Framing Class, Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption

Diana Kimball has a chip on her shoulder. While reading her essay I was often questioning whether she understands the idea of entertainment or whether she sees some sort of conspiracy in everything television produces. She was able to find fault in every show she watched. WOW! People become to dependent on television for their view of the world. Since my returning to college I have had little time to watch television. When I do find time to watch television, I am not looking for my opinion. I am looking for a place to be able to avoid life for the hour or so.

Kimball suggests that the motive for media is to bring in money. I do not know if she realizes that she is living in a capitalistic society, but maybe someone should tell her. You show me a news agency that will cater to her type of reporting called civic journalism and I will show you a broke news agency. I believe that her ideals are noble. Should the reporter go beyond the story? I think some agencies have done this, but the segment are short. The news agencies are competing for people and ratings.

I know that by reading her biography that she is well schooled in the media and how it represents social and racial classes. I am also aware that she is a professor. With all this in place I believe that her article missed the point of television. It is for entertainment and not for family values. In one of our earlier essays we read about finding work. Even though this young man wanted his family to live like "Beaver", he did not find his life a total loss when his family would not cooperate. How many families view the news and shows and say, "This is not what I believe!" It seems as though people spend way too much time trying to find some sort of symbolism in everything around us. What ever happened to just entertainment?