People complain of the cultural turmoil and upset in the country without realizing that the mainstream media ‐ which nowadays includes almost all broadcast media as well as the digital giants Facebook, Google, and Twitter, and others ‐ are the main determinants of the mood and cultural milieu of the United States. At this point it is inescapable that unless the mainstream media are happy, we cannot, as a society, be happy. While almost nobody fully grasps the profound cultural influence of the media, we all respond to media-fostered agitation when they’re upset ‐ notably when conservative/Republican ideas are in the ascendance ‐ and the relative calm and quiescence when their like-minded, left-leaning Democrats are in charge.
...The subliminal behavioral message is powerful although its underpinnings remain concealed: if you want to experience cultural peace and tranquility, it can ONLY happen when Democrats are in power (concealed in part by a media pattern of portraying the current Republican leader as appalling while occasionally celebrating those of the past, like Reagan and G.H.W. Bush, who, most importantly from the media’s perspective, have quit the arenas of power). An unfortunate element, which bodes ill for the possibility of finding a solution, is that the media seem generally unaware of their prejudices, complicity and cultural power. For the vast majority of them, Trump really is to blame for the cultural upheaval... just as future Republican presidents Riley, Smith or Jones will be to blame for the upheaval during their tenures. You can almost hear the future outcry consistent with their pattern: "And we thought Trump was bad! At least he talked to us. There’s never been anybody as dysfunctional and dangerous as Riley!" |