"The Truman Show": How does the film "The Truman Show" tell the audience about the influence of the media?

Essay by bunnyluverJunior High, 9th gradeA+, October 2006

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The influence that the media has on the growing race of mankind is often not acknowledged when the average person turns on their television in the evening, or reads the paper on the way to work. Not until the consequences that would occur if the media really took over someone's life, and manipulated their every action are realized. Not until The Truman Show. This film directed by Peter Weir, is a simulation of a reality show that is a live broadcast of the subject Truman, for every second of his life. The Truman Show presents us with the idea that the media is the most manipulative and influential source in the world.

Truman Burbank was born as an unwanted child, and was randomly chosen out of many others to be adopted by Burbank Industries; a large Hollywood television company, consequently receiving his last name Burbank. Truman was raised by, grew up with, and learned to love those around him, seemingly his family and his friends, as the spotlight of the reality television show: The Truman Show.

He was oblivious to the fact that he was being watched by 5,000 cameras everywhere he went, and he was oblivious that there were billions of people watching him, in the real world. This is because the producer of this media show named Christof, prevented Truman from knowing that he was the star of a show, because he didn't want an actor as his star in his show, he wanted someone real.

"We've become bored with watching actors give us phoney emotions. We are tired of pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is, in some respects, counterfeit, there's nothing fake about Truman himself. No scripts, no cue cards. It isn't always Shakespeare, but it's genuine. It's a life."

Although this quotation...