XOXO Gossip Girl

When I first began reading about feminism and pop culture and about the now called “media literacy” I though I was a sufficiently mature and capable person to see and understand the messages behind any Reality Show, Series and Advertisement.

However, this was not true. And I proved it to myself when I finished reading a book named “Feminism and Pop Culture” and I decided I was going to watch a show and be a “media literate”. I decided I was going to watch the series Gossip Girl from a completely “Media Literate” perspective. The result? I ended simply watching Gossip Girl like any other time before. Why?

I should have started with investigating what media literacy really is. After my failure I searched a clear definition and I found that media literacy is:

“The ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms.”

The previous definition is really straightforward. However I prefer the following one,

“Media Literacy is a 21st century approach to education. It provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms — from print to video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy.”

The way I understand the previous definitions is by an analogy. I think media (Series, Movies, Advertisements, TV Shows etc..) are a Box of Candy and Media Literacy is the ability to read the nutritional table printed on the box.

Before we open a Box of Candy it is very intelligent to first read the Nutrition Facts. However, when we watch media we have to be reading and understanding that nutrition table at every single moment. It is not sufficient to only read it before watching a series, an advertisement or a reality show; in fact, it is almost- if not completely impossible.

Center for Media Literacy. "Media Literacy: A Definition and More." Center for Media Literacy. Center of Media Literacy, 2011. Web. 08 Oct. 2011. .

Every Parent's Nightmare - Gossip Girl. Digital image. Cwtv.com. CWTV. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. .