Sunday, February 28, 2010
Big Deal on the Radio with Daniel Kemp
For anyone who missed it on Thursday (or just wants to see it again), here is the promo for Daniel's radio show. Tune in Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. on WCRD.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Toddler's and Tiaras
I really don't think that show is that bad. I may be a bit biased because I am a pageant girl. Sometimes it can be taken a little too far with the very very small and young girls but for the most part I feel that pageantry is a good thing. Pageantry builds self-esteem and instills self- confidence in the girls that participate in them. Before I started doing pageants I was vey shy and reserved, but things changed as soon as I entered into the National American Miss Pageant at young age. Being on stage with all eyes on you gives you a rush. You have to be very confident in yourself. You start believing in yourself and you ultimately end up with more confidence than what you started with. Pageant girls are some of the brightest and most intelligent girls that one could ever meet. It's just a plus that they happen to be beautiful. CROWN=CRACK. who wouldn't want to win a crown, sash and a title? That's what every contestant is after ultimately. People may look down upon pageantry for younger girls but it's just like little league sports and any other hobbies. People are allowed to take their crafts seriously. Pageanty deserves more respect because I know that little girls all over dream on becoming Miss America. "There she is, Miss America, there she is, your ideal. The dream of a million girls.." I know I'm one of those girls and I can't wait to hear that song playing while someone puts a crown on top of my head.
I know people arent going to agee, because not eveyone loves everything, but instead of looking a something in a negative light, see it for its positives.
I know people arent going to agee, because not eveyone loves everything, but instead of looking a something in a negative light, see it for its positives.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Bones a Feminist Perspective
My favorite TV show, or at least one of my top 3 TV shows, is Bones. Bones aires Thursdays on Fox and weeknights on TNT. It is the story of Dr. Temperance Brennan (played by Emily Deschenal, yes Zooey's sister), a forensic anthropologist (basically she works with bones) and her partner FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanez, that's right Angel). Brennan and Booth are accompanied on their murder solving missions by a squad of squints (scientists). It sounds a little dry but the emphasis of the show is on the characters and their interaction and relationships more than the murders, although there are some doozies.
So, as I said Bones is my favorite TV show and basically I was trying to come up with a way to write about it on the blog because I love it and got all of the seasons for Christmas. Originally I was going to talk about it from a Marxist perspective but decided that a Feminist Perspective is more appropriate.
For starters a Feminist Perspective is appropriate because without a doubt Dr. Brennan is a feminist. The second reason a Feminist Perspective and Bones are a fit is because Bones challenges many typically held beliefs about men and women in the work force. First of all, Dr. Brennan is a woman who is a genius. She is smarter than Booth and maybe even smarter than the other scientists she works with. She is also beautiful. This counteracts the stereotype that smart women are unattractive and vice versa. In fact the other female scientists on the show are beautiful as well. In the same vein, most male scientists are depicted as nerdy unattractive guys. Again Bones counteracts that (minus one or two minor characters). The male scientists are hott and fun. Another stereotype dispelled in Bones is men being payed more than women. Brennan make substantially more money than Booth. Brennan also goes out in the field. She is great at self-defense and she's a good shot with a gun. Brennan is not an object to be gazed upon. She is treated with respect and as a person. Bones is full of oppositional messages.
So I could go on for pages about Bones, how much I love it and the oppositional messages in it. I love Bones and I highly recommend it.
Here's a clip for your viewing pleasure! P.S. if you're squeamish you may not want to watch.
So, as I said Bones is my favorite TV show and basically I was trying to come up with a way to write about it on the blog because I love it and got all of the seasons for Christmas. Originally I was going to talk about it from a Marxist perspective but decided that a Feminist Perspective is more appropriate.
For starters a Feminist Perspective is appropriate because without a doubt Dr. Brennan is a feminist. The second reason a Feminist Perspective and Bones are a fit is because Bones challenges many typically held beliefs about men and women in the work force. First of all, Dr. Brennan is a woman who is a genius. She is smarter than Booth and maybe even smarter than the other scientists she works with. She is also beautiful. This counteracts the stereotype that smart women are unattractive and vice versa. In fact the other female scientists on the show are beautiful as well. In the same vein, most male scientists are depicted as nerdy unattractive guys. Again Bones counteracts that (minus one or two minor characters). The male scientists are hott and fun. Another stereotype dispelled in Bones is men being payed more than women. Brennan make substantially more money than Booth. Brennan also goes out in the field. She is great at self-defense and she's a good shot with a gun. Brennan is not an object to be gazed upon. She is treated with respect and as a person. Bones is full of oppositional messages.
So I could go on for pages about Bones, how much I love it and the oppositional messages in it. I love Bones and I highly recommend it.
Here's a clip for your viewing pleasure! P.S. if you're squeamish you may not want to watch.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Reality Porn
(Ha-ha, got your attention with the title, didn't I?)
Remember when we used to laugh at such productions as Girls Gone Wild? Sure, maybe chortling wasn't your first reaction then, but I'm confident that you ridiculed the teeny soft-core pornography series at some point. In 1998, most of us thought, Why the hell would anyone actually act like this. They're just doing it for the camera. Yet in 2010, we still stick our noses up at GGW while applauding the likes of The Jersey Shore and other party-based reality television series.
In my opinion, it is that sort of voyeuristic, fetishistic, and narcissistic juxtaposition that appeals to the general audience. If the aforementioned notion proved to be erroneous, I might argue that there would be no reality television as consequence.
Take voyeurism for instance. None of us like to think we act like the girls on GGW or The Jersey Show, but what might intrigue us more is the notion of seeing other people's exciting lives. If reality television (and I don't mean GGW; it just relates to reality television) consisted of individuals study or working hard or doing laundry and taking naps, then we might feel the urge to snatch the remote control to our TV sets and flip to another channel. However, we are not seeing these things; rather we are observing the lives of people who have everything they want, which of course, might lead to us thinking we want what they want, too.
As far as fetishism is concerned, it is easy to see why many viewers have at least caught a glimpse of Girls Gone Wild or the commercial. Now place that commercial next to one for just about an show on MTV, VH1, and the like. You'll notice the similarities quite quickly. We are obsessed with things that we are not supposed to enjoy or have. Even Fraud would argue the same. Therefore, when we see people 'gettin' crunk'd up' and having a good time, we stay tuned in and possibly escape to a world where we can be carefree and spontaneous true. More often than not, shows do not depict the downfalls of behaving such a way. I'm not saying one shouldn't have a good time, but it's within reason to mention there may be consequences.
And narcissism. There a numerous shows about people who are sexy and powerful, and how they morphed into the perfect body and whatnot. People Magazine and similar magazines aren't any less guilty than television shows of appealing to narcissism. Take pregnant celebrities, for instance, since they are all the rage in 2010. The idea is to have the baby quick and transform into the beauty queen you were before and evade the thought of ever having a baby from the public's eyes. I honestly do not understand this notion. Why would you be so afraid of people remembering you had a baby? Anyway, you get the idea.
To conclude this blog, I'd liked to say I hope you all understand my point, no matter how much of a rant this post may seem to be. How have we gotten to the point where the same traits of pornography have entered our mainstream media? Visual pleasure--voyeurism, fetishism, and narcissism--are surely the answer. We are attracted to socially imposed unobtainables. We want what we cannot have and love to see of self-love projected on the boob-tube.
Remember when we used to laugh at such productions as Girls Gone Wild? Sure, maybe chortling wasn't your first reaction then, but I'm confident that you ridiculed the teeny soft-core pornography series at some point. In 1998, most of us thought, Why the hell would anyone actually act like this. They're just doing it for the camera. Yet in 2010, we still stick our noses up at GGW while applauding the likes of The Jersey Shore and other party-based reality television series.
In my opinion, it is that sort of voyeuristic, fetishistic, and narcissistic juxtaposition that appeals to the general audience. If the aforementioned notion proved to be erroneous, I might argue that there would be no reality television as consequence.
Take voyeurism for instance. None of us like to think we act like the girls on GGW or The Jersey Show, but what might intrigue us more is the notion of seeing other people's exciting lives. If reality television (and I don't mean GGW; it just relates to reality television) consisted of individuals study or working hard or doing laundry and taking naps, then we might feel the urge to snatch the remote control to our TV sets and flip to another channel. However, we are not seeing these things; rather we are observing the lives of people who have everything they want, which of course, might lead to us thinking we want what they want, too.
As far as fetishism is concerned, it is easy to see why many viewers have at least caught a glimpse of Girls Gone Wild or the commercial. Now place that commercial next to one for just about an show on MTV, VH1, and the like. You'll notice the similarities quite quickly. We are obsessed with things that we are not supposed to enjoy or have. Even Fraud would argue the same. Therefore, when we see people 'gettin' crunk'd up' and having a good time, we stay tuned in and possibly escape to a world where we can be carefree and spontaneous true. More often than not, shows do not depict the downfalls of behaving such a way. I'm not saying one shouldn't have a good time, but it's within reason to mention there may be consequences.
And narcissism. There a numerous shows about people who are sexy and powerful, and how they morphed into the perfect body and whatnot. People Magazine and similar magazines aren't any less guilty than television shows of appealing to narcissism. Take pregnant celebrities, for instance, since they are all the rage in 2010. The idea is to have the baby quick and transform into the beauty queen you were before and evade the thought of ever having a baby from the public's eyes. I honestly do not understand this notion. Why would you be so afraid of people remembering you had a baby? Anyway, you get the idea.
To conclude this blog, I'd liked to say I hope you all understand my point, no matter how much of a rant this post may seem to be. How have we gotten to the point where the same traits of pornography have entered our mainstream media? Visual pleasure--voyeurism, fetishism, and narcissism--are surely the answer. We are attracted to socially imposed unobtainables. We want what we cannot have and love to see of self-love projected on the boob-tube.
Monday, February 22, 2010
This is what a Feminist looks like...
I have to say I find it so depressing that people, mostly women, are associating feminism as a bad term. It seems as though people are turned off by the title, or that they are ashamed of it. The word is powerful. It has great meaning and a wonderful history behind it, not just for women but for men as well. Feminists are not crazy psycho unhappy bitches who want to change everyone and everything. I think people find it hard to see both sides of the term, they think of the stereotype feminists have been placed under and forget the fact that it isn't true. Since when is it wrong for someone to stand up for a change they want to see in this world?So many people confuse passion with insanity. If they took time to look past the ends of their noses they would see that feminists are not hypocritical, man-hating, demons, they are people who promote equity of experience for women through action. There are no "rules" for being a feminist, you can be whomever you choose to be and still be a feminist, no matter your religion, personal beliefs, or gender. Feminism is something that no one should be ashamed of, they have helped shape what our world is today and how we are viewed. There is nothing negative about associating yourself with the title, in fact it is honorable. I loved having the opportunity to learn more about it in class and to see the responses from other people.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Pop Culture and Capitalism
Pop culture and capitalism have a direct link with each other. Both work hand in hand together to strive in the mainstream American society that we live in today. Capitalism is the free economic competition to thrive in society. It rewards those who work the hardest and do the best. In a similar sense, pop culture in general is like this as well. Executives and marketing experts choose the most popular shows, movies, songs, and ads to get aired the most for the consumers who demand to see/hear them the most.
In a free, democratic, and capitalist society, there is free open competition amongst networks, recording groups, and motion picture companies. Each compete freely and offer the highest money to the best actors, the best directors, the best artists, and the best writers in order to make the most money. In return, the consumers will spend their hard earned money to see the best movies and buy their favorite music of their choice. Likewise, they will also spend their free time, and even for some diehard fans, will even go lengths to MAKE time in order to make sure they get to see their favorite TV shows.
As you can see, both popular culture and capitalism work together in this sense. It is because of our capitalist and democratic society that allows for popular culture to be mass produced, massively advertised, and massively purchased throughout our country. At the same time, it is pop culture that helps make capitalism as great as it is. Capitalism allows for a very diverse and successful pop culture environment, while the consumers' desire for this pop culture environment allows for capitalism to exist.
In a free, democratic, and capitalist society, there is free open competition amongst networks, recording groups, and motion picture companies. Each compete freely and offer the highest money to the best actors, the best directors, the best artists, and the best writers in order to make the most money. In return, the consumers will spend their hard earned money to see the best movies and buy their favorite music of their choice. Likewise, they will also spend their free time, and even for some diehard fans, will even go lengths to MAKE time in order to make sure they get to see their favorite TV shows.
As you can see, both popular culture and capitalism work together in this sense. It is because of our capitalist and democratic society that allows for popular culture to be mass produced, massively advertised, and massively purchased throughout our country. At the same time, it is pop culture that helps make capitalism as great as it is. Capitalism allows for a very diverse and successful pop culture environment, while the consumers' desire for this pop culture environment allows for capitalism to exist.
Friday, February 19, 2010
30 Rock and the Feminist Perspective
This week, we discussed how media texts such as television programs can be viewed as “preferred” or “oppositional” from the feminist perspective. This means the text either reinforces taken-for-granted beliefs of our society, or it challenges those beliefs. Those texts that present an oppositional reading may be “inflected” (meaning it seems to be subversive, but really it is not) or “subverted” (meaning the text presents an outright rejection of societal norms).
One of my favourite programs is 30 Rock, which I believe is an inflected preferred text. On the surface it appears subversive. The lead character (Liz Lemon) does not fit the mold of a typical sitcom woman. She dresses plainly. She is messy. She is intelligent but is often portrayed as a nerd. Although she has a love life, her storylines are not dominated by the quest for the perfect man or the idea that she gave up a better life by having a career. And as this clip shows, the program frequently pokes fun at our society's view on what a woman should be like:
But on closer inspection, 30 Rock supports many taken-for-granted norms. Liz is the boss, but she reports to a powerful male character (Jack Donaghy) who is the ultimate authority on the program. Most of Liz’s time is spent playing the mother role to two spoiled actors. Her love life may not be of the clichéd sitcom variety where she is desperate to land a man, but storylines about her going “baby crazy” enforce the taken-for-granted belief that every woman longs to have children.
Although it would be easy to view 30 Rock as an oppositional text, I believe it is not as subversive as it appears and it is in fact an inflected preferred text.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Product placement/integration.
After our discussion last week in class about production placement and integration in television and movies, I started to realize that this is not a new tactic for studios. While they may be getting more crafty and clever with subtlety of product placement, it still has been around for years.
I am a HUGE Lucille Ball fan. I have watched "I Love Lucy" since I was tiny and have almost all the episodes either taped on a VHS from Nick-at-Nite reruns or on DVD that I legitimately bought. "I Love Lucy" is a prime example of how product placement has been around for centuries. Phillip Morris , the cigarette company, was one of the biggest sponsors for "I Love Lucy" in the early 1950's. In several episodes, Lucy and Ricky often have packs of Phillip Morris cigarettes lying around their apartment. They also refer to the brand within episodes. Another big sponsor for the show was Macy's department store. Lucy and Ethel frequently mention Macy's when talking about their many shopping trips. Often times, Lucy and Ricky (Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) would do commercials for Phillip Morris that would air during breaks of "I Love Lucy".
Another television show that uses product placement heavily is "One Tree Hill". Yes, I know. I shouldn't admit that I watch "One Tree Hill" but for the purposes of this blog, I will swallow my pride. I know in previous seasons, Sunkist was a major sponsor for the show. There were several Sunkist soda machines scattered around their high school (way more than seemed necessary), the main characters often times would wear Sunkist t-shirts, and Sunkist was also a sponsor for some of the concerts the characters attended on the show. Needless to say, there was a lot of Sunkist to go round for that tiny little town they lived in.
My point is that while advertisers and tv producers alike are using product placement in new and sneakier ways, it is not anything new to television. I think if anything, it is more subliminal now that ever before. Brand names and logos are placed within scenes but not mentioned by the characters, so the viewer gets the message without realizing it. It is the perfect way to advertise to tv viewers without the backlash from audiences feeling "over-stimulated" or having a product shoved in their face. It's pretty genius, albeit irritating.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Product Integration?
Recently in class, we discussed the differences between product placement and product integration. It seems that product integration as taken over as most prominent choice for making sure that viewers witness their products, even if they choose to skip over the commercials. Product integration is a less obvious form of advertising, and it seems to do a better job of fitting with the direction of the story. Hence the title "integration". What I am having trouble wrapping my head around is what if the product or the brand is an integral part of the story?
This question was spawned from watching the movie "Zombieland". Within this movie there were several examples of product integration in this movie. A few examples are when the main character, Columbus, is playing World of Warcraft and drinking Mountain Dew. This showcases how he spends his time, and it creates his character's persona. However, those are not the examples that put this question in my head. One of the other main characters in this movie, Tallahassee, has major obsession with finding a twinkie in this post apocalyptic land. Now this obsession is not just limited to one scene, and it is certainly more than just a minor blip in Tallahassee's character. His hunt for this twinkie puts the characters in several amusing situations. This is the first of those situations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BdXZPcE3eA
With all the product integration we see today, it seems like the screen writers are also becoming script writers for advertisements. However, I think this twinkie obsession is more creative based than it is advertising. For one thing, Hostess snack cakes are not currently a frequently advertised product. So unless the movie corporations decided to write in this elaborate plug for Hostess products, then I am going to have to say that this was put in by the original writers. If the purpose of this product plug was to be creative, and not to advertise, then I do not think we can call it product placement or integration. I would suspect that the writers of this movie would not want their creativity to be misconstrued as selling out.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nkf34jhapo
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUedArPH5a4
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Uvwb2MFok
As many of us know, American Idol is a huge advertisement for itself and other companies. To prove my point, I am one out of many people who regularly tune into American Idol when it is on television. Last Tuesday February 9 I watched the season nine episode called "Hollywood Round #1." If you click on the first clip it illustrates how American Idol visually and unconsciously sneaks advertisements through commercials and the program. The clip shows American Idol symbols and written words on the backdrop of the stage, judges panel, bottom left corner, signers name tags, and slang or inappropriate language is blocked out. This proves that American Idol repeatedly advertises their company as well as other major companies.
While watching American Idol last Tuesday, each judge was seen stepping out of a Ford vehicle into the Kodak Theater. I was unable to find the clip from the specific episode I watched,but Ford has always been a major advertiser on American Idol. My second link is a clip from the seventh season of American Idol that shows the idols dancing, singing joyfully, and "breaking free" as they jump into a Ford vehicle. If you were a dedicated viewer and watched American Idol more than a couple of seasons, it is a possibility that Ford vehicles may influence your next decision for a car. Another thing I noticed, is that during each commercial break there is at least one Ford commercial previewed for viewers to see. The interesting thing is that Ford spends so much time, effort, and money to put their commercials for the American Idol audience.
What I am getting at is that the medium we watch and take for granted everyday does have influence on our actions. American idol is a reality television show that travels all around America to search for the best American singer. Also, Ford is an all American company so it is important for them to associate themselves to a similar audience like the American Idol. This is easy for Ford to influence that audience that has potentially same interest in American products or productions. The Ford, Vitamin Water-Zero, Kodak Theater, and A T&T are all great examples of how American Idol blends their programming known as commodification.
Before I graduated high school in 2007 one of my best friends Julia constantly watched American idol and religiously never missed an episode. If she did miss the episode it was already on Te-vo for her to watch late. On her eighteenth birthday Julia has dreamed and expressed how much a 2007 Ford Mustang would mean the world to her. Finally her birthday July 7, 2007 Julia received a brand new 2007 Ford convertible Mustang. Still today Julia talks about how well her car drives, how much she loves her car, and the latest gossip on American Idol. I do believe my friend Julia is a true real life example of how there is a connection to the media and influence on others actions and decisions. Julia was constantly introduced to American Idol and Ford which influenced her to need the car. The third link views an American idol commercial designed by Ford that shows the idols signing and driving around in the 2007 Ford Mustang.
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUedArPH5a4
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Uvwb2MFok
As many of us know, American Idol is a huge advertisement for itself and other companies. To prove my point, I am one out of many people who regularly tune into American Idol when it is on television. Last Tuesday February 9 I watched the season nine episode called "Hollywood Round #1." If you click on the first clip it illustrates how American Idol visually and unconsciously sneaks advertisements through commercials and the program. The clip shows American Idol symbols and written words on the backdrop of the stage, judges panel, bottom left corner, signers name tags, and slang or inappropriate language is blocked out. This proves that American Idol repeatedly advertises their company as well as other major companies.
While watching American Idol last Tuesday, each judge was seen stepping out of a Ford vehicle into the Kodak Theater. I was unable to find the clip from the specific episode I watched,but Ford has always been a major advertiser on American Idol. My second link is a clip from the seventh season of American Idol that shows the idols dancing, singing joyfully, and "breaking free" as they jump into a Ford vehicle. If you were a dedicated viewer and watched American Idol more than a couple of seasons, it is a possibility that Ford vehicles may influence your next decision for a car. Another thing I noticed, is that during each commercial break there is at least one Ford commercial previewed for viewers to see. The interesting thing is that Ford spends so much time, effort, and money to put their commercials for the American Idol audience.
What I am getting at is that the medium we watch and take for granted everyday does have influence on our actions. American idol is a reality television show that travels all around America to search for the best American singer. Also, Ford is an all American company so it is important for them to associate themselves to a similar audience like the American Idol. This is easy for Ford to influence that audience that has potentially same interest in American products or productions. The Ford, Vitamin Water-Zero, Kodak Theater, and A T&T are all great examples of how American Idol blends their programming known as commodification.
Before I graduated high school in 2007 one of my best friends Julia constantly watched American idol and religiously never missed an episode. If she did miss the episode it was already on Te-vo for her to watch late. On her eighteenth birthday Julia has dreamed and expressed how much a 2007 Ford Mustang would mean the world to her. Finally her birthday July 7, 2007 Julia received a brand new 2007 Ford convertible Mustang. Still today Julia talks about how well her car drives, how much she loves her car, and the latest gossip on American Idol. I do believe my friend Julia is a true real life example of how there is a connection to the media and influence on others actions and decisions. Julia was constantly introduced to American Idol and Ford which influenced her to need the car. The third link views an American idol commercial designed by Ford that shows the idols signing and driving around in the 2007 Ford Mustang.
Monday, February 8, 2010
A Parasocial Confession
One of the terms from last week’s reading that resonated with me was parasocial. I don’t know about anyone else but there are a lot of celebrities that I am positive would be either a) my best friend b) my friend or c) my boyfriend. Now I will admit that I am more delusional than most, primarily due to my overactive imagination, but it is fueled by the Internet. So for those of you that don’t have as many parasocial relationships as I do I will give you an insight into mine.
Probably my worst (or best) parasocial relationship is with the British band McFly (my favorite band), specifically Danny (my favorite band member). I became a fan of McFly over three years ago after buying the soundtrack for Just My Luck, a movie they played themselves in. Shortly after buying the soundtrack I went to Ireland for a month and purchased the rest of their CDs and their concerts on DVD. Throughout my sophomore year of college my roommate (who was equally obsessed) and I ordered posters, singles, concerts, and calendars online. We also spent hours, literally hours on youtube watching McFly’s television appearances and interviews. Between youtube videos and websites by the end of sophomore year I felt like the members of McFly were my close personal friends.
Still not getting how intense my parasocial relationship was (is)? I can identify Danny’s laugh on any video. Danny’s favorite musician is Bruce Springsteen. He’s from Bolton, has an older sister, and his favorite soccer (football) team is the Bolton Wanderers. He likes to party, had a beagle named Bruce, and enjoys the beach for vacation. Should I go on or do you get the picture?
So how did this parasocial relationship get so bad? Well the Internet and the plethora of information that is readily available on it. My parasocial relationship with McFly was bad as a sophomore when I could watch them on youtube, read their official website, and keep up on their personal blog entries on their myspace. But now, as senior it’s even worse with the addition of twitter. Each member of McFly has a twitter. They share their daily activities, personal thoughts, and personal pictures with the entire world. If I thought I knew McFly before I know them even better now.
Okay, so with all of that said (if you read all of this snaps for you) as a marketer/promoter I love twitter and the availability of information. I think good or bad it is essential for artists to have twitters, blogs, etc. Fans and other consumers expect to have a personal relationship with their favorite artists. As much as it’s scary that people have such delusional relationships with celebrities it also drives revenue for said artists. Even though the relationships are concerning for some I find no real issue unless fans act on these relationships through in-person stalking, inappropriate comments, or the like. Which as far as I know if few and far between.
Well, thanks for reading my confession and other thoughts, sorry it’s so long.
For those of you who are interested, below is a link to a McFly music video.
One of the terms from last week’s reading that resonated with me was parasocial relationship theory. I don’t know about anyone else but there are a lot of celebrities that I am positive would be either a) my best friend b) my friend or c) my boyfriend. Now I will admit that I am more delusional than most, primarily due to my overactive imagination, but it is fueled by the Internet. So for those of you that don’t have as many parasocial relationships as I do I will give you an insight into one of mine.
Probably my worst (or best) parasocial relationship is with the British band McFly (my favorite band), specifically Danny (my favorite band member). I became a fan of McFly over three years ago after buying the soundtrack for Just My Luck, a movie they played themselves in. Shortly after buying the soundtrack I went to Ireland for a month and purchased the rest of their CDs and their concerts on DVD. Throughout my sophomore year of college my roommate (who was equally obsessed) and I ordered posters, singles, concerts, and calendars online. We also spent hours, literally hours on youtube watching McFly’s television appearances and interviews. Between youtube videos and websites by the end of sophomore year I felt like the members of McFly were my close personal friends.
Still not getting how intense my parasocial relationship was (is)? I can identify Danny’s laugh on any video. Danny’s favorite musician is Bruce Springsteen. He’s from Bolton, has an older sister, and his favorite soccer (football) team is the Bolton Wanderers. He likes to party, had a beagle named Bruce, and enjoys the beach for vacation. Should I go on or do you get the picture?
So how did this parasocial relationship get so bad? Well the Internet and the plethora of information that is readily available on it. My parasocial relationship with McFly was bad as a sophomore when I could watch them on youtube, read their official website, and keep up on their personal blog entries on their myspace. But now, as senior it’s even worse with the addition of twitter. Each member of McFly has a twitter. They share their daily activities, personal thoughts, and personal pictures with the entire world. If I thought I knew McFly before I know them even better now.
Okay, so with all of that said (if you read all of this snaps for you) as a marketer/promoter I love twitter and the availability of information. I think good or bad it is essential for artists to have twitters, blogs, etc. Fans and other consumers expect to have a personal relationship with their favorite artists. As much as it’s scary that people have such delusional relationships with celebrities it also drives revenue for said artists. Even though the relationships are concerning for some I find no real issue unless fans act on these relationships through in-person stalking, inappropriate comments, or the like. Which as far as I know if few and far between.
Well, thanks for reading my confession and other thoughts, sorry it’s so long.
Here is a youtube video for McFly incase you're curious.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Class discussion about advertisements
In todays class we discussed a lot about hidden advertisements in movies and tv shows. It was interesting to see how many advertisements there are in movies/tv shows, but at the same time I have to admit while I have noticed these, I dont really care that much. I dont find it rude that advertisements are in our movies-they have been for a really long time. Its not like I will suddenly see a product being displayed in my movie and want to shut it off. The products dont necessarily mean anything, it is just another way for businesses to sell products since the reduction of commercials has been limited with new technology. In my opinion it doesnt take anything away from the message of plot of the movie. Its not like our movie is being paused so an entire set of commercials can play, or that we are paying to sit in a theater in see a set of newly released advertisements. I think that the products that are shown in movies make it more relatable because advertisements are everywhere around us, and always have been.
As for the Facebook ads being determined by the information that you put on your profile, that is a little bit creepy and offensive. Just because we are women doesnt mean we want to lose weight, wear uggs, get free makeup, or test a free apple computer. But while some ads are way off base a few-you have to admit it ladies-do cross your minds as interesting, even though we would never click on them. Like the advertisements displaying wedding rings, meeting cute singles, winning a free spa date, etc. I suppose that businesses are just trying to show advertisements that revolve around the status quo with the information we have presented on our profiles, and while its annoying and sometimes wrong they are just doing their jobs. We block out commercials and advertisements every single day, looks like we just have to keep ignoring them and move on.
Product Intergration
Commodification, in my opinion, is becoming much too powerful in media nowadays. When television first started, the main agenda of companies supporting production was to make a substantial sum of money--that is, once people started tuning in every day. Therefore, it goes without saying that television runs on advertising. Remember: shows are just the filler between commercials.
Once television abandoned the straight-forward product integration of the Kraft Television era, commercials were key to keeping companies interested in paying networks to run their programs. However, due to post-modern technologies, consumers are now allowed to skip any of the advertisements that they do no want to watch. So, of course, those who paid to be advertised needed to revert back to their old ways: product integration.
Some shows such as 30 Rock make their product integration obvious. In a very The Truman Show-like way, 30 Rock pokes fun on the products they advertise in their shows, but simultaneously please sponsors by advertising without "advertising". Product integration appears to be humorous in 30 Rock, but not all television shows, nor films, make obvious attempts to humor the consumer into buying a particular product.
Instead, we now witness the hundreds of disguised advertisements in our TV programs and movies. Take our music videos. While this may apply more to music than television, it is important that we see how ads are sneaking into all media. In 2005, McDonald's offered to pay many rappers to make references to its food. Just check it out.
Do you remember iRobot, the futuristic Will Smith flick? First off, I'm sorry. But take a look at the car he drives.
This same image can be found on www.audi.com. It's not hard to spot the product integration here, but how many people really think about the car as an important feature to the film? I don't think many do, but for some of us, we now want to buy an Audi, especially in the future, although we don't know why.
The point behind my rant is that we need to be weary of product intergration. We need to keen our senses, so that we are no longer on the wrong end of the chicken-and-egg cycle. The question has always been, do we influence the products in media or do they influence us. In my strong opinion, product integration that has been blended smoothly into what we see and hear has the potential of influencing what we buy and want. The same concept has been around for ages, but I suggest that we are no longer being treated as human beings when these ads subconsciously influence us; instead, we are being leered upon by those who see us a meaty cash-cows.
Once television abandoned the straight-forward product integration of the Kraft Television era, commercials were key to keeping companies interested in paying networks to run their programs. However, due to post-modern technologies, consumers are now allowed to skip any of the advertisements that they do no want to watch. So, of course, those who paid to be advertised needed to revert back to their old ways: product integration.
Some shows such as 30 Rock make their product integration obvious. In a very The Truman Show-like way, 30 Rock pokes fun on the products they advertise in their shows, but simultaneously please sponsors by advertising without "advertising". Product integration appears to be humorous in 30 Rock, but not all television shows, nor films, make obvious attempts to humor the consumer into buying a particular product.
Instead, we now witness the hundreds of disguised advertisements in our TV programs and movies. Take our music videos. While this may apply more to music than television, it is important that we see how ads are sneaking into all media. In 2005, McDonald's offered to pay many rappers to make references to its food. Just check it out.
Do you remember iRobot, the futuristic Will Smith flick? First off, I'm sorry. But take a look at the car he drives.
This same image can be found on www.audi.com. It's not hard to spot the product integration here, but how many people really think about the car as an important feature to the film? I don't think many do, but for some of us, we now want to buy an Audi, especially in the future, although we don't know why.The point behind my rant is that we need to be weary of product intergration. We need to keen our senses, so that we are no longer on the wrong end of the chicken-and-egg cycle. The question has always been, do we influence the products in media or do they influence us. In my strong opinion, product integration that has been blended smoothly into what we see and hear has the potential of influencing what we buy and want. The same concept has been around for ages, but I suggest that we are no longer being treated as human beings when these ads subconsciously influence us; instead, we are being leered upon by those who see us a meaty cash-cows.
Facebook ads
Today's discussion on how Facebook has advertisements that are targeted towards your profiles information like gender and age influenced me to pay closer attention to the ads that pop up while I bop around from page to page. I made notes about what I saw and why I think that they were selected for me.
There were all sorts of things like grants and loans that were available to a 22 year old female college student. Just my luck, I am all three of those! I have never paid much attention to the ads because I find them annoying and almost insulting. Just because I am a female college student doesn't mean I am getting pregnant or interested in becoming a nurse. I think that weight-loss ads might cause a problem with some people because if they are dealing with weight issues and it is being hammered into their minds that "being thin is in" can cause more psychological problems then they may have already been dealing with. Those ads seem to hit at the right time, or the wrong time as it may be.
I don't think ads should be so targeted in such a generalized way. I understand to maximize your advertising you should aim for your target market buut where is the line? Facebook ads probably indirectly call all females fat. I am sure people realize that the ads are targeted for them based on their information posted but it still hits at home if you think you are over weight and there are constant weight loss advertisements.
And an additional note on Facebook. When we talked about the parasocial relationships it made me think that Facebook probably helps people achieve those. Having the ability to look at someone's Facebook page that has personal information, friends comments, and pictures you have the opportunity to learn a lot about a person without their knowing. I think that it is creepy but lets be honest, I think we have all creeped on peoples' pages and you may get a sense of a friendship that is one-sided.
I still enjoy Facebook I just don't agree with it and most of the time I kind of hate it. But it is what it is....
=]
There were all sorts of things like grants and loans that were available to a 22 year old female college student. Just my luck, I am all three of those! I have never paid much attention to the ads because I find them annoying and almost insulting. Just because I am a female college student doesn't mean I am getting pregnant or interested in becoming a nurse. I think that weight-loss ads might cause a problem with some people because if they are dealing with weight issues and it is being hammered into their minds that "being thin is in" can cause more psychological problems then they may have already been dealing with. Those ads seem to hit at the right time, or the wrong time as it may be.
I don't think ads should be so targeted in such a generalized way. I understand to maximize your advertising you should aim for your target market buut where is the line? Facebook ads probably indirectly call all females fat. I am sure people realize that the ads are targeted for them based on their information posted but it still hits at home if you think you are over weight and there are constant weight loss advertisements.
And an additional note on Facebook. When we talked about the parasocial relationships it made me think that Facebook probably helps people achieve those. Having the ability to look at someone's Facebook page that has personal information, friends comments, and pictures you have the opportunity to learn a lot about a person without their knowing. I think that it is creepy but lets be honest, I think we have all creeped on peoples' pages and you may get a sense of a friendship that is one-sided.
I still enjoy Facebook I just don't agree with it and most of the time I kind of hate it. But it is what it is....
=]
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday's Class over Marxists
After discussing Karl Marxists perspective, the highly acclaimed Showtime series known as WEEDS came to my mind. This first season dealt with Nancy Botwin who is a single soccer mother that tries to make ends meet by dealing with marijuana after her husband dies. Still today and back in 2005 when this series started marijuana is a debatable topic everywhere you go in the United States. In general, Nancy Botwin is not a typical drug dealer. Her and the family live in a beautiful home in the suburbs of California, enjoye nice accessories, one person brings in the money, and maids are paid to complete daily chores throughout the house.
If you click on my links below, it illustrates that WEEDS and the character Nancy Botwin shows resistance and upfront qualities, which defines inflected oppositional. Some resisted qualities that Nancy holds is that she keeps the family together like a mother, shows emotions like a woman, takes care of the family by putting food and money on the table, shows concern towards her family and friends, and presents herself as a beautiful upper middle class lady. On the flip side, Nancy illustrates upfront qualities like when she hires illegal immigrants to help around the house, she doubts her skills as a mother, sadly she deals with everyday reality, and she acts like a boss instead of a mother towards her children. Also, Nancy does not have a typical feminine job rather she is supporting her family and lifestyle by dealing marijuana to her neighbors. Even though it was rather challenging to find appropriate clips from the series WEEDS, I believe the series and Nancy as a character illustrate great examples of inflected oppositional ideas and texts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANO8IgLq-9s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-auNhfpcRk&feature=related
If you click on my links below, it illustrates that WEEDS and the character Nancy Botwin shows resistance and upfront qualities, which defines inflected oppositional. Some resisted qualities that Nancy holds is that she keeps the family together like a mother, shows emotions like a woman, takes care of the family by putting food and money on the table, shows concern towards her family and friends, and presents herself as a beautiful upper middle class lady. On the flip side, Nancy illustrates upfront qualities like when she hires illegal immigrants to help around the house, she doubts her skills as a mother, sadly she deals with everyday reality, and she acts like a boss instead of a mother towards her children. Also, Nancy does not have a typical feminine job rather she is supporting her family and lifestyle by dealing marijuana to her neighbors. Even though it was rather challenging to find appropriate clips from the series WEEDS, I believe the series and Nancy as a character illustrate great examples of inflected oppositional ideas and texts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANO8IgLq-9s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-auNhfpcRk&feature=related
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)