Relevant Commentary on the Mass Media

Rating: 10/10 (7 September 2019)

I found the Truman show to be a very interesting, through effective, satire. In Truman's world, everything is perfect, from his perfect wife, Maryl, to his desk job just a short drive away. In short, Truman is living the American Dream. What he doesn't know is that his life is just an illusion carefully tailored by a television producer broadcasting his every move live, 24 hours a day and that everyone in his life is an actor. After a series of small mistakes and mishaps by the cast and crew of the show, Truman slowly begins to question his world, peeling back layers of the giant set. In this movie, the producers of the show act as the media, constantly stimulating our minds with directionless static that, without careful attention, can fall onto our radar as all-consuming. Truman, in this show, acts as the everyday person, completely absorbed in our world of media, news, and mundane reporters. The repetition of Truman's daily life reflects our own, in this day and age. What, really, then, is our objective in life if we continue to live the same loop for so many years? We have goals, yes, but why are we still stuck in the cycle every day? I loved this movie because the viewer acts as both the observer and part of the issue at the same time. Because we were so focused on the story, we weren't aware of our surroundings in real life, which was brought into clearer focus when Truman became justifiably paranoid. The viewer here is both Truman and the creators of the TV show. This was an incredibly real movie, especially in this day and age where we are so engulfed in media 24/7 and I would recommend it to everyone, especially children who are more vulnerable to media influence.