Truman Show - Conclusion

As much as we would hate to admit, the media is indispensable. As a result of globalisation, the lives of many from different backgrounds are inextricably connected. There is growing need for us to understand our neighbours and to learn to cooperate with them. Even in the global market, the onus is suddenly on the consumers to do their research and find out the best deals. The World Wide Web has become a necessity, and comparatively slow and inconvenient old school methods of gaining knowledge in any field are considered obsolete. Under such conditions, to isolate oneself from the media is a Herculean task because what it can offer is simply irresistible.

Having established the fact that the media is essential, it is not difficult to understand how it impacts our lives and sways our decisions. Being very obliging and compliant, the media gives us exactly what we ask for – more of itself. However, the surge in content that the media fronts does not necessarily translate to more fruitful information for viewers. It simply means that the audience now has to be equipped with the skills to sieve out information that relevant to us. After this process of beefing up, we can no longer be sure if what the media tries to convey to us is factual. In fact even the print press may have alternative agendas and can be as unrelenting as the broadcast media. Take for example the Seahaven’s newspaper in “The Truman Show”. In one scene, the front page news proclaimed that Seahaven was the “Best Place on Earth”. Of course we, as viewers, know that the entire show is a hoax, but it is not difficult to imagine that there may be similar happenings in the real world, on a much smaller scale. Can the press lie to us? The answer is affirmative. In countries run by dictatorships, the use of press for propaganda is prevalent. The credibility of official bodies is not absolute, much less that of profit driven organisations. Hence, it is vital that we learn to be discerning of the media’s message and break through intellectual boundaries and conventional wisdom.

Moreover, its pervasiveness makes the media evermore influential. Due to our constant and excessive exposure, we find that the media is able manipulate our perspectives. Aside for educational purposes, we also subscribe to the media for entertainment purposes. While we engage in mind numbing activities, such as watching drama serials, we may unwittingly be influenced to think and feel a certain way. Because we are bombarded by commercials, from catchy jingles to posters at the bus stops, we subconsciously believe the empty promises that producers make drum into our heads even before we have time to truly understand them. Producers promote consumer goods through advertisements interspersed between television programmes. Especially when we engage in mind numbing activities, such as watching soap operas, we are caught off guard and unwittingly make ourselves more susceptible to being over receptive to the messages conveyed to us through commercials. A scene from “The Truman Show” aptly illustrates this point. The producer of the movie inserts music and zooms in on the actors’ countenances to dramatise a touching moment when Truman Burbank reunites with his father. The scene is so well done that even the operating crew, elated over their success, embrace and viewers all over the world start to tear. This scene points out in a sinister way that the film producers can so easily evoke any emotions of film-illiterate global audience.

The media’s influence is so extensive, it may change our lifestyle and behaviour altogether. If we allow it, the media is actually empowered to shape the public preference and set new trends which will inevitably be followed by the population. The main reason for this is that the changes effected soon quickly become common and the norm. It begins to seem as if herd mentality stifles any uniqueness or unconventional ideas.

The film “The Truman Show” is so effective because it exaggerates the exact effect of the media on an individual using dark humour. There is an inherent inclination for us to believe what we see and to accept truth on the peripheral level. Therefore, the exaggerated dramatization and portrayal of media influence, as in this movie, is required to drill the message into our heads. Contrary to this, ordinary efforts will not spark any realization in our minds, which are shaped by and under the control of the media. This can be observed from the fact that it took Burbank full thirty years of his life to discover loopholes in the plot. Furthermore, his mind had been altered and wrought by the media all these years and it required immense determination on his part to worm his way out of his comfort zone into the real world. The truth hurts but his indomitable search for it gave him meaning in life.

Similarly, it takes a great deal of time and effort to discover the wayward impact media has on us. Though the level of influence of the media on us is so high, it is not easily visible. Even if we are aware of it, we may not have the courage to accept that our sources of truth and inspiration may be wrong, or the willpower to seek rectification. The show is a convincing appeal to us to employ our higher faculties in our dealings with the media. As the first of its kind, the film is a reflection of modern day society and portrays the media in a cynical way which, to a certain extent, may be true. In this seemingly frivolous and far fetched movie, the message behind the show is a warning not to be ignored. It poses an extremely crucial question. Do we govern the media or does the media govern us? The answer is hidden within us and this movie makes us dig deep to face the reality and take action to fix it before it gets too late.

Done By: Elaine, Abs, Thomas and Nicholas - 09S06H