The Influence of Technology on Radio

The radio industry began to take flight in the US during the 1920's . Several factors such as government regulation, audience demand, and industrial direction shaped the formation of the radio industry. However, the advancement in technology was by far the most influential force of them all because it allowed the radio to be an everyday household item, cultivating a culture and industry that has evolved to become what it is today.

Radio communication began as a "wireless telegraph" created by inventor Guglielmo Marconi in 1896, used to carry messages in Morse code. As the years progressed, Manager of American Marconi David Sarnoff "proposed a plan of development which would make radio a 'household utility' in the same sense as the piano or phonograph." He envisioned it to be "designed in the form of a simple 'Radio Music Box' and arranged for several different wavelengths, which should be changeable with the throwing of a single switch or pressing of a single button," (Straubhaar 161). This vision was eventually actualized as technology allowed the radio to be accessible to most homes.

Because the new radio technology was utilized by the majority of the population, this propelled the commercial and entertainment aspects of the radio industry during the 1920's. The prevalence of radios in households led manufacturers to advertise their products on air and entertainers to reach a larger audience. This advancement in technology was crucial to the economic and social aspects of the radio industry as industries sponsored programs and listeners received not only entertainment, but also news. "People were so enthusiastic about the new medium that they accepted the ads without much objection, and a commercial advertising-based model was soon firmly entrenched," (Straubhaar 162-163). The excitement that came with new technology definitely helped the radio system flourish in its early stages.

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Social Learning Theory

The social learning theory maintains that people learn new behavior by observing one another's actions. If such actions yield positive results, then people are more inclined to imitate those behaviors. In the context of media, viewers of movies or television shows may identify themselves with the cast and model their lives after the fictional characters'. When these characters are rewarded for their illegal or irresponsible behavior on screen, viewers are further encouraged to mimic them.

"Weeds" is a comedy-drama television series that promotes such observational learning because it rewards rather than punishes corrupt behavior. It follows the lives of suburban housewife and recently widowed Nancy Botwin and her family. Having just lost her husband Judah to death by heart attack, the series begins with Nancy dealing marijuana to support her family. After several seasons of trial and resolution, Season 5 concludes with Nancy's son Shane murdering an adversary with a croquet mallet.

The following video is the preview for Season 6, which premiered on August 16th:

The trailer reveals that, after Shane kills Pilar, the Botwins are on the run as they take on their new identities as the "Newmans." The scenes show the "Newmans" attempting to lead normal, "law-abiding" lives with a humorous twist. At the conclusion of the video, Nancy resorts back to dealing. Instead of weed though, she deals hash.

Rather than facing authorities and turning Shane in for the murder, the Botwins evade the law for a fresh start. Though they profess to wanting to lead normal lives, they eventually return to their previous crimes. By masking these felonies with humor, the show makes crimes such as dealing/smoking weed, murder, and aiding and abetting seem acceptable to society. It downplays the gravity of misdemeanors by showing how much fun the Botwins are having and how they are able to live above the law. The show also encourages viewers to smoke weed by making marijuana seem prevalent and easily obtained. The fact that the Botwins always somehow escape ill consequences only further encourages the audience to imitate them and reap the "benefits" depicted in the show.

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Hegemony in Commercials

Hegemony is an ideology asserted by dominant groups in a society in order maintain power. While this may be confused with obtaining control through brute force, in Hegemony, power is actually achieved through consensus. It does so by making certain ideas a part of everyday life. Through media, people are influenced to embrace the presented perspectives as the social norm.

The concept of hegemony gives me insight into the following Calvin Klein commercial by showing me how companies exploit the physical qualities of men to their advantage.

This commercial is a part of Calvin Klein's X Underwear campaign. Throughout the commercial, the video features close-up shots of attractive, topless men asking whether the audience wants to see their "bleep." Toying with their underwear waistband, the men are presented as confident and provocative. The slogan "X marks the spot" also emphasizes the male organ and highlights the men's masculinity. By including men of different ethnicities such as African American, White, Asian, and Hispanic, the underlying consensus is that all men who wear Calvin Klein underwear naturally have the build and charm that these men have. Because people associate being tough and being a pimp with being a "real man," the commercial targets both males and females from a wide age range, thereby establishing Calvin Klein X Underwear as the underwear that any "real man" should purchase. This is therefore an extremely successful use of hegemony by Calvin Klein.

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