Is It Real?

This week in class we learned about the ideas and realities of war. Then for our blog we were given the task of finding a gamer friend and conducting an interview with them. I decided to interview my friend, Dale, who plays a number of games that could be considered violent.

Q: What games do you like to play?

A: I play Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops and I really like Battlefield 3.

Q: What do you do in the game Battlefield 3?

A: You get to play as a military sim, instead of just a shooter.

Q: Why do you like it?

A: It’s a way to relieve stress in a way that you couldn’t or wouldn’t in real life. I’m also interested in war and history so it’s interesting to me. It’s not like trying to complete a puzzle where you build up all kinds of stress and have no way to release it; it’s also a safe way to experience war. Plus all my friends play and I can interact with them while playing the games.

Q: Do you attach what you experience in the games to reality?

A: No, I understand that the game isn’t real and that it is unlike actual war.

Q: When you watch real images and videos of war, like the one above, how do you feel?

A: I know people who are in the military so I connect their faces to what I see. I know that they are real and not fantasy.

Q: Do you feel like playing these types of games gives you a false sense of war?

A: No, I understand that real war zones aren’t like the games. Because I know a bit about war it’s easy to understand the difference between reality and fantasy.

Occupy Oakland: Police VS Protestors

Our objective for this weekend’s blog post was to find a picture of an occupy Oakland protestor in pain and to examine it from all viewpoints. Looking through the many pictures of injuries one that stuck out for me was of a young man that had been hit with a rubber bullet during the protests. His picture was taken and uploaded to the occupy Oakland twitter page.

        

       If I was a protestor or supporter of the protests looking at this picture I would imagine that I was the victim. I would connect with him and feel a great amount of sympathy for his pain. I would also experience anger at the police for using so much force on unarmed protestors like him. Though they used rubber bullets I would care, I would only see his injury. The fresh, open wound that I can only imagine is horrible painful would only add fuel to my fire. From the views as a protestor I would want to continue on his behalf, so that his injury wasn’t for nothing.

               On the other hand if I was opposed to the protests I would view this picture very differently. Looking at the photo I would feel sympathy for his pain but anger at the protestors as well. I would see the face of a man who was aiding in a violent and aggressive protest that needed to be handled. The fact that he was protesting and actively taking part would cause me to have less sympathy for him. He put himself into that position with the knowledge that injury could happen. I would also see a man that was not shot with an actual bullet merely a rubber bullet. 

Drilling up some AMD

This week our task for the blog was to find a disturbing fact on Fractracker.org and write about it then if we could, find a video that spotlighted the issue. The article that disturbed me the most was one about drilling in areas that are unsuitable to mine. The reason they cannot be mined in is simple they would pose a threat to the environment surrounding. If these areas are mined they put the land at risk to acid mine drainage (AMD). This acid results in water contamination, and if untreated can cause major damage to streams and waterways. Now you may be wondering how this relates to drilling, as drilling is different than mining. Well when an area is drilled they have to go through the coal seam to get to the gas. This means that the drilling mud and drill cuttings probably contain sulfuric acid, the main component of AMD. This could result in the surrounding areas being exposed to AMD. So my own question is why is it suitable to drill and not mine when the outcome could have the same effects as if mining had occurred? Though the whole article in general caused internal concern what disturbed me the most was the amount of drilling that is taking place over areas that geologists have determined AMD could exist.

Video from Fractracker.org

     In class this week we learned of Noam Chomsky and ideas he has about the media, one such idea that I felt applied to my blog was about “Agenda Setters,” the people who decide what is acceptable to the masses. These “Agenda Setters” also pick and choose issues to either spotlight or hide away from the public. I believe that the article I found on Fractracker.org is one such issue that has been hidden. While trying to find any type of video that addressed the issue I had no luck. We were also asked to find a video that included our president or our governor talking about their perspective on drilling and fracking. I found a radio ad that has our governor, Tom Corbett, addressing his perspective on drilling and his beliefs that out environment should always be the first concern. I found this a bit ironic since were allowing drilling to occur over areas that could produce AMD. Why, if we are supposed to be geared towards helping the environment, are we allowing this to take place? 

What The News Really Tells People

This week in class we were given the task of watching half an hours’ worth of local news. I chose to watch WPXI during the 12:00 to 12:30 segment. I numbered each part during the half hour that I watched.

1) The first story displayed when I turned it on was about a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. The reporter interviewed various people who had nothing but good things to say about the officer the reported then signed off and as she did her name appeared on a bottom banner, under that the phrase “News coverage you can count on” also appeared.

2) The next story was about a car fire it was titled “Firefighters called to battle a car fire on I-279”. The anchor gave simple details and stated that the viewers should stay tuned to hear more information.

3) “Crosby Cleared” was the next topic and it was during this segment that the anchor was somewhat emotional. He explains it like it is the most important thing he has to say. The first thing he says is that the story is big big news.

4) The next story is about a girl who was hit by a car in Brighton heights. They offer a clip showing police and ambience cars surrounding the scene.

5) The news channels logo flashes along with their theme 

music.

6) Then a story about an attempted burglary at a Crafton business. The anchor doesn’t offer much about the story just simple facts that it happened and then he moves on.

7) He moves onto the next story about a family of four that was hit by a car while riding in their horse driven buggy.

8) A story about jobless benefits is next up, and the clip provided shows people in an unemployment office.

9) The weather feature was up next.

10) Finally before the first break they had a food recall; this particular recall was on Giant Eagle lettuce. The anchor didn’t seem to take the recall as highly important; in fact he used more urgency on the Crosby story.

11) The first commercial was an ad for various NBC shows that aired later in the night. These shows included; Whitney, the Office, Community, and Parks and Recreation.

12) The next commercial was for Rusmur floors in which they promoted a special for carpeting.

13) After that they aired an ad against Rich Fitzgerald, basically a political ad endorsed by an opposing figure.

14) Then after that was an ad for Gateway health plan, this was aimed at adults who needed secure health plans.

15) An ad for Edgar Snyder & Associates was next; he offered legal help to those who needed someone that they could trust.

16) Before the news returned they showed an ad for Scott tissue, one of the sponsors.

17) The first story that appeared after the break was about a missing bridge, the news anchor reported that it was chopped up and sold by the crooks to get money.

18) The next story was about a road that was giving out, the reporter states that while the road needs fixed the costs and time closed will highly impact the community.

19) The anchor then reported on schools in one community going up for bid, though he could have elaborated he seemed to gloss over details.

20) Before another commercial break the channel advertised for upcoming news topics that viewers would want to stay tuned for.

21) The first commercial after the second half was an ad for the news channels themselves.

22) After that the next ad was for Wright Hyundai, the commercial itself basically showed various cars offered by them.

23) Next up was a commercial on Robert Peirce and associates, and their services for people with legal issues and their disabilities. They shared their slogan “Lean on us” that advertised that they could be trusted.

24) Then they showed an ad for Medical Stop Pharmacy, who was hosting a customer appreciation day.

25) Once that commercial ended a clip of a pie and sad music started playing, the pie was slowly being cut apart listing various everyday expenses as parts of said pie. This ad was for the local food bank and they used emotions to garner reactions from viewers.

26) Again an ad for Wright Hyundai played, this ad was exactly like the first and this was all before the news returned.

27) The last commercial before the news turned back on was on for Gateway Health Plan, much like the same commercial that aired before.

28) The news returned and the first story was about Booster Safety, the reporter held an interview and the woman stated the “the longer they stay in boosters the less they have risks in the car.”

29) Next up was a story on parking lot rage; the anchor reported that a woman was run over by a man after they argued about a parking spot. A clip was shown that displayed the woman on the ground after being hit with people surrounding her and watching the scene unfold.

30) Then the channel advertised an exclusive interview with Tanya Kach, a woman who was held captive for years by a security guard at her school. The anchor said to watch the channel at five to get the full story, thus leading people to keep watching.

31) Again they had a segment on weather, listing the same predictions as before in regards to weather.

32) Right before they cut to commercial they again advertised some upcoming stories to keep the audience watching.

33) The first two commercials were for the news station themselves, one for phone updates and the other for the website.

34) Next up was a commercial for Minute Clinic. They stated that it was a quick way to get healthy and stay on the go, and that it was conveniently located in CVS.

35) After that was an ad for Pearl Vision glasses, the customer was so amazed by the price that he assumed that the sales woman was buttering him up.

36) An ad for Cera Ve was next, this ad to gain credibility showed a real doctor that promised this products effectiveness.

37) The news returned and the first story was about a grandma scheme that was making its way around costing many people money. The news anchor stated that the scheme was aimed at people who were too trusting alluding to the idea that if you’re trusting you will be swindled.

38) The anchor then talked about the news that Steelers might have to pay more money for land that they purchase. He again seemed to have a higher interest in this story than the others.

39) The news advertised their website and then ended for the time being, but not before telling the viewers to return to watch at five.

40) Then they advertised for Gateway one of the shows sponsors.

     After watching the news for the short half an hour I quickly realized that they were simply a time filler to advertise themselves and various other products. The segments were very simple, and while it was meant so that everyone could understand the facts, it alluded to the fact that people are too stupid to understand things without them being simplified. The anchors and reporters all seemed to be apathetic to the serious stories and one anchor in particular seemed to only come alive when he was talking about sports. I also noticed that they had no rhyme or reason to setting up the stories, a car accident was placed between a sports story and one about a robbery. The ads during the breaks all appealed to adults, most of them were for things that only adults would need. Adults have jobs, cars, and responsibilities, all of which the commercials advertised for.

     If I didn’t come from Earth I would think that our planet was full of violence and lies. The majority of the stories that they aired were about people getting robbed and getting hurt. In class we talked about the fact that movies and media in general were upping the levels of violence to gain an audience and to hold their attention, I believe that the news takes this into consideration and spotlights the real violence to maintain an audience. The aliens would also think that we only offer limited products and services because during the commercials they only show limited products. These are the limited products that are aimed to the target viewing audience.

     The news storied in general didn’t surprise me; I understand that they need to have attention grabbing topics to get viewers. What did surprise me was the way the anchors and reporters had no sense of emotion, they simply stated facts in a watered down way.  

What's Wrong With Disney?

Start clip at 1:20 

Dear Walt Disney,

     When I was younger I loved to spend hours watching your movies, dressing up like your princesses, and buying your products. I spent countless Halloweens dressing as various princesses, and dreaming to one day find a prince like they did. In the past I could be swept away with the movies, it felt like I was the princess finding her true love. Today however it’s not the case, I can’t really get into the movie like I could when I was a child. When I watch the movie today I cannot help but notice the things wrong with all of the movies. One of my favorite movies to watch when I was little was Pocahontas, the story of a Native American girl who faces many obstacles to hold onto her true love. I recently watched the movie again and found a couple of things that bother me today that I didn’t notice in the past. The first thing that I had an issue with in the movie was the conversation with Pocahontas and her father. In the film her father tells her that a warrior has asked for her hand in marriage, Pocahontas doesn’t want to marry him and expresses this to her father. He however tells her that she is an important part of the tribe and must learn to act as such. He even goes as far as to sing a song about the need for all things to one day conform. He pays no mind to her dreams and wants, instead using guilt and authority to get her to conform. The next issue I had in the movie was the problem both sides had with Pocahontas and John falling in love. Her tribe tried to murder him, Pocahontas had to be willing to give her life for him before anyone took the time to think about either of them and their feelings. The final problem I had with the movie was the ending they had her offer her life for him but never truly closed the story. The movie alludes to Pocahontas and John still being in love but ultimately separating, and being okay with it. Disney while I love to watch the movies you produce I can’t help but notice the messages you send to millions of children. Are we supposed to want to be these girls? Girl's who are willing to give up their lives, and families to keep a man. I will always watch your movies and plan to let my children watch them as well but I hope that in the future you think about the things that go into your films, and the ways they can be interpreted to today’s youth.

Women in Media

In class this week we were given the task of finding an ad that objectified women and analyzing it, then writing how it would affect people. I Google searched many types of ads that would fit, but soon came across two ads that were opposite but still objectified women. Below is the first ad that I came across.

 The first ad is one for men’s accessories, though by looking at it you would think it was for a human table. The woman in the ad is being portrayed as a piece of furniture to place things on. I believe that the ad shows women in only one light as objects not humans, simply pieces to hold or store items. It also doesn’t slip past me that the woman is seemingly nude and very slim. This represent to the audience that all women should look like that and act as objects.

The second ad is one that is unlike the first but still objectifies women. This was a billboard created by PETA to endorse vegetarianism, but the ad was soon spotlighted for its objectification. The main idea behind the ad is that people who eat meat are fat, and that being a vegetarian will make you skinny. The main issue I have is that they only represent a woman as a whale. Why didn’t they show a man? PETA’s ad is very much hypocritical, they say that animals deserve respect, but they show no respect for women. Once I found this ad I looked for more information about it and found another ad.

This ad was also created by PETA to endorse vegetarianism, this ad also objectifies women. The billboard uses a woman’s body to comment on weight, and then they use another woman’s body to show what you would look like if you didn’t eat meat. What they advertise is that you should stop eating meat and you will then look like a playboy model. People then get the idea that by taking meat out of their diets that they will look like the model, and if they don’t they will be whales. Men also take these ads as references to what women should look like. In all of the ads I have presented they show that women are supposed to be slim and scantily clad. That anything else is not the norm and is undesirable. What isn’t told is that women rarely look like models; even the models themselves often don’t look like that. The media projects an image of women that distorts what they really are, and changes them into objects. This in turn shapes how we see ourselves and how others see us. 

Lifestyles of The Rich and Famous...

     Spending a day watching Food Network is like taking a trip through every section of New York City. The network represents almost every type of person, making it easy to relate to at least one of them. The idea behind this is that when you relate to someone you will watch them and try to emulate them. Sandra Lee is one of the idols on Food Network; her style is that of a fun, simple woman who likes shortcuts and great food. Her shows:  Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee and Sandra's Money Saving Meals, display her knack for making seemingly great food with store bought items. Viewers tune in to watch what they believe is a fun and relatable woman, someone who doesn’t have the time or patience to make everything from scratch. She offers easy tricks to making canned food taste like a gourmet meal. Her show Sandra's Money Saving Meals also offers the frugal viewer tips on saving money and making a delicious meal that everyone will love. Here are videos of both of Sandra’s shows.

     The settings for Sandra’s shows are simple kitchens that we can all relate to, what makes hers different than the audiences are the accessories her kitchen is stocked with. Her show Semi-Homemade is the perfect example, in every episode her kitchen changes depending on the theme of the day. If her niece is having a princess party then the kitchen is decorated in shades of pink even the small appliances, if it’s Christmas however then the kitchen is suddenly red and green, again including the small appliances. Unlike her middle class viewers Sandra has the money to buy a mixer in every color, and the crew to decorate for every show. She also includes a segment on table decorating for the particular theme, while some of her decorations are budget conscious, others are expensive accessories that the normal person couldn’t afford for one party.

     Sandra Lee is what most single women can relate to, a fun happy woman who cooks on a budget with premade items. She makes it appear that every person can make what she is because she uses store brand items, she lead us to believe that we too should decorate with great detail for every occasion. The audience is sucked into the idea of a person like them that knows how to do just about everything perfectly. The Food Network is notorious for creating a melting pot of people with various lifestyles that they can sell.

Brand Devotion?

This week in class we were asked to write about a brand that we were devoted to, what that devotion meant to us, and how that brand was presented in the media. The first brand that popped into my head was
Forever21. 

This store was, and is my obsession. Throughout high school I couldn’t go a day without wearing something from that store, much like the rest of the girls at my school. Whenever asked what store that top came from or those jeans it could almost always be assumed that it was Forever21, at least it was like that at my school. The best part of the brand was that unlike other common and popular brands the names weren’t plastered all over the clothes, making it easier to see the outfit and style rather than the name. I was and still am very devoted to this brand, so much so that if given the option of buying the same top from Forever21 or another store I would be more inclined to buy it at Forever21. Though they may be made of the same materials the name changes how I feel about the product. Unlike other brands that are all over the internet and have multiple commercials playing on various channels, Forever21 doesn’t really crowd all sources of media with ads. I believe that this is one of the reasons that the brand is so popular, it isn’t everywhere, and yet it is. While the clothes are worn by millions they aren’t as obvious and the brand doesn’t place ads everywhere, making it feel cool and undiscovered. 

The Media and Me

This week in class we were given the task of finding a media or text that depicts ourselves, and our community. After trying for hours to find a movie or song that would define me I realized that just one thing wouldn’t depict me as a whole. I believe that I am full of diversity and that one type of media could never completely describe me. Music in particular is used to describe people, but it only describes how a person is feeling at a particular moment, not who they are throughout life. I listen to music when I’m happy and sad, but the types of music are far from similar. The idea of somehow finding media or text to define my community is also very difficult. Our community is made up of individuals that all have different beliefs and feelings that are almost never the same. While it is hard to find a point in time that the community shares the same feelings it is not impossible. Today for instance is a day that our community will always remember. Everyone at some point in the day will think back to the horrible events that occurred and relive the grief that they felt and will always feel on this day. Just by going on YouTube you can find a multitude of videos that pay tribute to those who died, much like this one. 

               I believe that it is impossible to find media to define myself and my community that will last, but it is possible to find media that describes people and community at a certain point in time. If it were possible to find one type of media to depict us as a person there wouldn’t be the many other types of media that we have. Sure Taylor Swift can define teen girls when they suffer heart break, but can she define those girls in ten years when their life is completely different? Media defines us at certain time in our lives, sometimes we relive these moments but these moments are not who we are. It is my belief that there is not just one type of media or text that will define me or my community, but rather a list of media that depicts who we are at particular times. 

The answer is....I don't have a clue!

Earlier this week in class we took a quiz, the first part containing questions on pop culture, while the second part asked questions on political issues. Though I did horrible on both sections of the quiz, I quickly realized that I had more knowledge on pop culture. I answered only one question right in each section, but it was the second half that posed the bigger challenge. My brain blanked on most of the questions that were not related to celebrity news. When asked to then explain why this happened I was tempted to say that I had no real education on the political issues, but the truth is that I didn’t identify the subject as important. Like the majority of Americans today I have more interest in celebrity fluff rather than political problems. I began to then wonder when it became the norm to ignore these issues, and start taking more interest in celebrity drama, like the fights on Jersey Shore.

I believe that when American’s felt like they had lost the power to make changes that they stopped listening.  If we feel as though we cannot change the system why would we want to hear about it? I am not even old enough to vote yet and have already had so many people tell me that they do not vote because it does not make a difference. The media tells us how to view certain issues giving us no chance to make our own decisions, thus leaving us with no desire to try and change things.

In class we talked about two men whose views were on opposite sides of the spectrum, Walter Lippmann, and John Dewey.  I believe that while some of Lippmann’s ideas are true, Dewey’s idea that people can educate themselves and are capable to make decisions is inspirational. In a society where we believe that we cannot make a difference Dewey’s idea to educate the masses seems more appealing to me.

The Perfect Relationship: Mass Media & Society

Provided by the Facebook account of Alex Cheek

The media plays the role of informant, giving us all information and updates on almost everything you could want to know. Everyday millions of people log on to social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and YouTube to be updated on friends or let friends see what you are doing. Media is also involved in other aspects of life like billboards, T.V. commercials, and even clothing. The way we dress, act, and think is based on information we gather from the media. In relative terms the media plays one of the most important roles in everyday life proving us with a plethora of news. The idea that we consume more media than we create would be true if we did not count our various social accounts as creations of media. Various aspects of technology provide us not only the opportunity to consume media, but to also create it. Websites also provide links to share articles, videos , and art to other social networking sites.  Uploading a video, or status on social sites is the most common way we create media, However, the media we create is almost always a reaction to media we have consumed. Society has thus created a fifty fifty relationship with media, consuming it and creating it, almost like a cause and effect situation. Today's media then creates tomorrows ideas based on our reactions and responses. This class I hope will give me the tools to spot more media in everyday life. I also want to learn more about alternative aspects of mass media  and their relationship to today's society.