An Analysis & Criticism of the Portrayal of Mass Media

An Analysis & Criticism of the Portrayal of Mass Media Name: Institution: Analyzing and criticizing the mass media myth #9 (‘All that you really need is love, so it does not matter if you and your lover have very different values.’)as portrayed in the movie, Titanic of 1997. Thesis In the movie Titanic, the power of love is portrayed using the mass media myths leaving the audience to believe that these aspects of true love do exist. When the audience watches the movie titanic, they are lead to believe that all one needs is to love and that love will break through all the obstacles they come across in their lives. One of the aspects that resonate through the whole of the movie is the ability of love to bring together two persons of different social class. In the movie the woman is of a higher social class than the American artist and to further aggregate the power of love, this lady is involved with a wealthy man who is obviously in a higher class than the artist who wins the lady off him. This illuminates on the mass media myth 9, which tries to give the impression that all one needs is love to bring downs all the walls of adversaries. It also borrows from the myth number 1, which shows that Jack and Rose were in a way cosmically meant for each other and nothing could ever come between them, as they were inseparable. The fact their first time to have sex was very perfectly timed and natural, anchors onto the 4th myth. This myth, relates to the sexual perfection, which in this case was wonderful and easy, for the two characters. Towards the end as the ship is sinking, Rose does not want to leave without Jack as she feels, he makes her complete. As such she comes back for him to make her dreams come true, with reference to their ideal true love. This movie, Titanic, leaves the audience with imprints in their perception of what true love is supposed to feel like. However this is far from the reality as the ideas the movie brings to the audience are very unreal, such as the perception of the ability to conquer all obstacles as long as there is love. Step 1: Detection (finding /identifying) The entire, Titanic, movie (1997) is the subject of this criticism and analysis. This movie is available on DVD and VHS. Step 2: Description Detailed description The character Jack in the movie the Titanic is acted by the Leonardo di Caprio. In this case he is the lower class American and an artist, who is actually traveling from England and back to his home country, the United States of America. The cast brings his main characteristics as one person who is naturally a charm around women, fully actualized with his inner feelings as well as a strongly modest person. It is during his trip back to his homeland on the ship that he meets this adorable young lady called Rose. This lady character is taken by Kate Winslet, who is brought out as wealthy. She is also involved with a wealthy man, who is also on the ship with her on their way to the United States of America. The rich couple is displayed as having some hard times with their relationship, with the man being very harsh, domineering and controlling in the relationship. Rose is having an emotional breakdown as a result of their relationship and is considering the suicide option out of this relationship that killing her already. It is then that Jack comes into her life, breathing new hope of love and a better accomplished life. She finds him comforting and caring, characters that her husband does not have and is tempted to try her luck at life chances with this new found charming American artist. It is in this trip through the sea that Rose experiences how it feels like to love someone that loves you back and treats her with respect. The love between the two draws the perfect picture of what love ought to be, between two people that care about each other. This is the feeling that Jack makes Rose feel, which are worlds apart from what her fiancée accorded her in their relationship together. After sometime in the new relationship, the parents of the lady and the fiancée are made aware that Rose is onto the artist. It actually comes as a shock to them and they do not approve of the relationship. Rose’s family has a very high bar of standards, which by no means can jack beat. The fact that Jack’s from a poor background, disqualifies him in the first round and they consider him to be from a different level than their daughter. As it was expected the two would break off their relationship, but unknown to the parents and the fiancée, this act of trying to separate them only it makes them stronger. It gives the two more strength to fight for what they believe is true love and that illusion that they were made for each other, which is why they complete each other. They now fight for their love with more zeal than ever before. This is better illustrated by their efforts to survive the ship capsizing, to get a chance to live their ‘happily ever after’. Creator; Creator’s purpose James Cameron is the director of the movie epic movie the Titanic. He tries to bring out the story of love with the perception of what true love should be like. The story is a recreation of a love story that James believes may have developed on the sinking ship back in the year 1912. As such the storyline is a fiction but there is an actual moment in history that ties to it. He therefore tries to bring out the idea using the cultures of the time history, to create the illusion of true love on the audience. Fiction/purpose and the genre The central function is to entertain (epic romance) Step 3: Deconstruction (analyzing) Underlying myths/ stereotypes (primary and secondary) Myth number 9 of the mass media myths, is primarily illustrated in the movie the Titanic, that is (all you need is love, so it does not matter if you and your lover have very different values.) The other myth that comes out clearly in the movie the Titanic is myth number 1, which states that; (Your perfect partner is cosmologically predestined, so nothing/nobody can ultimately separate you). There is also the myth # 4, (if your partner is truly meant for you, sex is easy and wonderful). Myth # 10 is also portrayed in the movie Titanic, (the right mate “completes you”-filling your needs and making your dreams come true). Evidence for Linking Myths / Stereotypes; Specific Examples of Content and Form That Represents Embedded Values The movie brings to the audience the idea that the two main characters, that is, Jack Rose were from very different worlds socially. Jack was from a very poor background and Rose was from a wealthy family and was a fiancée to a wealthy man as well. It is for this reason that the wealthy stay on the upper deck while the poor stay on the lower deck such as Jack. Even the way they dress, the wealthy people on the ship are sophisticated and elegant, while the poor wear cheap clothes. The theme of the movie however, (myth #9) discredits the fact that Rose was wealthy and could all she wanted that money could buy, while Jack was more fulfilled without the money, their love made it possible for them to overcome their differences and the obstacles that they faced while in love. When Rose meets with Jack, she is completely immersed in love and none of these differences matter, as she feels rather comfortable around Jack and his friends in the lower deck. However the parents to Rose are not happy with this, especially the mother and when the two are spotted in the company of each other, they are chased up and down the decks. Ironically during the chases (myth #4) they can still manage to have passionate sex on the ship that seems so perfect for them and the fact that they are in love. Within no time Rose is convinced that a life with Jack would be more fulfilling than that with the current husband and she is willing to leave him for her new found soul mate, Jack. Even when the ship starts sinking and the women and children are put on the life boats, Rose is really worried about Jack and wonders if he will be rescued and whether they will be together ever again. The thought of loosing Jack forever, pushes Rose to run off the boat, risking her dear life to go look for jack. This further show how the two love birds (myth #10) ‘complete’ each other, as Rose feels she would rather die alongside Jack than live a horrible life without the soul mate of her dream...