BLOG RESPONSE 4

               After looking through some of my classmates’ blog entries on satirical news and its value in our society, I have realised two very important commonalities in the opinions of my peers. Firstly, many of my peers believe satirical news shows to be more revealing than regular news broadcasts; and secondly, people are starting to turn away from the modified stories that the media offers in its regular news broadcasts, simply because viewers are becoming more and more aware of this on-going modification.

                Keenan Beaumont (http://keenbeau80.wordpress.com)mentioned in his blog that he thinks satirical media is a true form of culture jamming in our society. He also mentions how regular news-broadcasts are often prevented from revealing all the facts involved in these stories; and satirical news simply allows people to form their own opinions about certain public occurrences.  He believes satirical news shows are a part of culture-jamming, and that they do have a place in our public sphere. I personally agree with what Keegan is saying here because I have always classified satirical television shows as the “call-out shows” of our society; or in other terms, a show that reveals unrevealed evidence and allows us to form our own opinion on certain events. Regular news is the summary but satirical news shows are the summary AND the (comic) reflection.

                Ms. Hough (http://nhough95.wordpress.com/) mentioned in her blog that culture jamming has always been referred to as a way to advertise. Therefore, satirical news shows’ attempt to point out the faults of prominent figures becomes a serious problem; simply because it is taken as a negative advertisement. I do agree with what Ms. Hough is saying here, however at the same time I believe there is a distinction between satirical media and satirical politics. I also believe that culture-jamming is still a vital part of our well-informed public sphere. People can call satirical news shows fake, however the way I see it is an opportunity to see stories from another (comical yet realistic) view; and an opportunity for viewers to form their own opinions.

                Elana Dulberg (http://elanadulberg.wordpress.com/) stated in her blog that she believes “shows that frequently culture-jam such as Jimmy Kimmel and SNL are now becoming a mainstream form of media”. Respectfully, I disagree. The regular news broadcasts we see everyday still reign supreme. I believe the reason why satirical television shows have not become mainstream forms of media is because of the connotations still surrounding these shows. People still believe these shows to be false informed, attacking and too lay-back. I believe if satirical television was not still surrounded with these connotations, it would be considered an ideal place to learn information. This is because it informs us about events from a different view(even the bad-side) and allows us to form opinions of our own.

Jake Coetzee