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.