OPPapers.com

Today's Idiot Box

Running Head: ANALYSIS OF GERBNER’S CULTIVATION THEORY

Today’s Idiot Box

Introduction
I would like to nominate late Theorist George Gerbner for the 2006 communication theory award for his work in examining the role television plays in shaping, or ‘cultivating’ viewers’ concept of reality. Television programs have changed drastically since the 20th century and so has the sophistication of it’s’ viewers. Flip to any channel and you’re guaranteed to see just about anything you can imagine. There are shows that reports current events around the globe, televised religious programming, dramas and an array of ‘reality-shows’. One thing that is synonymous among all television programs is the repeated level of violent content that is immersed into television and ultimately our culture. Television can be a powerful influence in developing ones value systems and behavior. This is why I feel that Theorist George Gerbner and cultivation theory are very important in understanding the weight we give television as viewers. This paper will analyze Gerbner’s cultivation theory how it validates the trends we see in television programs today and will discuss how violence depicted in television impacts American society.

Cultivation Theory
As a child I remember sitting on our living room sofa and watching, ‘The Young and The Restless’ with my grandmother. It was our favorite daytime soap and we watched it faithfully everyday. The program tells the story of love loss and gain of the people in the fictional small town of Genoa City. Such a small town couldn’t be more opposite than the mean streets of inner-city Baltimore Maryland, where we lived. However as a young girl I remember hoping the fictional town of Genoa City would be my adult reality. Programs like The Young and The Restless resonates differently for its viewers. As a child viewing this adult drama, I innocently believed that my adult life would be as grand and drama-filled as the people of Genoa City. Fast...