The Truman Show

The Truman Show is a movie

about a man who is held captive

inside a world that revolves

around him. Truman Burbank,

the main character has been

raised on a huge TV

Soundstage filled with hidden

cameras and actors who

pretend to be his friends and

family. This world is one

where he is literally trapped in

his own life by the surreal

existence in which he has

been forced to spend every

day of his thirty years. Since

the day he was born Truman

Burbank's life was controlled

from a huge control panel in the

sky; controlled by a manipulation

of how life should be, in a perfect

world. At the hands of such

manipulators we see how the

role of media in our world

persuades us into living in a way

that we would otherwise not

intend to.

It is quite often oblivious to all of

us, the effect that media has on

us. However, where ever we look

the effects of media have altered

the coarse of living. The clothes

we wear, the sports we play, the

music we listen to and our

political opinions, are all aspects

that are influenced by the media.

Advertising is the chief culprit in

many cases.

We often see others responding

to the effects of media whether it

is consciously or subconsciously.

As victims of commercialism, we

then respond to those who have

been effected by media. An

example of this is the clothes

that we wear. We see people on

television and else where,

looking trendy and we respond

to it by going out and aiming to

look the same way, therefore

buying the clothes. There are

many devices that aid in media's

effect on people. Television,

radio, newspapers, billboards;

magazines and the Internet are

all forms of media and they all

are forever surrounding us. One

or the other is sure to appease to

most people's tastes.

Pessimism we can see is often a

device of the media; it seems to

attract much attention.