BELIEVING IT OR NOT

The film KILLING US SOFTLY was a very effect eye-opener for everyone who watched it; whether they will agree to Jean Killbourne’s words or not, it certainly told very important messages about some negative effects and role of media that most of us do not easily see for ourselves. Honestly speaking, if I were not able to see the film and clearly understood its messages, I would not be able to have a higher level of awareness to these kinds of problems and issues in the role of media specifically in advertising.

In our group discussion, when relating these issues here in the Philippines, we all agreed that it can somehow be different but not entirely. Jean Killbourne’s speech was mostly about general observations and I observed that most of these problems about definitions and labeling of femininity and masculinity usually were affected by the kind of culture in which the people were raised. For example in US, there is a tendency that because they have a much more liberated set of lifestyle, people will have much more different perspectives when dealing with issues about how women and men were mostly defined and given a role in media like in advertising.

Going back here in the Philippines, it’s not entirely the same but it’s not also entirely different. I think because we have different cultures and traditions which greatly affected how we portray and perceived such images that we see in media. I think in the Philippines, we still have those limitations when giving roles to women and men. Like in women, we still have that sense of being conservative to how we look and how people should see us. Though some may challenge a much extreme image, not all women can easily devote themselves to do the same and treat that as part of our new image. What I am just trying to say is that, when comparing all of the messages that Jean Killbourne said from the film, to the case here in the Philippines, those issues may not be that evident compared to other countries like US.

One of the questions we’ve discussed in our group is about the preferences of various types of media. Most of us preferred TV compared to films or music. I too, prefer television because TV is like a complete set of all the types of programs, shows, videos, genre, etc. In TV, you have more options and can control what you want to see or watch. And I can say TV is one very powerful and influential media compare to others and its already part of daily lifestyle of most people. One thing that made this preferable is because its accessible, it has both image and audio compare to radio, and even if films also have images, audio and special effects, it still much limited compare to TV. Not all people watches films all the time, it depends to what type or genre of film.

Most types of media have their own stereotypes or labeling towards selected themes or images that they portray for their audiences. And these stereotype images or concepts can be very influential especially if the medium is as powerful and accessible as television.

I usually see these stereotypes in programs like the soap operas. One notable example can be in the concept of stepfamilies. We usually see ultimate conflicts and source of drama when the story revolves around a stepmother being very abusive on her stepchildren. It’s a common flow in the story but I’ve watched plenty of programs having this concept and I think this can somehow affect the reality of how people perceive real life stepfamilies or the stepmother-stepdaughter relationship. When it comes to romance or love stories, there is that usual stereotype on girls or women to have the role as the damsel in distress and men always have the much stronger role. I rarely see local programs with women having a dominance and stronger role compare to men.

These are just some example I usually see in television programs. I think the stereotypes we see and its power of influence towards its audiences, like in television, greatly depends on the content of the program. I see more of stereotypes role on dramas and love stories.

When talking about content or genre of program, or films, I personally prefer inspirational type of stories, also, action, adventure and mystery ones. I do not prefer much of dramas or soap operas and even reality shows. I prefer program contents or stories which do not stick to the usual types of stories and stereotypes instead include different types of twist in the story.

All in all, I’ve learned and realized some important lessons from the film Killing Us Softly and also from our group discussion. I find most of Jean Killbourne’s messages very interesting and very relevant for all people, not only those in media. I learned that when it comes to issue like the not-so-good portrayals being seen in media and how it influences its audiences, it means so much to be aware of these ‘public health problems’, as Jean Killbourne called it.

It’s necessary to keep in mind that we should not always believe whatever things or images we see in television or in ads. It can somehow defy how we perceived reality. However, that’s when the media’s reliability and credibility to give good influence should enter and should challenge this very problem.