Reality Show or Survivor

Television viewing, today, is virtually an universal phenomenon with millions of households tuning in daily to their favorite programs. Indeed, no other communication channel, to date, can claim to have come close to the almost mesmerizing appeal that the medium of television holds. It is, therefore, not surprising that the high appeal of the medium has led to a great deal of debate on the influence it exercises in molding societal and cultural values. Social activists, for instance, believe that the imagery in television programming and commercials leads to the establishing of socially desirable stereotypes and lifestyles, which may be detrimental for population segments that are vulnerable. Such critics contend that television imagery evokes either negative self-imagery or an excessive desire to imitate an ideal, which can then lead to harmful actions such as the use of extreme slimming regimes, substance abuse, or excessive consumption of economically unaffordable goods. The television and advertising industry, along with their defenders, refute this argument by pointing out that the media and entertainment sectors merely mirror society and do not shape it. They further argue that both commercial television programming and advertising, by necessity, rely on their ability to reflect society in order to generate mass appeal. While both sides of the argument, no doubt, has some merit, the nub of the issue really lies in understanding that a democratic society depends on its constituents to exercise their freedom within the confines of a socially responsible conscience. As such, it is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that television and advertising imagery can consciously play a more positive role in molding social and cultural values, without affecting popular appeal.

The first example that comes to mind is that television programming and advertising do not necessarily have to reinforce stereotypical images of culturally different groups. Take, for instance, the repetitive characterization of Arabs as wealthy but arguably, uncultured sheikhs or Italians as gangsters. Such characterization, over time, not only affects the sensitivities of the cultures being stereotyped, it also negatively impacts the self-perception and confidence levels of minority groups, especially adolescents and children (Giordano). As against this, if popular television programs and advertising were to consciously use a culturally diverse setting or cast of characters, it would surely go some way in helping establish respect for diverse cultures and ethnic groups. One advertiser who, in fact, uses such cross-cultural harmony with good effect is Benetton with its "The United Colors of Benetton" theme (Benetton). If a commercial business like Benetton can use its advertising to promote cultural harmony, there is every reason to then believe that mainstream commercial television could do the same with programs such as Friends, for example.