NationStates Jolt Archive

Of course, the entertainment industry is logical in and of itself. People want/need to be entertained and the demand for the industry's product generally only increases over time.

To what degree, though, can it be considered as a means of keeping society complacent? Consider any manifestation of entertainment you like. Television, movies, video games, or shopping as entertainment etc.

It's a stretch to perceive these things dubiously because they're consensual occupations that people desire. Perhaps it would help to consider the addictive nature of these forms of entertainment.

I'm especially interested in the role of American entertainment in other societies, particularly any aspirations that result from the exposure. From that, the government's role/response to it without. (Socio-politically, not so much on the economics of it.)

I suppose it depends on how high your conspiracy theory paranoia is running. Sure, the Entertainment Industry could be part of a huge effort to keep the Masses complacent, the old "bread and circuses" routine from Roman times. Manipulating gasoline prices could be part of that, make them high when you don't want the Masses traveling around sharing ideas and all. The security threat level color coding was a nifty idea, too, just the thing for keeping people a little edgy (except that comedians got hold of it and mocked it out of existence).

I suppose it could be said that entertainment is used as social control, given the fact that when people get bored, they tend to do stupid and/or illegal things.

Is all the entertainment industry only a tool of mass-control? I think not. However, some social actors do not hesitate to use it as a means of furthering their ends.

I know for a fact that american war movies that promote patriotism receive funding from their federal government on the form of some subsidies or other. Different industries frequently make use of the entertainment industry in order to boost their market. For example, sports as an entertainment greatly benefit some industries, like the selling of sports-beverages products or protein supplement, etc. By supporting those forms of entertainment, they can create greater demand for their products without even resorting to publicity.

No one's mentioned "Bread and Games" as a means to keep a population complacent yet? What has the world come to. Entertainment as social control is ancient.

Look at our movies. Nine times out of 10, the protagonists ends up falling in love and the whole "happily ever after" horseshit kicks in. If that's not social engineering, I don't know what is. I've even heard it suggested (I doubt that Disney thinks of it this way, but still) that Disney deliberately engineers its children's movies to make kids believe that the only way to be happy is to get married, and arriage eventually leads to children. This is done to ensure that the market is always full of children who will further Disney's profits. It's a little bit of a conspiracy theory, but in what Disney children't film, especially the recent ones, does that not happen? Pocahontas is the only one I can think of, and that's at least based on a true story.

To further clarify my inquiry, I'm more concerned with the use of entertainment for control as in the sense of the bread and games thing or bread and circuses. (I first came across that expression just the other day, but can't remember where, coincidentally. I think it was something influenced by or directly from Marx, but I don't want to be presumptuous, it's just likely that that is the case.)
Either way, the responses so far have made me realize that it should be thought of as a means of affecting behavior either 1) long-term concerned with content (indoctrination) or 2) short-term concerned with distraction. (bread and games).
1) The military spending on films and Disney's propagation of ideals. Both are interesting and appreciated examples. But primarily, I'm concerned with 2)... Well, what comes to mind for me is the notorious mmorpg in China. Apparently a large number, if not a majority of the accounts are registered there. Also, my understanding is that the majority of those are for recreation and aren't professional farmers. Because intellectual property rights aren't enforced on software there, the way to profit from that market is through the subscription aspect of the game. I'm not concerned with the economics, though, just how such forms of entertainment are used like booze and how the necessary legislative processes work. But either way, I'm not concerned with the game. I'm just providing it as a possible example.

I'm looking for trends that demonstrate an intensity of any aspect in regards to entertainment. Specifically: the film and television industries. Examples of an intensified aspect might include their promotion, meaningful diversification, or changes in accessibility.

One obvious route is to look at reality tv. The only connection I can make with that is the growing preeminence of the individual in our society. The recent resurgence of dramatic television serials may be attributed to a subconciously perceived sense of loneliness inherent in reality tv. But that is besides the point. Or is it? Take it and run with it. Maybe explain how sit-coms were once appropriate but no longer are. Heh. I don't know about that.

Yeah, I realize it's conspiratorial and not so much a deserving enemy with which to grapple in the first place. A thought experiment, if anything.