Page 158 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

IDEOLOGICAL APPROACH

The horror genre is well suited to present ideological themes dealing
with social class. Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro declares, “Horror is the
most interesting genre to portray the class struggle. Nothing else captures
the ‘otherness’ of social outcasts as powerfully.” Thus, according to
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film critic David Edelstein, Gary Sherman’s grotesque subway cannibal
picture, Raw Meat (1972) is a portrait of an underclass kept out of sight
by a cruel, authoritarian society. 25
Reality shows such as The Apprentice focus on the ideology of con-
sumer culture. The series conveys the following cumulative messages
about the road to success in consumer culture.
All’s Fair in Business. In the course of the series, the female contestants
are encouraged to use their sexuality as a tool to get ahead. Media critic
Alessandra Stanley observes:

The supposedly unscripted business techniques that the contestants used to
get ahead were not exactly edifying. The women, all young and attractive,
traded shamelessly on their sex appeal, at one point calling themselves the
Planet Hollywood Shooter Girls and coquettishly coaxing male customers
to drink themselves senseless. 26
Bend the Rules When It Is to Your Advantage. In the series, contestants
are winnowed down, based on their ambition, drive, and willingness to
suspend the rules. In one episode, Kwame, an African American, sat in
front of a restaurant and sold autographed merchandise, allowing children
to believe he was an NBA star. Stanley notes, “[Donald] Trump chided
contestants for their ethical breaches but never punished them. Even in this
sobered age of Tyco and Martha Stewart, the subliminal message of ‘The
Apprentice’ is that it is better to break the rules than lose a deal.” 27

Genres and Social Commentary

At times, an ideological dialogue is carried on through popular genres.
For instance, music videos have emerged as an arena for social com-
mentary on the war in Iraq. Rap musicians like Eminem were among the
first to voice their opposition to the war. In contrast, country musicians
like Toby Keith performed songs such as “Courtesy of the Red, White
and Blue” that expressed support for the war.
The sudden appearance of social criticism in a popular genre may also
signal shifts in public sentiments. For instance, in 2003 Natalie Maines,
lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, spoke out against the Iraq War. She was

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