Abstract
In our present day society where the world of media and advertising holds sway over the minutest of everyday decisions, human beings on a social level has come to the verge of walking a very thin line. Such is the media conditioning of thoughts and held ideas that the reality of the situation never gets the true focus. Though the power of media as an essential ingredient in our everyday life has outgrown limits, very less outreach has been made in analyzing the negative effects of widespread media publicity. This paper analyses the fashionable world of dogs as pets and how media popularity affects the demand for particular dog breeds or vice versa. Taking cue from some of the most highly demanded and trendy dog breeds in the past couple of years, this paper analyses how media popularity effect pet choices, exemplifies breed discrimination and negatively influences the inherent conditioning towards dogs.
Introduction
A recent study estimated that by the end of 2011 there would be 65.6 million dogs in the United States, a 5.1% increase since 2001. Approximately 41.3% of homes have one or more dogs. To understand the scope and power of the pet-owning population, consider the amount of money that is spent on pets each year. In 2010, Americans spent $11.1 billion on veterinary care alone, a 65% increase from 2000. There are over 55 "pet vacation resorts" where dogs and cats can go to be pampered. There are also over 650 pet cemeteries in the United States, indicating the extent to which owners will go to memorialize their pets.
With regards to this info it is thus natural to see how important the appropriate breeds of dogs are to exemplify social status, fashionable trends and personal style quotient. An analysis of American Kennel Club puppy registrations from 1946 through 2003 (N = 48,598,233 puppy registrations) identified rapid but transient large-scale increases in the popularity of specific dog breeds. Nine breeds of dogs showed particularly pronounced booms and busts in popularity. On average, the increase (boom) phase in these breeds lasted 14 years, during which time annual new registrations increased 200%.
Media Popularity and Dogs
Breed is a human construct that is used to conveniently group dogs based on similar physical characteristics. There is no scientific test to determine a dog's breed. The only way to determine a dog's breed is to examine its heredity. As examples of the problem of defining and identifying breed, consider the case of Huskies and Pit Bulls. "Husky" refers to a class of dogs, not any one particular breed. Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and Samoyeds are all considered to belong to the "Husky" family, yet they are all different breeds. Similarly, there is no AKC-standard breed called *33 "Pit Bull." "Pit Bull" is a collective classification of the American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier, and Bull Terrier.
Mass media coverage reaches a large audience by television, the Internet, newspaper, books, magazines, and podcast and message boards. How the story is told usually affects how the audience perceives information. By telling a story, the media is persuades readers or listeners that will cause a reaction to the news which may be either positive or negative. News can induce prejudice or bias by showing images that can change viewer's opinions thus encouraging prejudgment without learning all the facts about the subject. Though there could be various reasons certain breeds are demanded more, the power of media popularity and exposure do play a prominent part. The best example is the Disney movie 101 Dalmatians. In the eight years following the 1985 re-release of the film, the annual number of new Dalmatian registrations increased spectacularly, from 8,170 puppies to 42,816 puppies. The peak in1993 was followed by the steepest descent in popularity of any breed in AKC history--a decline of 97% within a decade. An even more dramatic example is the 100-fold increase in Old English Sheepdog registrations over the 14 years following the 1959 Disney movie, The Shaggy Dog.Over the past five decades, shifts in preferences for some types of dogs show the boom-bust patterns that are the hallmarks of fads. Fluctuations of this magnitude suggest that social contagion is a major factor in the choices people make for their animal companions. In this regard, pets are no different from popular music, athletic shoes, and clothing styles. In short, dog breeds have become a form of fashion. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the case of Poodles, where the rise of popularity of the breed in the mid 1950s literally spawned a change in fashion--the ubiquitous poodle skirt.
Some examples of Media Popular Dog Breeds are as follows:-
- Madison, a female Labrador Retriever, is an animal actor who plays the part of Vincent on the television series Lost.
- Marley is the yellow Labrador Retriever inspiration for the book Marley and Me.
- Some famous Chihuahuas animal actors are Gidget, who played the Taco Bell Chihuahua and Bruiser's mom in Legally Blonde 2, and Moonie, who played the part of Bruiser in Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2.
- Willy is a real-life paraplegic Chihuahua, whose compelling story of overcoming handicaps is told in How Willy Got His Wheels and How Willy Got His Wings.
TV shows, and commercials have caused a jump in the popularity of certain breeds, yet very few potential dog caretakers take the time to investigate the traits and needs of the breed that they are considering. The level of attention required by dogs can come as a surprise to novice owners and often end in unfortunate situations, such as abandonment or surrender. Further At puppy breeding mills, dogs are bred for quantity, not quality, so unmonitored genetic defects and personality disorders that are passed on from generation to generation are common. This situation results in high veterinary bills for people who buy these dogs and the possibility that unsociable or maladjusted dogs will be disposed of by their unprepared "owners."
Sometimes however media exposure that maybe expected to instigate interest in a breed doesn't appear to have any effect on the number of annual registrations for a particular breed. For example the multibillion dollar Taco Bell Advertising campaign featuring Gidget,a Chihuahua which ran from 1997-2000 did not produce any dramatic increase in new registrations of the breed .One very possible source of increased public interest in a breed is the annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show ,the oldest and the largest competition for purebreds in the United States. In addition to its obvious interest to members of the dog fancy the Westminster show is seen by millions of television viewers each year. This is believed to lead a typical boost to the increase in the popularity of specific breeds.
Case Study - How Media Outrage damaged the Pit Bull reputation by creating fear
It would be highly informative to analyze the negative effect of media popularity on dog breeds by taking the case study of the Pit Bull breeds which faced much hype and ill-name back in the 80"s.The medias continuance reporting negative story triggered such fear toward the American Pit Bull Terrier, APBT that which caused the effects of Breed Specific Legislation ordinance to be formed in some towns or cities. American Pit Bull Terrier is the number one hated dog; yet there is that love hate relationship with the American Pit Bull Terriers, APBT.
During the 1800s, the American Pit Bull Terrier, APBT history was about dog fighting. The bull dogs fought many animals. The dogs during this time were "bull dogs" that would fight a bull. The word "pit" wasn't a breed but a term used where the dog would fight. When people today hear the word "Pit Bull" right away it is assumed to be a fighting dog. In addition people view these dogs to be vicious and unmanageable dogs that loved to kill. But that status shifted during the 1900's with the Pit Bull being used as working dogs/Nanny dogs. The APBT are used as working dogs on farms especially during the 1900s because the dogs would protect the livestock. The American Pit Bull Terrier was popular dog and was once the most trusted and loyal dog to own. The dogs were used in the war, on television, on the front cover of a magazine. The APBT, the mascot for the American nation showed pride, strength and dignity. When the American pit bull became the "fad breed" again from 1983 the breed was not so lucky. Many specimens had lost the physical and mental characteristics of the "real" American pit bull. This is due to one thing: "fad breeders" cashing in on producing dogs for the "fad market" through mixed breeding and no reverence to safe/ethical breeding practices. (Jessup, 2010) Many young people began adopting APBT for the image however; at the same time they did not know how to handle the APBT nor did the owners train the dogs properly or at all.
Though movies and advertising may have affected the stature of the Pit Bull phenomenon on a negative side, very less attention is given to facts and the real truth. Dogs on a general level are classified as fierce or loving -- according to their looks and appearance thus understating the generic nature of the dog breeds. On top of that various media stories don't involve knowing or scrutinizing the truth behind an particular occurrence e.g dog attacks on humans. The purpose is to generate public reaction without giving a story on why the attack happened. Without knowing more about the details to a story the public draws their own conclusion that "all" pit bulls are bad dogs and the public profile these dogs as "dangerous and uncontrollable." During the 1970s, there was a growing concern about the cruel practice of dog fighting that the public became aware of this lead to drawing the attention of law enforcement, and to the media. During this time, a young boy in California was been killed by a dog. Three different newspapers reported this and each had reported a different breed or version of what happened. In one article the media reported that the dog locked his jaws on the child's neck. It is a myth that Pit Bulls "lock their jaws." Reporting such false information without knowing anything about a Pit Bulls anatomy created a misconception about the dog. People just assumed this myth for many years along with many other myths about the APBT. However, during this time there were no computers or much information about this breed as we know today. Still, the media continues to provide misconception about the Pit Bulls to keep the public in fear of these dogs. After all, this type of news sells and brings the rating up keeping the public reading with fear as the bottom line.
Conclusion
The media has the ability of being part of the solution instead of being some of the problem too. Through powerful persuasion, the media can change the dogs image by covering positive news towards these dogs and stop focusing the negative aspect of the dogs. The society has learned to accept the Doberman, German Sheppard, Rottweiler, and other dangerous dogs. Just because there have been an incidents of dog bites and several attacks that have cause death this doesn't mean that this entire breed is vicious. The solution would be to stop creating fear through bans and continuous media attention with advocacy. Also appropriate ways of not showing any specific dog breeds in a biased manner also will help create more confidence and understanding with respect to dog breeds.
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