Lecture Notes: Impact of Media Representation and Popular Culture

Introduction

• Speaker's background: Doctoral student at Syracuse University.
• Influential documentary: Jean Kilbourne's "Killing Us Softly," focusing on representation of women in advertising over four decades.
• Impact: Changed speaker's dissertation topic and teaching philosophy.

Teaching Principles of Marketing at Emerson College

• Challenge: Students aspiring to enter advertising and marketing.
• Dilemma: Whether to share critical perspectives on advertising with students.
• Initial approach: Showed "Killing Us Softly" to students, facilitating a discussion.

Student Reactions and Discussion

• Student realizations:
  • "Sex sells" concept more deeply understood.
  • Perception that ads shown might be worst-case scenarios.
  • Personal reflection on self-criticism among peers.
• Discussion on time spent on self-criticism and potential alternative uses.

Advanced Classes and Research

• Application of documentary insights in advanced courses.
• Dissertation focus: How pop stars are created and popularized.
• Developed "Life Cycle of Popular Music Stars":
  • 12 archetypes for female pop stars.
  • Examples: Good Girl, Temptress, Diva, Hot Mess, Provocator.
• Challenges for female pop stars: Constant brand evolution and instability.

Teaching Critical Media Analysis

• Upper-level classes: Discuss objectification theory, self-objectification, the male gaze, encoding and decoding.
• Engagement strategy: Use popular figures like Beyonce to discuss themes.
• Discussion outcomes: Analyzing representation, forms of power, and societal impacts.

Importance of Teaching Popular Culture

• Allows authentic conversations on real issues.
• Encourages critical analysis of media messages among students.
• Example of Kopy Jones, young female band challenging sexist norms and gaining media coverage.

Conclusion

• Teaching popular culture can empower students to critically engage with media and societal expectations.
• Encourages students to develop skills and challenge restrictive narratives about identity and capability.

Key Takeaways

• Media representation has a profound impact on societal norms and individual self-perception.
• Educators can use popular culture as a tool to facilitate critical thinking and discussion.
• Real-world examples can be powerful in illustrating media's influence and challenging norms.