ious atmosphere of some television may create the false impression that extreme views are representative of the norm. There is also the fact that television content (if it bleeds it leads) reflects the rush toward ratings, which serve the interests of commercial/corporate owners of media outlets. Feminist analysis must take account of the fact that men and male opinions are much more visible and vocal than women's. Women are the objects of (usually sexual) scrutiny and discourse, not subjects of respect or social equality. They are measured against the standard, which is male.
The interactionist view of television would emphasize ways in which television images foster and encourage common perceptions of the world. Television images make what is being seen part of the culture in an immediate way, whether the image is of 9/11 destruction or of "reality" show contests. Television also vividly portrays distinctions between people. Differences in class, speech, intelligence, physical ability, and comportment can be discerned visually in a way that the written
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