My Last Blog

Celebrities - it seems as if the American culture has been overtaken with them. We all want to be celebrities. We all want to be rich. Jim Carey once said that everyone wants to be rich and famous. Although everyone knows it doesn't bring happiness, they still want to try it. Carey says, "Don't try it. It isn't worth it." Interesting statement coming from one of the richest and more famous actors in Hollywood. Then I had to think of that book we were reading about Bill Romanowski. He claims in there that because of the melodramatic themes that are portrayed in movies, the American people have lost touch with reality. Professor Rudd says that it is important for us to be taught media literacy so that we can discern as Christians what these mixed messages are really saying.
I'd like to tie these three thoughts together and say this....
For myself, in my setting, in my childhood........I did not have a lot of media literacy teaching.........
BUT
I would like to argue that the training that my parents gave me was still an adequate training that helps me discern media. For instance, my dad always told me that if something is too good to be true than it's too good to be true. I really believe that today, which helps me to be cautious when I hear advertisements saying all kinds of great things about a product. My parents never like lies of any sort.......so, i was taught that tv lies and that santa claus does not exist. This helped me to understand the world of television and storytelling. They simply aren't true. Books aren't real life. I've always had a cynical view of melodrama where the hero always wins. I've been taught by my parents that life isn't always just about me. In fact, they've taught me to think about others my entire life.

However, I'm really glad that I had this class because I really did learn a lot, but I also realized that in a strange way, the teachings that my parents taught me have prepared me to take in a lot of the propaganda from the media. My parents didn't necessarily have media in mind, but the concepts that they taught me can be applied to media. This class has really taught me a lot and helped me to realize how important it is for us to use culture and media to relate to the world. I want to be a difference maker and an opinion leader.

My Favorite Medium

My favorite element of mass media would have to be movies. If you're all stressed out over work or some paper that you have to write thats due the next morning, nothing unstresses you like a good movie. For about an hour and half, you forget about the rest of the world, except for your friends that are with you, and you watch another world. A world where your problems don't exist, but somebody's elses problems do exist. They eliminate their problems one by one and conquer the world. Afterwards, you feel invigorated and invincible. You feel that if the hero in the story can accomplish that much, you can too.. (Sometimes)..Yeah, it's bout the most de-stressing thing you can do. And-------------it's a trip.

The history of the romance novel that we talked about today in class kinda made me think. Professor Rudd brought out the fact that the invention of synthetic glue had a major impact on books. It allowed them to be made much more cost efficiently in the form of paperback books. Wow, such an invention affected thousands of people because now they could access books that were more affordable for them. My thoughts went to, "Like, how crazy is that, that an invention like that could affect books with such a large impact. But, then I thought more deeply. Every single part of mass media has been affected by inventions. In fact, were nothing ever invented, mass media would be a term not in our dictionary today. The printing press, FM radio, camera, video camera, typewriters, computers, internet, and, of course, television are all inventions that greatly affected mass media. Each invention brought mass media to another level. Think with me, Is mass media still changing today. Yes, it is. In fact, Professor Rudd's been exposing us to some new mediums in class. One of the biggest changes in recent years has been through the internet.. The invention of the internet is now changing the face of mass media to some extent. Quite possibly, you may be able to stream your favorite shows on the internet someday. Some shows are already on the internet for you to watch if you miss an episode. College football and basketball games are streamed on the internet for a monthly fee. Maybe you thought of other directions that mass media has been taking. Share them with a comment......or lots of comments.....:)

Why we should pay attention to World News

Interest in international news seems to be seemingly low in most of my friends. I'm embarrassed almost to say this, but one time we were going to pray. It was opened for requests, and I mentioned the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. A few knew what I was talking about, but more than a few, were like, "What's happening there." How are we going to be able to pray for the world if we don't even know what to pray for?

I believe that a fair knowledge of world events helps us become better citizens. Knowing what U.S. interests are in foreign countries can help us evaluate the news. Understanding the deep trading ties between China and the U.S. alleviates a lot of misunderstandings or fears that China will attempt to go to war with us. Understanding other cultures is an enlightening experience that I feel everyone should experience at one time in their lives. It helps us to appreciate the freedom that we can experience every day in America. It helps us to appreciate our beautiful middle class jobs, homes, and cars.

Looking world situations such as refugee/starvation/genocide problem in Sudan can help us pray that God would intervene on their behalf. We can call Congressmen to take action to help these people. Human rights violations such as slavery and child labor are happening around the globe.

To be more aware of stuff like this pay attention to these mediums - documentaries on television that address these issues, international section of any newspaper (you can still read the gossip section on hollywood), magazines, internet news is an excellent source.
And lastly - read or listen in surveillance mode...........it WILL enrich your life.

Fan Cultures

I have come to the conclusion that those "treckies" that we watched in class aren't really that different from us. However, the reason we define them as weird is because of the norms that we, those of us from middle-class America, hold and expect them to follow. Because they look at the world differently than us, we perceive them as weird. So, the groups that we engage in and are a part of define our culture and how we see the world.

The interesting thing about groups - fan groups, religious groups, terrorist groups, or any body of people that band together for a common cause - is that these groups help bring special meanings to these people's lives. These groups also help fill a need of belonging. Most people take pride in their group. Examples - Ohio State fans, Al Quaeda, Christians, Muslims, Americans, Irish, Star War's Fans, Humane Society, Pro-life Activists, etc.....

I like to find something in common with people. I have never been that extreme of a Brown's fan. However, I like to pay a little attention to what's going on with the Browns because it seems like every male 20 years old or older in northeast Ohio seems to have some kind of feelings about the Browns. Therefore, I usually have at least the Browns to talk about with them if I don't have anything else. When I start talking to someone I don't know well, I discovered I ask questions until I discover an affinity group that we are both a part of. The rest is easy.

Mass Media is a excellent way for us to become members of groups either through TV shows, movies, the news, or sports. It brings our large world together and brings meaning to our lives that we can all identify with.

Media Conglomerates: Are they good for us?

One of my biggest pet peeves with media conglomeration is the way that it smothers innovation. As long as there is some sort of competition out there, it seems as if company's innovate and come up with bright ideas. Once a company has achieved a pinnacle and receives little competition it would seem as if they would start to go into a cyclical mode that produces only what is good for them. However, I'm going to argue that this may not all be true given all the different trends that keep propping up in America. True, I still don't like GIGANTIC companies and probably never will, BUT I don't think that they are out of reach yet.
Look at what the internet is doing to the media...For example Google, I believe that the media conglomerates are starting to feel threatened by the upstart company. Viacom's lawsuit against Google's sister company YouTube is a prime example. Google is in its own mode of buying up key internet sites and becoming one of the most innovative companies our country has ever seen.
Also, I would like to mention that to those worried that news reporting will be hurting if the media conglomerates all band together..... Not to worry, too much independent news reporting on the internet and too much competition between reporters hired by the SAME company to affect that too much.
The United States instituted checks and balances to attempt to keep its country on the right track. One of those checks and balances was laws against companies buying out all the competition. Have they stayed true to that? Well, they forced AT&T to break up. They held an anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft over something in their operating system. Unfortunately, money seems to be the over-powering decision maker in Washington these days.
But is the consumer really that affected?
It is important for us to realize that the consumer tells these companies what to produce... and that, my friends, is what they produce.

What is a good society?

I believe that a good society is one that encompasses Christian principles. Note here that I do not necessarily mean that everyone has to be a Christian although I'm sure that is what God would want. However, the term that I used encapsulates the diverse objectives that seem to make the world safer, richer, and more unified.
The principles of right and wrong as defined by the Ten Commandments provide excellent morals that a society can live by. Do not kill, do not steal - these are principles that non-Christians can live by as well. Honesty is an integral part of a good society. It provides a secure business world built on trustworthiness on one's word. Kindness shown to others makes a society a nice place to live.
Some may argue that the government should provide for the homeless and the needy. Most Christians believe that we should help each other out and provide food for the hungry. The principle of sharing with those in needs is an excellent way for a society to work together in unity.

If you don't agree with this theory........ I encourage you to visit a third world country that has a corrupt government. I am thankful, that for the most part, America is founded on principles that define right and wrong and honesty.....

Viacom vs. YouTube/Google

Did you notice in the news that media conglomerate Viacom is suing YouTube/Google for a billion dollars over copyright infringement issues on YouTube. Viacoms claims that copyrighted content posted by YouTube users violates copyright laws and wants YouTube to take more effective action against it. Right now - the way it works - is ........ a user posts a copyrighted video clip of some show. Hundreds of people view the video, sometimes millions, than Viacom is required by law to contact YouTube that the video is copyrighted. Only than, according to law, does YouTube have to take action to take the posted video off of their site. The problem is that users post videos faster than Viacom and YouTube can play their cat and mouse game. Viacom is fed up with it. This lawsuit is possibly a foundational lawsuit in the way that the law is to be interpreted in the future. I am not sure why Viacom does not like the exposure of their content on YouTube. Most media sources like the exposure to their material because it's free advertising. I suspect their's more than meets the eye. For instance, Viacom is one of the largest media conglomerates at this time, and it may feel threatned by Google's increasing size and position in the technology world. Google continues to buy more and more businesses and increase in size. However, Google's advances are in a different nature than most other media conglomerates. It's possible that they will be the next giant to deal with.
I cannot see how Viacom could have lost any money by having their copyrighted content show up in short video clips on YouTube. They make billions of dollars.... surely that's enough money.... or do they think they can make even more by getting YouTube to pay them for their copyrighted content... Quite possibly, the greedier get greedier. They may be able to squeeze out more revenue....hummmm...... If Viacom wins this lawsuit.... I suggest you buy stocks the instant they do because..... their stock is about to go up...... But if they lose.... it really shouldn't go down.

Maybe if they lose, they should give every college student in America a hundred bucks for disturbing the peace.. yeh,, I think that's a great idea.

Hollywood for an Hour

Hello I'm Brad Bucks and I'm hot. (not really, but i'm supposed to be). Wednesday in class, we had a simulation of what takes place in Hollywood. I played the role of an actor called Brad Bucks. The objective for me was to sign with a studio and make some money. I was assigned this cool agent who worked out some great details for me. Because of my big name profile, it wasn't hard for me to attract attention from the other people in Hollywood. I'm not sure how it always works, but these two amazing play writers came to my agent and I and wanted us to hook up with them to become more attractive to the studios. It sounded like a good idea so we went for it. They also scored on some actress for their movie idea and we went to see Big Time Studios. (They had an amazingly large budget) After a little haggling, we agreed on a deal, and I signed for 17.5 million for the movie which is by far the largest deal I had ever gotten. wow.......Because this actress and I were casting together in this movie, we attracted the attention of another studio called Midvale Studios. They were talking to another actor about my role, but I told my agent to take it regardless how little they pay just to squash the competition. They signed me for 10.5 million. Not bad.. not bad at all. So that was a rough day. I'm gonna have to take it easy for the next week cuz of all that stress. I'm leaving for Florida on Saturday (Honest bout this one) Yippee! So, I don't know if I'll post while i'm down there or not..Got a lot of money to spend.. Oh, and get this - my agent - he thinks he should get more than his normal 10% cut. I mean like what is he thinking. He's already making way more than ever before because of my HUGE deals.....He just made 2.85 million dollars!!!! Greedy, that's what he is.... I mean like I got a family to support and all. I can't just give all my money to my agent...

later

Country Music Genre

Haven't you ever wondered how some of the songs you here today can still be considered country music? Because I know a lot of old country songs, I notice how the style has changed through the years. Most of the old country songs were slow and usually related some sort of common life story. The country songs of today have changed so dramatically that sometimes you're not sure if it still even sounds like country. Slippage occurs when the rules change. Artists like Diamond Rio and Shania Twain can arguably be introducing a new sort of country music. Their styles contrast greatly from your typical Alan Jackson or Alabama styles. I wonder how country music will sound twenty years from now.

Joey

If there ever was a sitcom where the quirky personality character never changes it's in the sitcom Joey. Joey is an offshoot of friends, and it is quite funny in my opinion. What never ceases to amaze me is the way that he always acts like a blond. He never learns, which is an important part of the sitcom -- Joey's personality. Joey's personality is the core behind all the laughs in the sitcom. He never changes even after he moves from New York to Los Angeles. He has an incredible problem remember his acting lines for his job and is horrible with directions. However, he has no problems picking up girls if they are as stupid as he is. Interestingly enough, it seems the show revolves around his stupidity. If he were to see the light and come out of his little world, the show would not be the same and would disappoint the viewers.
You gotta love that good ole Joey guy.

YouTube Videos

YouTube videos are becoming a genre of media of their own.While many videos are copyrighted content, the homemade ones are the ones that I am referring to. Many times it's just one guy or girl ranting about something. It's a great way to broadcast yourself to the world.

In the back of our daily newspaper the other day their was an article about a video on YouTube. So, I had to watch it. This is what it was about. This guy broke up with his girlfriend at UNC in one of the strangest manners ever. He announced on facebook the day before that he intended to do something really special and that everybody should be at this certain place. Well, I think around a thousand students showed up for the event. This is all amateur videotaping and no acting so it's a little different than most films you see. The scene starts off with everybody crowded around this guy and a group of acapella girl singers and his girlfriend. The girls start singing the Dixie Chicks song "I'm Not Ready To Make Nice." The camera man zooms in on the girl to get a close up shot of her. She does a good job of not showing any emotion. He then zooms in to get a close up of the guy. He is clearly ticked off and looks angry. Anyway...... the video ends with quite a few obscenities being yelled, and the two are clearly upset with each other.... I want you to watch it. and I would like feedback from you what you think of the YouTube genre.... if I can call it that. Maybe you don't think it has its own distinct genre. Comment on that.

Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU9im1tfgzI

Merchants of Cool

The tactics MTV and other mainstream television producers used are morally problematic. But who's going to stop them. We cannot place the entire blame upon them for the methods because of what we call this feedback loop. Television finds out whats cool with kids and markets it. Most times when it is marketed, it becomes mainstream. Before long, its old and kids and marketers are looking for the next big thing. Shocking people with sexuality has become sort of a common thing. Some genres have shown up through this process of the feedback loop, popularized by MTV and copycatted by the rest of mainstream producers. Teens these days are catching up to the whole marketing ploy though, and MTV has struggled at times to be as successful as before. However, it seems that all it takes is a little more research, and they are back on track to making more money than ever before. Who created this society? I think WE, the American people, have created it.

Genre: Country Music

Country musics roots go way back. In fact, the original style came from the music played in early american history. Usually the music was sung with a guitar and an occasional fiddle and banjo, and if you listen to some of the older artists such as Merle Haggard and Hank Williams, Sr., you can hear just the basic instruments sung in an old folk like way. However, as time moved on the genre of Country music has changed considerably. You have many artists that stuck to the mainstreams that defined the genre, but than you artists like Shania Twain who like to mix their music up and go down another trail. In fact, most people will agree the country music of today does not sound at all like the country music of the eighties, nor the eighties like the seventies. Through time one artists shifts a little as though to be daring, and some people like him and others follow his path. However, interestingly enough, it seems that if they wear a cowboy hat to sing, then......... tada...... their a country singer. However, i have one question? Their are lots of sub genres for a lot of genres. Why does country music not have so few, if any?

mass advertising & superbowl

Did you watch the superbowl? It's mind boggling to think of all the millions of viewers all viewing the same game at one time. The exposure is great to the advertising world. The ads displayed this year were somewhat creative. The one i'm still trying to figure out is the snickers bar commercial. Two men share a candy bar by starting to chew on it at each end simultaneously ( why didn't they just break it in half, ,it's a commercial.....I know). When they get to the middle they accidently kiss each other. Next, they are horrified that they actually kissed each other so they tear out some chest hair to do something manly to prove they aren't gay. I asked myself the question, "What did this have to do with a snickers bar?" Truth is, nothing. The objective point of the commercial is to grab your attention and to make that you don't forget it. The subjective point is probably to shock you with the audacity of the theme. Is it actually gonna sell more snickers? good question

Broken Bridges

Another movie,,, ok,, sorry,, but I don't watch a lot of tv so here is another movie.....that i watched recently and it was great.. Highly recommend it......Toby Keith is in this movie along with Kelly Preston. The myth of an eternal reward came up quite frequently in this movie. Toby Keith is Bo Price in this movie. Bo Price becomes a great country singer, but than goes on a downward trend with a drinking problem that can only be fixed when he returns to his hometown and comes face to face with his mistakes of the past. It sort of amused me watching this movie and noticing the significant ways of the screen shots. In one scene, the mother,Kelly Preston, and Bo Price's daughter, return to the home town as well. The mom's room is the same way as she left it fifteen years ago. The camera zero's in on the pictures on the wall and the different items in the room slowly and distinctly as if these were important items in the story.
I will recommend that you like country music to some extent to watch this movie because if you don't belong to the country music affinity group, you will have a difficult time appreciating this movie because it does use a lot of country western themes and music.

Signs in Commercials

All-State Insurance commercial

A guy is sitting in his car with his two friends at the Florida State University football game in the parking lot. He is wearing his FSU attire like a real fan. When all of a sudden he says, "Dude, that was Bobby Bowden." He and his friends sit there in awe for like three seconds before the driver says, "I'm gonna go touch him." He opens his car door only to have a pickup pass by him on that side at the exact same time and knock his door off. He seems unfazed, and he gets out and runs off. Couple of seconds later he comes panting back and gets in the car and sits there for like a second than goes to his two buddies that are with him, "That wasn't him."

The basic theme that the insurance company is trying to convey to us is that it doesn't matter how crazy the situation, they will still cover any damages. A lot of humor is conveyed, but in order to understand the humor, you need to understand the basic signs of stupidity that most Americans are familiar with. In order to understand the commercial, you need to see the humor in the character that makes a fool out of himself. He doesn't look like the smartest guy on the block. He wants to go touch Bobby Bowden the coach of the Florida State Football team. You need to understand Americans obsession with famous people. You need to understand the absurdity of the situation when he gets his car door knocked off over a mistaken identity. Basically, the entire commerical's humor is based upon this fellows cluelessness. The pauses in the commercial are crucial to the humor conveyed in the commercial. The three men sit in awe in silence which creates a little tension right before the action such as the door getting knocked off and the funny punch lines. Sometimes a commercial's subjective point of view is hard to identify such as this one. However, they usually want you to remember their commercial and will use humor to help you remember it.

Signs - Subway

The fast food chain semiotic domain all use the same type of sign to signify their restaurants presence. Simple plastic with flourescent lights hidden behind to make the sign glow. All their designs have their own twist to them. McDonalds has their M and Burger King has their cheesy circle with Burger King in the middle. Subway has it's own same kind of sign. The word Subway spelled out. The first syllable is white. The second syllable is yellow. If you notice one specific color all these signs have in common is yellow. I'm assuming here, but i've heard the color yellow is supposed to make you hungry. Therefore, we have the yellow. Subway uses the unique little arrow tails yet at the beginning and the end of the word to put their own little twist to it. The word Subway also reminds us of something else that we see in bigger cities specifically New York City. The subway is an underground mode of transportation in these cities, and a sub is also a piece of bread. They tie the two together for a theme in their restaurant. All their sandwiches come on those tube shaped pieces of bread called subs. The name and the shapes of their sign all resemble the tubular sandwiches.

The movie Walking Tall starring The Rock is about a man who leaves his small quaint community to join the army. When he comes back he discovers that life is like the "good ole days." The people who held jobs in the lumber mill dominated workforce now work for The Rock's schoolboy archrival in a casino that has taken over the jobs and character of the town. Those that don't care for the life of the casino have no jobs and are unhappy. Everybody has been bought by the casino owner and cannot speek out freely against the casino in fear of their jobs. Even the town sheriff has been payed off by the tyrant casino owner.
In this movie their is "the myth of the eternal reward", meaning that life would be better for everyone in the community if the lumber mills reopened and the casino would be shut down. Another myth that applies is "the coming of a messiah," meaning that someone needs to come and save these people from the tyrant.
In the movie, The Rock single handedly takes out a few of the casino's thugs in retaliation for something that they did. The coming of the messiah myth. He than runs for sheriff of the town and goes on to save the day. Only when he exposes the casino owner's evil plans and locks him up can life return to the good ole days. The lumber mill reopens and everyone is happy. They myth of the eternal reward.

A semiotic domain I identify with

I am a college football fan ( and i'm all sad that it's all over with this year). To become a member of this semiotic domain you need to follow the sport by watching the games and following the BCS rankings. The more games you watch the more expert you become at analyzing different teams strengths and weaknesses. My favorite team is, of course, Ohio State, (although I can't say that as boldly as i could on January 7th). If I watch a game with you, I can tell really quickly whether you know anything about football or not by the dumb questions you ask... or the insightful comments you make. ( I have a friend who asks the dumbest questions... groan) Most college football fans agree that the NFL just doesn't have the character that college football contains. College football players are giving everything they have to make it to the NFL. I enjoy college football because it always one guy to really stand out because the competition is much smaller than in the NFL. In the NFL, everyone's a stud. ok... i rambled long enough.

Watched a movie out of my affinity group

Ok, so I watched this feeble movie with my friend and his two brothers. Nacho Libre starring Jack Black. First of all, I did not want to watch the movie. I heard it was stupid. Sure enough, it was. However, it did make me laugh at Jack Black's cluelessness like when he wanted to wear tight stretchy pants. Jack Black wanted to wrestle, which I think is gross, and he picked the grossest partner to help him. The setting is in a Catholic monastary in Mexico. Everything about the movie came across as dumb to me. Jack Black is ridiculous and the attempts at humor are so lame I had to laugh. If I would have attempted to watch this movie by myself, I'm sure that I would not have found it amusing at all, but something about watching it with friends who think it's funny made me laugh pretty hard at some parts. Although I found it amusing, I am by no means a Jack Black fan.

Media that has been formative in my life

Last semester, I took Intro to World Politics taught by Dr. Waalkes. We were required to subscribe to the New York Times and read the International section Monday through Fridays. At first, I despaired. However, as I began reading these articles and keeping up with the stories, I realized how much interest I actually had in politics and global news. Having traveled to Asia, I found the stories concerning these countries particularly of interest. Civil rights and poverty stories capture my interest. Reading about aids in Africa, genocide in Darfur, and civil rights abuse in China drives me to want to help these people. I am learning to pray for these situations as I am made aware of them through the news media. Many of my prayers before this experience were related mostly with my little world. I believe God wants us to be aware what is going on in the world today so that we can pray for them and maybe we can help them in other ways as well.

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