McQuail explains on page 219 that the perspective of the political-economic theory, “provides concepts derived especially from the critique of capitalism, with reference to processes of concentration and commercialization.” He continues to explain on page 255, “The (critical) political economy theorists emphasize the economic dynamics of global media markets that work blindly to shape the flows of media commodities. Not surprisingly, such dynamics favor the free-market model and in general promote western capitalism.”
The following concepts are critical to understanding the political-economic theory (page 100):
• Economic control and logic are determinant
• Media structure tends towards concentration
• Global integration of media develops
• Contents and audiences are commodified
• Diversity decreases
• Opposition and alternative voices are marginalized
• Public interest in communication is subordinated to private interests
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/03/09/cars.racing.si/index.html
This article, on the “future” of NASCAR illustrates the idea of political-economic theory. In order to expand NASCAR’s fan base, the executives believe having a more diverse group of drivers will appeal to a more diverse group of fans, therefore creating a larger supporter group for the sport.
Do you believe that by adding drivers to NASCAR with different nationalities this will in turn grab the attention of these nationalities as a fan base and thus create a larger profit potential for the executives of NASCAR?
NASCAR promotes speed, because that is what they think the public wants. Do you think this is what the public really wants? Or is it merely going to create more deadly accidents? What else could NASCAR promote that would perhaps make the sport less dangerous?
-Cara Schultz-
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I do agree that if NASCAR brings in people from different nationalities that this will also bring in more fans. When people see others from the same background, they often identify with them and become interested in what they are doing. They like to support people they feel are like them. I do think this is smart of NASCAR, although it could also backfire. People might think that since NASCAR isn't all that diverse, they are just having different nationalitiesto avoid controversy.
I think people like speed. They think its dangerous and anything that is dangerous is interesting and draws attention. I also think people enjoy the thought of maybe an accident will occur. I don't think they want to see people hurt or injured but I do think that they are enticed by the chance of an accident happening. Therefore, they enjoy the speed aspect of NASCAR.
I'm not sure anything that NASCAR promotes will make the sport less dangerous. THey are traveling very fast and are racing to win a prize and glory. People are crazy when those aspects come into play. Car racing will always be a dangerous sport.
Our society still sees color and therefore, I do think bringing in different nationalities to NASCAR will draw a more diverse audience. People tend to be drawn to clebrities and atheletes they feel they can relate to and this often means being of the same race. Despite the idea that America is an ethnic "melting pot," there is still a tendancy to feel that a person's nationality is a reason to either feel connected to him/her or isolated from him/her. When I think of NASCAR drivers, I think of white men and therefore, I do think other nationalities would be more inclined to become NASCAR fans if they were able to see drivers that they felt were "like them."
I also feel that one of NASCAR's biggest draws is its danger, not necessarily who wins the race While it may be dangerous, I feel that promoting speed will be profitable for NASCAR. The drivers that are becoming involved in NASCAR are fully aware of its danger. If there were efforts to make NASCAR safer, especially limiting speed, it would probably cause outrage among fans.
Bringing in drivers of different backgrounds could draw in more fans of the sport but I think their plan has a few flaws. I don't see this actually working in the real world. They would need to support a driver that can win races and can also appeal to everyone in the audience not just those of the same ethnicity. NASCAR is the number one spectators sport in the US so I think it will be hard for them to get people of different nationalities to watch the races on TV or even see them in person.
I agree with Brittany's statement that the people enjoy the thought of an accident occuring and the excitement of a high speed race. So I think the sport will never "slow down."
I don’t think that NASCAR is intentionally adding international drivers in order to create a new fan base, or even necessarily capitalize in a meaningful way from already existing fan bases of these drivers. What NASCAR is in search of is worldwide credibility. It would be a stretch to consider NASCAR in any real competition with Formula One Racing (F-1). After the entire fan base for the F-1 races is decisively different than that of NASCAR, which relies heavily on the lower class to support its endeavors. F-1 supporters are generally European and a great deal wealthier. Montoya, the Mexican superstar of F-1 Racing lends NASCAR a touch of extra class that could in fact attract more corporate sponsors—investors who would have otherwise stayed clear of NASCAR because of its reputation. So in that regard, NASCAR Executives may see an increase in their profits, but it will be a slow process. Look for a sizeable profit increase once Montoya learns the ropes in this new sport.
For whatever reason, people are attracted to car wrecks, whether in a literal sense or not. They want to see people make fools of themselves (expel. The high ratings Katie Couric got her first show) or get hurt (Boxing, Racing etc.)—it reminds people how lucky they are that they are somehow spared these fates. With 75% of the worldwide population defined as extraverts it would be a fair assessment to say that people desire speed. Extraverts love the adrenaline rush; it spurs them to push themselves harder and to look beyond petty obstacles in their path.
NASCAR has made strides in terms of making the sport safer, such as requiring certain headgear inside the cars. But every sport is dangerous to some degree, with the possible exceptions of tennis and golf. In baseball, even if a batter is wearing a helmet, he could still be hit in the face with the ball and die. Catchers frequently get run down at the plate. In football, players are constantly running into each other trying to overpower their opponents. And boxing is all about knocking the opponent unconscious. NASCAR is a sport dependent upon machines and yes there is always the danger a car could move out of control and that happens, but that is part of NASCAR’s appeal. I mean I am not sure it’d be worth watching if there weren’t some risk involved.
I absolutely agree with the idea of bringing in drivers among different nationalities. As brittany said, people/fans tend to identify with those who are like them. I'm sure there are many sports fans that like a player not only for their talent in the sport, but perhaps for their nationality (if they are the same). I think that by bringing different drivers to NASCAR, it can only help their fan base grow thus creating more viewers and even possible NASCAR sponsors. The majority of drivers is white men, and though this may not be NASCAR's goal when advertising, it is the truth. If expanding their name means having other drivers of different nationalities, they should embrace it. It can only help and show the willingness of NASCAR to want to expand their existing reputation to something more diverse.
As for the questions of whether NASCAR can promote the sport in a different way, I also believe it is difficult to take a sport that primarily is based on speed and action, and promote it as something different. It is the speed an,d intense rush that draws these viewers in. Perhaps if you promote NASCAR differently, you may end up deterring and upsetting those already existing fans. It is the "dangerous twist" that boils these adernaline pumped fans up.
I'm not sure how it can hurt NASCAR if they're bringing in drivers of different races and nationalities. I do think NASCAR has to be careful not to lose their target audience - mostly southern, Caucasian men (yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but NASCAR is certainly a lot more popular in the south than it is in the north or out west). It's easy to alienate the die-hard fans if they're not attended to like they're used to.
As for attracting more people...I think what makes NASCAR great is the fact that there's real drama -- the league doesn't censor their driver's feelings and emotions. Driver's wives are having fights with each other; drivers are bad-mouthing other driver's abilites. That stuff is great. The more drama there is in NASCAR, the better the sport is for the casual fan. I'm not a big NASCAR observer, but I find myself even casually interested when there are easy-to-follow, dramatic story lines with drivers. Am I saying NASCAR should plant story lines like a good episode of "All my Children?" Of course not. But capitalizing on differences in opinions can certainly draw even the most casual viewer to the television set.
I thnk that increasing NASCAR’s fan base by adding drivers from more diverse ethnic backgrounds will increase viewership. NASCAR is most popular in the South, so, adding drivers from other states will make viewers be able to relate to the sport on a more personal level. Hearing, for instance, that an up-and-coming driver hails from New Haven might make someone from this area who has never taken much interest in the sport before want to tune in and see how that race car driver does in a race.
People watch NASCAR for the accidents just as people watch hockey for the fights. It’s the action and speed that draws them in and keeps them watching from week to week. The danger of the sport equals excitement for the audience watching and waiting for the next big crash. This same audience, however, does not want to see their driver hurt in a crash and not be able to race again, or tragically die in a fiery wreck.
One thing that NASCAR could promote to make the sport safer would be higher penalties for bumping into other cars during the race and causing accidents.
I agree with the statement that unfortunetly as people, we still see color. It only makes sense that as viewers, we are much more likely to take interest in a show or sport or contest that has people that looks like us. If we see people that came from the same area or have the same skin color as us it does two things: First it creates an immediate fan base. However rational it is, people enjoying rooting for people with the same background/characteristics as themselves. Second, it attracts drivers from all sorts of ethnic and social economic backgrounds, therefore improving the sport. Every sport has improved once the color barriers have been broken down and the same is happening to Nascar.
On a sidenote, I cannot for the life of me figure out this blogger website. Everytime I sign on it tells me my password is wrong, prompting me to change it etc. etc. Not sure if anybody else has that problem of if this just cements the fact that once I graduate I will struggle to find a steady job. Either way I think I'm pretty much screwed. Have a nice day everyone.
Mike Camerlengo
Whether it has been current events, or historical events, there has been a lot of news and talk lately about race relations in sports and society. As I sat on my coach Sunday night and flipped between The Apprentice and the Sunday night MLB game honoring Jackie Robinson, I caught portions of ESPN’s interview with Rachel Robinson talking about Jackie’s struggles being the first black in professional baseball sixty years ago to the date – April 15, 1947,. I not only thought about the bravery it must of took for Jackie to take the field on that very first day, but also the changes that society has gone through over the last sixty years in regards to race relations. With that said it is then interesting to contrast this to the sport of NASCAR and the question of diversity.
NASCAR is still in the infant stage when it comes to diversity compared to baseball. Just as recently as 2004 NASCAR initiated an Executive Steering Committee for Diversity, co-chaired by Magic Johnson. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to increase the fan base and to cultivate a more diverse group of drivers which will only benefit the sport.
http://www.nascar.com/2005/kyn/02/22/nascar_diversity/
A big step forward in this goal was the introduction of famed F-1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya to NASCAR. Montoya, brought on-board to help capture the interest and attention of Latin fans, is off to a good start with a victory on March 4 in Mexico at the Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200.
The addition of a more diverse group of drivers will only help to expand the fan base, which will in turn increase profits. But there is still a lot of work to do along the way to help smooth over the stereotypes that NASCAR is a good ol’ boy, mullet-man’s sport.
As far as what else NASCAR could do to help promote itself, I would have to say keep encouraging and promoting driver accessibility. This is what sets NASCAR apart from the other sports. Fans have an easier time getting an autograph with their favorite driver, than they do with their favorite ballplayer. This helps create bonds between the fans and the drivers and these bonds are what creates and keeps fans for life.
I think that by adding drivers of different nationalities could attract more of a fan base to NASCAR. However, it would take a very long time to get this fan base or would take a few championship victories. Everyone likes to support a winner and if a country sees one of their own begin to flourish in NASCAR; his or her following could be significant. People want speed for the most part; they do not want to see anyone get hurt or worse. Of course fans like to see some of the fender benders, but not when someone's life is at stake. As for safety, the faster you are going the more at risk you are. From the article it seems that NASCAR is trying to make their cars safer, but at the same time crews are making them faster. This seems to counter act the safety features just put in. NASCAR should limit the speeds of the cars to that of which the safety features can currently handle. When the safety features become more advanced then make the cars go faster. Besides the cars go over 200 mph now and you can't see them pass on the track as it is. I don't think fans need that much more speed.
This is a very interesting question and something that I have always wondered about. What is so appealing about cars doing 500 laps around a circular track?
I do think that the public likes the aspect of speed, adrenalin and sheer excitement. This is mainly because the drivers drive at a speed that they can not achieve themselves while driving their own car. Therefore, there is some envy of the drivers, creating a popular following for the sport of NASCAR. Further, if you look at it like horse racing, the best (fastest) horse has the biggest following. However, I do not feel that speed should be their main focus and or reason for popularity.
I believe skill is the name of the game.
We can not forget that it takes immense talent to drive that close to another car at such a high rate of speed. Speed, which in some cases has and will claim the lives of some of NASCAR's finest.
The emphasis should be then on the fact that the drivers who we Americans look up to as the greatest drivers on the planet, have spent many years practicing and training to drive like they do, at a level which they do. Popularity should come from and encourage people to do as they do and to work hard for something. Not for how fast they drive, but for how well they drive.
Thank you.
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