We're always searching for something to make our lives "complete" and it seems to me that people have fixated on an idea of what it means live a meaningful life that will bring fulfillment to them. This idea is something that we take in from our culture and shapes our definition of what meaning is. There are different views as to what that is, but many of them have the same idea because we base what we think from what we know, which is our culture. Its like a cycle, that is repeated with each generation, and as the times change, it is tweaked but stays basically the same. Big Subculture, Corporate Culture, and Folk Culture are the ones where we get the idea of what is meaningful or not from.
This isn't exactly a bad thing, because we have to get our ideals, and thought processes from somewhere, and if not from media, we would probably be influenced by something else, like society. During a time in the 20th century when technology had not progressed like it has now, the culture's message was based on society and to a large part, religion which is part of the Big Subcultures. Since the message was that Men were seen as better or at a higher status then women (interpreted from the bible by men), everyone thought that it was true and abided by that train of thought. Culturely speaking, meaningful was a woman staying home by the hearth and taking care of the children. Girls grew up like that excepting that eventually when they come to a certain point of their lives they will settle down and take care of the children. So, for a long time it was like that before someone thought to question the way it has always been. Change in what we think is meaningful or not is largely due to circumstance, and circumstance demanded for change. When World War I came alot of the men were drafted. Because of the large demand of jobs and not enough men to fill the positions, it was women who for the first time were accepted into the work force in large numbers. This expanded their views because as that became acceptable what was meaningful started to change for women. That they have this oppurtunity, our culture had to adapt and accept that meaning can be found at work too and that settling down isn't necessarily the only way to a meaningful life. Like that meaning can change and adapt to include our circumstances. Even now, we still get the idea that settling down and starting a family is part of what we should do to have a meaningful life, but it is not limited to just that idea anymore.
Of course my idea of a meaningful life is partial to what media and society tells me, but there's always more to it than that. To me a meaningful life is very much apart of what relationships we create and shape with others. Its also contentment and
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival." - C. S. Lewis.
Human connection is very innate. Even as children we start forming relationships with our family or friends. Part of that is through imitation, but the other part is unimitable, the feelings we draw from it. That is something that many people would agree to be meaningful, whether it come from family of friends.
Corporate Media sends us alot of different messages on what it means to live a meaningful life. Because Corporate Culture is aimed to sell, alot of what they tell us is biased towards certain messages. Often in these ads from corporate message, they show us an image of what we should want and what we should be, by suggesting that this is what we are not, and that by buying these products we can be. These kind of ads plays on people's insecurities and works, simply by saying that we need it for our lives to be meaningful.
If you look in any magazine there are ads that tell us to buy something. One such ad can be found in Businessweek, the issue on Nov. 10, 2008, page 72 where we can see a picturesque scene of roomy indoor cabins and red wine in a plane, decorated in a comfy and luxurious way. This ad, like many others, sends the message that money and luxury is part of having a meaningful life, being able to afford "the best". The ad talks about how it is the 'greenest' in its class playing on a trend towards caring for the planet. Being from corporate media the ad is aimed to get consumers and does that by sending the message that lavishness and extravagance will grant us that.
Even the music videos that is watched in entertainment sends us a message that having alot of money to buy things with is important to living a good and meaningful life. In The Good Life by Kenye West the video is basically telling people that having a good life equates to having money and women. Fame and popularity and having everyone know you and being "better" than everyone else is part of living the good life, and that he has that and he is living the good life.When he sings "shit, they say the best things in life are free" its saying that obviously money and the things you can buy with them are better, "And watch the money pile up, the good life" add that money is conducive to having a good life. He also shows that women are part of it, "And she got the goods/And she got that ass, I got to look" but it seems kind of superficial because he only mentions her body and not any other attributes besides that. Having everyone know him and about him is part of the message too "Now I, I go for mine, I got to shine/Now throw your hands up in the sky/Now I, I go for mine, I got to shine/Now throw your hands up in the sky" This kind of shows that, because the people, his fans, are there to listen to his music and to him "shine". The images support the theme and message of the video by showing Kanye over a crowd of people at the same time the lyrics sing "Now throw your hands up in the sky/Now I, I go for mine, I got to shine", and many of images of women, cheerleaders, a woman in a lowcut shirt, etc. Theres pictures of money piling up, and of different places he can go to like LA or New York, or Miami because he has all this money.
"Welcome to the good life
Where we like the girls who ain't on TV"
Its funny to them the "good life" starts where they no longer want the "hot" models on tv all the boys go after and the other messages usually tell people that those are the girls other girls want to be like and boys want to "get with".
"I don't think he should
50 told me go 'head switch the style up
And if they hate then let 'em hate"
He no longer thinks the criticisms of others is important. I thinks thats a good message because you can't control how others will think of you, so accepting that what will happen will happen makes it a lot easier when it does happen. The good life is the point where you can "do as you will".
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