Jour 2 Class Highlights

I definitely learned a lot this quarter about the media and how it reflects the values of society. One moment that helped define this was when we compared the height / weight of the average American woman to that of the average model. It clearly showed that we Americans hold tallness and skinniness in high regard as far as the aesthetics of women go. Another thing that I learned was just how much work goes into producing print media such as newspapers. In order to effectively produce a good newspaper, a full staff of editors, reporters, and advertisers is needed to combine all the elements of the paper together to make it interesting and profitable. Lastly, perhaps one of the most eye opening lessons was the one about public relations and propaganda. It really shows how some people use the media to manipulate people to their advantage. Overall, this was a fun and insightful class, and I definitely took away a much more in-depth understanding of the media and how it relates to our society.

Media Law

The media ethics case that I chose to use is actually one that is still being debated: the California legislation's attempt to prohibit the sale of violent video games to anyone under the age of 18. More specifically, the law is banning the sale of games involving the "killing, maiming, dismembering or sexually assaulting the image of a human being."

Video game violence is a topic that receives a lot of attention these days. For whatever reason, people tend to single out video games despite the fact that violence is something that is ingrained within our culture. It is prevalent in every form of media be it movies, television, magazines - you name it. Personally, I think that this law is a clear violation of the first amendment, one of the fundamental principles that this country was established on.

Propaganda in Advertising

The Ad that I chose to analyze is one that is not advertising a consumer product, but rather a political canidate: more specifically, Meg Whitman. The Ad is based on the propaganda technique known as Ad Hominem, which is basically when one attacks the credibility of their opponent rather than their argument. Whitman makes no reference to Jerry Brown's proposed policies, but instead makes claims against Jerry Brown's ability to govern. This Ad also forces its message upon the population by appealing to people's fears. California is in the midst of recession. With one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, everyone is afraid that a bad governor will worsen the situation. Whitman highlights Brown's past failures (of course, non of his successes) to scare the population into thinking that Brown will be that bad governor.

Social Networking

Barring a mistake, the Wikipedia page listed 206 different social networking sites; most of them I did not know. The ones that I did know included Facebook, Myspace, Last.fm, and Twitter. A site that I didn't previously know is gamerDNA: this site allows its users to discover new games and make connections with fellow gamers based on their interests.

For the most part, I only use social networks as a method of communication or to find music. At the moment, I only use Facebook and Last.fm.

The only instance I can say that Social Networking Sites really helped(or hurt, for that matter) is when I was able to use it to re-establish contact with a lost friend. Other than that, there has been no significant instance. However, the lifestyle change that it has brought about has most definitely been significant in that I now have a convenient way to keep in touch with friends and leave them non-urgent messages.

Television

Length: 5:06
Description: A compilation of Disney clips that depict a multitude of racial stereotypes that were prevalent in cartoons and movies at the time.
Chapter 6: Movies, Chapter 9: Television
Question: What kind of insight can the media give about a certain time period in a society's history?
Answer: The culture values of a society are always reflected in the media, and thus it is through the study of this media that one can make inferences about the conditions present during that time period.

Favorite Movies

Hands down, 500 Days of Summer was definitely one of my favorite movies from 2009. The non-linear storyline and captivating dialogue kept the movie interesting, and set it apart from most other movies of 2009.

Given the massive amount of movies I have watched over the course of my life, it's hard to say which is my favorite. There are so many that stick out in their own unique ways, I really can't say what my favorite movie is. One that I really enjoyed as a child was actually the Star Wars trilogy (the original one). I can't count how many times in my life I have watched those three movies.

Most Influential Books

Given that I've read so many books, and that each of them has influenced me in some way, it's hard to pinpoint exactly which ones have been the most influential. One easy choice for me, however, would be "The Foot Book" by Dr. Seuss. This is the book that single-handedly turned me from an illiterate child to an avid and well-rounded reader. The simple sentences, all bound together by an easy-to-follow rhyme scheme, made it easy to struggle through the drab fog of illiteracy. The vivid images and ridiculous content also reinforced the idea that reading was fun, which provided motivation to continue reading. Overall, I don't think I would be the same person today if not for Dr. Seuss and his books.

When I was a freshman in high school, I read a book that, to this day, is still one of my favorites: "For Whom the Bell Tolls", by Ernest Hemingway. The book is about an American fighting with Republican guerillas during the Spanish Civil War. The powerful yet subtle writing style gave the book an almost mystical quality, and since first reading it, I have re-read it on numerous occasions, each time finding new subtleties and different understandings. Before reading this book, I never realized how much an author can say without saying anything at all.

And, most recently, a book by Ken Kesey called "Once a Great Notion". This author has the wonderful ability to tie his many abstract and metaphorical concepts in with what is physically happening in the story. It can truly change the way you perceive the world and make you realize that everything you see in life, even things previously deemed to be mundane and irrelevant, has or is part of some greater meaning.