Lost in the Media Waves!!

This is a reflection on my work so far this semester in Mass Communications. I was doing really well at first, keeping on top of everything and having it all done tip top, but lately it has been a little hectic. I finally have a topic for my semiotics paper, and today I am developing a thesis. I chose to do an advertisement regarding alcohol because it has been a prominent topic, as I live in a college residence and all. I was talking with a friend about beer advertisements and how they are always associated with young, "hot" girls. I was shocked by a statement he made, that if young girls were not in the advertisements he most likely would not buy as much beer, or pay as much attention to the ad. Now this is either, just a lonely guy looking for girls, or a serious statement on the advertising industry. Do they really have such a powerful affect on individuals? Is it because of the deeper meanings and hidden suggestions within the image? I feel that by looking at the advertisement I have chosen I will perhaps come to some understand as to why this boy is so affected by it. What do advertisers strategically put into these advertisements that make young male adults want to buy the product?

I feel better now that I have a concrete image to deconstruct and analyze. It is a little late but I work better under pressure. It has been non-stop essays and papers for the past month and it's only half over. I feel that I am gaining a better understanding of media within our society though. Mass communications has opened my eyes to the media. I find myself analyzing images I see, or read in magazines and thinking why myself or others think a particular way. I am noticing how conditioned we are to think a select way.

I hope to get back on track and manage things a little better. Wish me luck!


Skyy Vodka Ad
May 2000
http://www.gallup-robinson.com/essayimages/82skyyvodka.jpg

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Show your support!

For the second time in mass communication history, the infamous Samantha Stevens, Stephanie Butler and Darrylynn McDonald have teamed up to create a mass communications masterpiece. This time we were focused on an activist project of our own personal choice. There were so many issues that our group could have discussed and spoke about, our group is fairly opinionated. After tossing around numerous events, special days, important issues, justice issues and fun issues, we agreed upon Breast Cancer Awareness, largely promoted in the month of October. Being females, breast cancer is a disease that we are at risk of. We looked at a few facts and stories regarding the issue and agreed that it was an important topic for which we could promote awareness about.

Now that we had a topic, we had to decide how we could speak out against it. The famous symbol for the Breast Cancer Association is the pink ribbon. From this we drew the idea of a pink party. Using the colour of the recognizable pink ribbon, we would throw a party in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. Immediately we began to make plans and chose a day. We also required, decorations, food, entertainment and people! It was a party after all. Stephanie created invitations and we decorated them with pink highlighter. The day would be Thursday October 18th, 2007 at 7:30pm in the R4 common room. I folded invitations, inserted a mint and tied them with some pretty pink ribbon. It was more strenuous then it sounds. Stephanie and I then delivered them to random doors in residence, and put up posters for extra advertising.

The three of us then arranged a time and day to go shopping and to purchase various decorations and food. Out to Dollarama we ventured on a warm afternoon to gather our supplies. We bought prizes, decorations, food, treats, and more, all in pink of course. Stephanie found various facts on Breast Cancer and printed them off to use as decoration also. For entertainment, we agreed upon showing the movie Pretty In Pink, a classic movie from the eighties.

The big day came, and it was time to decorate. Stephanie and I decorated the commonroom, cutting out the printed facts and placing them on fancy pink bristol board. Balloons, streamers and pink rose petals were scattered throughout the room. The treat table was set up in the corner with cookies, candies, icing and drinks. Everything had a pink aspect of course, from pink icing and candies to pink beverages. A small station was set up for painting fingernails also. We bought a variety of pink nail polish with numerous shades for those interested in sporting, and supporting the pink ribbon.

At 7:30 we saw a few people arrive, mostly from our floor. We started the movie at 8:00 and gathered more and more viewers. People wandered the room looking at the various facts and munching on a few treats. We even got a few boys to paint their fingernails. Overall, I feel that the event was successful. I am a little disappointed at the number of people that turned out, but I enjoyed myself just the same and created awareness in even just a few individuals.
From this activist project, I have learned a great deal about Breast Cancer. Although I was aware of the disease before and have had family members experience it, I did not know many of the statistics. I was shocked to learn that one in nine woman will develop breast cancer within their lifetime and that one in 27 will die from it! These were the main facts that surprised me. I also learned about self -breast exams, which should be done at least monthly, that if a family member has had breast cancer than their children are at a higher risk of having it also. Lastly, I was shocked to find that 415 Canadian women are diagnosed with breast cancer every week! These are astounding statistics and facts that many are not aware of. I feel that it is important for woman to be aware of their risk and how to get help if anything should happen.

This issue is very important, as it appears to be an increasing risk for women. Breast cancer can be deadly unless detected at its early stages, and before it can spread throughout the body. If detected, and of a serious nature, than chemotherapy treatments may be required or removal of the breast. This often leaves women feeling incomplete and self-conscious. Here I feel is a relation to the media. Our culture and society has become so obsessed with image, that those who fail to have the perfect body outlined by society, feel inadequate. Breasts have always been a sign of a woman’s femininity; society has placed them in high regard with the development of plastic surgery and breast enlargements. A possible essay topic? Breasts: more than just female anatomy? What the does the media have to say about them?
Overall, it was a great project. Another successful job for Sam, Steph and Dee.

Breast Cancer Society of Canada. Facts on Breast Cancer. Oct 2007. 22 Oct. 2007 . http://www.bcsc.ca/breasthealth.html

Tons of Tricky Topics to Try and Test out....But what to choose!?

Today’s class in Mass Communication was quite enjoyable. Despite numerous technical difficulties that were encountered, discussion was lively and important. Conversation about the final essay and blogs was helpful and encouraging. I am now aware that there are so many topics I can chose from. Before, I was limiting myself to mainly advertisements. I also met with Ian Reilly today. He was helpful and reassuring. Both Mark and Ian said to review my blogs and find what I have been passionate about, what intrigues me. I definitely have some reviewing to do. Today in class though I came up with a possible topic for my essay being, television and how it is not simply a means of communication, but a way of life. I still have to work out the fine detailing but I drew a small web link with ideas. It goes something like this:

Television
→ not just a form of communication, but has created a way of life? An alternate society
→ life has grown around TV, into a televison
-commericals & advertising everywhere
- entertainment is incorporated into everything i.e. halftime shows?
- people have become addicted to it, its lighting is mimicked on other products, ipods, cellphones, street lights? That glowing light.
→it has turned into so much more than just a form of communication
→ has created a need for consistent knowledge
- is being put on buses and trains
- has created an alternate time, schedule for people
→ has taken away silence
→ what we wear- similar to that on tv, we judge by what we see and can relate to what was on the television
→reality vs. not, fantasy
- cloning! We are cloning things. Why? Because we are able to accept this non-reality world based on what we have learned from television?
→We are a living TV show?
- much of what people do, say, how they act, can be related to television
- PR people attempt to show the good, create the ultimate happy place, similar to televsion, live in perfect societies? Unreal scenarios are created, we hide the truth, do not face reality

This is basically what my web looked like. It makes sense to me. I have to do a little background checking on when particular times items were invented, this was just a bunch of my random ideas.

Mark and Ian said to write about what interested me, so that is firstly what I have to acknowledge. I am also interested in the idea of photographs and political cartoons. These are just a few things that interest me and that I feel are an important part of society.

Digital photographs for example are leading civilization into a completely false world, one where humans cannot always trust what they see. For this topic, perhaps I could look at the motives behind photographs. Are they simply for communication purposes? Or has society developed them into brainwashing tools? Within almost every type of photography there includes the possibility of photo manipulation. It is very hard to trust any image you see now a days. Within glamour, politics, economy, elections, sports, world wonders, space etc, it could all be a lie. I am not sure if this would actually make a valid topic or if it would be more of an opinion/conspiracy type situation. I do feel that there is so much more to photography though. Perhaps to write about a subject like this I would have to use a photograph and analyze it, illustrating the image’s fabrication and the message behind it, why it is false, the reasons it is bad or good, etc.

The other topic that is of interest to me right now is political cartoons. I feel that a political cartoon would have lots to expand on and many secret meanings and messages behind them. Like television ads and commercials, a lot of thought goes into them to get across a particular message. A lot of the time people simply take them as comic relief and at face value. However, there is so much more put into them.

Those are my ideas right now. I hope to narrow them down very soon!!!

Do you see what I see??

Ways of Seeing by John Berger was a strong change in writing style compared to Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. Berger focused largely are pure comparison and explanation, while I found Postman to be a little more personal and conversational. Moreover, despite Berger’s various artistic outlooks and theories regarding the evolution of art, which I found fascinating, I agree that it was a little old fashion.

I greatly enjoyed the comparison of being nude and being naked, and how women are surveyed and men simply spectators. After reading that women were viewed to “feed an appetite”(Berger 55), my perception of the images changed from an artistic, beautiful woman in heavenly scenery to more of a sexual being. These images were made to satisfy the male spectators, to look at the female body and cause sexual arousal. This almost suits the definition of pornography. I am by no means, calling the work of these artists like Tintoretto or Lely porn, but I did not think that the main purpose of these beautiful images would be to “feed [the] appetite” of men (Berger, 55).

Despite the novel’s old-fashioned images and content, I was able to make a connection to modern day images, art and ads closer to the end of the book. I liked that Berger connected older images to newer images of today and showed how they still portray the same image and ideal. Society has simply intensified these ideals and advertised them relentlessly.

I found it fascinating that people place a lot of value on what an image is, over what the image shows. Having a reproduction of an image-such as the Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo Da Vinci- makes the original piece of value because it is RARE, IT IS THE original; not because it depicts the Virgin Mary and Christ the Child (Berger, 21).

The photo essays were fascinating, however I really did not understand them all that well. I caught some minor themes within them, but was confused by the end. My perspective on art has changed slightly, in that I take into consideration the purpose of the drawing or painting to a larger degree. Ways of Seeing was a decent read with some interesting points, but I found the bulk of the material somewhat dry.

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. Toronto: Penguin, 1972.

A Brand New Feature

It was nice to finally read an article with a different point of view. I felt like I was beginning to be the only one with a few questions. Many people argue that media does not have that strong of an impact on society, any counter argument will state that the individual is simply not aware of the influence. The article by David Gauntlett is a refreshing read. It argues that media affects are simply not as bad we think, and that the studies we hear of are not as valid as we hold them to be. Why do companies want to convince society that television is bad? Everything can be bad for you. How the item is used will determine its productivity.

Different mediums and their affect on humans, is a very tricky topic to study and research because everyone perceives media differently. What one individual observes may not have the same message or affect on his friend. I personally believe that we are affected by television. If you watch a violent program, you can become immune to such violent activity, similarly if you watch soap operas, you may be more likely to pick out the drama in your own life. I feel that some researchers however have underestimated human intelligence and think of humans as nothing but drones, absorbing all media information without question. They think people have no personal opinion or ideology. I understand that there are many secret messages and symbols hidden within the media world that everyday viewers are not aware of, but I still feel that we are underestimated. Perhaps this feeling stems from what I have been learning in Mass Communications, but if I am watching something I do not like, I change the channel. Similarly, if something is said about a strong news issue, just because the television argues one side, it does not mean that the rest of society is going to abide by that position.

I think that perhaps television is simply too advance for humans as of yet. People have not grasped full control or proper use of the TV. Its affects and functions are not fully understood and it does not help the situation if people are conducting useless experiments. As David Gauntlett argues, many of the studies being conducted are bias and unreliable. Scientists need to start fresh and reassess the situation. As a result of the article I feel that experiments are being carried out based on too many assumptions. Furthermore, the results are being misconstrued and manipulated to fit a particular idea. I understand that the study of media effects is not an easy topic because as mentioned before everyone perceives the media differently. I feel that David Gauntlett has made some very interesting and valid points. His work does not deny media influence, but simply challenges the way we are coming to the conclusions of media affects.

It is hard to say just how much of an impact the media has on a society or the world as a whole. As the people of society, we have to be dependable judges as to how exactly we are being affected by growing technology.

Gauntlett, David. “Ten Things Wrong With the Media ‘Effects’ Model.” 1998. 3 Oct. 2007
http://www.theory.org.uk/david/effects.html

Image Curation- The Evolution of Media

Sam, Stephanie and Darrylynn….the infamous media trio. Yes, the three of us joined together to create the ultimate Image Curation show. Our process began with simply tossing around a few ideas here and there. We wanted to create something showing evolution, and how far we have come in the world of media. One of our original ideas was to illustrate, within a slide show, the role of women in television. We came out with the idea of showing the evolution of media.

We collected and gathered information starting at the very beginning of time, with cave drawings. These we felt were one of the very first forms of communication and the creation of a medium. From these drawings we moved onto stone carvings and Egyptian writing, the use of pictures and images to form a language. The phonetic alphabet came next. A few quotes were incorporated here and there regarding media and its development throughout history. After the Rosetta stone and different forms of writing, we quoted Carol Burnett saying, “Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own”. This quote led into the development of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1450. Famous writer William Shakespeare was also shown, for he also gave words a life of their own.
After the printing press we sped along to images of the first telegraph, typewriter, camera and early newspapers, all in proper chronological sequence. The radio and television were our next main focus, showing early versions of the two mediums, and also influential people on the mediums such as Orson Wells, Charlie Chaplin, the American Bandstand, I Love Lucy and Marilyn Monroe. The slide show slowly came to a close as we displayed images of newspapers, magazines, televisions, cameras and radios evolving into the products we have today. Overall, it was a well-organized and well-put together sequence of events throughout media history.

I was responsible for quotes and decoration within the slide show. We all searched for and chose the images collectively, and arranged them in chronological order. Everyone shared their own ideas and input as to what the slide show should look like. It really was a group effort. Everyone came up with particular prominent figures or technologies to include.

From this experience I have learned more about the evolution of media. It was interesting to see the chronological order of different mediums because you could see what people were thinking and how they used the technology they had to advance into something else. For example, going from writing with ink, to creating a printing press, or from silent films to sound films. I found it an interesting evolution, very logical yet abstract also. The inventions all seem easy enough to society now, but when they first came about they were great ideas and wondrous inventions. Furthermore, I have learned more about the influence of technology and media. It has been an ever present and growing field of work. Slowly and slowly the media became more and more part of everyday life, and it continues to do so. From books and newspapers to television screens and radios, these mediums provide consistent news updates and daily commentary. Today I look around and I am witness to mediums always being in affect. Right now as I type this article, I have music playing. At school students listen to ipods, have magazines in their hands, television shows to watch at home and advertisements are everywhere. As we evolved our slide show, I wondered what it would have been like back when there was no consistent advertising or form of broadcasting. I imagine it would have been a very quite place.

As I look through the pictures of our final slide show I notice that all the images collected are illustrating the medium being used for entertainment purposes; Orson Wells is seen reading from War of the Worlds, American Bandstand is seen on the television, Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe were prominent figures of entertainment, the newspapers show comics or headlines of drastic events, while magazines show celebrities. As we put these images together we focused on the evolution of media and the creation of technology, I did not take into consideration why the technology was created. In our class notes, it states under “Some laws of communications media”, that “Media arises as attempts of humans to solve problems of information” (Lipton). From the images in our slide show it clearly illustrates that these mediums have been used to communicate entertainment more than anything else. They are more than just the evolution of mediums, but also of the development of a world of entertainment.

As the evolution process continues, the media world will work to form better means of communication, while also advancing entertainment. Are we using these mediums for the right purposes? I suppose only time will tell.

Lipton, Mark. “Some laws of communications media.” Mass Communications. The University of GuelphHumber, Toronto, ON. 26 September 2007.

Hey! Did you watch TV last night!?

Today I write to reflect on my viewing of the media. With all late night television shows back for new seasons I have once again found myself scheduling time for the TV. On Tuesday nights you will find me in the R4 common room, centre chair, control in my hand, watching the new season of House. I have decided to reflect on this decision and why I so promptly and surely make time for this show.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the television show House, it is a comedy drama involving Dr. House and his medical team, having to diagnose patients with whichever disease or medical condition they have. These conditions are often out of the ordinary and life threatening if not solved. Dr. House is an older, male doctor, willing to take risks and break the rules. His sarcasm and atypical methods of treatment are a main focus within the show. His team is there to help him diagnosis and treat patients. The audience watches the four individuals squabble over ideas and different methods, and leave them to guess if the treatment will work. It all makes for a very interesting show that draws not only me, but other students on my floor to the common room every Tuesday at 9pm.

Why? Why do we put everything aside and make time for this made up show? I suppose the answers could be endless, the audience could be bored, could enjoy drama, could have a crush on an actor or actress, could simply enjoy the entertainment, etc. I want to see why we do this through the eyes of a media determinist. Perhaps they would say that we are drawn in by entertainment. Society has grown to love entertainment and after a long day at work or school, the television provides an opportunity to free yourself from reality and to get away to entertainment. Perchance the reason is that our culture has developed this act as a norm. We may not fully enjoy the show, or need it by any means, but our culture and society have developed this as an important part of its foundation. We need to watch the television in order to hold conversation with people, is it not always the topic of conversation? What was on TV last night? Did you see that episode!? The media can determine what is important and at this present time entertainment is key. We discuss what entertains us. This is evident in the large number of entertainment magazines and ads being constantly present in society.

I do not see the harm in relaxing by watching TV. I do not see the harm in enjoying a drama or plot line. I think the real issue is when we become obsessive. When people feel that without the show, life is not complete, that nothing comes before it. I have even had friends feel they are part of the show! The separation of reality and fantasy has to be made.
I do believe that society has placed these shows as an important part of everyday life. People must focus on what is best for them and their time, not on how society tells you to spend your time.

I myself feel that I am still in control of my television watching. Although House is a great show and I enjoy it tremendously, I still know where my priorities lay and I am able to distinguish a television show from real life. I will not let the media determine how I spend my time.

Laws of Communications Media

Media arises as attempts by humans to solve problems of information. Essential questions to ask are: “What and whose problem does a medium answer?”

This is one of the laws of communication media that we received in class today. I found this one particularly interesting because it would appear that in an attempt to solve problems of information, the media today has created many problems, or at least, has been blamed for many problems. Spreading information too fast, not having privacy, making us immune to drastic and important information and developing an eye for only entertainment are a few of the supposed ‘effects’ of the media.

I believe that the medium of television was designed to solve the problem of human communication in faster time, and on a wider audience level. This problem is put forth by human individuals, as they seek information at a higher level than newspaper, radio or by ear.
This then raises the question, is television really all that better a medium then newspaper? This is just a list of some of the things I see as being special to each medium.

Newspaper invokes the use of our sight, by reading and looking at pictures.
Newspapers do not rush us while reading or learning about a subject or event.
Newspapers are daily.
Newspapers allow us to interpret the information in our own mind. We do not physically hear the voice of another individual telling us the information.
Newspapers allow us to reflect on past news also. We can keep them, save them, refer to them if we choose to in the future. The news does not simply disappear.

Television gets to many, many people within seconds of the event, with occuring news.
Television provokes both our hearing and our sight.
Television allows for multiple images to be displayed while we watch the information, in hopes of providing us with a better understanding.
Television is not only daily, but hourly.
Television can give us information from numerous sources and direct individuals.

The newspaper places ads within its stories just as television places commercials between its shows. Both provide information through another individual. The content of both mediums is also edited and cut based on the director’s or editor’s wishes.

In addition, I wonder if instantaneous information is really all that positive? Watching live, alarming action can cause panic and mayhem in people. Consider the poor individuals who had to watch their love ones die on television during September 11th. On the other side, being able to watch the first man on the moon as it was happening was a momentous occasion shared with the world. Perhaps it is the control over what we video tape and record that must be adjusted.
I really do not see a problem with the medium of television if people learn to use it wisely. This goes for all things in life.

The problematic issue is more directed at entertainment. Entertainment and reality are intertwine within each other as families watch their late television shows. How do we solve this? One might propose a separate channel, no commercials? Would people still regard hard news as just something that’s happening but of no real concern?

All mediums essentially do the same thing, spread information and provide information to the people. As technology advances, we find ‘better’ ways to do this. What is next?? What problem with communication do we have now? Television does a good job of delivering information to the homes of people and provides up-to-date information. The way in which it is providing this information, and how individuals interpret it causes the dilemma. I do not feel that mediums can fix our communication problems. How people take in the medium, how they interpret the medium, how information is communicated is the main issue at hand.

Lipton, Mark. "Some Laws of Communications Media." Mass Communications. The University of GuelphHumber, Toronto,ON. 26 September 2007.