Here we are, at the second last blog of the year.
So the question this week is involving whether or not satirical news like Colbert Report or The Daily show can be considered a mainstream form of culture-jamming?
In my opinion, yes it is. The beauty of these shows is that it "Denaturalize[s] the media images that we see every day by making us notice and question their underlying images" (O'Shaughnessy & Stadler, Media in Society, 214). We are consistently shown the news, but it is parodied in a way that we become aware of possible fallacy and hypocrisy in an entertaining manner. And I love these shows because of this.
However, from the strictest sense, these shows, although mainstream, do not follow the caviat that "Cultural jamming...can only come from outside commercial culture, not from inside the media industry" (O'Shaughnessy & Stadler, Media in Society, 214). which means that any formal media source, like these shows cant be a form of cultural jamming. Although, because they do not sell, or promote any product or service, unless it is a by product of the story they are covering, I feel that these shows in it's spirit, are the most mainstream source of jamming we have.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Demonstrable Demographics
Ok so here goes the fourth instalment of responses.
After reading about the many ads everyone chose, i began to realize how much product out there is being actively directed to us! okay i'm not that surprised, seeing as we are the prime demographic. for the most part, we don't have significant others or dependants to spend our money on, and we have just enough energy (or enough energy to find energy) to do and buy all the things we didn't know we wanted. To live the dream.
We are portrayed as the inheritors, the next generation of movers and shakers. We are next in line for global domination! We are in our Halcyon Days, and media wants to make us into the best buyers and subscribers we can be. Media wants to shape us, Liam Dunal (http://dunsey.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/what-the-hail) says
But that's not all, media isn't coercing us to be supermodels, it uses shock value to continue it's goals. okay that sounded way over the top for this example, in fact, those goals are very important to our wellbeing. Jessica Znaczko (http://jessicaznaczko.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/cpcf-1f25-blog-entry-3-what-the-hail) chose one such article. Not gonna lie, she chose a rather shocking picture, which is pretty normal for a MADD ad.
These ads Hail to us in a very personal way. the first one plays on our perceived inadequacies and the second reminds us that we are very much mortal and the decisions that all of us in this demographic make have very real consequences. These ads make us grow up quickly, which is exactly what we want. we want to be treated as adults, as independent and free people; but at the same time, we can't stand the idea of being old. which is why ads like the one Alison Sparham (http://allisonsparham.wordpress.com/author/allisonsparham/) chose was so memorable and funny. for those that don't feel like following the link, it's a Super Bowl commercial for Taco Bell, where a group of elderly people were pulling late night shenanigans that we are wont to do. This very entertaining clip actually shows us a few things we as young adults love: role-reversal and parody.
After reading about the many ads everyone chose, i began to realize how much product out there is being actively directed to us! okay i'm not that surprised, seeing as we are the prime demographic. for the most part, we don't have significant others or dependants to spend our money on, and we have just enough energy (or enough energy to find energy) to do and buy all the things we didn't know we wanted. To live the dream.
We are portrayed as the inheritors, the next generation of movers and shakers. We are next in line for global domination! We are in our Halcyon Days, and media wants to make us into the best buyers and subscribers we can be. Media wants to shape us, Liam Dunal (http://dunsey.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/what-the-hail) says
" In reactions to this [Nike] ad (and most ads) aimed at both men and women, it is clear that both sexes are “supposed” to follow unrealistic standards of beauty."We are being cultivated into being the smart, pretty, successful ones who are responsible and rake in the Scrooge McDuck-sized piles of money..... to then spend on the products that made us this way. And the Media is pushing us into these vaunted ideals of being a population of Jessica Albas and Ryan Goslings so we can be 'perfect'.
But that's not all, media isn't coercing us to be supermodels, it uses shock value to continue it's goals. okay that sounded way over the top for this example, in fact, those goals are very important to our wellbeing. Jessica Znaczko (http://jessicaznaczko.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/cpcf-1f25-blog-entry-3-what-the-hail) chose one such article. Not gonna lie, she chose a rather shocking picture, which is pretty normal for a MADD ad.
"Although there is no product being advertised in this specific advertisement, it does convey a deep message and warning to young adults. "After reading this, I realized good advertisement sells an idea or feeling, not a product. The implanting of guilt, fear, inadequacy, belonging, and happiness are exactly what good advertisements are selling. It doesn't matter if it's medical insurance or Mercedes, all ads sell implicitly or even explicitly the fear of without.
These ads Hail to us in a very personal way. the first one plays on our perceived inadequacies and the second reminds us that we are very much mortal and the decisions that all of us in this demographic make have very real consequences. These ads make us grow up quickly, which is exactly what we want. we want to be treated as adults, as independent and free people; but at the same time, we can't stand the idea of being old. which is why ads like the one Alison Sparham (http://allisonsparham.wordpress.com/author/allisonsparham/) chose was so memorable and funny. for those that don't feel like following the link, it's a Super Bowl commercial for Taco Bell, where a group of elderly people were pulling late night shenanigans that we are wont to do. This very entertaining clip actually shows us a few things we as young adults love: role-reversal and parody.
"This commercial reminds us who we are, and relates to us through reflecting our lifestyle, and then parodies us... It also reflected our hailed lifestyle, which gives us identity [...] by making the commercial about the elderly, it is in this part that we find the humour."These articles paint us into this paradigm where we are carefree and want nothing more than to be immortal and perpetually awesome. I don't know about you, but that is exactly what I want. And these ads are exactly what I want in my life. A perfect body, to not die horribly, and to still have fun when I am ancient. Even if I have to eat Taco Bell to do it.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
What the Hail?
And here we are, blog entry #3. today I will be talking about how ads target me, the white middle class male student. there are a couple out there that do speak to me more than other ads, but I think the ad that returns to memory the most is the ad from Molson Canadian titled 'Beer Fridge'. You've probably seen it, a busy street corner somewhere in Europe, and a big red fridge is conspicuously in the middle of the plaza. The native population gathers and then they notice the only way to open it is a Canadian passport. then a Canadian steps up (we don't get a good look at him) and opens the fridge and all the Europeans get to drink Canadian beer and they all live happily ever after or whatever.
This speaks to me because most beer commercials are targeted at the young adult, but this particular one is aimed at the backpacker, being set in a unnamed european town where a tourist or backpacker (because he carries his passport with him) fulfills the role of helpful Canadian and 'saves the day'. This successfully hailed me as a helpful Canadian by willing me to accept, then recognize myself as one, then internalize these values as my own (O'Shaunnesey, & Stadler, 2012).
And of course these ads are only tailored to the Canadian, and not the beer drinker in general because the solution or hero is a Canadian and not just any passport. so this relates to my national identity of the Canadian; using the mode of address to interpellate the national ideologies (O'Shaunnesey, & Stadler, 2012) of being Canadian and fortifying the cultural identity that we travel far and wide helping those in need (in this case thirsty people).
Now I am not a huge fan of Molson Beers, but I am a fan of being Canadian. And that is exactly what made this ad successful.
This speaks to me because most beer commercials are targeted at the young adult, but this particular one is aimed at the backpacker, being set in a unnamed european town where a tourist or backpacker (because he carries his passport with him) fulfills the role of helpful Canadian and 'saves the day'. This successfully hailed me as a helpful Canadian by willing me to accept, then recognize myself as one, then internalize these values as my own (O'Shaunnesey, & Stadler, 2012).
And of course these ads are only tailored to the Canadian, and not the beer drinker in general because the solution or hero is a Canadian and not just any passport. so this relates to my national identity of the Canadian; using the mode of address to interpellate the national ideologies (O'Shaunnesey, & Stadler, 2012) of being Canadian and fortifying the cultural identity that we travel far and wide helping those in need (in this case thirsty people).
Now I am not a huge fan of Molson Beers, but I am a fan of being Canadian. And that is exactly what made this ad successful.
Monday, November 4, 2013
(non-class related) Death of Halloween
This past Halloween, I went to the girlfriend's sister's place to watch scary movies and hand out candy. and as the night wound to a close, we looked in the bowl, and we had tanked most of the candy. Now, this isn't surprising by any stretch of the imagination, cookies and cream chocolate and reeses are my guiltiest of pleasures. But it wasn't empty from children.
We had 5 groups of kids all night. thats it! What could possibly keep kids from wandering the neighbourhood as superheroes developing a wicked chocoma? was it cold and kinda rainy? Well ya, it's late autumn, this isn't a phenomenon. was it a school night? yes, but it was a thursday night!
I am actually baffled by this. Are kids seriously because it isnt convenient for them to get the candy? No lame hyperbole here, but I remember blown from door to door by a bitter wind! It was half the perverse pleasure of it. I was Batman! what was a little cold to the Dark Knight himself?
I feel like we are experiencing the the swan song of a once great holiday. and no matter how much candy companies and costume makers struggle, it's hard to beat being the easiest costume for halloween, the Couch Potatoe. I am left with very little answers, and just with a bleak string of questions. Where did my halloween go? We as young adults with rock it until we are too old, and then what? Will we see this lovely holiday slip into obscurity and parody? Is it because we have become too afraid of the big bad world to send our children out into the night? To bring home anthrax M&Ms or razorblade apples? To all those that dressed up as something that wasn't a sexy/slutty _____ , I adore you and don't ever change.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wanted: The Media That We Need
OH SHEESH Y'ALL ITS HALLOWEEN!
*Ahem* that was a rather embarrassing outburst, especially saying it in a squeaky high pitched voice that startled the roommates. but now for the nitty gritty.
After reading blogs (mostly by clicking random links shotgun-style) I've seen that for the most part we all believe that we get the media we want. I too believe that the media does in fact give us what we want, however, the thing we want is to be entertained not informed. We see this during election times, where we reduce complex arguments into soundbites or "zingers" so we can have the Coles notes to eliminate our need to overthink and research. Lauren Stirling (http://lostirling.wordpress.com) says it perfectly.
Christina Clark (http://cclark865.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/the-media-we-want/) agrees.
"Why do witches burn?"
"Because they are made of wood."
"How do we tell if shes made of wood?"
"see if she floats"
"What also floats?"
"A duck"
"So if she weighs as much as a duck, then the is made of wood."
"And therefore...."
"SHE'S A WITCH"
Ya.
*Ahem* that was a rather embarrassing outburst, especially saying it in a squeaky high pitched voice that startled the roommates. but now for the nitty gritty.
After reading blogs (mostly by clicking random links shotgun-style) I've seen that for the most part we all believe that we get the media we want. I too believe that the media does in fact give us what we want, however, the thing we want is to be entertained not informed. We see this during election times, where we reduce complex arguments into soundbites or "zingers" so we can have the Coles notes to eliminate our need to overthink and research. Lauren Stirling (http://lostirling.wordpress.com) says it perfectly.
"how can I not believe that we get the media we want? Without our approval there is no platform for the media. Therefore, we get what we want from the media, not the other way around."We get exactly what we want! it just doesn't happen to be anything really compelling. we have to actively search it out, our programs are rarely interrupted with a breaking news story. We DO get what we want, just not what we need.
Christina Clark (http://cclark865.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/the-media-we-want/) agrees.
"When we look at an image, we believe it is a snapshot of reality; however, pictures are often edited to portray a certain idea."We get our thirty seconds of news before someone puts on a squirrel on water skis. We need to have a villain in every aspect of life and a very clear hero or we will flip the channel or page or whatever. Veronica Field tends to agree (http://veronicatmeow.blogspot.ca)
" If the 9 o’clock news reports stuff I don’t care about, stuff that most people don’t care about, their ratings will drop and they will no longer be receiving the money they require to continue reporting on these issues."We as a mob want to be led to conclusions, we want to grab our pitchforks but I'll be damned if I'm the one to decide who to burn. We need to have things dumbed down to the point of step by step.
"Why do witches burn?"
"Because they are made of wood."
"How do we tell if shes made of wood?"
"see if she floats"
"What also floats?"
"A duck"
"So if she weighs as much as a duck, then the is made of wood."
"And therefore...."
"SHE'S A WITCH"
Ya.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Week 2 bonanza
Week 2: Do we get the media we want, or want the media we get?
Ok so here we are in the second week of bloggage. and the question is a rather good one.
Personally, I am a staunch believer that we get the media we want. I want media that makes my brain wrinkle, or viral marketing that sells me something without even knowing it. But for the rest of the world, it seems the masses want reality in its grittiest, its most dramatic, and lets face it, most unreal. and lo and behond, that is what we get.
We are addicted to the soundbite, to the cat fights and the unbiased (but really incredibly biased) sequence cut together by using "camera angles, music, editing, slow motion and so on... [to] manipulate events in perticular ways." (O'Shaughnessy, & Stadler, 2012).
I will be the first to say that video games are awesome. Violent video games are pretty awesome as well. There's nothing funner than sniping someone and knowing that you didn't just make a widow. It's the rush of coming out the victor in a mock life or death situation that empowers us as people in a life where we may not be the victor at all. That is what is so alluring and intoxicating, and that is why there is tons of Call of Dutys and Battlefields. And then there are the Helter Skelter people who's gaming bleeds into the real world. But it isn't video games that pointed the real guns or built the real bombs, it is the violence that resided in these individuals that makes them violent. "If violent feelings are really there, cencorship won't make them go away." (O'Shaughnessy, & Stadler, 2012)
For the tens of people that read this, either by accident or because of the assignment, I will now stop my video game rant, I feel like it is an argument that any gamer or lover of the medium will say over and over again. So, for you I will say again, this kind of media, whether it be television gold like Duck Dynasty or Jersey Shore, or graphic masterpieces like Gears of War or Call of Duty, they wouldn't get multiple seasons or spinoffs or sequel upon sequel if this wasn't the opiate of our modern day masses.
Work Cited:
O’Shaughnessy, M., & Stadler, J.. (2012). Media and Society. 5th Ed. South Melbourne, Oxford University Press.
Ok so here we are in the second week of bloggage. and the question is a rather good one.
Personally, I am a staunch believer that we get the media we want. I want media that makes my brain wrinkle, or viral marketing that sells me something without even knowing it. But for the rest of the world, it seems the masses want reality in its grittiest, its most dramatic, and lets face it, most unreal. and lo and behond, that is what we get.
We are addicted to the soundbite, to the cat fights and the unbiased (but really incredibly biased) sequence cut together by using "camera angles, music, editing, slow motion and so on... [to] manipulate events in perticular ways." (O'Shaughnessy, & Stadler, 2012).
I will be the first to say that video games are awesome. Violent video games are pretty awesome as well. There's nothing funner than sniping someone and knowing that you didn't just make a widow. It's the rush of coming out the victor in a mock life or death situation that empowers us as people in a life where we may not be the victor at all. That is what is so alluring and intoxicating, and that is why there is tons of Call of Dutys and Battlefields. And then there are the Helter Skelter people who's gaming bleeds into the real world. But it isn't video games that pointed the real guns or built the real bombs, it is the violence that resided in these individuals that makes them violent. "If violent feelings are really there, cencorship won't make them go away." (O'Shaughnessy, & Stadler, 2012)
For the tens of people that read this, either by accident or because of the assignment, I will now stop my video game rant, I feel like it is an argument that any gamer or lover of the medium will say over and over again. So, for you I will say again, this kind of media, whether it be television gold like Duck Dynasty or Jersey Shore, or graphic masterpieces like Gears of War or Call of Duty, they wouldn't get multiple seasons or spinoffs or sequel upon sequel if this wasn't the opiate of our modern day masses.
Work Cited:
O’Shaughnessy, M., & Stadler, J.. (2012). Media and Society. 5th Ed. South Melbourne, Oxford University Press.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
1F25 post 1: media impact
Why you never have to leave the house:
Mass Media Is everywhere. Duh. I'm sitting here drinking a beer, with one eye watching highlights while simultaneously texting friends, sharing new movie trailers with people on facebook, playing plants vs. zombies on my iPad ALL while writing this blog. Insane multitasking skills aside, this is the world we live in. We as a collective have one foot on the ground and the other in the swift current of the interwebz. why does this even matter? Well it's simple. It's because we can! I CAN sit here with all these distractions and still belt out a half decent blog. And that's what is starting to scare me. This world we live in is starting to scare me.
I get the distinct impression that we are gonna all die before the sun rises tomorrow morning unless I trade my gold for cash, or buy a Dodge Ram. the world is sensationalized into this fear of have-nots. If I dont have the New iPhone 5S I will die. If I don't have a tablet no one will like me. My worldview has been molded into this hodge-podge of abject fear of eyes in the sky and frustration that I dont have an eye in the sky of my own. And these celebrities that we have created confuse me the most.
We have (had?) people like Tila Tequila, or Kim Kardashian, where they are famous because they are famous. we face these kind of paradoxes in media on a regular basis; in between nice hot bowls of Trolls, Spam and Grammar Nazis.
Sidenote: Is honey boo boo still a thing?
It is safe to say that we have been successfully integrated into our own personal bubble of information, where we have the world at our feet and humanity's greatest invention in my pants pocket. as I sit here in Isaac's Skybar, I see the tops of a ton of people's heads. not becuase of my vantage point, but because most of them are on their phone. The world tells us that there is so much out there to get us, I am beginning to miss sleeping in a tree with a makeshift spear to ward of the lions tigers and bears.
Sidenote: is honey boo boo still a thing?
"Theres nothing to fear but having an outdated iPhone" ~Abraham Lincoln
Mass Media Is everywhere. Duh. I'm sitting here drinking a beer, with one eye watching highlights while simultaneously texting friends, sharing new movie trailers with people on facebook, playing plants vs. zombies on my iPad ALL while writing this blog. Insane multitasking skills aside, this is the world we live in. We as a collective have one foot on the ground and the other in the swift current of the interwebz. why does this even matter? Well it's simple. It's because we can! I CAN sit here with all these distractions and still belt out a half decent blog. And that's what is starting to scare me. This world we live in is starting to scare me.
I get the distinct impression that we are gonna all die before the sun rises tomorrow morning unless I trade my gold for cash, or buy a Dodge Ram. the world is sensationalized into this fear of have-nots. If I dont have the New iPhone 5S I will die. If I don't have a tablet no one will like me. My worldview has been molded into this hodge-podge of abject fear of eyes in the sky and frustration that I dont have an eye in the sky of my own. And these celebrities that we have created confuse me the most.
We have (had?) people like Tila Tequila, or Kim Kardashian, where they are famous because they are famous. we face these kind of paradoxes in media on a regular basis; in between nice hot bowls of Trolls, Spam and Grammar Nazis.
Sidenote: Is honey boo boo still a thing?
It is safe to say that we have been successfully integrated into our own personal bubble of information, where we have the world at our feet and humanity's greatest invention in my pants pocket. as I sit here in Isaac's Skybar, I see the tops of a ton of people's heads. not becuase of my vantage point, but because most of them are on their phone. The world tells us that there is so much out there to get us, I am beginning to miss sleeping in a tree with a makeshift spear to ward of the lions tigers and bears.
Sidenote: is honey boo boo still a thing?
"Theres nothing to fear but having an outdated iPhone" ~Abraham Lincoln
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)