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.