Introduction to MC550 Media Portrayals

In the years of early television, a traditional family model was promoted  with shows and commercials featuring conforming behaviors, minor conflicts, and the wise father and mother figures.  Shows such as Little House on the Prairie, The Partridge Family, The Brady Bunch gave positive images and mirrored the traditional image set in early TV.  In the seventies, television took on a different task and experimented with story-lines having conflicting relationships and introduced shows like, All in the Family, The Jefferson's, and Good Times.  The Eighties presented yet another different view on families with soap operas like Dynasty and Dallas.  Later in that decade NBC introduced us to the "Huxtables" with it's highly rated family sitcom, The Cosby Show that gave America an enviable family that changed the way we viewed minority families.   Fast forward to 2011 and it is easy to note that the family is represented very differently from the Fresh Prince of Bel-air, Family Matters, Roseanne, The Simpson's, Home Improvement  and other past family sitcoms.  

 

 

 

This information is essential to note because the media's portrayal of family influences the way we perceive each other.  It tells for some: what the "ideal" family looks like, how husbands and wives interact, how parents discipline their children, and how families resolve conflicts.  Mass media is a vital force in enforcing beliefs and forming view points.  With over 98% of American homes having a television, many see  mass media (especially television) as a main source of values, definitions, social reality, and an exchange of information.  In our blog (Media Portrayals), we intend to look closely into the media's portrayals of families of various economic, ethnic, and social backgrounds.  Our mission is to prove if the images presented are "true to life" or above the expectations of the particular family groups. We will explore if the media's perceptions place additional pressures to achieve what is presented or if they create mediocrity by not applying enough pressure. The Media Portrayals Blog will be very interactive and we encourage everyone to read, become engaged by commenting, and hopefully become enlightened.