The new Megan Fox.

 Shia Labouf talks Megan Fox.

The new transformers movie is going to come out this summer, but this time the lead female role and love interest will no longer be played by the beloved by men Megan Fox.  This time around, director Michael Bay has chosen Victoria's secret model Rosie Hunington-Whitely-a tall blond-as Megan Fox's replacement.  This New York Times article features an interview with Shia Labouf about the departure of Megan Fox from the third Transformers installment, and he speaks of Fox's insecurities of being put in the spotlight essentially through one film series and subsequently being perceived as the sexiest woman in America.  He talks about how she was uncomfortable with Michael Bay's demands for the role, which didn't involve a lot of lines, but rather sexy poses and a lot plain old "looking hot."  This article perfectly ties into the idea of the male gaze and the fetishistic perception of an ideal woman being portrayed through a camera lens.  Since Fox no longer felt comfortable doing the same thing for three films in a row, he ended up hiring an alternate that happens to be a Victoria Secret model; obviously sexy poses are what she does for a living so this acting job would not be much of an insecurity issue for her.  It is fascinating to see how directors will use woman in order to make money, because for example, this is Rosie's first acting job.  It proves that the image of a woman's body is the ideal way of making profit of a big Hollywood Blockbuster in America.

Hangover Drops the N Bomb

I am a fan of the first Hangover, so naturally I went to see the second one. I was excited and sat down with GREAT expectations, but the movie failed me. The humor was so over the top and the plot was exactly the same, just with new locations. I was extremely disappointed. It depicted so many stereotypes. What angered me the most though was the fact that the N word was used MULTIPLE times by three different characters in different ways, none of which were acceptable. I do not mean to spoil the movie at all but the use of the word was by three individuals who were not of African descent and even if they were I still don’t think it was acceptable. The writers then went on to defend the use of the word in an article by saying that, “For someone to say that word so cluelessly, it’s funny because it comes out of a place of ignorance, and Alan doesn’t know any better; he’s just an idiot. Anyone who would say that so loosely is an idiot. That word can be very inflammatory but Alan is such a dimwit, it’s not excusable at all but you’re making fun of people that would say that word.” I however did not see the humor in it at all.

Source: http://www.eurweb.com/?p=106591

Four Weddings

I recently fell in love with a television show called “Four Weddings” on the Learning Channel. In the show, these four brides believe that they are having the best wedding ever. The network makes them guests at each other’s weddings and the brides vote on who had the best wedding. The winner then gets to take a honeymoon that the network pays for. It seems innocent enough, however you have brides of all economic backgrounds coming together to compete. I see this as a major flaw in the show. Sometimes it is comedic how ridiculous the weddings are and we as viewers know that there is no way that some weddings will win. Then we have to ask ourselves is it fair that the woman who had the nice 80,000 dollar wedding should win an all expense paid honeymoon, versus the woman who had a 7, 000 dollar wedding and probably can’t afford that type of honeymoon. We as viewers even scoff at the woman with the cheap wedding and the editors of the show clearly depict the bad parts of the weddings so the viewers make up their mind that the cheap wedding just cannot win. It also doesn’t help that the bride who is usually having the cheap wedding is a woman of color and of course of a lower class. However, as a viewer I cannot deny that this is entertainment.

Illinois grants same-sex marriage.

Today is a good day if you happen to be gay and are looking to get married.  I had just discussed the notion of the value of marriage itself within American society.  Even though the divorce rate is up to 50% today in comparison to the 1950's where marriages and childbirths where at an all time high, people still want to get married.  What is interesting though is the fact that more and more heterosexuals are not wanting to get married and in opposition more same-sex couples are.  Today Jamie Gayle and Robin Petrovic of Cook County in Illinois where granted Civil union, which is obviously a first for our states.  It is fascinating to see how many gay couples want marriage considering how many straight couples increasingly do not in fear or divorce and breaking social norms.  It is arguable that reason so many gay couples may want marriage is solely because of equality-much like woman not having the right to vote 50 years ago-which seems absurd to us today.  Regardless of reasoning, this is a step up for Illinois because we are one of the very few states now that allow same-sex marriage.  I'm proud of the fact that we are breaking social norms and looking at gays as equals rather than inferiors.  This poses a step up for the gay community, and a step in the right direction for the entire nation.

link: http://www.suntimes.com/5712829-417/gay-couples-line-up-for-licenses-as-illinois-civil-union-law-takes-effect.html

The Great Idiot of Social Science Goes Too Far

Satoshi Kanazawa, author of a very contentious blog in Psychology Today recently wrote (and quickly deleted) a very racist post. However, you can't really delete anything on the internet. It's right here. Some things you should know about Satoshi Kanazawa: there is currently a campaign for his dismissal from the University of London as a professor of economics, when you search his name in google, google suggests 'Satoshi Kanazawa Idiot' (his nickname in the title of this blog post, given to him by evolutionary biologist P.Z. Meyers, has stuck), he thinks Ann Coulter, if she were president, would have handled 9/11 and its aftermath better than anybody else he could think of, he has an interest in prostitutes.

What is so discouraging about this man's existence is that he does everything he does in the name of science. He claims that he knows everything and that he can predict events before they happen, not because he is a genius or because he's special in any way, but because he's an evolutionary psychologist. An evolutionary psychologist. To me, that's just a fancy title for an anthropologist who can charge you by the hour to talk to him. This man is dangerous.

He's dangerous because he's willing to generalize people in unthinkable ways. Furthermore Kanazawa is guilty of something that has been a growing trend with the increasing popularity in reality TV and the internet: he creates inflammatory material with the specific intent of getting a reaction and gaining sympathy or popularity or whatever satisfaction racists get from being racist. I was made aware of this piece by CNN's LZ Granderson so it was obviously very widely syndicated. Content is constantly sacrificed for clicks. That is most profitable, presumably. Kanazawa is a professor of economics after all.

Psychology Today had been overwhelmed with responses, and many of their writers took offense to Kanazawa lowering the publication's credibility, he was denounced by Daniel R. Hawes and Nathan A. Heflick with the consensus conclusion being: Kanazawa's research was not objective at all, making it quite racist.

Psychology Today issued this statement last week:

“Last week, a blog post about race and appearance by Satoshi Kanazawa was published–and promptly removed–from this site. We deeply apologize for the pain and offense that this post caused. Psychology Today’s mission is to inform the public, not to provide a platform for inflammatory and offensive material. Psychology Today does not tolerate racism or prejudice of any sort. The post was not approved by Psychology Today, but we take full responsibility for its publication on our site. We have taken measures to ensure that such an incident does not occur again. Again, we are deeply sorry for the hurt that this post caused.”

A BIG Help

The horrific storms and tornados that ripped through Missouri last week left quite the mess with the people of Joplin. After seeing pictures, I couldn’t believe that some people were left with absolutely nothing and even lost family members. Gosh, what a horrible horrible disaster to have happen. While reading an article on CNN about the cleanup that is occurring in Missouri, I saw that an elephant from a nearby circus was brought in. Not only did the elephant provide somewhat of a happy entertainment for the folks of the town to see, but it also helped move heavy debris. I feel that this was a great idea to not only help out the town but also help lift spirits in town at the same time. Some people were outraged claiming that the elephant was in danger. I’m no expert on elephants, but I don’t see the big deal? They are one of the strongest and largest animals, so wouldn’t it make sense to have allowed it to help with a natural disaster? Maybe it’s just me, but I think whoever allowed for the use of this animal did a good thing for the town and its people in an effort to a speedy recovery.

He Did WHAT!?

I don’t know how shocked I was to read about Arnold and Maria’s latest split. I of course that it was sad that the family was splitting, but the part that shocked me most is the fact that Arnold had a love child with a housekeeper 10 years ago!! Apparently, the woman Arnold had a child with (besides his wife) worked at the family’s home for years and was practically considered part of the family, how crazy is that!? And the worst part, is that Maria and the housekeeper carrying Arnold’s child were PREGNANT AT THE SAME TIME! What I don’t understand is how Maria didn’t think something was going on with those two? I mean maybe she did, but im sure she didn’t think that the woman who worked for her was carrying her husband’s child! I just felt really bad for Maria when I heard this (here I am calling her Maria as if I know her). But anyways, I think that the fact he knew exactly what was going on for 10 whole years and never thought to share it with his wife is a very big deal. Also, the fact that he is leading the state of California and he’s that much of a liar get me thinking, what is he hiding from the people of California?

The Name Game

So Kim Kardashian is choosing to ditch her last name, and that is shocking to us? I mean all we’ve heard about is how Kim is “desperate” to get married and how she wants her “fairy-tale wedding”, why wouldn’t she think to change her name? I understand that many celebrities decide not to do so because they still want to be recognized for who are they are and the work they have accomplished, but why is it such a big deal for her to change her name? I feel that it is most appropriate for her to do so because of how much she longed publically for her prince charming. Going along with the whole traditional marriage thing (and not getting married in a few short days quite like Khloe did) it would only make sense to change her name. From the article I read, it seems as though Kris Jenner doesn’t want Kim to change it, especially because of how much her name is worth to fans. But look at Kris Jenner, hers is changed too, isn’t it?

The Wire

OK, I might be a little late, but my boyfriend and I have been watching The Wire via DVD. It was very interesting. I admit, I like it, a lot. I cannot wait until I have more time to watch more of the show. We only got through season 1, but season 1 is all that you need to keep you coming back. The show is primarily about drug dealers, the drug game, and the narcotics team that are after them. The drug lords in the wire are Black, and this is what really caught my attention. I began to wonder would I have the same interest in this show if they were not Black? Also while watching the show, the Smith-Shomada article we read in week 3 stuck out. I am not quite sure who the director or producer of the show is, but I feel that the show more than likely was targeting the Black audience. The show portrays Black men as trouble makers, liars, drug lords, and manipulators. The Wire premiered on HBO, a fairly mainstream network. I wonder if it made its premier on BET would the hype around The Wire have been the same. BET was criticized about showing Blacks in a not so positive light and for the uplifting of Blacks not being their 1st priority. So why is HBO not criticized for how they have portrayed Blacks. Shows such as The Wire are entertaining and obviously made a profit because it had more than one season. I just do not understand why HBO is not criticized for making a buck while BET is criticized for trying to make the same buck.

The show is every interesting and it gives viewers some sort of insight to the drug game and what is happening on a lot of urban streets. However, my concern is the relationship between the success of the show and the television network. AP

The Internet is Everything.

The other day I was blogging for work for Everyday Communications, an educational communications company, and came across a response from one of our twitter followers. This follower is not a teacher, student, or parent, so I was about to delete them from all of our contacts so as to stay relevant. Luckily I did not, because I later realized that they were bringing new followers just for the sake of being interested in Education and the school system in general. Not only did this woman mention us in her blog and twitter but she created many Follow Fridays for us. After racking my brain to figure out why this was occurring I realized there are people out there that just sit at home and look for topics that interest them and research them, interact with them. It leads me to wonder if this is the new library. Twenty years ago, would this same person be going to the library and looking up educational communications company's? Would they be referring us to their friends with Word of Mouth or through letters? Would my advertising and marketing for us cover enough reach with just a newspaper or magazine? Its media and culture questions like these that interest me. The fact that the internet has become such a vital way of communication is insane. Everything is online now, and with society's 'get it now' mentality, there's less people fiddling around in the library checking out books for their information. If they want academic journals they will go online through an accredited academic source via search engine. Really, the question is, will this escalate, and what will this mean for libraries in general?

Cheryl Cole is out.

Recently, Cheryl Cole had been axed from the US version of X Factor after only two episodes.  Simon Cowell himself was excited to bring her along as one of his British sidekicks on the show, but the true reasoning as to why she had been dumped from the show is unknown.  Speculations arise that the reason she may have been let go is because of her think British accent and fear that the American public may not understand her.  There have also been other rumors pertaining to her having to shape up her image to be more visually pleasing to the American Public, and instead has been offered a judging spot on the UK version of the show.  Cole did not accept the offer and the reason of her departure remains unknown as of yet, but many factors contribute to there being some truth behind the rumors.  Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger became her replacement, and Kelly Rowland is to judge the UK version.  It is a mystery why it only took two episodes for her to get released, and shows a very hegemonic way of dealing with the issues if the rumors are true.  By using the pretext that she is hard to understand, it proves that Americans prefer to listen and see only what is most comfortable and pleasing as the UK singer's expense. 

link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/may/30/cheryl-cole-x-factor-judging-panel

You Got the Wrong TV, SILLY Head

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZAAZ7iXN-o

There is a recent commercial for Best Buy's new buyback program, where they offer a ridiculous deal to buy back any item you have bought once the new one comes out. The commercial parodies our obsession with having "the newest" technology available, even though we know the corporations already have their next item prepared before the last one even hits the shelves. The best part of the commercial is the father, who has just purchased a 3D television, being taunted by his young daughter when the 4D comes out. She adorably tells him "you bought the wrong TV, silly head", but she is completely right despite her naivety. This concept is something that is torturing our world, as we are letting the political economy of technology and entertainment overtake any level of sensibility. It is obvious that when they come out with the IPhone 1G there will be at least 5 more g’s to follow, but for some reason we desire each one. This idea is highly reflective of our culture as a whole, because we have become infatuated with being up to date, and have developed some extreme insecurity about not having the latest things. Although this commercial is an advertisement above all else, it does have satirical purposes. Best Buy, a leading seller in electronics, has recognized our recognition of this technology craze, and is finding some way to capitalize on our inherent inability to be content. – C.S.

Should I Dumb It Down for you?

Being simple can be tough at times. If one tries to explain a concept in a simple way, one might think they are simple minded when it could also be the reverse. Harriet Meth is the co-founder of Core Ideas Communications and a full time blogger on Messagedtothedeaft.blogspot.com. Recently, she was asked by a media training client for help with "dumbing down" a intricate idea he wanted to explain in a t.v. interview. Apparently, the reporter and audience were not intelligent enough in the media training clients mind. The client felt it important to say that it must be specifically "dumbed down" a bit. The implication of this is that the client thinks that her audience is stupid which is no way to approach any business decision when it involves potential customers. Insulting one's clientele is an easy way to go out of business and approaching any task with this idea about your clientele gets you going in that direction. A good way of putting it would be to simplify the idea. You can eliminate wordiness and extra fluff by simplifying an idea to it's main core. One can still get their point across by simplifying an idea. "Dumbing down" an idea, or being simplistic, risks insulting the audience and stripping the idea of it's main elements which make it what it is. It can be tough to be simple, but it will pay off in the end. It will also keep respect for your organization if you respect your clientele. - Victor

Ignorance in its purest form.

I came across this article in Marie Claire Magazine which is obviously a magazine that is directed towards women, fashion and beauty.  The article is titled, "Should Fatties Get a Room? (Even on TV)" and it talks about the new CBS sitcom Mike and Molly.  This article truly upset me because not only does Maura Kelly contradict herself over three times in the article, but is rude and disrespectful to anyone struggling with issues with weight.  By even titling the article with the word "Fatties" makes people that are overweight seem like complete outcasts and inhuman.  She clearly states; "So anyway, yes, I think I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room — just like I'd find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict slumping in a chair."  A sentence later she says "Don't get me wrong..."  So the problem lies here that by making it seem like overweight people are undeserving of not only love, but anything really unless they lose weight, the "male gaze" subsequenly is further encouraged with images in media of what is a more socially acceptable body type.  Because these people may be more "aesthetically displeasing" to look at to her and others arguably, it diminishes what is the common perception of regularly shown heterosexual couples on television.  Therefore, a fetishistic view within scopephielia is not possible, and further encouraged.  What bothers me is the fact that she is truly ignorant to many issues going on in America, including the present "food deserts" in certain underprivileged communities.  She states that overweight people should simply get up and get moving, buy healthy food, and "stand" as much as possible.  She is not aware though, that many times the socioeconomic status and location of individuals does not allow for this, because if a grocery store is not present within a 10 mile radius, chances are a gym isn't either.  She may be lucky to be able to attend a gym in her high society fashion editor life style, but it is not fair to ignorantly publish an article pertaining to only a fraction of the population that can allow for the luxuries of the gym and healthy eating. 

Read more: Mike and Molly Show - Overweight Couples on Television - Marie Claire

Lady Gaga Impersonator

In a school district in New Jersey, fifth grade students gossiped about a special teacher that had been helping their regular teacher prepare them for the NJ ASK state administered exams. To reward the students for their hard work preparing for the state exams, this assistant teacher promised the children that Lady Gaga would Skype Video Chat the students. The teacher claimed she worked for MTV previously and that she had the connections to make this Skype video conference. The day finally arrived and the video conference was a success with all students truly believing they had met Lady Gaga online. The students all received personalized autographs to top things off. A few days later, the school notifies parents that the whole thing had been a lie and that the teacher had done this video conference trick in four different elementary schools fooling teachers and students alike. The teacher lied to hundreds of students and allowed an complete stranger enter the classroom and completely lie to them. A student had analyzed the autographs she received with a variety of them online to discover that the whole plan was fake. This has a variety of ethical implications as it involves children who are merely growing up. I can't imagine these students ever having trust or confidence in older people as someone as trust worthy as a teacher blatantly lied to them all. Lying is never good! The reputation and credibility of the teacher and school district is damaged for allowing something like this to happen. What is worst of all is that this involves children who are still learning the up's and down's of life. There is nothing worse then being betrayed at such a young age. You hold on to it forever.
-Victor

Rampage Jackson Interview

When first watching this interview I thought it was hilarious. I thought Rampage gave one of the funniest post game interviews I have ever seen in my life. I thought it was playful, funny, and really out there. I also thought very highly of the person giving the interview who I later found out to be Karyn Bryant. She seemed to think it was funny as well and I thought that she was very cool to understand the joke and not take it offensively.

After scrolling down a bit I noticed someone posting a comment about a Maggie Hendricks who at the time I thought to be Karyn Bryant. The comment talked about how she felt it was sexual harassment so I naturally checked it out. It turned out Maggie Hendricks was not affiliated with the situation and was simply a writer for Yahoo Sports.

I have mixed emotions on this topic. For one, I have worked with many female reporters as per interning with Comcast Sportsnet and having a show on Radio DePaul. I understand how it is a disadvantage to be a female trying to break into the sports field and know how tough it must be to often not be taken seriously. I think that it is especially brave of a woman like Karyn Bryant to work in an industry like MMA which is male dominated.

But I also have played sports and have been in a locker room. I can tell you from first hand experience that a male locker room is not the place for a woman to be in. People are naked or close to it, pulling childish pranks, and there is a high testosterone level. I want to leave it off with this question because it is what I will discuss further in my blog paper: Why is it that we do not see men in women's locker rooms but women in men's?

Wiz Khalifa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1KVDHnM4sU

As most of you know, Wiz Khalifa performed at DePaul last Friday for our annual FEST concert. It was a fun concert and all, but was he an appropriate choice to be allowed to perform at the world's largest Catholic university in the country? As seen in this video and through many of his lyrics, Wiz loves smoking weed and being under the influence of other substances. Sure, I understand the notion of freedom of speech, however, at what does ethical norms and religious beliefs come into play?

I personally loved Wiz being here and think his music is awesome. With that being said, I am a 20 year old college student, not a University president. In the music video, Wiz is seen overtly rolling joints, drinking, and smoking. This all is cool for Wiz in freedom of speech and expression aspects, however, what are we teaching not only kids, but young adults? That if you're famous you can do whatever you want (even on camera) and avoid the law while still making money? I don't want to be a stickler about this, but people make such a big deal about what you post on Facebook, while here you see a public figure blatantly committing acts frowned upon in society. Also, if the cops were to see a picture (let alone a video) of me doing this stuff, I would get into trouble. Wiz is not only staying out of trouble, but making a fortune about breaking the law and singing about it. I don't know whether to call him an idiot or a genius, but whatever the case may be it is strange how our culture works.

Life Without the O

After 25 years of dominance The Oprah Winfrey Show finally came to a close. Not without an epic exit along with a nearly three-decade rise to prominence for Oprah Winfrey, who know ranks amongst the top of numerous “richest …” lists. Oprah and her show meant a lot not only for daytime television, but also for many communities including women, African-Americans, and those who have overcome negative circumstances to achieve success in life. Oprah was able to create a loyal base of fans that not only enjoyed her material but also believed in her message. As Oprah departs from our daily television sets (at least in terms of new topics and interviews) it may bring an end to an era that spawned mainly due to her efforts. Although now bombarded with The Maury Show and other trashy material, there was once a point where talk show’s ruled the afternoon. The iconic life of Oprah exceeds television, and has extended into many facets of life, but also leaves an impact of culture, media, and cultural media. Oprah has remained one of the few strong figures of an African-American woman on television, who is not there merely due to looks or some connection to a man, but her own establishments. As Oprah tried to maintain a certain level of integrity within her topics, many others like Tyra Banks do not take the same importance in everyday substance. This could lead to an instantaneous end of an era, with the Oprah Network not showing much sign of life. Hopefully Oprah’s legacy will lead to even more entrepreneurism in the lives of those suffering with less than desirable conditions. No matter what her impact will be felt forever, especially in this city of Chicago. – C.S.

Not So Large and In Charge

Not everyone is built the same way. That is why it’s always hard to find the perfect jeans. Especially when it comes to women. For example, some are more curvaceous or taller than others. In this case, the women depict different bottom shapes. Those marketing the item are attempting to defy gender ideology. Levi claims, “It’s about shape not size”. Sure, consumers can definitely acknowledge the difference in curves and how this advertisement goes from portraying a flat bottom woman to a very voluptuous one. Its definitely about shape and not size. We do not see “big” or oversized women. These women still fit the ideology of beauty. For example, these women are Caucasian and fit, yet they still have a figure. If women of color were used in this ad instead, it only supports the stereotype. In addition, I don’t believe that these women of color would be as fit. The stereotypical woman of color has been portrayed through the media as only being curvaceous if weight is connected. To further elaborate, heavy bottomed women of color are not fit. They are fat and “its okay”. On the other hand, it is rare for Caucasian women to even be voluptuous. Therefore, Levi acknowledges that there is a stereotype and women of color will not buy the product if they know that the company is supporting the stereotype and trying to create a commonality between the consumer and the models in this matter. Even though they are curvaceous, they are not fat. Therefore, weight is not entirely connected to being a heavy bottomed woman and it supports the idea that it is “not okay” to be fat.

60 Million Dollar Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ixEWrTLiZg

HBO executes a game plan that has been highly effective for quite some time. Their high budget series, usually executive produced by someone whose name will ring enough bells to generate viewers, are almost always brutally addictive. Whether it be The Sopranos, Sex And the City, Six Feet Under, or Summer Heights High, HBO is able to consistently produce series that immediately capture attention. The newest craze is Game of Thrones, a dungeons and dragons-esque show revolving around a fictional country undergoing a civil war. As someone who has never found these shows or subject matter to be of my particular interest, HBO is able to glamorize the show enough to make you invested in its characters, many of which share qualities of over-aggression, a tendency towards sexual abuse, and a laundry list of other undesirable traits. It seems to share similar artistic and aesthetic qualities to Rome, which was once HBO’s most popular series. Research shows that the show costs a pretty penny, with the first season budgeting at about 50-60 million according to Wikipedia. Are these shows truly worth the financial devotion they receive? Although there is an obvious fanbase for the genre, should we really be prone to putting out shows with budgets that could cure many of our economic issues. It seems our obsession with prime time television has driven networks to the point of no return, where high budgets equal high ratings, in many instances minus any real material. Although Game of Thrones is highly entertaining, watching every minute of the episode makes me feel like I’m sitting in an obnoxiously large house with overly priced furniture, and it makes me uncomfortable knowing that this is what our media culture has become. - C.S.

ANOTHER singing show?

When I first heard that there was yet going to be ANOTHER singing talent show on NBC called The Voice, I cringed.

We already have American Idol, America’s Got Talent (technically not a singing show, but there are way too many singers on that show), and coming this fall, the much anticipated X-Factor. So why would we need another singing talent show to find America’s next big star?

I began watching The Voice to figure out what makes it different from all the other shows, and surprisingly, there were a lot of differences. For one, the auditions are “blind”, and by that the coaches (the only judges for this show are American votes) are sitting with their backs towards the stage, only listening to the voice they hear. After the blind audition, there are the battle rounds where the coaches pick two or three of their contestants to battle each other for a spot on the voting rounds, which is when American gets to vote.

Shocking enough, I am impressed with this show. Yes, the producers took a singing contest show but twisted it around enough so it would still sell to audiences (political economy anyone?), but they did it so it would stand out from the other shows.

Singing contest shows sells. We are currently in the era where we would rather watch talent be born on TV than sitcoms. Who knows what the next era on television will be.

Too Much Reality

I am all for the advancements in media in terms of freedom and diversity. However, watching someone at the gynecologist is something that may be taking it to far. Watching a fictional film allows people to separate real from pretend. Seeing someone having sex on TV isn’t too bad because we know it’s for the sake of the program. Watching a man hit his wife on Lifetime isn’t scary because we know they’re acting. We now can watch a reality show and actually see a gynecologist give an examination on a woman as the entire procedure takes place. Although I’m not offended or disturbed by seeing this take place, it just seems out of place. I understand that this specific scene relating to infertility allows for viewers going through the same to relate. This puts Khloe in a realer light to the audience and her fans. It could have been reduced to the simple screen shot of Khloe changing into a hospital gown, and then a conversation with the doctor. We do not have to watch the actual procedure in full length. To the contrary, this helps the genre of reality live up to its entirety. So many people complain about reality shows being fake, but there’s nothing fake about this ‘gyno’ visit.

The Bachelorette

This new bachelorette being featured is a young 20-something dentistry student (don’t let the heading fool you, the full description on the website says dentistry-student). She’s cute, young and not settled into a career just yet, perfect bachelorette right? These demographics would never work on “The Bachelor.” The featured men are always handsome, at least late 20’s or early 30’s and have a well-established career with an attractive title attached. These are men that can be the ultimate success and appealing husband. As for this bachelorette, Ashley, she is the ultimate package for the soon-to-be housewife. She’s young. This means she is in the prime of the childbearing age range. She has yet to graduate from college with her dentistry degree, meaning she can still be persuaded to become a housewife. The fact that she is in college means she still has her intelligence. I think when television shows have a premise like this, we take a step back in the evolution of how we portray different genders and or races in television. The women that actually need help finding a man are the female CEO’s in their 40’s and 50’s that have too much on their plate to get a date. Yet for some reason this show continues to feature people that already have appealing qualities to those people they attract and don’t need help.

#thetwitterrevolution

I will be the first to admit that I could not understand Twitter for the life of me up until about a year ago. Why would anyone want to read the thoughts and quips of relative strangers? What do people even have to say at all hours of the day? Don't we already have Facebook for our friends? Eventually I gave in and made a Twitter account for my self, to see what all of the fuss was about and to see what my favorite famous people are up to. I quickly found out what a useful tool Twitter can be not only for entertainment but also for news and info. Musical artists now are announcing song releases and album releases via their Twitter accounts. Sports stars are keeping fans updated on injuries or locker room situations as they happen. Actors are tweeting about upcoming films and projects in the works. News is delivered in an instant. And once I got up to speed on the format and the lingo of the website, it became a fun tool to use. I now keep my feed up on my desktop at all times via a twitter app, something that I never would have thought that I would do one short year ago. I learned of Osama Bin Laden's death via Twitter, not television or radio or newspaper. I stayed up to date on numerous other news stories through my feed. Twitter is truly revolutionizing the way that people are sending and receiving information and consuming the media. Everything is instant and up to date, and the "old" media seems downright slow in comparison. I think that this media revolution is positive; people are more connected now than ever, and news is even more accessible and fast.

You can be the next Batman.

Kiss-ass has managed to become one of my favorite movies, with a somewhat ridiculous story line, I like it more so for the cinematic concepts of it. As I saw it again this past week, I saw many connections to the readings of last week regarding fanaticism. The story revolves around a teenage boy who is very much devoted to the world of comic books, then falls under the belief that he too can try and become a superhero himself. The boy then buys a costume, and goes into vigilante mode. In his first attempt, he ultimately fails and gets severely hurt. As the readings of Stacey mention that the fan will start an imitation and copying styles of the character they are trying to show tribute for, he decides to partake in the superhero world even if it’s clearly somewhat impossible because he does not have the resources to do so. Although, two supporting characters under the pseudonyms of “Big Daddy” and “ Hit girl” also disguised as superheroes manage to become the resemblance of the modern day Batmans. Their extreme fighting skills and their expensive weapons aid them in being able to have such success in their fight against the "bad guy" in the film. The struggle we see the main character go through, is that of which we have encounter in any superhero comic book. The character has a couple of struggles, yet still manages to be victorious in their “good deed”. The character goes from being a fan of comic books to actually becoming one, the transition of being a regular joe and getting obsessed with the world of super heroes leads to a complete change of lifestyle because of his fanatic beliefs.

The Golden Age of Television

The "golden age" of TV often references the period from the early 50s to the 60s, when television was becoming a fixture in American culture and there were popular and critically acclaimed shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and featured live productions of famous plays and films. Although this period was essential in shaping the television medium, I believe that we are in the midst of the golden age of television and I believe that it is right now that the best shows in history are being made. The number of shows on today and recently that are of high quality is unprecedented. Shows on broadcast television from Lost to ER to The Office to Friends have all pushed the boundaries of TV forward to the point where it seems wrong to call it the small screen anymore. More recently, cable has released some of the best dramas ever seen on television with shows on AMC like Mad Men and Breaking Bad and premium cable shows like The Sopranos and Dexter. These are just a few examples of what is truly a great lineup of shows today and recently. The reasons behind this I think can be explained by not only multiple televisions being in about every home in America, but also cable becoming more widespread and profitable. All of this leads to advertisers willing to spend more on ad space which gives networks more money to invest in some more expensive and ambitious shows. I hope that this trend of shows being made better in terms not only of technology, but also acting and writing because I for one am enjoying every minute of it. I'm just going to need a bigger TiVo...

Did I hear that correctly?

As an avid music lover, I will admit that I like to dance around to a catchy song with a good beat at a club. Although there might be some guilty pleasure which I may not be proud of regarding the music created by the singer Pitbull, I came across the song “Blanco” for the first time the other day. The chorus repeatedly sings “Acercame tu pantalon, Regalame tus Panties” which literally translates to “get close to your pants, give me your panties”. Although, I will admit that Pitbull’s lyrics are never really much on the romantic side. I was more intrigued in the content the viewer was watching while the song played. Of course we see Pitbull singing the obscured song, but we see him going around the city having careless sexual encounters with girls who literally seem to throw themselves at him. We see that his behavior although not quite romantic, he still nonetheless still manages to get the attention of countless of women this music allows him and his collaborating team of musicians to live this lifestyle of women, fame, and money. While the video plays there are segments that show the song along the collaboration movie clips from The fast and the furious in which we can clearly see that the same concepts of women as sex objects and money come into place, and which then seems like a natural state of how things work. The music of Pitbull may be degrading towards women and not much of thought goes into the writing of the lyrics; however, the fact that we hear it with a catchy beat and it seems to become a natural thing in the “party scene”. The artist then doesn’t need to show any respect to women nor come with lyrics that speak more than “let me see your panties” because there is a huge fan base under it supporting this. The music is still getting heard and followed by women who ignore the lyrics, but just choose to dance to the same music degrading them. The artist and music production company will still get profits no matter the consent of the music it self, it seems that in Pitbulls situation as long as you put a catchy beat+catchy chorus+ auto tune= massive success.

Photoshop Deception

With rising levels of technology, more and more special effects can be added to video and photo, creating increasing opportunities for advertisements, movies, commercials, and other elements of media. However, with new opportunities also comes new illusions; with Photoshop, producers have the ability to change images so that they appear different than reality, leading audiences to believe that the deceptive Photoshopped images are actually better representations of reality than reality itself.

One common and well-known Photoshop technique is the one used on women in advertisements and magazine covers. In order to portray a “perfect” female body, editors take the photos of the particular model and use Photoshop to enhance breast size, decrease cellulite, and airbrush over any supposed flaws on the model’s face or body. In addition, color variation is added to make the photo appear more intriguing in color contrast. As seen on the Rolling Stone cover, Katy Perry’s breasts have been enhanced and her stomach has been smoothed over. Similarly, an advertisement for one of Khira Knightly’s films shows Khira with enlarged breasts and added hair volume. For more before-and-after Photoshop pictures, view: http://sastha-knowyourledge.blogspot.com/2010/12/celebrities-before-and-after-photoshop.html

Due to the increased levels of Photoshop used in magazines and television, audiences begin believing that the images are actual representations of reality, rather than exaggerated images. As a result, many consumers view their own bodies as inadequate because they are unable to achieve the perfect yet fake bodies of celebrities. This need to become perfect creates a snowballing effect by increasing the consumption of products such as workout systems, hair dyes, makeup, self-tanning lotions, and many more products that are aimed to “improve” one’s image. Images are Photoshopped because that’s what sells, but unfortunately, we as consumers now believe in the “fake” more than the “real”.

Growing Up Plugged In

I've had to do a lot of final papers/projects for my hospitality minor lately that deal with research of company's background and profile. Through the process of my research, I stopped to think how i was getting my information. I was on each company's Facebook profile. not only do I get a taste of their market demographic, but I get a whole fact sheet of when it was founded, company policies, beliefs, ect. It used to be that in order to get this type of information you had to call the company or look through public records. Now, the way I want information or to view new media is through the click of a button. My Professor stated that this type of 'get it now' mentality was a misfortune to my generation because it meant that our thought progress and prowess to write would be shot or completely lost. That we can't formulate thoughts or structure a narrative paper anymore because our stream of thought is so jumbled and impatient. I can see a truth to what he is saying, but I don't feel that entirely correct. Yes, a majority of my peers do not take the time to outline their thought process for a paper, but we haven't forgotten what we've learned in elementary school about the personal narrative. I feel that with my generation we are special and in between the 'new age' of social media or a quick get it now mentality. We were still brought up to write out our essays, before Facebook, before I pads even. Even so, we are unique because even though we grew up without these things we are still able to easily utilize them all. I think this 'in between' way to grow up gives us an advantage as we are able to use tools like social media and blogging for a professional perspective. We are able to see a blog or Facebook and not only see a platform but a marketing or business tool. We will have the experience ingrained in our heads of how to write structured narratives and essays to go into our schoolwork and online endeavors. I'm not saying that the next generation will not know hows to write an essay well or is in any way inferior from a learning curve standpoint, but I feel that the way they are growing up plugged in, their sense of life, writing, and professionalism may be different.

Kim Kardashian Lives it Up with Midori and So Can You!

Midori tries to grab consumers’ attention by using the bodacious Kim Kardashian to market their product. Her curves and breasts are highlighted thanks to the skintight green dress. Therefore, she greatly contrasts the other women because they are dressed in simple white attire. Kim Kardashian is in fact different from the other individuals in the Midori advertisement. Not only does she appear to be a different race and ethnicity than the other woman, but she also has something that they clearly do not. She is a well renown individual. This is of great importance when it comes to marketing this item with the ideology of being different. If an average individual or unknown model had been used instead of Kim Kardashian, then the message would not be as “powerful”. She is celebrity who has hit ultimate stardom with the success of the store DASH, the show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and various spin offs. Thus, she has truly created a name for herself. A it “could be you” idea is created. After all, what woman does not want to look like Kim Kardashian? In addition, it was also a smart move for the brand to include people of different races and ethnicities because it works to include people of different walks of life rather than exclude. In other words, this creates more than one target audience that means that the company has a higher chance of selling the product. It is also interesting to note that Kim is the only one who is "having fun" and "living it up". This depicts Midori as the key to an exciting nightlife as well because those who are holding a martini are not in on the fun. Lastly, the final touch is that the "S" for stand out is not your typical S. It is backwards so it reinforces the idea of being noticeable.

And when it rains, it POURS

After attending FEST this past Friday, I figured I needed a very relaxing Saturday night. And luckily for me, there were many sappy, romantic movies on TV for free.

My roommate and I popped on the couch with some popcorn and began watching our first movie, “The Notebook”, followed by our second movie, “Failure to Launch.” After watching both movies, I realized there was a theme to both movies during the “sad” parts: there was rain.

This made me begin to ponder about other symbolic movie tricks that directors use to exaggerate a certain point in movies. When there is a fight, sadness, or when someone dies, directors use rain. When there is a happy scene, there is normally sunshine. And if there is going to be a disaster or tragedy, normally there is a terrible storm or fight.

I began to question why directors use these symbols during these particular scenes, and it made me realize that if they used sunshine during sad scenes, or storms during happy scenes, it would confuse the audience members because we are programmed into knowing that when it is raining during a movie, people are sad. We will get so confused if there is sunshine during this part that we will get distracted from the plot and get sidetracked from the actual movie itself.

So maybe it is a good thing that almost every sappy movie has a kiss in the rain after a heart-wrenching fight. All of us girls (and admit, guys) are expecting it. And if there isn’t one, it just leaves us confused in our own thoughts, sitting there with our popcorn.

Pro-Believability, Pro-Economy

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q1eTWs_tls&feature=related

Pro-active is one of the leading acne solutions sold today in the United States, often using celebrities such as Jessica Simpson and Katy Perry to represent the solution. However, the following commercial is a testimonial Pro-Active commercial, which is just as effective if not more effective than the celebrity testimonies.

Although this commercial does not have celebrity allure, it is effective in telling the “acne story” of an average person, rather than someone famous. Since this commercial showcases a non-celebrity, I found it to be more realistic and believable; celebrities look good no matter what, so of course they are going to claim to “look better” after using Pro-Active acne solution. However, seeing an average person with glowing skin is less common and therefore makes the product seem more attainable and effective. When I hear stories from common people, I am more ready to believe them when they support a product because they do not have professional makeup artists and stylists to constantly make them appear beautiful.

In addition to the practical sense of this commercial, the makers of the commercial also took into consideration the political economy of television advertisements. Since they did not have to hire a celebrity or an actress to pose as a testimonial, they were able to spend less money on talent and talent agents by hiring a common consumer of the product. In addition, they do not use fancy camera angles, thus saving money on camera operators and special effects artists. Lastly, by using the photographs of the testimonial’s “before and after” skin photos, the commercial was able to use a simple slideshow technique while maintaining the practicality and believability of the product through the photos.

From BP to DP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0qrTLGkK_E&NR=1

This video is show’s South Park criticizing Tony Hayward and the BP oil spill. This video presents the apology from BP because of the oil spill in the Gulf. There are several choices made by South Park to reveal their view on the BP spill. Although it’s obvious that the BP spill was something bad, South Park highlights how they think the apology of Tony Hayward was insincere. By reinventing his apology, and emphasizing his response to the spill being “I’m sorry,” the audience not only sees humor in this, but this choice that South Park makes is revealing a particular ideology and that ideology is “you don’t f#@k Mother Earth.” We see this being shown in South Park’s choice at the end of the clip to have Hayward say “We don’t just fuck the earth, we DP it.” Now for those who do not know what DP is, I’ll save you the trouble of googling it because it means “Double penetration.” This is a great choice of words because this is not the first time BP “drilled” into the earth and caused a spill. Even the image of two drills going into the earth is brilliant in terms of drawing an analogy to the sexual act of double penetration. Of course this sort of content can be aired on Comedy Central because the audience is more liberal, and this particular network allows for more freedom of expression as opposed to other networks like Fox or TBS, which air Family Guy (needless to say Family Guy doesn’t come close to pushing the lines like South Park does). In the end, South Park brings people to the discussion table because after watching South Park episodes a lot of people are inclined to learn more about the topics discussed. I know after I saw this episode, I got online and decided to do research, to better understand why I was laughing, and this is exactly what a Media literate person should do.

Theory of Evolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt2xvG6-F8E

Although Mr. Garrison’s explanation of retard monkey fish frogs is humorous, it brings up an important issue about Media literacy and how we read things based on our own subjectivity. I watch South Park all the time, and this is one of the few criticisms of our society that they point out, which is we do not like to teach/explain/advocate things that aren’t consistent with our own beliefs. Mr. Garrison doesn’t believe in evolution, and this can also come from a lack of knowledge or him just being dismissive because it doesn’t resonant with his own beliefs, but whatever it is, it goes back to one’s subjectivity. Whether or not evolution should be taught in class, and if so, which one’s is still a debate because the theory of evolution is inconsistent with the Christian view that “God created all things” and that he created “Adam and Eve” as opposed to Adam and Eve evolved from (as Mr. Garrison puts it) “the retarded offspring of five monkeys havin' buttsex with a fish-squirrel!” This crude explanation is also Mr. Garrison’s way of confirming that what he himself believes about evolution, which is that “evolution is a bunch of bull crap,” is correct and normal, therefore establishing and maintaining hegemony while promoting his ideology of evolution being “bull crap.”

The Fandom Trap

After reading about forms of identification and star-audience relations from Jackie Stacey’s article, I thought about how much I truly looked up to celebrities and tried to copy them when I was a young girl. I dressed up like a ballerina after reading Angelina Ballerina and I played hopscotch on the sidewalk because that’s what the children did in Sesame Street. One film that particularly changed my “eight-year old life” was The Parent Trap, a 1998 film starring Lindsay Lohan.

Hallie Parker, one of the main characters in The Parent Trap (, played by Lindsay Lohan,) is portrayed as the “cool sister” when compared to her proper English twin, Annie James. Hallie wears jean jackets, has pierced ears, wears stylish sunglasses, and has an overall sense of confidence throughout the film. After watching this, my eight-year old self wanted to be just like her, so I began transforming my appearance and trying to act like her because I identified with her character and wanted to become just like her. As a result, I began to resemble Hallie by wearing similar clothing and dressing in what I thought was vogue (, for a second-grader at least). I also imitated much of what she did physically, by getting my ears pierced and cutting my bangs to fall past my eyes ever so slightly. Not only did I resemble the character of Hallie Parker in my newly-found confidence, but I also managed to look much like her as much as I could through my physical changes by my hair and ears. At the time, I did not think much of what I did, yet looking back on my year in the second grade, I realize much of what I did and how I dressed during that time was very much a result of The Parent Trap, and therefore a reflection of media identification.

The South Park Humor

I really don’t watch TV ever. I wish I did, because it would make topics for this blog a lot easier to write. I just don’t have time and I’m running around like a madwoman with her head cut off? Weird analogy, I know. Well last I decided I’d do myself one better and put in my South Park DVD. It was the episode that is a parody of 300, where a group of Persians come into South Park and take over a Lesbian bar called ‘Les Bos”. Also, Mr. Garrison (who recently had a sex change to be a women, is now gay because he/she likes woman.) finds that he/she belongs at the bar and feels comfortable there. When the Persians come and try to take it over, Mr. Garrison and the town fights back. What I am getting at with this episode is that Matt Stone and Trey Parker do a good job making light of issues such as LGBT identity and in turn point out the way that media sees the gay community. The episode is not necessarily making fun of gay individuals, but it is showing that the media’s representation of the gay community is skewed and stereotyped. The writers of the show both know that the lesbian community is truly as the stereotypes portray them to be, but do a great job making fun of these stereotypes with the help of various media parodies. In the media today, the LGBT community is positioned as a taboo topic or something to be kept ‘private’. This is unfortunate, but it is the current mindset of the masses. I think it’s great when shows make fun of how ignorant this type of 'group think' really is. South Park usually does a great job throwing out and surfacing ignorance.

Do you Follow Me?

Twitter and Facebook have both become important tools for active social media outreach. In politics, they have now become essential tools for having one's voice heard and for reaching the part of our population that spends most of their time tweeting and liking vs. watching tv and reading newspapers. President Obama made great use of his Twitter account during election season in 2008 which may of helped him win. He is now one of the most followed global leaders with 7.4 million followers; just a few million short of Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. What is super odd about Obama's followers is that the White House isn't included in them. The U.S. Government's official Twitter account , @whitehouse, does not even follow the president. As meaningless and unimportant as that may sound, I think it means a lot about how the government.and the president think about Twitter and it's use for diplomacy. Maybe Obama's Twitter account was a mere tool to get him elected into presidency rather then a tool to have his voice heard by the American people. The issue is complicated.

Too Much Too Soon

After reading the latest article for class by Jackie Stacey, I really started to think about how influential celebrities and stars are seen to us “normal” people. I started to think about how I personally regard these people are being more “special” than the average Joe and also how I tend to copy/follow their lead. One show that stood out most to me when I thought about this topic was Toddlers & Tiaras. Even though I have only seen the show a few times, I still can’t believe that these mothers force their daughters to imitate/idolize the life and characteristics of older pageant queens. The mothers, by dolling up their children to the extreme, are only creating a sense of spectatorship for their girls to feel pressure to look and act “perfect”. The young girls pretend, resemble, imitate, copy and consume all that they see in pageant life. Most of the time, their own mothers, who want them to act and look much older and mature, influence this. I believe this is impossible to do because it is so unrealistic. You can’t expect a toddler to have the maturity level nor the patience as that of an 18-year-old girl. In my opinion, the fandom must come to halt and maybe these young girls would be able to enjoy the childhood they should have had all along.

Friday Night Lights

NBC has recently began airing episodes of Season 5 of Friday Night Lights. In the last episode, someone came up to Vince asking for five grand. Vince's father who was recently let out of prison and is currently on parole took the situation into his own hands by beating the man, taking his gun and telling him to leave his family alone.

It is situations like that showcase the true genius of the show. You are torn between what you want him to do because in one perspective, you want him to stay out of trouble and be a good father figure, but with the other you want him to take this fool out and protect his family. The depth and complexity of the situation are notable because there is not right or wrong answer. He must do what he feels is best deep down inside of him.

The decision becomes more than just a choice, but rather a conflict of ethical values. What is right in the situation? The fact that he chose to beat the man up shows the author's message that sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. He is encoding to take matters into your own hands and protect your family at all cost. And the way he shows it (by bringing him alone behind the football stadium) makes me decode that it was the right thing to do because he did not get caught. All in all, it was an intense couple of scenes.

Twilight Poster

In terms of fandom, the Twilight series is one of the most recent big obsessions with a large audience. Variations of people are literally obsessed with the films and books. Young girls are waiting hours to see the newest film, people are tattooing names of characters to their body and fans feel like the movie is actually a part of their life. This is a shot of a blog entry on E!’s website. There is no preview, no spoiler alerts of the film or any clues at all. It’s a simple poster with the name of the latest movie and the release date. The blog post says, “It’s finally here!” There is clearly this element of surprise and excitement for fans. They have read the books and watched the previous films. This poster release draws them into the upcoming movie. The creators of the film understand the dedication of the audience. The release of this poster is a tease. It reminds the fans that there is more to come and they have something to look forward to this upcoming fall. I personally am a fan of the series and the poster does in fact excite me. I watch other films and shows. There is a mental break from Twilight since the last movie hasn’t come out since this past summer. Seeing this poster, I remember that the series isn’t over and I can finally see what happens next.

A (Temporary) End to an Era

It has been announced that HBO will premiere a condensed season of Entourage, with only about six episodes, to kick off the summer. Entourage remains one of HBO’s most popular shows amongst a wide array of viewers, including fans of all ages, gender, and interests that I know personally. Entourage is and has always been a feel good show, the story of an actor’s rise from nothing and ability to overcome turmoil. Yet for HBO, the show is far more formulaic. Although production credits go to Mark Whalberg, who has stated the show to be a very loose representation of his own “crew”, it is obvious that HBO has a definite say in the final product. Whether it be the constant cameos from an onslaught of currently popular celebs, or slick examples of product placement, Entourage is a prime example of the political economy within premium channel television. In order to the keep the audience interested and loyal Entourage continues to style its characters in the newest attire, surround them by the freshest stars, and keep them in new cars. Be that as it may, there are many like myself who are true Entourage fans, and for us it is sad to see the show coming to a close. For the past 7 years Entourage has served as almost another group of friends of mine whom I’m able to check in with weekly. For HBO there is one more season to milk the cash cow, and then a final bow taking a page from SJP’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) and capping the series off with a movie or two. Only to keep the viewers honest, right? Or to keep pouring in money off the same generic formula while the scientists craft the next show craze that will capture our attention every Sunday night. – C.S.

Loving Isaiah Mustafa and Hating the New Guy

There has been much criticism of the new Edge Shaving Cream commercial. It has audiences disliking that it resembles Isaiah Mustafa’s acting in the Old Spice commercials. Both these actors display a gross exaggeration of confidence thanks to the products. They also both highlight and suggest masculinity. When it comes to technical applications, these commercials are similar in the sense that there is a fast change of scenery. The scenes aim to guide the narration to describe how this is the product “for men who get stuff done”. In this case, the commercial begins with athletic men in a locker room. It is not ironic that a football was kicked because it suggests toughness and the bond for sports that men of different classes can relate to. Football is also perceived to be a great way to channel American spirit. It suggests also toughness. In addition, it can be a way to target athletes without excluding the average Joe. The next scene rapidly shifts to a bathroom where a man is in the act of shaving. This is also a way to create commonality for men of different walks of life because a great abundance of men shave whatever their race or culture may be. The scene then quickly shifts to a moment of preparation for a groom’s wedding. The wedding suggests that it comes in handy when there is a special event and gives off the idea that the brand is “there for the customer and doesn’t fail”. In other words, a sense of encouragement is created. Next, a garage is used for the setting. Here, men are showing off their handy man skills. It is these men who can suggest that even the middle and lower class are not alienated when it comes to getting the perfect shave. The phrase, “ no matter what kind of stuff we do, we have to get ready to do it,” suggests that no matter what kind of a occupation a man has they all still go through the process of getting ready in the morning. Once again, a commonality is created. Then last but not least, the final scene is of an extravagant home where the narrator has the ideal women of beauty awaiting him; Caucasian, slim, busty, blonde-haired women are used in this commercial. There are actually two in this commercial at the narrator beck and call. This can suggest that polygamy lives thanks to this gel and the softness of a man’s face. The home scene also suggests social class; the tailored man shows how the man setting the table is inferior; when the tailored nab claps his, the man setting the table opens the door to find the woman waiting for the tailored man and not him. Therefore, this commercial aims to target a variety of men. Edge Shaving Cream is aware that the marketing strategies that Old Spice used were successful and in return tried to use it to their own advantage by creating a similar commercial. Can we blame if it helps their business thrive?

Hangover 2: New story or same old plot line?

I will openly admit: probably one of my favorite movies of all time was the Hangover. Classic comedy that, even after watching it 20 times, never gets old. So you can bet that when I found out they were making a Hangover 2, I was beyond excited like a little kid in the candy story.

But then I saw it.

The trailer that is.

Sadly, it looks awfully familiar to the first one. Similar story plot: friend’s getting married, groom and friends decide to drink, wake up lost the next morning (notice, it is the same 3 guys who got lost the first time around too), one friend is missing, and then the search for that friend begins with the help of a Mr. Cho. Needless to say there are some definite differences, such as instead of finding a baby, they find a monkey, and they are in a different country.

But why is it that producers/directors decide to make another sequel to an already awesome movie? Maybe it is because the first one was such a hit, they decided to make another one. Or maybe it is because they knew it would make profits again, and why not remake something that already made a ton of money?

Normally, sequels end in disaster. I am hoping for the reputation of the first one that this one is at least comparable. Either way I am for sure still seeing this movie, despite all the very weird similarities. I will be keeping my fingers crossed when I eat my popcorn and pray that the director/producers throw in many different twists that keep me on my toes.

And I hope I get a good laugh too.

Dis-comfort Food

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGrqW3nx5HM

There is a recent Popeyes commercial that depicts an older African-American woman expressing her undying love for Popeyes fried chicken. Fried chicken, the stereotypical go-to food for African-Americans, has become a staple of black culture. Looking back on most Popeyes advertisements, unlike KFC, which seems to be more generally accepted and preferred, there has been a majority of African-Americans in their commercials. This may be due to their corporate belief that their main audience is within the Black community, however it does have a deeper affect of insinuation. With the woman who possesses a somehow slightly obvious hint of a Southern accent, seems to represent what American media has defined as the quintessential Black mom. She praises the chicken while condemning their competitors, and then performs a quick dance for her chicken. It seems that Popeyes figured an easy way capture their audience’s attention would be to perpetuate many stereotypes of African-Americans. Using a quick jingle, a flash of fried chicken, and a 3 second dance, Popeyes is able to, perhaps unintentionally, represent the Black community. Although one is much more aggressively promoting these stereotypes, the Popeyes commercials share similarities with a former YouTube phenomenon, “Fry that Chicken.” With these stereotypes being subtly kept alive through all media, it is hard to imagine that we can, as a general population, dismiss the prejudicial connection between Fried Chicken and Blacks. -C.S.

"Someday" he will be my boyfriend.

This actually sort of makes me happy even though I am not a fan of his or necessarily understand "Bieber Fever."  This is a commercial for his new fragrance-for women-called "Someday."  First, I like that this challenges the norms of male perception within society.  Justin Bieber is well aware of the fact that an overwhelming majority of his fans are girls, and most of his appeal is projected solely onto them.  What I really like is that by making this commercial, which is directed towards a female fragrance, he is not trying to challenge the fact that he is not necessarily perceived a masculine figure in media, but rather a teen heartthrob with his boyish look and baby face despite his age.  The point is, men typically do not look up to him for any reason.  In this commercial, Bieber is embracing the fact that his audience is predominantly female, and challenges what a lot of other known "heartthrobs" have done in the past with products.  Almost every time a male entertainer/athlete/celebrity has released a fragrance it was strictly directed towards men, with commercials showcasing that the male fragrance will attract the woman.  This commercial uses a clever reverse psychology; using the female fragrance as an aid in attracting a male, in this case Justin Bieber himself.  Though this may only be a tactic in order to expand his already large female audience as well as a huge money maker, it still shows a type of confidence coming from Bieber about being comfortable enough to do this.  Most men in his position would try extremely hard to shed a heartthrob image by straying away from what actually is making them a heartthrob (feeding into female attention), but Bieber simply embraces it and it shows an internal masculine confidence.