Final Reflection

In the globalizing and increasingly media dependent world we are living in, I feel it is entirely necessary to be aware of what is happening in foreign media systems and how they play off of each other. It is important to ask questions about how our dependency on media is becoming a dependency on each other due to the vast exposure of global media we encounter today. I feel that this class did a great job of putting me in a position to begin asking questions along those lines.

To be honest, I went into this assignment with the assumption that I was going to hate it. I have never been a blogger and sometimes sharing my ideas on controversial issues can be intimidating to me. I did assume a certain level of knowledge about foreign media would be acquired, but I was apprehensive. This is where I stand corrected. I have not only become a more confident blogger, but I have become passionate about the subject matter that this class revolved around.

One of the biggest turning points for me was to read about Berlusconi. I never imagined that in a democratic nation like Italy that such tyranny was currently happening. This was very becoming to me because it made me realize to a much deeper extent the massive influence and force a media system can have on its participants and users. When this epiphany occured I started feel a deeper connection and passion for my blogs and the subject matter.

I feel this passion is most apparent in my blog titled “Translating Cartoons”. In this blog I attempt to showcase an example of how American media sytems are slipping their fingers into distinct cultures and changing its peoples’ ideas about themselves in the process. I feel this was a point in my blogs that I felt a great understanding and passion for the subject matter and I showcase it by providing solid information, and building my opinions off of that.

In contrast, I feel my blog “Hellanovelas” is a bit harsh. In retrospect I come off a bit harsh to the form known as telenovelas and I dont think my criticisms are backed up by enough solid examples. I do agree with my own opinion, of course, but it is apparent to me in reflection that I’m overlooking the subjectivity of of appeal.

That brings me to my next point, that I think my overall fallacy was expressing abstract opinions without providing solid eveidence. In retrospect of the overall project, I think I would have dug deeper into the material and read it several times. I think this would have given me a more in-depth perspective and eventually allowed me to see the issues from several sides opposed to just my initial reactions.

Overall, I have been pleased with this project becasue it has changed my perception on how media in the modern world affects us all as a planet. I now feel that I have a more in-depth view on not just media, but even human psychology as a whole. I am also thrilled about being introduced to the world of blogging and it could very possibly turn into a hobby of mine.

Brazil as a Broadcasting Force

I found da Silva’s article on television in Brazil very interesting and surprising at some points. For example, it was beyong me that Brazil’s leading broadcaster, Globo, was the third lasrgest in the world. As for the article’s main point about Brazil’s governmental regulation of broadcasting, I have to agree with most cases that are made by da Silva. I think that regulation of national broadcasting can have a profound successful effect on the country’s system and even overall. When programming is kept mostly localized and respectful to the culture it has reached a level that most broadcasting should undertake. Broadcasting should serve the community it is exposed to. I don’t think that foreign material should be completely cut out of the picture, but I think local material should have a stable foot in the door before foreign ideas and culture can have a chance to take over. I am happy to know that another country’s media system other than westernized imperialist systems are in a strong and focused condition. Hopefully more countries can reach the level of broadcasting independence that Brazil has.

Volatile Iran

As explained in the article on Iran, the history of broadcasting in this particular nation is a very unstable one. This should come to abosolutley no surprise due to Iran having a volatile history as it is. Something that this article made clear to me is the direct relationship between a country’s politcal and social state and how their media operates. Because of Irans constant violent struggles and in particular radical political revolutions in recent times, it should be expected that the broadcasting system is, too, in dissaray.

Of course, the nation has had the means to institute a functioning broadcast system, but a stable one has yet to take over. With different political leaderships taking over there has been little time for a steady media system to set in its roots. When the nation was taken over by a dictorial ideology the broadcasting industry felt the oppression hard. Foreign material was practically outlawed and censorship in coherence with political and religous propaganda was heavily used.

Today, things have gotten slightly better due mostly to the fact that the Iranian people have the desire to enter the modern international media system. The government has loosened their grip a bit because they are starting to realize that it is impossible to cut-off the citizens of Iran from the globalizing world. The interent and satellite broadcasting can be thanked for this. I only hope that this new sense of freedom Iranian people are feeling with their media exposure will spread to other parts of Iranian ideology. Hopefully, the freedom of choice of religion and lifestyle is something that begins to resonate from this seemingly revolutionizing media system. The article below gives a more in-depth view of the evolution of broadcasting in Iran; in particular, the creation of its IRIB.

http://www.iranculture.org/en/nahad/irib.php

Anime Universe?

In Shinobu Price’s article it seems the art form of Japanese animation is ultra-glorified. I agree that anime does play a large part in Japanese expression and it helps to expose the rest of the world to a Japanese mode of thought, but I feel Price overlooks that it truly is just a cartoon to most who view it. It is debatable, of course, but why should anime be taken any more seriously than any other art form that gains international popularity? I do not feel anime is exclusively crossing cultural ideas. What about Japanese music or visual art? All these things are definitely niche commodities to a foreign market. That is another problem I found with the article. I think Price exaggerates the amount of anime that is viewed by American citizens, so it is unfair to say, as Price does, that what we learn about Japanese culture is from anime. I personally do not watch anime at all, but I still have a great appreciation for Japan and its people. In the end, what it comes down to is that Shinobu Price is obviously a devout anime fan that is over analyzing and glorifying its influence on an international level.

Hella Novelas

It is easy to see why Ibsen Martinez would argue that telenovelas are a representation of Latin American culture in a globalizing society. They originated in Cuba, they feature themes that pertain to Latin Americans, and they are giving Latin American actors a global sense of super-fame. I think something that is very over-looked by this article, though, is that the telenovelas pertain to very simple plot structures and rely on cheaply dramatized situations. This is something that is already a global form of entertainment; those looking for an easy thrill. Although telenovelas do have their defining characteristics, it is stretching it to say that they are a artistic achievement and contribution to the global market from the Latin American community. It is not to say that everything that America produces is necessarily artistically flattering, but as a Latin American I would not be proud of the fact that the largest global media contribution that my people have created is telenovelas. Even further, I feel that making a hit out of cheap and cliche plot structures is something that telenovelas have borrowed from American productions. So in the end, it is good that Latino programming is gaining global power, but I hope that it leads to more creative and meaningful contributions than telenovelas.

Canada: A force of it’s own

David Skinner’s article really put into perspective how controlling the American ideology and media can be. Skinner’s article points out the struggle Canada has been enduring to claim it’s own national identity through media content. A national identity that is original and free of Americana. In Canada, there have been several broadcasting acts established to ensure that not too much foreign(American) content leaks into Canadian broadcasting. On top of that, the Canadian broadcasting companies have set specific mandates that target gaining a certain media sovereignty.

I find it odd that even a well established country like Canada has a hard time freeing itself from the over-bearing hold of American media. Of course, we all know Canadians are just North of us, but how is it that our culture feels the need to control yet another territory just because of proximity? It is unfair for Americans to view Canada as just a minor role in character and social identity. That is the exact problem that can occur from too much cultural globalization. Skinner points out that Canada’s media and broadcasting systems are almost completely formed around the idea of not mimicking ours. I find this sad. Even though they have set the goal to establish themselves, it is unfortunate that the process to do so involves so much attention to what we are doing in the United States.

Maybe it is true that Americans and Canadians have many similarities, and it is okay for those similarities to pop up in each others’ media, but the worst thing that can happen is our media starts to change the differences. I’m glad Canada has taken the initiative to declare themselves as an independent voice.

Translating Cartoons

After reading Ferrari’s article it has become apparent to me that American media usage in other countries can become a dangerous concept. Ferrari’s article is innocent enough. The focus is how The Simpsons becomes translated in other countries, particularly Italy, and what changes need to be made to apply to their culture.

At first, this tweeking doesn’t seem like a harmful action, but I think it doesn’t do the The Simpsons justice, nor does it offer the Italian people an accurate representation of themselves. The creators of the Simpsons have had a specific vision in creating the show and that vision specifically applies to American culture. When the cartoon is being changed to fit a different culture it becomes obsolete, and I don’t think that is a fair thing to do to our artists.

Not only that, but I do not feel that the Italian people should be represented by an American cartoon, for that is not fair to them. No matter how much the content of the cartoon is changed, you cannot completely rid it of American ideals that will surely be passed to the Italian audience who watch the Simpsons. I feel that this could potentially lead to national identity crisis. Whether it is the intention or not, this is another subtle way of American ideology slipping its fingers into another countries distinct culture. The link below provides an example of how The Simpsons is portrayed when dubbed in another language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96QKiFstiM4

I do not feel that all international media should be censored from each other. It is just a matter of exporting our media and viewing others in a responsible manner. It is a good thing to be exposed to a a diverse range of cultures, but I hope this modern interconnectivity that our world shares does not lead to a loss of cultural identity for countries with less stable media systems.

Italian Democracy

Hibbert’s article is a clear testament to the power that media can have in current affairs and politics. Berlusconi has used this to its full modern potential. Not only does he own the largest media outlet in Italy, but he crushes any competitor’s, most likely for the political advantage.

This man is fortunate enough to come to power in a time before media usage has been thoroughly understood by the masses. If it were an age where people were educated enough to avoid propaganda from media tyrants Berlusconi would have had a harder time getting elected all three times.

Not only that, but in a more perfect world, Berlusconi would not even be able to grab such a strong hold on Italian media in the first place. BEcause this man has gotten away with brainwashing American citizens and practically destroying the principles of democracy via media regulation and propaganda, it is our duty as citizens of the world to call for responsible media use by its owners.

It would not be farfetched to say that media mogules should not hold high positions in government and that media companies should be largely distributed and subsidized. Hopefully, the future holds a more democratic version of media distributing and programming to prevent people like BErlusconi from running the show.

Mirza Response

Mirza’s article is an attempt to explain this modern phenomenon known as globalization. She does this by exploring the concepts that have arose such as cultural imperialism and media flow between first and third world countries. I found that the article seemed to be neutral and even contradictory at times.

It seems that Mirza first attempts to argue that globalization via media content is overpowering to smaller, less influential countries; that the Western world was attempting to take over the world with a capitalist ideology and make them clones of consumerism. But, often times even in the same paragraph, Mirza contradicts herself with a statement that claims smaller countries are holding strong in their cultural roots and swiftly advancing their media technologies and production.

My response to these contradictions is that Mirza is attempting to explain something in simple terms that is far from simple. The globalization of the world via media is merely a theory that has yet to be entirely tested. We are in the beginning stages of our media technology potentials. Today we see American media practically dominating the global market but it is still unclear of what kind of impact it is having. It is true that other countries are developing their own programs and media systems and that is something to be taken into account. Some will argue that they are just following American models, but this is nothing new. America has been an influence in technology for some time. It is because of this that I find it unfair to say that  Americanization due to media influence is taking hold. I hope what is really happening is that other countries are developing a since of national pride through the use of technology learned from America. Hopefully America is taking some lessons from everyone else as well. Globalization doesn’t have to have a negative connotation is it means respecting and understanding each other.