Masculinity in Media

Malcolm Reynolds in the television show Firefly depicts masculinity as a man who does what is necessary to survive, but lives by a set of morals that he refuses to break no matter the consequences. The show Firefly is basically a western located in outer space, and the characters are fugitives that are hired by various people to do illegal jobs for them. The reason Malcolm has chosen this way of life is because he was apart of the outer planets who were forced to fall under the rule of the inner planets called the Alliance. Rather than side with the people who he had fought against in the war he decides to become an outlaw. This is a pretty simplified explanation of the show but there it is.

In the beginning of the episode you see Malcolm and his crew being hired by a man named Niska, a very unpleasant man with a clear love of torture. Niska hires Malcolm to steal a supply of medicine on an Alliance train, and with Malcolm's history with the Alliance he has no issue with this. The plan runs into a problem in the middle of the heist however, Malcolm and his partner Zoe Washbern are left on the train and they have to try and not get caught. During a conversation with the sheriff of the town they come to find out that the medicine that they stole was for the members of the town. Because the planet had been terraformed to make it possible for human to live on there was as side effect, the planet's ore that is being mined when mixed with oxygen releases a gas which causes degeneration of bones and muscle.

After Malcolm and Zoe are rescued by a fellow crew member he decides that he is going to return the medicine to the people, even though he knows this is essentially signing his death warrant. If you want to see what I mean as well as become a member of the cult classic Firefly here is a link to watch the episode.

Firefly season 1 episode 2 "The Train Job"

Why We Watch Reality TV

 Honey Boo-Boo, Jersey Shore, Survivor, Toddlers in Tiaras, these are just a couple of examples of the rash of horrible reality television shows that have been popping up all over the place. My understanding of reality television shows is that you take something like a competition or an activity that people want to see and you record it. This means that each show tells you something about the viewing audience as well as those participating. For example if you watch American Chopper you more than likely like motor cycles as well as the creative process involved in customizing them. Or if you watch The Most Dangerous Catch you might like watching people perform in dangerous situations. So I ask you what does this tell us about the viewing audience of the horrible shows I mentioned above.

I believe people watch these shows because they focus on what I call the dark side of reality, and by doing so they make you feel better about yourself by solidification your values or making you feel superior. These shows focus on drama and depravity more than anything else, and even though most of the people involved in these shows are looked down upon by the general population, we still idolize them and many wish they could be them. For example the show Toddlers In Tiaras is about a group of children who are in beauty competitions. But a majority of the show is filled with the drama between the over competitive mothers (who as far as I'm concerned are angry that they didn't become professional models so they are living their dream through their children). The viewing audience thrives on this drama for a couple of reasons, the most prevalent of which is the love of competition or the desire to feel that they are better than another person. I know plenty of people who think what these mothers are doing is horrible but they continue to watch the show because it helps prove to them that they are good parents.

These shows seem to have one purpose, to feed our desire to want to be better than someone else. And by finding people we love to hate to fill the roles, they have done just that.