Mass Media Functional Duty Julian Tiburcio SOC 211
Storyboard Text
- The 2022 Oscars was an example of mass media displaying the functional duty of being a resource for public reflection. The award show brought people together to criticize celebrities who attended the event and reflect on their actions.
- One popular topic of debate was whether it was appropriate for Chris Rock to make a joke about Jada Smith’s hair at her expense. Many saw this as inappropriate, but others didn't see a problem with it.
- Another point of criticism was whether Will Smith’s reaction was appropriate or even warranted, as it involved yelling and physical violence on-stage. Some people thought he was right for defending his wife, but others thought that he handled the situation poorly.
- This example served as a resource for public reflection because of the celebrity status of the people involved. The status of the people involved as well as the general publicity around the award show meant the most people were aware of what happened. Grazian also says that regular people assign “all sorts of extreme attributes” to celebrities that give them an excuse to “pass moral judgement with ease (pg. 34, 36). These factors made the incident acceptable to discuss in the first place.
- Regular people were also able to use this example to talk about topics like violence, insensitivity, formality, and other topics that are relevant in social life. This led people to question and establish social norms and behaviors, while making these concepts easier to understand and less out of place to discuss. Talking about and establishing these ideas is important for society to function well.
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