Mind Over Media

10 Media Revelations That Blew My Mind!

2009-12-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

1. The Feed is Facebook: After reading the article “with friends like these” written by Tom Hodgkinson I noticed a disturbing correlation between Facebook and the novel “Feed” written by M.T. Anderson. The article states that all personal information on Facebook is given to advertisers in order to target users on this social media site. When I read this I instantly thought about the feed. In "Feed" the characters have transmitters attached to their minds that tell them what the latest trends are, what they should wear, what their friends are saying and what they should buy. Facebook also tells users what their friends are doing, what they should buy and the latest trends. Facebook isn’t attached to users brains but it mine as well be, you can access it almost anywhere when ever you want. This revelation is quite a technological and personal shift.

2. Attention Spans: In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” written by Nicholas Carr it states that 21^st century citizens thanks to technological shifts throughout the ages have obtained extremely short attention spans. People can go onto Google and scan through documents at their leisure. People no longer go to the Library when they conduct research, they access the same information online because it proves to be more efficient. People in today's society always have a million other things to do. So this “quick fix” over time has made it harder/ boring to read longer material. I agree with Nicholas Carr, I always look for the shortest document I can find and if an article is "too long" my mind starts to wonder. For example the entire time I was reading “is google making us stupid” I kept thinking this is so long! The article was only 8 pages, which in reality isn’t that long. It is quite sad that we as learners have come to this especially when in the past people could sit for hours at a time and listen to presidential candidates talk and remain engaged throughout the entire thing. According to Neil Postman in his novel, “Amusing Ourselves to Death” found on pages 44-49.

3. Media Ownership”: I often wondered why all the news channels covered and aired the same “news stories” and it wasn’t until I read “Media and Society” written by David Croteau and William Hoyness, that I found my answer. The text explains on page 34, that media owners pick and choose what will be broadcasted on each channel. They also have the power to promote certain stories more than others, fire employees and essentially monitor the “news” viewers see everyday. The text also mentions that 6 companies own all media, which explains why the news is the same on various networks and proves to be a political shift within our society. Learning about media ownership made it easier for me to understand how/ why all the stories in “Project Censored” were censored and why pointless gossip stories were given more media coverage, it’s because the big 6 media owners made it that way.

4. The Media’s relationship with politics: I've never paid much attention to the relationship among politics, image and the media. What I have learned thanks to Neil Postman is that image is everything. In the book “Amusing ourselves to death” Postman points out on page 126 that, political figures are celebrities and the more attractive they are the better chance they have at winning. Their attractiveness helps then in their political campaigns that are watched by millions at home. “Media and Society,” written by David Croteau and William Hoyness discusses on page 253 that, the medias relationship with politics influences and distorts viewers perceptions and understanding of politics. It distracts them from the real issues through, television, music and global coverage. Which is probably why most Americans care more about what the first lady is wearing to the inauguration ball then what issues the President needs to tackle during his first day in office.

5. How the Media affects socialization:

The Media regulates all social interactions and social norms within our society, whether we

realize it or not. In the novel “Mass Media and Society” on pages 13-16 the authors explain that

people develop their moral values and beliefs from the media. They also learn about other

countries, cultures and politics through media coverage. I have always thought that I am the

way I am because of my parents and my upbringing; I never once gave “credit” to the media.

Now that I look back on it, I can see how the media has shaped me into who I am today. I

wonder what type of personality one would have if they weren’t exposed to the media?

I bet they would be similar to Violets father in the novel “Feed,” written by M.T Anderson.

Violets father didn’t have a “feed” and was considered weird for not having one. He wanted

to make sure his daughter Violet had a “feed” so she would have equal opportunities and

not be at a disadvantage. This makes me think would you really be at a disadvantage if

you weren’t exposed to the media and resisted the feed?

6. The Triune Brain: I knew there were different parts of

the brain, but I never knew how to appeal to the different parts in a persuasive manner.

This piece of information is extremely important to me as a future marketer. Knowing

the different aspects of the brain paired with a better understanding of social media/ the

media in general after taking this class provides me with a set of skills that will set me apart

from my competitors in the workforce. In the article “Teaching the Facebook Generation”

written by Elaine Young she stresses the importance of social media in the marketing world,

specialization and learning about the media. I am happy to say that after this semester I have

a handle on all three.

7. Personal Shift: The concept of “personal shift” one of eight shifts in our 21^st century media

culture is moving from personal to participatory, it embodies all of the new media outlets that

are out there. In the past people kept to themselves, only their close friends new intimate

details about their lives. However, in today’s society thanks to ambient awareness everyone

knows what everyone else is doing whether you know them or not, which proves to be quite

different from the past. In the article “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy” written by

Clive Thompson, the idea of ambient awareness is discussed more in depth. The article

mentions that at first many were hesitant about the shift from personal to participatory but

after a while they were used to it and embraced it. Users learned to love the new information

they were discovering about their friends, they otherwise wouldn’t know.

8. Critical Thinking: If there was one thing I learned this semester it was to think critically

about everything. Learning about the eight shifts, 7 principles and 29 persuasive techniques,

the “tool sets” made me realize how easy it is for the media to manipulate one’s mind without

he or she knowing it. I am now able to think critically while watching media messages and

analyze them to my advantage. I have also learned to think critically while watching the news

or reading about the news. Project censored taught me that actual news worthy stories are

not being reported and the news stories that are being covered in the mainstream media are

censored and a lot of the true information is missing. I have learned to question everything,

think critically about all media and ask what persuasive techniques are being used on me to

make me believe this is accurate!

9. Twitter VS. The Typographic Mind: In the chapter entitled “The Typographic Mind” found

on pages 44-63 in the novel “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” written by Neil Postman,

comparisons are made between present and past Americans in regards to their comprehension

skills. On page 46 Postman talks about how people in the past were able to comprehend

extremely lengthy complex sentences during presidential debates and remain engaged the

entire time. He states that if political figures talked the same way today as they did in the past,

everyone would have a hard time understanding them. I thought it would be interesting to

compare this concept to the article entitled “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live,” written

by Steven Johnson. The whole point of Twitter is to provide people with information in short

blurbs. People on twitter can follow trending topics such as the presidential debates and be

engaged in an entirely different way. It allows users to see what those around them are thinking

about what the presidential candidates are saying. I just think it is an interesting personal shift

over the ages.

10. Peak-a-Boo World: After reading “Project Censored” and learning about the stories that

were not covered in the media I became really annoyed with “info-tainment.” It is frustrating to

know that stories such as the “secret control of the presidential debates” exist, but in stead

the world is learning about the latest celebrity gossip. Postman point’s out

in “Amusing ourselves to death” on page 73 that news coverage is often taken out of context

and provides viewers with a false sense of reality. On page 79, Postman states that the

television becomes our reality; viewers over time have learned to trust the television and

not question it. American’s need to be constantly entertained and the television provides

them with entertainment. However, the reality is what they are watching on television isn’t

the entire story, the stories are very much taken out of context like Postman mentioned.

Amy Goodman a journalist for Democracy Now talks about the differences between

CNN and CNN International. She points out how much more graphic and accurate

CNN International is then the American CNN. Postman says it best, “we are the most

entertained but least informed society.”

Can you hear me now? Good!

2009-11-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

Media Meditation #8!

The “Verizon Guy” is the face or “symbol” of Verizon Wireless and is recognized by consumers all over the country. He was first introduced in 2002, and according to an article written by Theresa Howard in USA Today, “he has helped, Verizon gain market share and reduce customer turnover.[…] The simple ‘can you hear me now?’ question, all too familiar to cell phone users, helped move network reliability up the ranks as a key purchase consideration for wireless users at the time when other companies were shouting about minutes and prices.” Verizon’s brilliant marketing campaign proved to work for the company. However, in today’s society consumers are constantly processing advertisements and media messages, after a while they get bored of the same repetitive images. According to Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoyness, “Our attention is on what is being bought and sold, and competition for that attention is hard to attract leads to a continual search for new ways to reach consumers” (64). Finding a new way to reach consumers is exactly what Verizon did. Verizon embarked on a very creative experiential marketing campaign called “Verizon Surprises.” Experiential Marketing is essentially gorilla marketing. It is any type of marketing that is live and non traditional. The first and most important step of experiential marketing is to get the attention of the people around you, and then keep it. Some ways to achieve this is through, street teams, events, face-to-face connections, word of mouth, trade shows, using celebrities, and free samples to name a few techniques. Experiential marketing is a great form of marketing, because it is non- traditional it allows you to think out of the box and really get creative. Verizon sent the “Verizon Guy” and the network to various locations to follow Verizon customers around while they were on their phone. They used “group dynamics” to prove to their customers they would always be there when they needed them. Almost every customer was in “denial” about the situation at first, but then accepted this “personal shift.” They were in a real life advertisement! Every customer and bystander was left with an impression due to these real life “testimonials.” The people involved didn’t feel as if they were being marketed towards, which is why it proved to be so effective. Media and Society says it best, “Despite the diversity of advertising messages and their frequent use of irony and humor, there is an underlying commonality to almost all advertisements: They are fundamentally about selling”(186).

An example of a surprise!

MRAZED

2009-11-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

Media Meditation # 7

2002 was the first time I had ever seen Jason Mraz live in concert. I had no idea who he was or what he sounded like prior to the show. Once the show was over, I couldn't imagine my life without his music. I have seen Jason, (yes we are on a first name basis, I met him once and now we are best friends) 8 times in various locations. Every single show is entirely different from the last. He makes every performance personal and unique by scatting, breaking out a cover song in the middle of one of his songs or beat boxing. Overall he is very appealing to the limbic brain, talented and can act freely on stage as he pleases. He allows every member of the audience to obtain their own “value message” from his songs through “emotional transfer.” The one thing that remains constant with every show is the atmosphere. The first time I saw him was at a tiny venue, before anyone knew he was, and every show since then has been slightly bigger and bigger. Even thought he no longer plays in small intimate settings, Jason has the ability to make a big arena feel small and personal, which is why I think he is so talented. He engages everyone in the audience emotionally. Jason Mraz unfortunately, does not appeal to everyone. Which is why he has a few top 40 friendly songs. These songs such as “The Remedy” “You and I both” and “Wordplay” upset me because I don’t think they showcase Jason’s talent enough, he is better then these songs! The lyrics of "Wordplay" even say, "For the record label puts me on the shelf up in the freezer gotta find another way to live the life of leisure, so I drop my top, mix and I mingle, is everybody ready for the single and it goes[...] when it's time to get ill I got your remedy for those who don't remember me." I feel like he is making fun of himself in this song. However, if you listen to him play these songs live with an acoustic guitar they are so much better! I feel as if a lot of people don’t give him a chance because they hear him on the radio and judge his talent based on his “pop” songs, which isn’t a true representation of him as an artist. However, according to David Croteau and William Hoyness, “Media organizations are attempting to produce hits- products that will be popular with audiences and, therefore, big moneymakers. It stands to reason that stars, who are also perceived to be popular and moneymakers will be a key part of their strategy. The logic goes some thing like this: hits make money, stars make money, and hits have stars; therefore hits need stars. In a media world in which uncertainty is a constant, decision makers seeks rules to make their decisions less arbitrary. The deep commitment to stars and to the importance of reputation more generally is one of the principal ways that the fluidity and ambiguity of the media industry are brought under control” (Media and Society 155). Jason’s record label wants him to make money, because if he makes money then they make money. The more pop songs he makes the bigger chance he has at gaining popularity and fame! It makes sense, but it is frustrating for me to go see him in concert and sit next to girls that only know the words to the songs that are on the radio. Jason Mraz’s lyrics and music are so much deeper then all the other songs on the radio. I just wish his radio listeners knew that!

Please take a moment to watch this video. This song "Sleeping to dream" is my favorite song and is the song I remember most from that first concert.

Jason & I hanging out in Newport, R.I after his show, no big deal.... Best day Ever!

An unhealthy obsession with Vampires

2009-11-25T09:21:00.001-08:00

Media Meditation # 6

Lindsay, Shelby & Ali at Borders book party

aka "Twihards"

About one year ago my 16-year-old sister Shelby established an unhealthy obsession with the “Twilight Saga.” The Twilight Saga consists of four books that explore the relationship between Bella and her vampire lover Edward. The series was popular, but didn’t gain much attention until the first book “Twilight” was made into a film last fall, a technological shift. This film is what turned my sister and many others into “Twi-hards” (die hard Twilight fans). The major reason why these young girls are so obsessed with Twilight are the two leading men, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, the “beautiful people” in the film. After seeing the movie my sister began to read the books. She finished all four within two weeks, and only left her room to eat. As I have expressed in the past I am a huge Harry Potter fan and constantly told Shelby that Harry Potter was much better than Twilight! After a while, I got curious and finally decided to jump on the “bandwagon." I made an agreement with my sister, she would read the Harry Potter series and I would read the Twilight Saga and watch the first film. So I watched the first film and thought it was terrible. The “production techniques” were not impressive and the acting was terrible. The only good thing about the movie was the very attractive main character Edward Cullen. After watching the movie I understood why everyone was so obsessed with it. He is every girls “dream man” even if he is a vampire. After watching the film I started to read the series. The series is told from Bella’s perspective, so the readers feel as if they are in a relationship with this mysterious vampire babe! I must confess the series dragged me in and I was hooked. I also read the four books at record speed. The books are entertaining and very emotional at times. As a reader I invested so many of my own feelings into the series that I experienced a personal shift. I was no longer reading about these characters, I was mentally, and emotionally engaged and participating with the characters. As embarrassed, as I am to say this, I cried during the last book because it was so emotional, and I find it absolutely amazing that books can captivate readers in that way. I wonder if Little, Brown and Company, part of Hachette book group (formerly Time Warner Books) a "second tier publishing division" (Media & Society, 35) predicted Twilight's success? According to Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoyness, "Books are published on a wide range of subjects, packaged in various formats, sold in many different settings, and bought by many types of readers. In addition, there are several different kinds of publishing companies, from large commercial houses that sign prominent authors to seven-figure advance-payment contracts to small presses that publish scholarly monographs"(143). Media and Society also states, "Different industries and the various sectors within each industry have different rules that govern the decision-making process. The search for steady profits by commercial media companies make evaluations of the potential for economic success a central feature of the decision-making process. Those in decision-making roles need to develop strategies for evaluating the potential profitability of a particular movie or book"(143). It looks like the publishing company knew what they were doing!

So I give the series a thumbs- up!

Here is the trailer for New Moon, the second film in the Twilight Saga

Bad Romance

2009-11-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Media Meditation #5

The first time I saw this video was on Perezhilton.com, a celebrity gossip blog that has a huge following. Perez posted a trailer of the video on his blog and announced when the full-length video would premier. The day it premiered I went to youtube to check it out, proving to be a technological shift. As soon as the music video began I instantly thought Lady Gaga is crazy and I love it! The video was so much more than a video; it resembled a mini motion picture due to its “production techniques.” The video was visually stimulating, used “repetition” of “symbols,” “pacing, timing,” had a good beat and featured “beautiful people,” bottom line, it was entertaining! Lady Gaga is known for being very out of the box with her clothing, videos and performances, which is why so many people like her. She is different and has what people call “shock value.” Lady Gaga’s image makes me wonder how much say Lady Gaga has in her career choices? I wonder if she picks out all of her clothing and the themes behind her music videos. According to Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoynes, “the ‘promotional demands’ of music videos help determine what the videos actually look like. In particular, Goodwin focuses on the control of the video by the record company and its chosen director, rather than the musicians. The video versions of songs, in most cases, are the result of marketing decisions made by record companies, not the artistic expression of the musicians” (73). Music videos are also utilized as an advertising platform. In the “Bad Romance” video, Lady Gaga is not only promoting herself, but fashion designer Alexander McQueen as well. Alexander McQueen used “Bad Romance” in his Spring/Summer 2010 runway show and Lady Gaga wore his clothing in her music video. This shows how everything media related is connected. It also shows viewers that they are being advertised to constantly without even realizing. We as consumers are no longer safe from advertising, it will find us!

McQueen Shoes

Gaga in McQueen

The Media's Obsession with Perfection

2009-11-18T15:47:00.000-08:00

Media Meditation # 4

I feel the media has the ability to warp and influence the minds of women through music, television and advertisements. These various media have the ability to distort a woman’s concept of beauty and "reality construction" through images of “perfection” in the many media outlets.

If you actually take a moment and think how many times a day you are exposed to the media, consciously and subconsciously, it is a lot more then you realize. Consciously we watch movies and flip through pages of a magazine. Subconsciously, our limbic brain analyzes images of "Beautiful people" and implants into our minds guidelines of what we should look like. Celebrities, unlike average "plain folks" cannot afford to show any imperfections because interestingly enough the media will criticize them for it.

Since celebrities are influenced and pressured by the media to be thin, average women, who base their image on the stars, will follow. However, the "big lie" is that these women in magazines do not have perfect bodies. Thanks to programs like Adobe Photoshop an editor can go in and remove excess fat from a leg, enlarge the model’s eyes or make their lips fuller. Their photographs have been digitally enhanced and altered to create the illusion of perfection rather than an actual person. Even though these pictures are fake and far from a true representation of the human body, women will try anything to achieve this unattainable appearance in any way possible. Some women might be completely comfortable with their bodies, but the advertisements they view have the ability to make them self-conscious. When one is constantly surrounded by these negative messages and images it damages a woman’s self-worth and esteem. According to Media and Society, written by David Croteau and William Hoyness "The most visible ad is the cover of the magazine. The standard image of the ideal woman on the cover suggests that purchase of the magazine will provide clues to how and what to buy in order to become the ideal woman"(188). The authors also point out that, "even the 'editorial advice' provided by women's magazines is a form of covert advertisement, selling the consumer ideology. Beauty advice, for example routinely suggests the consumption of various forms of makeup as a way to achieve beauty" (188). Women feel the need to jump on the "bandwagon" and buy beauty products as a "simple solution" to their "image problems."

If you are continuously told you are not good enough indirectly, every time you turn on the television or open a magazine, it has a dampening effect on your self- esteem. If you listen closely to the lyrics in a rap song or watch a rap video women are frequently objectified. These videos and songs are played so often in the media that people become desensitized to them. Even though we have become desensitized to these messages and seem more tolerant, it doesn’t make them acceptable. The offensive lyrics in this song make it seem like it is ok for women to be treated like a piece of meat, when it is not acceptable at all. Men and women view and listen to these videos and can’t help but compare their actions to those in the video and think this is how they should be relating to each other. Men see these sexy women strutting around in booty shorts and stilettos and think that is what sexy is. If men consider these video women sexy then pressure is put on average women to look like them in order to be desirable to men. Media and Society states, "Middle-class women, however, were much more likely to focus on the positive nature of these images, either defending such televised characters or indicating a sense of identification with them. The result is that middle-class women's interpretations of televised images of women are part of their own definitions of womanhood" (279).

The media is becoming increasingly influential and available every day. Therefore this feminist epidemic should be addressed immediately. Instead of using a woman’s body as a marketing tool, instead of stating all the imperfections, instead of treating the body as an object, treat it as a human being, because in case you forgot that is what it is. A woman’s body should be treated with the utmost respect and praise that is deserves.

This is part of Dove's Real Beauty Campaign!

Media Medication

2009-11-16T17:42:00.000-08:00

Media Meditation # 3

January 26, 2009 is a day that I will always remember. It was on this day that I flew across the Atlantic Ocean and landed in “Firenze” my new home for the following four months. Waiting for that day to come was torture. I was excited, nervous and really scared.

I had no idea what to expect, I didn’t speak Italian, I knew no one, I had never lived on my own let alone in a foreign country. Luckily my excitement was able to surpass my fear and gave my legs the power to walk onto the plane, and say goodbye to my family that day. What happened after that (my experience abroad) is almost impossible to explain to anyone who didn’t experience it with me. I studied at Florence University of the Arts and went through a program called Study Abroad Italy. I lived with seven other girls in an apartment on Corso d e Tintori 6 in Firenze, Italy. The eight of us hailed from all over the United States and established a bond that was unlike any other friendship I have ever experienced in my 21 years of existence. When you are forced to live with others in a foreign country and adjust to the cultural changes and are subjected to the socialization of another culture, you naturally become one another’s support systems. I also traveled, experienced and learned lessons with these girls that I haven’t experienced with my own family. Theses girls are the only ones who will ever truly understand the individual meaning I took away from my time in Florence, Italy. I consider myself lucky to have ended up with such awesome girls as my roommates. However, it was challenging at times being so far away from all my loved ones, and I would like to thank the many social media sites out there for helping me stay so connected while I was so far away.

It is difficult and very expensive to call home when you are 6 hours ahead of time. Since I didn’t have the luxury of picking up the telephone and calling home at my own convenience, I turned towards the Internet for all of my communication. The Internet according to the novel Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoynes, “blurs the distinction between individual and mass audiences, as people use the medium for individual communication, small group communication, and mass communications”(Media and Society 303). The text also states, “Any individual with the appropriate technology can now produce his or her own online media and include images, text, and sound about whatever he or she chooses” (Media & Society 303). I choose to do this through facebook, twitter, blogger and skype to stay in touch with my family and friends. This “virtual community suggests that communities no longer need to be geographically based. People all over the globe can, according to many proponents of electronic interaction, become ‘virtual’ neighbors through the space-bridging technology of the Internet” (Media& Society 305).

It is hard to describe to someone what the Duomo looks like. My family and friends didn't have any idea how beautiful Florence was until their limbic brain was activated by the images I sent them through these different mediums. My communication efforts while abroad proved to be quite the technological shift and emotional transfer. Without the Internet I would have never been able to share my thoughts, emotions and adventures with my family back in America.

Walking along the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy!

Secret Control of the Presidential Debates!

2009-11-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

The facts according to Project Censored 2010.......

1. During the 2008 Presidential Debates Barack Obama and John McCain negotiated a secret contract stating the terms of the 2008 debates.

2. Since 1987 a private corporation called the Commission of Presidential Debates (CPD) has sponsored the Presidential debates and created debate contracts that determined who participated, what questions were asked and who asked the questions.

3. Frank Fahrenkopf and Paul Kirk are the cochairs of the CPD. They are lobbyists for multination corporations. The debates are funded by corporations and used to market products.

4. Fahrenkopf and Kirk's "lobbying practices demonstrate their willingness to protect corporate interests at the expense of voter's interests" (Censored, 90).

3. The corporations donate money to the democratic and republican campaigns but do not fund the independent third party candidates.

4. This makes it nearly impossible for the third party candidates to voice their opinions and participate in the debates, even though historically the third party candidates introduce "groundbreaking ideas."

5. The CPD's formating of the debates prohibits "in-depth examination of critical issues and allows the candidates to recite a series of memorized sound bites"(Censored, 91).

Watch this video about the debates!

No Debate: How the Republican and Democratic Parties Secretly Control the Presidential Debates

Let's see if this is truly censored............

If you were to type "2008 presidential debate" into the LexisNexis search 999 results come up. Most of the results mention that "Obama and McCain made agreements for the debates." Other results listed the issues that were going to be addressed, what days they would be on, and how the debates would follow a "format." The "format" being the "censored contract" that American citizens don't know about.

If you were to type the same thing "secret control over the presidential debate" into the google search bar information comes up organically resulting the issues.

“For the 2008 debates, the Commission negotiated a 31-page memo of understanding that lays out in precise detail the rules of stagecraft, questioning, follow-up, audience deportment, and other conditions. The contents of this memo, however, have not been disclosed despite requests by citizen groups.”

Found on:

http://www.alternet.org/politics/102829/the_presidential_debates_are_a_scam/

“The memorandum of understanding is a vital part of the 2008 election and the democratic process. However, both campaigns have refused to divulge the memorandum’s contents. Such a stance is antithetical to the fundamental American notion of transparency in government. For the good of the country, the rules of the presidential debate should be released immediately.”

Found on:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/13/ED1T13G6CH.DTL

When I narrowed my search to "control over presidential debates" a lot of information about the CDP came up. The results were mostly about what the organization was, when it was started and other general information. Most of the sites mentioned criticisms about the CDP on the page as well.

"The commission describes itself as nonpartisan, but it is actually bipartisan: its co-chairmen are Frank Fahrenkopf and Paul Kirk, former chairmen of the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. Questions concerning third-party participation and debate formats are ultimately resolved behind closed doors among Republican and Democratic negotiators. The commission, posing as an independent sponsor, then enforces these rules, shielding the major-party candidates from public criticism."

Found on:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Commission_on_Presidential_Debates

"The stiflingly narrow range of discussion is a direct result of the "debates" being controlled by the CPD--a private institution owned and operated exclusively by prominent Democratic and Republican party operatives. The major party candidates are granted near-total control over format, moderators, and who is invited to participate."

Found on:

http://www.reclaimdemocracy.org/political_reform/debates_exclusion_issues.html

When I narrowed my search even more to "2008 presidential debates" the information that came up focused on the debate schedules and the topics of discussion. Whenever the CPD was mentioned the text said the debates were "sponsored" by them. NOT controlled and manipulated by them.

This censored story isn't entirely censored. There is a lot of information regarding the CPD and their control over the debates on the Internet. However, there isn't anything that provides citizens with the exact content of the debate contract. Therefore the contract is truly censored. I also feel the average citizen would skim over the CPD criticisms that happened to come up organically on a search engine, if they were merely searching for the 2008 debates. One would have to be specifically looking for "secret control over debates" in-order to find the juicy information they wanted.

To quote Water Cronkite, "The CPD- sponsored presidential debates an 'unconscionable fraud'"

Another video to further your knowledge/ curiosity!

A "Muggles"Dream Come True!

2009-10-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Media Meditation # 2

I am what you call a Harry Potter enthusiast! I have read every book in the series at least twice, camped out at Barnes and Noble’s prior to the book releases and attended the midnight showings of all the Harry Potter films that have been made thus far. Over the last ten years I have relied solely on my imagination to paint an image of Harry’s world in my mind, a world that I desperately wanted to visit and be apart of. This summer all of my wildest dreams became a reality when I went to the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois.

This exhibit is a traveling exhibit that showcases the costumes and major props from all the Harry Potter films. The way the exhibit was laid out made it seem as if you were attending class at Hogwarts, relaxing in the Gryffindor common room, visiting Hagrid in his hut, and even what it felt like to be in the presence of a dementor. As I walked through the exhibit I recognized things from the films such as the actual goblet of fire and the flying car, and discovered small things such as “Quidditch” flyers, candy wrappers and notebooks that were lost in the background of the films. The exhibit allowed the visitors to see how much detail went into the movies and made me appreciate the films production techniques even more. The atmosphere of the exhibit was also executed exceptionally well. The lighting, music and images appealed to the limbic brain very effectively.

The entire time I walked through the exhibit I just kept thinking “this is so cool” because I never thought I would get the chance to experience this emotional transfer first hand.

Now why is it that people like me become so obsessed with Harry Potter? A fantasy book series turned into a movie series which proves to be a technological shift. In the book Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoyness a study by Ien Ang is discussed to explain fantasy in the media. Ang states, “ Here it is not primarily a matter of the content of the fantasy, but mainly of the fact of fantasizing itself; producing and consuming fantasies allows for a play with reality, which can be felt as ‘liberating’ because it is fictional, not real. In the play of fantasy we can worry about their ‘reality value’…It may well be, then, that these identifications can be pleasurable, not because they imagine the Utopia to be present, but precisely because they create the possibility of being pessimistic, sentimental or despairing with impunity- feelings which we can scarcely allow ourselves in the battlefield of actual social, political and personal struggles, but which can offer a certain comfort if we are confronted by the contradictions we are living in” (Media & Society 295). Harry Potter allows readers and or viewers to escape from reality, relax and more importantly to be entertained. As Neil Postman states in his novel Amusing Ourselves to Death, “Television, in other words, is transforming our culture into one vast arena for show business” (Postman 80). We live in a culture that entertainment is always at our fingertips. Reading Harry Potter, watching a Harry Potter movie or visiting a Harry Potter exhibit are all forms of entertainment, which is why people like me love this world so much, it is entertaining. Harry Potter is also associated with Time Warner “one of the 6 companies that dominate the motion picture industry”(Media & Society 35). Powerhouses such as these have the money and power to “own vast portfolios of products, spanning the range of media formats and delivery systems” (Media & Society 35.) This gives them an advantage over their competitors and allows them to dominate the market place. This domination in turn sends Harry Potter media messages to fans from all angles, creating an unhealthy obsession with the product.

I highly recommend visiting the exhibit to anyone; I have never seen anything else like it. The exhibits next stop is Boston Massachusetts from October 25th through February 21, 2010.

Katy Perry Tweeted @ME And I Liked It!

2009-10-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

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Media Meditation #1

Last night October 21, 2009 at approximately 5:38pm I decided to participate in the twitter world by posting my personal thoughts, proving to be a personal shift. I tweeted “can’t wait to dress up like @katyperry for Halloween! So excited! What is everyone else being?” A few minuets later I received a text message from one of my friends informing me that Katy Perry had responded to ME on twitter. Which proves to be quite the technological shift! (A friend texting me about a celebrity responding to me on a social network!) Could it be true? A real CELEBRITY responding to me, a Champlain College student! I instantly signed back on to twitter to see if this was true. Sure enough six minuets later at 5:44 Katy Perry tweeted “I’m gonna b you… creepy. RT@coreyography88 can’t wait to dress up like @katyperry for Halloween! So excited! What is everyone else being?”
When I originally tweeted I never thought that she would actually respond to me, taking into consideration she has 1,317,363 followers. I was very surprised/ honored my tweet was “worthy” of a retweet. What surprised me even more was the amount of follower requests I received from people all over the globe after her tweet. Within two hours I received 18 follow requests and 24 mentions, all from Katy Perry fans that were mostly in their teens. They clearly were not following me because of my inspiring tweets. They followed me because a celebrity mentioned me, which is an obvious reason to follow someone right? To take it one step further I made my facebook status “Katy Perry tweeted @ME and I liked it.” Six people “liked” my status and three people commented on it within an hour. The mentions were quite comical a lot of people told me they were “so jealous” or “being Katy too” one person even said, “@coreyography88 will blow it. No worries.” I couldn’t believe the uproar my tweet caused. I couldn’t believe all of these fans took the time to compliment me and or diss me via twitter. All of these tweets went from objective to subjective proving to be a discursive shift. I think this situation demonstrates how much the entertainment industry influences our decisions and behaviors whether we realize it or not. Why is this so?
The Novel “Amusing Ourselves To Death” written by Neil Postman is about the “the televisions” influence on social discourse. Postman states, “Everyone goes to television for all these things, and more, which is why television resonates so powerfully throughout the culture. Television is our culture’s principal mode of knowing about itself. Therefore-and this is the critical point- how television stages the world becomes the model for how the world is properly to be staged […] entertainment is the metaphor for all discourse.”(Postman 92). In today’s society we are constantly bombarded with celebrity images on the television and the Internet. They become apart of our daily lives. We become so used to seeing them, we start to think we know them personally and are easily persuaded by them. In the book “Media and Society” written by David Croteau and William Hoyness the question “Why do so many of us pay attention to the details of the lives of actors, musicians, and other media personalities” (p. 294) is answered. Josh Gamson states, “Celebrity watching is a complex act and that audiences use a range of interpretive strategies in these mass-mediated interactions with the celebrity world. Some audiences essentially believe what they see, take the celebrities at face value, and focus on their great gifts or talents. Others see celebrity as an artificial creation and enjoy the challenge of seeing behind the images, unmasking these celebrity ‘fictions’”(Media&Society 296). Gamson then explains people find joy in gossiping about celebrities. It is “fun” because the information is irrelevant and there are no potential consequences for the gossip.
This "celebrity gossip" is exactly what happened to me last night on twitter. Those dedicated fans out there that follow Katy Perry saw that Katy Perry crossed the invisible line that divides celebrities and fans from interacting and decided to gossip about it! That being said “Katy Perry tweeted @me and I liked it!”

Here is a Katy Perry classic for your viewing pleasure!

Taking on the Media!

2009-09-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

The FOUR most important media-related concepts I have learned so far from reading Neil Postman's book, and our two articles on Google, the Internet and human intelligence

1. In the article entitled “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” written by Nicholas Carr an interesting realization is brought to the reader’s attention. Carr states that it is becoming increasingly harder to pay attention in a world filled with tweets, blogs, social networks and simplified media messages. Readers no longer have the patience to sit and read through lengthy articles. Reader’s inability to read longer articles proves to be the reason why we decode messages rather than digest them. Less and less people are reading books from the Library; instead they scan articles and sites on line that will provide them with their answer quickest. Efficiency is also key to today’s readers. They are always racing against the clock.

2. In the article entitled “Get Smarter,” written by Jamais Cascio a different message is presented. Cascio feels that Google isn’t making us stupid it is actually helping us. The only thing he suggests is that we must improve the way the mass amounts of information are being presented to us. If the delivery is improved then it will be easier for readers to digest the information and use it to their advantage. I do not necessarily agree with Cascio. If I were presented with more media then is already available to me at the present I think I would become less focused. I wouldn’t be able to efficiently analyze and master all the media. I think it is better to be excellent in a few fields rather then spread yourself to thin and know a little about everything. It is interesting to think this way, we shall see if it happens.

3. After reading Neil Postman’s novel “Amusing Ourselves to Death” several important topics intrigued me. The first piece of information I found interesting relates to Carr’s article about Google. Postman stated in his novel that in the past attention spans were much longer. People were able to sit for extended periods of time (7-8 hours) and remain engaged the entire time. Not only were they able to sit for 8 hours but they were also able to interpret more complicated messages. This is obviously much different from today’s society. I know I have a difficult time sitting still for two hours. My mind often wonders. Postman feels that “entertainment” is to blame.

4. Postman’s theory around “entertainment” is quite interesting. He feels that the television is the only medium that can showcase all the other forms of media. He feels the television single handedly ruined the minds of society. I agree with this and find it even more interesting when you look at how much has changed since it was published twenty years ago. The Internet is definitely taking over and makes me curious to see if anything will every surpass the Internet?

My evolving relationship with Our 21^st Century Media Culture

As an advertising major I am familiar with the different techniques used to persuade and manipulate the minds of consumers. I have taken many media related classes in the past but never have had access to these tool sets. Now that I am equipped with this new media tool belt, interpreting media messages take on a new meaning for me both personally and professionally. Over the last few weeks I have begun to understand and pick out persuasive techniques, shifts and principles in media messages viewed in class. I feel as the course moves forward my understanding and mastering of the tool sets will also move forward. These tool sets are vital to my success in the advertising industry.

A question about Media?

The one media- related question that I hope to answer during this course is as follows.

If the average consumer was aware of all the persuasive techniques and marketing tactics used in the industry to target them would they still follow the same consumption patterns, or would they think differently before buying?

About (Corey)ography!

2009-09-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone in the “blogosphere” my name is Corey Grenier! The following are some fun facts about myself that I know you are dying to learn!

First and foremost I love to dance, which is where “(Corey)ography” came from. I have danced ever since I could walk and I often break into spontaneous dance parties.
The second thing one should know about me is that I love Jason Mraz. My license plate is “Mrazed.” Every time I listen to him I am left mrazed.
I must eat a bowl of cereal and consume an ice coffee every day.
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy last semester and it was truly a life changing experience.
On a more professional level, I feel that my passion for the creative arts has always inspired me, and guided my decisions on how to live my life and obtain my future professional goals. When choosing a career path, I knew I needed to find a job that would allow me to express myself creatively; and at the same time allow me to be a “successful, independent businesswoman.” I feel that advertising combines these two requirements, which is why I choose to major in it. I am currently a senior at Champlain College and plan on moving to California after I graduate. I feel this will be a great change of pace and opportunity to experience a different lifestyle.

Postman Vs. The Media

2009-09-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

1. Discuss THREE specific ways in which Postman explains how the medium of television transforms the epistemological nature of each of the following:

A. Public discourse about religion

B. Public discourse about politics

C. Public about education

A) Postman believes that television shaped public discourse in regards to religion in several ways. He starts off with a few specific examples. The first example from the novel was Reverend George Sakowicz, a Roman Catholic Priest from Chicago who “mixes his religious teachings with rock’n’roll music.” The Reverend then states, “ You don’t have to be boring in order to be holy” (Postman, 93). This example proves that viewers must be entertained at all times. The second example Postman described involved the Amish. It is against their religion and culture to watch television. However, when Harrison Ford stepped into Amish country he caused a big stir amongst the children. Lastly Postman talks about Religion that is broadcasted and viewed on television. He points out that viewers at home can multitask while watching, pause the “show,” and change the channel. The experience at home is almost unholy. If one were physically in church he or she would have to sit undisturbed throughout the entire mass. The variables of each situation are quite different and nowhere near as effective.  

B) Postman’s views on politics and television are as follows, “Politics is just like show business” (125). He then goes on to say, “ If politics are like show business, then the idea is not to pursue excellence, clarity or honesty but to appear as if you are, which is another matter altogether” (126). Politicians do this through commercials. A wide range of viewers view commercials and it is the job of the politicians to sell themselves to that audience. They have to be entertaining enough to catch their attention amongst all the other media clutter. This in turn makes politicians into celebrities.  

C) Postman’s views on education and television are as follows. He gives the example of Sesame Street as an educational program on television. This program helps children count and read among many other things. The usage of cute puppets, song and dance is what makes this show so appealing to children they are mesmerized by it, and parents are ok with it because it is educational. However this program contradicts the traditional school system. School involves social interaction whereas the program is personal. In a classroom students can ask their teacher questions but obviously can’t ask the television questions. Students have to attend school, but watching TV is an option. When a child grows up on Sesame Street, school in comparison is boring. Educational children’s programs warp what education really is.

2. What specific solutions does Postman offer to improve public communication in our "Peek A Boo" world, and our challenges to communicate in a thoughtful and rational manner in "An Age of Show Business"? In other words, how might we prevent a world in which we are "amusing ourselves to death"?

Postman’s solution to improve public communication is “ to rely on the only mass medium of communication that, in theory, is capable of addressing the problem: our schools” (162). The simple solution is to make sure everyone is well informed if they are well informed about media then they “will know what they are laughing about and why they stopped thinking”(163).

3. HARD Question: Does Postman's thesis about television still apply to our public discourse in today's Age of the Internet? Please explain your reasoning in 4-5 sentences.

I feel that the same discourse is prevalent in today’s society, but not with the television. The Internet has definitely taken the place of TV. All of the mediums combined and then some can be accessed through the web, and the web can be accessed from cell phones, video games, computers and many other devices. Consumers have everything they need all in one place. I honestly never watch TV anymore. I am always online. If I do watch a program, it is online. I read the news online, I communicate online, and most of my professors use things online to teach us in the classroom. These are the reasons why I feel the Internet has surpassed television in regards to public discourse.