The art movement of Modernism was inspired by the changing and evolving world, which influenced the works of Matisse and Cèzanne. The movement of Postmodernism was influenced by anything that opposed modernism thus evolving many cultural aspects such as the architecture, literature and music within that time. So what "art" do I believe is influential to me and to this generation?
Reality Television.
Now, Post modernists would refer to this as "low" culture and its probably controversial to label it as a form of art, but thanks to Globalisation and the ability to screen these shows globally, we are able to easily gain insight into these other "cultures" and see how other people from all parts of the world live.
A study on the uses and gratifications of Reality TV shows surveyed dedicated viewers of this tv genre to discover as to why reality tv has "dominated mainstream television programming" (Gardyn, 2001). The study revealed that the motives for watching reality tv were for "habitual pastime " (Mendelson et.al 2007). I myself can watch hours of reality tv a week including shows such as Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Geordie Shore and The Only Way is Essex. Most of the time it is mindless rubbish and I question as to why I am watching it however, at the same time it is incredibly addictive. I find that this culture that is reality tv fascinating and how feeling of being watched is so innate to the cast members of the show they can go on with their lives without giving the cameras a second thought.
Not all reality television shows involve a cameraman following minor celebrities around all day. When SBS brought out the series "Go Back To Where You Came From" it placed six Australians on a confronting journey to give them and the viewers at home a taste of what life is like for refugees and asylum seekers. It not only raised awareness for the issue but it influenced and challenged many peoples opinions on it, including myself. Without that show I wouldn't have known the lengths of the plight of refugees. Although Globalisation is rapidly evolving it shows that it hasn't made it way to several cultures.
I recognise that the cast of reality tv shows can not be representative of an entire culture, despite it being easy to stereotype and gain the impression that thats how everyone who lives in America or the UK can act, therefore when viewing certain shows that has to be taken into consideration. However, you still feel like you are gaining insight into how others from around the world live and how the behaviours that resonate from these shows can influence others from other cultures too. It will be interesting to see what the next batch of reality shows give us.
References:
MoMA | Painting Modern Life. 2013. MoMA | Painting Modern Life.
Available at:http://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/what-is-modern-art/painting-modern-life. [Accessed 02 August 2013].
Postmodernism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2013. Postmodernism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism#Influence_on_art. [Accessed 02 August 2013].
Papacharissi, Z, Mendleson, A, 2007. "An Exploratory Study of Reality Appeal: Uses and Gratifications of Reality TV Shows", Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Vol.51, p355-370.
S, Srivastava, B, Warren, C, Moore . 2013. Globalisation and its Precursors . https://d2l.deakin.edu.au/d2l/le/content/143750/viewContent/1942038/View
Photo References:
'Keeping up with the Kardashians' Season 6 Promotional Photoshoot Fanpop fanclubs. 2013. Available at:http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/kim-kardashian/images/22538578/title/keeping-up-with-kardashians-season-6-promotional-photoshoot-photo. [Accessed 02 August 2013].
Available at:http://www.stillpointmusic.com/film/john-gray-composer-film.html. [Accessed 02 August 2013]
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Hi Emma,
ReplyDeleteI really loved your post this week! I love reality television and don't know why..? On keep up with the Kardashians you don't learn anything, they hardly ever do anything really exciting, but yet every week I will tune in and see what they are doing. I does make me think and how much has changed. People used to go watch plays like Shakespeare that actually had meaning, compared to some of the random stuff on television today. I really like how you have used a comparison of go back to where you came from, it has really help provide more emphasis for your argument. Thanks you for an interesting post.
Emma, before reading this I didn't particularly think of Reality Television to be considered a form of art. However you explained it really well in terms of how it is related to globalisation. I too watch Reality Television, and like you sometimes i question why I ever chose to watch intoxicated people making irresponsible mistakes...consistently. However you answered the question perfectly. We really do get an insight of the cultures that certain Reality shows have. It tells us how a certain place in the world and how it differentiates to ours. I think thats what keeps us wanting to watch more, knowing what differentiates us to them is new and exciting to us. I enjoyed reading this.
ReplyDeleteHi Emma,
ReplyDeleteWe have both written on the same thing, reality tv and I love how diverse we have both written our pieces. It's always good to see what I missed out on touching base with and I believe you have gone into a lot more depth with theory and definitions than I have. Your opinions have also helped me form mine. I wish I had read yours before i wrote mine because I think i would have changed it! Well done really interesting to read!
Hi Emma,
ReplyDeleteAlong with the comments above, thoroughly enjoyed your piece. Why we all still continue to watch this mindless television is beyond me, yet we keep coming back for one reason or another.. Through globalisation this new trend of reality television is more popular than ever, and as you said I also agree how fascinating it is, that the fact of a camera following you around 24/7 seems now to be second nature to the cast.
Thanks
Hi Emma,
ReplyDeleteThis post is extremely unique, call me naive but I would never have considered reality TV as an art form. Your wide use of sources is great.
I too watch reality television, and sometimes sit there for hours on end only to think as I'm walking away, how I did not gain anything from it!
I agree that it is controversial to label this as a post-modern form of art, but it just proves how widespread and versatile art can be!
Thanks for a great read!