The Truman Show - Conclusion

The media is a pervasive and powerful tool that is carefully crafted to create an emotional experience in its viewers that seems to depict reality but in fact is not. The media is everywhere, from the age-old radio and television, to the internet, billboards, large posters at bus stops and even on trains and taxis. Due to the advancements in technology and globalisation, the media has undeniably become part of our lives. It not only influences our actions and thoughts, but also our cultures, values and way of life.

The media defines the current “in thing”. It creates trends that people follow in order to be cool, as people tend to “go with the flow” and not be “left in the dust” as social outcasts. MacDonald’s and Nike, for example, are brand names that are recognised worldwide due to these corporations investing heavily in marketing campaigns and advertisements. As such Nike’s Swoosh and MacDonald’s Golden Arches are now iconic logos that have been imprinted into the minds of the younger generation. Between a pair of Nike shoes to a pair of unbranded shoes priced at a quarter of Nike’s – The pair of Nike shoes are obviously more desired than the pair of unbranded shoes even if both shoes are of similar quality and design. Such behaviour is due to the fact that many people, especially teenagers, want to be seen with the Swoosh on their shoes even if they have to pay four times more for it as they tend to feel that it makes them become ‘cool’. Through this we can see that the media has a great influence on our way of life.

The media also has the ability to change the world. For example, meals in China that consist of rice and vegetables have since been replaced by MacDonald’s Happy Meals and other processed junk food as children are getting more and more exposed to advertisements portraying other happy children enjoying their Happy Meals on television. Hence in this instance it can be seen that the media has catalysed the invasion of the Western culture into China. As westernisation becomes more widespread, some traditionalists feel that the media has played a key role in changing people’s mindsets, which has contributed to the erosion of traditional Asian culture and practices.

Another example worth mentioning is the movie It Happened One Night. In a racy scene involving the male lead actor and the female lead actor, the male lead actor unbuttons his shirt to reveal his bare chest – no undershirt. It was reported that undershirt sales dropped about seventy-five percent that year. This not only reflects the impact the media has on the economy, but also on the world. If a movie can plunge the sales of undershirt, the media might just have the power to end war, stop poverty and child abuse.

Another negative impact the media has brought upon us is media violence. Media violence has become a serious problem that has besieged our society. Programmes such as “The Sopranos” and games like “Grand Theft Auto” all contain blood-splattering acts of violence. In “Grand Theft Auto”, players have to rob cars by shooting or stabbing drivers in order the win the game. Playing such violent games can cause violent behaviour and thoughts as some players might want to re-enact a scene or even scenes from the game which they find ‘cool’. These may result in disastrous consequences as gamers get “trapped” in the reality of the game, and mimic actions they do in the game, such as shooting, in real life. For instance, the killer responsible for the massacre at Virginia Tech University was said to be heavily influenced by such violent games.

Next, the media generates a giant feedback loop. Images from the media are viewed by the viewers and we are influenced by it. As a result, many are trapped in the loop, becoming prisoners of the media. Advertising companies, being companies, do not want to lose their valuable customers and hence use the media to trap consumers.

This is similar to what we see in “The Truman Show”. The media is profit oriented, and corporations do anything in order to generate profits from its viewers, i.e. the general public. “The Truman Show” was created for the sole purpose of generating profits from viewers, many of whom tune in to the programme nearly every minute of their lives to check out what Truman would be up to next. Unlike normal television shows, the show does not have intervals for advertisements, but instead advertise products through product placement.

The programme also shows that the media is ‘fake’ as Truman Burbank lives in a giant Hollywood dome where, unknown to him, the people in his live are 'fake', being actors hired by the director, Christoff. For instance, Truman's ‘wife’ is an actress hired by Christoff and Truman’s life is like a routine whereby the same thing happens everyday. For example, a dog would run up to him when he leaves for work and two men would badger him to buy insurance later on in the day.

Moreover, in the show, Truman's ‘wife’ would regularly help to advertise products. The weather in the Hollywood dome too is not real too as it is controlled by a switch. Chirstoff is also able to create light, fire and water using the technology the studio has and as such he has taken up an almost god-like role. We can see that Truman is a prisoner of Christoff as he cannot leave the Hollywood dome. For example, when Truman tried to leave for Fiji, there were no air tickets available and the bus he boarded to get out of town was ‘faulty’.

This thought provoking film is particularly effective in showing viewers the effect and influence of the media because it exaggerates and dramatizes the influence the media has on us ordinary folks. The film shows us that the media can controls us without us knowing. If not for this dramatisation, the message would not have been successfully conveyed to the audience. It also makes us ask ourselves the question of whether we run the media or if the media runs our lives. This film tells us to take action, and do what is necessary to prevent us from becoming like Truman, before it is too late.

The Truman Show acts as a wake up call, to all those under the spell of the ‘media’. Each and every one of us are unknowingly under the control of the media, whether we like it or not. A violent film that we have watched might have a slight influence on how we behave subsequently. Therefore, this film not only serves to remind us to be much more aware of the power influence of media, but also to take control of our lives, before the media controls us.

Media influence refers to the way the mass media affect how the audience think and behave. From the film, we have concluded that many buy what they are told to be good after seeing advertisements on the television or magazines. This film is different from other films in that it uses Truman's life to deliver the message to the audience. Truman's life revolves around the media and this has greatly altered his life. This too can be seen in our society where mostly many young females are obsessed with losing weight even when they are of the right weight. Why is this so? Celebrities featured in the media possess ‘perfect’ bodies and young females desire that so that they can resemble the stars they admire. Therefore our lives are influenced by the media in one way or another. Lastly, the expression “the medium is the message” coined by Marshall Mcluhan explains the way in which a medium interacts with the mind of people is more important than the content it delivers and we feel that ‘The Truman Show” has shown the message effectively.

Bryan Oh, Inez Foong, Charlene Wang and Isis Lim
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