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.

Media Blog #10: Beardvertising.

So apparently there's this new thing called "Beardvertising", where you get paid $5 a day to put a little clip in your facial hair that has an advertisement on it. What.

It's kind of a cool idea, but I still feel very skeptical about it. So far it seems pretty legit, but at the same time I may or may not trust a guy who wears it. The website linked clearly uses wit and humor as an ad technique, as proven by it's old timey photos of guys with beards, and arrows pointing to facial hairs saying "your ad goes here". The target market is obviously men 20-40. And I'm kinda mad because I would like to get paid $5 a day, but I don't have a beard. Or at least not a real one.

This ad could also technically appeal to serial killers, but could you imagine. Getting stabbed to death. The searing pain in your abdomen as you lay in a dark alley way. Your fingers going cold, and you begin to feel very sleepy. Your clothes feel wet, and as you're choking on your tears and mucus you look up to a set of slimy yellow teeth peering out from behind thin wet lips like small worms. He grins and you shiver, as his wiry beard moves frigidly with his body movements. As you search for a last glimmer of hope, your mouth tastes metallic. As your eyes flutter with what might be your last glimpses of the world, you see it. "Mini Polar Swirls". You release one last gasp of breath and realize "damn that would hit the spot right about now."

Media Blog #9: We Like Short Shorts.

Okayokayokay. I don't like this form of advertising and I'm going to tell you why.

Yes it's pretty unique, or at least I've never seen anything like it. But it's literally using people as advertisements. Companies do stuff like this all the time, from putting their logo on your cup, to simply selling status on a shirt, but this time SCIENCE HAS GONE TOO FAR. literally using skin as a way to advertise. I get bothered with companies putting their logos on cups, because I walk around sipping a delicious smoothie feeling like I just paid somebody to advertise for them.

Alright so those are my personal problems with this, but there are some other flaws in it as well.

1) What if it's really hot? I'm about 85% sure that those bars with words on them are made out of metal, when you sit down on them it would burn your legs. Ouch. No.
2) Your legs would have to be angled perfectly in order to get all of the words on them, and it's possible to get more than one if you sit in the wrong area. Would you like it if your thighs said "SHO SHO ON SUP" or "ORT ORTS SALE ERETTE". No.

It's very apparent that the target market is women 18-25, based on the models used. But how are the girls supposed to see them if it's on the back of their legs?

It seems like it would be more aimed then towards young men, but they don't need short shorts.
It could also work for elderly women who sit on park benches feeding birds, but that is just another demographic that I do not want to see in short shorts.

Media Blog #8: So long Siri!

I recently saw this ad on TV, and I thought it made some interesting points.

First off, it's Microsoft parodying their rival, Apple. I think it shows how Apple commercials have become so commonplace in our society that they can be parodied easily to sell a different product. This ad uses wit and humor (because it is a parody after all), as well as simple solutions because it demonstrates the Windows 8 tablet as being able to do more than the iPad with ease.

Personally  I think the best part is the ending where Siri suggests to the hand model that he play chopsticks poorly.

Microsoft also gets revenge for the whole "I'm a Mac" and "I'm a PC" thing that Apple used to do in comparison of both products. Although I might personally prefer those to this one because they had more sass.