Consciousness & Media

The idea of consciousness is something I’ve only recently began to think about and discuss with others in the past several years. I feel that there are many paths one can take to learning about consciousness and how it affects the human body and mind. In the first three chapters we read from Whiteley there is a resonating theme of consciousness. She discusses why, although considered a progressive era, the 60’s and 70’s celebration of ‘sexual liberty’ allowed for the objectification of women to continue. Whiteley also discusses several examples of how women were portrayed in different lights through music and media. The idea of consciousness plays an important role in pop culture (the music Whiteley talks about) because in my opinion pop culture acts as a reflection of society as a whole and what our interests are.
Feminism is an active example of consciousness in the process of activism. While not every women who considers herself a feminist agrees with every ‘feminist’ belief, there is still a unifying idea that they are fighting to gain power (whether that be for equality, acceptance, justice, etc.) In Whiteley’s book, she discusses how the ‘progressive’ era of the sixties and seventies still degraded women in an oppressive matter. “…both the lifestyle and the musical ethos of the period undermined the role of women, positioning them as either romanticized fantasy figures, subservient earth mothers or easy lays.” (Whiteley, pg 23) This seems a bit extreme to me, but through her discussion and examples of songs such as Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones it is possible to see how she is able to make those connections. I like the first chapter conclusion and how Whiteley discusses the duality of the progressive sixties movement in comparison to the derogatory messages and ideas spread by male dominated music. “At the time, it provided a ‘commonsense’ notion of the ideological framing of women which was both spontaneous and repressive.” (pg. 29)
Whiteley also talks about Dusty Springfield, a successful female artist that struggled to deal with many of the pressures that accompany popularity within pop culture. Her self-confidence struggled as she constantly had to deal with media bombardments. “The press has also become increasingly curious about her private life, alluding to affairs with both men and women.” (Whiteley, pg 24) Pop stars within the Western world have always been idolized and worshipped, and in my opinion this causes a sense of reality distortion both in the case of the public and the star. By placing these people on pedestals we are defining what a person should look or act like. Not only does this intense focus on the individual create a false perception of that person but it also causes the pop star to undergo a lot of expectational (I couldn’t think of a fitting word) pressure, such as what Dusty Springfield went through.
With the development of technology recently, this sensation of pop star obsession has sky rocketed in popularity. In the 60’s and 70’s the only media available to the public was through radio, newspaper, and limited television (limited compared to today). Now everyone and their little sibling(s) have access to online media, and can therefore keep up with the latest pop sensation. I feel that because of this, popular culture and media cause the continuation of hegemonistic views that support the objectification and idealization of women. Media also attempts to diffuse movements by misrepresentation and false accusations. “With ‘women’s liberation’ constructed by the media as ‘bra-burning radicals’ and misrepresented by so-called progressive men…”(Whiteley, pg 29) This power of the media has been present since the development of printed news, and even before that when religious leaders lead the masses. By acknowledging media’s role in our society we can understand how it affects the consciousness of the public sphere, and in an attempt to help free society (from the shackles of white male dominance) we need to utilize the media itself to shift these ideas.