Personalization

Ebony Chappel

Personalization

Personalization is defined as being; the customization of products and or services for individuals on a large scale. We can see the evidence of personalization all across our digital and multimedia sphere. At any given moment consumers are organizing digital music playlists, cueing up television shows, adjusting preferences on social media profiles, amongst other things all according to their own personal tastes.

I noticed a while back that my computer seemed to be speaking to me and it somehow knew what I wanted before I had even asked. This of course was a bit offsetting at first but I have learned to be more comfortable with it and it has even stirred up the curious cat in me.

Some of the things I wondered were:

· Why is this information useful to companies?

· How is this information organized?

· What demographic breakdowns are significant in this situation?

(age, race, sex, etc.)

Why is this Information Useful?

The goal of every company is to convince consumers to use their product, be satisfied, and continue to use them, thus building brand loyalty. The Internet is an invaluable source as far as this is concerned. According to NAS Recruitment Communications; in 2009 over half of American households had high-speed Internet. [1] Studies have also shown that consumers in younger age demographics tend to spend more time online as opposed to in front of the television, which would explain what their primary source of both entertainment and information is.

It should go without saying here that having a strong online presence is a must for any company that plans on staying on a first name basis with today’s consumer. Social media such as Facebook have created a platform for businesses to interact with the consumer first hand. However, social media pundits such as Jay Baer of Convince & Convert, find that customization, on Facebook in particular, is a ‘wasted effort’. [2]

“The time, money, and overall exertion being spent on customizing Facebook fan pages is largely misspent. The fact is that in almost every case, the one and only time your fans visit your Facebook page is when they initially “like” the page. After that, all touch points between the brand and the fan are conducted in the Facebook News Feed.”

– Jay Baer

Although there is a valid point being made here about the significance of customization, I would not discount its importance in this way. To rely solely on this web presence is not what I believe the goal is with companies. It is a compliment to what is already happening if nothing else.

By convincing consumers to become fans and participate in this synergy between buyer and seller, businesses are able to key in on what it is that we want and also what we could do without. For example, I became a fan of St. Ives on Facebook and by doing so I was able to find out about new products and also get links to coupons and special offers. The absolute best feature had to be the direct back and forth communication with St. Ives. I could log on and write on their page about a product I love that has unfortunately been discontinued and receive a timely reply message with an answer and also a suggestion to help fill the void of that particular missing toiletry.

Another personal example of mine would have to be an unsatisfactory experience at a local Taco Bell. I tweeted about the poor service on my Twitter profile and I immediately had Taco Bell begin to follow my tweets. This sort of symbiotic relationship between buyer and seller makes customization and personalization even more significant, useful, and desirable in every facet of digital life. By broadcasting what we like and how we like it via social platforms, advertisers become better suited to cater to our every need.

How is this Information Organized

A fairly unknown company [x+1] Inc. knows far more about you currently then you currently know about them. I know that last statement may have come across a bit cryptic but the entire process by which they acquire this information is also

"We never don't know anything about someone,"

John Nardone, [x+1]'s chief executive

According to their website, [x+1] “works with brands, agencies and media companies to determine the most valuable customer attributes (those characteristics that indicate who is most likely to respond favorably) and then interact with those people when and where they are online.” [3]

Initially, after reading about [x+1], I was worried about being prejudged according to some company’s calculations about what type of customer I am and whether or not I was worthy of a company’s time or effort. After realizing what the future holds for my desired field of work however, I was pretty excited at all the possibilities. According to a Wall Street Journal investigation

“the analytical skill of data handlers like [x+1] is transforming the Internet into a place where people are becoming anonymous in name only. The findings offer an early glimpse of a new, personalized Internet where sites have the ability to adjust many things—look, content, prices—based on the kind of person they think you are.” [4]

The topic of price discrimination also came up although it is illegal in terms of race, religion, gender, and marital status among other things. This does not stop race from becoming a customization criterion in other situations. In a February press release, Verizon Wireless, revealed their plans for a campaign geared at African-Americans, based on research surrounding trends in customization. [5]

“Extensive market research in key African-American consumer markets guided the development of the campaign. Findings showed that African-American consumers have a long history of customizing and personalizing their environments, from music and other artistic expressions to fashion to personal living spaces and more. As a result, Verizon's new campaign, with the theme "Personalize Life," portrays ways in which African-Americans can customize products and services from Verizon to fit their lifestyle and their needs.”

After further hunting, it seems as if Verizon has altogether abandoned their campaign, which is unfortunate in my opinion. I do feel, however, that continuing to use lifestyle choices as opposed to racial identity could prove to be better for creating effective strategies on how to market to a specific consumer group.

Personalization and customization is not about what is going to happen. It is what is happening right now. The synergistic and symbiotic ties between the single consumer and the single producer of goods and/or services is extremely fascinating and will continue to create more opportunities for perfecting our day to day experiences.

1. "Internet Usage in the United States." www.nasrecruitment.com . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov 2010. http://www.nasrecruitment.com/docs/white_papers/Internet_Usage_United_States.pdf

2. Baer, Jay. "Digital Sharecropping – Why Most Facebook Customization is Wasted Effort." Convince&Convert , October 27, 2010. Web. 14 Nov 2010. .

3. "About Us." [x+1]. X Plus One , n.d. Web. 15 Nov 2010. .

4. Steel, Emily . "On the Web's Cutting Edge, Anonymity in Name Only." Wall Street Journal August 4, 2010: n. pag. Web. 15 Nov 2010. .

5. "Verizon Launches New African-American Ad Campaign That Touts Customization." PR Newswire February 14, 2010: n. pag. Web. 15 Nov 2010. .

Teen Pregnancy in the Media

Fear In The Media

All Video - YouTube.Com

All Pictures - Google.Com (Photo Search Engine)

All Music - Incompetech.Com (Royalty Free Music)

Marriage and Parenting from the 60's to Present Day

The Vampire Craze

Hey, don't watch the video while embedded in the blog. It's not working. :/ Please copy and paste the link. Thanks!




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiGySzy_Au4

Teen Pregnancy in the Media

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRkRCT_J95g

kyle, marisha, brittany, katie, mike

Teen Pregnancy in the Media

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRkRCT_J95g

Sex in the Media - Media-Centered Perspective

Visual Perspective: 2010 Oscar Nominees

Oops, I need one more :/

So here I am thinking I'm doing so well. I have my blogs done by Tuesday. I had a clever title for it, I felt it was a good wrap up, and then silly me, I didn't read the syllabus close enough to see that all blogs must be at least 250 words long. Oops. Now I need another one. Crap, I'm scrambling trying to come up with another topic an my mind is blank. Then I pull my notebook out of my bag and out pops the Baghdad Burning blogs and eureka I have it.

When we read the Baghdad Burning blogs in class I was so struck by the words and the stories they told. I enjoyed our in class discussion. I think a variety of valid points were made. We talked primarily about the validity of the blogs as a news source. And even though I understand other people's points of view I think what is still the most important part of the blogs to me is their message and that it is getting out there. The novelty of a woman (or a woman's point of view) being told in the middle of a major conflict in an area of the world where supposedly women are oppressed was so awesome to me.

Then I went to my favorite website, Amazon (yikes, I know right?), to see if the book forms of the blogs were on there and one of my favorite Amazon features 'Other customers also bought' popped up a bunch of books about womens' perspectives of major conflicts. Now some of them were fiction but many were not. And this got me to thinking about how we aren't really made aware of these books. We know about the latest Nora Roberts and Dan Brown books but not about these stories of real life struggles by women. And I wonder why? I know that most people (myself included) who read for pleasure want to escape to a less complicated world but it seems to me that the real life struggles should be more emphasize in curriculums and by the media. Basically this all boils down to concerns about the superficiality of our society. (No judgment here, I can be as superficial as the next, just wonderings.)

Okay, I really think this is my last one.
Peace

Corporate Control

One thing that we discussed in class that has really changed the way I consume media is the topic of corporate control. The same eight(ish) companies own just about everything we hear, see, and read, whether on the radio, television, newspapers, or on the Internet. We've discussed this topic in some of my telecommunications classes as well, and to be completely honest it disheartens me a bit. The passing of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 gave these corporations the power to monopolize the media. The mad dash for control left the media in an oligopoly with only a handful of companies owning the outlets. What we as the general public is the select hegemonic viewpoints being blasted at us from all around. Creativity is replaced with capitalism. Programs aren't put on air based on what their ideals are, rather programs are put on because they will make money. No one cares about anything unless they can suck a profit out of it.
It saddens me that as a whole we're okay with this. When i bring up media ownership around my family or some of my peers I'm left with blank stares. Whether they aren't understanding the severity of what I'm saying, they don't understand, of if they just don't care, I'm not quite sure.
The fact that my scriptwriting and my creative writing professors are trying to train me to write what is popular and what is successful rather than just working on teaching me how to create sickens me as well. People talk about how they hate government control so much, but the media has become it's own government, and the only way to be a part of it's dictatorship is to buy yourself in.

South Park

We all know and love the popular cartoon series on Comedy Central, South Park. I feel as though South Park is a genius program, filled with perfect examples of things that we have talked about in our Pop Culture class. By taking the time each season to make each episode one-by-one between episodes, they are able to keep up-to-date on various facets of pop culture, and then make it comical. A couple of seasons ago, South Park was able to make an episode about several youtube sensations, and have them interact with the main characters of the show. Movie stars, television actors, and even Facebook have all been mocked in the series. I think that the show is important because they are able to make fun of normal situations that we deal with everyday. Also, the creators make the show so ironic, that it's easy to tell what they are making fun of, and exactly why they are making fun of it. I know that I have been known to watch and episode, and then look up a news report on what happened in real life, and am able to compare the two and understand why and how South Park mocks them.

Raising the Youth: T.V.'s New Power

People that complain about sex and violence in the media piss me off. Just saying.
We all know that the media is filled with debauchery, drugs, and disorder. So don't let the television raise your fucking kids. As a parent you have every right to control what television your child consumes. For crying out loud, every television set bigger than 13 inches that has come out since January of 2000 has been installed with a v-chip. The v-chip is a device that gives parents the power to choose what programs they find acceptable for their children. Most satellite and cable boxes come with the same features. If you care so much about what your children are being exposed to then quit bitching and do something about it. BLOCK IT. It is not the media's responsibility to raise the nation's children, plain and true. While I understand that it is hard to escape the media and it's messages, it is the parent's responsibility to put a good head on their children's shoulders. Would you rather your children's morals be instilled by you or the box that vomits up what corporations want you to hear in your living room? I hope that people can become conscious consumers and can pass that mindset on to their children. Again we all know what deviance lurks on television, and we know we don’t have to watch it. We need to be able to take certain things with a grain of salt and understand that they are entertainment in it’s simplest form. So watch your Jersey Shore, but don't live your life by the messages of that and other similar programs.

should we study pop culture?

Popular Culture is more that just primetime television and Hollywood drama. It is political, it is rhetorical, and it is ambiguous. We should study popular culture because it allows us to look deeper into the meaning and messages portrayed by the media. Popular culture looks into why something is created by television networks, and popular culture also examines how networks get out the message they want the viewer to learn. There is obviously a reason why news is covered with a bias, and this is because networks have their own agendas. Popular culture also gives a structured and organized way to examine text, graphics, and images. The study of popular culture is done rhetorically. It is a practice not series of steps. There are several different theories developed to help us examine a text. Some of these theories include Media Centered, Narrative, Dramatic, and Feminine. Aristotle is the father of rhetoric, and he gave us the Neo Aristotelian Approach to study. He believed that public address was worthy of study. This was mostly public speaking during his time. It is a good approach because it is insightful to political issues. It also has a clear goal set. There are burdens with the Neo Aristotelian Approach. It is exclusive and it misses symbols. It also is not very indicative of popular culture. It does not give enough research to develop quality study. Aristotle died thousands of years ago, and his work still lives. He was way ahead of his time. He was a brilliant man.

Tiger "Cheetah" Woods

The media has chewed up and spit out Tiger Woods since the day after Thanksgiving in November. He has been all over the covers of People, National Enquirer, and even the gossip site Perez Hilton after allegations revealed he has been unfaithful to his wife having numerous marital affairs. The media has portrayed him a liar, a cheater, and the scum of society. His demise has been accompanied by the loss of several endorsements. Tiger was considered to be a wonder boy with a squeaky clean reputation. His cheating on his wife has also let to speculation about the integrity of his professional accomplishments. Sports talk radio has wondered if his incredible physique could be partially enhanced by steroid use. Golf is the ultimate game of honesty, and if it comes out Tiger has been juicing it he will in turn lose all the supporters he has left. It is hard for me to see Tiger Woods torn apart by the media because he was a huge role model in my life growing up. It is my fault for making an athlete my role model, but I was only eight when he won the Masters in 1997 and took the golf world by storm. I was instantly sucked into becoming a fan. He was a twenty something kid that can just flat out play golf and destroyed the field to win the Masters in record fashion. Last weekend he returned to the PGA Tour during the Masters. He finished a respectable -11 placing in a tie for forth place. His return to professional golf has been long over due, and now he can hopefully get back to work. He is never going to be able to restore the image he had before the cheating came out, but he was win people back over by winning golf tournaments.

Have YOU seen this man?

This is really crazy! I saw the video and I was really skeptical, but I found their website and checked it out too!

http://www.thisman.org/history.htm

Basically, people all around the world dream of this man, but no connection is found between the people who dream of him, or the dreams in which he is involved.

One theory about why this man exists is that he has average facial structure and features, making him the exact epitome of an average man. By combining several common facial features of men around the world, it's possible that this is just the imagination picturing an average person. Some believe that this is all a hoax, and that people dream of the man after becoming interested in the theories. Others theorize that this is a sign of stress taking the form of a vision while in a state of unconciousness, while some people believe this is another form of how God looks in our society today.

Beauty or Beast?

I think that the subject of subliminable messaging is really interesting, and I particularly think it's interesting that Disney incorporates so many in their works.

I found this video, and it's talking about "Beauty and the Beast," and I think you'll all be just as surprised as I was about the amount of insanely sick things incorporated throughout this film. I know the video is kind of long, and the commentary is kind of ridiculous, but the points that are valuable are easy to spot in the video.

Beauty or Beast?

I think that the subject of subliminable messaging is really interesting, and I particularly think it's interesting that Disney incorporates so many in their works.

I found this video, and it's talking about "Beauty and the Beast," and I think you'll all be just as surprised as I was about the amount of insanely sick things incorporated throughout this film. I know the video is kind of long, and the commentary is kind of ridiculous, but the points that are valuable are easy to spot in the video.

I KEEPS IT REAL

What is real? Who is to say that someone else is not real? Each of us has our own true identity. However, in the music industry, we like to think that a lot of the popular entertainers are not real. We question their motives and ridicule them for doing things like 'selling out'. I know that some people in the music business are simply in it for the money, but why should I judge that as wrong. People have their reasons. But that does not make them any less credible or excuse me, REAL. I don't really listen to the radio too much so I don't always know who the hottest singers and musicians are at the present time. But I am a DJ so I do have to keep up with the Billboard pop charts ever so often. I have found that most of these so called 'sell out' singers or bands or whatever they are called are generally singing songs about having a good time, breaking up, or falling in love. These all sound like cheesy subjects. But they are all relate-able! We have all gone through break-ups, felt like we were in love, and I know we all like to have a good time and party! I really don't think that alot of the popular artists today are that good, musically. But does that mean they are not real? I really don't think so. Many of them are either doing what they love, or they are just trying to get rich. But honestly, who doesn't want to be rich?

A Day Without Media

Imagine this. You wake up in the morning at 11 a.m. You were supposed to be at class at 10. You look around for your cell phone, but you cannot find it. Obviously, the reason you missed class was because your alarm on your phone did not go off. You get up anyway and head into the living room and find that your brand new plasma screen HDTV is gone. Then you look for your laptop, it's gone too. Were you robbed? No, today all media has disappeared and you have fend for yourself. Imagine a day like this where you could not call or text anyone. You could not get on Facebook or check your e-mail. you cannot watch TV. You cannot get a hold of any media what so ever. This would be a nightmare. You would actually have to talk to people face to face in order to talk to them. How awful! Oh, and your iPod is gone too. Have fun not listening to music today either. This day seems to be getting worse and worse. What are you going to do? I suggest that we all get outside. Go for a walk, run, or ride a bike. Play a sport. Do something active. Take time to really get to know someone. Find out what they like and what makes them happy. Do something personal. Anything, it doesn't matter. A day like this could be useful to society. It would show us that we do not need all these things. We only need each other.

Feminism

Oh feminism, how I love thee. Feminism is a great. I love that now women have close to equal rights as men. I hope I am alive to see the day when women make as much money as men as well as have all the same privileges. There is one problem I see with feminism, however. It seems to me that women want to be treated equally to men. If that is the case then they should want to talked to the same way and be treated physically the same way. It only seems right that if they want to have all the same privileges of men then they should treated the same in all ways. For instance, men talk differently to women as they do to men. With women it is always nice to be polite and not use direct criticism, but when I talk to a guy I can be more straight forward with him and directly criticize him because we understand that we're not trying to hurt each others feelings. Also, how come it's ok for a guy to give another guy a pat on the butt, however if he does that to a female, it's considered sexual harassment? I understand there are times when a touch is not wanted, but this doesn't seem equal to me, which is what I thought feminism was all about. Now I understand this blurs gender roles. But this begs the question, how equal do we really want to be? How equal do women want to be to men? And do all the equalities they are striving for come at a price?

World Cup 2010

Every time I am watching any network affiliated with ESPN, I see a commercial for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. I usually get goose bumps every time I see one of them. The World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and it means so much to me as well as millions around the world. This year the World Cup is being held in South Africa. No nation from Africa has ever hosted a World Cup and therefore, there is a lot of pressure on South Africa to have a good showing and host a great tournament. Some fear there will be terrorist attacks, but this just seems to because it is in Africa, a place of outlaws and corruption. There is also fear because a couple of months ago the Togo National Team was attacked while they were on their bus heading to the African Cup of Nations. Several members of their squad were killed. But this was no where near South Africa. I believe that Africa will host a wonderful tournament, however. The World Cup is always a beautiful event. One of the most interesting things about this World Cup is that here in the United States, people seem to be more excited and more aware of this World Cup more than any other. Soccer is still becoming more popular here. And now even every game played will be broadcast on either ESPN or ABC. I hope for the United States to have a great showing in the World Cup and if we progress out of our group, which we should, it will be a success. I just hope we can have as much magic as we did against Spain last year.

Being Gay in the Media

Ellen Degeneres was one of the of the first people that I remember seeing as a child and that taught me that being gay was normal. She pushed coming out into the media spotlight. With her coming out on such a broad array of media types (print and television in many forms), it was something the country was forced to talk about, if only for the months around the event. The way she presented her and the GLBT's ideologies didn't flat out try to revolt against the hegemonic heterosexual mainstream. Rather she just explained that she and the many other gays and lesbians have such a hard time living their life a lie. She explained that they shouldn't have to live that way, and be trapped because of their minority status. She gave the country an insight into how coming out can effect the life of the individual and the lives of those around him or her. She promoted understanding and acceptance in a way that was easy for Americans to accept.
Ellen led the way for other homosexuals and homosexual characters in the media. Will and Grace, which premiered in the years following the media event, exploded into popularity. Of the four main characters, two were homosexual men. This was one of the first times that homosexual men were shown as successful, normal people. For the most part the show shown a positive light on homosexuality, but at some points the characters sexual orientation was just a big joke. The show again was a step in the right direction for the media and the mainstream.
Since these media events we can see more and more homosexuality in the media, not just acting either. We see more and more homosexual producers, writers, directors, etc in Hollywood as time goes on, which is great. People should not be held back or oppressed for something as trivial as their sexual orientation.

I think that the subject of subliminable messaging is really interesting, and I particularly think it's interesting that Disney incorporates so many in their works.

I found this video, and it's talking about "Beauty and the Beast," and I think you'll all be just as surprised as I was about the amount of insanely sick things incorporated throughout this film. I know the video is kind of long, and the commentary is kind of ridiculous, but the points that are valuable are easy to spot in the video.

Butt Slap University

A hot topic among our students and faculty of the past week has been that of the Ass Slapper. I know a lot of people have probably posted on this, but I just wanted to get my two cents in.

I know that the situation is wrong, and that whoever did it shouldn't have done it, but I just can't get over my frustration with how ridiculous this whole situation is.

First of all, I really don't believe it's a newsworthy story, and I blame all the news networks and companies that have published stories on it. I think that news needs to focus more on things that affect me, and I really don't think that this affects me. Many people talk about how it does affect me, because it's sexual harassment, sexual assault, etc... but in all honesty, I think someone calling this sexual assault is just ridiculous.

For me, when I think of sexual assault or sexual harassment or things of that nature, I believe that a sexual advance needs to be made in order for it to be a sex-related crime. A slap on the ass is wrong, yes, but I have not heard or seen on piece of evidence that the slapper was making a sexual advance on the women.

Regardless of whether or not the women felt so inclined to call the police doesn't matter, but I feel frustrated at the fact that if I were to have called the police for a similar crime committed against me, I would have been ridiculed. Because it was women, it now becomes sexual assault.

Everyone talks as though this is just reinforcing mysogenistic ideals, but personally, I think this is a case of empowering women more than it should be. I really do believe men and women should be equal, but I know, as does everyone else, that it's not how the world is. I really wish it were, but it isn't, and because of that, many women and feminists attempt to make up for the inequality by empowering themselves more than it needs to be.

I saw one newscast where the female field reporter questioned many people on campus, and only one male. All of the women that the reporter interviewed seemed to feel as though this was a negative situation and that it was sexual assault, but when the one male was asked his opinion, he said he didn't think it was a big deal. The reporter asked the male if he was only saying it because he was a male, and I think that that is really rude. I think that if a male's opinion is expressed and someone says that they only feel that way because they are a male, that's reverse discrimination against men.

I am confused about how this whole situation has been construed so badly.

You Have 0 Friends

The television show South Park capture the nations obsession with facebook perfectly. I would post a link to the episode, but sadly it was taken off the comedy central website and I couldn't find another link. Anyways, as a country we seem to be wholeheartedly obsessed with facebook and other social networking sites, i.e. twitter, myspace. I can only think of one of my friends that does not have a facebook. Personally i will admit to being sucked in. I check my facebook most mornings, and most times I get on the internet. I do not however do anything besides socialize, find bands, and play tetris. No, I do not want to water your crops, join your mafia/werewolf/vampire/whatever army.
I'm not trying to make the point that social networking sites are bad, because they aren't. Social networking sites are great at doing just that, social networking. However, when people sit at their computers for hours on end rather than actually socializing in real life is where the problem occurs. When people become more concerned with the number of friends they have on their page rather than the amount of friends they've seen in a day, they have developed a problem. It is not facebook's fault that these people are doing this either. The more tie we spend on these sites the more money we're pumping into the corporations. It's perfectly fine to use your facebook to keep in contact with people, it's silly to say otherwise, but spending an enormous amount of time on these sites is not a very good use of your time.

Military in the Media.

The amount of coverage the military gets in the media is quite disturbing. Turning 18 meant I had to sign up for the "selective service." This is essentially signing up for the draft, in case it were to ever be reinstated. Before that recruiters were barking at my heels to look into "military careers." One of the most popular activities among my high school peers was playing video games. Many of these video games were in fact war themed games, set in historical and present day battle situations. "America's Army" is a game created by the government to recreate soldier training and combat situations. They were tapping into a teen driven market. As we grew older their almost omniscient presence was seen everywhere and continues today. Every day on t.v., and even in the movie theaters, commercials for the armed services play all day. The news is flooded with images, maps, videos, graphs, and recreations of the conflict in the middle east. The war and being a part of the armed services tends to always be presented positive as well. Even if we have feelings against the war, we are almost trained to say, "I oppose the war, but I support the troops," as someone pointed out in class. Also stated in class, we are being turned into virtual citizen-soldiers. They are trying to train us before they actually have us signed up to serve. I personally feel that the military does not really need such a large advertising budget. We all know what the armed services are, if we want to be a part of that then we will. We do not need to be overwhelmed with rhetorical arguments telling us what to do with our lives.

Military in the Media

The amount of coverage the military gets in the media is quite disturbing. Turning 18 meant I had to sign up for the "selective service." This is essentially signing up for the draft, in case it were to ever be reinstated. Before that recruiters were barking at my heels to look into "military careers." One of the most popular activities among my high school peers was playing video games. Many of these video games were in fact war themed games, set in historical and present day battle situations. "America's Army" is a game created by the government to recreate soldier training and combat situations. They were tapping into a teen driven market. As we grew older their almost omniscient presence was seen everywhere and continues today. Every day on t.v., and even in the movie theaters, commercials for the armed services play all day. The news is flooded with images, maps, videos, graphs, and recreations of the conflict in the middle east. The war and being a part of the armed services tends to always be presented positive as well. Even if we have feelings against the war, we are almost trained to say, "I oppose the war, but I support the troops," as someone pointed out in class. Also stated in class, we are being turned into virtual citizen-soldiers. They are trying to train us before they actually have us signed up to serve. I personally feel that the military does not really need such a large advertising budget. We all know what the armed services are, if we want to be a part of that then we will. We do not need to be overwhelmed with rhetorical arguments telling us what to do with our lives.

real life taking video games to far?

we talked about Virtual citizen soldier in class and how they took things too far. then we also talked about grand theft auto, in our defense, of how we know its just a game and it isnt as bad. i read an news article that proved me wrong....



CHICAGO (Reuters) - A fatal sniping spree by two teen-age Tennessee boys who said they were mimicking the video game "Grand Theft Auto III" has triggered a $246 million damage lawsuit against the game's creator and others.
One person was killed and another wounded in the incident last June.
The case, filed Monday in Cocke County Circuit at Newport, Tennessee, named Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., a unit of Sony Corp. (SNE: Research, Estimates), Rockstar Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO: Research, Estimates), and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT: Research, Estimates), which sold the game, the parents of the two boys involved, and the boys themselves.
The lawsuit alleges that the parties being challenged should have known the game would lead to "copycat violence."
The boys in a court appearance in August admitted they traded off firing a rifle from a wooded hilltop overlooking a highway, killing Canadian Aaron Hamel, 45, and wounding a woman motorist. A passenger riding with Hamel was also injured when his car ran off the road.
Prosecutor Al Schmutzer said the boys told authorities they were mimicking the video game by trying to hit the sides of passing trucks.
Joshua and William Buckner, 14 and 16 years old, respectively, have been ordered held until they reach age 19 after pleading guilty to reckless homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
The suit was filed on behalf of Hamel's parents, the wounded motorist and two people who were passengers in each of their vehicles. It seeks $200 million in punitive damages and $46 million in actual damages.
Take-Two said it would seek a dismissal of the suit.
"The Company believes that the claims against it are without merit and are similar to lawsuits brought and uniformly dismissed by courts in other jurisdictions where the plaintiffs' sought to hold entertainment companies responsible for the violent behavior of individuals who used those company's products," Take-Two said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for SCEA, declined to comment, and Wal-Mart had no immediate comment.
Think of all the possibilities if this goes through. I could sue the makers of Mortal Kombat for giving me the idea of using a finishing move where I rip out another human's spine. Spy Hunter has convinced me to attach guns to my car and drive like a madman. Ms. Pacman convinced me to put a bow in my hair and chomp on imaginary pellets of undeterminant makeup all the while avoiding ghosts in an attempt... oh wait, did I just say that out loud?

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/scitech/article/grand-theft-auto-a-bad-influence/#ixzz0lBuwyQzB

Subliminal Messages in Disney Movies ... SEX and curse words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_4Pe_kPNb0&feature=related

sex and bad words are being introduced to the kids of today, not only in school, but on tv as well. those were things that i watched as a little kid. i thought that today the media was bad when they put clips like this on tv... http://www.livevideo.com/video/4EB45B7C072F408B8BEC008ED03BD79C/spongebob-squarepants-sailor.aspx. thats is an episode on spongebob squarepants called sailor mouth. they bleeped out 13 bad words kids arent supposed to say. even if you bleeped it out, why would you have a kids show saying curse words????

The Fit Way Of Life

In our society, we are becoming more and more obsessed with having the perfect body. An illness that was once considered only a problem in girls, eating disorders are now affecting guys more and more. Can you blame our youth for being obsessed with looking perfect? No, because Hollywood as well as the rest of the world's media convinces us that we have to look perfect in order to be happy. The effects of this are real, as it seems that more celebrities are battling eating disorders than ever before such as Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, and Mary-Kate Olsen (maybe Ashley, too, but I don't know which one is which.)

One thing you could blame this problem on is commodification in our media. One of my best friends just went to an event called "The Arnold Classic" where fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts can check out new products and samples from professional bodybuilders and athletes. What this event actually is is advertisers telling you that their product will get you more fit than the rest, whether that is true or not. One could also see that this commodification is also apparent in media in which they are telling you being fit is, ultimately, the only way to be.

I can't say much about people who like to work out regularly because I like to as well, but the real problem here is geared toward the youth of our country. I feel as if our youth are getting fatter and fatter and are being made feel worse and worse for being overweight. Let's face it, parents and heredity are the determining factor for children becoming fat, but the way Hollywood represent overweight people is unfair and, as we saw in Sloop's John/ Joan Case, media definitely has an effect on the way our youth see their bodies.

Capitalism Media and More

Capitalism is in my opinion the best by which to run an economy. The circulation of money keeps the ball rolling, also capitalism allows an individual to become what he or she wants. A person can become n self made billionaire if he works hard enough, is creative enough, and has things go his way. Capitalism is without a shadow of a doubt the back bone by which the American Dream stands. However, which a free market economy comes greed. The love of money has been said to be the root of all evil. I do not know if this rings true or not, thought there is question that money has an impact of the media we consume every day. A corporation such as Disney has lots of stock, and they own many different divisions in sectors of our economy. They have the power to push their product on the American economy by marketing it all over the place. The do not give the option to avoid there product to a person that uses technology such as the internet or watches television. Disney is just one of the juggernauts in the media world. The media is regulated by dollars. What is published and released gets out because someone wanted it out. Money also covers many backdoor deals up, so journalism is not able to do their part to divulge the corruption. Capitalism is controlled by the rich and elite, so they own and control the media. Journalists get paid to do a job. That job is dictated by the agenda of media owning shareholders.

Who Killed the Electric Car?

Today, we see hybrid vehicles on a daily basis, and we see the campus electric cars on most days as well. But why do we not see fully electric vehicles on the road on a daily basis? Many people have been saying that the reason for this is that electric vehicles are not possible. However, that assumption can be proving wrong by taking a look at the 2006 documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" In this video, we can see that electric cars, in particular, the EV1, produced by General Motors, and discontinued in 1999.

The film basically takes an overview of how the first mass produced electric was made possible, and how and why it was discontinued. Initially, the car was powered by using electric stations, similar to gas stations. Across California, the stations were being set up, and it seemed as if a future of completely electric cars was in near sight.

This whole thing relates with Pop Culture because pop culture is what essentially killed what was the original electric car.

General Motors produced the EV1 successfully, but set themselves up for failure. Oil companies were furious that their business would be taken, and essentially made a deal with General Motors. GM, through poor marketing, planned to show California that an electric car was not in demand. Through multiple facets of government and monopolistic oil companies, the EV1 was recalled from all owners. Not only were all of these electric cars compiled and recalled, but GM went further by actually crushing all but a few of the cars, leaving only a few for museums and universities.

Many of the drivers and owners of the EV1 got together and even offered 1.9 million dollars in exchange for letting them keep their cars, and GM never responded, and continued in their efforts to destroy all of them.

The movie is really cool, especially for people interested in politics and also for people who like to learn about environmentally-friendly ideas.

The War on Terror and Popular Culture

The War on terror has been going on for well over a decade, and there is still much debate about its tactfulness. The war has been covered greatly with several stations being big players in the coverage. Fox News, NBC, and CNN are probably the three biggest hitters in the game when it comes to news coverage. The war is two sided, and it can be seen as very good or very bad depending on who is being talked to. I believe that my generation of twenty something aged adults is in large majority against the war. The war has dragged on since we were in middle school or younger, and it needs to stop. Discourse is being shed about the justification on the war. Whether is for fighting weapons of mass destruction, liberating the Iraqi people from the cruel oppression leashed under the thumb of Saddam Hussain, or it is setting up democracy in the Middle East. The media covers the situation in Iraq as if it were a war, while some people would argue that it is not a war at all. It is an operation to keep Iraqi people safe while a government is being set up. Others would argue that thousands of Americans have died for a cause that is not showing many results. I personally am on the fence about Iraq. I know for a fact the world is a safer place without Saddam in power, but I also wonder if the mission we set out to accomplish in the beginning is still being driven home. I also wonder when the conclusion will come to the war.

Feminism

I believe that the feminine perspective is a very good one. I think that it analyzes things for what they are, but it also calls for gender equality which is needed. We live in the 21st century, and there is no need for gender discrimination. Gender discrimination does however exist wherever you look. Wages are one thing we can look at to see this. Women are lucky to make seventy five cents on the dollar that a man makes, and this is white women who are the majority in the United States of America. A woman that is black, Asian, Hispanic, Arabic or other sort of ethnicity is less likely to even make that wage. In some cases a man and woman who are both equally qualified for a position the man makes twice as much, and I do not believe this is fail. Patriarchy is an idea in our society saying the oldest white guy is full of wisdom, but I respectfully disagree with patriarchy. If I were a young Hispanic girl I would be a complete opposite to the structure our culture is centered around. I believe that what makes people different is what makes them great. An individual is someone whom is proud of their heritage, but they also put their own personal flare on life. I say respect people for their values, and not by their gender, skin color, or age. I think the feminine perspective is a great examiner of equality which is something we should all strive for.

Feminist Perspective Experience

Last week in one of my classes, my class was discussing our recent blog posts to a situation that our professor proposed to us. The question was along the lines of "imagining a company of 1,000 employees of diverse backgrounds. In the main hallway of the company there is a statue of what appears to be a factory worker. Should the statue be a man or a woman if more woman work in the company than men?" I was furious when I came across this post from another student:

"I think that the sculture of a male in the workplace is depicting what male symbolism is for just about every culture, strength and leadership. The same would go for a woman's sculture. When I see a statue of a woman I don't automatically think of STRENGTH and POWER. I think of nuturing qualities and more importantly a different kind of strength. If every man or woman that is offended by this post would sit down and think about it, they would agree with me. The statue is not trying to depict that every worker has a penis, but the company prides itself on strength, leadership, and power. Generally speaking, a statue of a woman would not give me that impression. I'm not a male supremacist."

To me, this post was not thought through. This is so typical for people to associate power and strength with males. Also, the student said he thinks of woman as having nuturing qualities. Personally, I think this student needs a wake up call to reality. Things have changed!!! There are now more woman in power in this world than there ever has been. And its going to keep increasing. There are also more single mothers taking care of their children on their own. I get why back in the 1960's someone would think this way, but this post honestly this pissed me off. I think I felt so strongly about it because in my life, I have grown up with many strong woman around me. My mother raised me on her own, my grandmother runs her own business, and I have a great great grandmother, who is over 100 years old, and still drives herself around. I believe this student could have gotten their point across in a much more acceptable manner. Ugh!

"Ball State Ass Slapper"/Social Media

Everyone seems to have different opinions regarding the recent "Ball State Ass Slapping" incident. I, with many other people, believe this issue has been blown out of proportion. I believe the reason why this incident got blew up in the media/social media because the way it was addressed. The email that was sent out to all Ball State students was poorly written and worded completely wrong in my eyes. I think if the email would have said two women have been assaulted, it would get the point acrosst. If you think about it, if the assault was more taken more seriously the email would not have went into detail about what actually happened. I believe that to be a violation of privacy to the victims.

It seems to me like the people who feel like this issue is not serious think this to be a joke. I hear people say "It was probably some kid still drunk from the night before.." etc. And if it had been verified that it was, it would be more comical. But the big idea is, these ladies felt threatened enough to contact the police. Obviously to the victims, this was not a joke from some guy still drunk from the night before.

Overall, I don't personally have a major standpoint I am trying to make that the incident was right or wrong in the way it was handled. The only thing that I want is the safety and security of the victims. I do not believe they should be attacked for feeling threatened. If it was me in the sitatuon, and I honestly felt like the guy could have came back and went further with the assault, I probably would have contacted police too.

Who ya Gonna Call again?!

I personally am very excited about this! In the summer of 2012 the new Ghostubsters movie will be in theaters for the whole world to enjoy. I have been a large fan of Ghostbusters ever since I was a little kid and am glad to see the genre of awesome being passed on to the young people of 2012. The fact that they are keeping the original cast for this movie is knocking it's ethos through the roof. It is a perfect example of how "cool culture" can be mad from things that's origins are in the past. As long as a new spin of some sort is added to it, it will be in like Flynn. Most "cool culture" comes from styles or products that are new and exciting, but sometimes it just takes a little spit and polish on something old to make it golden again. Jokes have been made towards this movie since the original cast has certainly increased in age since the last film, but I believe that most of the actors in this film have only bettered with age! Because of these movies success in the past, they will know what it will take to not only bring in old fan's, but also get people that are new to the Ghostbusters franchise a taste of success as well. I am sure that some hot modern day actors will be thrown in to help with addressing the younger age groups, but I have no doubt that the producers will take great care in choosing who will work with this all star cast.

the culture of cool and children consumers

so i wanted to use this 30 second clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtMji36lOQM to get a point across. since the early 90's, sprite has learned to appeal to a younger audience. i know we talked about this in class but i decided to put my own spin on the subject.

Sprite's slogans in the 1960s and 1970s ranged from "Taste Its Tingling Tartness," "Naturally Tart," and "It's a Natural!" then in 1987 marketing ads for the product were changed to cater to the demographic of teenagers. "I Like the Sprite in You" was their first long running slogan as heard in the clip. they knew then, that children are the biggest consumers that you can have. as we heard in class, Children are a captive audience: The average American child watches an estimate between 25,000 to 40,000 television commercials per year. not to mention, Teens in the US spend around $160 billion a year. so in showing those kids the advertisements, the kids will show and bug thier parents, which in turn, causes them to buy said product. "I Like the Sprite in You" was another way of saying, i like the cool in you. sprite became the adjective of cool. and cool, then became the definition for sprite.

the objectification of women

This video shows how modern music videos are explicitly and subliminally sending messages that treating women like object and enacting violence and sexual abuse against them is acceptable. I believe this is perpetuating sexual violence and mistreatment of women in our society. We should be conscious of the media we are exposed to, and especially censor these types of "media entertainment" away from adolescents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayj29LLe6yM&feature=fvw

illuminati

Music/Film/News Media in mainstream media depict the illuminati

illuminati- (plural of Latin illuminatus, "enlightened") is a name that refers to several groups, both historical and modern, and both real and fictitious. Historically, it refers specifically to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776. In modern times it is also used to refer to a purported conspiratorial organization which acts as a shadowy "power behind the throne", allegedly controlling world affairs through present day governments and corporations, usually as a modern incarnation or continuation of the Bavarian Illuminati. In this context, Illuminati is often used in reference to a New World Order (NWO). Many conspiracy theorists believe the Illuminati are the masterminds behind events that will lead to the establishment of such a New World Order.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v8TzZtVqlo

COMMERCIAL IRONY

If you think commercials are trying to tell you something, they are... This commercial shows that the brand isn't trying to pull one over us, but eventually we know from class that it will be the reason we find it dull again.

Movie Trailers

One important topic I felt hasn't been talked about enough in our class is the way marketers portray movies in their trailers. Movie-makers really make themselves out to be rhetors by the way they persuade you that their movie is worth your eight dollars at the cinema. They also try to make you think that all the critics that have seen this movie before you want you to see this movie as well. Why don't the bad reviews critics make of movies end up making it into commercials for movies? Well, I think that answer is obvious. It's also funny the way marketers seem to know the right opportunity to lock in their target audience such as in the case of trailers for "Chick Flicks" making it onto national spots during The View. This may seem like "hot air" when they try to persuade you that their movie is great, but don't we always start to wonder "Is that movie going to be as good as they make it seem?" Usually, that answer is no.

When it comes to hegemony, I think it would be interesting to see what percentage of movies try to make their lead character out to be the oppressed subject of the movie against what they try to make you think as "unachievable turmoil" against a dominant figure, more commonly considered the villain in our society. The lead character is always trying to achieve some sort of power, but wouldn't that in turn make them the dominant force behind hegemony? I tend to prefer movies where the bad guys win. I'm sorry if that makes me weird.

Whiteness Tuesday

This day's class was one of the more interesting ones we've had this semester. I felt that Hess' theories were thought-provoking in our class, even if it was more negative than Dr. McCauliff would have liked, but it showed that hip-hop has an undeniable effect on our take on racial lines in music.
I think that America is still not comfortable with the idea of white people in hip-hop music, but it's more apparent in hip-hop's African American following. I feel like artists such as Eminem and a select few others only make it in hip-hop because of their white following. The message that Eminem is sending, however, is not a selective white-only one in which he talks more about his struggles from his adolescence in Detroit and drugs than anything else.
I don't want to waste any time mentioning Vanilla Ice because I feel that he did more damage for white people in hip-hop music than good. His sound was very engineered, but not quite as bad as his persona was. The Beastie Boys were at least themselves, even if you don't find yourself humming their tunes quite like you did "Ice Ice Baby".
I felt like our class had a diverse mindset on this topic today. Some people were extremely against Eminem and hip-hop altogether while some accepted white people in hip-hop, mostly Eminem. Does this show that Eminem is the only white rapper that will find his way to success in hip-hop? I doubt it because it looks like the rap game is here to stay and we're discovering new voices faster than ever.

Saved By The Rhetoric

When trying to find a topic for this blog, I had a unique idea in which I wondered "Could I apply Saved By The Bell to class material?" in which I replied, "Awwww yeaaah." The first thing I thought of was the "Cool Hunting" video we watched in class. Zack was the definition of a teenage rebel in his time with his zany pranks and dating record. It was apparent how cool he was by the technique of "breaking the fourth wall" the producers used in his scenes. Any brand would have loved to have him as their model, as he could have created a whirlpool of financial gain for any company aimed towards the show's young viewers.

Another important term from class came to my mind which probably wouldn't have been thought of otherwise, but there are also elements of Marxism in the show. The principal, Mr. Belding, towers over the students as if watching their every move, especially in the case of the school's biggest rebel, Zack Morris. Zack seemed to be every kid's idol in the way that he stood to liberate the oppressed, which in this case is the student body of Bayside. Our ideology of a principal may see this rebellion toward them as normal, but now that we are adults we can see that they are just trying to do their job not unlike the turmoil we face in the workplace ourselves.

I guess I would have to say that the biggest reason I picked Saved By The Bell is due to the way we were introduced to pop culture in this class. When we ask ourselves why we study pop culture, a good answer would be that it shapes our attitudes, beliefs, and opinions. Has Saved By The Bell not done this for you in some way or another? For me it introduced me to a role I feel I played in school at times, the role of Zack "The Prankster" Morris.