Postman Part II

AGREE

The notion that advertisers do not sell the qualities of the product or service, but sell how the consumer’s life will be better because of having the product or service is supported by current promotions and can be seen as true when looking through a lens of media literacy.

This statement is supported by the Horn’s advertising in the Bell Telephone romances. “Horn does not express himself. You do not express yourself. Horn expresses you.” (Postman, 135).

The idea is additionally backed up on page 128 of Postman regarding, the commercial being about “the character of the products to be consumed” as well as “the fears, fancies and dreams of those who might buy them.”

The quotations on page 128 tie into other course discussions regarding media playing off of emotional appeal such as fear and fulfillment. These principles were also evident during discussion of exercises relating to analyzing the content television programs and how the media uses certain tools to manipulate the viewer throughout the episode.

DISAGREE

“By endowing things with magic, enchantment is the means through which we may gain access to sacredness. Entertainment is the means through which we distance ourselves from it.” (Postman, 122).

This claim seems far from the truth in the sense that television has become magical. People tune in because the media present an intimate medium with carefully crafted stories of people’s lives. For viewers it is part of something sacred to witness the special moments of others like getting a new house or the birth of a child. These sacred moments are presented as entertainment because they are presented through the format of media. Media are also powerful enough to increase the magic of a moment to fit it to their presentation needs. Viewers are not distanced from sacredness, the sacredness is distorted because it is viewed as a product packaged by media.