Get Chapter 5: Television And Cable: The Power Of Visual Culture ... 2020-2025

Television influences many individuals by race, gender and class. It reshaped many cultures by stereotypes. At first, the majority of the people who appeared on American programs were Caucasian. Television presented a normal life for Caucasians which presented as news, sports, advertisements and entertainment.

News, current events and historical programming can help make young people more aware of other cultures and people. Documentaries can help develop critical thinking about society and the world. TV can help introduce youth to classic Hollywood films and foreign movies that they might not otherwise see.

In addition to race, gender, sexual orientation, and family, television has shaped the way that Americans think about the issue of social class. From the 1950s through the 2000s, most characters in TV programs have been upper-middle-class, professional people, such as doctors, lawyers, journalists, and business owners.

Television changed the American entertainment landscape. In towns where TV was introduced, movie attendance and book sales dropped off dramatically. Radio, which had been America's favorite form of at-home amusement, declined in importance in the 1950s. Variety, comedy, and dramatic shows left the airwaves for TV.

Television reflects cultural values, and it also influences culture. One example of this is the polarization of cable TV news, which is no longer centrist but caters to individual political tastes.

Situation comedy a type of comedy series that features a recurring cast and set as well as several narrative scenes; each episode establishes a situation, complicates it, develops increasing confusion among its characters, and then resolves the complications.

First systems. It is claimed that the first cable television system in the United States was created in 1948 in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania by John Walson to provide television signals to people whose reception was poor because of tall mountains and buildings blocking TV signals.

This is why the terms mass culture and popular culture are often used interchangeably. Television and films also qualify as popular culture because they are not for free.

In addition to race, gender, sexual orientation, and family, television has shaped the way that Americans think about the issue of social class. From the 1950s through the 2000s, most characters in TV programs have been upper-middle-class, professional people, such as doctors, lawyers, journalists, and business owners.