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| My So-Called Life Complete Series Source: Best Buy.ca |
In the second chapter of Critical Media Studies: an Introduction, identified as “Marxist
Analysis,” Brian L. Ott and Robert L.
Mack are suggestive of the fact that money is as integral a component as any
when observing the issue of media contacting those who come to have a
relationship with it through enjoying television shows for instance, or observing
a movie (21, 37). Having read the assigned piece, my interest continues to be
invested with two instances of this dynamic: the first is an ABC television show
introduced in the mid 1990’s entitled My
So-Called Life, while the other is a movie brought to life through the work
of New Line Cinema, that of Rush Hour
(1998) (Ott and Mack 37). Beginning with the former, Ott and Mack suggest that
the trajectory of My So-Called Life looks
to 1994 for its beginning, where its viewers believed that the television they
were watching when consuming the program in question carried a truly strong
semblance to the conception of teenage-hood, including a proper judgement of high
school through its illustration (Ott and Mack 27). Popularity failed to achieve
victory over economic concern however, as the wish for a second season never
came to fruition: the main catalyst looked to the fact that My So-Called Life was designed for the
consumption of the younger people illustrated in the program itself, which
simultaneously meant that it did not appear truly lucrative when viewed in the
sight of advertisers whose money was to be relocated into the pockets of ABC
for the delivery of commercials (Ott and Mack 27)
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| Rush Hour (1998) (Blu-ray) Source: Best Buy.ca |
The movie Rush Hour also brought popularity into
its grasp (Ott and Mack 37), though its trajectory would be different than the
aforementioned television show. During the film’s sojourn in movie theatres, it
was the recipient of $141 million, while its trek to locations allowing the
rental of films was also economically triumphant, garnering $54 million (Ott
and Mack 37). Ott and Mack acknowledge that the monetary figures which
represent Rush Hour almost
necessitate further incarnations of the film, which was certainly true for the
New Line Cinema product, as an accompanying sequel met the eyes of the public
in 2001, while an additional component of the franchise would come to fruition
in 2007 (37). What accounts for this dynamic is that a film carries with it a
vicious economic strike, reaping many millions of dollars for production and
marketing individually, while the studio understandably wishes for nothing more
than a positive reaction from society’s audience, meaning that money will once
more meet them (Ott and Mack 37).
What are the similarities and differences between My So-Called Life and Rush Hour? Both held success in the palm
of their hands, evident in the figures for the latter as I have acknowledged
above, and evident in reference to the television show by the fact that
presumably in a short duration of time of hearing that the show will no longer
find representation on television screens, what is described as a “massive fan
letter-writing campaign” gained life (Ott and Mack 21). The difference is that
the fans of My So-Called Life allocated
their passion for the program, aside from watching its episodes, to fighting
vehemently for its continuation through the television medium (Ott and Mack 21); supporters of Rush Hour were characterized as purchasing movie tickets and bringing themselves to rental stores, which was an economically beneficial scenario for New Line Cinema (Ott and Mack 37). In the end, one group of fans got the opportunity to lock their eyes upon Rush Hour's characters in additional pieces of the franchise (Ott and Mack 37) while the other group were relegated to making peace with the fact that their television program would have its life taken away (Ott and Mack 21). Given the circumstances of both the tv show and film, there can be little ambiguity of the stage which money commands in the direction of media (Ott and Mack 21).
Works Cited
My So-Called Life: Complete Series. Best Buy.ca. Web Image. n.d. 15 Sept. 2013.
Ott, Brian L., and Robert L. Mack. "Marxist Analysis." Critical Media Studies: an Introduction.
Malden: Wiley-Blackwell. 2010. 21-46. Print.
Rush Hour (1998) (Blu-ray). Best Buy.ca. Web Image. n.d. 15 Sept. 2013.
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