When people have authority, their opinions are highly valued. Oftentimes, when a teacher states an opinion, students can regard it as fact. Also, when a judge says his ideas, we want to agree with him.
On competition TV shows like American Idol and Project Runway, the judges certainly have authority. As a viewer, you almost feel good about yourself when your stated opinion is similar to that of the judges, because what THEY say is right. On American Idol in particular, the judges don't vote on the contestants; the viewers do. However, the viewers tend to vote WITH the judges. This is probably because the opinions of the judges are important. What THEY think is close to being right because they have authority. If another random person on the street had the same opinion as a judge, that same opinion wouldn't demand the same respect.
Along with having lots of experience and having the title of "judge," there are a bunch of components that go into being a judge with authority. Another thing that I think makes someone have authority, or ethos, is the way someone speaks. His or her accents and manner of speech definitely influences the way his or her opinion is valued.
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I would tend to agree with most of this post. The general public do mostly value what these judges say and their opinions may weigh heavily on their own. However, this is not always necessarily a good thing. Our society places so much emphasis on the idea of authority, that they feel there must be someone telling them what to do or how to think in every circumstance of their lives. This tends to cause many people to be misguided or easily persuaded into believing something that doesnt align with their personal beliefs or morals. People in our society are very willing to accept an authority figure soleyly based on appearance. If a guest judge was brought onto American Idol who had no musical background but was simply introduced as a "guest judge", I am certain that the majority of the American public would hold that "judges" opions in just as high regard as all of the other talent judges. I believe that our society needs to be more careful on much emphasis we are placing on "authority" figure's opinions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above statement: If all individual's need an authority figure, it takes away from a general autonomy. So many of us are guided by our glowing television set that when it comes time to make decisions by ourselves, we do not possess critical thinking abilities to make decisions.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that people always agree with authority figures. Sometimes people strictly oppose them and block themselves from their persuasion. Even considering American Idol, sometimes each judge thinks different from another judge. The person watching TV may agree with one and not the other. I think people still have some sort of critical thinking skills when it comes to finding their own opinions and do not always rely on others.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to reality television shows I do believe the viewers form their opinions base on what the judge have to say but i do believe television shows such as jude judy people form their own opinion base on the law and if they feel bad for the plaintiff. At the end of the day it is up to the individual to form their opinion based on what they believe in.
ReplyDeleteI think its really important that people be aware of the authority that they do have and that they act accordingly. It's the same thing with role models; we tend to look up to them, to agree with their beliefs, and to mimic their actions. That being said, people also have to be prudent when choosing what kind of people they want to look up to and who they want to listen to. Ultimately, everyone can choose who they accept/reject as authority figures.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying about how the social trend for people is to follow what the judges have just because of authority. They get this authority because they seem as though they are fit for the job, have the proper experience, and know what they are talking about. This level is authority is untouched unless someone of equal value or someone who takes their matters into their own hands and study law themselves. Authority is a very powerful thing and people follow it for many reasons. At the same time, sometimes authority is thrown out the window when people simply don't care.
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