Edison Community College...
The effect of TV and Video Art on Society’s Values
by Brittany Bridenbaugh
Humanities 121   

May 1, 2012 

Television is the most widely used artistic medium in culture. It grew out of the radio broadcasts of the early decades of the twentieth century and developed in part from traditions of drama and film. The model established by the United States has become virtually the norm. 

The subject matter of a given television program can range from the social interaction of character all the way to the political and historical issues. Films were slow to arrive on the television screen, so hour-long dramas were produced for the Hallmark Hall of Fame and other shows. Half-hour situation comedies and hour-long drama series began to dominate network television as they do today 

Studying the content of early situation comedies reveals much about the social structure of the family and the larger community. The important thing about the usual series episode on television is that it is self-contained. It does not need preparation in advance, nor does it need explanation. Like a brief stage play, it is complete in itself. While the standard production film is about 120 minutes long, a television serial production can be open-ended. Television serials are things like children’s cartoons and soap operas. 

Like commercial dramatic television, video art makes use of the video terminal or video projection, video images, and usually some form of sound associated with the images. Video Art usually avoids a dramatic narrative line of the kind that involves points of tension, climax, or resolution. Video Art is usually more experimental and radical in structure. 

Television and Video Art relate to humanities because Television and Video Art affect people’s values. The shows on Television mostly affect young kids and teenagers. When they see people they look up to characters on TV doing things that should not be done. They begin to look cool; therefore, the young kids and teenagers start to do these things. It changes their pure and innocent values to what the TV seems to suggest they value. 

Television and Video Art also relate to humanities because it changed the way society is. It allowed and still allows people to get information about the news and weather faster and also gives people a way of entertainment. 

Editor’s note: Last fall I taught “Art in the Humanities,” an introductory level course at the Edison Darke County Campus. Among the many projects the students addressed were different forms of art, from painting, television and music, to visits to DCCA events, Bears Mill, Garst Museum and Shawnee Prairie. The purpose was to discuss their evaluation of how the assignments related to “art” and/or the “humanities.” Some of the best reports are being presented, with the student’s permission, on County News Online. The opinions expressed in these reports have not been altered in any manner.