In chapters three and four of the nonfiction book, The Culture of Fear (1999), Barry Glassner argues that Americans fear the wrong things such as violent youth and "monster moms" due to media and unreliable experts that stretch the truth and hide the reality. The media has become a major manipulator that turns small issues to major fears to avoid the real problematic issues. Glassner supports his claims by stating the false facts and statistics provided by the media and experts and then countering them with real, believable facts and statistics that falsifies the claims of the media and makes the experts lose their credibility. The author points out that the real issue is gun violence not teen suicide or homicide. “More kids succeed in suicide attempts these days than in the past because more of them-about 60 percent-use guns. The ready availability of guns also accounts for most teen homicides and many fatal accidents, the other two leading causes of death for this age group." Glassner then presents incidents in which Americans start fearing mothers who murder their kids and spouse. The American public fails to realize the real problem which is why the mothers acted in such violence. The causes of the mothers’ monstrous acts of violence were all the brutal violence and the abuse they faced during their lifetime. People also fail to realize that “the most brutal, terrorizing and continuing pattern of harmful intimate violence is carried out primarily by men.” Even though everything that the media puts forth has been proven false over and over again, the American public still relies on the media for updates and continues to fear the wrong things. “Fear mongers do not have to stop performing their hocus-pocus just because their secrets have been revealed.” His purpose is to show how people fear the wrong things in order to convince the audience to focus on the things that are really problematic. Glassner emphasizes the fact that the American people should concentrate on the things that really matter instead of being afraid of small things that the media manipulates.Discussion Questions
1. Why are Americans still afraid of things that the media falsely manipulates even though it has been proven false multiple times?
1. Why are Americans still afraid of things that the media falsely manipulates even though it has been proven false multiple times?
2. What can America do to bring out the reality and tell the public the real problematic issues and how can these issues be solved?
I think America believes what is interesting. If the media tells them this huge story that grabs their attention and the next day they tell the real story that is slightly more boring, which one do you think they'd take heed to?
ReplyDeleteAmericans just believes what is instealed in their heads. When something is being played over and over again in different situations, people start to believe it. People tend to want to have something to belive whether its true or not.
ReplyDeleteBecause like the devil, the media feeds off of fear. When the people are afraid they invest in things that they think will keep them safe, and the companies they buy "safety" from make contribution to the news stations. The more money they make they more they advertise the fear and make it seem worse, despite how many times it's been disproved.
ReplyDelete