“Television is a toaster with pictures.”

  - Mark Fowler, FCC Chair, 1981-1987

Although I originally intended for this blog to have a specific “film” focus, in the age of convergence, hyper-conglomeration, and incestuous horizontal integration, I’m finding that this narrow distinction is becoming less and less pertinent. After all, when film companies are teaming up with (or incorporating) music, TV, and video game producers from across the world, it’s hard to just look at a film text when a graphic novel, an online virtual world, a TV spin-off, and a soundtrack are also vying for your attention.

To recognize the scope of how big “big media” really is, you have to resign to the fact that you may end up sick to your stomach. Consider the following: the same parent company (NBC-Universal) that oversees Jay Leno’s train wreck of a talk show also produces your telenovella weepies (on Telemundo), your “Top Chef” quick-fires (on Bravo), and even artistic, so-called “indie” features like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (through Focus Features), which, in the popular imagination, would seem to be anathema to the mechanized logic of a Hollywood narrative assembly line. But it doesn’t stop there. NBC-Universal is also owned by GE, which as we all know, is a leading producer of both microwave ovens and missiles for the war in Iraq. (NBC’s show “30 Rock” deals with this conflict brilliantly). With a kind of unsettling absurdity, the quote above, one of my favorites from Ronald Reagan’s FCC Chair Mark Fowler, is increasingly coming true.

But what are the consequences of having one super-company produce television, toasters, and missiles according to the same, bottom-line logic? Can all these products be produced as if they were the same, or should we look at TV as a special product, that informs our ideologies, our identities, and our collective culture? In fact, how does being a leading producer of weapons for a war effect the reporting being done at a news station under your conglomerate’s umbrella?! These questions deserve book long studies devoted to them, rather than the random musings of a weekly blog post. So, instead, I thought I’d just point you in the direction of some of the more blatant or unexpected synergies I’ve noticed while watching television recently, so that you too can watch with (empowering) suspicion. And who knows: awareness of these incestuous going-ons may just be that little bit of micro-political poison that can make the system begin to crack.

1)  Ever wonder why champions of the Super Bowl seem unanimously pre-destined to “go to Disneyland?” ESPN owns Disney. Chilling, I know.       

2) One of my favorite movie websites, rottentomatoes.com, is owned by Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation, producers of the right-leaning Fox News network.  

3) I recently encountered an episode of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” entitled the “That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana.” That’s right: Disney cross-promoted three of its shows (“That’s So Raven,” “The Suite Life…,” AND “Hannah Montana”) within the context of a single twenty-minute episode.  

4) The other day, when snuggling up in front of a marathon of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” I noticed the conspicuous (AKA random) presence of Jim Henson’s Muppets showing up to help with house construction in episode after episode. I also noticed that, like the aforementioned super bowl champs, the homeowners were often sent to Disneyland/world while their house was being demolished. Sure enough, I checked and Disney owns the rights to both the Muppets and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” They also recently acquired Marvel….I took that one really hard.  

So in the immortal words of Public Enemy: “Fight the power! Fight the powers that be!” and don’t be duped! In fact, check out this super-handy site (freepress.net) for a useful chart detailing “who owns what.” There’s still time – you can still save yourself from becoming a hamster in their marketing maze! J