Sgt. Pepper, Bourdieu

I really enjoyed Bourdieu's article about the field of journalism and how much it is being affected by postmodernism. And by postmodernism, Bourdieu is primarily referring to television. He begins by discussing why TV "works," or gets the ratings, that newspapers don't these days because it "promotes social conformity and market values." (329). I, personally, do not watch TV because I just cannot find time in my day. I don't see how people do it. What I've noticed since I stopped watching TV, though, is that when I do sit down to watch it, it puts me in a daze. Like Bourdieu explains, there is nothing truly shocking on TV. There is no creativity, and it is no where near an art form. This reminded me of Horkheimer's and Adorno's criticism of film in today's society and its lack of quality. Instead of making a movie or a TV show about a worthwhile topic that is important but could potentially offend some people, movie makers and TV show producers are taking the safer, hegemonic path. And this lack of creativity, these mindless forms of entertainment are all about one thing: profits. Not only are they made to attract a specific (yet general) crowd, but the TV show itself further promotes these hegemonic views which could include a moral stance on abortion or a certain brand of soft drink to buy. What Bourdieu is trying to prove in his article is that since TV promotes a certain way of thinking, it affects every part of one's life often leaving no more room for newspapers. TV shows/news programs also cater to the Casey's "cult of the new" concept since it is on 24 hours/day. In this article, Bourdieu discusses TV as an ever-expanding mass media form and notes the affect it's already had on the newspaper industry. I like how he titles one section of his article "Making Everything Ordinary," because that is exactly what's happening with the same messages being drilled into the millions of heads that watch TV every day. Hopefully as Bourdieu's message is spread, people might start to appreciate a more spontaneous approach to sources of media.