In Media Virus by Douglas Rushkroff the author makes the argument that media is not taking over the culture but that culture is taking over the media. Rushkroff touches on many of our culture's biggest issues; he talks about sex and sexuality, drugs, UFOs, racism, the environment and politics. Rushkroff talks a lot about the government and power. He argues that in order to maintain power the government must control these issues. However the media in almost all its television shows are protesting the power of the government with subliminal messages, which could also be why the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was created. Rushkroff refers to the shows that incorporate these subliminal messages on such issues as memes. According to Webster's New World College Dictionary a meme is a unit of cultural information as a concept, belief or practice that spreads from person to person in a way analogous to the transmission of genes. Memes are started by such media icons like Pee Wee Herman, Ren and Stimpy, Beavis and Butthead, Micheal Jackson, Madonna, certain music like Rap and corporations such as MTV are all guilty of spreading the media virus. What Rushkroff believes is that shows like the ones I just mentioned are helping Generation X learn how to deal with such issues. Pee Wee Herman is teaching us how to deal with the "abnormal", Ren and Stimpy deal with homosexuality, Beavis and Butthead teach us how to be critical of what we are watching on television, Madonna gives us an understanding of sex, and Rap is dealing with racial discrimination.
Douglas Rushkroff seems to break down "Part 2 The Mainstream" into three different parts "TV Forums" and "Presidential Campaigning" for older adults, "Kid's TV" for the young children and "MTV Revolution" for young adults. I think this is Rushkroff's idea of making you realize that the memes are trying to affect everybody young and old.
