The End is Near…

This semester has been a long and tedious but overall great time for me, especially in my Media Criticism course. We learned many different theories and ways of looking at the media so that we become critical and not just simply passive. Throughout the semester we were asked to write blogs pertaining to the things we learned in class and use examples of the media that we are fans of or critics of. I found this method of teaching and learning as a fun and excellent way to get the whole class involved.

For our final blog we were asked to read three of our classmates blogs and give feedback like we would get when our assignment was graded. Were asked to look at the things we liked about the blog, and disliked but more importantly leaving feedback that could help the blogger improve for the next time they decide to blog.

I looked at three fellow students blogs and this is what I thought….

Response to Breyana Franklin

 

I must say for someone who isn’t a fan of the Bad Girls Club phenomena personally I loved your blog. I do not watch the show and for me you explained what the show is all about perfectly, u showed how it related to some shows that people might watch as a comparison, which I though was genius. I do watch the Real World and your examination on how the shows might be the same made me get a better picture of what to expect to see from the show. I like how you explained how the ladies are picked and what they go through for the amount of time they are on the show. One thing I would point out is that these REALITY TV SHOWS… are actually not so real and the producers make the cast members do thing that cause drama for those people who are not aware of that aspect of Reality TV.

I like how you broke the show up using the three approaches to narrative analysis, you showed how they used the camera in the Visualist approach to capture the drama and intensify it for the viewer. While the structuralist approach showed us how the show moved on through out the season n episode. I like how you used easy language that everyone who was reading the blog could understand and how you went into each of the theorist that are involved with the narrative analysis section of the diamond.

Overall I believe you did a great job, the one thing I would of done different is I would of liked to see you maybe look at the season and see how the structuralist approach worked in that aspect of things, that way we would have been able to see one approach in full working order rather than seeing three in less light. But Great Job!

Response to Nathalie Diadhiou

Hi Natalie!!! I loved your second blog!!! It was really interesting to use the theories that we have been taught on the gossip and entertainment would that we live in today. I am familiar with the Beyonce baby bump rumors and found it relatable and fun to examine. You did an excellent job using the social construction of reality and Beyonce baby bump! I would of never thought when normally looking at a pregnant Beyonce picture that she served as a perfect example of semiotics. I liked how you showed how the semiotics could be explained by looking at the picture of Beyonce baby bump.

The pregnancy symbolizing fertility was a great example of signifier, I also like how u went to show how motherhood would be the final result and how that was also a signifier. I would of never thought to put the paparazzi and media as an example or something leading to the example of signification, which is also in semiotics. I believed you showed parts of semiotics that I would of passed over or forgotten which was the example of POLYALENCE. You explained it well so anyone could understand and for those who knew it wasn’t too much explaining where we got annoyed from a lesson.

You used great embedded media I loved the TMZ video and the Wendy Williams clip, I can tell u are up on your media gossip! The use of the pictures and the explanation of what were in that picture all helped for those who don’t know who Beyonce is. Kudos on your work you did Great

 

Response to Mariela Cruz

I loved Disney as a child and you made me go back to that time when all things came easy and I didn’t have to worry about anything and all things ended in happiness. You saying the same thing made a connection between us which I believe is something that’s great for the reader to have to connect with the blogger so kudos on that aspect of the blog. Secondly I like how you were conversational with the reader made it easy and comfortable to read about a subject they might not necessarily like.

The transition to the actually assignment I saw could use come help or better flow into it, however the way you did it was nice just a little choppy. When you explained what ideology was you did it a clear and concise way so everyone would understand. Your connection with ideological criticism and Disney was an amazing way to show the readers what it is with out having to teach them a full lesson. I liked how you included the Mickey Mouse Monopoly I used it in my blog also it served as a perfect example of how Disney targets the children n parents who consume their products. They way stereotypes are shown in each of the movies was a perfect thing to add to get the reader thinking and asking question you lead the student to many important things that all consumers should think of.

Overall you did an amazing job, with some addition of more examples I believe the assignment could have been that much better.

Here’s a link to show people how to get to Disney!!!                          http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

Who Runs The World…..? Us or Them…

Many times as consumers of media we just watch or listen to the text that we are just enjoying the simple entertainment factor of it. However we must look at the way mediums are put together because they are all coming from one place and being given to a mass population, who in the end are affected by that medium whether they know it or not.

In my Mass Communication class Media Criticism we recently learned about Ideological Criticism, do you know what that is? Well I didn’t either until my Professor made some significant effort to break it down for the entire class. When looking at ideological criticism it examines how ideas are embedded in a text and then circulated to the mass population. It also looks at how the dominate elites who are in the CEO and leading positions of these companies put the ideas and values they believe in the text that their company produces. The part I find most important is how they values and they way they represent the ideas become accepted as normal and natural and not forced and pushed on us unknowingly.
Ideological Criticism look at how the text is produced, how it interacts with the lives of the individuals who are consuming the medium, while also helping to understand the dominant ideas and values in our social world. What is important however is that there are some assumptions that say that its necessary to know how media institutions establish and sustain existing power. It also looks at the Political Economy Theory that explains how media institutions establish and sustain the power they have, how media advance the interest of elites and how elites maintain control over those non-elite individuals using the values and ideas they make seem natural and normal.

 

 

During our class we watched two films that dealt with Ideological Criticism, those two films were Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood. This film looked at how from an early age children are being used by marketing and advertising geniuses and major companies to benefit themselves and make those children and their parent spend more and more on the products that they produce. They looked at the way advertising has changed over the decades. Before the advertising to children were slim to none and not extensive, however today they are one of the largest targeted population because of the purchase power that they have, the movie said that they hold about a Trillion Dollars purchase power.

The ultimate goal is for them to grave the need for these products to the children early so they become life long consumers. While it also looks at how the companies place the gender roles of the male and female sex at an early age. Young boys are taught early that they need to be tough, while girls are to be submissive and lady like. One thing that I find to be totally disturbing is that the U.S. government has done nothing to regulate the marketing and advertising to children who are not necessarily knowing what the companies are doing to them.
 The film also looked at how the marketers made cartoons and toys the major player in the child’s life, they have food that are advertised with cartoon characters like SpongeBob Mac and Cheese, or Scooby Doo Fruit Snacks, they then go and have clothes and book bags, and toys and the whole nine yard that children being to use as a necessity for their lives in the long run tremendous profits for the companies.
It also disturbed me to see how they advertise children and adults within ad’s and by the toys, movies and shows that are aimed to children. They make children especially girls look at media and teaching them how they should act and dress. Today those images are highly sexualized and disturbing, young girls with dolls that are half dressed that later leads to your child wanting the same thing in their size. Boys are given images of violence, manliness and power ranging from video games, action movies and toys.
All the things that these young children are being advertised and marketed with are the major ideas of the companies that are running them. They use the power that they have and the money that they hold to attractively capture the children to get their parents to buy things.
The second film that we watched was Mickey Mouse Monopoly. This film looked at Disney and the way it shapes the way children think, act and basically socialize them. The Disney Corporation make construction of reality and the way they should act through the media that they put out to the mass audience. Children are getting ideas of race, gender and class from the movies that Disney is putting out.
You can easily see how they are using the ideas that are in our or once were dominate and place them in their movies in order to mold and fix the ideas of how boys and girls should act. You can easily look at any Disney movie and see that the men in those movies to be masculine, you can look at Beauty and the Beast and the way the Beast is rude, loud and dominate to the Beauty who is subservient to him throughout the movie. You can also look at The Little Mermaid and the way for her to get to her love she had to lose her voice another example of making women subservient, because in order for her to get to her true love she had to lose her voice, leaving her with only her body to get that thing she wants.
       The film also looks at how Disney portrays the many cultures including the way they portray the minority races. When I saw this part of the film and thought about it I could easily see the way those minority races were portrayed. In Pocahontas how they portrayed Native American as Savages and the reason they couldn’t get along with the Europeans because of not understanding them. This movie also makes a real story false because what happened in the movie didn’t really happen real life.
There are few character who represent African Americans, or Hispanic population needless to say Asians. When we see the minority race they are being shown portraying those stereotypes that the individuals hate to put into.
I believe that it is important to critique the mediums through the ideological criticism and political economy lens for many reasons. The main reason we can see what values and ideas that we are receiving which represent the way the elite who run those companies want us to think. Looking at it through this lens will also make it possible for us to change the way these companies socialize and represent the various groups and people that they place in the mediums that they produce. Without a consuming public who will be there to supply them with the fund to continue to produce the many movies, TV shows, clothes, toys, shoes and food that they make money off of. The mass public has the power to make change, while the elite have the money at the moment without us they would not hold the power that they currently have.
                 So here’s some advice to you… look at these companies with this criticism and you will be able to change the way they work

 

 

Learn more about Ideological Criticism and TV

Look at all that disney Owns…

 

 

 

 

Propps Way Through Simba

When I say the Lion King……. Goosebumps run through you dont they? Memories of the times when we were young, not worring about a thing in life but playing outside in the various parks our parents took us to.

The Lion King is a movie that almost all children have seen and fell in love with, one of the highest grossing aminated flim in Disney history, that they even made it in 3D this Fall for a special limited time only.

While we should all know about The Lion King I will refresh the memories of those people who might have forgotten.

The King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi of Pride Rock welcome a new child to the world named Simba, who is next in line to become King. Mufasa’s younger brother Scar is unhappy with his nephews birth because that means he is no longer the future heir to the throne. Simba goes on to grow and as he does his father teaches him how to become the King of his land.

While all this is occuring Scar is plotting with the hyenas the takeover of Pride Rock. The aftermarth of this plot end in the death of King Mufasa during a stampeed that the hyenas started. Scar then tricks Simba the heir to the throne that his fathers death was his fault, in following suit Simba runs away because he fears how the people will act.

While away Simba meets friends and grows to become a man, and comes back to his home to reclaim the heir and defeat his Uncle Scar. Scar is defeated and the hyenas are run out of the terrority, Pride Rock is reclaimed by the proper heir and peace is back.

Now to get to the things I have to do, in my class we are learning about different approaches to media text, I have decided to take the Narrative Criticism theory to expalin the Lion King. In Narrative Criticism approach it say that stories all share common features regardless of the type of media or the cluture that it is coming from. There are different approaches to the theory, the one I will go indepth with is structuralist approach.

The structuralist approach looks at semiotic structuralism in order to understand the plot, in simple terms it means to understand stories/narratives from the way the story teller develops the story through a sequence of events that all have a effect in the deeper meaning.

One of those theorist who was apart of this Structuralish Approach was Vladimir Propp. I will use his 31 narrative functions that move a story along according to the Lion King. His first one is Abstentation- a member of the family becomes absent; in the case of the Lion King that can be both Simba, and his Father Mufasa. Moving on to his eight one which is Villainy, the villan causes harm or injury to a family membe; this is easily evident with Scar placing harm on his brother and nephew. The 11^th act is departure, the hero leaves home; evident when Simba runs away because he believe he is the cause of death to his father. The 15^th is Guidance where the hero is led or guided to the object of search; you can see this when Mufasa comes in the clouds and speaks to his son about reclaiming what is his, and also with Timon and Pumbaa.

16^th is Struggle where the hero and the Villan engage in combat; we see this during the fighting when Simba and Scar battle. 18^th Victory the villan is defeated; Simba comes out the rightous winner in the battle. The 27^th Recongnition where the Hero is Recongnized; easily seen when Simba Returns and defeats Scar to give freedom back to the other animals of Pride rock. 31^st Wedding; when Simba and his childhood friend Nala marry and have a child of their own to continue the circle of life.

As you can see this theory and approcah work very well in the Lion King and not just this movie but you can see that same sequence of event in many other Disney movies.

We can also look at the Roles of Action and see these different roles in the Lion King as Propp descrides, the villan, who is evidently and most certanily Scar. The Hero of course is Simba, the donor who is the individual who give the hero advice can fall between a couple individuals I would say Timon and Pumbaa, while also King Mufasa. The Helper the one who aids the hero in his quest, is surely Timon and Pumbaa because they assisted Simba throughout his journey. The Princess can fall in the hand of Nala who isnt necessarily the princess but she becomes the queen. The Dispatcher who send the hero on a quest, this one could be Scar while he didn’t send Simba to find equilibrium he sent him away. And Last but not least the anti-hero who tries to undermine the hero, this can be both Scar and the hyenas who try everything to take over Pride Rock and keep Simba out.

As you can see these’s roles are seen in not just Propp’s theory but they can easily be adapted to fit the various films and movies that we have today.

So I know you’re wondering why I took all this time to expalin this to you? Well in my eyes it has importance.

WE ARE MEDIA CRITICS! As the people who consume the media we have the right and the responsiblilty to be critical of it. As a child I watched the Lion King and thought nothing of it other then it being a story of Heorism. Now with this knowledge I see that the writer got the plot and story line basis from a theorist who got their information from studying various text, and folk tales. We must know what we are comsuing because we are being affected by in unconsiously, if you care to know what your taking in I suggest you take a look at those childhood films and use Propp to critic them.
Link To Lion King Disney Site

Link To Trialer

 Hello, for those of you who do not already know me my name is Sekou Bah! I am a senior at Towson University in Towson, MD where I am a Mass Communication and Political Science major. I have aspirations of going to receive my MBA in Marketing once I graduate with my Bachelors degree. I am currently taking a Media Criticism class where we are learning different theories that will help us to better be good critics of the media that we consume on a daily basis.

            When you think of being a media critic what do you think? Most people believe that being a critic means always finding the bad in a television program, or pointing out all the negative things that one sees in a program, however honestly every single person who consumes any type of media is and should be a critic! When we look at a television program or a movie we cannot just take all the images, sounds, and words in and let them exit our system. Once we consume them we must evaluate them from the thing that we have experienced in life and learned in our education.

            When we thing about mass media in the society that we live in today I can honestly say that it runs the way we live. I can honestly say that personally I am a media junkie! I walk around campus with my iPod that has wireless capabilities, and I have my laptop with me where ever I go, it connects me to my friends, family, and random people when I am on Facebook. Once I get home I have three television is my apartment that all have over 200 channels for me to choose from. So when I am a media junkie I am not joking.

            So many mediums are available in our current state in the technological world that we cannot just be consumers but we must learn to be critic, and to do so we must understand what being Media Literate is! Luckily you have me to help you out when it comes to this because I had the pleasure of learning about media literacy in an earlier mass communication class I took while I was a sophomore.

            I am going to take a deeper look into one of my favorite television programs Law and Order: Special Victims Unit to explain the concept of being media literate. Law and Order: SVU is a program that looks at the life of a police precinct in New York City that specializes in crimes that have to deal with a sexual nature. The show takes true stories and modifies them to make them more appealing to a mass audience. The detectives who are the main character have come to have a deep will to catch all the suspected violators in order to give the victims their lives back. 

            While Law and Order: SVU is my favorite show when I started watching it I was beginning to believe that rape, sexual assault, and crimes of that nature were the highest occurring crimes. This happened because when you see so much of something you begin to believe that it is reality and this is a concept that mass communication is used to. Since I am a avid viewer of the show I begin to see sexual assault and crimes of that nature no matter where I go, I being to believe that that all that is going around when the actual truth is the most common type of crimes committed are non-violent misdemeanors which include burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft, non of which are sexual assaults or crime of that nature.

            When I now look at the program I do not believe all that I see, I know that sexual crimes do occur in the country however not on the nightly mode that they do in the show. I understand now that I have to evaluate what I see before I automatically put it into my 100% true. Now the question for you is do you look into the things your favorite television programs throw at you? Or do you just take them for what they are?

            Now that we know that media literacy is looking deeply into what the programs that we watch mean rather then just taking them for the face value that they we get. When I anticipated on taking this Media Criticism course I knew I would learn a lot about what I would need to be an effective media consumer, who is not only taking in information but, better yet evaluating them. I hope that the class teaches me concepts that use already but do not necessarily know them by the specific name. I hope I learn to better be a consumer of media and to be a critic of what I see and hear from the world of mass media. When it come to the technology of today and media we must know that things are not always what they seem so we must become Critics!!!!

More infomation on Sexual Crimes and Facts Click here! 

Media Literacy Site…. find more information anout being media literate.

The Turn Around… Chris Brown Edition!

When you or me do something we just get talked about by our friends, or people we associate with. We hear gossip, and bad things talked about us… how would you like to be a celebrity and have to deal with this with everything that you do.

Chris is know know for this beating rather then the wonderful music he makes.

Chris Brown an R&B artist had to deal with a situation firsthand where his image was totally destroyed!

Chris Brown was arrested and charged with physically assaulting his then girlfriend Rihanna (also a celebrity singer).

While Chris’s PR team did attempt help him in the situation I find that they could of done a better job at it! What do you think?

The primary thing I would of done is to have Chris Brown do a public apology first and foremost… and in a timely fashion! While Chris Brown did apologize he didn’t do so in a timely matter.

If he would of spoke on the issue when it occurred and admitted and apologized I believe the situation would not of gained as much attention as it did.

Secondly I would have Chris Brown have a interview where he explained the situation from his point of

The role model image he once had has to be restored

view… because all the news coverage was blaming Chris for being the cause but how would we know if Rihanna was not the assaulter.

The next step as Chris Brown PR team I would shed some light about Rihannas past, and the way she acts and lives. It is known that she can get out of hand… we would shed some of the bad light that Chris is getting and get less negative attention.

Chris would then do some community service working with women who are domestically beaten, or go to school where he would speak on the sad truth about physical assault. He would tell the teen that it is wrong and it can hurt both people involved.

Speaking to the youth will show the public that Chris wants to influence the children and the community in a positive light thus making the negative connation with his name become positive.

Chris Brown and his Mother on CNN after the arrest.

Chris should also speak about his wonderful relationship with his mother who is his idol. By doing so Chris Brown’s image will have even more positive light. His mother will plays the role of the women in his life and this will show the public that Chris is not one to hate on the women that he LOVES.

While I find my plan compared to the one that was given to him as more successful my efforts could hurt him.

By admitting to the assault and doing an interview he will lose fans especially women who are his largest supporters.

While schools or communities would not want him to come to their events to speak or to help in homes for

Chris will have to go into school and speak to children about physical abuse. He will gain positive media doing this!

abused women… because the women or children will feel uncomfortable.

Only truths will be used in my campaign because false statements come to hurt you in the rear as our mothers once told us… and this situation came to bite Chris Brown hard!

If Chris Brown hired me as his PR team leader … his image would be spotless and clean… he would still be selling millions of albums and he would of never lost that Wrigley endorsement.

http://www.prsa.org/

Chris Brown Arrested!

Watch Chris Brown’s Interview with Larry King…

PAPARAZZI…PAPARAZZI… Everywhere

Celebrities live the lavished lifestyle champagne, exotic getaways and

Paparazzi invade the privacy of all celebrities and sometimes cause accidents, divorces, and even deaths!

PAPARAZZI!

Yes that’s right they have to deal with the bloodsuckers that get all the pictures that we love to see.

Celebrities like their privacy too! This is more then evident in the lawsuit Jude Law set against Hello! A UK celebrity publication

Jude Law had legal basis to sue the publication for invasion of privacy.

Hello! Secretly pictured Jude Law Sienna Miller and three of their four children vacationing in the Caribbean

Jude Law and Sienna Miller placed a law suit against Hello! Magazine for invasion of privacy.

in January.

The case was possible because Hello! Did not have the right to go in and take picture of the family on vacation…. Would you want this to happen to you if you were a celebrity?

While many people look at this situation and say that celebrities decided to be famous so there is no invasion of privacy.

However Hello! Invaded one of the four main aspects of invasion of privacy! They violated the intrusion of solitude claim!

This claim is when a new publication goes in and applies an actual physical or electronic penetration of a public figures home or personal space. It is clear that the paparazzi invaded Jude Law and Sienna Miller families’ personal space!

Imagine you being on a nice relaxing vacation with your lovely family… and you look in the magazines when you get back to only see that a tabloid has placed photos of you (which is ok because you are famous), but your children!

Personally I would be displeased, and I would feel as my personal family space that is Private has been invaded!

Jude Law sued Hello!, for invasion of privacy. The Judge decided on Jude Laws side and he won the case. The judge claimed that the situation Jude Law and his family was in there was a “reasonable expectation of privacy”.

Cover of Hello! Magazine

U.K’s Hello! was forced to pay $15,000 in damages to settle the breach of privacy suit.

Included in the settlement was an agreement the magazine made not to publish any pictures of Jude Law either alone or with his children until they turn 18.

I have to agree with the decision the judge made… what do you think?

If my family was on vacation to get away from the paparazzi, I do not want to be followed and picture be taken! The decision also falls in the privacy celebrities have, even though they are held to a different standard from regular people they still have a right to PRIVACY!

Hello! Has learned a lesson … now its time for others to also… but don’t u love those tabloids.

Jude Law Wins LAWSUIT!

Here’s a example of a star being followed by the PAPARAZZI!

2-4-6-8 … Multimedia at its finest

This past holiday season as an employee of the GAP I saw the use of multimedia at its finest, and I’m sure you fell victim to the great advertising.

Gap Inc. used the same ad themes in all the advertising that it used for theholiday season.

The ad campaign was set around “Holiday Cheer”, where plaid was the item of choice for this season.

I am pretty sure that you witnessed the wonderfully cheery commercials, magazine ads, billboards, and mass emails that the company sent out.

Was it successful, and was it efficient? This is what the advertising team for the company is asking… what do you think?

I personally find that it was extremely successful! Especially in the times that we are going through… a recession and jobs availability at an all time low… the campaign reached all economic levels, and ethnic groups.

I was introduced to the ads at work and the ones that i saw in my store i saw on T.V., and in the magazines. Plaid and Cheer was everywhere.

The first source for advertising was seen in the television. The commercial played a large role in the success in my eyes. They caught the attention of the public by being short, having a rhyme (cheer), and showing the product.

The commercials played during all hours of the day. By doing so they caught the attention of all age groups. (Especially parents who are buying the gifts)

While Magazines also helped a lot… if you go back to the magazines of 2009 starting in November you will see the same Gap Holiday ad’s in any major or local magazine… including Vogue, Ebony, Peoples, Times, and even Sports Illustrated.

Throwing up the colorful ad on billboards was another great technique, in big cities where people attention would be directed to the ads.

Gap was very careful in placing certain people in ads in the certain areas of the country. As an international business they had to use models that everyone could relate to.

The company advertising team used both demographics and psychographics to gain customers, and gain attention to their product.

The Campaign was a success in my eyes! The sales show… and how many of you have Gap clothing… exactly enough said…

The team that produced this ad campaign used the many multimedia sources and in the end it brought the company …successful revenue.

To the other companies think like Gap Inc does… appeal to the many and success is just down the corner.

Visit the site

View more cheer commercials!

Not Just Any Book…

Personally I’m not the biggest fan of the books we have to read for school! They are boring, long and having nothing to do with my life! Don’t you agree…?

I like going into borders and grabbing a book attracts my eye, and has nothing to do with my education and schooling.

However during my senior year of high school I came across a school book that I really came to enjoy, and it has become one of my favorites thus far. I know your thinking back to your days as a senior, attempting to remember books you read to see if we are thinking of the same one….

So let me break the suspense… it was Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston.

The novel is a fiction novel; however it uses history from the time period it is written in to include facts about the community and politics.

This novel came across my desk the summer before senior year; it was mandatory Summer Reading… I know we all hated these assignments; however I took the time out of my hectic summer and read.

 The book was given to me by a older friend who had taken the AP Literature course I was going to enroll in the fall, I had received great reviews about it so I was anxious to read it.

When I began reading the novel I found it very hard to understand because the language was not the same way we speak today…this made me very upset…I hate not understanding what I read!

Zora Neale Hurston African American Author

I had to go back and re-read chapters so that I could grasp the meaning of words, sayings, and conversations the character had.

After a few chapters I began to understand everything and I began to enjoy the story!

Finally when I finished the novel I had a new view on life. Janie showed me persistence in a goal. Her goal was happiness and she went through whatever she wanted so that her goal would be accomplished.

Even when times are bad, and you are at the lowest of lows, know that period is not permanent and things will change soon.

Their Eyes Were Watching God taught me to work for happiness that I truly want to have, and not stay with the regulations of society to form my happiness. If you want change you must take every chance at change.

Following the novels end I learned about what I like in books and I have now looked for books that will teach me something that I didn’t know before… who

In 2005 the novel was turned into a motion picture, where Halle Berry played the lead role of Janie.

 doesn’t like to learn new things?

While I always looks for books with moral and a ultimate goal and how to accomplish it because I learn ways of going about my own goals and making myself better as a person.

This novel did a lot for me and I know it will do something for you… so just pick it up and READ!

Or watch the movie… the book is way better though in my opinion!

 Follow this link to Mrs. Hurstons website-http://www.zoranealehurston.com/

To Use or Not To Use

Are social networks such as Facebook lowering people’s communication skills?

Or do they bring you closer to people who are far from you?

I have come to believe in both the statement that I wrote above. In the article that I read the author writes about the positives and the negatives of Facebook.

The positive side of the argument had wonderful points. One being that it enriched the social e communication between friends and family who are separated. I can totally agree because I stay in touch with my family in other states and countries on Facebook

The author also stated that it helps people stay in touch, while allowing those isolated by disabilities with a rich and fulfilling lifestyle.

Lastly he says that it brings people of different backgrounds together.

I agree with all the positive arguments, I believe Facebook is a great way to communicate, it allows for quick and easy communication with people in close and far distances.

While social networks such as Facebook have a good side they also have a negative effect. One main one is that it lessens the importance of face to face communication. I find that our generation is becoming very impersonal, always texting or Facebook chatting rather than meeting up and talking or picking up the phone and speaking to one another.

Great use of Facebook is by Barack Obama. He connects to all the American people with his page, sening out surveys and questions to the people he represents and works for.

Facebook and other social networks also affect social development especially if started at a young age. I find this to be very true because children today have lower vocabulary then we did at their age, and are more in the technologies then we once were.

Another good point was that is undermines skills such as reading body language and other indirect communication facilities. This is very true because the only way you are able to read body language when speaking with someone is to actual be there in person…. What do you think?

The article also suggest that people still use Social networks but in limited way, telling individuals to still get out there and have face to face communication!

I believe that face to face communication is becoming less and less important. When really its the most important form of communication.

Not just between friends or family, but even with employers. I have seen it become more and more common that phone interviews are the main source of the primary test for employment.

While it allows for easy diversion from people who they find incapable be able to perform the duties I believe its impersonal and not a good mean of employment.

Face to face comunication is the best communication even though our society is becoming more obsessed with technology, having classes run virtually rather than in the classrooms.

Social networks are even being used in my classes today, in the form that I find very useful however! We have all our assignments on the site and it allows for easy access to anything we will need for the class… while adding a sense of excitement and fun to the course.

Social networks have their up’s and down’s depending on how you look at it.

http://social-networking-tagging.suite101.com/article.cfm/facebook_good_or_bad_for_communication

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc

The Wonderful World of Disney

Toy’s Story, Little Mermaid, Lion King, Finding Nemo, Cars, Tarzan, are all Disney Classics. Have you seen them? I know I have and I’ve come to love them all!                                                                                                                   

These movies have been seen by all children everywhere in the world! Disney is an international company that has the power to change, move, and create anything it wishes too.

As a child I lived by everything Disney! Owning every movie, toy, piece of clothing, book-bag, shoe, anything that they sold I made sure I got from my parents. My parents went broke from all the Disney products I owned.

 Being totally immersed in the Disney “Lifestyle” is something all children are used to. We learned how to share, talk to adults, and even confront our childhood crushes!

Growing up in this lifestyle I believed the world to be one nice and happy society, all was good, and everyone got along. While Disney portrays this, the real world is not a replica of the Disney movies.

As an adult now I have come to see that there are many things that Disney portrays in all its movies. All the villains are portrayed to be dark skinned, all the movies have a moral (which I really love because it teaches the young in a fun way), there is always a happy ending and the “good” character always wins!

While this is all nice and gravy is this how you view the world around you? Do you think everyone has a happy ending?

Disney has the ability to make children do what they want them to. Disney Company uses “synergy” (where the company uses all its other subsidiaries to sell its product) to control the market, have you noticed this with their products?

For example we all have seen Beauty and the Beast right? Well they used synergy with this movie. They promoted the movie on the Disney Channel, on ESPN, and many of their other companies. They advertised in the T.V. shows, they produce in clothing, and so many accessories, and the movie itself is a blockbuster!

They use everything they own to promote their other products.

Disney has the ability to do so many things and it actually takes advantage of them. Are Disney movies a replica of the actual world we live? Not quite but it attempts to change as the world does! Making movie with single parents like the Goofy Movie!

Disney is not just a company; it is a lifestyle and a world of its own!

http://www.disneymovieonline.info/gender_stereotypes_in_disney_movies.html

http://www.newint.org/easier-english/Disney/diswomen.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsy3BblcjCA