Television Delivers People

Response to Richard Serra and Carlotta Schoolman's "Television Delivers People" 1973
First of all, it was nice to see that Richard Serra has done or thought about other things besides huge steel arcs. Working in the same media or style (in this case television) as the entity the artist is criticizing (corporations) is a trick artists have used throughout the 21st century and continue to use. Depending on how this technique is employed, it can work against or in favor of the artists' intentions. In this case, I see it being a successful way of emphasizing the tools that corporate media uses to control it's audience, and since it's what one may call "mass media", that is the majority of the population. The use of a seemingly non confrontational melody playing in the background of friendly scrolling text presented on the blue screen, points at mass media's "soft propaganda" methods used to consume the people. I also felt it was useful, because those individuals in society that are accustomed to giving into this form of presenting information are probably the individuals that most need to be exposed to this type of alternative information. However, by using this media that Serra and Schoolman are criticizing, their criticisms are somewhat illegitimatized. Are we supposed to buy what they're saying. My tendency is to first buy into it, and they reject it because I realize what propaganda tools they're using. Whether or not my free mind agrees or disagrees with the content, I will proceed to reject information presented in this television- like soft propaganda method.
On the other hand...............
I felt the very few beginning statements especially rang. When they talk about the viewer paying for the privilege of having oneself sold, one can realize that they are selling themselves, rather than the commonly believe thought of purchasing a television and cable or satellite for themselves to consume. Television was described as an "instrument of consumer demands," which is so true. No longer does the consumer decide what he or she wants or needs. We now have television, a media editing by corporations that are selling consumer goods, telling the "consumer" want he or she wants, creating the demand, controlling society. I'm sold.