It all goes back to sex. Speaking from a Freudian perspective this is true. When applied to media, the notion of sex connected to the media is relevant today. Freud spoke of desires and unconscious thoughts as well. When applying Freud to the study of media he makes sense. How media is today goes along with the ideas of Freud.
Freud spoke of desire. Desire for things, phenomena, and appearances. Desire in speech and language. Desire into structures and subject to rules. Desire linked to images. Media which includes advertisements, television programming, movies, and music all show or describe what we want. "Wunsch", Freud's word for the linkage of desire and image is seen here. Image and desire is also seen in jokes, patterns of play, words of expression, and dreams. We understand the workings of desire, unconsciousness and consciousness through these images.
We are also moved by conflict between nature and culture, body and mind, and pleasure and reality. Look at the popularity of reality shows where there is a reward for the conflict of pleasure and reality. First off reality shows are really not reality. They are scripted or have people doing things they would not do in the real world. The reality show "The Real World" is an ironic example. People participate in the show in order to receive a reward which is toward pleasure. In the conflict between body and mind, take the show "Survivor". Where participants go without basic needs of food, cleanliness, clothing, and well established shelter for an extended amount of time. Their bodies must be telling them they need food, a shower, but their mind tells their body to take it in order to win and receive the money.
Freud also discussed the reality principle and pleasure principle. The reality principle is when we feel we must conform to social needs and are driven to social formations. It channels the libido toward objects and aims. Media channels the libido toward what object and aims. Media is part of society which dictates how one is supposed to act and want. The pleasure principle is when we are driven toward pleasure. Media plays on these pleasures. We may see a movie, buy music (or download music), or watch a television show because they display things we may want or a life we want to live.
Media is the id and ego referring to Freud’s structure of the psyche. The ego is pre-consciousness and deals with basic drives. The ego can be seen in the news. The news speaks of what goes on in society. No emphasis on desires just reporting what is going on in the world. The id is unconsciousness and deals with ones wishes. The id can be seen in pornography and programming like MTV. These types of media attract people due to their wishes.
Freud was all about desire and pleasure. Media is all about desire and pleasure. One will not keep watching something or listen to something if they do not enjoy it. Media attracts people due to want they like and want. There has been the idea of subliminal messaging. Subliminal messaging is frowned upon but media has been and will continue to market to ones consciousness and unconsciousness mind.
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