PUBLIC MIND, THE: IMAGE AND REALITY IN AMERICA WITH BILL MOYERS, NO. 1: CONSUMING IMAGES (TV)
Summary
The first in this four-part documentary series hosted by Bill Moyers that examines how the ideas, thoughts, and attitudes of the American public are influenced by the print, news, and advertising media. In this part, entitled "Consuming Images," Moyers interviews communications experts about how the power of visual imagery in advertising challenges the notion of truth and shapes the way people view the world and themselves. Using clips of celebrities, music videos, commercials, and newscasts, this installment points out how mass-produced images enter the public's consciousness and affect their decisions about how to look, what to buy, and how to feel. Key topics include the following: the use of images to persuade, linking creative arts with commerce; how the editorial staff of Self magazine selects photos to attract a specific readership; consumer culture and Steven Spielberg's use of mythic images; the mass production of art images, including Andy Warhol's; analysis of music videos, including those of Bryan Adams, The Cars, and Prince; the marketing of politicians and the 1988 presidential campaigns of George Bush and Michael Dukakis; and the influence of government agendas on news and advertising. Those interviewed include Neil Postman, professsor at New York University; Stuart Ewen, chairman of the Communications Department at Hunter College in New York; Anthea Disney, editor-in-chief of Self magazine; E. Ann Kaplan, professor at the Humanities Institute, State University of New York at Stony Brook University; Rochelle Udell, executive at Conde Nast; Herbert Schiller of the University of California at San Diego; Mark Miller of Johns Hopkins University; Michael Singer, KCBS-TV managing editor; and Richard Bolton of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Also included are clips of Ronald Reagan in a General Electric commercial, Vice President Dan Quayle, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, and others.
Acquisition and cataloging of this program was made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: November 8, 1989 Wednesday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:28
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T91:0102
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Advertising; Advertising, political - 1988; Commercials; Music videos; U S - Elections - 1988
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV, 1989
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Alvin H. Perlmutter … Executive Producer
- Gail Pellett … Producer, Director, Writer
- Douglas P. Sinsel … Coordinating Producer
- Judy Epstein … Associate Producer
- Bill Moyers … Writer, Host
- Michael Bacon … Title music by
- Bryan Adams
- Richard Bolton
- George Bush
- Cars, The (music group)
- Bill Cosby
- Anthea Disney
- Michael S. Dukakis
- Stuart Ewen
- Herbie Hancock
- Michael Jackson
- E. Ann Kaplan
- Madonna
- Mark Miller
- Robert Palmer
- Neil Postman
- Prince (See also: Prince, The Artist Formerly Known As)
- Quayle, J. Danforth "Dan"
- Ronald Reagan
- Herbert Schiller
- Michael Singer
- Steven Spielberg
- Rochelle Udell
- Andy Warhol