Monday, April 30, 2012
True Friends -- Relationships Week 12
Friends. Friends are represented in popular culture in a variety of different ways, but there are definitely some dominant representations of friends that we see more than others. This video clip is filled with such dominant discourses about what makes someone a "true friend."
What are these discourses? What do they tell us about how friends "should" behave?
If the target audience for this video is people under the age of 15, how does that social location impact the meaning of these discourses?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
" a true friend will go to ends of the earth to find the things that you need"
ReplyDeleteOne of the dominate discourse that stood out to me from this video, was the representation that a "true friend" will do anything for you, no matter what. And if they don't then that means they are not " a true friend" according to Hannah Montana's song.
So that means if my friend cant " go to the ends to the earth to get the things i need" because they are too busy being a responsible parent for attending there children, then that must mean they are not "a true friend".
The idealization that a "true friend" must leave everything, or put everything on hold for the other person is a message that is given by popular culture, thus influencing the audience consciously or unconsciously by shaping our ideal of how true friend "should" be.
Dominant discourses about the meaning of "a true friend" are prevalent in this video. They stress that a true friend is constantly there for you with the ups and downs, they understand your moods, and that you will never run out of second chances no matter the scale of mistakes you make.
ReplyDeleteThis idealization of a true friend that society imposes on us sets very high standards for people to compare themselves too. I believe that although this does set great ideas to achieve to in order to be a good friend, it at times makes it impossible to appear as the "perfect" true friend. I believe that friends do need to be there for one another, but not on a constant everyday basis.
Also, when she mentions that they can do nothing wrong and there are always second chances. I believe that would be stressing it too far, since I know for myself personally I have had great friends, but it does not mean they always deserve a second chance with no consequences.
How society shapes our ideas of a "true friend" helps to set a good standard of many qualities friends should obtain, yet it should also not be taken to far to be seen as making someone stress to become perfect.
-Anastacia Padilla
There are a few discourses about friends that are present in this video. One of the major ones is that a "true friend" will always be by your side no matter what. She sings about how lucky she is to have such a good friend and how much they help them in her life. She says how friends will always be there to talk to about problems and that they will never judge.
ReplyDeleteThese discourses set a moral guideline for youngsters to follow to be a good friend. I feel that this video does a good job in positively influencing young girls to be "good friends." However, the discourses can also set unrealistic expectations of commitment for being a good friend, like needing to be there for each other no matter what.
I think the main discourse that is portrayed in her song is that a true friend will always be there for you. I agree with her song in how a true friend is someone you can confide in and how they are there to support you. However friendships are constantly changing and sometimes friendships grow or people change. The song puts a lot of pressure on young girls around 15 to be this "perfect friend" that never makes mistakes and always takes there side.
ReplyDeleteI definetly do not define my best friend as always taking my side. She is honest and gives me her opinions regardless of how it might affect our friendship. Even if we disagree I recognize she has my best interests and mistakes do happen in our friendship. While I agree with all the values she's sings about, it does provide a lot of pressure for young girls to set high standards for finding true friends and gives a narrow interpretation of what a true friend actually looks like.
CSP 420 Robyn Campbell