How Does the Film the Truman Show Tell the Audience About the Influence of the Media?
Essay title: How Does the Film the Truman Show Tell the Audience About the Influence of the Media?
The film uses an imaginary world “Seahaven” to show the audience in the real world how we react to the media. Our emotions are often affected by TV shows, as shown by how the audiences in the Truman show reacted when watching the show. For example, two elderly women were observed to cry and hug each other, this shows that with the simple progression of plot we are even able to be moved to tears, which shows how easy it is for media to influence us. TV shows can also affect the way we behave or do our jobs, as shown by the police turning down a person in need just to follow the progress of the plot of Truman show. The Truman Show also tells the audience that the influence of the media can sometimes help us to create a perfect world to live in and have a positive impact on our lives. This is done by showing Truman leading a lifestyle where everything is decided for him. The film shows Truman holding a job, having a family which is the basic things that an ordinary man would ask for. This were all the creation of the media which may seem to suggest to us, the audience, that the media can also influence us to create a perfect world to live in.
Introduction:
Briefly explain what the film presents about the influence of the media.
The Truman Show has managed to capture the interest of a widespread group of people from all walks of like 24/7. For example, some of the audiences of The Truman Show include security guards, patrons and waitresses at a pub, a man in a bathtub and two elderly women. The man in the bathtub goes to the extent of placing a television set in his bathroom and the two elderly women even fall asleep on the couch while watching the show. Hence, audiences are constantly being exposed to the media and whatever products the media is selling and the messages that they put through. The constant exposure gives the media a round the clock platform to put through the things they are selling and persuade people to buy the products.
The influence of the media is not only all around; it is also invasive—the influence of media affects people’s emotions. In the show, the audience was seen accompanying every moment of Truman’s life, crying and laughing at the various stages of Truman’s life. These reactions were clearly generated by the progression of the plot, as the audience was able to identify with Truman’s situations and was able to feel for him. As such, this goes to show that media has the power to influence the audience down to the depths of their hearts. For example, in the show, two waitresses were seen tearing at the sight of Truman not being able to get out of Seahaven, as they felt he was pitiful and their hearts reached out to him. In a more dramatic example, the man in the bathtub was observed being enraged after he saw Truman choosing to leave the production and refusing to be the star of the soap opera any longer, so much so that he thumped his fists in the water. The media has indeed influenced the audience emotionally.
Another influence that the film tells us that the media has on us is that the media influences our perceptions of things. Since we were young, the media has imposed on us negative and positive thoughts about things in our lives. This is usually done through television programmes and commercials. Even though some of the information presented are not true altogether, the media still presents us such information to, sometimes, manipulate us. This kind of fake information was seen by the “drowning act” played out by Truman’s father. Such a planned event was to influence Truman to be afraid of water so that he would not be able to travel out of Seahaven and the show could continue. In television shows, for example, fire is always seen as destructive destroying houses and killing masses. It is therefore natural for us to be fearful of fire since that was what the media has made us perceive since we were young. However, if the media has not portrayed it in that way, just like if Truman had not seen his father drowning, we may not be afraid of fire and Truman may not be afraid of the water. The film therefore tells us a very important point about the influence of the media, that is, it influences our perceptions of things in life and what we think is good or bad,