-----Original Message----- From: Rich Rees <reesr at muohio.edu> To: CULTSTUD-L: A listserv devoted to Cultural Studies <cultstud-l at lists.acomp.usf.edu>; Progressive Sociologist Network <PSN at csf.colorado.edu> Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 8:54 AM Subject: Merchants of Cool
>The PBS series FRONTLINE is airing a very good documentary this week
>entitled "Merchants of Cool," on corporate marketing to youth. It
>discusses quite a bit of current media content--Britney Spears, Limp
>Bizkit, Insane Clown Posse, MTV's TRL, pro wrestling, Howard Stern,
>Dawson's Creek, and so on. There's a great section on the figure
>marketed to teen males they call the "mook"--examples are Stern,
>Southpark, the Man Show, MTV's Jackass and Tom Green. The
>counterpart for girls they call the "midriff" and the chief example
>is Britney Spears. The program interviews media critic staple Mark
>Crispin Miller and others and discusses media conglomeration. The
>question the show poses is whether kids have any "authentic" culture
>of their own or whether it's all corporate commodity.
>
>Where I am at, it's on again on Sunday 3/4, 4:00 a.m. and again on
>Tuesday 3/6, 4:00 a.m. Check your local listings. The classroom use
>of this piece could lead to some good discussions I would think.
>
>Frontline/PBS's website on the program is quite good:
>
>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/
>
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>There's a discussion on the site among a group of high school
>students that Frontline had review the program. Here's an excerpt:
>
>Davis: I have a question--for anyone--which is: I do disagree with
>the AOL Time-Warner--the big five. But is it wrong for Time Warner,
>or is it wrong for Viacom to own MTV and to own all of this--is it
>wrong to buy smaller companies out in a capitalistic society?
>
>Adia: No, but it's disgusting. [laughter]
>
>Brian: I think it is wrong. I think that it depends on what their
>motive is. And their motive is not to help anyone. It's to make money
>for themselves. And they talk about, "We give money to charity." They
>want you to know they give money to charity. It's all about making
>money for themselves.
>
>Jonathan: What's wrong with that?
>
>Willis: Well, for better or for worse, that's capitalism. And that's
>the system we have. If we want to switch to socialism, then let's
>become politically active and do that. . . .