Hegemony’s prevalence throughout social media venues help me understand the following advertisement by Ford Trucks. Hegemony occurs when a ruling power such as big corporations use the media to create an underlying consensus around a particular set of ideas, so that they ultimately are accepted as common sense. Through gate-keeping, agenda setting, and framing , hegemony is maintained in our constant evolving society. Gate- keeping is a reference for who decides what is going to get attention. Agenda setting is the what or topic we as an audience are to think about. Framing refers to how we as an audience are to view the topic. The ruling power uses certain steps in order to carry out hegemony. First, the ruling group controls through our own consent. This occurs when our culture agrees to current arrangements set by the ruling power. Second, hegemony operates at a level of common sense. Basically this implies that hegemony uses a playing field we see as obvious. The third step of hegemony implies the dominant ideology must be made to seem natural. Nature is beyond human control, so if social media convinces us the unnatural is natural, it will go uncontested. The fourth and last step is the ongoing process of hegemony. It is not permanent, hegemony is continually enforced in order to be believed.
While explaining hegemony, I can’t help but think of big brother controlling little brother, with big brother being big corporations and little brother being us! These corporations are creating an ideology that ensures their dominance over us, the audience. It is nearly impossible to go a full day in our contemporary society without witnessing hegemony first hand. Just ask yourself, have I watched T.V., used the internet, read a magazine, or even listened to music? If the answer is yes, than chances are, you my friend , have witnessed hegemony.
It is difficult to find a better example of hegemony occurring than advertising. Ads tell us how we are suppose to look, act, feel, think , and pretty much live out our existence. A personal example would be the Ford truck or “FORD TOUGH” ad. As the proud owner of a F-150, I cannot help but acknowledge I do not fit the mold Ford establishes through these ads. This Ford tough ad begins with famous country singer, Toby Keith saying the reason he is a good spokesperson for Ford is because he is a “perfect fit.” Ford is telling the viewer, if you like Toby Keith, you like Ford. This ad is filled with cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and just about anything else cowboy besides John Wayne himself. Continually throughout the ad Toby Keith is seen driving his over-sized F-350 in what looks like a west Texas desert , while only taking breaks to hop in the tailgate and play his country guitar. Ford has managed to use all four steps of hegemony. As I’m sure most of us would agree cowboys like trucks. I wouldn’t think to ask the question, would a cowboy drive a Ford truck? Here is where the crucial step comes to play. This dominant ideology of cowboys driving Ford trucks is made to seem natural instead of cultural. Cowboys driving Ford trucks is a cultural construction not a natural one. Lastly, Ford has a strong ad campaign devoted to “Ford tough. ” There are numerous commercials instilling in us that tough cowboys must drive Ford trucks.
At first thought, I felt confused that I even own a F-150. After further evaluation, a connection becomes obvious. While I am not a cowboy, I don’t even listen to country music but I do live in Texas. Growing up in Texas with cable the past decade implies that if I want to be regarded as a “tough Texan” I should drive a Ford. Now only if I was tough.
Youtube
link to go watch Ford commercial.
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