this post is sprinkled with fun clips not necessarily referenced in this post
Like many a college student, when I reached the age of reason I had to rebel against, well, everything I could. When I realized the influence of mass media on my ideology, on politics, and especially on American Culture, I felt repulsed by the idea that I was being contaminated by forces larger than me which were driven by money.
Daily Show from Oct. 2007 - Republican Black Issues Debate
This reflected a very narrow view of mass media, and it was not without value or principal, but just as when I wore a mohawk, stopped showering, and stopped wearing deodorant because I had heard it would give me cancer - I was overreacting.
Mohawk Days - circa 2004
What has come with maturity is a discerning eye which I can use to effectively navigate the popular culture I want to participate in. First of all I'm a political junkie, and so finding information that's truly valuable takes work, and also requires the synthesis of many different sources - for fun, I love to watch the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Countdown with Keith Olbermann, but not as news sources. Usually I've already studied for myself everything discussed in their shows, and I consider them all to be entertainment.
An Entry in Stephen Colbert's "Make McCain Interesting Greenscreen Challenge"
Today's media is so fragmented and personalized that we can find the voices we want to speak to us. This cuts both ways in the sense that we endanger our cultural-political perspectives with insulated sources of information. But, it's also amazing to know that We can find hundreds of local and national food bloggers to inspire our kitchen ambitions.
Thank You Dr. Lavery for helping me shake the too-cool-for-school routine and embrace what is beautiful about American Culture.
Visit Dr. Lavery's Blog |- The Laverytory -|
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