Part Eight: Addressing the Role Social Accreditation Plays in Representing Norms, Values and Behaviors Through Forms of Media
Welcome back for another SAT blog post. If you haven't read the previous blogs, I suggest checking them out or scrolling through the SAT Explained page on the site. I'm happy to have reached a point where I think I've covered enough of the theories behind understanding social accreditation processes, now I'm attempting to link those theories to explain how social accreditation occurs across various aspects of our lives, media being a particularly salient disseminator of cultural norms.
In part five, I explored how cultural histories studied in anthropology now regards the co-evolution of human behaviors and technologies as an interconnected process of cultural transmission. Using the Agricultural Revolution as an example, we demonstrated how the feedback loop between establishing new technologies and accrediting norms led to the formation of civilized societies.
In the subsequent posts, I emphasized the role of language and knowledge in facilitating this transmission. Drawing from the parallels in the works of Saussure and Barthes, we learned how linguistically, the symbol or signifier has an arbitrary connection with its signified meaning, and how this meaning and its connection are influenced by the social context in which it is used. We were then able to combine these ideas with theories from developmental psychology to explain how we create and frame the mental models that go on to structure our sense of self and how our methods of framing are shaped by our need for social validation in different contexts and environments.
Now, I want to build on these perspectives to examine the role media plays in shaping our collective norms, values, and expectations. By applying principles from Social Accreditation Theory, we can show that the media we create and consume reflects and reinforces cultural standards. This, in turn, impacts how we frame our mental models and leads us to conform to or deviate from these portrayed norms to gain social acceptance or avoid social sanctioning.
I just recently saw the new "Inside Out: 2" movie and the film does a great job of characterizing the processes I introduced in the last blog, showing how our thoughts and emotions affect our behaviors, which impact our memories, how our memories structure our beliefs, and how our beliefs frame our sense of self. I really recommend checking out the movie. It's a great reflection of contemporary societies' progressive understanding of mental wellbeing. I may even have to return to it in a future post on emotions and feelings.
As I was working on this, I realized that I needed to include more examples of media content in this post than in the others, so as you read and view the examples I share here, try to remain conscious of the implicit messages that are being conveyed through the explicit content, and how those messages are impacting your feelings of validation.
Let's now get some basic definitions out of the way, so you know what I mean later when I use these terms.
Media can be understood as the various channels through which information, news, entertainment, and communication are shared among audiences.
Media content encompasses all forms of media consumed or produced by people, such as art, news, literature, and more.
Media narratives are the stories being communicated through media content.
Media technology refers to the technological innovations used in the circulation, storage, and production of media content, including things like radio, television, and media apps.
These definitions are important as they also help us distinguish between the different channels through which media is created and shared, and how media both influences and is influenced by changing cultural standards and norms.
Jurgen Habermas’s theory of the public sphere highlights how media serves as a forum for public debate, shaping and reflecting societal norms (Habermas, 1989). By understanding the interplay between media, cultural standards, and social accreditation, we can hopefully gain deeper insights into the recursive mechanisms that shape our values and behaviors.
Since its inception in early cave paintings, oral storytelling and parietal art, media has been pivotal for both reflecting and shaping societal values. As I shared in previous posts, Zora Neale Hurston's work on folklore demonstrates how cultural narratives validate the practices and spoken histories of communities. Combining this with Chomsky's critique of media and propaganda, we can see how powerful entities can use media to shape public perception and maintain social control by propagating certain narratives. Relating this to Habermas's theories, media shapes the public sphere, determining what gets accredited. However, its integrity is challenged whenever commercial interests or dominant voices overshadow marginalized ones.
Originally myths were conveyed through storytellers, and as the art of storytelling progressed and evolved with technology and social norms, the very act of telling stories became a means of exterting power through influence. This created a lot of problems for public opinions because it's now become impossible for the average person to know if the stories they're presented with are based on anything substantial or real. As we'll see, these problems have only gotten worse as media has evolved with new technologies.
Although media isn't itself considered a technology, media technology has revolutionized how we access, consume, and interact with media. The theory of the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT), proposed by Wiebe E. Bijker and Trevor Pinch, argues that technology isn't just the result of scientific discovery or engineering practice; it's shaped by a variety of social factors throughout its development.
The central concept of SCOT is that technology doesn't determine human action; rather, human action shapes technology. This challenges the idea of technological determinism, which suggests that technology develops independently of society and subsequently impacts it. We see this relationship clearly when exploring the recent history of media and technology.
19th Century: Urban and rural newspapers reported on the events, culture, and daily life of groups and communities, often framing local stories with moral tones.
20th Century: Radio and television revolutionized the dissemination of cultural norms, values, and ideals to a broader audience, further connecting us and allowing new narratives to form and spread around other cultures.
21st Century: The rise of the internet and social media has democratized content creation and consumption, allowing for a more diverse array of voices but also introducing new challenges related to information accuracy and echo chambers.
Media, especially in its current digital and global form, accelerates our exposure to different lifestyles, opinions, and norms. This constant exposure prompts self-evaluation as we engage in introspection, and comparing our lives, achievements, or values with what's depicted in media. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook amplify this looking-glass effect, so we now feel compelled to present curated versions of our lives and gauge our self-worth based on likes, comments, and comparisons to others.
In the following sections, we'll explore how media not only perpetuates agendas, collective illusions and stereotypes but also challenges them, leading to shifts in social accreditation and cultural norms. We'll look at the rise of celebrity culture through the emergence of media personalities over time. By examining historical and contemporary examples, we'll see how media acts as both a mirror and a molder of society and hopefully have a better idea of why many of today's greatest thinkers and scientists warn against the dangers of social media. We'll also have a better understanding of why so much of popular media today seems to be concerned with remixing or reimagining older media content and why it feels like everyone has to be a critic of the media consumed in today's society.
Jump ahead to specific sections.
Narratives & Agendas: Contrasting Entertainment vs. Reality in Media Representations
A narrative (or story) is any account of a series of related events or experiences. Narratives can be presented through a sequence of written or spoken words, through still or moving images, or through any combination of these, as media. Throughout our recorded history, media has evolved with the purpose to give us the narratives that shapes our understanding of the world.
When we lack knowledge about certain topics, we turn to media sources to gain more information and help form opinions. As I discussed in part three, media reflects and reinforces cultural standards, often subtly pressuring people to conform to these norms for social acceptance (Cooley, 1902).
The narratives shared in media content combine both informational and normative influences. So for instance, a popular film, might inform audiences about a historical event (informational influence) while portraying certain characters or behaviors as heroic or villainous (normative influence).
In Christopher Nolan's dramatic film, Oppenheimer (2023), actor Cillian Murphy, portrays a nuanced adaptation of real-life American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, the man who campaigned to revoke Oppenheimer’s security clearance. Oppenheimer is portrayed as the film's hero, and Strauss can be perceived as the villain of the story.
This ties back to the concept of framing we explored in part seven, where the way information is presented influences our mental models and actions (Goffman, 1974). Narratives in media content become frames for our mental models as we use them to make sense of our perceptions and experiences.
Echoing our discussion in part two about the role of social comparison in shaping personal identity and social standards (Festinger, 1954) we can start to see how media narratives depict certain behaviors, lifestyles, or characters as "normal" or "ideal," reinforcing which societal values we use to form our identities. Or in other words, as we consume certain media content, certain behaviors and values just become "normal" to us. This is how media provides archetypes and role models that people emulate when forming their own identities.
This also resonates with the conversation on myths in the language post, where we saw how concepts like the monomyth serve the function of providing a narrative framework that defines what characteristics are considered worthy or desirable in a society. Myths are specific narratives within media that communicate socially curated models that help us frame the values and behaviors we aspire to or expect to observe in others.
Media narratives can reinforce our group identity through shared experiences or popular culture moments, becoming part of our cultural memory. National events broadcasted on television, such as the Super Bowl or NBA Finals, foster a sense of unity among citizens. Even those who aren't fans of organized sports often join friends to watch these events, enjoying the shared experience. Grand televised traditions like the Oscars or the Olympics serve as ceremonies of social accreditation processes, where celebrated personalities receive both implicit (admiration, popularity) and explicit (awards, accolades) validation.
Media narratives can be used for social good. When media content includes diverse characters and stories, it helps those from different backgrounds see themselves reflected in society, supporting positive identity formation. Media outlets construct frames by highlighting certain aspects of a story while downplaying others, guiding public perception and discourse. This framing can promote inclusivity and provide a more accurate representation of society’s diverse makeup.
However, when media content includes collective illusions, it can distort public perception and reinforce harmful stereotypes. Collective illusions occur when media outlets present a skewed version of reality, leading the audience to believe in a consensus that may not exist. This can perpetuate myths and misunderstandings about different social groups, hindering genuine understanding and inclusivity.
This selective emphasis can set the agenda for public discussion, influencing what people think about, even if it doesn't explicitly tell them what to think. Chomsky and Herman’s work in "Manufacturing Consent" illustrates how media can manipulate public perception by setting the agenda and framing issues in ways that serve particular interests, further emphasizing the power of media in shaping societal norms and values.
Chomsky and Herman’s propaganda model offers a critical framework for understanding how mass media serves the interests of dominant, elite groups by filtering information in ways that shape public perception and consensus. The model posits that media operates through five filters: ownership, advertising, sourcing, flak, and anti-communism (or ideological control). These filters ensure that only certain narratives are amplified, which align with the interests of those in power. This process of information filtration is deeply relevant to social accreditation, as it determines which values, norms, and behaviors receive explicit and implicit validation. By controlling the flow of information, media outlets can influence what is perceived as socially acceptable or prestigious, thereby reinforcing specific social norms and power structures.
A prime example of this is the coverage of the Iraq War in 2003. Major news networks in the United States, such as CNN and Fox News, largely presented the narrative that supported the government’s stance on the war, focusing on the existence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) as a justification for the invasion. This narrative was bolstered by the model’s filters: media ownership aligned with corporate interests, advertising revenues from defense contractors, reliance on government and military sources, avoidance of dissenting views (flak), and framing the issue within the context of anti-terrorism (ideological control). This resulted in a narrow portrayal of the conflict, marginalizing anti-war perspectives and dissenting opinions. The coverage validated the government’s actions and reinforced the perception of the war as necessary and justified, shaping public opinion and accrediting the dominant political narrative.
This doesn't mean that all media narratives come from sinister agendas, in fact they're mostly reinforced through social accreditation feedback loops. Let's look at a few examples:
Media often perpetuates specific standards of beauty, influencing norms about appearance. This affects our self-esteem and identity, as people who align with media-promoted beauty standards often receive social validation, impacting their social capital and opportunities. Advertising heavily reinforces these beauty standards, leading to their normalization within society. As people internalize these ideals, they adjust their behaviors—purchasing beauty products or undergoing cosmetic procedures to align with them. Media companies, noticing consumer preferences, further reinforce these standards by producing more content featuring idealized images, perpetuating the cycle.
Dramatic narratives in media capture audience attention through emotional storytelling, involving conflict, tension, and resolution. These narratives usually convey moral lessons, reinforcing societal values and norms. Audiences identify with relatable characters or scenarios in dramatic media, influencing their perceptions of right and wrong and shaping their social identity. Thus, dramas that resonate with cultural and societal issues are more likely to gain popularity, prompting media producers to create similar content. Viewers mimic the behaviors and decisions of admired characters, reinforcing the norms presented in these narratives, which in turn influence future media portrayals and audience expectations, continuing the cycle.
Comedy gives us a critical lens on society, using humor to address and challenge social norms and behaviors. Shared humor can create a sense of community and belonging, reinforcing group identity and then audience reactions to comedic content (laughter, approval, or disapproval) feed back into media production. By laughing at certain behaviors or situations, we implicitly acknowledge and accept the underlying norms and values being presented. Comedy offers relief from societal pressures and allows reflection on societal issues in a more palatable way, often using exaggeration and satire to make points about everyday life. Successful comedic elements are likely to be repeated and amplified, continuing the cycle and shaping evolving standards and beliefs within society. This can be both good and bad depending on the norms and values being presented. (Here's a great video explaining the relationship between comedians and philosophers.)
Voyeuristic media, as seen in reality TV, streaming content and Youtube videos, exploit the tension between our public and private spaces, impacting our basic norms around transparency, privacy and consent. For example, my fiancé loves the Netflix series “Perfect Match,” which is a reality dating show where singles compete to find their perfect match and form relationships, all while engaging in various challenges and activities. The show combines elements of competition, romance, and drama, so the series can easily be seen through the lens of social accreditation and validation. Participants seek social validation both from their peers and from the audience. Their behaviors and relationships are constantly being evaluated, leading to explicit and implicit forms of social accreditation. The explicit forms are evident in the challenges and decisions made by the show’s format, while implicit forms come from the social dynamics and interactions between contestants. The dramatized characterizations from the show become explicit markers for the contestants in real life, and the cycle continues on social media platforms or other reality shows.
Pornography, widely consumed yet still controversial, directly influences norms around sexuality and often reinforces harmful stereotypes and unrealistic expectations about sex and relationships. These representations can perpetuate unhealthy norms and contribute to issues like commodification, body image concerns and sexual aggression.
Women in porn are typically depicted in submissive roles, while men are portrayed as dominant. These portrayals perpetuate harmful gender norms, contribute to societal inequalities and can affect real-life relationships. Certain genres of porn that depict aggressive or non-consensual behavior can normalize such actions in the minds of viewers, potentially leading to harmful attitudes and behaviors in real life. The consumption of pornographic content reinforces this behavior as men and women internalize these norms and the cycle continues.
Over time, media narratives—whether beauty standards in advertising, moral standards in storytelling, or representations of relationships in porn and reality TV—become ingrained in societal norms. This works across all genres of media. Think about how sci-fi narratives are just thought experiments for future technologies that can go on to inspire and influence people to create new innovative technologies. For example, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has written and publicly spoken about how his love for "Star Trek" inspired him to invent the first personal computer.
It's important to understand the implicit norms we learn and internalize from explicit validations in media narratives, not just to help recognize agendas, but to also be aware of how our explicit validations from consuming media influence the implicit values that get included in media content. Remember that it's the feedback loops between implicit and explicit forms of validation and sanctions that account for social accreditation processes.
The Role of Media Personalities and the Rise of Celebrity Culture
As I've mentioned before, the role of the storyteller was one of the first accredited behaviors in early societies. In the age of print media, authors, journalists, and essayists were primarily seen as creators and sharers of narratives. Their influence came from their ability to craft compelling stories, provide insightful commentary, and share information. Literary figures like Charles Dickens and Mark Twain were influential because of their narrative skills and the content they produced.
The idea that implicit messages from artists and commentators can influence our preceptions through the explicit media content they create isn't new, and it's been explored by many thinkers across the centuries of human thought. What is new, is the idea that the very presence of a particular person or brand in media can influence public perceptions.
The evolution of media influence from being primarily creators or sharers of narratives to becoming representatives or embodiments of those narratives is reflected in the role of media personalities. Media personalities, now synonymous with celebrities or influencers, are people who have gained public recognition and influence primarily through their presence in various media channels.
In the early 20th century, when radio was a dominant emerging form of media, personalities like Orson Welles became famous through their radio broadcasts, such as Welles’ famous 1938 “War of the Worlds” broadcast. Later, the rise of Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s saw the emergence of film stars like Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo, who gained widespread recognition through their roles in movies.
Television in the 50's and 60's brought new kinds of media personalities. TV hosts like Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show” became household names, while actors on popular TV shows, like Lucille Ball in “I Love Lucy,” achieved national fame. It was during this time that the nature and landscape of advertising also changed significantly, reflecting the era's cultural shifts and new media practices. This period in time marked huge changes in social dynamics that are still being felt across different fields and industries today.
“Mad Men” is a critically acclaimed television series from the early 2000's that's set in the 1960s and revolves around the world of advertising on Madison Avenue in New York City. The show's known for its attention to historical detail, complex characters, and exploration of social themes. Don Draper; portrayed by Jon Hamm, is the central character of the series, a talented but troubled advertising executive. The series uses Don’s character to comment on the ethical implications of media influence.
Don’s ability to manipulate consumer desires through advertising parallels our growing awareness of media’s power to shape public opinion and behavior. His character underscores the role of media personalities in not just reflecting but actively shaping cultural trends. His success in creating compelling narratives raises questions about their authenticity, manipulation, and the moral responsibilities of media professionals.
Don’s character represents the archetypal media personality of the 1960s—charismatic, mysterious, and deeply flawed. His constructed identity and carefully maintained public persona reflect the artifice of media celebrity. The series perfectly illustrates how media narratives evolved in response to cultural shifts of the era and how media personalities, such as Draper, came to embody and influence these changes.
Today, the concept of media personalities has evolved from radio stars and film icons to modern-day influencers and cross-platform content creators. This evolution also reflects broader changes in technology, media consumption, and cultural dynamics. The rise of media advertising created a catalyst where more content meant more viewers, more viewers meant more ratings, more ratings meant more ads and more ads meant more money. This led to a huge shifting focus on celebrity culture as the default for standard norms in entertainment.
With the internet and social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, media has democratized fame. Ordinary people can become media personalities simply by creating and sharing content. Unlike traditional media personalities, modern influencers also get to interact directly with their audience through comments, live streams, and social media posts. Today’s media personalities also wield significant influence, leveraging their platforms to engage with audiences, shape trends, and impact society in diverse ways.
Celebrity influencers can now monetize their fame through brand collaborations, sponsored content, and merchandise sales. This has created a new kind of economy centered around media personalities, where they can shape cultural trends and public opinion more than ever before. For example, the Kardashians have established themselves as a family of media personalities and they've all had a significant impact on beauty standards and fashion trends.
Kim Kardashian represents the intersection of reality TV and social media influence. She embodies the narratives of celebrity culture, entrepreneurship, and fashion, leveraging her public persona to build a powerful brand. Her mother, sisters, and even her children all inherit the social pressures that come with their shared fame, success and wealth.
As media technologies and platforms continue to evolve, the relationship between media personalities and their narratives will likely become even more intertwined, shaping and reflecting the cultural zeitgeist in even more profound ways.
The culture of celebrity has now expanded beyond traditional media personalities to encompass various social roles, including politicians, religious leaders, academics, and even business executives. This phenomenon is often referred to as the “celebrification” of society, where people in these roles gain celebrity status and influence akin to that of traditional entertainers, and the need/desire for maintaining that status and influence is perpetuated through processes of social accreditation.
Modern politicians are a clear example, they have to cultivate public personas that resonate with voters on an emotional level, similar to celebrities. They use social media, television appearances, and public events to build their brands. Figures like Barack Obama, Donald Trump, or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have leveraged media effectively to build large, engaged followings.
Religious leaders like Pope Francis or the Dalai Lama have massive followings and media presence. Their messages and actions are broadcast worldwide, making them influential figures beyond their religious communities. Leaders of megachurches, such as Joel Osteen, now use media to reach millions. They often have charismatic personas that attract followers and media attention, blending spiritual guidance with personal branding.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared as himself in a cameo in Marvel's "Iron Man 2". The subtext of the scene's narrative is that Elon Musk can be likened to a real-life Tony Stark, or that the fictional character Stark is representative of real-life tech billionaires like Musk.
CEOs Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson aren't just business leaders but are also public figures who command significant media attention. They use social media and public appearances to cultivate their personal brands, which in turn benefits their companies. Their visibility and influence extend into popular culture as their innovations, personal lives, and public statements influence markets, public opinion, and cultural trends. This is also important as market trends are now heavily influenced by mass psychology, so the public perception of these entrepreneurs instills greater confidence in shareholders.
Even academics like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jordan Peterson, and Yuval Noah Harari have become public intellectuals with significant followings. Their celebrity status helps them reach a wider audience and shape societal debates. They often appear on television, podcasts, and social media, translating complex ideas for a broad audience. They publish popular books and programs that go on to influence public discourse in academia.
I'm going to touch on each of these roles in different posts later on, but for now I want you to understand that this celebritization has significant implications for our public sphere, cultural norms, and social dynamics. As these figures continue to leverage their influence through media, they shape and reflect the values, aspirations, and concerns of contemporary society.
And remember that this isn't exclusive to people, in today's age, media personalities can include branded products, corporate entities, and even inanimate machine-based AI personalities.
Corporations and brands have now become media personalities themselves. Popular brands like Wendy's now have social media accounts that are run and curated to personify the companies' brands across social media platforms.
It's important to note here that not every celebrity is a fan of their fame or popularity. For many, the celebritization of culture has made life difficult and the constant pressure of promoting themselves as a brand can be a heavy burden. I'll talk more about this in another post when I discuss the differences between likeability and status, but for now, just think about how many celebrity interviews or memoirs you've encountered in which they reveal their disdain for fame.
King of Pop icon, Michael Jackson was infamously known for obtaining celebrity status at a young age. At just 5 years old, he joined his brothers' musical group in the 1960s, which became The Jackson 5. Michael would later recount how his father Joe would physically and emotionally abuse him during rehearsals and how he felt lonely and isolated during his youth. These dynamics would lead Michael to a host of controversies later on in life as his behaviors, lifestyle and relationships were all impacted by his childhood trauma and celebrity status.
Despire becoming one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century, Jackson's public life was wrought with tabloid speculation, criminal allegations and relentless media coverage. Regardless of how you feel about the singer's personal life, it's clear that his public persona represented another shifting change in the role of media personalities, as public perceptions began to normalize having constant media access to celebrities' personal lives they also rationalized the obessesive and invasive nature that grew from sensational media speculation. Mass marketable media personalities created a dangerous feedback loop in which we internalized the belief that famous celebrities were expected to give up their privacy as a result of their public image.
Media to Memes: Art and Literature as a Mirror and Molder of Cultural Norms
As we explored in part five regarding cultural transmission and the feedback loop between behaviors and social approval, media's role is similar in shaping and reflecting societal standards is profound and continuous.
Returning to my favorite movie as an example, "The Breakfast Club." the film's themes and legacy highlight the pressures of conformity and stereotyping that were embedded in American high schools, significantly impacting society's perceptions around social labels and cliques. This ties into part four's examination of how social networks influence normative behavior through social proof and collective identity.
Towards the end of this video, Molly Ringwald speaks on how fans of younger generations relate to the movie and internalize it's messages, even twenty-five years later. This is a great example of how persistent the influence of media narratives can be.
To further connect how ideas and behaviors spread through media, we can look at the concept of memes, introduced by Richard Dawkins in his book "The Selfish Gene" (1976). Dawkins described memes as units of cultural transmission that spread from person to person. Susan Blackmore later expanded on this idea, discussing memetics as the study of how memes evolve and propagate. Memes, like genes, undergo a process of variation, selection, and retention, influencing which ideas and behaviors become popular or socially accredited (Blackmore, 1999).
Meme Culture epitomizes the rapid spread of ideas and trends through viral media, where content gains traction and popularity through widespread sharing. Memes, which are often funny or satirical, usually reflect contemporary societal issues and cultural norms, spreading through social networks at an unprecedented pace.
A: Viral Internet Memes.
Memes in media can include catchphrases, fashion trends, viral videos, or any piece of culture that spreads widely. They shape and reflect societal norms, similar to how media narratives do. For example, viral internet memes highlight popular sentiments or critiques of societal norms, reinforcing or challenging existing standards.
The virality of memes relies heavily on social validation, where the very act of sharing a meme signifies endorsement and communal acceptance. Memes that resonate with societal sentiments quickly gain popularity, accruing social capital for their creators and sharers.
This process highlights the informal mechanisms of social accreditation, where widespread approval and engagement confer status and legitimacy within the digital sphere. At the same time, memes that fail to grab attention or are met with negative feedback may quickly fade, demonstrating the implicit social sanctions at play. We can better understand the emergence of memes when we look at how various forms of media impact cultural transmission.
In part two, I introduced Cooley's "Looking Glass Self" theory, which suggests that our self-concept is shaped by how we believe others perceive us. Media amplifies this process by presenting us with societal ideals, expectations, and judgments on a grand scale.
The literature and art that we make reflect the values, norms, and beliefs of the society we're a part of. But while the explicit content of a work might convey these values as clear messages or themes, there are also implicit meanings and cultural nuances that readers or viewers interpret.
In Hokusai's famous painting,"The Great Wave off Kanagawa", two great masses dominate the visual space: the violent, towering wave in the foreground and the serene, empty background. This contrast implicitly evokes the yin and yang symbol, representing balance and duality. The man-made boats struggle powerlessly between these forces, which art theorists suggest may reference Buddhism and Shintoism. In Buddhism, man-made things are ephemeral, symbolized by the boats being swept away by the giant wave. In Shintoism, nature's omnipotence is evident, underscoring the power of natural forces over human endeavors.
Our implicit interpretations of art and literature become explicit criteria as we share our interpretations. Classic works receive explicit accolades through awards and things like required reading programs or practices in curriculum, overtly recognizing their value.
Beyond these overt messages of validation, literary works resonate with readers on an implicit level, influencing their perceptions and beliefs. For example, Charles Dickens' novels highlighted class disparities and societal injustices in Victorian England. His works like "Oliver Twist" are referred to as social novels because of their realistic depiction of social conditions during that era.
Importantly, our reactions to literature can challenge and mold societal norms as much as the content itself.
There are plenty of other historical examples of how popular media content established an emphasis on the prevailing impact of social problems at the time. Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin", for example is known for its influence in changing public perceptions about slavery in the US, and is said to have laid the groundwork to the Civil War.
Similarly, Jane Austen’s novels subtly critique the social structures of her time, while George Orwell's "1984" warns against totalitarianism. Terms like thesis novel, propaganda novel, industrial novel, working-class novel and problem novel are all used to describe this type of literature; the sociological novel. These works are not perfect representations of the world the authors lived in, but they exist as imitations or representations of the social systems they emerged from.
For generations now, classic literature has been critiqued for perpetuating stereotypes or upholding certain societal norms. This is because the explicit validation of such works can implicitly reinforce these power dynamics. This is why representation and diversity in literature is important, and why many schools and libraries are currently being confronted with challenges and threats of bans for books that convey behaviors that deviate from traditional values.
As we create and consume media, we publicly acknowledge this authorial intent as a form of accreditation. Relating back to Cooley’s “Looking Glass Self,” media content acts as a magnified lens through which we gauge public perceptions of our actions, behaviors, and appearances. It also mirrors our emotional responses to societal feedback.
We can also see this in other forms of media, like video game narratives, where shooting games like "Call of Duty" or "Battlefield" serve as markers of social norms around military combat experiences. Game publishers continue making new versions of these games, and as they do, they implicitly shape cultural values around imperialism and the military-industrial complex. Growing up playing these games, the enemies that you're supposed to be fighting always represented foreign armies that weren't U.S. allies like the Chinese, Russians, or various Middle Eastern armies or organizations. If you're an American playing these types of games, the explicit sanctions of enemy military factions can cause you to implicitly reinforce these dynamics in real-life stereotypes.
We also now have simulation games that act as direct reflections of societal norms. Games like EA's "The Sims" reinforce or challenge different standards around human behavioral and social patterns as new editions come out, introducing more variety and diversity. (I think I want to return to simulations in another post later on!)
Implicit themes in media can either propagate conformity by reinforcing societal norms or inspire deviance by challenging them. For example, as hip-hop groups like NWA and Public Enemy rose in popularity, their songs resonated deeply with listeners who'd experienced racial discrimination or police brutality. Their music not only reflected these harsh realities but also galvanized an ongoing movement that challenged existing social norms and brought attention to systemic injustices.
The implicit content of literary or artistic works significantly influences how they are received and judged by the public. Works that conform to prevailing aesthetic norms generally receive immediate praise and recognition, while the ones that deviate from normal expectations might face resistance, atleast initially, but could later still be celebrated for their innovation. For example, the original "Bladerunner" movie was thought of as a box office flop, but it's now acclaimed as a cult classic.
This shows how media can become memetic over time when it invokes feelings of nostalgia, or a sentimental longing for the past. When media content frequently invokes nostalgia, it subtly reinforces the norms and values of the past. These norms become socially ingrained in our cultural memory and then internalized individually as we consume nostalgic media.
Here is an example of how "The Great Wave" has become a cultural meme, and interpretations of the artwork have been remixed and reimagined across other forms of media. It's no longer an artistic contrast of yin and yang, yet still invokes feelings of the same original artwork.
Remix Culture refers to the practice of reworking existing cultural artifacts to create something new. This phenomenon is deeply rooted in nostalgia, where old media forms are revived, repurposed, and celebrated. The prevalence of remixes in music, film, and art highlights a collective yearning for the past, reflecting shared cultural memories and values.
Engaging with nostalgic media allows people to connect with a larger community that shares similar cultural touchstones, thereby gaining social approval and reinforcing their identity within that group. The consistent exposure to nostalgic media can thus shape our cultural memory, making certain norms appear timeless and universally accepted, even if they're rooted in specific historical contexts.
Social accreditation of popular narratives leads to their continuous reproduction. Audiences validate these narratives through their consumption, signaling their ongoing relevance and desirability. This validation encourages the perpetuation of familiar stories in new forms. We can see this across all forms of media as certain myths continue to be reproduced in content. Whether it's mythological monsters like vampires or zombies, or superheroes and warriors embodying the hero's journey, or romantic dramas that perpetuate love stories, these narratives become memetic tropes, or reoccurring themes that continue to remain popular.
"Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon is a book about creativity in the digital age, advocating for the idea that nothing is original and that all creative work builds on what came before. Kleon encourages artists to embrace influence and remix existing ideas to create something new and unique. By recognizing the interconnectedness of all creative works, artists can draw inspiration from a multitude of sources, blending different styles, genres, and ideas to produce innovative content. This not only democratizes creativity, allowing more voices to contribute to the cultural dialogue, but also accelerates the evolution of media, as new works continuously build upon and transform the old.
Relating this to the impact of brand recognition in adverstising that we discussed with the example from "Mad Men," familiar titles and works of media benefit from brand recognition, which translates into immediate audience interest and marketing advantages. The success of familiar stories and characters ensures a strong box office performance and guaranteed merchandise sales. Connecting that to Chomsky and Herman's Propaganda model, we can see how the large profit-based mass media organizations orient their media content around these narratives that know will make them more money.
This is why if we look at the top Box Office hits from the last year, we can see they're mostly reboots, remakes, and sequels because they come with built-in audiences, reducing financial risk. Established franchises have proven track records, making them safer bets for profitability. The "Barbie" movie, which was the number one film of 2023, leverages decades of brand recognition and cultural significance. Toymaker Mattel is celebrating Barbie's 65th anniversary this year and the Barbie brand is now valued at approximately $720 million.
Another example can be found in the recent Jerry Seinfeld movie "Unfrosted", which is a satirical comedy that tells a fictional story of how toaster pastries like the Pop Tart came about in the 1960's during a rivalry between cereal companies Kellogg's and Post. The movie is filled with nostalgic memes and contemporary references. At one point, Jon Hamm shows up in the movie, seemingly portraying his "Mad Men" character, Don Draper offering Kellogg's a new sexy ad campaign for their new breakfast snacks.
The interplay between meme and remix culture is a dynamic and symbiotic relationship that amplifies the impact of both phenomena and has completely changed our interactions with art and literature.
Remix culture, as I stated earlier, involves reworking and reinterpreting existing cultural artifacts, provides a rich source of content for memes, infusing them with layers of nostalgia and shared cultural references.
Memes, in turn, act as vessels for these remixed ideas, rapidly disseminating them across social networks and embedding them in the collective consciousness. This process not only validates the original remixed content by making it relevant to contemporary audiences but also enhances the social capital of both the meme creators and the consumers who share them.
In this manner, memes and media both continuously reinforce or challenge power dynamics. A book winning a prestigious award or a critically acclaimed film often reaches a wider audience, amplifying its themes and messages. This explicit recognition can influence societal attitudes and beliefs, which lead to the media being remixed or reimagined later on.
Borrowing from Blackmore and Dawkins' works on memes and memetics, current research focuses on internet memes as cultural elements passed from person to person digitally. Two central attributes of internet memes are creative reproduction and intertextuality.
Intertextuality is the shaping of a text's meaning by another text. This can be through the use of things like quotations, allusions, translations or parody. Creative reproduction involves the tendency of a popular meme to become subject to parody and imitation, either through mimicry or remix.
The evolution of memes, media and technology highlights the complexities of content creation in the digital age. Digital platforms facilitate the instant exchange and reinterpretation of content, continuously shifting the power dynamics surrounding what gets accredited. Many memes are derived from pre-existing works, raising concerns about intellectual property ownership and copyright infringement. As generative AI technologies influence the creation and spread of new memes and digital media, these issues will only become more complex.
The Effects of Criticism in Media and Social Accreditation
Nowadays, we don’t just consume media and interpret the implicit meanings ourselves. Instead, we log in to YouTube, scroll down news feeds, and patrol the comments sections, seeking validation from how others have perceived and interpreted the same media content. This collective process of meaning-making and validation underscores the social nature of contemporary media consumption. Through likes, shares, and comments, people engage in a communal interpretation of media, reinforcing or challenging their own views based on the feedback and perspectives of others.
Criticism is the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work. In the context of social accreditation, criticism becomes essential in shaping which behaviors, values, and norms are validated or challenged. Criticism in media can either reinforce existing norms by discrediting deviant behaviors or catalyze social change by questioning established values.
The rapid innovations of media technology and the rise of digital platforms have transformed how criticism is both expressed and disseminated. Audit Culture, particularly within media criticism, involves the systematic scrutiny of media content, often through reviews, ratings, and public discourse. This culture reflects the explicit forms of social accreditation, where media products are assessed against established standards and norms. Critics and audiences alike participate in this evaluative process, bestowing credibility and status on media that aligns with societal expectations and values.
Through SAT, we understand that this process of accreditation isn't just about the media content itself but also about the social dynamics it influences. Positive reviews and high ratings can significantly enhance a media product’s credibility, encouraging wider acceptance and consumption. Conversely, negative reviews act as social sanctions, potentially leading to the marginalization or rejection of the content. This can explain why we always seem to see popular or notable works like Amazon's "The Boys" or Disney Star Wars' "The Acolyte" being review-bombed on sites like RottenTomatoes when they begin to reflect cultural norms around acceptance and diversity, or when they challenge norms around heteronormativity or traditional white patriarchal authority.
This "anti-woke" backlash is a great example of the state of contemporary media and social accreditation processes, where consumers automatically assume there is an agenda behind their interpretations of media content and their criticisms reflect or challenge the perceived agenda, not the quality of the actual media content.
People aren't totally off-based in thinking this way. This evaluative culture ensures that media creators are constantly aware of societal expectations, shaping their output to align with these standards to gain or maintain social standing. So, when people critique media now, they believe that there's a responsibility to monitor interpretations of the author's intentions in order to hold them socially accountable.
This is what so many creators and consumers talk about when they speak on "cancel culture," and why our society seems to be struggling with finding a balance between creating, consuming, and critiquing media through subjective interpretations of objective standards of authorship. And these ideas aren't new. Thinkers have been exploring the effects of interpretations for decades.
Roland Barthes' 1977 essay "The Death of the Author" argues that the author's intentions and biographical context should not confine the interpretation of a text. Instead, the reader's experience and interpretation become paramount. In the digital age, media content can be rapidly reinterpreted and repurposed by diverse audiences. This decoupling of authorial intent from meaning allows for a multitude of interpretations, challenging the original accreditation of a work and leading to new forms of social validation or critique.
Michel Foucault, in his '77 essay "What is an Author?", extends this concept by questioning the function of the author in society. He argued that the author is a construct that limits potential meanings of a text and maintains social order. In media criticism, challenging traditional notions of authorship can democratize content creation and interpretation, enabling a broader spectrum of voices to reshape societal norms and accreditation processes.
Even in 1966, Susan Sontag, in "Against Interpretation," critiqued the focus on interpreting content for hidden meanings and advocated for appreciating the sensory experience of art. Her perspective encouraged engaging with media more directly and authentically, free from preconceived notions and critical frameworks.
We can see how the interplay between these theoretical perspectives and the evolving media landscape highlights the dynamic nature of social accreditation. In this context, criticism too becomes a tool for both maintaining and reshaping societal standards.
For instance, viral social media campaigns often begin as grassroots movements challenging mainstream narratives. These campaigns, driven by collective criticism, can highlight previously marginalized issues. The #MeToo movement, started by a tweet from celebrity actress Alyssa Milano, is a prime example, where collective voices challenged entrenched norms around gender and power, leading to significant social and institutional changes.
As we continue to explore the effects of criticism on social accreditation processes, it's now glaringly evident that media technology and digital platforms have created a more dynamic and participatory public sphere. Importantly, this audit culture is not limited to media reviews, in future posts we'll see how it's impacted governance, finance, education, work, etc.
This new environment allows for the continuous reevaluation of societal standards, driven by collective interpretations and criticisms from diverse audiences. But the constant flow of content hinders this by making it feel like we can never keep up. People feel like they have to keep consuming more media to stay up-to-date with the changing norms and standards of the public sphere, but the sheer volume and speed at which media content is created and spread makes this near impossible because no one can seem to agree on which norms to put trust in, or which criticisms are valid. Recalling what I said about comedy earlier in the media narratives section, comedic narratives act as a critical lens, so in an effort to appear as funny and likeable, people now publicly critique everything because it's become such a major source for external validation.
Celebrity culture, audit culture, meme culture, and remix culture collectively represent social processes in the modern media landscape. Celebrities, often at the center of media content, drive the creation of memes that spread rapidly across digital platforms. These memes not only entertain but also reinforce or challenge societal norms through their widespread dissemination and reinterpretation (remix culture).
Criticism serves a dual role: it can reinforce celebrity-driven norms by discrediting behaviors that deviate from these ideals, or it can expose the superficiality of celebrity culture by highlighting the dissonance between image and substance. This interplay shapes public perception and social accreditation but can also lead to situations in which celebrities private lives become marketable and critiqued through public perceptions in media, blurring the lines between transparency and privacy and their public and authentic personas.
While working on this, I saw this recent commercial leveraging both celebrity influence and cultural nostalgia from a popular meme of the Rock's younger self to sell an energy drink. It's a great example of everything I'm talking about here.
I could write an entire book on just the influence of media on social accreditation processes. But there is plenty of research and studies on the affects of media and I've really enjoyed learning more about them as I was working on this blog. I hope it's clear that I'm not trying to ruin anyone's experiences or enjoyment from consuming media, but I hope that after reading this you feel a little more informed and confident in realizing how your choices in content consumption go on to influence your personal values, morals, norms and identity.
In the past, religious leaders provided societies with moral guidance and societal validation. Today, celebrities and influencers fill this void, their endorsements and behaviors shaping public values and norms. The strategies and aesthetics of celebrity culture are increasingly adopted by political and religious figures to gain popularity and influence, shifting the focus from policy, values and competence to charisma and media savviness.
Public discourse is also now shaped by the values propagated through celebrity culture. The prioritization of quick, visually appealing content over in-depth analysis leads to a society that values superficial engagement over meaningful dialogue. This shift affects how we form opinions, engage with complex issues, and participate in civic life. The combination of media, memes, and criticism in the digital age has created a public sphere that continuously shapes and reshapes societal norms. But again, it's all driven by superficial engagement, making it difficult for people to find any real source of meaning or validation in media.
Through the SAT framework, we see that the emphasis on image and celebrity-driven narratives has led to a culture where public perception is heavily influenced by media narratives. Just as media shapes public perception and societal norms, religious practices have historically been a dominant source of social accreditation of behaviors, values, and identities, namely our ethical standards. In the next blog, I want to examine the social accreditation of religious practices and institutions, exploring how they validate and reinforce societal norms, and how they adapt to and influence contemporary culture.
Thank you for reading this!
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References/Further Reading:
Barthes, R. (1977). The death of the author. In S. Heath (Trans.), Image-music-text (pp. 142-148). Hill and Wang.
Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies.
Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge.
Blackmore, S. (1999). The Meme Machine.
Chomsky, N., & Herman, E. S. (1988). Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media.
Cialdini, R. B. (1993). Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.
Cooley, C. H. (1902). Human Nature and the Social Order.
Cukier, K., Mayer-Schönberger, V., & de Véricourt, F. (2021). Framers: Human advantage in an age of technology and turmoil. Dutton.
Dawkins, R. (1976). The Selfish Gene.
Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance.
Foucault, M. (1977). What is an author? In D. F. Bouchard (Ed.), Language, counter-memory, practice: Selected essays and interviews (D. F. Bouchard & S. Simon, Trans., pp. 124-127). Cornell University Press.
Habermas, J. (1989). The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society.
Hedges, C. (2009). Empire of illusion: The end of literacy and the triumph of spectacle. Nation Books.
Jeacle, I., & Carter, C. (2022). Audit society goes viral: The rise of the online auditor. Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, 19(2), 231-240. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRAM-10-2021-0185
Sontag, S. (1966). Against interpretation. In Against interpretation and other essays (pp. 3-14). Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: The extensions of man. New American Library.
Yasmin, S. (2023). What the fact?: Finding the truth in all the noise. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.