MTV

Starting in 1981, MTV (Music Television) was the first to explore and introduce viewers to what are now seen as staples of popular culture. Events such as LiveAid, the merging of popular music and corporate sponsorship, “unplugged” acoustic performances, and reality programming began to emerge on the TV screen. To this day, MTV continues to be a powerful cultural force; impacting popular music, visual style, and culture. (Jones, 2005, pg. 83). MTV became a phenomenon in the US during the 1980s, and soon became recognized by scholars as a cultural formation available to “those seeking to use theoretical tools with which to construct understandings of music, image, and popular culture “(Jones, 2005, pg. 84).

With the success of MTV within the US during the 80’s, the expansions of MTV programs and networks throughout the world soon began to emerge in the 90’s. MTV France, MTV Canada, MTV Brazil, MTV China, MTV India, MTV Russia, MTV Shout East Asia, and MTV Nordic are just a few of the expanded networks around the globe (Jones, 2005, pg. 84). In order for these markets to succeed, MTV goes by the mantra “Think globally, act locally” (Asia, year, pg. 234). This means that they (MTV) reposition themselves and their products (such as TV shows for example) into a different content that it had originally been in the US, in order for young viewers to relate and identify more with the characters. For example, British children’s and youth drama have its roots in social realism, as well visual style and storytelling of British drama soap operas. Whereas US teen TV has ties to “quality television”.  (Woods, 2013, pg. 3-4). Modification of the plot line in a TV show order to receive better views and higher levels of identification from teen viewers in the area can be seen by the difference in the US and UK version of the MTV show Skins.

But this act of creating and modifying shows is being contested. In (author) article he/she states that

“(MTV) producers rarely make accommodations to the local cultures of the region where these shows are viewed, and the shows may not even be translated into other languages. MTVs regional adaptation efforts seen substation in comparison to the nature of other Western programming exports that have little, if any, modification for their international audiences” (Crabtree & Malhotra, 2003, pg. 233).

They (Crabtree & Malhotra) also note that though the content may be modified depending on the location of the show language, the number of songs from the area that are displayed compared to that from the US, the ethnicity of the VJs, and the origin and content of the program are still geared and centered towards the Western world. They note in their study that a total of 9.2% of all MTV Asia programing hours are localized and adapted aired hours per week.  (Crabtree & Malhotra, 2003, pg. 234). By re-organizing MTV’s programming, such as music and videos, in order to provide local hooks into global culture the network is able to coopt the local imagination of its place within the global brand that can be marketed, and used for marketing. Type of music programmed, indeed irrespective of music videos (Jones, 2005, pg. 86).

The impact and message(s) that MTV and its shows (both globally as well as locally), have created have become an issue of debate as well.

“MTV, specifically represents interests of big business and capitalism far more than its cutting edge, adventurous image leads viewers to believe Viewers buy into the hegemony of the MTV culture, because MTV promotes consumerist and capitalistic ideologies under the guise of something that viewers find more appealing” Crabtree & Malhotra, 2003, pg. 233)

It is this message and recognition that MTV makes towards seeing young viewers as consumers that allows, as Jones says, for television to be creating not a global village but a “global mall in a world united by satellite technology, teenagers the world over share many consumer attitudes because they watch many of the same TV shows and commercials” (Jones, 2005, pg.  85). With the help of MTV, Western lifestyles and its culture(s) are globally popularized. Frith argues that there is a significant role in this development of globalized music and culture by MTV throughout the world. Youth culture differentiates by socio-economic class through an “ideology of consumerism, a global language of English, education, fashion, and music.” (Crabtree & Malhotra, 2003, pg. 238). By modifying its content around the globe (no matter what its extent is), MTV is creating a new form of youth that identify themselves all as consumers in the global marketplace.

 

 

References

Media Hegemony and the Commercialization of Television in India: Implications to Social Class

and Development Communication. In. Crabtree, R., & Malhotra, S. (Ed.). The Globalization of Corporate Media Hegemony.

Jones, S. (2005). MTV: The Medium was the Message. Critical Studies in Media  

Communication, 22 (1), 83-88.

Woods, Faye. (2013). Teen TV meets T4: assimilating the O.C. into British youth television.   

Critical Studies in Television. Manchester University Press. http://www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?id=16

 

 

 

 

McDonaldization

The concept of McDonaldization is the process of rationalization; taking tasks and breaking it down into smaller tasks. Based off of the Ford model, McDonalds repeats tasks until they have been broken down to the smallest level possible to create the highest level of efficiency (Rogue Valley Group, 2009, para. 1). 

            George Ritzer explains that there are four main dimensions to McDonaldization. They are: Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, and Control.  Efficiency allows for the best and fastest route possible, such as breaking up tasks. Predictability allows for the same result, no matter where you are (place to another place) to be the same every time. Calculability allows for an emphasis of quantity rather than quality. And Control is taking human skills and making them non-human; creating a dependency towards electronics and its use. (“McDonaldization Theory of George Ritzer”, 2007).

With this process McDonalds has become the dominant popular culture within the world due to globalization in our postmodern, post socialists, and postindustrial world. McDonaldization is essentially “a phenomenon of modernization, part and parcel of the mass society with its frenzied pace and standardized consumption and production” (Douglas, n.d., para. 3)

There is a reason for why a new McDonalds opens somewhere in the world every three hours. It (McDonalds) is more than just food, it is a cultural imperialism.  The “Mc” prefix and the ubiquitous Golden arches are recognized and imitated throughout the world. McDonalds has become a saturated symbol, laden with contradictory associations and meaning that the company stands for something greater than the sum or its parts. It is a cultural message that goes out across the world to capture and also to undermine other societies. (Watson, 2006, p. 1-2).

            Regardless of where you are, each McDonald’s product is generally the same. One, while abroad, might even feel like they are “at home” while at McDonalds overseas. This is primarily due to predictability and calculability (allowing for each store to thrive and to be able to serve large sums of people). The relationship customers have with McDonalds, both with the food itself and the environment of the store, are important to look at. “When travelling, seeking food or shelter in unfamiliar environments, or utilizing machines and products, one often wants rationalized and predictable forms of goods and services, while other times one goes for the more novel and unpredictable experience.” (Douglas, n.d., para. 44) .Why is it that so many people around the word have the same or similar sentiments of positivity towards the chain restaurant? Watson says that the Golden Arches symbolizes different things to different people at different times in their lives. Predictability, safety, convenience, fun, familiarly, sanctuary and “connectedness” to the world beyond are just several common sentiments one might feel while being at a McDonald’s restaurant (Watson, 2006, p. 38). It is this act of “connectedness” or perceived “sameness” of world cultures that is an illusion, a mirage that makes a vast panoply of local response to globalization. (Watson, 2006, p. 197)Because of this act of connectedness and want of McDonalds to become a part of the local scene, it is no longer possible to distinguish what is “local” and what is “foreign”. Watson says that McDonald’s is the one who “carries the baggage of globalization”. “Who is to say that Mikey Mouse is not Japanese or that Ronald McDonald is not Chinese?” (Watson, 2006 p. 10).

Due to McDonald’s success, other companies and businesses have applied Ritzer’s concept of McDonaldization (Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, and Control) to mass produce their items around the globe. This has caused a higher dependency of electronics from humans due to McDonalization’s corporate Ford-ist methods. Our society has become modified in order to fit and accommodate towards the demands, needs, and wants of the Mcdonalized society. We want things that are reliable, predictable, efficient, and fast. Principals such as exercise, education, and even church services (which now appear on the television) have become “Mcdonalized” and easier to use than ever (“McDonaldization Theory of George Ritzer”, 2007). And because of this demand and boom, other strategies and tactics have become a thing of the past within the past 50 years, and will continue on so due to this trend.  “McDonaldization is part of a new global form of technocapitalism in which world markets are being rationalized and reorganized to maximize capital accumulation” (Douglas, n.d., para. 9). In order to combat this push towards hegemony with the phenomenon of McDonaldization one must keep a distinction between local and global culture(s). It is not bad to have similarities with a group or person, rather it is important to embrace one’s differences as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Kellner, Douglas. (n.d.). Illuminations. Theorizing/Resisting McDonaldization: A

          Multiperspectivist Approach. 1-1. Retrieved from http://www.uta.edu/huma/

          Illuminations/kell30.htm

          Article, Online Only

McDonaldization Theory of George Ritzer. (20007). [Youtube video]. Retrieved from

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdy1AgO6Fp4

          Film, Videotape, or DVD

Rogue Valley Group. (2009). McDonaldization. Retrieved from

http://mcdonaldization.com.

Website

Watson, James. (Ed.). (2006) Golden Arches East: McDonald’s In East Asia.  

      Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

      Book, Edited