Mass Media: A Review

     As we've been shown, it is both beneficial and worthwhile to create and make frequent use of a personal blog. It allows one to develop a voice, whether professional or informal, and speak one's mind to an audience. I hope to continue my blog in the future.
     I also found value in doing the Television Projects. Looking at a program in a more analytical light made me realize how the business of entertainment operates. Now everytime I see a comedy or a satire or a dumb Italian sex-maniac, I'll see it more as a stereotypical motif than just purely a call for laughs.
     The only thing that I wasn't too fond of (not entirely) was the articles on pop culture. They are interesting pieces of material and serve a great example of how our world and interactions are ever-changing. However, I didn't think that the quizzes were neccesary. People should read the articles whether they will be tested on them or not. Now I know that's a lot to ask from a teenage high school student, but it's the truth.
     The class in general, while it has gone through some shifts, is aimed to promote a look at the "big picture" of influence via media, yet at the same time a breakdown of things seemingly insignificant. It has taken the commonly unnoticed aspects of social interaction and media and surfaced their true purpose.

That 70's Show
"Vanstock"
(Season 2; Airdate: November 2, 1999)

Summary
     Pumped by his new purchase, Kelso begs the group to take his van to a "hippie" festival called Vanstock. During their stay, Donna and Eric encounter a minor relationship conflict, Kelso creates friction with Jackie, and Fez and Hyde just hang loose and enjoy themselves.

Analysis
     Greatly influenced by Woodstock, Vanstock gathers together a similar grouping of people for a similar purpose- to have fun and enjoying being a teenager. This becomes a major theme of That 70's Show over the course of the series.

That 70's Show

"The Pill"

(Season One; Aridate: February 21, 1999)

Synopsis

     When Jackie thinks that she might be pregnant, Donna panics. She goes to the pharmacy and picks up "the pill," out of fear that their relationship may get out of control at some point. To her mother, she is being a responsible woman. However, her father is more shocked than anything. When Eric finds out in front of Donna's father, Eric bolts out of the room. Later Eric and his parents have a hard talk about making good decisions.

Analysis

     This episode highlights the sense of growing maturity in Eric, while also acting as an eye-opener for Kelso, Donna, and her father. In a time when teen "love-making" was backed by the idea of freedom inspired by social movements of the era, young adults embraced relationships, both romantic and casual more easily.

FutureBook? Really?

     So, this Tuesday a new social network is being released. It's called WhereBerry, and it's getting attention. The site claims to bring people online together for something other than the past and present. Founder Nick Baum says that people can use the network to share future plans and wishes with others. The combination promises to result in more people doing more things that they've always dreamed of. If one posts about wanting to go to a restaurant or the movies, Baum says people will be surprised at how many others will be interested.

     Personally, I believe that this site will be a flop. Facebook is so dynamic that someone can post whatever they want to share with their friends. If they want to post about a future plan, they will, on Facebook. It's the automatic response, so-to-speak, of bored teenagers. It's hard to say if any social network will ever compete with Facebook.

That 70's Show
"That Disco Episode"
(Season 1; Airdate: November 8, 1998)

Synopsis

    The kids want to go to the disco, but Hyde doesn't know how to dance. He recieves private lessons from Mrs. Foreman. Meanwhile, Donna sees them together and think it's an affair.

"Roller Disco"
(Season 3; Airdate: November 14, 2000)

Synopsis

     Jackie asks Hyde to participate in the Roller Disco with her. When he refuses, she takes the unlikely Fez up on his offer. To her surprise, Fez turns out to be a talented dancer, winning first place for them.

Analysis

     Though individually these two episodes seem insignificant, they do emphasize the leisure of disco dancing. The activity became popular due to teenage acceptance of what it stood for- freedom to live. Many of the disco-goers supported gays and minority ideals. It was actually created in response to the growing popularity of rock and roll (and associated lifestyle.) The kids seem to take much enjoyment out of visiting the roller disco because they themselves are unsure of what they really represent as individuals. Also, they enbrace the idea of freedom, and just want to have fun.

That 70's Show

"Reefer Madness"

(Season 3; Airdate: October 3, 2000)

Synopsis

     Hyde was recently busted for possession and put on parole. Mr. and Mrs. Foreman are planning on kicking Hyde out of the basement (his temporary residence), but Eric tries to be the hero. In an attempt to save his buddy, Eric wants to admit to his parents that he "does it too," hoping to make them look like hypocrites.

     Meanwhile, Donna learns that Hyde was actually taking the blame for someone else. She explains to Eric's parents the situation and they agree to let Hyde stay. Suddenly, Eric bursts in and confesses when he didn't need to, setting in the heaviest sense of situational irony. During two episodes that follow, Mr. Foreman cracks down hard on monitoring the kids' activities as a result of Eric's slip-up.

Analysis

     In this episode (and many, many others) the characters reference marijuana use. Its popularity really boomed around the 70's, nicely indicated by the guys behind That 70's Show. However, what I find very interesting is the fact that they ALL do it at one point or another. In today's society (I am surprised to say) people seem to display a little more self control over situations such as this. Perhaps, because of the different social movements going on during that time period (aka. hippies' "Make Love, Not War") the use of the substance became increasingly common. This idea is exaggerated in the world of the program. Confused Eric, snobby Jackie, and even innocent Fez are all sucked into the happenings of "the times." Interesting little fact: "Reefer Madness" is the only episode in which the characters openly call the substance marijuana.

"We're all all right!"

     That 70's Show is a sitcom that revolves around a group of friends living in a fictional city in Wisconsin. Throughout the series the main character (Eric Forman) learns the ups and downs of growing up as a teenager in the 70's. His life is a series of struggles - friends, parents, relationships, misdemeanors, and mostly developing his adult mentality. As the growth of the characters is the most enthralling part of the series, the plot of each episode includes two or three side-plots that involve each of the characters' personal conflicts. With each resolution (or lack there of), new bonds are formed and new trials arise.

 

Trump, Trumped

     During the White House Correspondents’ dinner the guests enjoyed a double feature. Turns out, more than just food was being served when President Obama took some shots at potential candidate Donald Trump. The gathering featured some other classic moments. In response to the nagging over his birth certificate, Obama actually released his birth video.

     This gathering and the comments that followed really opened my eyes, it seems. When I think of the White House, I picture “the government machine” instead of actual people – individuals just like me, earning a living. As naïve as this may sound, it’s the truth. Watching, reading, and hearing the events that occurred during the dinner makes me realize that they too have a sense of humor. The entire Trump bashing can be viewed below.

     Yet, in some ways it’s still the same: put two opposing politicians in the same room and things will surely heat up. So, I guess I’m not surprised that President Obama poked fun at Trump (to the point of questioning his campaign’s potential), because he is, after all, NOT a politician. He is well armed when it comes to business, but from listening to his speeches it becomes obvious that he has no professional appeal. One thing’s for sure. The race for 2012 will be an interesting one.

     Listening to the article as opposed to reading the text article has its benefits. A sound file has the capability (which is very present in this case) of capturing exact quotes. In text you cannot perfectly get a sense of sarcasm or tone of voice. The audio also allows for a better understanding of how a particular sentence is supposed to sound. The fluctuation in the narrator’s voice really says something about the message in the article.

"Obama Roasts Trump"

Google Appeal to Pathos

     Talk about pulling at your heartstings. Last night I came across an article from the New York Times that you can read HERE that involves Google's interesting (and effective) pitch to advertise the Chrome browser. One specific commercial features a father creating a virtual scrapbook of his daughter Sophie using the Chrome tools. While it may seem pathetic, this ad really got to me. It's brilliant. Every aspect of it - the images, the text, the toddler chimes, the pace - comes together to produce an ad that I would consider true ART.

     If you haven't seen this ad on TV or on the internet, I suggest you do so. It might just change the way you view the world of commerce. The content and purpose of the ad (to persuade you to use Chrome) wasn't what stood out at all. In fact, half way through I'm pretty sure I forgot what I was watching. The style and arrangement was very cinematic, almost akin to that flow-of-consciencness style present in The Social Network. Please check this out if you have a free second. I also have posted below another ad from 2009 with a similar feel.

"Dear Sophie"

"Parisian Love"

A New HOPE

     As we enter a new chapter in history, we reflect on the happenings of the past, the struggles of the present, and the hopes and dreams of the future. In light of recent events along with the radical reform of the Arab nations, it can be assumed that the world in which we live will be changed monumentally. As new technologies develop and contact between people becomes easier and swifter, a new generation of humanity emerges - the good and the bad.
     Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al Zawahiri is the most likely to succeed bin Laden as leader. With him comes a greater emphasis on the utilization of the social media. To gain followers, Zawahiri has contacted individuals through sites akin to Facebook and Twitter, bringing his influence a lot closer to home. He has no doubt observed what the power of social networks can do to a country in turmoil, and has decided to adopt similar tactics. It's sad to think that considering the number of teenagers who use these sites, most of Zawahiri's converts are likely to be within that age group. Only time will tell how this unfolds, so speculation is useless. Yet one thing is for certain: the emerging popularity of the social media as a tool for terror has opened up plenty of crevasses for people to squeeze into, and will make it that much harder to track suspects in the years to come. A tough challenge. That hasn't stopped humanity before.

Carell's Farewell

     After watching Carell's final episode of 'The Office', it makes me wonder about the impact that a character like Michael Scott can have on a series and its audience. While he appears to lack managment skills and spends most of his time distracting others, people like him. Michael assumes a laid-back role when it comes to the workplace, but his interaction with the other characters individually is what really defines him in the series. At times when it matters most for his company and his friends, he always finds the power to rise to the occasion. In this episode Michael leaves Dunder Mifflin to move to Colorado. The characters' reactions leave the audience heartbroken, an emotion not usually evoked considering its comedic style. However, this final show for him didn't feature anything too unexpected - which, in my opinion, made it all the better.
     Now, the only question is: Can 'The Office' still live up to the comedic legacy that he helped to earn? It seems like the producers were hinting at the fact that, yes, the show will forge on, by almost downplaying the fact that Carell was leaving. Yet who can really hide the elephant in the room? The reason I watched this episode was because he was leaving, and I'm sure glad I did.

Here is the cast's Rent-style "Seasons of Love," just because I felt it was appropriate.

Sony Explains Playstation Network Crash

     So gamers (yes, you know who you are) if you hadn't already experienced or at least heard about the total lockdown of the Playstation Network, check THIS article out. As of about a week ago the online services, like downloading new content and multiplayer functions, have been unavailable. At first the little Sony blurb that popped up when players tried to access the online connection claimed that the Network was "down for maintenance." Well, apparently they are coming clean. Hackers have breached Sony's security systems for the Playstation Network, opening the databases up to the fiends. In short, this means that they now have lists of names, addresses, and even credit card numbers of people who use the online features (which is about 60 million gamers worldwide).

Needless to say this is a big deal; but, who is really at fault here?

     Customers surely expect a lot from Sony, given its reputation of providing popular and reliable consoles. So as hackers expose the Achilles heel, how will the players react? According to the article, not too well. Yet, on the other side, are people too trusting towards systems like these? Do we depend too much on other people protecting our information?

Mr. Worldwide

     As a follow-up to my last post (and to inspire a touch of diversity to the music scene) I have posted my two favorite international songs. "What?! Are you kidding me? International songs, like, from another country?" Yes, that's exactly what I mean. You'd have to be living under a cultural rock not to realize the value of broadening your playlist. Take a listen and tell me what you think.

Juanes (Colombia) - "Yerbatero"

Helmut Fritz (France) - "Ca M'enerve"

Like My iPod's Stuck on Replay

     Have you ever been listening to the radio and mistake one song for another? To me this happens all the time. Hit tracks seem to be borrowing portions from other popular songs. Artists have seen and heard what works and what doesn't when it comes to catching the ear of their audience. So why shouldn't they do whatever they can to accomplish this? It's a dog-eat-dog world afterall.

     Not too long ago I came across some interesting videos on Youtube called "mashups," or songs made from bits and pieces of other songs. As I listened to them it became apparent how similar modern music is becoming. One poster that has been getting a lot of attention for the past couple years is DJ Earworm. He  does something rather unique with his mashups, though. Anuualy he will post a "year in review" of sorts, where Billboard's Top 25 tracks are packed into one 3-5 minute epic.

You can listen to some of DJ Earworm's creations HERE.

     The point is not how brilliantly he annexes the songs, but simply how he recognizes the popular trends in music. By taking advantage of pop's repetative nature, he makes new songs better (in my opinion), and brings the pot of music culture to a boil.

Hold the Auto-tune, Please

What happens when a video goes viral? A group from UW takes it to the next level.

NY Festival Draws Attention

Lights, Camera, Action!

As the 10th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival approaches, New York prepares for the massive influx of indie directors and other performers that'll gather at this annual showcase. Tribeca founder Jane Rosenthal believes that this year promises even more public attraction then the last. Despite the fans of cinema scrambling from every corner to gather and share commonplace, the event focuses on the city itself. I found this interesting as one wouldn't expect a bustling place like NYC to need any more attention. Yet, the more I thought about it, I realized that this concept isn't uncommon at all. Pittsburgh holds events of this nature as well. So, why NOT New York? The festival stimulates economic and cultural activity for the city and the popular stars usually associated with it. "It wasn't started as a traditional film festival," Jane says. Tribeca does a fine job at giving categories, like documentary films, the attention that many of them deserve. What do you feel benefits more from events like these, the cause or the city? Is one’s benefit the result of the other?