As watchers, we are hyperaware of messaging in media. We are so aware that the message affects us directly, and can cause us physical and mental harm.
Last night I watched the AFL. A live broadcast, on two different channels, each with different commentators and half-time analysis. There can’t be a message, right? That’s where you’re wrong.
The message is ‘pay attention’. The Fox Sports broadcast had a different take to the freeview channel, which was ‘focus on the details’. Its production quality was better as well, with minimal ads.
Now, I had one glass of mead at the time, and once I’d finished that glass, things went weird. I was hypnotised, unable to move at certain moments, and my telepathy speech slurred. But I got through the game.
Some of us see flashes of images on screen–watchers see at a higher framerate than humans, and so it’s easier to see the visual messages. There were words that said ‘this is a distraction’ and pictures of Yoda, to remind us of his most famous quote.
Earlier, I’d read the second volume of Speed Racer (an absolute essential in my eyes). It took some time to figure it out in plain English, but the message was ‘watch out for propaganda (messages)’. And so that turned my whole perception around. A lot of messages in the most celebrated Australian shows is propaganda. Home & Away is ‘you’ll never be this good’, and it’s obvious in its self-one-upmanship. A single message will have what’s called episodes, and one of the episodes within Home & Away is ‘you’re going to hell’.
Better Homes and Gardens, one of my favourite TV shows, has the message ‘people are starving in other countries, so you might as well not eat’. If you saw the episodes, you’d see that the message was in good faith, but in extremely poor execution.
The best one I’ve seen is a show called Upright, where the message is ‘the crown chakra has three points’. That is, one at the top of the head, and one for each ear. At the time I had migraines, and I didn’t take it on. But now a second season is being brought out, and there’s no way I’m watching it. But this is not propaganda–this is a theory that works for some, but not all.
I found that after reading Speed Racer, I’ve been more receptive to messages. Hopefully this continues.
Invader Stim Homerpants 