Hegemony and Counter Hegemony
According to James Lull, those in power use mass media to “perpetuate their power, wealth, and status [by popularizing] their own philosophy, culture, and morality…the owners and managers of media industries can produce and reproduce the content, inflections, and tones of ideas favorable to them far more easily than other social groups because they manage key socializing institutions” (62). In the world of American Idol, this culture involves an ideal of beauty, fame, and fortune. However, the show also attempts to remain “original” by espousing several counter-hegemonic images in each episode. During the show that aired on March 27, 2007, these conflicting images materialized in both the judges’ critiques and the featured guest, Gwen Stefani.
The show opened with a brief history of Gwen Stefani’s career. She was praised for being one of the most popular artists on today’s pop scene, with a focus on how she achieved her fame through her “platinum hair and toned abs.” American Idol also showed her well-roundedness by displaying her other accomplishments, including her successful fashion line. These first five minutes of airtime displayed the hegemonic view of idealized beauty, fame, and success, but also the counter-hegemonic image of a beautiful woman as also being smart, multifaceted and creative. Additionally, the hegemonic boundaries between the famous “elite” and the “average Joe” were broken down by having a famous singer praise those less successful than herself.
The comments that the judges made after some of the contestants’ performances also advocated both hegemonic and counter-hegemonic messages. As for the dominating hegemonic viewpoint, “gender (especially for women) is defined almost exclusively along the lines of sexuality” (Jhally 253). 
Not only did host Ryan Seacrest deem it necessary to hold the hand of every single female on stage next to him, but each female contestant was invariably faced with the judges’ critiques of her looks and/or outfit. Such comments included “Lakisha, with that outfit you are thirty years younger,” “loved the song, hate the outfit,” and the classic “your performance wasn’t great – but you’re a pretty girl.” On the counter-hegemonic end, the episode did show the judges praising contestants who did not fit the traditional beauty norms present in today’s society, such as tattooed rocker Gina Glocksen. Sanjaya Malakar was also praised for being “unique and brave” when he decided to sport a ponytail-faux-hawked hairstyle. Another counter-hegemonic message is illustrated in Jordin Sparks, the 17-year-old biracial contestant who is constantly commended for her bubbling personality and her looks. Not only are her parents shown in a loving light, but the judges have called her “cute,” “adorable,” and “beautiful” on several occasions.
When viewed together, the focus on Gwen Stefani’s career and the judges’ critiques reveal the hegemonic and counter-hegemonic messages that make this reality show so appealing to the masses. Through adhering to enough social norms to make the show inoffensive to the masses, yet still having enough deviation to keep things interesting, American Idol uses hegemony to its advantage and gains more and more fans in the process.
Works Cited
1 Thoughts:
Amanda-
Nice job here- your topic certainly contains quite a few of the indicators that it is a hegemonic information dissemination vehicle!
-Jessie
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