No matter where we get out daily news or entertainment from, the creators of the information are trying to push some sort of idea to their audience. This process in the media industry is known as hegemony. Through constant reinforcements of a certain ideology, a dominant (most likely, more wealthy) group can turn a few ideas into accepted common knowledge of a mass group of people. Although hegemony has proven to be extremely effective, the ideals created by such a process are by no means permanent.
Hegemony is not simply an aspect of the media. The influence of different groups can be seen anywhere, whether it be a celebrity creating a new hair trend or a church influencing political views. The most unsettling feature of hegemony in all forms? The fact that none of us seem to be aware that is in fact influencing us.
One example of hegemony that I remember from a couple years back was a commercial for Jim Beam Bourbon, in which the "perfect girlfriend" is described. Clearly catering towards males, the commercial went on to feature a young woman expressing how she didn't care if her partner didn't treat her well or respect her. Beyond the fact that the commercial was offensive to women, it also helped to reinforce the idea that men care very little about what their partner has to say or how she feels. Although the commercial is clearly a stretch and certainly does not describe the majority of males, it does create the idea that a man's version of the optimum relationship is based solely on superficial values. Because the commercial is giving a set of ideals to the audience it can be seen as a form of hegemony.
Video found on DailyMotion.com
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