ReplyDeleteThat said, that could be a very interesting area to explore, especially if you analyze shows from very different decades. Sorry if this is rambling, I was sort of just thinking outloud.
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ReplyDeleteThat's a great point Lexi, although the Uncle Jesse thing is a stretch LOL just kidding with you!!!
ReplyDeleteRon -
ReplyDeleteI had to disagree. I think there are shows on now with redeeming qualities. There are plenty of movies that leave you with that same feel-good-let's-hug-it-out moments. One show that I love is Modern Family. Yes the show is not perfect and I could pick it a part using anyone of the articles we've read thus far, but there is a lot of good in it.
The other thing that is important to note is that, TV is not very sitcom based anymore. Therefore the way we look at TV must shift. The shows that are on now - which you're referring to - speak of teenage years very differently than those of the 80s and 90s. That is because teenagers are very different today than they were in the 80s and 90s.
Just because they don't follow your morals, doesn't mean they have no moral value.
This is true Dante
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