The effect of LGBT content in popular culture on the public opinion in the United States

The influence of media is far reaching, and affects all that interacts with it. What people interact with in the popular culture influences their opinion, way of life and perspective. Similarly, the presentation of LGBT content in the popular culture, has affected the way people view the issues surrounding the controversy of non-heterosexuality. Initially, the popular culture presented LGBT content, as weird, evil, immoral and socially unacceptable. Similarly, the public used to perceive LGBT people through the same eyes, as social outcasts, with nor future or a place in the society. As this presentation on media changes, people continual to change their harsh conclusions and attitudes towards these categories of people. As a matter of fact, the public is currently considerably accommodative towards LGBT people. They view them as normal people just like them, with struggles in life and life to make. This turn in perspective resulted, among other reasons, from the positive presentation of LGBT content in the popular culture. The presence of positive LGBT content in the popular culture has shaped the public opinion in the united states towards positivity about the issue of non-heterosexuality, because the media is an educative platform, it offers information on wide information through paradigms the same way it influences the audience on other issues. 

The popular culture reaches a very wide range of audience, through its different genres. People view reality shows, TV series and films, all embracing the popular culture. The popular culture if far reaching and ever campaign through it reaches a wide range of assorted individuals. The public from all class are the audience of the popular culture. Children, teenagers, young adults and adults all have something designed for them in the popular cultures. Educational films and shows targeting young children will put the message across without negatively influence them to be non-heterosexual. Without the media, the public could not have a wide access to LGBT content, whether positive of negative. Without the wide audience of the popular culture, non-heterosexuals could continue living in isolation, without publicity of their problems or any hope of acceptance. The broadcast in the popular culture, non-heterosexuals have come to know that there are many others like them, facing the same ordeal. That way; they have been empowered as non-heterosexuals to face reality. At the same time, heterosexual viewers have also come to understand or appreciate that there are others who have different sexuality and they are human beings deserving every good thing. Both heterosexual and non-heterosexual audience has go access of non-heterosexuality lifestyle and information through the popular cultures, shaping the way people thing about sexuality, triggering acceptance and accommodation for all sexualities. 

1st time order 15% OFF
 

Studies show that a considerable percentage of people now perceive LGBT positively as a result of the media. In a Hollywood Reporter Poll 2012, twenty-seven percent developed sympathy and accommodation towards gay-marriages through the depictions of gay content on TV. Most of the credit went to the Modern Family TV show. Initially, people used to only view the family as the woman and man marriage, but as the TV continues to depict cases of homosexual marriages, the public now has changed that perception. Viewers say that initially, TV shows used to focus on whites while depicting LGBT content excluding all others, making then shows unpopular. The progress that has an inclusion of all peoples in the LGBT content has made a great impact on the viewers. Also, in early years, the LGBT content in the popular culture used to present stereotypes, making the non-heterosexuals appear weird. The presentation of the heterosexuals in both major and minor roles in films, series and shows, as normal people has changed the public opinion. Human beings are likely to associate with people they feel represent them. Therefore, when popular culture was presenting non-heterosexuals are weird and queer, it was isolating them, to only associate with other non-heterosexuals. This isolation was declaring condemnation from the heterosexuals. Hence, the change in LGBT context presentation in the popular culture has moved the public opinion from condemnation to understanding and accommodation.  

Analogously, the same way media influences children spending a lot of time watching violence to be violent; it influences the audience watching LGBT positive content to perceive non-heterosexuals positively. Media specifically the Television has a great influence on the viewers. People tend to practice and be part of what they see on TV. When the TV presenters, shows, series and films portray LGBT content positively, the viewers are likely to behave the same way as they see in the popular culture. For young children, they learn through the environment they interact with as they develop. Through each development stage, children learn things that they apply later in life as well as during those stages. LGBT content in the popular culture targeting young children is very essential since it shapes their attitude towards appreciating people of all sexual orientations. Teenagers learn mostly through examples and they tend to adopt the behavior they admire in their stars. Most teenagers are great audiences of the popular cultures and the starts in the films, shows and series are their celebrities. Teenagers always copy from these stars, as they aspire to be like them. The same way teenagers will, start using drugs because they saw a celebrity doing so, they start accepting homosexuals, because their film starts relate cordially with homosexuals. It also occurs that when a film, series or show star is a non-heterosexual, the teenagers are likely to appreciate non-heterosexuals because they feel that such people are normal, admirable and even models for them. Adults are less prone to influence than children and teenagers, but the popular culture has some toll on them as well. At adulthood, an individual has set opinions, perspectives and attitudes. This makes the influence on adults less than other groups. However, the same way advertisement works on them, the LGBT content in the popular culture may work on them. Adults tend to learn of occurrences through news broadcasts, and lifestyle issues through the popular cultures. When the popular culture presents a change in the way people used to view LGBTs, then the adults will tend to incline to that presentation. People move with times. If the lifestyle at the time inclines towards discriminating LGBTs, then the viewers will learn that from the popular culture and reflect the same in real life. Currently, the popular culture broadcasts show positivity towards non-heterosexuals, pulling the public opinion on that inclination. The LGBT content in popular culture affects the public opinion the same way other TV broadcasts affects it.

Interestingly, the public may not share the same perspective as the non-heterosexuals, but they are positive and indiscriminative towards them. It does not mean that the public agree with the kind of life non-heterosexuals live, but they appreciate them as being different and deserving to live differently. Changing the opinion, to be positive and indiscriminative towards non-heterosexuals, only creates an environment fit for the LGBT people to live a normal life. People may not agree with same sex marriages, but with the widespread positive campaign in the popular culture, they do not have a problem with it. This means that people have only relaxed their condemnation on the non-heterosexuals, but does not necessarily support them. However, this is considerable progress, from where non-heterosexuals could only bow their heads in shame and defeat. After TV shows and series and films have been broadcasting LGBT content, people now live positively with non-heterosexual. They have friends that they are aware are lesbians, gays, transgender or bisexuals. The discrimination based on sexual orientation is fading away. People do not consider people with what seemed abnormal sexual orientation as abnormal. People are slowly appreciating different sexual orientation, all thanks to the popular culture.

Counter-argument

People with a contrary opinion argue that the public opinion shapes the LGBT content in popular culture but not the other way round. This argument is mistaken. It is true that the media is a reflection of the society, but it is an exclusive occurrence. That is; the media is shaped by society and it shapes society, forming a circle. The public opinion continues to change widely with the increase in positive presentation of LGBT content in the media. It is difficult to identify the origin of the circle of influence between the two variables, but it is certain that the presence positive LGBT content in the popular culture sways the public opinion towards a positive opinion, whereas a negative presentation yields negative public opinion. People have a tendency of following crowds, such that they way of life that seems acceptable to the influential people in society get acceptance from many others. This could be the case with the LGBT content. The producers and presentations films and TV shows and series are influence people in society. In some cases they are even role models to the young people aspiring to be like them. Therefore, their opinion tends to incline their admirers towards holding the same point of view.  

Conclusion

In conclusion, the public currently are less harsh and considerably positive towards non-heterosexuals and non-heterosexuality as a result of the positive presentation of LGBT content in the popular culture. From the 1970s backwards, non-heterosexuals count not come out in public because that condition was considered some sought of mental disorder. The society considered it a taboo for a person to be non-heterosexual. As late as in early 1990s and throughout 198s, the popular culture presented non-heterosexuality as evil immoral and a mental disorder. This presentation exemplified the issue and the public opinion was discriminative towards such people. In the 1990s, non-heterosexuals started protesting the evil presentation in the popular culture, and producers and presenters changed it to positive presentation. This change worded drastically, than any other campaign strategy could work. Suddenly, the public opinion changed and started viewing non-heterosexuals as a part of the society. As positive presentation of LGBT content in the popular culture increases, the public continual to be accommodative to non-heterosexuals, accepting them as friends, relatives, siblings and even parents. The level of discrimination towards this category of people has reduced as the public can see from the popular culture that non-heterosexuals are normal people who are not evil, nor outcasts. The media influences the audience through all the content that it displays; similarly, the presence of LGBT content in the popular culture has had its toll on the public opinion in the United States.

Academic Writing Help