On Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 10:59 AM, Tom Wolper <[email protected]> wrote:
> (SNIP) > I think Hollywood's conception of beauty bears the same resemblance to > beauty that Hollywood's conception of police work bears to police > work. > I don't disagree with most of what Tom wrote before this, but I am not sure this last claim would stand up to the empirical evidence. 1. Hollywood's conception of police work arguably does impact real police work. I have long thought that the LAPD, one of the most arrogant police departments in the country, was in part driven by its attempt to live up to the tough guy image of many traditional TV cops. Ditto the LA DA's Office, which consistently over charges in high profile cases. And of course it is at least possible that there is something like a "CSI Effect" influencing the deliberations of juries. 2. Hollywood's conception of beauty likely has a direct affect on how women and men perceive female beauty, with much of the affect occurring outside of awareness. It is not just that young girls print out pictures of their favorite TV star and try to dress or brush their hair to be like them; it is that these pervasive images powerfully contribute to the common schemas we use to define beauty. We spend money to look like these schemas, and are less satisfied with ourselves and our partners after exposure to these schemas, even when we honestly report (as some have here) that the main exemplars of the schema are not themselves desired partners. The reason for these particular images of beauty then become obvious - they serve the interests of the corporations who use television programs to sell their products. The most dissatisfied we are with our selves and our partners, the more vulnerable we are to the thousand and one notions and potions we are are peddled to increase our satisfaction. Most Americans are too fat (including me); most female actresses are too thin. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
