Many people could depict this commercial in a variety of ways. I analyzed it using ideological, autobiographical, non-verbal and production element methods.

From an ideological standpoint, Verizon Wireless is advertising that everyone is so into their technology that they are incapable of communicating with their family. Also, it seems to show that people only socialize with the people within their phone and ignore those around them. This commercial shows how it must be frustrating for parents who do have children who cannot set down their phone for 5 minutes to have a normal conversation. I think the role reversal was a smart choice because kids viewing the commercial may put themselves into their parents' shoes the next time a situation like the one depicted occurs. The family is shown to be an average family- not rich or not poor- which would target more of the public and let people know that everyday people have these phones that get Twitter and Facebook updates as well as are great for text messaging.

From my perspective, this commercial is somewhat rude. It seems like they are making fun of kids for being so attached to their cell phone but they are exaggerating the situation to make a point. This can make adults who don't have kids or who aren't around kids often believe that is how they truly behave (how the parents in the commercial are acting). On the other hand, a person may look at it from another view point and claim Verizon is saying adults/parents are getting into the texting as well as social networking hype. I personally think the role reversal was a smart choice because it creates humor, which then you are more likely to remember later on. Even if you don't have Verizon Wireless as a cell phone provider, it may create a positive reputation of them in your eyes. The children are embarrassed by their parents, which I can relate to. My parents both have Facebook and I can relate. My dad is friends with many of my friends and he likes to comment on their status or pictures. At least all of my friends and classmates think he is a hilarious guy so it doesn't bother me too much.

There are many non-verbal elements to analyze this commercial from. First, the parents don't look up the entire time that their kids are talking to them, ignoring every word they say. Also, the mom holds up her hand as to say "hold on" to her daughter because she is texting and too busy to listen to her. Also, the father is practically laying down in his chair because he is slouched down so much. This shows he doesn't care, he is comfortable and he doesn't feel the need to be taken seriously. It is strange that even though the parents are acting like kids and the kids like the parents, they are still dressed in normal attire. It makes me wonder why they didn't have the parents dress more trendy and the kids more conservative. It may be because the commercial's purpose was to show are parents are getting into the new texting and online technology instead of making fun of teens (the way I perceive it).

Analyzing the production elements is difficult for this commercial. There are no special effects or obvious editing that took place. I do find it odd that the creators of the commercial took on the view point that they did. It almost seems that Verizon is making fun and bashing their own technology. They show that cell phones are becoming a problem within families. You would think they would want to give off a positive attitude towards cell phones instead of a negative one.

This was just a simple analysis of this particular commercial; with more people's opinions included it could be much more in-depth and have an array of viewpoints.

Tuning In

If the radio isn't on in the car, I go just a little bit crazy. Last winter, my radio was out in my precious car which made driving difficult. The drives weren't nearly as enjoyable until my sister and I decided we were going to be our own radio station and sing the songs ourselves. I'm sure no one would have wanted to listen to our show since we both would be classified as tone deaf.

There are so many reasons why I love to listen to the radio but the only time I listen to it is in the car. I listen to music as much as possibly but not from the radio, rather from my iPod. My iPod can go where every I go, can listen more easily to what I want and can avoid the commercials. In the car, I always have a variety of stations programmed so I'm always able to find one to fit my mood. I mostly listen to the radio for the music but, I also hear news stories through the radio. It is something to keep me entertained and focused, especially on my 4 1/2 hour drive home from school on the flat lifeless land of Northwestern Minnesota. I also love the radio because it introduces me to new artists, bands and songs that I otherwise probably would have never listened to. After hearing a song multiple times, I grow to love it. There are few songs that make me switch to a new station. Since I love most of what I hear on the radio, it is where about half of the songs on my iPod were first heard. It would take too much time and effort to search the internet, iTunes, myspace or a store of CDs to find the music that suites me.

I can also see some negatives with the radio. It can be classified as a gatekeeper, meaning it determines what the public hears and doesn't hear. They get to decide which news to mention, which songs to play, how many times to play it and they can also give their opinion on artists which could influence listeners negatively (or positively, depending). The songs that are played on the radio are the ones that become popular. Or it is vise-versa; they are only played if they are popular. But how would they gain popularity if they weren't on the radio in the first place? Another downfall to radio is the variety of stations. Here in Fargo, I have come to realize that 95% of the radio stations play country music (which I am not a fan of). This is frustrating for me because I do not have the music that I prefer available to me. I suppose if I grew up in the area of the nation I would automatically listen to country music and like it since it is in demand. Coming from the Twin Cities area, I am used to a more broad spectrum of stations like rap, hip-hop, pop, rock, top-40, and yes, even country.

The only change I would make to all radio stations is to reduce the amount of commercial time. It is then that I switch to a new station and if I like what I'm hearing I'll keep it there instead of switching back like I would for a TV show.

I wouldn't give up listening to the radio to though. It is a different type of media compared to film or TV where you have to be paying attention. Radio is nice just to have as background noise and it doesn't matter if you are actually listening or not. Music in general has such a powerful effect on people. Music and lyrics are a way for people to express themselves. Also, listening to the lyrics helps people through good and bad times. In bad times, when a song is found that relates to what a person is going through there is a sense of relief knowing someone else out there has gown through the same thing and made it out okay.

I personally love the radio. I am not sure what if I would be able to enjoy driving as much if it wasn't installed in every car. I guess my sister and I would perfect our singing skills.

Defamation: Kirstie Alley

Would you like to have pictures taken of you at random and then posted all of the tabloid referring to how fat you are? If they media is noticing it, I'm positive the "fate" person already knew they had eaten a few too many cookies. These demeaning accusations have been happening to actress Kirstie Alley for the past few years. 

 

Anyone walking by a newsstand would surely notice the "TOO FAT!" before anything else with it's bright yellow coloring and large font and all. Since they are intrigued by this statement, they take another look and notice the not so faltering image of the former Cheers star. Also, the red boxes near her picture to a great job tricking the eye into believing she is actually bigger than she truly is.

They make it seem like her pale yellow jacket extends behind the boxes reading "Kirstie's Rage and She has a new medical procedure..." by framing her body. This particular tabloid from 2 years ago claimed that Kirstie was fired from Jenny Craig because she was "too fat." This is far from the truth. Soon after the article was published Kirstie decided to sue for the false statements. According to a USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-02-20-kirstie-alley-jenny_N.htm) article, the vice-president of Jenny Craig, Scott Parker, said the company did offer to renew her contract but she denied. At the time Alley had hopes to start her own weight-loss brand so she had wanted to focus on that. She followed through with her plan. Just this year she launcher her organic diet program called Organic Liaison. But honestly, how many people would do further research to find all of this out? Not many. I mean, it was the breaking news on the front cover it has to be true, right?

This article violates many different ethical aspects. First off, there was no truth in the claim at all. Yes, it is a gossip magazine, but they should be required to stick to the facts and research their sources further. Alley was not fired for her weight. She wasn't even fired! She decided to change her career direction. Alley has every right to sue the National Enquirer for their wrongful accusations. This magazine also violated Alley's personal rights. Since this was published information that is hurt her reputation it is considered slander. Gossip magazine are infamous for this. It seems strange the government can allow this to keep happening on a daily basis and the celebrities can do nothing to stop the paparazzi.
Yes, Kirstie Alley has fluctuated in her weight over time. But doesn't everyone? She obviously knows it, too. She doesn't need to walk into a grocery store and see herself on the tabloid to know that she has gained some weight. Everyone has heard false statement about themselves or had the truth stretched. Either way, no one one likes to hear incorrect claims but having them published for the world to see is another. I can't even imagine how many people saw the cover of this magazine and took it for truth. The media shouldn't be able to comment on people's weight because it is a sensitive issue to many. The only time it should be okay is if they person is if their health is in serious concern (too thin or too heavy).

The National Enquirer would probably claim that they had heard this story from multiple sources which gave them reason to publish it. Another defense may be the point of their magazine is to publish stories of celebrity gossip. Gossip though, most of the time isn't true information and deals with a person's private life. The National Enquirer may also say that they had a deadline to meet and needed a story. All of these potential defenses are ridiculous. No one should ever have information published about them which is one: false and two: hurtful.

Effects from the Media

What effect(s) do(es) the media have on you? Think about your interests, your personality, your styles, purchases, etc.

The media does have a big effect on everyone no matter how much or little you pay attention to the media. Personally I believe the clothes that I buy are mostly because of the media. While reading a magazine I also notice the different styles of the models in the advertisements. Since models usually look gorgeous no matter what, it makes a consumer think that if they had that cardigan or pair of shoes they will look/feel just as gorgeous as the model. This also makes someone, like myself, feel they will be accepted by society, friends, strangers, and family if they wear the clothes that are shown on models. 

As a female, the media also shows me the "ideal" woman. Celebrities are extremely slim and tall, neither of which apply to me. That can make me frustrated since many clothes today are being made to model a celebrity's body. This new trend makes me feel as if I need to become thinner in order to fit into today's "fashionable" clothing. This is also reinforced when I hear guys talk about how hot or attractive an actress or singer is. Knowing that they like her gives me an idea of what they want, so I should strive to look like her. 

I don't feel like this has effected me but, I have noticed that high school and middle school girls are much more catty today than every before. I feel like this is because of reality TV shows. These young girls watching feel like it's okay and perfectly normal to fight in public to create a scene or to create drama just because it makes things interesting just as they do in the television shows such as The Hills, Laguna Beach and Jersey Shore. Since these shows are One: on TV, Two: popular, and Three: have rich and pretty cast members the girls watching want to be like them. They need to realize how rude and disrespectful they truly are being.

The media also affects the music I listen to. I listen to a variety of radio stations that play rap, hip-hop, country, pop, alternative and the list goes on. When I hear a song for the first time, I'm usually not fond of it for some reason or another. But as time goes on the song without doubt grows on me. Just hearing it over and over again, hearing other people sing it and believing if it's on the radio then it has to be good leads me to start eventually singing along. 

Why do you think these are media effects (i.e., why aren't they due to influences from friends, family, etc.?)

I think the media affects us more greatly since it seems to be of higher authority than our parents or friends. Also, we love to watch TV, movies, catch up on celeb gossip and in each of one of these our ideas about how we should act, what we should buy, how we should dress is reinforced. We see it repeatedly. When if our family members should say anything or try to influence us one way or another, they don't do it multiple times a day like the media does. Another thing is, if a family member doesn't see us change our mind they probably won't attempt again. For instance, if a girl tells her mom, "Listen to this song! It's my favorite!" and the mom responds with "Okay, I will in a bit" yet the mom never does listen to the song. Maybe a few weeks later the girl says asks, "Hey mom, did you ever listen to that song?" and she replies with a "No" the girl is going to feel disappointed and less likely to tell her again to listen to the song. But if the mom hears the song on the radio she doesn't have much choice but listen to it when in the other situation the mother had to make the conscious effort to find the song and listen to it.

Understanding Media and Social Change Evaluation

1) What about this class do you enjoy and/or find interesting? What would you like us to do more of?

I think everything we cover in class is very interesting because media is something that is apart of everyone's life no matter what. But I'm more interested in the more popular mediums of today such as the Internet and television. There hasn't been a day that I haven't enjoyed class because you make it enjoyable with energetic presentations and also throw in witty side comments.

Even though the class is rather large you are able to make it feel smaller by the online text polls. I hope we continue do more of them each week.

Also, the movie clips and music videos that you include in the power points because they help me remember the information better.

So far my favorite class was this past week when Jennifer presented her information on magazine and self-image.

The homework also is very manageable. The only thing I'm worried about the group presentation is not having enough time to practice with my group before we present in front of the class.

2) What about this class do you not enjoy so much and/or would like to see improvement on?

I think having more of a structured time to meet with our group would have been good. You told us to meet with our group after class but most kids would just leave. It would have been more effective to have us meet in group at the beginning of class.

There isn't anything that comes to mind when that I think would improve the class. I think after the first test and round of presentations that could change though.

Living in an Talking Culture

"Many scholars believe that we have moved from living in a “print culture” to living in an electronic media culture that is in many ways more similar to an oral culture."

I do believe that we are turning away from books and newspapers and I believe it has a lot to do with our culture. We seems to be constantly on the move and our attention span is decreasing as the years pass which is why we prefer to hear information rather than read it. Reading take more concentration and cognitive effort. As a society we want things be quick, easy and efficient.

Just think about it. On the way to work you can listen to the morning radio and catch the main events in the news for the day instead of sitting down to read the news paper. Its a win-win. You get have more time to get ready for work, possibly get to sleep in longer, and you can listen to it while you are in the car (it may even entertain you as you are stuck in traffic). The best part is the radio isn't going to include many of the pointless things the news paper does. They are only going to cover the top stories because their main focus is on the music. 

Old technology is constantly being updated and companies are also inventing new gadgets at the same rate. The internet has created a base for a variety of new advances in technology and some of them include video or audio to send information to multiple people. For instance, YouTube and podcasts. Since these things are new people are intrigued more by them. Anyone can upload a video to Youtube or can create their own podcast on the internet. A podcast typically only include audio but may contain pictures as well. 

Another technology that has helped us move into a oral culture is the MP3 player. It's apparent that music has become very important to many peoples lives with the iPod boom in the last 10. Even though MP3s aren't a way to receive information but it shows how we want to constantly be listening to something while we workout chill, run errands, and the list goes on. We like to hear things. But read? Not so much.

Cell phones also have shaped our culture today. It would be rare to find someone that doesn't have a phone. Even elementary school children own cell phones. They let us quickly call someone to let them know something new or urgent. Calls are inexpensive compared to decades before. Previous to phones, telegrams and telegraphs were used to communicate which would be considered written more than oral even though the taps were heard between to parties. 

For years local paper used to be published on a daily basis. In the last year it went down to only two days a week (Wednesday and then a weekend edition). This was all because of subscriptions were falling quickly. That is a prime example of how today people don't value reading as much as they used to or they have found other sources to get their daily news from whether it be the internet or TV.

Maybe we go through cycles of gaining information by mouth or by written word. At first it was oral, then we slowly moved in to a written era and now we are back in the oral stage.

Maybe.

Nike Ad Analysis

I grew up playing sports. I loved getting a runner’s high or coming home after an intense volleyball practice. Though as a girl, I always felt pressured to be slim and that really hit my freshman year of high school but I started an unhealthy cycle of binging and purging. My self-esteem was a roller-coaster along with how happy I was with myself. It began to control me. I withdrew myself from the most important thing to me, my friends and family. My grades that year were an all-time low for me as well. I thank my mom for caring enough about me to seek help.

I first saw this series of advertisements in 2006 in a Teen Vogue magazine a few months after I was finally reaching the recovery stage. They grabbed my attention immediately. I quickly ripped them out to save them because they had inspired me so much. I felt like it was finally someone telling me it was okay to enjoy working out, that an athletic toned body is seen as beautiful and it’s embraced. Today I have two of them in pictures frames hung on my wall. There are 4 different advertisements created by Nike that are very similar. They each have a similar abstract watercolor background with a close up an athletic woman’s body along with what I would consider a poem. One focuses on hips, another thunder thighs and the other two are on a woman’s butt and knees. My personal favorite is the thigh advertisement because I can relate to it the most.

I have thunder thighs.

And that's a compliment
because they are strong
and toned
and muscular.
And though they are not welcome
in the petite section
they are cheered on in marathons.
Fifty years from now
I'll bounce a grandchild on my thunder thigh
and then go for a run.

In today’s society models, celebrities, and movie stars resemble stick figures compared to the rest of the world who doesn’t have a personal trainer and chef at their side. Women believe if they lose weight, they will gain happiness or the only way they will be happy is if they are 3 dress sizes smaller. These advertisements go against what the media tell women about how they should look. Nike wanted to reach out to the active girls so they can finally accept the feel like society says it’s okay to have bigger biceps than the guy sitting next to you or that scars criss-crossing your knees from softball should be a sign of hard work. They believe it’s great to see your body as an unbelievable machine. They want females to finally have positive thoughts about their body.

My butt is big and round like the letter C. And ten thousand lunges have made it rounder but not smaller and that's just fine. 
It's a space heater for my side of the bed. It's my ambassador to those who walk behind me.
It's a boarder collie that herds skinny women away from the best deals at clothing stores. 
My butt is big and that's just fine and those who might scorn it are invited to kiss it.

The location of where the ads weren’t typical. Most advertisements in Teen Vogue consist of high end department stores or stores where buying one item would eat up an average person’s pay check. Most exercise related companies would only place their ads in a health and exercise magazine because that’s the one place where their message is accepted by 100% of the readers.

Nike wants the readers to change their mind set that it doesn’t take your jean size to determine if you are happy and healthy. Nike believes that a woman who exercises regularly and eats well-balanced meals as part of a healthy life-style are what we should be idolizing, not the verge of anorexia skinny super model body. These advertisements might be the beginning of a new era for the ideal female body. Marilyn Monroe has been an icon for decades yet she wore a size 12. Today in most clothing stores, a size 12 is the last regular size before a lady would have to jump to the plus size section. It is said that model Twiggy started the society’s spread for the need to be slim. In these times, women were supposed to be the housekeeper. They weren’t supposed to work hard and sweat. Times have changed; we now see it as a healthy acceptable lifestyle for a woman to hit up the gym a couple of times a week. Many reality TV shows follow the cast into the gym. They are promoting the healthy lifestyle to their viewers. I think all of these reasons are pushing America to soon define beautiful quite differently than in recent year.

This series of advertisements would consider someone who strives to push their body farther, someone who unconditionally loves their body, someone who doesn't feel the need to be dainty or someone who doesn't define happiness by what their shirt tag reads as successful. They show a new side of success across the globe. Hopefully other women are effected just as I was and will begin to love their body