HOLLA! 9/13/09

In class on Thursday we spoke about realism and the theorist’s opposed to the idea. I guess before Thursday’s class I never really understood exactly what realism was or the fact that we live it everyday when we watch any form of media. After really understanding what realism is I love the idea! I feel realism is there to let individuals escape from their everyday lives into something new. If we didn’t have television, movies, plays, etc I honestly don’t know how I would keep myself entertained. In class we discussed that Lyotard’s definition of realism and his somewhat negative opinion of it. He believes realism “stands somewhere between academicism and kitsch.” It provides “correct” images, narratives, and forms designed as “the appropriate remedy for the anxiety and depression the public experiences” (41). Now I feel this definition is harsh considering I don’t see myself or anyone close to me as depressed and anxious individuals relying on television to heal their sufferings. The only negative point that I could see stemming from realism in media is that of crossing the line. We discussed the television series Murphy Brown and how it seemed to cross line of reality and fiction. I can truly say I see this happening a lot in television, individuals not being able to decipher between what is fictional and what is reality. A good example is the fictional show Gossip Girl and the reality show NYC Prep. NYC Prep is playing off of the show Gossip Girl and its ideas. It is showing viewers that Gossip Girls is real because the kids in NYC Prep are living similar lives. I just feel that TV, cinema, plays, etc need to be there for a little escape from our hectic everyday lives, not there to confuse us as the boundaries of what is real and what is not are crossed.