Chapter 14 Recreation and Leisure in Everyday Life

Overview n Studying Leisure and Recreation In-Class Exercise n Media and Democracy Regulation and Censorship n Media Effects Passive/Active Audiences n Media Industries n Recreation, Leisure and Relationships

Leisure and Recreation n Leisure Freely chosen activities n Recreation Satisfying, amusing, stimulating, refreshing Body, mind or spirit n Characterized by consumption Goods and services for personal use n The serious study of “fun” Important part of everyday life Time and money Related Developments: 1.The decline of public life 2.Formalizing recreation 3.Commercialization n In-Class Exercise “Consumption Quiz”

4 The Media and Democracy n Historical context Limited freedoms  American Revolution n A system of "checks and balances" on power Three branches of government Executive, legislative, judiciary The media as the “Fourth Estate” n 1 st Amendment to U.S. Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

High, Low and Popular Culture n High culture — associated with elites Examples: opera, museums n Popular culture — associated with the masses and consumer goods Examples: hip hop music, TV

6 Media Regulation and Censorship n Concerns about graphic content (sex, drugs, violence) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Government regulations Obscene material is illegal Not protected under 1 st Amendment –Debates over definition Indecent material is legal but limited Restrict sales, decency standards n Threats of censorship  industry self-regulation n Ratings and Warnings Film The Production Code ( s) –Challenged by filmmakers Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings (1968) –Problem enforcing Music Parents’ Music Resource Center (PMRC) (1980s) –Senate hearings = “Parental Advisory” stickers Other Systems Video games TV

MPAA Ratings Rating SymbolText G - General Audiences All ages admitted PG - Parental Guidance Suggested Some material may not be suitable for children PG-13 - Parents Strongly Cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. R - Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. NC-17 - No One 17 And Under Admitted.

Level of rating Violence (V) Language (L) Sexual situations (S) Dialogue (D) Fantasy violence (FV) TV-Y (unused) TV-Y7 (mild) (unused) (Exclusive) TV-G (unused) TV-PG(moderate) (mild) (unused) TV-14 (strong)(moderate) (unused) TV-MA(Extreme) (Strong) (strong) (the D sub rating is unused) (unused) Television Ratings

Video Games

Media Consumption n Theories on effects Influences behavior and shapes society Passive Audiences Magic Bullet (Hypodermic Needle) –Contents enter directly Minimal Effects Uses and Gratifications –Escape, interaction, identity, inform/educate, entertainment Reinforcement Theory –Audience seeks media aligned with their own attitudes Active Audiences –Interpretive strategies used to “read” texts Encoding and Decoding –Ideology embedded in content

Video Presentation:

The Structure of Media Industries n Key segment of U.S. economy Major U.S. export n Conglomeration Media companies become part of larger corporations May have other diverse businesses Profitable for investors Conglomerates: General Electric Sony Seagrams n Concentration Fewer corporations own more media Deregulation  mergers and takeovers Small # dominate market Own vast portfolios Various formats and delivery systems Many subsidiaries under parent company Allows for “synergy” n Examples:

Fan-Celebrity Relations

Recreation, Leisure, and Relationships n Leisure and Community n Collectors and Hobbyists n Hangouts: The Third Place n Travel and Tourism