Television and American Norms
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- Date Submitted: 11/26/2010 04:21 PM
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Television and American Norms
Introduction.
Television has been around for some time and the impact on Americans and their views of what is considered normal and acceptable has been large. This paper will break down a few different types of television programs and discuss how those programs are affecting the viewers.
Studies will be used to show the past, current and possible future effects and the change in television programing over the years.
There are many different types of television shows but this paper is going to concentrate on four primary types, prime time shows, game shows, reality television shows and news programs. Each of these have the potential to change the way Americans look at the world and what they consider to be normal.
Prime Time Television in America
Prime time programming between the advent of television and current day brings a different perspective to the history of television. In 1939, at the end of the Depression, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) aired the Ethel Walters show. This program was a mixture of musical entertainment. Live shows, much like the Ethel Waters program, were popular during this era so it was only natural that one of the first popular programs would reflect this popularity. The Ethel Waters show contained a mixture of comedy and drama and starred an African-American female.
In 1948, television had drawn enough attention that Harold Lasswell, a communication theorist, posed the question “Who says what to whom through which channels and with what effects?” (Hoyer, 2007, p. 184). Lasswell was questioning who was choosing mass media messages in every forum, not only television, but his question is definitely applicable given the rising popularity of the forum. He suggested a link between messages found in mass media and what affect it had upon the viewer. Using The Ethel Waters Show as an example, it seems as if NBC may have been trying to lift the spirits at the end of a depressed...
Introduction.
Television has been around for some time and the impact on Americans and their views of what is considered normal and acceptable has been large. This paper will break down a few different types of television programs and discuss how those programs are affecting the viewers.
Studies will be used to show the past, current and possible future effects and the change in television programing over the years.
There are many different types of television shows but this paper is going to concentrate on four primary types, prime time shows, game shows, reality television shows and news programs. Each of these have the potential to change the way Americans look at the world and what they consider to be normal.
Prime Time Television in America
Prime time programming between the advent of television and current day brings a different perspective to the history of television. In 1939, at the end of the Depression, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) aired the Ethel Walters show. This program was a mixture of musical entertainment. Live shows, much like the Ethel Waters program, were popular during this era so it was only natural that one of the first popular programs would reflect this popularity. The Ethel Waters show contained a mixture of comedy and drama and starred an African-American female.
In 1948, television had drawn enough attention that Harold Lasswell, a communication theorist, posed the question “Who says what to whom through which channels and with what effects?” (Hoyer, 2007, p. 184). Lasswell was questioning who was choosing mass media messages in every forum, not only television, but his question is definitely applicable given the rising popularity of the forum. He suggested a link between messages found in mass media and what affect it had upon the viewer. Using The Ethel Waters Show as an example, it seems as if NBC may have been trying to lift the spirits at the end of a depressed...