The Symbolism And Social Meaning Of The Truman Show

The Truman Show is the story of a thirty-year old man whose entire life has been broadcast to a global audience as a television show. As Truman catches on to the made-for-television nature of his entire world, the film focuses on the negative effects of living during a television culture. This film can be read for symbolism and social meaning of the current television culture that we live in today, not just entertainment. The story of The Truman Show allows the audience to grasp that even "real" broadcasts, such as news programs and reality television shows are produced and controlled for the viewer's consumption.
The Truman Show is a non-stop live broadcast that generates revenues through product-placement advertisement, such as Meryl's promotion of kitchen items or Marlon's constant beer
Even Truman is seen as a product, being forced into an unrealistic reality in order to keep Christof's spectacle going (McGregor, 112). Advertising is constant in the world that we live in today. We see advertisements at all points of our day, just as in the world of Sea Haven. Sea Haven could be considered the epitomy of a society dedicated to consumption, which is not far from the society that we live in presently. We are compelled to ask ourselves what is actually being advertised to us on television, is it products or ways of life and is this type of advertisement ethical or effective. Television programs that are watched all the time advertise more than just clothes for us to wear, they advertise the way our society should live, just as The Truman Show. For example, the type of family that is acceptable in our society is advertised to us on television. Years ago, a television show would only portray a family with both heterosexual parents raising the children. As our society has evolved, television programs and commercials let our society know that it is acceptable to be a single or homosexual parent. And if you have a