Saturday, November 5, 2011

Media and Mainstream Portrayal of the Supernatural







Media and Mainstream Portrayal of the Supernatural
This post was written by Psychic Source, an online network where you can find a psychic who can provide anything from a tarot reading to an angel card reading.

Through the ages, terms like “psychic” and “medium” have come with varying social implications. Had a person claimed to be supernatural to any degree in the 1600s, for example, they would have been more likely to be branded as a witch than heralded as a person with a vital role in bettering society. Today, as we observe supernatural portrayals and journalistic headlines with their own distinctive spins on the subject, we continue to see these role perceptions evolve.


CBS’ “Ghost Whisperer,” a show revolving around a gifted suburban woman with the ability to speak with the deceased, thrived for a full five seasons between 2005 and 2010. Audiences were presented with a character (and actress) that was not only likeable, but was like them in character and lifestyle. Jennifer Love Hewitt’s portrayal put a real face to the elusive idea of how a “ghost whisperer” should look and behave.


Meanwhile, NBC’s “Medium” managed to do something comparable, putting a multi-tasking mother and wife with intuitive abilities on the supernatural front lines and, as such, developing another relatable character to be looked up to. Even better, it served as public acknowledgment that mediums can be used as a valuable tool to fighting crime and accomplishing justice by working with law enforcement agencies. Since the rise of the popular television show, news outlets have fittingly been less dismissive in their reporting of mediums.


Yet somehow, the lines become slightly more blurred with the portrayal of telepaths, with the only mainstream character of note being Sookie Stackhouse of the wildly successful “True Blood” drama aired on HBO. Stackhouse characterizes good things as a representative of thought-readers, but seemingly loses credibility in the eyes of the casual audience when put into the context of mythological creatures and vampires that leave viewers with an impression of fantasy.


But even with these roadblocks still existent, gone is the off-putting image of psychics and mediums being white jacket “crazies,” and here to stay is the reality that those in society given such gifts have their own special, practical place and purpose in today’s world. The masses may not fully embrace the legitimacy of the supernatural community, but it has taken a significant step forward in realizing a landscape where such people can blend with the rest of civilization rather than be given the stink eye.

*Disclaimer: The views expressed by this guest commentator are not necessarily shared by the owner of this blog. Any responsibility or actions taken because of this article are solely placed on the author or the reader of this material.

No comments:

Post a Comment

A New Understanding Past Meets Present

                   Mind, Body, and Spirit                        Your Journey to introspection So now you have come to the understanding t...