Golda Fukesman

5/11/2016
CM 203
Homework, Week 13
Gil Scott Herons song, The Revolution Will Not be Televised has a clear and powerful
message for its listeners: change does not come from slogans and sentiments; only from action.
Heron challenges the image of revolution that is portrayed on social media- the revolution that is
grand and dramatic and easy on the eye. He is also challenging the consumer for buying into that
simplified and idealized presentation. Herons critique of consumer culture is that people are
content to merely watch the news, read journals and news reports, and accept the information
and stories being told without further research. Once the medias presentation of the truth
becomes completely trusted, the media is in a powerful position to shape societies views and
opinions of current events.
Propaganda is defined as information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used
to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view (Merriam Webster). The
more accessible media becomes, the easier it becomes to spread specific viewpoints and biased
stories. All the revolutions and wars of the 18th and 19th centuries were commanded by leaders
who spread their revolutionarly ideas via mere books, newspapers and word of mouth. The
invention of movies created a new possible platform for propaganda to be introduced to children
and adults. The growth of social media and its far reaching effects makes propaganda spreading
even eaiser. Herons lyrics decry passive thought and urge people to action.
Currently, the social media has wildly assisted social justice warriors, in spreading their
cause and message throughout a diverse and extensive platform. With the advent of Twitter and
hashtags, social justice movements were able to gain momentum by simply specificying an
agenda and then creating a catchy hashtag. Social media users quickly picked up on that, and use
hashtags to easily and effectively link themselves to a social cause they believe in.
Another aspect of social media that assists social justice movements is that celebrities
often take the side of certain organization or cause, and the added publicity attracts many new
followers. The ALS challenge spread like wildfire throughout social media, and almost all
celebrities joined the challenge, sharing their own videos and tagging other celebrity friends. The
campaign was wildly successful, raising roughly $115 million, according to CNN.
Social media also helps spread ideas that reshape the nations moral outlook. When gay
marriage was approved by the Supreme Court in 2015, the reactions on social media told of
almost universal acceptance, joy and approval. Its opponents also had a voice various social
media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and so it was easy for the public to gain easy access
into the two warring views, and the philosophies and reasoning behind them. Social media
continues being both a tool and weapon for social justice movements, and when channeled
properly, its power is astonishing.

Herons sentiments definitely apply to the media today and its relationship with the
public. In 2016, it has become easier than ever to use the Internet to research important topics on
ones own, and dig deeply into objective reports and studies, using them to form an opinion that
is true to oneself and ones own morals. It seems however, that for the most part, social media
has accommodated our human urge to be lazy and complacent. People are content with having
social justice causes being fed to them and accept the issues with little compunction. Our modern
selves are also guilty of fighting a glorified revolution from the comfort of our phone screens; we
abstain from committing to a revolution that, as Heron puts it, will put us in the drivers seat.
The feminist movement interests me because a) I am a woman and b) the movement
seems to have kept its momentum while at the same time shifting its outlook with the changes of
society. The goal of feminism is to establish equal economic and social status, education, and
rights between men and women. The earliest of its kind was the Suffrage Movement, which
fought for womens right to vote and triumphed. Now that many of its battles have been won,
feminists are reshaping their priorities and platforms.
According to an article titled, Feminism Now: What the Third Wave is Really About in
the magazine, Everyday Feminism, modern feminists objectives is to spread awareness of any
patriarchial or abuse of women in the mainstream system, change the way women are objectified
within the movie and marketing industry, and combat standard language or catchphrases that
demean women. All these objectives are reasonable and definitely attainable. While they lack the
urgency and severity of the causes of the early feminists, it is a fair attempt to challenge
internalized flaws in society that one feels is unjustified or harmful.
It seems that feminisms strongest platform is social media, in which it is easy to spread
awareness and gain support. The issue with feminism is that it has an appeal to most women, and
that causes the makeup of its population extremely diverse in ethnicity, religious beliefs,
economic status, education level, etc. As a result, while the pro-abortion movement is chiefly
supported by feminists, there is a fraction of feminists that consider themselves pro-life, due to
religious or other personal reasons. Social media allows the movement to unite and disperse,
depending on the given issue. Anyone can participate by sharing statistics, videos, poems or
personal testimonies that support the feminist outlook. There are rallies one can join, newspapers
and books one can read, and various organizations one can volunteer for- to help women in need,
escaping abuse, etc.
I am unsure if I would join the feminist movement. While there is nothing in feminists
goals that I disagree with, I do feel that the movement itself is too fractioned and,
misrepresented. I believe that in essence, feminism has already won and women are treated as
equals to men in general society. By now, feminism is regarded by many as angry, obnoxious and
overboard and I wouldnt want to be a part of that. However, if at any given stage, feminism
would refocus its goals to helping battered, poverty- stricken or uneducated women, I most
probably would indeed join.