Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Internet is Large
I found this interesting image online. It's amazing how large and fast the internet is growing. I'm sure if they made one of they posted one of these images 15 years ago, it would only be half as big and would not be as appealing.
In Korea, a Boot Camp Cure for Web Obsession
I thought this was a really interesting article because I would have thought that the majority of people who are addicted to the internet are in the United States. I think this idea of a "boot camp" is a very smart idea because it exposes these internet addicts to the real world rather than their "virtual" one. It seems it has become increasingly popular in South Korea but i'm hoping it will be this available in other countries. Reading about teenagers who pass out from exhaustion of staying on the computer too much and skipping school just to stay on there is quite scary because I personally stay on my computer around 10-12 hours everyday, a lot higher than it was 2 years ago: 4-6 hours. I think these days people do not get to enjoy the true outdoors because we are overloaded with school work or we are too attached to our electronics; cell phones, iPods, PC's, laptops etc. At this very moment I am dazing off on my screen because I've been looking at a screen for the past 7 hours in school. Hopefully in the future, there will be help for those who are extremely addicted to the internet and computers all over the world.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Digitial School Library
The article, "Digital School Library Leaves Book Stacks Behind" by Tina Antolini talks about a so-called "elite" school that is getting rid of its library and replacing it with e-book online, Amazon Kindles, flat-screen TV's and computers where students can study online. The school officials had already seen the trend of student's bringing in their laptops and researching and reading more online than actual book. I disagree with the school because I believe that a library is a sanctuary where you can read a book or even go on the computer but still be quiet. Now it isn't even a library and there is a lot of noise. Some of best in-depth research is in book and Encyclopedia's and now everything is just online. As my father always put it, he used to go to the library whenever he had a research paper due and stay there for hours but then again he had time to "play" with his friends after school. As work load has increased, students are constantly working from the time they get home until right before they go to bed. I agree that technology is changing and we cannot stay in the past forever, but this is happening way too fast. With this happening, many views have been stated about this article from different users online.
My thoughts on David, Bockoven, Adam Coffey and Heather Hughes:
All of these commentators talk about how uncomfortably it is to read on a screen and by reading it could hurt the eyes but reading pages of books does not hurt the eyes although I think with books there is a longer focusing span.
My thoughts on Pat Anderson:
She claims that a lot of books are not available in e-book form. A lot of books that we are searching for for research or just for leisure will not all be available for us at this moment.Some works that are censored are not put online but are only found in libraries.
My thoughts on Mark O and M Campbell:
These are contrasting views. MarkO talks about how it is also an environmental issue as trees re being cut down to make the paper from books and taking the carbon dioxide away from our atmosphere (so it's less clean). M Campbell responds that even if trees are being cut down people are throwing their electronic reader in the trash or worse in a stream causing more problems as they contain toxic chemicals.
Overall, I thought the school went too far with taking the entire library out. Every school needs books. Some people love books and some people hate them but there is no reason to not have a place where people can read actual books.I think these electronic books should be an option as all students learn in different ways.
My thoughts on David, Bockoven, Adam Coffey and Heather Hughes:
All of these commentators talk about how uncomfortably it is to read on a screen and by reading it could hurt the eyes but reading pages of books does not hurt the eyes although I think with books there is a longer focusing span.
My thoughts on Pat Anderson:
She claims that a lot of books are not available in e-book form. A lot of books that we are searching for for research or just for leisure will not all be available for us at this moment.Some works that are censored are not put online but are only found in libraries.
My thoughts on Mark O and M Campbell:
These are contrasting views. MarkO talks about how it is also an environmental issue as trees re being cut down to make the paper from books and taking the carbon dioxide away from our atmosphere (so it's less clean). M Campbell responds that even if trees are being cut down people are throwing their electronic reader in the trash or worse in a stream causing more problems as they contain toxic chemicals.
Overall, I thought the school went too far with taking the entire library out. Every school needs books. Some people love books and some people hate them but there is no reason to not have a place where people can read actual books.I think these electronic books should be an option as all students learn in different ways.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Boundaries of Manipulation
"In the New York Times article, the author writes: 'Indeed a manipulated image, which is often more powerful than the sum of its parts, can affect not just visual perception, but opinions as well.' Reflect on this statement. What specific power do photos have to tell the truth? Are there specific guidelines that we should follow? What limitations should there be on image manipulations, posed events, and other types of fakey? What counts as manipulation, and what counts as reasonable editing, cropping or enhancement? "
When thinking about manipulated photography, you may think of the Photoshop techniques we use in Digital Photography to make silly photographs or change the color of people’s faces or clothes but there is a type of manipulated photography that can be so convincing that we cannot tell whether or not it’s real or fake. This is the power that photographs have. When photography was first introduced in the 19th century, there was not a great deal of options as the equipment and skill was so minimal that people would believe any photograph. As technology changed, programs like Photoshop or Correll have allowed us to manipulate everything on an image. We can crop, resize, and change the color, airbrush skin, change backgrounds, really anything. For us images speak louder than words. If we looked at a photo by Matthew Brady, a well-known photographer during the Civil War, we can see the history and what happened back then. A lot of photojournalists travel to such dangerous areas and take photos of bombings, terrorists attacks and the people around the area. I believe there can be reasonable editing on photographs although people will know its fake. Retouching of blemishes or whitening of teeth is reasonable but changing the weight of someone or changing the entire image to make them look guilty or innocent is an entirely different thing. When looking at magazines like National Geographic or even newspapers, I believe they should use all original images even if the pyramids do not fit or if someone is guilty. In the consumer sense of make up, hair products and clothes I think it is more accepted by our society than images containing content of dangerous/important events. Personally, I would like to see a magazine come up with no editing because people have seemed to lose the sense of what is beautiful. Advertisements in magazines with women with the most perfect body; no skin blotches, no cellulite, no wrinkles or pimples are not beautiful because they are “artificial”. Overall, I think manipulating images in magazines and newspapers is not reasonable because it changes our judgment. Manipulation in art is different as it has no effect on the world, only people who enjoy the way you compose the image or the way you layer images together.
When thinking about manipulated photography, you may think of the Photoshop techniques we use in Digital Photography to make silly photographs or change the color of people’s faces or clothes but there is a type of manipulated photography that can be so convincing that we cannot tell whether or not it’s real or fake. This is the power that photographs have. When photography was first introduced in the 19th century, there was not a great deal of options as the equipment and skill was so minimal that people would believe any photograph. As technology changed, programs like Photoshop or Correll have allowed us to manipulate everything on an image. We can crop, resize, and change the color, airbrush skin, change backgrounds, really anything. For us images speak louder than words. If we looked at a photo by Matthew Brady, a well-known photographer during the Civil War, we can see the history and what happened back then. A lot of photojournalists travel to such dangerous areas and take photos of bombings, terrorists attacks and the people around the area. I believe there can be reasonable editing on photographs although people will know its fake. Retouching of blemishes or whitening of teeth is reasonable but changing the weight of someone or changing the entire image to make them look guilty or innocent is an entirely different thing. When looking at magazines like National Geographic or even newspapers, I believe they should use all original images even if the pyramids do not fit or if someone is guilty. In the consumer sense of make up, hair products and clothes I think it is more accepted by our society than images containing content of dangerous/important events. Personally, I would like to see a magazine come up with no editing because people have seemed to lose the sense of what is beautiful. Advertisements in magazines with women with the most perfect body; no skin blotches, no cellulite, no wrinkles or pimples are not beautiful because they are “artificial”. Overall, I think manipulating images in magazines and newspapers is not reasonable because it changes our judgment. Manipulation in art is different as it has no effect on the world, only people who enjoy the way you compose the image or the way you layer images together.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Digital Truth
People in today’s society rely on the media to find the best shops, the best food and drink, the best restaurants, best hair product etc. As people in the 20th and 21st century have grown up to be so visual and connected to technology such as the television and internet, there is no doubt that they see digitally enhanced photographs or advertisements. People buy what looks good. Companies do not want to get a amateur photographer to take a photo of their product, they want a professional who also knows Photoshop to make their product look as perfect as possible although to the general public, we know it’s false. When we see pictures of women in magazines with beautiful hair and flawless skin, we know its fake even though in the back of our minds we want to believe its real. I think the media has wired us to think that although it’s slowly deteriorating people’s perceptions and how they should look or what they should buy. A product that looks nice in advertisements, costs twice as much but does half the job as an unknown brand that cost less is all based on our decision making. Our media is reaching us in so many ways: internet, TV, magazines, newspapers etc. that we are so dependent on it. This can cause of problem in our sense of judgment as we give in so quickly and easily to these false images. Our generation has already grown up thinking that being skinny and having the latest looks is all that matters, think about the next. The media is covering up what is real and we can’t possibly “break the habit”. There is a reason why it’s called digital truth and if it becomes exposed, companies will suffer, people will think differently about themselves and their habits and maybe our world would be more realistic rather than fake and hidden.
Friday, October 23, 2009
My Favorite Blogs
I love to look at fashion/art/photography blogs. Here are a few that are amazing to look at. Even though most of them do not have a lot of writing, the images are spectacular and the stories told in them are very interesting. Some of them are in different languages...
www.yvanrodic.blogspot.com
www.facehunter.blogspot.com
www.rodeo.net/signe
www.thecherryblossomgirl.com
www.leblogdebetty.com
www.johnnysbird.com
www.luxirare.com
www.leloveimage.blogspot.com
www.theselby.com
Extra:
My favorite GEEK site :D
www.geekologie.com
www.yvanrodic.blogspot.com
www.facehunter.blogspot.com
www.rodeo.net/signe
www.thecherryblossomgirl.com
www.leblogdebetty.com
www.johnnysbird.com
www.luxirare.com
www.leloveimage.blogspot.com
www.theselby.com
Extra:
My favorite GEEK site :D
www.geekologie.com
Monday, October 19, 2009
While watching the news....
Did the news broadcaster meet the criteria for what is news? Explain. What news was relevant or useful to citizens of the local area, including young people? In what way was it useful or relevant?
CNN:
-“Balloon Boy” drama was staged, sheriff says
-Third “Sweatbox” victim dies in Arizona
-All-male college cracks down on cross-dressing
While watching CNN for about 30 minutes these were the top three headlines that stuck in my mind. These headlines were from October, 19th 2009 in the evening. In the beginning, I was watching BBC news but they were not broadcasting headlines, rather stories from people living in England and Ireland. After 10 minutes of watching BBC, I switched to CNN where I found interesting headlines. I was surprised these made the top stories because they seem very irrelevant for people all around the world. They all had somewhat big headlines which gives the viewer a larger impact although these stories do not affect the world so much.
The “Balloon Boy” story was finally said to be staged by a sheriff as the parents just did it for a publicity stunt. When this story first came out I thought it was very irrelevant to be on CNN and BBC because it is about a boy in a small town and does not affect many people except for the people in their community. Personally, it seemed more like “entertainment news” rather than news that is actually important for us to know. I do not think this news is very important for the people living in Israel or other parts of the world (unless coincidently they are relatives of the boy or they are close friends). CNN spent way too much time (more than 45 seconds by the way) to put this story across. There are other things in the world that are more important than a boy in a balloon, who is completely safe now.
The death of Lizabeth Neuman, age 49 and a mother of three were very startling to see on the news in Israel. It took place in Arizona at a self help program in Arizona. When I saw the world “sweatbox” I wanted to know more about what it actually is. I think by using these bizarre words, it pulls the viewer into watching more about the story. They also showed images of what a sweatbox looks like. It was a dome shaped structure with blankets and inside, hot rocks that create steam. The self-help expert James Arthur Ray said he would take all responsibility for the death and police are conducting a further investigation. Two other individuals also died from being in a “sweatbox”. For people in Arizona, this is startling news and very informative to people who were planning on going to these treatment centers. For people around the world, it may be important to know the dangers of these “sauna-like” structures although police or health professionals do not have a direct answer as to what happened to these three victims.
The last story I watched was about an all-male college in Atlanta, Georgia that is tightening the belt on its dress code. As I am doing student rights for my Senior Project, I thought it was important for a certain aspect of my project, freedom of expression. Out of all of the stories, I thought this was the most important as well all should have rights. I understand how a school wants to keep an "image" by not letting students smoke outside of school or putting rules on what you can and cannot wear but schools should not be so superficial because it's whats on the inside rather than the outside. Unfortunately, that's how a lot of people, businesses, corporations, organizations are like today because they know that a first impression is everything (everything=money)
CNN:
-“Balloon Boy” drama was staged, sheriff says
-Third “Sweatbox” victim dies in Arizona
-All-male college cracks down on cross-dressing
While watching CNN for about 30 minutes these were the top three headlines that stuck in my mind. These headlines were from October, 19th 2009 in the evening. In the beginning, I was watching BBC news but they were not broadcasting headlines, rather stories from people living in England and Ireland. After 10 minutes of watching BBC, I switched to CNN where I found interesting headlines. I was surprised these made the top stories because they seem very irrelevant for people all around the world. They all had somewhat big headlines which gives the viewer a larger impact although these stories do not affect the world so much.
The “Balloon Boy” story was finally said to be staged by a sheriff as the parents just did it for a publicity stunt. When this story first came out I thought it was very irrelevant to be on CNN and BBC because it is about a boy in a small town and does not affect many people except for the people in their community. Personally, it seemed more like “entertainment news” rather than news that is actually important for us to know. I do not think this news is very important for the people living in Israel or other parts of the world (unless coincidently they are relatives of the boy or they are close friends). CNN spent way too much time (more than 45 seconds by the way) to put this story across. There are other things in the world that are more important than a boy in a balloon, who is completely safe now.
The death of Lizabeth Neuman, age 49 and a mother of three were very startling to see on the news in Israel. It took place in Arizona at a self help program in Arizona. When I saw the world “sweatbox” I wanted to know more about what it actually is. I think by using these bizarre words, it pulls the viewer into watching more about the story. They also showed images of what a sweatbox looks like. It was a dome shaped structure with blankets and inside, hot rocks that create steam. The self-help expert James Arthur Ray said he would take all responsibility for the death and police are conducting a further investigation. Two other individuals also died from being in a “sweatbox”. For people in Arizona, this is startling news and very informative to people who were planning on going to these treatment centers. For people around the world, it may be important to know the dangers of these “sauna-like” structures although police or health professionals do not have a direct answer as to what happened to these three victims.
The last story I watched was about an all-male college in Atlanta, Georgia that is tightening the belt on its dress code. As I am doing student rights for my Senior Project, I thought it was important for a certain aspect of my project, freedom of expression. Out of all of the stories, I thought this was the most important as well all should have rights. I understand how a school wants to keep an "image" by not letting students smoke outside of school or putting rules on what you can and cannot wear but schools should not be so superficial because it's whats on the inside rather than the outside. Unfortunately, that's how a lot of people, businesses, corporations, organizations are like today because they know that a first impression is everything (everything=money)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Norris 5 Analysis of article "Luxiries dazzle gangsters' girls" by Karl Penhaul on CNN
Informative vs Superficial --> Superficial
This is very superficial. I cannot believe they even put this in CNN. This is more of a story for the National Enquierer story section. It just talks about how some girls were sold into the lives of these drug bosses. It focuses in on one woman specifically and how she can now talk about it since he's dead. Although it is very sad to see how easy she was to be sold into this life and how protective he was with her, it really has no relevance to what is really happening like wars and health issues.
Accurate and Truthful vs False and Deceptive --> A bit of both
I think this article is both accurate and truthful as well as false and deceptive because even though the woman explains how she got all of this jewelry and how she enjoyed it at first but later hated it. Why would someone stay with a person if you knew they were wanted by the cops and they were using the drug money to buy you gifts? I thought she was lying about the way she felt for him because the only reason she could have been bought into that would be because of his money. It is also very true because many women are "bought" by men these days. When you walk down the street you see 60, 70, 80 year old guys with 20 and 30 year old women and you can see that they have money. I think if the girl was smart and strong enough she would know better.
Objective vs Bias --> a bit more objective than bias
I find this article to be both objective and bias because firstly its only coming from one girl as the other girls do not want to speak out or they may get in trouble. She says that if you have breast implants then you will be wooed right away by the drug lords but that isn't true because there are millions of women who have breast implants.
Pluralistic vs Insular Viewpoint --> Insular viewpoint
As there is only one person speaking and no other references of anyone else except the man she was with (who is dead) there is an insular viewpoint. It states in the article that the other women of drug bosses do not want to be interviews because they might get their boyfriends or themselves in trouble but she, Yovanna, has the courage to speak out against him because he is dead.
Balanced vs Weighted Side --> weighted side
As I said before, there is no balanced side because there is no one else in this article. Although she makes points like she felt empty inside after a certain time and how he would choose stuff for her, I would like to see if there is a woman who is actually enjoying her life with a boss and to see what the other women have to say.
This is very superficial. I cannot believe they even put this in CNN. This is more of a story for the National Enquierer story section. It just talks about how some girls were sold into the lives of these drug bosses. It focuses in on one woman specifically and how she can now talk about it since he's dead. Although it is very sad to see how easy she was to be sold into this life and how protective he was with her, it really has no relevance to what is really happening like wars and health issues.
Accurate and Truthful vs False and Deceptive --> A bit of both
I think this article is both accurate and truthful as well as false and deceptive because even though the woman explains how she got all of this jewelry and how she enjoyed it at first but later hated it. Why would someone stay with a person if you knew they were wanted by the cops and they were using the drug money to buy you gifts? I thought she was lying about the way she felt for him because the only reason she could have been bought into that would be because of his money. It is also very true because many women are "bought" by men these days. When you walk down the street you see 60, 70, 80 year old guys with 20 and 30 year old women and you can see that they have money. I think if the girl was smart and strong enough she would know better.
Objective vs Bias --> a bit more objective than bias
I find this article to be both objective and bias because firstly its only coming from one girl as the other girls do not want to speak out or they may get in trouble. She says that if you have breast implants then you will be wooed right away by the drug lords but that isn't true because there are millions of women who have breast implants.
Pluralistic vs Insular Viewpoint --> Insular viewpoint
As there is only one person speaking and no other references of anyone else except the man she was with (who is dead) there is an insular viewpoint. It states in the article that the other women of drug bosses do not want to be interviews because they might get their boyfriends or themselves in trouble but she, Yovanna, has the courage to speak out against him because he is dead.
Balanced vs Weighted Side --> weighted side
As I said before, there is no balanced side because there is no one else in this article. Although she makes points like she felt empty inside after a certain time and how he would choose stuff for her, I would like to see if there is a woman who is actually enjoying her life with a boss and to see what the other women have to say.
" Put the Blame Where it Belongs: On Men" by Jackson Kats Response
After reading "Put the Blame Where it Belongs: On Men" by Jackson Katz I am surprised that this incident with the possibly drunk men did not get as much attention as lets say, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt breaking up. I mean come on, people, especially women are getting beaten up and we have "news" like that. When he said there was little response to the incident I think that many women were too scared to open their mouths and say what they thought about it and maybe the men who were anti-violent felt the same too. When he talks about the racial issue, it would be certain that if a man started hitting a person of color they would make it about race and not about the actual persons psychology. These days we see serial killers, rapists, pedophiles, a majority of them, men. We can clearly state that if it was a man hurting a woman there would be some psychology behind it. If it was a woman beating up a man we would be confused as to what made her do it as men are looked up as the tough and "violent" people of our world. As it states in the article, if a woman was an abuser of a man she would be called a "male basher" which would ruin her reputation. As to a man hurting a female he would just be called "crazy" or "abuser". Overall, I think it is a good idea to have these discussions to young boys about violence because if they learn at an earlier age they will respect it more than if they learn when they get out of school.
Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty" and "Beautiful"
During the 90's Christina Aguilera became popular with her hits such as "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a girl wants" which became very controversial as they both had hidden meanings and she was very young and seen as innocent at the time. After her great success, she stayed away from the public for around a year and did not produce anything too catchy until she moved away from her "good girl" to a sexual woman. People were shocked when they saw her wearing fishnets, tight leather pants and short tops as well as piercings and dark highlights in her blonde hair. The first video she aired from her new album Stripped was "Dirrty" featuring Redman. It was really surprising because it was the first time a video came out that was really raunchy, especially for Christina. Here are a few lyrics from the song:
Wanna get rowdy
Gonna get a little unruly
Get it fired up in a hurry
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time that I came to start the party
Sweat dripping over my body
Dancing getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time for my arrival
You get the idea. This song is more about the appearance of women and how you can show yourself off to get what you want. On the other hand, her video for
"Beautiful" which came out after "Dirrty" talks about inner-beauty and even if you are not good looking on the outside you are beautiful on the inside. In the video she is placed on the floor with a blank tank top and pants which is very conservative compared to her video for "Dirrty". Overall these two songs are contradictions to each other as well as very controversial as one says you should show yourself off with outer beauty while the other one says you don't have to do anything flashy, just look on the inside.
Wanna get rowdy
Gonna get a little unruly
Get it fired up in a hurry
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time that I came to start the party
Sweat dripping over my body
Dancing getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time for my arrival
You get the idea. This song is more about the appearance of women and how you can show yourself off to get what you want. On the other hand, her video for
"Beautiful" which came out after "Dirrty" talks about inner-beauty and even if you are not good looking on the outside you are beautiful on the inside. In the video she is placed on the floor with a blank tank top and pants which is very conservative compared to her video for "Dirrty". Overall these two songs are contradictions to each other as well as very controversial as one says you should show yourself off with outer beauty while the other one says you don't have to do anything flashy, just look on the inside.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Content Analysis: Nancy, Shane and Andy Botwin
1. Name of Program: Weeds
2. Medium: Television Series
3. Genre of Fiction: Comedy-Drama
4. Name of Character Viewed: Nancy Botwin
5. Male or Female: Female
6. Was this character the main character in the program: Yes
7. Occupation: Stay at home mom/Marijuana dealer
8. Level of Education: It is stated that she does not have a college education so it is harder for her to get a job.
9. Race: Caucasian
10. Marital Status: Widowed
11. Age: 43
12. Number of Children: 3, all sons Shane (12), Silas (15) and a newborn with Esteban
13. Appearance: fashionable (chic) but can be very casual
14. Body Type: slim and slender
15. Personal Characteristic: daring, not smart, does not think about consequences of actions, puts her children at risk, "wants to be bad", strong, bad decision maker,
16. Role of Character in narrative: She is a pot dealer who is just trying to do good for her family although she constantly puts them in danger as she does not think about the consequences of her actions. Although after she stops selling marijuana because she marries Esteban, a corrupt mayor of Mexico, her friends (Doug, Celia Hodes and Dean Hodes) and her family members (Andy, Silas and Shane Botwin) begin to sell weed to make money as well and she is very disappointed. Although her sons look up to her, by marrying Esteban, her family begins to fall apart.
17. Impact of Character in Narrative: because of her decision making, her family is always somehow in danger or are involved in illegal activities to make money so it therefore can have a positive and or negative effect
Shane Botwin
5. Male or Female: Male
6. Was this character the main character in the program: Yes, he is one of the top 5 main characters.
7. Occupation: Student/Part-time drug dealer (for a season)
8. Level of Education: In Middle School
9. Race: Caucasian
10. Marital Status: N/A
11. Age: 12 (By the end would be about 15)
12. Number of Children: N/A but he has 2 brothers: Silas who he looks up to and a newborn that he doesn’t like
13. Appearance: casual, “average” boy but later turns into a “bad” boy.
14. Body Type: unstrikingly youthful and adolescent
15. Personal Characteristic: highly intelligent, goes from good to bad, mature, sarcastic
16. Role of Character in narrative: Younger Brother of Silas who over time begins to help his brother and his mother, Nancy to sell weed. He is also very smart and is very mature for his age.
17. Impact of Character in Narrative: Shane’s character serves to show how the family is affected by Nancy’s decisions. His brother Silas continues the business of his mother, by selling weed and Shane (who looks up to his brother) also starts. I think his character is really important because teenagers can relate to his character. Everyone else is older and having something who is young can help balance the entire show.
Andy Botwin (to Silas and Shane known as Uncle Andy)
5. Male or Female: Male
6. Was this character the main character in the program: Yes, brother-in-law of Nancy
7. Occupation: in between jobs
8. Level of Education: It is stated that she does not have a college education so it is harder for her to get a job.
9. Race: Caucasian
10. Marital Status: Not Married
11. Age: 35-40
12. Number of Children: N/A
13. Appearance: casual, unemployed distressed jeans and shoes, graphic tees
14. Body Type: slim
15. Personal Characteristic: easy-going, laid-back, and humorous
16. Role of Character in narrative: When Nancy’s husband, Judah, dies his brother, Andy comes to take care of Nancy as she is depressed. After living with her for about a month he decides to stay there to take care of Silas and Shane who he becomes very close to. His character changes when he finds out Nancy is seeing something, Esteban, the Mayor of Mexico, he becomes very angry with her but also sad because he secretly loves her. He gives Shane coming-of-age talks about girls and puberty.
17. Impact of Character in Narrative: Although he is unemployed and is very lazy, he does a lot with Silas, Shane and Nancy. With Silas he teaches him how to be a “man”, with Shane he teaches him about girls, and with Nancy he takes care of her. He is also makes the plot exciting and is comedic.
Conclusion:
Nancy's character fluctuates throughout the five seasons. She goes from being a daring stay at home mom to a weak woman married to a powerful man, Esteban. The first thing that attracted me to this show was that it was different as it wasn't about a normal family that had a stay at home mom or a dad who worked. It was about the struggles that all families go through to do good for their children. For Nancy though she does something that is illegal, sells drugs, to other clientele that end up being part of the plot as well. Because of her decision making, everything revolves around her and her family which make the plot more exciting and interesting as well as her character as a mother. After she gets married to Esteban, her strong character fades as she is married to this dominant man who then controls her to keep her safe although he is corrupt himself. Overall, her impact of the character is very important because it shows how far a family member will go to make money for their children's education. These kind of shows are becoming more popular such as Breaking Bad and Hung. Breaking Bad is about a chemistry teacher who teams up with his ex-student and makes Meth to make money to pay for his cancer treatment. Hung is a series about a basketball coach in a school that is cutting teachers because of the economy. He meets a woman who came to the school before to teach poetry to the English class. They team up and make a business where he prostitutes himself to women of all ages in order to buy materials after his house burns down. If I had to give a title to this type of genre it would be "Secret Professions/Occupations".
2. Medium: Television Series
3. Genre of Fiction: Comedy-Drama
4. Name of Character Viewed: Nancy Botwin
5. Male or Female: Female
6. Was this character the main character in the program: Yes
7. Occupation: Stay at home mom/Marijuana dealer
8. Level of Education: It is stated that she does not have a college education so it is harder for her to get a job.
9. Race: Caucasian
10. Marital Status: Widowed
11. Age: 43
12. Number of Children: 3, all sons Shane (12), Silas (15) and a newborn with Esteban
13. Appearance: fashionable (chic) but can be very casual
14. Body Type: slim and slender
15. Personal Characteristic: daring, not smart, does not think about consequences of actions, puts her children at risk, "wants to be bad", strong, bad decision maker,
16. Role of Character in narrative: She is a pot dealer who is just trying to do good for her family although she constantly puts them in danger as she does not think about the consequences of her actions. Although after she stops selling marijuana because she marries Esteban, a corrupt mayor of Mexico, her friends (Doug, Celia Hodes and Dean Hodes) and her family members (Andy, Silas and Shane Botwin) begin to sell weed to make money as well and she is very disappointed. Although her sons look up to her, by marrying Esteban, her family begins to fall apart.
17. Impact of Character in Narrative: because of her decision making, her family is always somehow in danger or are involved in illegal activities to make money so it therefore can have a positive and or negative effect
Shane Botwin
5. Male or Female: Male
6. Was this character the main character in the program: Yes, he is one of the top 5 main characters.
7. Occupation: Student/Part-time drug dealer (for a season)
8. Level of Education: In Middle School
9. Race: Caucasian
10. Marital Status: N/A
11. Age: 12 (By the end would be about 15)
12. Number of Children: N/A but he has 2 brothers: Silas who he looks up to and a newborn that he doesn’t like
13. Appearance: casual, “average” boy but later turns into a “bad” boy.
14. Body Type: unstrikingly youthful and adolescent
15. Personal Characteristic: highly intelligent, goes from good to bad, mature, sarcastic
16. Role of Character in narrative: Younger Brother of Silas who over time begins to help his brother and his mother, Nancy to sell weed. He is also very smart and is very mature for his age.
17. Impact of Character in Narrative: Shane’s character serves to show how the family is affected by Nancy’s decisions. His brother Silas continues the business of his mother, by selling weed and Shane (who looks up to his brother) also starts. I think his character is really important because teenagers can relate to his character. Everyone else is older and having something who is young can help balance the entire show.
Andy Botwin (to Silas and Shane known as Uncle Andy)
5. Male or Female: Male
6. Was this character the main character in the program: Yes, brother-in-law of Nancy
7. Occupation: in between jobs
8. Level of Education: It is stated that she does not have a college education so it is harder for her to get a job.
9. Race: Caucasian
10. Marital Status: Not Married
11. Age: 35-40
12. Number of Children: N/A
13. Appearance: casual, unemployed distressed jeans and shoes, graphic tees
14. Body Type: slim
15. Personal Characteristic: easy-going, laid-back, and humorous
16. Role of Character in narrative: When Nancy’s husband, Judah, dies his brother, Andy comes to take care of Nancy as she is depressed. After living with her for about a month he decides to stay there to take care of Silas and Shane who he becomes very close to. His character changes when he finds out Nancy is seeing something, Esteban, the Mayor of Mexico, he becomes very angry with her but also sad because he secretly loves her. He gives Shane coming-of-age talks about girls and puberty.
17. Impact of Character in Narrative: Although he is unemployed and is very lazy, he does a lot with Silas, Shane and Nancy. With Silas he teaches him how to be a “man”, with Shane he teaches him about girls, and with Nancy he takes care of her. He is also makes the plot exciting and is comedic.
Conclusion:
Nancy's character fluctuates throughout the five seasons. She goes from being a daring stay at home mom to a weak woman married to a powerful man, Esteban. The first thing that attracted me to this show was that it was different as it wasn't about a normal family that had a stay at home mom or a dad who worked. It was about the struggles that all families go through to do good for their children. For Nancy though she does something that is illegal, sells drugs, to other clientele that end up being part of the plot as well. Because of her decision making, everything revolves around her and her family which make the plot more exciting and interesting as well as her character as a mother. After she gets married to Esteban, her strong character fades as she is married to this dominant man who then controls her to keep her safe although he is corrupt himself. Overall, her impact of the character is very important because it shows how far a family member will go to make money for their children's education. These kind of shows are becoming more popular such as Breaking Bad and Hung. Breaking Bad is about a chemistry teacher who teams up with his ex-student and makes Meth to make money to pay for his cancer treatment. Hung is a series about a basketball coach in a school that is cutting teachers because of the economy. He meets a woman who came to the school before to teach poetry to the English class. They team up and make a business where he prostitutes himself to women of all ages in order to buy materials after his house burns down. If I had to give a title to this type of genre it would be "Secret Professions/Occupations".
Dove "Real Beauty" Campaign
Our perception of beauty is distorted everywhere. From magazines to billboards, everything we see is somehow edited with photoshop or the use of different lighting even though no matter how much make up or lighting there is, it will always go through photoshop or some kind of editing program. Doves campaign is somewhat smart as it shows that what we see is unrealistic. The media forces women to think that there is something they could change about themselves or a product that will make them happier and more attractive. It is really sad to think that the women in the advertisements do not even look close to perfect in real life and everything is manipulated. While browsing through the site, I watched 3 videos: Amy, Evolution and Onslaught. The video Amy demonstrates that many girls are ashamed of the way they look because of the "perfect" advertisements that we see although other people cannot see the bad things about the other person. The second video, Evolution, shows us how editing programs can turn an average looking woman into a sexual goddess although it is highly unrealistic. The last, Onslaught, is a message to mothers who have daughters that see beauty advertisements of women everyday. It states "talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does". Younger girls are highly influenced on how their mothers raise them. For instance, those pageant shows where mothers make their daughters look like tanned dolls is truthfully one the most disgusting things I have ever seen. Overall, Dove did a good job by making this campaign for "Real Beauty" to show young girls all the way to older women that you can be beautiful without editing and make up.
(It is also really disappointing that I can say this Dove "Real Beauty" campaign is hypocritical as I can see everything is edited)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Why do stereotypes exist? What purpose do they serve?
Stereotypes are everywhere. Realistically, everyone has over simplified a person in their lifetime but the truth is we can't help it. The media has made us who we are today by attaching a stereotype to a person of a certain race, culture, or group. For example, television series are only allowed 4 episodes to air until they are given the chance to either succeed or fail. Many producers of these shows typically place characters that are of a certain stereotype -- the smart Asian boy, the popular girl, the jock who everyone loves. Many of these stereotypes are people who we can relate to in real life although some shows over exaggerate the stereotype. Producers know that if they show a simple character that everyone knows, then more people will be interested in the show because they do not need to take to time to analyze the complexity of the character. We learn about certain stereotypes from the media as well as from friends and family. This creates a long and on-going process which leads to the spread of stereotyping. Stereotypes exist because for us as people we do not want to analyze a complex character, we want to give the individual a simplified name or term and assume that it is somewhat or entirely true. In conclusion, stereotypes are everywhere, especially in the media and in our society.They are utilized because we want a quick generalization rather than a complex one.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Media Consumption Log Week 5
9:00 woke up
9:05-11:30 was on Skype and MSN. Personally I like Skype better than MSN because Skype is easier to use and has a newer look, unlike the MSN.
12:30-3 went to 7 Stars Mall, went into a Surf/Skate Shop --> Brands: DC, Volcom, Billabong, Roxy, Reef, Havaianas etc.
Went into a shop and I noticed the "Tobacco Wall". About a year ago I watched a documentary about tobacco and how it reels people, especially teenagers into buying their product. Tobacco companies cannot display ads of people smoking or tell people to buy their product. They have to use other ways like making ads portraying a lifestyle or doing something creative, like making a tobacco wall. Do you ever wonder why cigarettes are not near the candy section or towards the registers? Tobacco companies pay supermarkets to show their product in the most persuasive way. Whenever an individual goes into a store and buys something, they will always see the cigarettes behind on a wall, containing over 20 cigarette brands.
3:30-4:30 arrive home and watch funny youtube videos
6:00-9:00 order pizza from Dominos, watch the movie I love you, Man. My sister said that this movie was actually funny and not like the rest of those cheesy comedies. I thought it was a really down-to-earth and honest movie. During one scene, a friend borrows $8,000 from his friend for a "secret investment". Viewers later find out that he bought ad spaces on billboards to advertise himself as being a realtor. The billboards are really funny and creative and when he gets back to work he finds that he has many voice mails from people who want to buy houses from him.
Here are a few:
9:05-11:30 was on Skype and MSN. Personally I like Skype better than MSN because Skype is easier to use and has a newer look, unlike the MSN.
12:30-3 went to 7 Stars Mall, went into a Surf/Skate Shop --> Brands: DC, Volcom, Billabong, Roxy, Reef, Havaianas etc.
Went into a shop and I noticed the "Tobacco Wall". About a year ago I watched a documentary about tobacco and how it reels people, especially teenagers into buying their product. Tobacco companies cannot display ads of people smoking or tell people to buy their product. They have to use other ways like making ads portraying a lifestyle or doing something creative, like making a tobacco wall. Do you ever wonder why cigarettes are not near the candy section or towards the registers? Tobacco companies pay supermarkets to show their product in the most persuasive way. Whenever an individual goes into a store and buys something, they will always see the cigarettes behind on a wall, containing over 20 cigarette brands.
3:30-4:30 arrive home and watch funny youtube videos
6:00-9:00 order pizza from Dominos, watch the movie I love you, Man. My sister said that this movie was actually funny and not like the rest of those cheesy comedies. I thought it was a really down-to-earth and honest movie. During one scene, a friend borrows $8,000 from his friend for a "secret investment". Viewers later find out that he bought ad spaces on billboards to advertise himself as being a realtor. The billboards are really funny and creative and when he gets back to work he finds that he has many voice mails from people who want to buy houses from him.
Here are a few:
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Merchants of Cool Response
In the program, several market researchers claim that parents contribute to the prominence of the teen market by giving them “guilt” money. Do you agree? What techniques might you use to gather evidence to prove or disprove their assertion?
Besides parents, where else might teens be getting the money they spend? Do you think
the marketers’ picture of parents is true for all families? If not, which families are being left out of their picture and why?
Teenagers have been influenced to buy products ever since the advertising industry has boomed. Over the past three decades, adolescents have become so independent on their own that they feel the need to go out and spend money on something. As one, two or both parents work in a typical home nowadays; parents do not pay attention or spend as much time with their children. When teenagers have nothing to do, they want to go to the mall, go to the movies or be with their friends, this will all costs money, which makes teenagers the most powerful consumers of our generation. With trends changing every day, teenagers feel the need to keep up with these influences, which cause the teenage population to spend over 150 billion dollars, in America alone. Being a teenager myself, I can predict that that number will only get bigger as more and more developments are coming into our world today.
As parents usually work 8 to10 hours a day and teenagers roughly 6 to 7, teenagers are usually at home or wanting to hang out with their friends. Parents contribute to the teen market because they are the ones giving their hard earned money to teenagers to spend on clothes that they are begging for or a new CD that they have to have. Fridays are common days when teenagers like to go out during the evening with their friends. Depending on where you go, clubs tend to be a place which reel many teenagers in as they know they can express themselves and dance freely without any parental supervision. There are also places like the movies, restaurants as well as amusement parks that teenagers love to go to.
Teenagers tend to get their money from parents by getting a weekly or month allowance or then asking their parents whenever they need money. In the United States, a lot of teenagers 16 and up work at fast food chains or at store retailers where they can make the minimum wage or higher. Personally, I think that teenagers these days rely too much on their parents and need to learn how to make their money, legally that is. I wish I had a job right now because I could handle to work after school but seeing that I am a diplomat and they usually only have summer jobs open in the embassy, it is very inflexible unlike Hebrew speakers who can get a job anywhere in Israel. If I ask my parents for 100NIS I will save half of it and keep it safe until I ask for another 100NIS and save a parcel of that. Overall, teenagers should at least do something to earn some of their money because when you get to spend your own hard earned money, it feels great!
Besides parents, where else might teens be getting the money they spend? Do you think
the marketers’ picture of parents is true for all families? If not, which families are being left out of their picture and why?
Teenagers have been influenced to buy products ever since the advertising industry has boomed. Over the past three decades, adolescents have become so independent on their own that they feel the need to go out and spend money on something. As one, two or both parents work in a typical home nowadays; parents do not pay attention or spend as much time with their children. When teenagers have nothing to do, they want to go to the mall, go to the movies or be with their friends, this will all costs money, which makes teenagers the most powerful consumers of our generation. With trends changing every day, teenagers feel the need to keep up with these influences, which cause the teenage population to spend over 150 billion dollars, in America alone. Being a teenager myself, I can predict that that number will only get bigger as more and more developments are coming into our world today.
As parents usually work 8 to10 hours a day and teenagers roughly 6 to 7, teenagers are usually at home or wanting to hang out with their friends. Parents contribute to the teen market because they are the ones giving their hard earned money to teenagers to spend on clothes that they are begging for or a new CD that they have to have. Fridays are common days when teenagers like to go out during the evening with their friends. Depending on where you go, clubs tend to be a place which reel many teenagers in as they know they can express themselves and dance freely without any parental supervision. There are also places like the movies, restaurants as well as amusement parks that teenagers love to go to.
Teenagers tend to get their money from parents by getting a weekly or month allowance or then asking their parents whenever they need money. In the United States, a lot of teenagers 16 and up work at fast food chains or at store retailers where they can make the minimum wage or higher. Personally, I think that teenagers these days rely too much on their parents and need to learn how to make their money, legally that is. I wish I had a job right now because I could handle to work after school but seeing that I am a diplomat and they usually only have summer jobs open in the embassy, it is very inflexible unlike Hebrew speakers who can get a job anywhere in Israel. If I ask my parents for 100NIS I will save half of it and keep it safe until I ask for another 100NIS and save a parcel of that. Overall, teenagers should at least do something to earn some of their money because when you get to spend your own hard earned money, it feels great!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Exposure to Advertising
Havaianas ad in Wallpaper* Magazine
While I was looking through a magazine I bought during the summer, Wallpaper*, a design and fashion lifestyle magazine, I came across a colorful Havaianas ad for colorful and fun flip flops for the summer. The caption below the brand name states "The sky is blue!" said one foot to the other after trying on Havaianas. This advertisement is most definitely explicit as the flip flops are surrounded by bright colors, surf boards, palm trees and flowers which give the entire advertisement a strong tropical feel. I have seen a lot of people between the ages of 13-25 wearing Havaianas because they are comfortable,durable as well as affordable. The ad really catches my eye because of the bright colors they use in the background as well as the product. I could see how this product would do very well in this art magazine because of the different colors and the collage and different patterns of the entire ad itself.
Billboard advertising the HP Touchsmart Computer
On my way to and from school, I always look at the tall rectangular billboard inbetween the IKEA and the BIG sign. When you take the exit to Even Yehuda and come up the hill, it is right in front of you. Its huge, compared to normal billboards on the side of the road. I have noticed for the past year that I have lived here that they have changed it around 5-6 times. It is more of a slip of material over a framework rather than a billboard that has a blank background where a large paper image/advertisement is rolled down. I find this advertisement explicit because there is an image of the product with a fingerprint next to it, which symbolizes it is a touchscreen computer. As this is part of a newer technology and probably more expensive than other laptops, this ad is selling towards people between the ages of 18-70. I think maybe the touchscreen is more useful for elders because as people get older their motor skills seem to decrease and with a touch screen it is really easy. This billboard is in the perfect place to gain full potential because behind it, is the industrial zone of Netanya where many businesses and shoppers go to buy electronics.
While I was looking through a magazine I bought during the summer, Wallpaper*, a design and fashion lifestyle magazine, I came across a colorful Havaianas ad for colorful and fun flip flops for the summer. The caption below the brand name states "The sky is blue!" said one foot to the other after trying on Havaianas. This advertisement is most definitely explicit as the flip flops are surrounded by bright colors, surf boards, palm trees and flowers which give the entire advertisement a strong tropical feel. I have seen a lot of people between the ages of 13-25 wearing Havaianas because they are comfortable,durable as well as affordable. The ad really catches my eye because of the bright colors they use in the background as well as the product. I could see how this product would do very well in this art magazine because of the different colors and the collage and different patterns of the entire ad itself.
Billboard advertising the HP Touchsmart Computer
On my way to and from school, I always look at the tall rectangular billboard inbetween the IKEA and the BIG sign. When you take the exit to Even Yehuda and come up the hill, it is right in front of you. Its huge, compared to normal billboards on the side of the road. I have noticed for the past year that I have lived here that they have changed it around 5-6 times. It is more of a slip of material over a framework rather than a billboard that has a blank background where a large paper image/advertisement is rolled down. I find this advertisement explicit because there is an image of the product with a fingerprint next to it, which symbolizes it is a touchscreen computer. As this is part of a newer technology and probably more expensive than other laptops, this ad is selling towards people between the ages of 18-70. I think maybe the touchscreen is more useful for elders because as people get older their motor skills seem to decrease and with a touch screen it is really easy. This billboard is in the perfect place to gain full potential because behind it, is the industrial zone of Netanya where many businesses and shoppers go to buy electronics.
Media Consumption Log Week 4
18:00 take my Trek bike out to go biking
While riding my bike for 2 hours to Netanya, I use an American Embassy Belgium water bottle. I see people have Nike, Adidas and Puma shorts, shoes and shirts on.
19:10 arrive in Netanya and pass the IKEA and Big sign on my way up. I also see a large HP sign. Usually in the morning while going to school, I see those big advertisements.
19:10-19:45 Lost in Netanya...
20:00 Go to a park and sit down in the Center. Change sweaty Nike Shirt to a shirt I bought in Barcelona. See Marlboro Reds and Menthols on the ground and Clipper Lighters.
00:15-1:15 Ride back from Netanya to Herzliya. Listened to Infected Mushroom on my iPod.
1:30 checked facebook and hotmail.
1:30-2:00 talked on the phone
2:00-2:15 SMSing
2:15-2:30 went to bathroom and prepared for bed: Colgate, Crest, Listerine, Body Shop Body Butter, Proactiv
2:30 went to bed
----------SLEEP---------
8:00 woke up and had Honey Bunches of Oats
8:30-9:30 went on facebook, checked BlackBoard, Powerschool and SquirrelMail.
9:45-11:00 put my Nike Shorts, Nike Shirt and Converse to go out biking. Took a shower and used Pantene and Proactiv.
On weekends my Media Consumption Log is not too eventful. In school I am exposed to more advertisements and to different types of media because I am in a school environment with other students who use a greater amount of media than when i'm at home.
While riding my bike for 2 hours to Netanya, I use an American Embassy Belgium water bottle. I see people have Nike, Adidas and Puma shorts, shoes and shirts on.
19:10 arrive in Netanya and pass the IKEA and Big sign on my way up. I also see a large HP sign. Usually in the morning while going to school, I see those big advertisements.
19:10-19:45 Lost in Netanya...
20:00 Go to a park and sit down in the Center. Change sweaty Nike Shirt to a shirt I bought in Barcelona. See Marlboro Reds and Menthols on the ground and Clipper Lighters.
00:15-1:15 Ride back from Netanya to Herzliya. Listened to Infected Mushroom on my iPod.
1:30 checked facebook and hotmail.
1:30-2:00 talked on the phone
2:00-2:15 SMSing
2:15-2:30 went to bathroom and prepared for bed: Colgate, Crest, Listerine, Body Shop Body Butter, Proactiv
2:30 went to bed
----------SLEEP---------
8:00 woke up and had Honey Bunches of Oats
8:30-9:30 went on facebook, checked BlackBoard, Powerschool and SquirrelMail.
9:45-11:00 put my Nike Shorts, Nike Shirt and Converse to go out biking. Took a shower and used Pantene and Proactiv.
On weekends my Media Consumption Log is not too eventful. In school I am exposed to more advertisements and to different types of media because I am in a school environment with other students who use a greater amount of media than when i'm at home.
Monday, September 21, 2009
"The Corporation" vs. "The Ad and the Ego"
“The Ad and the Ego goes beyond deconstructing individual advertisements to reveal the economic and political dimensions of living in an advertising infused environment. In our “new world order” of diminishing resources and devastating pollution, this film makes the critical connections between the rise of consumerism, environmental degradation and our blind commitment to economic growth at any cost. It forcefully demonstrates the link between our debased public discourse and a media culture that defines freedom as consumer choice rather than democratic participation.” – The Ad and the Ego web site
Consumerism has always been a significant ideology used by most corporations as it has had a large impact on us, the consumers of products. Corporations have led us to believe that they are helping the people rather than themselves. That is not true. In these two documentary films “The Corporation” and “The Ad and the Ego” we can see and listen to revealed information about the downsides of corporations and the burdens they carry to our environment and society. The documentary “The Corporation” exposed the corporation’s greediness and that even if they hurt the environment or hire underage workers; they are only doing it for their benefit, to make as much money as they possibly can. The other informative documentary, “The Ad and the Ego” helps us understand the media from a different medium, advertisements, and how much we absorb of its information.
Firstly, the documentary titled “The Corporation” showed us watchers and consumers that corporations depend on greed. Without greed in corporations, they would not survive. In order to continue to exist, corporations have to live off of the money that, we the people, buys. A majority of corporations mask their true identities such as the company Coca Cola. During the Nazi Regime, Coca Cola had a positive influence in America as a traditional soda drink for the whole family. The Coca Cola Corporation saw this drink as a way to make large profits so they sold it overseas to Germany. The Coco Cola Company knew that this would make their company look bad so they changed the name to Fanta. Although Fanta was a type of orange soda, the German soldiers were happy as well as the corporations back in America. This documentary also showed how harmful corporations are to people as well as our environment. For example, Kathie Lee Gifford manufactured a clothing line along with Disney that helps children in need. In fact, Gifford did not help any child as she was using child labor in a large number of sweatshops. Workers end up getting paid a lot less than they should and the environment becomes extremely polluted from chemicals that cause cancer. Corporations often see that profit overthrows public health and our natural surroundings which eventually make the public oblivious as to what is really happening with our money.
In the second documentary, “The Ad and the Ego” we clearly see how advertisements affect us as well if our brain really analyzes the advertisements when we are occupied. Advertisements have changed over the past 2 centuries as advertisements were used to give the information about products. When technology and advertisement agencies became more evolved and technical, advertisements were selling more of a lifestyle and attitude. We can clearly see this in any advertisement that is shown on the television such as Visa’s slogan, “It’s anywhere you want to be!”. Most advertisements will make people believe that their life will be completed if they buy their product. In documentary, a man told a couple to look in the mirror for 15 minutes. The research showed that no matter how long the person looked into the mirror, they would always find imperfections about themselves such as acne or frizzy hair. This shows that we are greedy ourselves and that we cannot see ourselves for who we are but what we are not. Products do not make us who we are, they just patch up our imperfections and when you feel perfected, something else will be flawed. Our society believes by adding values such as happiness, sexuality, wealth, beauty etc., to our daily media, that we will live in an ideal world although the message of the media is unrealistic.
After watching “The Corporation” and “The Ad and the Ego”, we can learn the reality of these corporations and although they are helpful to our economy, they are harmful to us people. Every single one of us has probably bought a type of clothing made by an underage worker in a third word country. It is really sad to think that corporations have turned on us and made us feel like the guilty ones. Because of the large corporations, we have no choice but to follow in the footsteps as the consumers. By watching these movies, we can clearly see the downside of corporations.
Consumerism has always been a significant ideology used by most corporations as it has had a large impact on us, the consumers of products. Corporations have led us to believe that they are helping the people rather than themselves. That is not true. In these two documentary films “The Corporation” and “The Ad and the Ego” we can see and listen to revealed information about the downsides of corporations and the burdens they carry to our environment and society. The documentary “The Corporation” exposed the corporation’s greediness and that even if they hurt the environment or hire underage workers; they are only doing it for their benefit, to make as much money as they possibly can. The other informative documentary, “The Ad and the Ego” helps us understand the media from a different medium, advertisements, and how much we absorb of its information.
Firstly, the documentary titled “The Corporation” showed us watchers and consumers that corporations depend on greed. Without greed in corporations, they would not survive. In order to continue to exist, corporations have to live off of the money that, we the people, buys. A majority of corporations mask their true identities such as the company Coca Cola. During the Nazi Regime, Coca Cola had a positive influence in America as a traditional soda drink for the whole family. The Coca Cola Corporation saw this drink as a way to make large profits so they sold it overseas to Germany. The Coco Cola Company knew that this would make their company look bad so they changed the name to Fanta. Although Fanta was a type of orange soda, the German soldiers were happy as well as the corporations back in America. This documentary also showed how harmful corporations are to people as well as our environment. For example, Kathie Lee Gifford manufactured a clothing line along with Disney that helps children in need. In fact, Gifford did not help any child as she was using child labor in a large number of sweatshops. Workers end up getting paid a lot less than they should and the environment becomes extremely polluted from chemicals that cause cancer. Corporations often see that profit overthrows public health and our natural surroundings which eventually make the public oblivious as to what is really happening with our money.
In the second documentary, “The Ad and the Ego” we clearly see how advertisements affect us as well if our brain really analyzes the advertisements when we are occupied. Advertisements have changed over the past 2 centuries as advertisements were used to give the information about products. When technology and advertisement agencies became more evolved and technical, advertisements were selling more of a lifestyle and attitude. We can clearly see this in any advertisement that is shown on the television such as Visa’s slogan, “It’s anywhere you want to be!”. Most advertisements will make people believe that their life will be completed if they buy their product. In documentary, a man told a couple to look in the mirror for 15 minutes. The research showed that no matter how long the person looked into the mirror, they would always find imperfections about themselves such as acne or frizzy hair. This shows that we are greedy ourselves and that we cannot see ourselves for who we are but what we are not. Products do not make us who we are, they just patch up our imperfections and when you feel perfected, something else will be flawed. Our society believes by adding values such as happiness, sexuality, wealth, beauty etc., to our daily media, that we will live in an ideal world although the message of the media is unrealistic.
After watching “The Corporation” and “The Ad and the Ego”, we can learn the reality of these corporations and although they are helpful to our economy, they are harmful to us people. Every single one of us has probably bought a type of clothing made by an underage worker in a third word country. It is really sad to think that corporations have turned on us and made us feel like the guilty ones. Because of the large corporations, we have no choice but to follow in the footsteps as the consumers. By watching these movies, we can clearly see the downside of corporations.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Article Comparison: Super Size Me
The documentary “Super Size Me” starring Morgan Spurlock shows us the reality of eating fast food on a regular basis. Spurlock was determined to use this experiment to prove to Americans that eating fast food, specifically McDonald's, can cause serious problems. As Spurlock did the experiment, not only did he gain weight but he also experienced other unpleasant symptoms such as loss of breath, headaches and high blood pressure. The releasing of this movie caused controversy everywhere as people had different viewpoints about the precision of this monthly long trial. The two reviews, one from the New York Times and the other from TCS Daily clearly show two different opinions.
The first review from the New York Times reveals information about the movie that is more clear and straightforward. The reviewer, A.O. Scott seems like he is talking for everyone. He claims “that we should kill McDonald's before McDonald's kills us”. Even though, he states that this is not possible in the society we live in, he believes we need to change our daily lives in order not to indulge in fast food. Overall, this review was more towards what the public wants to really hear rather than a sugar coated review. It gives details of certain parts in the movie as well as some references to other problems such as issues dealing with tobacco companies.
The second review by Dr. Ruth Kava is more critical about the accurateness of the experiment. This person questions whether or not all of the information was displayed to the public or if it was over exaggerated. She also proposes that in reality, people do not eat fast food three times a day everyday so therefore the experiment would not be accurate. The reviewer is suggesting that Spurlock knew the outcome; gaining 25 pounds and that Spurlock wants to blame McDonald's rather than us individuals for consuming fast food even though we are the ones who buy it. For example, people know cigarettes are bad for our health but they still buy and smoke them. Why? Because they are addicted. Commercials and advertisements of McDonald's are targeting young children and adults everyday. By doing this, our future generations will be exposed to fast foods and from all directions, will dominate our family restaurants, our living rooms, or even our cars.
Overall, these two articles show contrasting views as one talks about the movie on a neutral note and the other questions the accuracy of the experiment. The New York Times article was more general and talked about the negative effects of fast food. The review from TCS Daily was more reasonable because even though it said the experiment was not original, it also pointed out that it was unrealistic. It is very improbable that someone eats McDonald's 3 times a day over a long period of time. Although the review from the New York Times is stating the obvious harms, the article from TCS Daily is examining a more realistic approach.
The first review from the New York Times reveals information about the movie that is more clear and straightforward. The reviewer, A.O. Scott seems like he is talking for everyone. He claims “that we should kill McDonald's before McDonald's kills us”. Even though, he states that this is not possible in the society we live in, he believes we need to change our daily lives in order not to indulge in fast food. Overall, this review was more towards what the public wants to really hear rather than a sugar coated review. It gives details of certain parts in the movie as well as some references to other problems such as issues dealing with tobacco companies.
The second review by Dr. Ruth Kava is more critical about the accurateness of the experiment. This person questions whether or not all of the information was displayed to the public or if it was over exaggerated. She also proposes that in reality, people do not eat fast food three times a day everyday so therefore the experiment would not be accurate. The reviewer is suggesting that Spurlock knew the outcome; gaining 25 pounds and that Spurlock wants to blame McDonald's rather than us individuals for consuming fast food even though we are the ones who buy it. For example, people know cigarettes are bad for our health but they still buy and smoke them. Why? Because they are addicted. Commercials and advertisements of McDonald's are targeting young children and adults everyday. By doing this, our future generations will be exposed to fast foods and from all directions, will dominate our family restaurants, our living rooms, or even our cars.
Overall, these two articles show contrasting views as one talks about the movie on a neutral note and the other questions the accuracy of the experiment. The New York Times article was more general and talked about the negative effects of fast food. The review from TCS Daily was more reasonable because even though it said the experiment was not original, it also pointed out that it was unrealistic. It is very improbable that someone eats McDonald's 3 times a day over a long period of time. Although the review from the New York Times is stating the obvious harms, the article from TCS Daily is examining a more realistic approach.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Media Consumption Log Week 3
10:00-10:25 wake up, check my email
10:30-11:30 watch Fashion TV Breakfast and VH1 Morning Special
1:00-3:00 On the computer, doing homework and chatting to friends
4:00-6:30 Come back on the computer, watch 2 movies online, look at some blogs and artists websites
6:30-8:30 Listen to music on iPod while working on homework...it relaxes me and makes me work more efficiently
9:30 Go in the my bathroom, brands everywhere: Crest, Listerine, Dove, Pantene...I usually never change brands I use for certain products. I remember I was using this other acne brand and when I went back to America there were these commercials for Proactiv so I decided to buy it to give it a try. Now I use Proactiv everyday.
9:45-10:30 check my email and finish any other homework
I noticed that in my last 2 consumption logs I wrote a lot more of what I was doing. This log was on the weekend on a Sunday so therefore it made a large difference. On Fridays and Saturdays I would be more exposed to the media since I go out but on Sundays I relax.
10:30-11:30 watch Fashion TV Breakfast and VH1 Morning Special
1:00-3:00 On the computer, doing homework and chatting to friends
4:00-6:30 Come back on the computer, watch 2 movies online, look at some blogs and artists websites
6:30-8:30 Listen to music on iPod while working on homework...it relaxes me and makes me work more efficiently
9:30 Go in the my bathroom, brands everywhere: Crest, Listerine, Dove, Pantene...I usually never change brands I use for certain products. I remember I was using this other acne brand and when I went back to America there were these commercials for Proactiv so I decided to buy it to give it a try. Now I use Proactiv everyday.
9:45-10:30 check my email and finish any other homework
I noticed that in my last 2 consumption logs I wrote a lot more of what I was doing. This log was on the weekend on a Sunday so therefore it made a large difference. On Fridays and Saturdays I would be more exposed to the media since I go out but on Sundays I relax.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Media Consumption Log Week 2
6:00-6:05 woke up and checked email (saw advertisements on the side but in hebrew)
7:15 got on the bus and saw a coca-cola shop backing up into a supermarket
I listened to some upbeat music, mostly techno
7:25 saw 2 winwin.co.il billboards
7:30 saw people in their cars on bluetooth. When you can't see the bluetooth headset device, it looks like they're talking to themselves.
7:35 saw a man on a bicycle with his iPod on. Isn't that dangerous?
7:45 notice that they changed a soft drink ad into a milk billboard
9:55-12:55 In Mrs.B's room on my laptop on facebook, watching youtube videos and going on my favorite blogs
After lunch I was just in class taking notes on my laptop.
3:15 On the bus I listened to some more techno because I was in a good mood. Usually if I am tired, I don't listen to music at all or then I put my "Chillout" Album on which is "beachy" feeling.
4:30-5:25 Went on the computer to check my email, blackboard and watch a TV show.
5:30-6:30 watched some MTV and VH1. I really don't enjoy watching MTV anymore because they always show these ridiculous shows like Sweet Sixteen and Room Raiders and even though many might find it entertaining, I think it's a waste of time. On VH1 there was a series of 80's video clips playing. I think people who like more mainstream music like MTV because they play it often. MTV Dance can be nice when they are playing techno songs from the 90's but VH1 and VH1 Classic are more for me because they play a lot of 80's, 90's and good rock music.
I realized I was using a variety of different medias this week compared to last week. For me, my media consumption also depends which day it is of the week (because I have free's or then a my favorite TV show is coming out that day). It also depends whether or not I have a large amount of school work since the more work I have, the less free time I'll have.
7:15 got on the bus and saw a coca-cola shop backing up into a supermarket
I listened to some upbeat music, mostly techno
7:25 saw 2 winwin.co.il billboards
7:30 saw people in their cars on bluetooth. When you can't see the bluetooth headset device, it looks like they're talking to themselves.
7:35 saw a man on a bicycle with his iPod on. Isn't that dangerous?
7:45 notice that they changed a soft drink ad into a milk billboard
9:55-12:55 In Mrs.B's room on my laptop on facebook, watching youtube videos and going on my favorite blogs
After lunch I was just in class taking notes on my laptop.
3:15 On the bus I listened to some more techno because I was in a good mood. Usually if I am tired, I don't listen to music at all or then I put my "Chillout" Album on which is "beachy" feeling.
4:30-5:25 Went on the computer to check my email, blackboard and watch a TV show.
5:30-6:30 watched some MTV and VH1. I really don't enjoy watching MTV anymore because they always show these ridiculous shows like Sweet Sixteen and Room Raiders and even though many might find it entertaining, I think it's a waste of time. On VH1 there was a series of 80's video clips playing. I think people who like more mainstream music like MTV because they play it often. MTV Dance can be nice when they are playing techno songs from the 90's but VH1 and VH1 Classic are more for me because they play a lot of 80's, 90's and good rock music.
I realized I was using a variety of different medias this week compared to last week. For me, my media consumption also depends which day it is of the week (because I have free's or then a my favorite TV show is coming out that day). It also depends whether or not I have a large amount of school work since the more work I have, the less free time I'll have.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
War of the Worlds
I remember listening to this in 4th grade. To look back on it then, I still had the same reaction as I did when we listened to it a few days ago. Technology back then was obviously not as advanced as it is today. If it was, many people wouldn't have done the things they did such as aborting babies and supposedly committing suicide. In 1938, nobody was thinking that martians from Mars would begin to attack people with laser guns. If I heard a broadcast exactly like that with the realistic sounds and the interruptions I would think it is a hoax. These days there are so many hoaxes such as picture hoaxes to show that UFO's are real, Bigfoot is still on the run and Nessie is still out soaking in Loch Ness. From what I heard, I thought people went a little overboard but for something like that to happen back then, I would understand that there would be a need panic.
I think this statement is entirely true. For example, a few months ago I was watching a movie called "It's All Gone Pete Tong". It is about a DJ who becomes deaf and about his struggles to stay on top. The beginning of the movie has a person interviewing famous DJ's telling the cameras they Frankie Wilde (the Deaf DJ) was the greatest DJ in the world until he went "lost". I went online and I looked up "Frankie Wilde" and there was just the actor who played Frankie Wilde in the movie. I finally came across a movie critic site that said it was all fake. I thought it was interesting how they made so many people believe he was real when he wasn't. Truthfully, everyone falls for deceptions almost everyday. We could see a cosmetic commercial and it says it will make you the most beautiful person in the world but it in reality it can't. Also with politics and news, can we really trust that one person who writes an article we are interested in? Can we really trust the politicians and presidents who introduced us to scandal in the news? We are all so wired to media that nobody cares anymore and if you can get past the deceptions of the media then you are very strong minded.
I always think...what would it be like for me to move from a house that has internet, phones, radio almost every kind of media and go to a cabin out far in the woods with just running water and an emergency telephone. If people did that, would we be happier?...Would we enjoy the quality of life more?
I think this statement is entirely true. For example, a few months ago I was watching a movie called "It's All Gone Pete Tong". It is about a DJ who becomes deaf and about his struggles to stay on top. The beginning of the movie has a person interviewing famous DJ's telling the cameras they Frankie Wilde (the Deaf DJ) was the greatest DJ in the world until he went "lost". I went online and I looked up "Frankie Wilde" and there was just the actor who played Frankie Wilde in the movie. I finally came across a movie critic site that said it was all fake. I thought it was interesting how they made so many people believe he was real when he wasn't. Truthfully, everyone falls for deceptions almost everyday. We could see a cosmetic commercial and it says it will make you the most beautiful person in the world but it in reality it can't. Also with politics and news, can we really trust that one person who writes an article we are interested in? Can we really trust the politicians and presidents who introduced us to scandal in the news? We are all so wired to media that nobody cares anymore and if you can get past the deceptions of the media then you are very strong minded.
I always think...what would it be like for me to move from a house that has internet, phones, radio almost every kind of media and go to a cabin out far in the woods with just running water and an emergency telephone. If people did that, would we be happier?...Would we enjoy the quality of life more?
Media Consumption Log Week 1
6:00-6:10 went on facebook/checked email
6:15-6:30 while I was taking a shower I noticed my Pantene bottles and thought about how fake those Pantene or should I say hair product commercials were. There is no way that someone can make their hair that shiny and that silky with just shampoo and conditioner without going to a professional.
6:30-6:40 changed into my ISST Softball t-shirt
6:45-6:50 looked at the calender on my phone to see important dates
7:15-7:50 went on bus and listened to fast upbeat music (trance/psytrance music). This is usually how I start my day...
7:15-7:30 children were getting on my bus with their AIS shirts
I noticed that the bus driver was listening to the radio a lot. He switched from a station with a morning show in Hebrew to a rock n' roll station that had songs in English. At the same time the radio was on, he was also talking to other people on loudspeaker on the phone.
7:20-7:30 Bus is in the Industrial Zone in Herzliya. There are so many advertisements in this area for different shops and restaurants. I noticed a big one on the side of an old building for Jansport (the backpack company)
7:40-7:45 arriving towards the school. Of course I saw the big IKEA and Tiv Taam sign as well as the Cats Inn billboard (which I noticed has changed).
7:45 Right near the school there is a big photo of Gilad and he's looking right at you...
8:30-8:40 go on email and facebook
9:55-11:20 go on certain sites for research as well as my email and see ads from Google on the side.
11:20-12 Listen to music...since it was art class I usually have a certain taste in music I can't explain..."creative thinking music"
During 12 until the end of school I didn't really notice a lot of media...I was using my laptop to take notes for most of the time but I stayed in the same room for a while so not a lot changed.
3:15 Going towards IKEA there's a big SPRITE ad. Before they used to have a Pepsi ad and it said "MAX IT TO THE MAX". I remember my father telling me "wow even I could make that up..They pay these guys thousands of dollars and that's all they can come up with?".
3:15-3:45 Listening to music. It was slightly softer more "acoustic" music that didn't really have words just very relaxing beats.
4-4:30 Listen to music
4:45-6 Doing work on laptop as well as downloading albums and movies.
6:15-6:30 while I was taking a shower I noticed my Pantene bottles and thought about how fake those Pantene or should I say hair product commercials were. There is no way that someone can make their hair that shiny and that silky with just shampoo and conditioner without going to a professional.
6:30-6:40 changed into my ISST Softball t-shirt
6:45-6:50 looked at the calender on my phone to see important dates
7:15-7:50 went on bus and listened to fast upbeat music (trance/psytrance music). This is usually how I start my day...
7:15-7:30 children were getting on my bus with their AIS shirts
I noticed that the bus driver was listening to the radio a lot. He switched from a station with a morning show in Hebrew to a rock n' roll station that had songs in English. At the same time the radio was on, he was also talking to other people on loudspeaker on the phone.
7:20-7:30 Bus is in the Industrial Zone in Herzliya. There are so many advertisements in this area for different shops and restaurants. I noticed a big one on the side of an old building for Jansport (the backpack company)
7:40-7:45 arriving towards the school. Of course I saw the big IKEA and Tiv Taam sign as well as the Cats Inn billboard (which I noticed has changed).
7:45 Right near the school there is a big photo of Gilad and he's looking right at you...
8:30-8:40 go on email and facebook
9:55-11:20 go on certain sites for research as well as my email and see ads from Google on the side.
11:20-12 Listen to music...since it was art class I usually have a certain taste in music I can't explain..."creative thinking music"
During 12 until the end of school I didn't really notice a lot of media...I was using my laptop to take notes for most of the time but I stayed in the same room for a while so not a lot changed.
3:15 Going towards IKEA there's a big SPRITE ad. Before they used to have a Pepsi ad and it said "MAX IT TO THE MAX". I remember my father telling me "wow even I could make that up..They pay these guys thousands of dollars and that's all they can come up with?".
3:15-3:45 Listening to music. It was slightly softer more "acoustic" music that didn't really have words just very relaxing beats.
4-4:30 Listen to music
4:45-6 Doing work on laptop as well as downloading albums and movies.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Who Owns the Media?
Media has progressed over the past century from using radios to broadcast news all the way to having the headlines sent directly to your phone. Media is all around us, it stalks us everywhere we go and there is no way we can hide from it. Even though media is beneficial to the economy, our social lives and development, media statistics can be frightening. In America 40%, almost half the population, watches TV while eating and 25% fall asleep on the couch around three times a week. Surprisingly, we see around 3,000 advertisements a day (uwm.edu) and most of us are oblivious to it. Is this really healthy for our society? Are the large corporations going overboard with advertisements? Ultimately the question is asked, “Who owns the media?” and consumers stare at each other in awe and don’t know what to say. In reality, it is the ten major companies but with society in the way, we become responsible for the media expanding as it has today.
The media is addictive and every consumer can agree. It is easily accessible to most people and is a global phenomenon. Medias, such as interactive mediums and mass media like the internet can help us communicate quickly with fellow relatives or friends. People have relied so much on different types of media, that we feel lost or hopeless if we lose a phone or forget to bring a laptop. Because the media is so effortlessly available and affordable almost everyone can buy some type of media. Another media such as the internet has left a lot of consumers unintentionally knowing that we are thieves because movies, books, and images are exposed and illegally leaked on the internet. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave the media is expressed significantly with shadows to define from what is right and what is wrong. We look to media to see what clothes we should wear, which politician we can trust and what car to drive but is it all real? Are we able to trust what we called so called “news”? We are so dependent on the media today and we are all solely responsible for what the media has developed into today.
The media is addictive and every consumer can agree. It is easily accessible to most people and is a global phenomenon. Medias, such as interactive mediums and mass media like the internet can help us communicate quickly with fellow relatives or friends. People have relied so much on different types of media, that we feel lost or hopeless if we lose a phone or forget to bring a laptop. Because the media is so effortlessly available and affordable almost everyone can buy some type of media. Another media such as the internet has left a lot of consumers unintentionally knowing that we are thieves because movies, books, and images are exposed and illegally leaked on the internet. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave the media is expressed significantly with shadows to define from what is right and what is wrong. We look to media to see what clothes we should wear, which politician we can trust and what car to drive but is it all real? Are we able to trust what we called so called “news”? We are so dependent on the media today and we are all solely responsible for what the media has developed into today.
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