Media Conference - 21/10/2010- Chewing Gum for the Brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?

Lecturer: Professor David Buckingham talked about the critics of media studies and referred to: “Angry parents accuse school of 'dumbing down' English by showing The Simpsons in class” Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1295062/Angry-parents-accuse-school-dumbing-English-showing-The-Simpsons-class.html. In addition he went on to say that a Media study is a dumbing down of English where they favour The Simpsons over the traditional Shakespeare. However schools argue that studying The Simpsons makes students more critical thinkers and make them understand the code and conventions of moving image as well as the overall narrative. He also went on to say that the opening of The Simpsons is just as challenging as studying the opening of Dickens' Great Expectations

Another article he referred to was "Tories to tackle the Media Studies Menace", The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/tories-to-tackle-the-media-studies-menace-1772933.html which suggested that Media studies alongside sociology is a Mickey Mouse subject which aimed to brainwash young people and that schools should be teaching the traditional Maths, Science and English more academic subjects.