A0071153R assignment1

8/3/2019 A0071153R assignment1

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Compared to the nickelodeon era where there was a cleardivide between highbrow and lowbrow culture, I believe that

we now have an amalgamation of both. Society has alwaysdrawn a clear line between these two cultures, with one beingsuperior to the other. I argue that with the easy availability ofmedia content, there would soon be no need to draw suchclear divisions between the two cultures.

WHY THEDIVIDE?


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Nickelodeons Modern Cinemas

It has been assumed that a certain type of culture caters to a specificstratum of society. But with advances in technology, I believe that anytype of media content can be accessed by any person, regardless of their

social status. Nickelodeons will be compared to the conventionalmodern cinemas.


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The AudienceFirstly, historians have always emphasised that the

majority of nickelodeons audience were from the

ghettos (Merritt, 2002). For a cheap price and an

opportunity to mingle with people of their kind, itmeant that nickelodeons were a common gathering

point (Merritt, 2002). People who frequented

nickelodeons were often stereotyped to be them

who lacked the social graces of high society.

This perception has changed over time if we were to

compare them to the movie-goers who patronize the

modern cinemas we have in Singapore now. There

are no class barriers as to who can watch whichmovies. Patrons are rarely barred from entering the

cinemas. The only restriction in place is the age limit

that some movies have, which is perfectly

reasonable. People from all walks of life can go to the

cinema, and even children from the working class are

exposed to the cinemas on class excursions. Nojudgement is passed on the movie-goers.


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Also, in our multicultural country,

movies which are not in English would

be subtitled to cater to our largely

English-speaking audience. This is

especially so for popular Singapore-

made movies such as those by

acclaimed director Jack Neo .

Although the films are in Mandarin, it

appeals to all Singaporeans, regardlessof race or social status, due to the

witty references to the Singaporean

way of life.

The Audience


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The Media Content

Nickelodeons were used in a wide variety of functions, from sing-a-longs to lectures

(Merritt, 2002). It may attract different sets of audiences for each function, such as

lectures for the intellects. Cinemas now offer a more streamlined purpose- to showmovies. This meant that the mass audience will be exposed to the same media

content, be it popular culture or high culture. This relates to my argument that in

cinemas, there is an amalgamation of media content, and it is easily available for the

public to consume.

Sesame Street + Shakespeare


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In cinemas now, all genres of movies are shown. For example, the Cinema Europasection in Golden Village Singapore shows independent, artsy films that are usuallyassociated with the well-heeled in society. The mass audience can have a choice of

watching these independent films or mass manufactured movies at the same price,and at the same location (GV Vivocity) for their convenience. Therefore, there is hardlya need to classify media content into which stratum of society it appeals to when it iseasily available for public consumption.

The Media Content


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The Media ContentThere also seems to be a reinforcement of media content from high culture(Thorburn & Jenkins, 1990). Shakespearean plays, often associated with the eliteand educated class, are now repackaged into movies that have a more

mainstream appeal (1). People who previously shunned the intellectually-engaging Shakespearean plays would now be able to appreciate Shakespearesstorylines from watching the movies. Some may contend that there will be adilution of the greatness that comes with Shakespearean plays, but I believe thatthe mass public should be given the chance to experience high culture, regardlessof the class and identity associated with it.

1) Hamlet (2000), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), Othello (1995) from http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/greatest_shakespeare_movies

2000 1999 1995


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To Conclude

In conclusion, the audience and mediacontent are some of the factors thatplays a part in ensuring that mediacontent is not divided into the differentclasses for society. I believe thateveryone should have equal access toall media content and it will be up tothem to choose whether to utilize thecontent or not. Institutions should notconfer to the system of cultural valueand dictate who can consume whatcontent. All media has the same valueand it would be unfair to place them ona cultural-value spectrum.


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ReferencesMerritt, R. (2002). The Nickelodeon Theater, 1905-1914. Film: The Exhibition Reader, 21-27.Thorburn, D., & Jenkins, H. (1990). Towards an Aesthetics of Transition. Rethinking Media Change, 1-18.

Images (in order of appearance)

i. Cover of: Popular Culture and High Culture by Herbert Gans, Gans, Herbert Jii. Interior of a nickelodeon theatre in Pittsburg (www.memory.loc.gov); Interior of Golden

Village Cinemas (www.gv.com.sg)

iii. Children in the cinema in the early 1900s (www.filmeducation.org); Modern cinema

audience (www.cinemastyles.blogspot.com)

iv. Movie posters for I Not Stupid (2002), I Not Stupid Too (2006), Money No Enough (2008)

and Homerun (2003) directed largely by Jack Neo

v. Sesame street image - Discussie over "Low culture" en "High cultureSieb Posthuma NRCHandelsblad 9 May 2005

vi. Gold Class, GV Max, Cinema Europa from (ww.gv.com.sg)

vii. Hamlet (2000), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), Othello (1995) from

(http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/greatest_shakespeare_movies)

viii. Skyscraper representing High Culture and Low Culture (kingsmasscommintro.wikispaces.com)

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