Fireside Chats

Black Friday Crushes Christmas

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 14:47:00 -0500

Another Holiday shopping year is upon us and it is only a couple of weeks from Black Friday and everyone is up in arms. Stores are opening up early, often cutting into people’s Thanksgiving to have a few people save a couple of bucks for their holiday shopping list. Black Friday is the epitome of greed and consumerism. There is nothing that anyone needs that much to risk not only their sanity but their lives on one of the busiest shopping days of the year (and actually the busiest shopping day is still Christmas Eve).

Black Friday concept was created around the 1960s to comment on the traffic and people that would be out after Thanksgiving because there was no point in having to go back to work for most jobs for only one day. The idea of pushing the holiday shopping season to begin on Black Friday took several years to form and created the concept of pushing retailers and stores into profit after the slow year.

Nowadays Black Friday is a stupid reason for people to act crazy. Employees are overworked and they are beginning to fight back. Some of Walmart’s employees are fed up with being under-treated with little to no benefits and are stating that they are going on strike and are encouraging other employees to not show up to work. Walmart’s Corporate offices are sending out press releases trying to calm the media stating that it is a select few. But is it really fair to keep a store open 24 hours on a day that is considered for family and spending time with people you love and then expecting the employees to deal with rude customers at 8pm when their door busters begin and people begin ripping everything apart.

Consumerism needs to be toned down so we can find the true meaning of Christmas once again.

Viral videos also tend to capture the heart of the internet....

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:28:00 -0500

Viral videos also tend to capture the heart of the internet. Especially around this time of year, 12-year-old Nicole Westbrook who use to live in South County (Oakville, MO) has been dubbed the new Rebecca Black.

“It’s Thanksgiving is produced and written by the same producer, Patrice Wilson, the created Rebecca Black’s “Friday” video and being considered one of the worst videos every created. The production company Ark Music Factory has been trying to make a successful viral video since the first initial success of “Friday” with a variety of pre-teen girls singing about various things. Though the video that captured many people’s eyes was the “It’s Thanksgiving” video just in time for the holidays.

The video consists of traditional Thanksgiving food items and a confusing song about being thankful. It really doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially when Westbrook because to rap into a Turkey leg like a microphone. The video has been viewed over 12 million times.

Why would the parents agree to something and spend all this money on their daughter. Much like Rebecca Black who was only 13 when her “Friday” video hit the internet. She was made fun of and sent mean messages by anonymous people on the internet. The backlash paid off because even though it was a terrible song it gained millions of views and even received the attention of Katy Perry (who Rebecca Black was featured in Perry’s music video “Last Friday Night (TGIF)”) and Lady Gaga. So what is the point of spending years of training on singing and music lessons with a manager and talent agent when you can spend a couple of thousand dollars and become an instant YouTube success.

It is unfortunate that the parents of these children think it is okay to exploit their young pre-teen daughters for this kind of media attention. I think throughout this whole ordeal it is the parents to blame for wanting their children to be famous, by humiliating your child how does a parent really think that is good for them? I am sure that the more these videos pop up, the less popular they will become. A viral video mainly happens because it is unique and different from the bloated mess that is often found on YouTube, the copies of copies can only capture the Internet’s attention span for only so long.

It Doesn't Get Better

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 14:11:00 -0500

Dan Savage seems like an overall really great guy, an openly gay man that has started a campaign for others in the LGBTQ community to know that “It Gets Better” after time and to not let bullies bother you. Sure it sounds great, but how much more of a passive anti-bullying campaign can there be? There is no urgency to create legislation or make rules in schools, it is just to let kids that don’t have the same sexual identity as majority of people that is socially acceptable to just lie back and take it because it will change one day.

The “It Gets Better” campaign is a great PR stunt for celebrities and elected officials to get behind as well, because of the passive nature of this campaign it leaves limited need of urgency. Recently, I was reading who Dan Savage’s character really was versus who the media portrays him to be.

Dan Savage tends to be very anti-sexual identity refusing to recognize transgender or bisexuality as a sexual orientation or identity the people feel they belong too. He is also sexist against lesbians in many of his conversations and talks he has given to teens across the nation. The idea of “It Gets Better” (for some people) it solely based on the fact that if you are a white, attractive, gay man it will eventually get better for you. Because at the meeting places for the LBGTQ community these type of people get noticed more and can fit a place inside the ever expanding LBGTQ, but this is rarely true for someone that finds themselves transgender, cross dresser, bisexual, or simply questioning. These people are not as accepted because society has not accepted all different types of sexual orientation or sexual identity as they have with homosexuals (which in the United States is very little for either). When someone fits in the “strange or different” category they no longer are worthy of society and sit on the fringe of it.

This is unfortunate because of the campaign’s popularity, there has been little steam to create more legislation or anti-bullying laws because you are just told to deal with it. Though this is not the case, just like with Amanda Todd more teens are committing suicide for coming out of the closet. Our nation has become so intolerant to anyone that is different outside the norm that hostility is commonplace among many schools. Teens and children have to repress their feelings for months and even years before they feel comfortable coming out to their family and friends.Telling kids to just “suck it up” is not, and should never be an appropriate solution to school bullying that has ravaged and ruined so many lives.

Time would be better spent devoting to other anti-bullying or pro LBGTQ rights campaign that have not received the media attention that they deserve and who need to expose Dan Savage for the foe he really is.

Hurricane Sandy: The Aftermath

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:54:00 -0500

The destruction of the Hurricane Sandy is quite apparent as it blew through the North Eastern coast around Halloween. Many people living in the destructed areas are still without water or any means of transportation, some are trapped in their apartments, hotels, or with family out of the way. Sandy dislocated many people right before the holidays which is devastating. Few lives were lost most likely because the use of social networking and the immediacy the affected areas took to protecting the people. By mandating an evacuation and shutting down major public transportation like subways possibly saved lots of people’s lives in massive states like New York and New Jersey.

Social Networking played a massive role in this natural disaster, that helped locate thousands of people around the city that hasn’t been seen before. Social Networking sites like foursquare were able to track areas affected by wireless check-ins before and after the hurricane. Thousands of people migrated north in Long Island, New York to remove themselves from the affected areas.

Twitter also has a continuous role, with the hashtag system one person is able to monitor and track certain tags and locate people that might not have cell service in an affected area and might need help. This person tracking the system then can call 911 or the fire department to give those people the needed relief.

A massive area of the Northeastern United States was affected and donations and help would be appreciate to help fund the massive rebuild and recovery effort underway.

Wreck-It Ralph: Enjoyable for Everyone

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:10:00 -0400

Disney has once again created a story that allows all generations to enjoy it on a multifaceted level. Wreck-it Ralph is the story of a villain in a video game that feels as though he is under appreciated and decides to hop to other video games to find fun and a different life. Without Ralph in his own video game it is being threatened to shut down, but Ralph isn’t worried because he is having fun elsewhere. He meets a cast of characters that make he realize he is important in more ways than one.

I think that Wreck-it Ralph does so well because it incorporates lots of video game references that all generations can enjoy. The story line is strong to keep children and parents alike entertained.

This got me to wonder, how do the great animation studios able to create something that all ages can enjoy. No one goes to a Disney or Pixar movie expecting to be disappointed because the storyline relates to everyone on a personal level, it is more than just the top shelf of jokes that brings the viewer in but all the little nuances and touches that allows anyone to experience something and have feeling and emotion. Simple concepts become great story lines and Wreck-it Ralph was able to fully capture the nostalgia of arcade games and still finding yourself amongst your friends.

Well done once again Disney, they are definitely the best at allowing anyone to suspend their disbelief for about an hour and a half.

Anita Sarkeesian hosts the YouTube series Feminist Frequency in...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:02:00 -0400

Anita Sarkeesian hosts the YouTube series Feminist Frequency in which she explores a variety of popular culture media and tries to understand themes or concepts tied to feminism. In her informative Lego 2-part series she probably defines the issues that Lego has over the past 30 years but excluding girls from their demographic and making it only a “boy’s toy”.

The beginning of the video focuses on the history of Lego and how it was originally a cross gender toy for boys and girls to help build imagination and develop spatial memory. Though throughout the years Lego has become more exclusive to who they sell their toys too and make it very gender separated with their latest line of female toys Lego “Friends” with lots of rampant sexism. Exclusively having pink and purple blocks in the sets, sexualizing the figurines, and having the variety of the sets create domestic ideas such as baking and homemaking.

Sarkeesian presents the information in an informed and educated manner that brings to light many of the issues of a toy I loved when growing up. My mother did not feel the need to have only gender specific toys in my house and even though I had no brothers I often played with “boy toys” (Legos, action figures, guns). I enjoyed my play and made me feel like it helped me as a well-rounded individual.

Though after watching this video it made me realize how much sexism goes into marketing for young children. From a very early age boys and girls are given gender roles and told how they should act, look, and dress according to their sex. This can be very damaging to a child who is still identifying their self identity and who they are and what they want to be. It can be destructive to imagination, dreams, goals, and aspirations. At the age of 5 the same percentage of boys and girls state they want to be president, waiting just a couple of years till the age of 10 that percentage is heavily skewed with less than half of the girls before stating the same thing. Women and men are told what they should be in their own self identity the moment they are born, this conflicts to the people who they are meant to be.

The past few decades gender roles have been in over time by marketing companies telling boys and girls what toys they should buy and purchase and blocking out crucial areas of development in both genders. Making boys overly masculine and violent does not help with nurturing and sensitivity when they are older and by placing girls in a domesticated box does not help on later in life with self-confidence of wanting to take on a math or science career either. Establishing these well defined lines makes children into very narrow minded adults and these toys are not helping shape their futures.

Put the Apple Down!

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:44:00 -0400

Once again Apple has a special announcement of another new product. The iPad mini and the iPad with Retina Display. As much as I love Apple I am really starting to doubt what they are starting to sell me. Telling me I constantly need the latest and greatest and that my life won’t be complete without it.

But how is my life not complete already when I made a purchase for the latest item less than a year ago and there is something that already replaces it. After awhile it just gets to frustrating to watch the latest Keynote and see what all my other Apple friends have.

When I ask myself do I really need an iPad or iPad mini for that fact I tel myself, “No of course not!” I already own an iMac, Macbook Pro, and an iPod Touch, varying levels of mobility and capability. So do I really need to own another $500 item in my life that will make it “easier”. It appears only more complicated, because I have to worry about charging another item, taking care of it, getting the right accessories, using it enough; and my time is already spread so thin between all my other electronics. My nook that I purchased that I thought would help me read more, only makes me feel more anxious. I don’t want to feel like I have wasted my money but there is only so much time in the day I can devote my time too.

Working at an electronics store has definitely put things into perspective for me, if I am happy with what I currently own and it all works well there is nothing to complain about. I really don’t need anything else, but there will always be people trying to sell me more stuff. When one belongs to the Apple club you pretty much want to have one of everything and that is not a luxury I can afford, so I just have to learn I can’t keep up with technology and that is only a losing battle for anyone that sets that goal.

thedailywhat: Reverse Airbrushing of the Day: This is...

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:30:00 -0400

thedailywhat:

Reverse Airbrushing of the Day: This is 20-year-old supermodel Karlie Kloss.

Those were her ribs, before the October issue of international fashion magazine Numéro Photoshopped them out.

Airbrushing to subtract weight is bad enough, but this?

Yeesh.

[iwidk]

Karlie Kloss supermodel, attending Webster Groves High School and was discovered while she was still a senior. After working several shows and photoshoots and gaining the fashion industries attention she has catapulted herself into the fashion spotlight.

She is known internationally around the fashion industry but has come under the media fire. As you can see you have the before and after photos from an international established fashion magazine Numero. There has been obvious Photoshopping here with her rib cage magically disappearing with the capability of the blur tool.

This is another reason that the fashion industry is at fault for distorted body image in girls. Women and models are told to be thin to be able to model the clothes at a measly size 0 and they can fit into any clothes the designer makes to a tee. After all, a model is an object not a person like a hanger to view clothes on. When women are told to be skinny and small it does not fit the natural curves that women are suppose to have. Females surprisingly need fat on their bodies to be able to have children and stay healthy. Once again the fashion industry is not taking blame and no one is charging them either. The media is blaming Karlie for being to skinny and possibly being anorexia and bulimia, but how can you blame someone for simply doing their job?

The appointments she makes for fashion shows and her modeling agency states that she has to look a certain way and she won’t get certain jobs. Plus you can always cover up things in Photoshop, unless of course those before pictures are released. I blame society and the fashion industry for this current body image crisis that we are in, because ultimate we are the ones that dictate what we want.

Media Presentations

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 11:13:00 -0400

No media logs this week because I presented a Media Presentation in class.

Television show adaptions are always of vast interest to me....

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:11:00 -0400

Television show adaptions are always of vast interest to me. Many times a show that is successful in the United Kingdom might take off in the United States as well, or vice versa. These shows will use that basic main theme or episode plot in the beginning and slowly begin to diverge from one another as the season wears on.

A classic example of this is The Office created by Ricky Gervaris, and was originally a UK show and adapted to the United States. It was mildly successful in the UK but only ran for two seasons, here in the United States it has gained a massive following and is one it’s ninth season. Which is quite long for a tv run.

Another example of this comparison is the television show Skins which originally began in the United Kingdom and was later adapted or the United States. Skins is ultimately a far more provocative show than The Office. Dealing with youth growing up and dealing with a variety of issues such as sex, drugs, and life. This in fact works fine for the European market in which a greater variety of things can be shown that often lacks capability and quality here in America.

Skins (UK) was picked up on BBC Four and allows more open scenes such as sex and the use of drugs more predominately in the episodes. Another noticeable fact about Skin (UK) is this show can be more verbal in the use of curse words, which makes the language and content more believable and suspended disbelief for the audience. Which makes sense, because the script is not only written by staff writers, but also teenagers. The Skins (UK) has had a total of six seasons with every two seasons following a new group of characters in college (prep high school), Skins (UK) is in it’s final season of filming by bringing back some of it’s beloved characters and following up on their current lives now. The writing and the plot take many elements together and make it into an convincing and complete story, the first season feels very flat and 1 dimensional but the amount of character development in the last episode is so monumental it is instantly addictive.

The US version lacks the addictive nature. Skins (US) is shown on MTV which is a channel mainly for teenagers and young adults, and with US censorship standards lacks the believability of the UK show. The actors are closer to their actual age the character play making many of the actors in the US show not fully consenting adults which makes the content of the show they are trying to portray difficult. There is no cussing, very limited sexual images, and drug use is usually cut out but there is an understanding of it being used by the characters. Skins (US) is stripped bare of everything essential that make the UK show popular. One error that was quite apparent in the US show is the change of Maxxie, the openly gay male character in the UK show to a in the closet lesbian cheerleader in the US show. Which is not only offensive to the initial integrity of the show but make it an absolute joke.

If you are looking for a good drama, I would completely recommend the Skins (UK) version if you are want raw emotion, but skip the US version because of it’s obvious lacking qualities.

Electoral College? What's that?

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:50:00 -0400

As it is an election year and the election just happens to be looming ever closer I would like to take a moment to dissect something that very few Americans want to or choose to understand.

Each year, people like Jay Leno like to go out and ask people what the Electoral College is many don’t have a full concept of it or not even sure what it is. Some are even amazed that the President of the United States isn’t decided on popular vote. Well here is a little thing called a history lesson.

The Electoral College first off all is a process to help select the President that has been in place since the founding fathers established the Constitution. This is a, “compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens”. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors; 435 House of Representatives, 50 Senators, and 3 electors for District of Columbia. There needs to be 270 electoral votes for a someone running to win the Presidency. The electors are selected on America citizens that are eligible to vote, voting them into their respective places in the government. During the Presidential election citizens vote for who they think will be best able to fill the job and the popular vote of state decides if Democrats or Republicans will get the State’s electoral votes. The amount of electors in each state is based on the number of people in the population, that is why New York has 31 electoral votes and Alaska only has 3.

Many people feel this is not fair and that their vote doesn’t count, but if one is participating in all elections and voting where your voice is heard in every account then there should be nothing to complain about. If you don’t think someone deserves to be in office, vote them out. There is more elections than just the for the President for every four years. Elected officials are suppose to be the one voice of the many, so the many concerns can be addressed. If you are not willing to speak up you loose that right and chance. Many other people feel their vote doesn’t count because the majority in their state is going to get the electoral votes anyway, but it does matter. If one does not choose to voice their own opinions then of course your vote will never count. That is how an American citizen can change the course of history, but voting and being aware of the issues at hand.

I think that the Electoral College allows for a balance in our nation. It ensures that rampant cheating cannot be taken place and the voting system can be rigged (not saying there isn’t voter fraud, it just makes it slightly harder to do so). It allows everyone to have a voice that 250 years ago was unheard of, many felt the masses could not make an educated decision on government. But the United States Constitution and functions have proved the fact wrong for hundreds of years.

Amanda Todd Bullied to Death

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:29:00 -0400

Amanda Todd has a tragic story of being bullied in school and unfortunately committing suicide over a long bout of depression. When Amanda Todd was 14 years old she made some mistakes by posting nude photos online to someone in a chat room, because of her age and innocence she had trouble grasping the full concept of the consequences of her actions.

She did not realize that this person would use these photos against her and blackmail her unless this predator received more. The photos were released on Facebook and all her friends and family were tagged to see the her shame and embarrassment. After loosing all her friends she thought she would be able to move on to another school and start over. Once again the predator found her and blackmailed her again and released those photos once again to her friends on Facebook.

She was consistently called a slut and a whore and lost all of her friends she made at both schools. She suffered from depression and anxiety and had to take medication for both to be able to deal with her problems. She posted a tragic and heart-breaking video on YouTube in which she explained the reason of her problems and she knew that she would never be able to get rid of those pictures because they would always exist on the internet. She stated she was done with the bullying, and a week later committed suicide.

Sources show that Amanda Todd was not blackmailed and harassed by another child but by a 35-year-old-man, but for some reason Todd is the one to blame. She was consistently told she was a whore and slut by people that knew nothing to little about her even though she was a victim of a crime. Her young mind didn’t understand what her choice would create if she chose the path she did. She didn’t ask to have years of heartache and being miserable just so she could kill herself because she was unhappy with her life and she knew of no other escape.

Social changes and laws need to be made to ensure that tragic situations like this are not repeated. To many teenagers are being so self-absorbed in social networking that many times the situation turns tragic when issues like this arise. The issue with laws is the amount of time that it takes to pass a law often does not help or affect current issues in fast-paced modern society. Many need to enact a social change to help stop bullying victims of crimes through a computer screen. Many of these children have no where else to go and act out in the most unfortunate of ways.

The Acension to Earth

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:12:00 -0400

Felix Baumgartner has achieved a feat, no human before him can say. He has achieved the highest sky-dive on record, sponsored by Red Bull, which required him jumping 128,100 ft (about 24 miles), jumping slightly below “space” into the Earth. Baumgartner had trained hard for several months preparing his body for the huge mission it would have to undertake. Entering into Earth’s atmosphere and trying to navigate while falling 834 mph is quite a bit of an undertaking. Baumgartner was in free fall for 4 minutes and 19 seconds, a staggeringly long time as your body plummets to Earth. Baumgartner mentioned he suffered early on from claustrophobia when in he pressurized suit but overcame it with the help of a sports psychologist and other specialists.

To get a bird’s eye view of the Earth, check out Felix’s helmet cam video here as he jumped out of his aircraft and fell to Earth. If humans can achieve such an astonishing feat what else can we do that we are not fully aware of?

Virginity Auction?! It's not 1750!

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:59:00 -0400

Justin Sisely, a documentation, was in charge of selling Catarina Migliorini’s virginity for a staggering $780,000 to a Japanese man under the pseudonym of “Natsu”. Of course this situation is created all for the sake of reality television. This puts the Brazilian government where the auction was held, very unhappy about the whole ordeal.

Sisely feels as though he can avoid any prostitution chargers if the business transaction is taken care of in a plane over international waters. There is a solid gray area not only in the business transaction but Catarina’s status. Migliorini lives in Australia where prostitution is legal and one can follow the laws of the country you live in, but her nationality is Brazilian. So if Brazil were to revoke Migliorini’s passport that means she is deported to Brazil. This situation would be as though a citizen from Amsterdam tried to legally prostitute themselves in America, which prostitution is obviously illegal here in America.

The case if there is even a gray area is still greatly disturbingly seeing how it is 2012 and we are still arguing the fact that selling someone’s body and sex trafficking is even slight okay. Thousands of women and men every year are forced into sex trafficking because of extenuating circumstances and this only perpetuates the belief that selling people as a commodity is a perfectly okay concept in our modern world. Also the fact that Catarina is selling her virginity for more money than most people’s homes are worth is another glaringly disturbing fact. That is another concept that society perpetuates to keep many women in their place.

The other portion of this story that lacks to be told is the man that auction off his virginity as well and it barely getting nearly as much media attention. Alex Sepanov was only able to sell his virginity for $3,000, which shows how much the world places on double standards. There is nothing wrong with two consenting adults agreeing to partake in a physical relationship but my mixing bidding wars to claim someone’s virginity just for the sake of reality television is disgusting.

The Past and Future of 3D

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:33:00 -0400

Watching television and movies have been a passive event in the past 100 years since the invention of moving pictures. Many people expect to sit in one spot and to be entertained, little thought or imagination is required when vegetating in front of a television.

Optical illusions were developed in movies with the original “3D” films. In which the viewer would watch a movie with a pair of glasses with corresponding frames of red and blue. The images in the film would be black and white and then have the frame slightly to the right or left in red or blue. Thus when wearing the glasses, images instantly appear as they have been popping out.

This was not a new technology by any means, photographers even figured out how to capture a 3D image all the way from the 1904 World’s Fair in Saint Louis by taking two corresponding pictures and placing them side by side and having the right equipment to view it. The image of 3D has always fascinated the human mind because it feels more as though the person was there, it is no longer a memory but a reality.

Technological advancements allowed for leaps and bounds in the ability to watch 3D. In more recent years, there has been the introduction of a newer type of 3D. In 2010, many electronic stores began to receive their first “consumer affordable” models of 3D televisions which consisted of a 40” television that was about $3,500 with limited capability. Now you can get a 55” television for less than half the price. The only limitation to these televisions is that they still require glasses. The glasses is the one element holding back many from a truly immersive experience.

Though never fear because there is televisions that have been in development for awhile that require no glasses. For the past eight to five years television manufacturers have been working on and creating a 3D tv that will only need you to sit in front of it. This is just another step closer to a virtual reality experience that many consumers were promised in the nineties but many products have lacked true quality. There are only two drawbacks of this new development in technology: the cost and the capability. Obviously the cost is going to be a tad outrageous at this point. Many manufacturers are trying to sell through their current models an might release them in the next couple of years the first models. The sizes are much larger than original 3D television which makes the cost exceed at this point as well; easily into the $10,000 plus range. Which isn’t exactly an affordable purchase for a working class family. The only other current drawback is the slight lack in full use of technology. Right now a 3D television without glasses has limited range; meaning that one cannot just simple stand any where in the room and watch 3D but limited to sitting in front of the television. The line of vision is being expanded upon but that unfortunate takes time to create that.

The media will have a new media to present information in as well. Think of commercials, billboards, and other advertisements in 3D and if they would become part of everyday life or something more limited to a confined area. I for one know I would be overwhelmed if I walk into Times Square and every advertisement in the location was 3-demensional.

Disc Design

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:10:00 -0400

I am a major TV junkie, I am always finding, discussing, and analyzing new shows. I am constantly behind on the latest season because I have about 60 shows that I like watching, and none of that reality crap, but real scripted comedies and dramas. Another guilty pleasure of mine is purchasing DVD and Blu-ray box sets. Even though it might be on Netflix I just love special features and commentaries that many of these purchases offer.

One thing I find really intriguing is after collecting a few seasons how there is so much information conveyed on these cover designs but somehow they maintain unity. Take Lost for example. This television series is a conglomerate of mass confusion, with over twenty character story lines to keep in mind and the plot it is almost impossible to know what happens in season-to-season let alone episode-to-episode. The DVD packaging for Lost makes the series accessible to pick up from anywhere by giving the consumer an idea of what will happen. Like in the second series, the survivors meet the others and discover the hatch. The hatch is emblazoned by the mysterious numbers, 4 8 15 16 23 42. The packaging has all of these elements giving you an idea what has happened in the story so far and what will happen. The Season Five packaging is smart in the respect when it begins the alternative reality storyline; there is the two images of the two different realities. This allows a complicated show like Lost more accessible to consumers that begin to watch the series five, ten, or fifteen years off the air.

I like the fact that many of these shows keep the complete idea and are able to tell the season’s story in just a few images and stylized choices. This also helps consumers find new shows that are based just on the look of the design of the packaging. I think a lot of the time we forget the amount of time that is put into all the elements of a television show or movie, right down to the exterior look of the movie makes you want to associate with it or not. It also makes consumers feel smart and cultured by being able to pick up on the settle hints that many marketing directors and designers place in their ad campaign.

Car Commericals are Annoying

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:31:00 -0400

Something that I have always wondered is why do car commercials yell at you? I mean did the marketing team really think I am going to turn up the commercial and listen intently to “ALL THE GREAT DEALS WE HAVE AT THE DEALERSHIP”. It absolutely makes no sense in this decision that they make. The horrible garish graphics to go along with the commercial to entice you of all the savings you can make. One of the best parts is most of the dealership owners are so far from looking good on television it is shocking to see their face plastered across the screen in an extreme close-up. This possibly might be because of a budget of making the commercial and the cost of the spot on television depending on how many people will see it. I felt as if there have hardly been any car commercials that have enticed me to purchase something and the only one that comes to mind is a commercial that has been professionally made that appears to not even to be selling any type of product. The whole reverse psychologically really works after awhile in your subconscious.

Eugene Morris Jerome: Hilarity Ensues

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 14:36:00 -0400

There is nothing like live theater and this is true for the Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis’s first show of the 46^th season. Brighton Beach Memoirs is a comedy that as a range of talented actors and an interactive set. The summary of the show:

There’s liver for dinner, holes in his shoes and a war on the horizon, but 15-year-old Eugene Jerome would rather think about baseball…and girls. Surrounded by his overworked mother and father, his wayward brother and a whole houseful of relatives always in the way, Eugene navigates the minefield of adolescence. Hilarious and touching, Eugene’s chronicles of his misadventures growing up in 1930s New York remind us that family is the one constant in the crazy journey of life.

When walking into the theater the stage sets up the rest of the show with a beautiful two-story house that is easy to view form all seats in the house. The set allows you to anticipate the actors and what will happen next and only puts the viewer on the edge of their seat with excitement. The first act of the play is the majority of the comedy and setting up and staging the problem for the second act. Eugene is quite a colorful character that allows you to pick into his and his family’s lives for a few hours and enjoy yourself. There is a right amount of balance of talking to the audience and interacting with the other actors to make it feel natural and seamless. The second portion of the play is quite the opposite of the good and happy times from the beginning and is ultimately how all the characters resolve their problems. I found at certain times in the second act my attention waning for some scenes but there was the right amount of humor to keep me paying attention. The lighting was also done well in an excellent way to bring attention to all the right areas and by turning lights on in the house also turned spotlights on but that began to blend in my mind after awhile. Overall there was a relate-ability to the character’s and a humor that was undeniable.

Live theater is one of the best ways to be actively involved and aware of entertainment. The Repertory in Saint Louis nurtures this relationship between the viewer and the stage to create a unique experience that is rarely seen at the Fox, which often the audience feels disconnected from the show. The intimate experience is unique and special to this Saint Louis theater and should be supported by the surrounding community.

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Press Record

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:13:00 -0400

Television the way that has been is now changing, there use to be a time when a person had to watch their favorite tv show at a certain time. Now with the capabilities of the Internet and DVR people are now allowed to watch whatever they what, when they want. Internet television streaming services like Netflix and Hulu establishes an agreement between the streaming site and the studio to allow a wider audience be introduced to a show.

Netflix also shows similar shows to a one that might be individual favorites with more seasons and episodes to allow a person enjoy a certain genre or plot in television. DVR allows for an individual to watch two shows that play at the same time and no longer has to choose. Although with these infinite possibilities to watch television gives serious pitfalls to a viewer’s experience.

This new way to watch television is easily to watch too much at one time. More and more channels have to fill blocks of time with either reality tv or scripted drama. With multiple seasons of the majority of shows that on average are about 45 minutes long leaves a lot of time in front of the tv. In order to keep caught up one has to dedicate many hours of their time to be in the same mindset of the rest of popular culture that shares similar interest or there is a fear of being left out. Also because of the spiked interest in streaming services network shows are beginning to make it harder to watch and enjoy a current season. Many networks want the public to watch still at the designated times to receive ratings for a show and receive money from the network itself to continue producing the show. Streaming services are sometimes available through Hulu or through the television’s show website itself but is not available until the week after it has aired, making an individual rely on the streaming service because a person will constantly be behind on television. Many television shows are picking up on streaming and will play ads on the streaming service so the consumer cannot escape the constant media noise. Even HBO has their own paid streaming service, in which the rest of networks might one day imitate.

Culture vs. Popular Culture

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:07:00 -0400

During Labor Day weekend every year in Saint Louis is the Japanese Festival at the Botanical Gardens. This is a destination where cultures collide and the West is given a little look into the isolated Far East island of Japan. There are Japanese vendors selling vintage clothing, food, and trinkets for Americans to enjoy. There are also presentations on tea ceremonies, sumo wrestling, and bonsai arrangements.

The Japanese culture that has interested many Americans extends more to the media spectrum of the festival. There are several vendors that cater to the media aware Americans with anime and Hello Kitty items. There are several Americans dressed up in Anime inspired clothing and cosplay as well. This is where the confusion begins, because some Americans are not aware of the rich history that Japan has to offer and only aware of the popular culture that Japan has.

The never ending Hello Kitty items and designs and the large eyed girls with colored hair and cheap kimonos that constantly say, “Konichiwa” is not Japanese. This is almost laughable that some Americans characterized culture in an amusing way with little respect. The thought that if there was an American Festival in Japan and the citizens would show up in McDonalds food in hand and overweight costumes is appalling how rude that possibly could be. I feel as though many Americans are not aware of the impact of not being aware of caring to understand the complexity of other cultures is damaging the reputation that America has. This is understandable when other countries express their distaste for the United Sates mainly for our ignorance.

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