Class Highlights!!!!! : ))))))

This quarter in JOUR 2 mass media class I have learned multiple things that have made me either question a previous opinion I had or have made me say " wow".  For example in chapter two an "Aha!" moment I had was when desensitization was talked about.  As stated in the text book, desensitization is when viewers who continuously view media violence and later develop emotional neutrality when put face to face with a real life act of violence. There are multiple movies and video games that portray and depict real life violence and even have unheard of or seemingly unimaginable violent scenes and scenarios.  Games like Grand theft Auto and Call of Duty are games that many people both young and old play regularly and show extreme violence.  Also movies such as those in the Saw sequences are extremely violent and gruesome however have great ratings and box office numbers.  These games and movies are making real life tragedies and violent events seem like just another occurance on a regular day.  This however is not normal and the violence on a daily bases in my opinion shouldn't be taken lightly by anyone.  Violent video games

Also, another "Aha!" moment I had was when the class was talking about chapter fourteen and media law and understanding freedom of expression.  The chapter shows a large picture of a women marching while burning the American Flag.  This I thought was highly illegal and unheard of and I was shocked to learn that it is in fact legal.

Last but not least somethings I learned and read about in the chapter thirteen about advertising really made me think about the things that I buy and the products I support. I admit that i am guilty of buying a product that is supported by my favorite celebrity or going to a local fast food joint because i saw a commercial for it that same day and it looked great.  However what some of these advertisers and advertisements are doing are not things that i should be supportive of.  For example, the fast food chains and quick meal fixes that they offer to families throughout the country and world are contributing to an overweight society with numerous health problems that could be prevented by simply eating healthier food.  Overweight adults have turned into overweight children thus the chain of an unhealthy society begins and I do not want to be included in those statistics.  Also,  advertisers who promote certain products like those in the cigarette industry target certain people at certain age groups that they think they can easily manipulate into purchasing their product. I do not believe that is right especially when the product harms the life of the individual and lives of innocent people around them.  All and all the entire chapter really magnified and made me think about what I purchase and whom and why the advertisements are the way they are or portray the messages they do.

Media Ethics and Media Law!!!!

A media law or media ethics case that is continuous and has been present for multiple years is the one about movie and music piracy.  Movie and music piracy is illegal and those who commit the crime of copy write infringement should be penalize or reap the consequences for their actions similar to others that steal and break the law.  However some people do not view downloading music or movies for free as breaking the law and believe that if it is there for the taking, why should they have to pay for it.  The truth be told it is stealing and has been since day one.  The people who put fourth time and effort into producing the desired product are losing out on pay, and in a time of financial disparity every bit of incoming income in necessary to survive.  The question I ask those who are committing copy right infringement and disobeying the law is, would you like to work for free?  Would you like to produce something that took numerous amounts of time and effort that multiple people love and desire and not get paid for it?  I sure wouldn't and I know the people whom are losing money do not either.

Movie and Music Piracy

Propaganda !!!!

Today when someone turns on the television they often see adds varying from acne control medications to cereal brands.  Most often these advertisements are trying to manipulate the public into buying their product so that they can in turn make money.  Some ads even use propaganda to sell their products.  But what exactly is propaganda?  Well, propaganda is communication that is geared towards influencing people into buying or agreeing with a certain cause or product. For example a product that is most commonly seen when one turns on the television is a Cheerios commercial.  Often these Cheerio commercials, like the one I have linked are telling about how their product can lead to better health. They are also promoting a loving message of, " if you want your loved ones to live longer and healthier with lower cholesterol and a better heart, make sure they eat Cheerios!" In the Cheerios commercial below two propaganda techniques they used were that they presented information to primarily influence their audience and they used loaded messages to promote an emotion.  Enjoy the commercial !!!
Cheerios propaganda commercial !!!

INTERNET OBSESSION !!!

.Today the internet is a crucial part of everyday life for most people.  It is used for school, for work, for shopping, health issues and to keep in contact with people we otherwise would never get to talk to on a daily bases.  Due to the convenience of the internet it has led many people to be overly obsessed with it.  Sites such as facebook, twitter, and myspace, amazon and multiple others are being said to be ruining the lives of many people.  They have trouble focusing on school and work with all the many distractions that the internet offers and find themselves falling behind in school, getting fired from their jobs and slowly loosing their lives to these sites.  
 I have used the internet for shopping but never for dating or gaming.  I know multiple people who have and continue to play games on the internet and who are actively using the internet to date.  I do not know anyone who has developed an obsession for one of these activities, however not too long ago I saw a television program that's daily topic was internet obsessions. 
Tyra Show

Addicted To The Internet - Tyra (Part 1)

MOVIES!!!!!!

MOVIES!!!! This weeks blog is
to talk about movies and although I am by no means a movie fanatic, I do enjoy the occasional comedy.  My favorite movie in the last year has been the movie titled, Little Fockers .  It is a movie I have most recently seen in theatres and saw it due to my love for the first two movies.  Ben Stiller is one of my favorite actors and is also a main character is one of my all time favorite movies titled, Heavyweights.  I like this particular movie because it is a comedy that keeps me laughing beginning to end and also has an important friendship and all around life well being message embedded into it.  I first saw Heavyweights on VHS with my grandparents.  They had rented it because of Ben stiller's presents in it and because they thought we would like it.  It is a movie about a boys journey to fat camp and his encounter with new people.  He demonstrates growth as a person as he develops a sense of self and a voice to stand up for himself and others while getting picked on and tormented at camp. 
View a preview of the movie!!!

Little Fockers trailer

TELEVISION!

This weeks blog topic is to choose an online video that explains or explores a topic that is mentioned in the textbook. A topic I have become interested in during the course so far is censorship.  I went on you tube to find something depicting censorship and media and came across a short video titled," Project Censored".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfwtgVex1
Length:  7:54
Description:  The effects of media censorship and how news in censored so the public is only capable of viewing certain controversies.  Also the effect that censorship can have on journalism and journalist jobs.  How exploiting a provocative yet true story can damage ones career for life.  Whats right and whats wrong...? Can and will the truth ever be told?
Quiz Questions: Why were certain journalist fired for the stories that they composed?
Answer: The stories they mentioned were either to controversial and in depth, or depicted a truth that the mass media didn't want told. 

Magazine!!!

Name of Magazine: ACQUIRE - Sports Knowledge for Women
Concept : The concept of the magazine would be to educate women of today on sports.  Sports including football, baseball,basketball etc.  Not only would the magazine incorporate team and individual player stats but also how to play each game, thorough looks and in depth descriptions of the positions in the game and upcoming sporting events so the women can watch what they learned.
Readers: Readers of this would predominately be women from ages 16-30 but ages may very and men looking to acquire extra sports knowledge may also be seen reading one. 
Other Magazines serving this demographic: Other magazine that have similar concepts and serve similar demographics would include ESPN the magazine, Sports Illustrated, Athletic Women Magazine, and Women Sports Report magazine. 
Five advertisers : Five advertiser's that would like to reach our readers would be, Nike and/ or Adidas because they are huge sports apparel organizations for both men and women.  Also, Ticketmaster,stub hub and other sites/places who sell sporting event tickets.  Sports Authority, or any sporting good or apparel store. Target because they sell sporting goods that women might be interested in buying after reading how to play a specific sport.  Last but not least, advertisers for gyms such as 24 hour and Golds would be a targeted advertiser because after reading he magazine women might feel the need or drive to work out and get in shape to enable them to actually play the sport desired. 
Five articles included : Football! 101 Things Every Women Needs to Know
Top 20 best professional athletes of 2011
Get a Kick Out of This! - Soccer's #1 team how they got there and how they plan on staying!
Watch What YOU Want Live! - who going where and who's playing when
Don't Strike OUT!! Go through each baseball position in depth so so you don't strike out next season!
Description of the Cover : The Cover is going to have the headline or title of  ACQUIRE and underneath it will read " Sports Knowledge for Women".  The cover will also have a sports design in the center and then some of the issues headlining articles magnified around the big picture.  The price of $4.99U.S.will be under the bar code, and the publication date will be under that.  The magazine has to be appealing to look at so that women will want to pick it up. It will have lots of color and lots of dramatic fonts to make the magazine pop of the racks and into the hands of women everywhere!

BOOKS!!!!!!

This week in class one of the topics of discussion we had were on books and the influences they have had on our lives.  Three books that have influences my life starting from when I was a child would be, "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein, "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert and " Go Ask Alice" by Anonymous.

 "The Giving Tree," by Shel Silverstein was first read to me by my grandmother and I loved the story after the first time.  It has taught me and continues to teach children the concept of sharing and how to be compassionate.  For example, sharing is demonstrated through the use of the tree and the boys relationship when she offers the boys numerous items so that he can achieve or be happy.  This not only shows children how to share, but also gives them a sense of compassion for others and how to care for another being other then themselves.
 Eat Pray Love, By Elizabeth Gilbert is a book about one women's adventure after a harsh divorce to find herself and explore the different cultures of the world.  It has been influential to my life because it has reminded me to be more open minded about different cultures and ways of life because you never know what you can learn from them or the influence you can have on them by sharing your own customs and ways of life.  It has also taught me to take more chances and that simply because something may be different or seem hard the challenge may bring something excellent to one's life in return. 

Last but not least the book called Go Ask Alice by Anonymous has been an influential book in my life because it addresses one girls severe inner conflicts and the battles she has with her self to find her place in the world.  She, similar to many other young teenage girls battles with self esteem issues and the overbearing issues of self perception and the urning to be perfect.  She magnifies these issues, and to me by presenting them in such a light it showed me the unhealthy version of such thoughts and how they could possibly be hurtful if not properly dealt with. The book helped me grasp the concept that no one is perfect and that is absolutely OK.

Media Impact

After reading Chapter 2 on Media impact an example I have or can remember when someone has blamed the media for a real life problem is the numerous people blaming their weight on technology.  People who suffer from obesity or who simply have unhealthy lifestyles tend to blame technology and say that bad eating habits are advertised through television and Internet making the desire and urge to consume these unhealthy products almost unreasonable.  Also, those employees that have full time desk jobs blame the computers for their unhealthy life styles stating that their full time desk jobs limit them on the activities they can do and set them up for the unhealthy life style's they live.  I believe that these things can take a tole on ones life and even promote an unhealthy way of living. However, due to technology,  in addition to the weight so many people are claiming they gained, we also have gained information on the severity of obesity and what fast food and a bad diet can do to ones life.  Although fast food and unhealthy eating choices are broad casted numerously on every channel on television throughout the day, one can not always give in to desire.  Having will power at the end of the day to make a healthier eating choice and knowing the benefits of that choice compared to the other one is emotionally and physically beneficial to one's life.  As far as full time desk jobs go, I believe that there are always simple life style changes that people can undergo to help them burn a few extra but needed calories.  For example take the stairs, or park a distance further so you have to walk to work, or even walk to near by restaurant for lunch instead of driving.  Small life style changes can result in huge life style changes. 
There is an article I have found about wight loss and wight gain and our society today.  It shows how our society today is more accepting of the overweight body than one's in previous generations.  It also shows the impact that technology as well as friends and family can have on one's weight.  http://www.metrolic.com/on-obesity-peer-pressure-and-society-156805/

Media Autobiography

Watching television at a friends house, listening to the radio in the car, and using the internet while at school. Today media is everywhere and plays a large roll in the lives of our society and my life in particular.  There are eight types of mass media including book, newspaper,magazines,movies, internet, television, radio, and recordings, and I have had an experience and relationship with all of them.

One of the first examples of mass media that was presented to me at a young age were books.  Books were read to me when I was a small child and later I began reading them on my own.  My favorite childhood book was, The Giving Tree , and as I began reading on my own my taste in books changed from fantasy to science fictions and know is a little of everything.  Today I do more mandatory reading for school, but always enjoy a good book when I get the time.  

Another mass media that has been in my life for quiet a while is newspaper.  My family has been getting the San Jose Mercury Newspaper since before I was born and my parents both  read it every morning.  I have never been a newspaper reader and figure why not watch the news on T.V. instead.  However, on the occasion I will pick up the newspaper and read an article or two.  I have no real reason as to why I don't particularly care for the newspaper, but it doesn't make a difference  in my life whether I read it or not so I don't.

Somethings  I do enjoy reading are magazines and always find myself flipping through the latest magazine while in line at the grocery store.  I noticed magazines at a young age not for relevant news but for pop culture information and the latest hit trends.  I read the occasional fitness magazine or cooking magazine when I need to to but mainly stick to the entertainment and gossip magazines today.  

As far as movies go I have never been a huge movie fan.  I enjoy a good funny movie and chick flick every now and then but find myself either falling asleep in the movies or loosing interest fast.  When I was young my parents would take my brothers and I to the movies and I was only excited for the snacks and treats we could buy when we got there.  Popcorn and an a cherry icee are my definition of a good time !!! 

The internet is another huge mass media that has been present in my life from an early age.  I learned to use the internet and to type in elementary school and have been a frequent internet explorer since.  Using the internet for school is always a must especially in college. However I also use the internet for social networking and to interact with friends I can not see on a daily basses.  This by far is one of my favorite means of mass media and I know it will continue to be a part of my daily life!

Although we hear a lot people saying television is ruining our youth and parents shouldn't allow their children to watch too much t.v if any at all, I have been watching it since I was really young.  Cartoons on Cartoon Network and whenIi was really small Barney and PBS.  I believe that televisions is a great information source and can in fact be educational.  It all depends on what one watches and the impact they allow it to have on their life.  Today I am a frequent television watcher and find myself watching way too much Jersey Shore and all the other reality T.V. shows each network has to offer.  I enjoy watching T.V. because it is an escape from  my own reality and serves as a way for me to relax. I enjoy it and know it will continue to be a part of my life in the future

Two sources of mass media that do not play a huge roll in my life are radio and recordings.  Recordings I have never really used and don't see myself using in the future.  I don't dislike the idea but don't see the need for its use.  Radio however, I do use, while I'm driving or occasionally when I'm working out.  For educational news related information...no but for entertainment gossip and good music yes!  I do like the radio however with all the other ways to get music and listen to ones favorite artist I do not believe I would be lost without it.