THE PORTRAYAL OF VIOLENT CONTENT IN CARTOONS SHOWN ON SATELLITE TEVELSION: DSTV

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ABSTRACT

The notion that art reflects reality is an ideology set upon works of art to influence the perception of the audience to decode the message as it is or in a way that relates to the message the artist intends to pass across. As a result of this notion, the message or massages tend to influence the audience psychologically altering the way they think, how they behave, and also the perception to which they perceive reality. Over the years, with the evolution of new mediums whereas these works of art can be exhibited. The prevalent mediums thesis day are the internet and the television. Hence countless number of contents are being uploaded and aired every single day.

This is a source of entertainment for many depending on their choices or what is been provided for the audience. As a result, these content influences the audience psychologically. The aim of these study is analyzing contents that have violence in it.

TABLE OF CONTENT

PRELIMINARY PAGES

Cover page                                                                                                                              i

Declaration                                                                                                                              ii

Dedication                                                                                                                               iii

Acknowledgement                                                                                                                  iv

Certification                                                                                                                            v

Abstract                                                                                                                                  vi

Table of Contents                                                                                                                   vii-viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

  1. Introduction                                                                                                                        1
    1. Background to the study                                                                                                    1
    1. Statement of the Research Problem                                                                                   2
    1. Objectives of the study                                                                                                      3
    1. Research questions                                                                                                             4
    1. Significance of the Study                                                                                                   4
    1. Scope of the Study                                                                                                             5
    1. Limitations of the study                                                                                                     6

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

  1. Introduction                                                                                                                        7
    1. Review of Important concept                                                                                             7
    1. Review of Related studies                                                                                                 8
    1. Theoretical frame work                                                                                                       9
    1. Relevance of Theories to the study                                                                                    10

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

  1. Introduction                                                                                                                        12
    1. Research Design                                                                                                                 12
    1. Population of the study                                                                                                      13
    1. Sample size and sampling techniques                                                                                 13
    1. Method and sources of data collection                                                                              13
    1. Techniques for data Analysis                                                                                             14

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

  1. Introduction                                                                                                                        15
    1. Results and Discussions                                                                                                     15
    1. Summary of findings                                                                                                          17

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

  1. Introduction                                                                                                                        18
    1. Summary                                                                                                                             18
    1. Conclusion                                                                                                                          19
    1. Recommendations                                                                                                              20

References                                                                                                                               21

Appendix A                                                                                                                            23

CHAPTER ONE

THE PROBLM AND ITS SETTING

     Introduction

Cartoons are mostly 2d animations made from drawing characters and making those characters move in a designed environment in a story of a motion picture. These days, cartoons are mostly made for the entertainment of children mainly. With the element of exaggeration found in these cartoon, children become enthusiastic to watch them and as a result of these, the cartoon comes to have an effect on the child’s life.

According to a report “The Effects of Cartoon Characters as Motivators of Preschool Disadvantaged Children”, children tend to develop interpersonal behavior, social growth, and learning based on characters in cartoons. (Gill). Furthermore, some of these children get attached to cartoons to the extent that they associate more with cartoon characters more than they do with grown-ups.

     Background to the Study

The term Violence simply means to cause intentional harm or hurt someone or something physically. Depending on the context which the word is used, the fundamental concept of inflicting hurt intentionally is what violence is all about. From the dictionary, violence is defined as a behavior involving force physically, with the intention of damaging, hurting, or killing a thing or person.

Cartoons are generally exaggerated drawings of a subject. The inception of cartoons dates back to the 18th century in Italy. This was derived from the concept of caricature which means a drawing that adds or exaggerate its subject anyhow. Caricature was derived from the “caricature” which denotes exaggeration. (Harry)

Content containing violence can be found in cartoons since from its inception. From the early day of cartoons when it was just a single frame drawing, the aim was to portray what was going on in the society in an exaggerative way. Cartoonist used this medium to draw and give their opinion on what was happening in their societies. Some of these drawings had the elements of violence in them because, at that period of time, there was a lot of tension in Europe.

From a single frame caricature, cartoons have evolved from single drawings in a frame. Eventually, these drawings found its way to appearing in newspapers and magazines through the 1900’s. (Harry)

In the late 20th century, cartoon started to become popular for the element of humor and exaggeration. Additionally, in the 20th century a breakthrough in the world of animation and cartoons. The first motion picture of cartoon was created in 1908 by a French director and cartoonist Émile Cohl titled Fantasmagorie. (Haward)

     Statement of the Problem

Basically, children start to watch cartoons from when they are babies; few months after they were given birth to. As children continue to grow and develop, they get attached to anything that can display cartoons for them to watch. With this action, the drawn motion pictures start to influence and affect children in different ways. Children’s development socially and way of thinking come to be influenced by what they watch.

The portrayal on violence in cartoons has been an issue for a long time and somehow parents or guardians feel is safe and ok for their child to watch these cartoons with violence in its contents. Knowingly or unknowingly, these cartoons start to affect children based on how they think and also how they interpret the contents in the cartoons. Although not all cartoons

contain violent contents in them, the element of violence is found in some cartoons from the inception of cartoons in the 18th century.

Though cartoon is an exaggeration of its characters in drawing and motion picture with humor, this does not make the violence portrayed in it any less violent. Violence is violence and no matter how its tweaked and exaggerated with humor it is still violence so far it involves the use of force intentionally to harm someone or something. Some parents are care free of the contents shown in the cartoons their children watch on the television. Ironically, children are not allowed to watch movies that contain violence but, contrary to them watching cartoon with or without violence. Tom and Jerry for example is a cartoon that a lot of children watch worldwide and it contains violence. Despite the exaggeration and humor added to this cartoon, it doesn’t change the violent scenes included in the cartoon.

By watching cartoons, children tend to relate what they watch to their reality. Their way of thinking comes to be influenced by what they watch. Depending on the way of thinking of the child, cartoons influences in a negative or positive way and it come to be among the deciding factors of how children perceive reality. (James)