Directions for Exercise 8: Applying Media Effects Theories to Movies

In this class we learned about some of the types of research studies that are conducted on how people might be affected by mass media messages. We have specifically studied two theories about this, cultivation and social cognitive theory (sometimes also called social learning theory). For this week’s exercise, please discuss the following questions and number them appropriately in your post:

1.   Think of a movie you have seen that had to do with the U.S. Armed Forces. Identify this movie and describe how it portrayed the military.
2.   Is the portrayal you described in question 1 consistent with other movies you can think of about the military, or different? In what ways?
3.   What do you think the relationship is between how Americans who are not in the military perceive the U.S. Armed Forces and the type of military portrayals in the movies you discussed in questions 1 and 2? Use cultivation theory and the concept of ‘mainstreaming’ to explain your answer, whether you think the theory explains this relationship or doesn’t.
4.   Can you think of another topic besides the military where you think cultivation from watching movies occurs? Be specific about what movies, what types of portrayals they contain, and what perceptions you think they are responsible for.
5.   In 1995, two teenagers went on a violent crime spree in which they shot several people. After their arrest, it was revealed that they “prepared” for their crimes by repeatedly watching the Oliver Stone-directed movie “Natural Born Killers,” a violent movie about which Stone was quoted as saying, “The most pacifistic people in the world said they came out of this movie and wanted to kill somebody.” The movie is about a pair of serial killers who become a media sensation. (A plot summary and trailer for the movie is available on IMBD: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110632/.) One of the victim’s relatives sued Stone and others behind the movie for releasing a film they should have known people would imitate, leading to dangerous behavior. Using social cognitive theory, make a case against Stone. In other words, use the theory to explain in detail how a movie like this one can be expected to result in copycat crimes. You are not necessarily arguing what you believe here (although you may be). Rather, you are demonstrating your understanding of social cognitive theory by putting forth this argument.

In your reply comment this week, we hope to have an especially active dialogue going. Please consider the following issues (as well as others you may wish to discuss).

1. Compare the different movies about the military that you and your group members have described, and consider what this might mean in terms of the attitudes that are being cultivated by them. Do you see consistent messages that you hadn’t discerned before? Are the portrayals of the military in movies more consistent or different than you initially thought?
2. Do you agree with the position you were instructed to support in question 4? Why or why not? How do you think a lawsuit such as the one against Oliver Stone should ultimately end up?