Television Language of White Noise Essay - 1736 Words

Television Language of White Noise Television, in our culture, is by far the most dominant medium of communication and stimulation. The fears, the joys, and the horrors of the world are all channeled through television. As seen in the Rodney King police beating videotape, television can incite in a population sheer and utter rage and dark hostility. That same footage; however, can also detract from the very anger it incites. After countless times of viewing the footage, in a never-ending Simulacrum of the same grainy image, the masses became desensitized to its graphic violence. In fact, the repetitive viewing of the footage during the trial led to the desensitization of the jury and the acquittals of the guilty officers. In White†¦show more content†¦Who are they designed for? What is your place in the marketing scheme? Once youre out of school, it is only a matter of time before you experience the vast loneliness and dissatisfaction of consumers who have lost their group identity (qtd. Frow 50). Frow seems a little distressed by this passage, for how bleak is a society if an individual is only important as judged by their perceived value/commodity relationship with television. Frow says, The propositions are monstrous, but only because we find it so hard to believe (426). By falling into the trap of this distrust of television Frow falls into the same trap that Wilders students stumble into: Television is the death throes of human consciousness#8230;Theyre ashamed of their television past (DeLillo 51). Frow does not see what Wilder sees: the beauty of the television medium as a means of escape. In fact, like the students, Frow is embarrassed that a relationship of value between humanity and television could even be established. Frow is astute; however, in noting that DeLillo is not interested primarily in the negative aspects of the television simulacrum, but instead in its importance to the American lifestyle. By saying that when one becomes devalued to television they beco me full of loneliness and dissatisfaction, DeLillo is saying that the reverse must be true. If one is connected to the experience of television one is satisfied andShow MoreRelatedEssay on Theme of Death in White Noise1107 Words   |  5 PagesWhite Noise Death is probably the most feared word in the English language. Its undesired uncertainty threatens society’s desire to believe that life never ends. Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise tells the bizarre story of how Jack Gladney and his family illustrate the postmodern ideas of religion, death, and popular culture. 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