Bell Hooks' Cultural Critique of Madonna: Response
Watch the video clip here. It's only 6 minutes long, and worth it.
Bell makes some really interesting points in this clip. She talks about how Madonna reinvents herself to make herself more appealing to the public, and to make more money. Bell claims that Madonna's greed for money makes her reject her morals and personal values.
When Madonna made racist claims in a magazine, such as how, in her opinion, black people are the most sexist people in the whole world, it did not cause public outrage. Additionally, the magazine in question was not concerned with hearing a critique because the issue had brought in a lot of money.
Bell believes that (well, at least in Madonna's heyday when this was produced) racial discrimination is not important, as everyone speaks the language of money. As long as money is being made, discrimination and patriarchy can be overlooked.
It's definitely an interesting way of looking at how the media works, and it raises an important question: if the media and entertainment industry is governed by the prevailing principle that whatever sells best goes, regardless of the potential negative social impact, then is the media really fulfilling its role?
Yes, people self select into the media. Some people want to be entertained, others want to be informed. Or perhaps they desire a mix. Regardless, is it okay for the entertainment industry to be promoting the system of patriarchy, which has been so bravely fought against for decades by feminists? Is it okay to reinforce racial discrimination? Have we really come so far, only to take a giant leap back because positive social messages are not selling as much as we'd like?
I understand that these businesses need to make money to survive and thrive. That is a fact of a capitalist society. But surely it's in the power of the viewer to choose to not support misogynistic, racist, and discriminatory entertainment sources?
If certain academics are correct, and the media is simply a reflection of society rather than behaviour provoking, then we need to change our attitude. The entertainment industry is ultimately making its money from us, the consumers.
As a final note I'd like to pose a question: if the media is reinforcing discrimination, or at least making it seem socially acceptable, will government policy making bodies be less likely to take the rights of those effected groups seriously? For example, if the prevailing message of the entertainment industry is that it's okay to make fun out of homosexuals, will it be harder for them to achieve the same rights as heterosexual couples?
