Wildcat Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Re: the media influence on people's views Charlie Brooker is worth looking at. This short example deconstructs the way the news does a report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danot Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 My bold Every time it happens!! Perhaps if we could get into the habit of challenging our own thoughts when they start to get into the rut of following whatever is the current form of hysteria, then we might manage to have a more rational approach to things. Unfortunately, there are an awful lot of people who don't/won't/can't even begin to think for themselves and prefer to parrot whatever they read in the media. Especially if it gives them the chance to take the moral high ground and thus feel better about themselves. Righteous indignation can be a handy excuse for behaving in a way that would, in other circumstances, be totally unacceptable to most reasonable people. Yeah!!.. poeple in general do tend to lean towards popular opinions without actually developing nor questioning their own. The power of media manipulation is a real concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logiebaird Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Well i have to confess that when the match referee challenged me then my first thought were......... that generally speaking arent the exposed paedophiles those who choose to work with kids ? and having identified me as a paedophile spectator was he exhibiting jealousy because i was on his turf ? The paranoia is infectious. Sometimes there is actually a reality which is all it appears to be - no underlying agendas no deviant intentions. If i get grandkids to sleepover at mine and they wish to sleep in my bed then id realise more of a sense of pride than deviance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danot Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Well i have to confess that when the match referee challenged me then my first thought were......... that generally speaking arent the exposed paedophiles those who choose to work with kids ? and having identified me as a paedophile spectator was he exhibiting jealousy because i was on his turf ? The paranoia is infectious. Sometimes there is actually a reality which is all it appears to be - no underlying agendas no deviant intentions. If i get grandkids to sleepover at mine and they wish to sleep in my bed then id realise more of a sense of pride than deviance. I know what you're saying, how doe's it go??......thy protests too much.... summat like that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amaranthus Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Hmmm... this is a very intriguing topic danot. I think to some extent everyone's thoughts and opinions are influenced by others. I know I've been affected by this because some of my views on certain things have been changed by different people, though I think it was more a case of their opinion making a lot of sense to me rather than just agreeing for the sake of it. While I have been influenced in some areas, there are others where I stand firm and no matter how much respect I have for someone or how close I am to them they wouldn't be able to sway me. I guess maybe it's more a case of the people we're surrounded by helping us to find our true self as we go through life. I think the older we get the less we change our mind and the less we can be influenced. Oh and on the Michael Jackson thingy; I always said he was innocent from day one, right up until the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dozy Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Re: the media influence on people's views Charlie Brooker is worth looking at. This short example deconstructs the way the news does a report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4 Yes, I thought that was excellent - and certainly demonstrated how much the media can skew the news. Trouble is, even when you're aware that a lot of what you see/hear is hype, it somehow seems to seep into your sub-conscious. A while back, I was sitting in the Peace Gardens, having a sandwich and ciggie, and was watching a toddler, who was clearly fascinated by the fountains. It was autumn, the child was in hat, anorak, wellies, etc, and I couldn't even tell if it was a girl or boy. Despite the fact that I don't even like children, I was smiling at the way s/he would creep up the fountain - and then run off giggling when the water suddenly shot up. While I watching, it occurred to me that, had I been a middle-aged man watching the child, rather than a woman, there was a distinct possibility that the child's father might think there was something suspicious about my behaviour! A few years ago that thought wouldn't even have crossed my mind! I know that most children who are abused know their abusers, and that children these days are in no more danger from stranger abuse than they were when I was a child, but the media hype still seems to have affected my thought processes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danot Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Hmmm... this is a very intriguing topic danot. I think to some extent everyone's thoughts and opinions are influenced by others. I know I've been affected by this because some of my views on certain things have been changed by different people, though I think it was more a case of their opinion making a lot of sense to me rather than just agreeing for the sake of it. While I have been influenced in some areas, there are others where I stand firm and no matter how much respect I have for someone or how close I am to them they wouldn't be able to sway me. I guess maybe it's more a case of the people we're surrounded by helping us to find our true self as we go through life. I think the older we get the less we change our mind and the less we can be influenced. Oh and on the Michael Jackson thingy; I always said he was innocent from day one, right up until the end. I agree with everything you just said. It seems to be that for obvious reasons the "taboo" subjects are always the hardest to offer a convicted opinion towards. Maybe poeple in general fear how "they" will be percieved if they challenge popular opinion.???????....sounds reasonable!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amaranthus Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I agree with everything you just said. It seems to be that for obvious reasons the "taboo" subjects are always the hardest to offer a convicted opinion towards. Maybe poeple in general fear how "they" will be percieved if they challenge popular opinion.???????....sounds reasonable!! Probably quite a few people like that around. I hate that mob-mentality, that herd-like thinking. At school we called those people sheep . It's important to have an opinion that is truly yours, one that you really believe in. You can change your mind on things as long as you're doing it for the right reason and believe in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danot Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Probably quite a few people like that around. I hate that mob-mentality, that herd-like thinking. At school we called those people sheep . It's important to have an opinion that is truly yours, one that you really believe in. You can change your mind on things as long as you're doing it for the right reason and believe in it. Going back to the MJ thing for a sec. If a male friend of yours were to tell you that himself, his son, and two of his son's friends were going camping for the weekend in a four man tent, I doubt that would warrant a reaction. but!, if the same situation was to take place in the bedroom it suddenly becomes immoral and sordid. It's a very strange yet powerful concept... don't you think??... where do we draw the comparison?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amaranthus Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Going back to the MJ thing for a sec. If a male friend of yours were to tell you that himself, his son, and two of his son's friends were going camping for the weekend in a four man tent, I doubt that would warrant a reaction. but!, if the same situation was to take place in the bedroom it suddenly becomes immoral and sordid. It's a very strange yet powerful concept... don't you think??... where do we draw the comparison?? Every situation is individual and circumstantial. It depends on a lot of different factors and the difference between camping in close quarters in a tent and a couple of dudes sleeping in a bedroom with children can be immense. Having said that it could still be innocent. It depends how old the kids are, where they'll actually be sleeping etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.