The Mass Culture Critique and Perezhilton.Com - 1904 Words

The past two years has seen the media landscape undergo significant developments. New technology, such as the Internet, has fuelled the emergence of new media forms and schisms within the media industry. Mario Armando Lavandeira’s Hollywood celebrity gossip website, PerezHilton.com, exploits a new brand of journalism – blogging. There are innumerable media theories which could be used to analyse such a specific example of the media. This essay will explore Mass Culture Critique and its critical relation to PerezHilton.com by investigating mass communication concepts such as hegemony, aesthetic levels, economic motivation, and passive consumers. Mass society theory emerged in the late nineteenth century when the invention of the†¦show more content†¦The Independent (2007) reports that Lavandeira has never been motivated by money, he just wants as many people as possible to read the website. Lavandeira has admitted his desire to become a celebrity himself, and along with others in the media industry, he seeks respect and esteem, especially from A-list celebrities. There are, however, concerns about his gargantuan popularity. PerezHilton.com is reported to attract between two to eight million viewers per day, raising questions to whether this mass blog will eventually â€Å"sell-out† to desperately eager advertising companies. â€Å"The mass media are dominated – or too much influenced – by advertisers.† It is true that Lavandeira relies on advertising and sponsorship to maintain his site as it defrays numerous copyright infringement lawsuits; however, he continues to write his blogs without altering the content or making it subservient to the site’s advertising. Due to his infamous popularity, advertisers need PerezHilton.com as much as it needs them. If anything, Lavandeira uses the blog to advertise himself and his perspective of particular celebrities. â€Å"The mass media do not provide an adequate forum for minority views – the dissident and unorthodox.† Conversely, mass media, and the Internet inShow MoreRelatedThe Mass Culture Critique And Perezhilton.Com Essay1851 Words   |  8 PagesArmando Lavandeira’s Hollywood celebrity gossip website, PerezHilton.com, exploits a new brand of journalism – blogging. There are innumerable media theories which could be used to analyse such a specific example of the media. This essay will explore Mass Culture Critique and its critical relation to PerezHilton.com by investigating mass communication concepts such as hegemony, aesthetic levels, economic motivation, and passive consumers. Mass society theory emerged in the late nineteenth centuryRead MoreImportance of Blogs and Online Journalism1853 Words   |  8 Pagesbelieved that the future of journalism will be digital and include a greater number of independent journalists (Gasher, Skinner, Lorimer, 2012). While it is believed that this will lead to more journalistic independence, the movement also has its critiques. It is thought, for example, that journalists will struggle to keep up with the high speeds of new media, confining them to their desks and preventing story development (Gasher, Skinner, Lorimer, 2012). This instantaneous movement of informationRead MoreHow the ‘Culture Industry’ had Profound Social Impacts in Society2017 Words   |  9 Pagesphilosophers developed the ‘Culture Industry Theory’ in the 1940s, in light of the disturbed society they had seen during this time. They witnessed how Nazi Fascism used mass media such as films, radio and newspapers to brainwash millions into partaking in this ideology. Similarly they saw the rise of Capitalism in America, which also used mass media such as Hollywood films and advertising to disseminate the masses into the capitalist Ideology. This essay will evaluate how the ‘culture industry’ had profoundRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 PagesEthics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology e. Genetic modification f. Right tech for wrong reasons 3. Arts/Culture a. Arts have a future in Singapore? b. Why pursue Arts? c. Arts and technology d. Uniquely Singapore: Culture 4. Environment a. Developed vs. Developing b. Should environment be saved at all costs c. Are we doing enough to save the environment? d. Main reasons for environmental problems