NationStates Jolt Archive


Media Focus - ?

Anti-Social Darwinism
03-05-2008, 08:22
I just got treated to a rant from my daughter: a not uncommon event. But it did raise an interesting (to me) question. In all the furor surrounding the fundamentalist Mormon cult, several "newspeople" (I use the term advisedly) focused in on the clothing and hairstyles of the women. They were not looking at them as symptoms of an oppressive and demeaning view of women, but as if they were actual fashion statements - they were suggesting that mainstream women might actually emulate the "styles" as part of current modern fashion. My daughter suggested, and I agree, that by focusing on something so trivial they were, in essence, underplaying the real dangers of the cult and distracting people from the real issues surrounding them. So, why does the media focus on the trivia and, more importantly, why do people buy into it?
Nobel Hobos
03-05-2008, 08:33
I just got treated to a rant from my daughter: a not uncommon event. But it did raise an interesting (to me) question. In all the furor surrounding the fundamentalist Mormon cult, several "newspeople" (I use the term advisedly) focused in on the clothing and hairstyles of the women.

I haven't noticed that.

They were not looking at them as symptoms of an oppressive and demeaning view of women, but as if they were actual fashion statements - they were suggesting that mainstream women might actually emulate the "styles" as part of current modern fashion.

Got an Youtube link, name of a network, transcript?

I'm sure not going to watch some crappy cable news to find out what you mean ;)
Lacadaemon
03-05-2008, 08:59
Because the whole story is trivial, at least from a national news perspective. Nor am I convinced that the cult is really that dangerous. Doubtless it's a horrible outfit, but it seems to be pretty much confined to a bunch of nutters in texas or wherever, so it's not really headline worthy is it? A bit like that whole lacy peterson nonsense a while back.

Mind you being trivial is sort of the point of TV 'news'.
Ashmoria
03-05-2008, 13:58
those clothes are american burquas. they are fascinating to the media because while the women claim that they choose them, its obvious that since all of them wear the exact same style they are being forced to wear them.

im sure that women in burquas say the same thing.
Intangelon
03-05-2008, 14:09
those clothes are american burquas. they are fascinating to the media because while the women claim that they choose them, its obvious that since all of them wear the exact same style they are being forced to wear them.

im sure that women in burquas say the same thing.

Of course.

Nobody would ever consciously choose to look homogenous, would they? I mean, besides military uniforms, school uniforms, tuxedoes, medical scrubs, fast food uniforms, UPS drivers, the Postal Service, choir robes....

The point is that you have no idea whether or not someone has chosen something to wear or is being forced to wear it. Never underestimate the desire some people have to not make their own decisions. Having the pressure of thinking for yourself on some things taken off of you is a blessing to some people.

I guess all I'm saying is that you can't know what they're thinking, and it's no less arrogant to assume for them than it is frivolous for news agencies to focus on the bas couture of a minor religious sect instead of the facts.

That said, I think they're all full-blown wack-a-loons, but that's me.
Ashmoria
03-05-2008, 14:17
Of course.

Nobody would ever consciously choose to look homogenous, would they? I mean, besides military uniforms, school uniforms, tuxedoes, medical scrubs, fast food uniforms, UPS drivers, the Postal Service, choir robes....

The point is that you have no idea whether or not someone has chosen something to wear or is being forced to wear it. Never underestimate the desire some people have to not make their own decisions. Having the pressure of thinking for yourself on some things taken off of you is a blessing to some people.

I guess all I'm saying is that you can't know what they're thinking, and it's no less arrogant to assume for them than it is frivolous for news agencies to focus on the bas couture of a minor religious sect instead of the facts.

That said, I think they're all full-blown wack-a-loons, but that's me.

you think those uniforms are by choice? do they wear them in off-times? no. why not? because they only wear them because they are required by the activity involved. if they refused to wear them, they would be let go.

same with this group. if a woman decided to wear... a sweatsuit...instead of the dress and hair, she would be let go.
THE LOST PLANET
03-05-2008, 14:37
:rolleyes: The women that are the focus of this attention dress as the customs of their particular little sect and the confines of their experiance allow. They have restrictions set by their faith concerning manner and even color of clothing and length of hair. They also have no outside contact, including exposure to TV or other media. They also escew many modern convienences and most commercial products. Therefore their 'fashion sense' is an island particular to their isolated little world.
Igneria
03-05-2008, 14:38
I just got treated to a rant from my daughter: a not uncommon event. But it did raise an interesting (to me) question. In all the furor surrounding the fundamentalist Mormon cult, several "newspeople" (I use the term advisedly) focused in on the clothing and hairstyles of the women. They were not looking at them as symptoms of an oppressive and demeaning view of women, but as if they were actual fashion statements - they were suggesting that mainstream women might actually emulate the "styles" as part of current modern fashion. My daughter suggested, and I agree, that by focusing on something so trivial they were, in essence, underplaying the real dangers of the cult and distracting people from the real issues surrounding them. So, why does the media focus on the trivia and, more importantly, why do people buy into it?

The average person is not that bright and is unable to focus on serious issues beyond saying "ooo thats bad" and "why do people do that". The media makes more money focusing on the dumb uneducated masses than on the small intellectual minority (there are actually many in the middle, but they can go either way).

Of course.

Nobody would ever consciously choose to look homogenous, would they? I mean, besides military uniforms, school uniforms, tuxedoes, medical scrubs, fast food uniforms, UPS drivers, the Postal Service, choir robes....

The point is that you have no idea whether or not someone has chosen something to wear or is being forced to wear it. Never underestimate the desire some people have to not make their own decisions. Having the pressure of thinking for yourself on some things taken off of you is a blessing to some people.

I guess all I'm saying is that you can't know what they're thinking, and it's no less arrogant to assume for them than it is frivolous for news agencies to focus on the bas couture of a minor religious sect instead of the facts.

That said, I think they're all full-blown wack-a-loons, but that's me.

Exactly, most people (the same ones who don't want serious news issues) don't really want to make their own decisions so much. Thus gives rise to religion, fads, peer pressure, and conservatives. If people wanted to make their own decisions, we'd all be living in a leaderless (as a biproduct of the want to make our own decisions), liberal paradise.

you think those uniforms are by choice? do they wear them in off-times? no. why not? because they only wear them because they are required by the activity involved. if they refused to wear them, they would be let go.

same with this group. if a woman decided to wear... a sweatsuit...instead of the dress and hair, she would be let go.

She would be let out of the site, thats correct. But she made the choice (however misguided it was) to live their in the first place, didn't she?
Muravyets
03-05-2008, 15:44
I just got treated to a rant from my daughter: a not uncommon event. But it did raise an interesting (to me) question. In all the furor surrounding the fundamentalist Mormon cult, several "newspeople" (I use the term advisedly) focused in on the clothing and hairstyles of the women. They were not looking at them as symptoms of an oppressive and demeaning view of women, but as if they were actual fashion statements - they were suggesting that mainstream women might actually emulate the "styles" as part of current modern fashion. My daughter suggested, and I agree, that by focusing on something so trivial they were, in essence, underplaying the real dangers of the cult and distracting people from the real issues surrounding them. So, why does the media focus on the trivia and, more importantly, why do people buy into it?
Because both media and audience are stupid and lazy.

And I also agree with your daughter about the bad effect of this focus on the trivial. I disagree with those who think the FLDS cult are not dangerous. I think they are, at least to their members. I believe they should be opened up to public scrutiny (but then I feel that way about all secretive groups). However, there are also other serious questions in this story -- questions about state authority, religious freedom, and the limits on both, for instance. It just dumbfounds me that anyone who carries a press card would even think to talk about what these women are wearing. I mean, damnation, media-people, grow the fuck up.
Ashmoria
03-05-2008, 15:58
She would be let out of the site, thats correct. But she made the choice (however misguided it was) to live their in the first place, didn't she?

no she didnt. she was born into it. leaving would mean leaving everything and everyone she knows to live in a world that her sect has made sure she is not ready to live in.
Smunkeeville
03-05-2008, 15:58
She would be let out of the site, thats correct.
She would likely be shunned and then killed, look up blood atonement.

But she made the choice (however misguided it was) to live their in the first place, didn't she?
Most of the women did not choose to live there, they were born there, will never leave and will die there, they are passed around like property. Nearly all of the people in that community can be traced back genetically to one of two men who founded the FLDS. It's not uncommon for a woman to be born there and never leave, except to possibly be shifted around from one of the communities to another.