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Chapter 26 Transcendence and “Inspiring Media”

  • Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles and Noel H. McGuire
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Entertainment Media and Communication
This chapter is in the book Entertainment Media and Communication

Abstract

Beyond satisfying our needs for entertainment and pleasure, media stories also evoke powerful emotions in audience members which move, touch, and inspire individuals’ everyday lives. Movies, TV shows, and music all hold the power to motivate people to become positively engaged in the world around them. Whether it be watching a movie character perform good deeds for others or passionately advocating for the rights of women, for example, stories can ignite emotions and thoughts in us that transcend the ordinary. Though content that inspires one person may not inspire another, media that transcends our everyday concerns is a unique entertainment experience that has received increasing scholarly attention over the last decade. This chapter provides a working definition of transcendent media, summarizes common transcendent portrayals, outlines the specific mechanisms for how media inspires viewers, the effects it can have on audiences’ well-being, and concludes with an investigation of the dark side of inspiring entertainment.

Abstract

Beyond satisfying our needs for entertainment and pleasure, media stories also evoke powerful emotions in audience members which move, touch, and inspire individuals’ everyday lives. Movies, TV shows, and music all hold the power to motivate people to become positively engaged in the world around them. Whether it be watching a movie character perform good deeds for others or passionately advocating for the rights of women, for example, stories can ignite emotions and thoughts in us that transcend the ordinary. Though content that inspires one person may not inspire another, media that transcends our everyday concerns is a unique entertainment experience that has received increasing scholarly attention over the last decade. This chapter provides a working definition of transcendent media, summarizes common transcendent portrayals, outlines the specific mechanisms for how media inspires viewers, the effects it can have on audiences’ well-being, and concludes with an investigation of the dark side of inspiring entertainment.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgements V
  3. Contents VII
  4. About the Editor XIII
  5. Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series XVI
  6. General Introduction
  7. Media Entertainment Theory and Research: Still an Amorphous Area 1
  8. Section 1: Retrospectives and Foundations
  9. Chapter 1 Media Effects Paradigms: Was There Ever a Magic Bullet? 13
  10. Chapter 2 The Early Development of Audience Entertainment Research, 1937–1940 25
  11. Chapter 3 Humor and Mirth 37
  12. Chapter 4 Emotion and Entertainment 55
  13. Chapter 5 Audio-Visual Formal Features of Entertainment Messages 69
  14. Chapter 6 Encoding/Decoding Entertainment Media 85
  15. Section 2: Key and Canonical Theories
  16. Chapter 7 Narratives and Entertainment Media 103
  17. Chapter 8 Parasocial Interaction and Parasocial Relationship 119
  18. Chapter 9 Affective Disposition Theory 133
  19. Chapter 10 Uses and Gratifications Theory 149
  20. Chapter 11 Cultivation Theory and Entertainment 163
  21. Chapter 12 Identification with Characters in Narratives 177
  22. Chapter 13 Media Selection Processes in Entertainment 189
  23. Chapter 14 Media Habits and Entertainment 203
  24. Section 3: Considerations of Content/Genre/Type/ Setting
  25. Chapter 15 Crime Entertainment Media 219
  26. Chapter 16 Horror as Entertainment 231
  27. Chapter 17 Sport as Entertainment 245
  28. Chapter 18 Representation Matters: Ethnic/Racial Depictions in US Entertainment Media and the Implications for Audiences 257
  29. Chapter 19 Political Satire 273
  30. Chapter 20 Love It and/or Hate It: Journalism as Entertainment 289
  31. Chapter 21 Entertainment Media’s Effects on Child Audiences 303
  32. Chapter 22 Risk Behavior and Entertainment 321
  33. Chapter 23 Sexual Content, Sexuality in Media 337
  34. Chapter 24 Aggression and Violence in Entertainment Media 351
  35. Chapter 25 Entertainment-Education Media: Where Learning Is Fun 369
  36. Chapter 26 Transcendence and “Inspiring Media” 383
  37. Chapter 27 Branded Entertainment as a Win–Win Strategy for Consumers and Advertisers 397
  38. Section 4: Critical and Cultural Considerations
  39. Chapter 28 Searching for Meaning: Positioning Fan Research within Trends in Communication Studies 415
  40. Chapter 29 Gender, Identity, and Entertainment 429
  41. Chapter 30 Globalisation 445
  42. Chapter 31 Surveillance and Entertainment 457
  43. Chapter 32 Postcolonial Theory and Media Entertainment 469
  44. Chapter 33 The Role of Paratexts in Media Entertainment 481
  45. Chapter 34 Feminist Media Studies and Entertainment 493
  46. Chapter 35 Mediatization and Entertainment 505
  47. Chapter 36 Spaces and Places in Entertainment 521
  48. Section 5: Digital Media and Technology
  49. Chapter 37 Extended Reality and Metaverse Technology 535
  50. Chapter 38 Streaming Media and Entertainment Experiences 549
  51. Chapter 39 Esports and Game Streaming 563
  52. Chapter 40 Video Games as Entertaining-yet-Demanding Interactivity 577
  53. Chapter 41 Media Multitasking and Entertainment 591
  54. Chapter 42 Analytics in the Entertainment Industry 605
  55. Section 6: Advances and Conclusions
  56. Chapter 43 Priming and Exemplification: Implications for Entertainment 623
  57. Chapter 44 The Biology of Entertainment 635
  58. Chapter 45 Computational Modeling Entertainment Media Choice and Decision-Making in Communication Science 649
  59. Chapter 46 The Role of Theory in Media Entertainment Research 665
  60. Author Biographies 679
  61. Index 691
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110792881-027

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgements V
  3. Contents VII
  4. About the Editor XIII
  5. Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series XVI
  6. General Introduction
  7. Media Entertainment Theory and Research: Still an Amorphous Area 1
  8. Section 1: Retrospectives and Foundations
  9. Chapter 1 Media Effects Paradigms: Was There Ever a Magic Bullet? 13
  10. Chapter 2 The Early Development of Audience Entertainment Research, 1937–1940 25
  11. Chapter 3 Humor and Mirth 37
  12. Chapter 4 Emotion and Entertainment 55
  13. Chapter 5 Audio-Visual Formal Features of Entertainment Messages 69
  14. Chapter 6 Encoding/Decoding Entertainment Media 85
  15. Section 2: Key and Canonical Theories
  16. Chapter 7 Narratives and Entertainment Media 103
  17. Chapter 8 Parasocial Interaction and Parasocial Relationship 119
  18. Chapter 9 Affective Disposition Theory 133
  19. Chapter 10 Uses and Gratifications Theory 149
  20. Chapter 11 Cultivation Theory and Entertainment 163
  21. Chapter 12 Identification with Characters in Narratives 177
  22. Chapter 13 Media Selection Processes in Entertainment 189
  23. Chapter 14 Media Habits and Entertainment 203
  24. Section 3: Considerations of Content/Genre/Type/ Setting
  25. Chapter 15 Crime Entertainment Media 219
  26. Chapter 16 Horror as Entertainment 231
  27. Chapter 17 Sport as Entertainment 245
  28. Chapter 18 Representation Matters: Ethnic/Racial Depictions in US Entertainment Media and the Implications for Audiences 257
  29. Chapter 19 Political Satire 273
  30. Chapter 20 Love It and/or Hate It: Journalism as Entertainment 289
  31. Chapter 21 Entertainment Media’s Effects on Child Audiences 303
  32. Chapter 22 Risk Behavior and Entertainment 321
  33. Chapter 23 Sexual Content, Sexuality in Media 337
  34. Chapter 24 Aggression and Violence in Entertainment Media 351
  35. Chapter 25 Entertainment-Education Media: Where Learning Is Fun 369
  36. Chapter 26 Transcendence and “Inspiring Media” 383
  37. Chapter 27 Branded Entertainment as a Win–Win Strategy for Consumers and Advertisers 397
  38. Section 4: Critical and Cultural Considerations
  39. Chapter 28 Searching for Meaning: Positioning Fan Research within Trends in Communication Studies 415
  40. Chapter 29 Gender, Identity, and Entertainment 429
  41. Chapter 30 Globalisation 445
  42. Chapter 31 Surveillance and Entertainment 457
  43. Chapter 32 Postcolonial Theory and Media Entertainment 469
  44. Chapter 33 The Role of Paratexts in Media Entertainment 481
  45. Chapter 34 Feminist Media Studies and Entertainment 493
  46. Chapter 35 Mediatization and Entertainment 505
  47. Chapter 36 Spaces and Places in Entertainment 521
  48. Section 5: Digital Media and Technology
  49. Chapter 37 Extended Reality and Metaverse Technology 535
  50. Chapter 38 Streaming Media and Entertainment Experiences 549
  51. Chapter 39 Esports and Game Streaming 563
  52. Chapter 40 Video Games as Entertaining-yet-Demanding Interactivity 577
  53. Chapter 41 Media Multitasking and Entertainment 591
  54. Chapter 42 Analytics in the Entertainment Industry 605
  55. Section 6: Advances and Conclusions
  56. Chapter 43 Priming and Exemplification: Implications for Entertainment 623
  57. Chapter 44 The Biology of Entertainment 635
  58. Chapter 45 Computational Modeling Entertainment Media Choice and Decision-Making in Communication Science 649
  59. Chapter 46 The Role of Theory in Media Entertainment Research 665
  60. Author Biographies 679
  61. Index 691
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