Media Blog Reflection: Back to the Start and Back Again

             So here we are. Look around and absorb it in all of its glory. You might not ever get to see this again. (Although not really, because the internet is forever).
Throughout the process of keeping this blog, I've really learned a lot about how much media I consume, and what goes into the media I consume. And for once, I'm very excited about being able to look back on my life and cringe at my ignorance. Usually I would try to block these parts out of my mind. However, now I can actually recognize my ignorance, I'm proud of how much I have learned. Being able to recognize my own ignorance means that I have changed, I have grown, and I am now more aware of the world around me.
             Despite this, my relationship with media has yet to change. Although to be honest, I wasn't very aware of my media consumption habits before starting this blog. Sure I would notice the little sidebars and such, being tailored to everything that I already consumed, but I never did anything about them. At least now though, I can recognize what companies are trying to get me to feel and believe. However, sometimes that doesn't prevent me from falling for it. In this respect, I have a lot of work to do in my coming years, but I think now I'm more ready than I ever was to take on this challenge.
              For me, it is important to have this new found media literacy so that I can navigate through the sea of lies that sits before me. And so that I can help the people around me who have been so negatively impacted by the media they've been exposed to.
              You always consume more media than you think you do, and just because you notice it doesn't mean you aren't still gobbling it up like a thanksgiving turkey. Sadly even the media that we are aware of still manages to impact our identities by telling us that we're not good enough, or that we're so close but we're just missing one little thing, and that thing just so happens to be whatever they're trying to sell us. But listen, you could have everything in your life be perfect, and you could still not be satisfied. Media always tries to tell us that to be happy we have to be somebody else. But if you're somebody else, who the heck is going to be wonderful and glorious you? Believe it or not, because you were born you now play an essential role in all of humanity (not to put too much pressure on you or anything).  You are a person, and you are all that you need to be and it is a downright shame that media tells you otherwise for the sake of their billion-dollar corporations that will collapse with time and be nothing more but wasted wealth.

       You are a person. Nothing more. Nothing less. You can change the world, or you can conform to it. But ask yourself first which way you will be happier.

     
Thank you for your time, it's been a journey.

Media Blog #13: Peace, Love, and Baby Doves

 Earlier this week in Critical Thinking, we watched a documentary called Miss Representation. The movie deals with the misrepresentation of women in media, and the expectations placed on them by society as a result of these misrepresentations. 

Personally, I have to say that the movie hit me pretty hard. It really opened my eyes to the point where every time I watch TV I become very discontent with the portrayal of women on TV. I don't think it would have hit me as hard if I hadn't started to become recently aware of the harm that it causes the women around me; women who can't find value in themselves because they are not "perfect".

The ads above relate to this topic because Dove is very famous for its campaigns towards healthy body image, and self-confidence in young girls. The documentary focused on how girls worry more about their looks than their accomplishments, and Dove really emulates that in their ads. I really appreciate how Dove uses their voice in media to take a stand against the injustice that is done to so many girls and women everyday. It's exactly what the documentary offered up as a solution to the misrepresentation of women in media: women have to stand up for other women. Women have to tell their stories, so that young girls, and people in general will see that there's a lot of work to be done when it comes to cleaning up the misrepresentation of women in media.

Media Blog #12: God Jammit!

 So I found these print ads while scrolling through tumblr. These ads are done by Samsung to advertise their new printer which does not jam. The premise of the ad is to display that paper jams waste more than just paper.
  These ads are extremely effective. Personally I would normally think "yeah paper jams suck but I don't need a new printer." But this ad somehow appeals to my need to nurture. Even though the animals aren't the typical go-to for cuteness, it still makes me go "awe :(" inside.

The lighting in the pictures seem to play a cruicial part in the ad as well, making the situation seem very intense.

These ads would probably appeal to people ages 30-40, and those who care for the environment. Not  even those who care desperately about the environment, but anybody who has that little streak in them that makes them desire to help those who cannot protect themselves.

Media Blog #11: Wonderfilled

So you may or may not have seen this aired on TV recently. Brief synopsis either way: Owl City performed a song for an Oreo commercial about sharing the "wonderfilled" Oreos with different fictional characters; making the big bad wolf change his big bad ways, etc. I thought it was super cute. You can take my word for it or, you know, actually watch it.

Anyways, it's been getting a lot of backlash, being called "obnoxious", childish, and vomit inducing on twitter. These remarks have been coming specifically from the viewers of madmen, which is when the spot had one of its first appearances. The fact it was aired during a more adult program makes me think that the target market audience is supposed to be from 20-50, but to be honest the commercial seems like it would work more for kids 8-15.

By using the word "Wonderfilled" the commercial is quite vague, because really what does it mean to be wonderfilled? It sounds direct like "filled with wonder", but it can't literally be filled with wonder. This, and the premise of the commercial (ya know, changing villains), makes me think that the advertiser wants you to think that buy purchasing and consuming Oreos, your life itself will be wonderfilled, rather than the Oreos themselves.