I took an interesting course in college called Drama and Mass Media. I don't remember much but I do recall one really fascinating point-of-view expressed by the professor: that ALL media is fueled by commercialism. Thus all for-profit TV programs, radio station programming, magazine content/articles and even children's cartoons (exluding PBS, etc) were created SOLELY to draw in consumers who would then hear/see the advertisements and purchase their product.
As we all know, most advertising is successful when they can cleverly convince consumers by emotional manipulation that they are inferior or insecure or incomplete or unhealthy or unattractive UNLESS they purchase a specific product which in turn will make them happy, worthy, sexy, popular, envied, healthy, content and complete.
Knowing all this, I try to make an effort to teach my little ones to think critically about what they are watching on TV (Will a fourth Dora doll really make you happy???) Because advertisers really don't want you to think too much, they want you to feel first and then make a decision based on feelings (inferiority, etc.) and then buy their item.
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