In the recent decade, television has become ‘America’s Pastime'. Thus, the small screen has evolved to become an integral part of American leisure time. I believe that the values that Americans align themselves with are evident in the television they watch. This then manifests in a cultural divide of the television and media that we consume.
The program, Duck Dynasty showcases this phenomenon. This need to watch television that mirrors your personal values is due to the bonds that are made by identifying with that community, as well as the need to be represented.This is especially crucial for marginalized groups who feel as though they are often misconstrued or stereotyped negatively by popular culture.
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| https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/26/upshot/duck-dynasty-vs-modern-family-television-maps.html |
For Duck Dynasty the largest audience is centralized in rural areas and the south. Duck Dynasty is an American reality tv show on A&E, that portrays the life of the Robertson’s, a Louisiana family who became well known for their duck hunter products. The show is famous not only for its christian values and for its capitalistic undertones. These undertones are reminiscent with what Arlie Russell Hochschild (in Strangers In Their Own Land), would call the ‘deep story’ and is crucial to understanding why viewership is so concentrated in these areas.
In Strangers In Their Own Land, Hochschild talks about how a sense of community can create solidarity for people “that also felt culturally marginalized: their views about abortion, gay marriage, gender roles, race, guns, and the Confederate flag all were held up to ridicule in the national media as backward. And they felt a demographic decline; ‘there are fewer and fewer white Christians like us’ (Hochschild 221). The people of the deep south are often portrayed as ‘hicks’ or backwards thinking by mainstream media and in this sense they are marginalized. Hochschild illustrates how their shared sense of feeling betrayed by the direction in which this country is heading, is where they found common ground. This commonality often connects people and builds community. One aspect of community traditionally is the fact that it is built around common interests, which can then shown in feelings of loyalty and identity. Communities also create a very us v.s. them mentality which can help people differentiate between groups. This community of course does not necessarily manifest itself physically but rather is a network of fans of the franchise that can span a much larger range.
Watching Duck Dynasty is an affirmation to these deep southerners that their values are valid and possible to pair with success. The Robertson’s are a perfect example of an American dream story, they rose from poverty while enforcing Christian and ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ values. Which they are very upfront about, you can find a blog for their viewpoints on family, faith, and duck hunting on their website Duck Commander. They are a representation of the character that their viewers aspire to achieve. Therefore they attract viewers who want to feel empowered by their story.
According to the New York Times, “The correlation between fandom and the percentage of people who voted for Mr. Trump was higher for “Duck Dynasty” than it was for any other show.” The people who voted for Trump were rural white conservative males much like a large percentage of the viewers of Duck Dynasty. If you look at the maps side by side (by county) they are almost mirror images. Donald Trump was another rallying point for this 'silent majority'. Hochschild also mentions this saying about the previous administration, “a president that allies with the line cutters, making you feel distrustful, betrayed” (Hochschild 222). Trump, unlike Barack Obama or his opponent Hillary Clinton, was able to find common ground with his platform of traditional Christian and American values. This ability to connect with people based on roots or deep story is essential to gaining a following. It’s why certain reality television shows are concentrated in areas of the country.
This could theory that the television a viewer chooses to watch intersects with both values and interests can be backed by a new study done by marketing experts Ronald Frank and Marshall Greenberg who cite that age, gender, and race are motivations as well. They divide people into categories based on those parameters as well as the activities they engage in at their leisure.They cite from their research that older males watch programs about nature, business, and the news. All with a focus on traditional American values.
Overall I think people like to consume media in general that aligns with their interests and hobbies.You feel validated by others and it builds solidarity among individuals that feel as though their viewpoints have been marginalized or pushed aside. This sense of community is important.
Overall I think people like to consume media in general that aligns with their interests and hobbies.You feel validated by others and it builds solidarity among individuals that feel as though their viewpoints have been marginalized or pushed aside. This sense of community is important.
I agree with your argument that people tend to consume media that aligns with their interests and values. Looking at Duck Dynasty as an example of this a very clear way of demonstrating this idea. I agree that community plays a big role in reinforcing values and opinions as well. This also made me consider the development of social media and television as having highly customizable user experience, I think that customizability has made the echo chamber of people's own ideas and values is more amplified than ever. If I don’t want to hear opinions from conservatives in my Facebook feed, I don’t have to. I can opt out of hearing the other side. For better or for worse, this is the world we are living in.
ReplyDeleteYour argument is valid and I think it is evident in other types of TV shows as well. I know people tend to want their own race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc represented on the shows they watch; I read Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist and she talked about how black people are more likely to watch shows where they see a majority of people who are also black. Being a white person myself, this isn't something I would have noticed otherwise, because I am represented almost by default. It's also interesting how shows like Ellen have helped to socially normalize homosexuality, since people get the impression from the media that everyone else is accepting it. People want to fit in, so adopt the perceived values of their social group.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed what you had to say and agreed with your argument. I also feel that this phenomena could work to bring a community together in that while individual's watch certain shows that reflect their values, they also watch these shows to further unite themselves with like minded individuals. If a traditionally conservative person enjoyed more liberal media, they could risk isolation from their community for having different interests. Rather than drive a wedge into their social community, they watch the shows that their friends watch to maintain a sense of unity.
ReplyDeleteReally intresting post and I agree with the points you make about people wanting to see themselves represented in the media in a positive light. However as someone who has watched Duck Dynasty but doesn't agree with their political standings I offer a reverse side. People watch this show to laugh at these people, making fun of he way they live their lives and how recklessly they spend their money.
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