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.

How Media Affects People's View of the Government

The media is powerful, but just how powerful is it? In George Orwell's 1984, the tyrannical ruling party makes effective use of the media to portray itself as the omnipresent and benevolent Big Brother, sedating the population into subservience. But is this situation really plausible? In order to test this, one would have to set up a number of blind tests in which the individuals are shown different news reels on matters relevent to the government (ie speeches, foreign policy, ect.), and then asked to form an opinion on the government in question. Would they have a better opinion of a government if they were only shown positive news reels? Would they react vehemently towards a government that was shown commiting atrocities? Could their opinions be bent from one side to the other? I believe the results will confirm that the media does have a powerful impact. However, the nature of that impact will likely vary from person to person. Perhaps some people would be skeptic and shrug the positive reels off as propaganda, or vice versa. I have little doubt in my mind, though, that the media is an incredibly powerful weapon. As the proverb goes, the pen is mightier than the sword.

Media Autobiography

Over the past forty years, the human race has made enormous advancements in the many different fields of science and technology. One of the most defining aspects of this modern era is the vast level of connectivity between individuals and societies. The mass media, in all its forms, is arguably one of the most important of all human creations. Being able to spread messages and ideas to millions of people across a vast space has allowed for a level of coordination among societies that was previously deemed impossible. This has enabled our civilization to advance further and further into the modern age. The various forms of media available today include books, newspapers, magazines, movies, records, radio, television, and the internet. While I may not like to admit it, each of these different forms of media has played a role in shaping me as a person.

Books have always been one of my favorite forms of media. Since I was a child, I have always been an avid reader. Many long and sleepless nights were spent devouring pages upon pages of literature; everything from science fiction to fantasy, non-fiction to mainstream literature. I find books to be extremely valuable as they can expose you to a wide array of life lessons and abstract philosophies, all from the comfort of your own home. I intend to major in English with a concentration in creative writing at U.C. Irvine, and hope to transfer there next fall.

Newspapers are another important form of the media. My use of newspapers is limited only to the time spent eating breakfast. I often leaf through the front page and the local news section, just to gain some sort of sense of what's going on in the world around me. I think that it is very important that our generation stay informed on the events that are taking place in this rapidly changing world.

As far as magazines go, I know practically nothing. The only time I really spend reading magazines is when I'm in the waiting room at the doctor's office. Though magazines often have many interesting articles, they are also saturated with consumerist advertising hellbent on sapping your bank account.

I love movies. Plain and simple. The level of entertainment and artistic reflection found in movies is simply astounding. However, given the capitalistic realities of today's society, the movies we see in theaters are often made with the intent of selling tickets rather than making an artistic statement. Thus, I tend to shy away from mainstream Hollywood movies, although they are entertaining every now and then. My preference lies mainly in foreign and independent films, as these are more likely to be free of the corruption of decimals and dollar signs.

Music is, simply put, amazing. The ability to arrange a sequence of pitches and frequencies for an intended emotional effect is a testament to human creativity. I didn't listen to much music as a kid. I was mostly limited to whatever happened to be on the radio at the time. Sometime around middle school, I became entranced by the up-beat rhythms and catchy choruses of bands such as Blink-182 and Sum 41. From then on, my interest expanded to all different forms of rock music, from the blasting double bass and ferocious breakdowns of heavy metal to the ambient sounds and intricate rhythms of indie rock. I try to buy CDs every now and then to support my favorite musicians, but admittedly, downloading music is one of my guilty pleasures.

I do not listen to the radio. At all. I did as a kid, as it was my only source of music, but nowadays, I find that the radio, just like many other forms of media, has fallen victim to the greed of our capitalistic society. Radio stations nowadays tend to be more focused on raking in as many listeners as they can by repeatedly playing hit songs rather than introducing listeners to new and subversive music.

Television is entertainment. Just entertainment. Pure, mindless entertainment. Opium for the masses. While there are a few shows that I will watch on occasion, for the most part, TV holds no place in my life. It is a nice way to pass the time, but that's all it is: a waste of time.

Ahh, the internet: the invention that defines the modern era. Never before has the world been so connected. The internet exposes one to a vast, seemingly endless array of information. There's email, wikipedia, instant messaging, internet gaming, search engines, online shopping... the list goes on and on. I can honestly say that my life would be completely different without the influence of the internet.