Success!

Media literacy matters, you have to know what you're being told, how you're being influenced, and what you have to do to prevent being influenced in the wrong way. First we must realize that everything we see is constructed, people who create television shows and write newspaper articles have there own personal opinions and it shows through in what they're writing or saying. Interpretation is also vital, everyone interprets the same message in different ways, and race, religion and ethnicity all influence how you'll interpret a message. Each message is produced for a particular purpose, whether it’s to make money, persuade, educate or to express yourself artistically, everything has a purpose. All messages have an embedded value as well; producers have their own beliefs, biases and opinions and they don’t bother to hide it.

Awareness is key, don’t be fooled by that perfect advertisement advertising that flawless burger, that’s not reality, you know reality, you’ve gotten that burger, it’s not so flawless. Don’t be fooled, open you’re eyes, ears and speak out against false views of reality.

Works Cited:

The Big Switch. .. 16 Jan. 2008 http://thebigswitch.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/ill-have-a-double-cheeseburger-hold-the-reality/.

Blog It

Well, blogging has become a well known term whether you do it or not, of course like everything there's good and bad blogging.

To be a good blogger you must:

1. Use proper grammar and spelling

Grammar is everything, if you want people to respect your opinions and respect your blog you must use proper grammar it's vital. Spelling is also very, very important, there's a spell check right there, why not use it once and a while.

2. Descriptive headlines

Headlines grab a reader’s attention, it will inform the reader of what the topic is about and it will let them know if they are interested or not, no one wants to read an article that they're not interested in.

3. Use pictures and videos

Both pictures and videos will grasp a readers attention as they're scrolling through the list. Use them, don't abuse them, if there's a cluster of pictures or too many videos people will become annoyed. They also make it easier to scan, they know what it's about before they have to read the headline, so make sure the photo is relevant to the article it's beside.

4. Write in an inverted pyramid fashion

You want to state your point, you don't want to make people have to read through details if they're not interested or if they're only interested in the main idea.

5. Make it interesting

Spice it up, use different font styles, joke around a bit, paid journalists joke around in their articles, this is less formal don't be so stiff.

6. Be passionate

If you're not passionate and it shows through your words your readers won't be interested, won't get involved and won't be passionate. Passion is key.

7. Make it brief

People won't want to sit in front of there computer while you rant on and on about something of little importance, make it short and sweet. You want your opinion heard, but make it short. People have lives and want to live them.

8. Talk about current events

People want to know what's going on, so inform them, and include opinions because they're difficult to come by when reporters are told what to say.

9. Never plagiarize

Plagiarizing is definitely the worst possible thing you could do in a blog, it's online and you'd most likely get caught. Though it may be easier and someone may have better ideas or may have worded your same idea in a different way you should never, ever plagiarize it's wrong and very punishable. It's not difficult to cite, so do that and save yourself the trouble.

10. Be fresh

Blog as much as possible, state your opinions and feelings on topics you feel most acquired to, people can tell if you're being fake. Post any thoughts or ideas you find thrilling and stick with it.

Works Cited:

Lenssen , Phillip. . 1 Apr. 2006. 16 Jan. 2008 .

Suitt, Halley. .. 16 Jan. 2008 http://www.blogwriteforceos.com/blogwrite/2005/01/good_blogging_i.html.

Photo Manipulation Crisis

OJ Simpson, the man who may or may not have killed his wife. The long-lasting trial, the glove that didn't fit, the mugshot. Oh, the mugshot, which one, the manipulated one, or the original? Newsweek and Time Magazine both published photos of OJ Simpson's mugshot during his trial days. Time Magazine just happened to shade the photo and darken it, no big deal, right? Well, no, it was a big deal considering the trial ended up being a black vs. white ordeal. Perhaps Time was just trying to show that a man was changing, that he was fading. The headline was "An American Tragedy" maybe they were trying to indicate that it was a good guy gone bad situation.

I'm sure they didn't intend on being racist or insensitive, though that is how it came across. It surely wasn't ethical, manipulating a photo without one's permission is never ethical, but it went too far, the photo didn't need any manipulation, it was bad enough as it was and they surely didn't attempt to improve it. There's nothing that can be done to make a mug shot better, and who knew someone could make it even worse, even more controversial. Changing a persons skin tone, or a key feature of this person that makes them original and unusual is not ethical though correcting a minor flaw or brightening a photo, or perhaps making someone appear more perfect is. But where do we draw the line? What if that one little blemish, or scar is what makes that person so original and unique and you just airbrush it away because it wasn't perfect enough for you-it's still only a minor change. It's complicated, when you try and improve a photo you may only be making it worse.

The way photo's are translated depends greatly on the viewer, it's not like text, you can't read it and understand immediately what it's trying to say or prove, you have to look deeper. If you're African-American the OJ Simpson may really offend you, but if you're simply Caucasian it would be seen differently, it wouldn't seem like such a big deal-maybe they're just trying to prove a point unspoken.

You can't believe everything you see.



Works Cited:

thelistuniverse. .. 16 Jan. 2008 http://listverse.com/history/top-15-manipulated-photographs/

Gender Roles in Society

'Be a man, come on toughen up a bit, you can do better than that.'

Oh, yes, harsh words, very harsh. Men, you're supposed to be tough, girls are the weak one's, get it right. Not that that's really realistic it's just the way we were brought up, we were brought up believing that women work in kitchens and men work in garages, oh, yes very realistic, very Brady Bunch. We're also brought up thinking that men are the dominant powerful ones, and women have difficulty fending for themselves, all thanks to television and advertisements. Oh, the shame, and I thought we'd improved in the last hundred years. We start watching television from a very young age and are therefore influenced, commercials are the worst, men are always seen driving the cars while women are seen cleaning the dishes, oh how very, brutally sexist.

"Please, be more ladylike, sit up straight, cross your legs"

Yes, that is a common phrase women hear from a very young age from their grandmother's. It's so when we grow older we become proper young ladies. Well, there's nothing wrong with that, but slouching and sitting with your legs uncrossed doesn't make you any less of a lady, just like being tough doesn't make you anymore of a man.
Women are known to show more emotion and are typically physically weaker than men, but that's biology and that can't be changed, it's the assumption that women can't do things the way men can, the assumption that women can't fix a car or work in a factory-not that it'd necessarily be enjoyable.

Women are also more sexualized in advertisements (see women in advertisements) while if men were shown in that same advertisement he would appear to be very conservative or very dominant and he'd be doing something manly, like climbing a mountain. Women are weak, and men are strong, that's the way it's been and that's the way it will continue-in advertisements at least, unfortunately that effects society and the way women and men are viewed.




Works Cited:

Albany. Women in Advertising.. 16 Jan. 2008 http://www.albany.edu/~aw5959/.

Gossip Enthusiast's

Hilary Duff was accused of lip syncing in a concert earlier this week, she's being compared to Ashlee Simpson. Well, apparently there isn't much to talk about because it seems quite obvious that she wasn't. She was seen yelling, or singing prior to the song being played but her microphone was off, therefore the crowd couldn't hear what she was saying, a few moments later the song started and she was right on time. See article here.
People always need something to talk about whether it's true or not, some people thrive off it while other's pass it by as nothing special. We've yet to see Hilary Duff do something wrong and people are getting anxious. Rumours have to start somewhere, whether it's right or wrong. People will see what they want to see and flaws are everything.

Here's the video:







Works Cited:

AHN. .. . http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009727424.

Nayeli. . 1 Apr. 2006. 16 Jan. 2008 http://nayelibermejo.podomatic.com/.

Political Superiority

'We're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.'
-Natalie Maines, Dixie Chicks

This sentence got approval and disapproval. The president, Bush, was at the top of his game, he was very acclaimed and supported. Since Bush was in fact so supported The Dixie Chicks got much disapproval in the United States for this sentence uttered by the lead singer Natalie Maines, and almost lost their career. They weren't heard from in years, and years and as Bush slowly lost superiority the Dixie Chicks slowly gained theirs back. After coming out with an entire new album, with very new music, very different from what they used to write they were finally heard of again.
Well, if that is in fact the case that would be why Kanye West wasn't criticized when he claimed, 'George Bush doesn't care about black people.' Well, he wasn't as criticized as the Dixie Chicks were, he didn't almost lose his singing career and his comment was surely worse. Of course he is a rap artist and he is expected to rebel slightly more than the Dixie Chicks were so, the comment was quickly forgotten.
Then there's P!nk with her verbal letter to the president of the United States. Her song identifies the problems with war, and homelessness, and abortion as well as drug use. Though, naturally, by the time the song was released George W. Bush lost all superiority and therefore P!nk faces no criticism or conrtoversy.

'What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?'

'How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?'

'What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.'

Time changes everything, a few years ago Kanye West and P!nk would have gone through exactly what the Dixie Chicks did, but, no, authority was lost and therefore everything changed.







Works Cited:

Lyric Zoo. .. . http://www.lyricszoo.com/pink/dear-mr-president/.

White, James. .. . http://www.rtve.es/rne/r3/pr/toma1/archiv/20030518/dixie-chicks-bandera.jpg.

Media Inventory

	Television	Phone	Computer	Cell
Least	Caroline	Equal	Mom	Mom
Most	Mom	Equal	Caroline	Caroline
Restricted	No	No	No	No
Entertainment	Yes	Sometimes	Yes	Sometimes
Expensive	No	No	Yes	Yes
Homework	No	No	No	Equal

Mom-favourite-television, phone, reading
-least favourite-computer
-she works in an office on a computer daily so she doesn't like it at home, and she becomes impatient with it.

Caroline-favourite-computer, cell
-least favourite-television
-no way of communicating with friends or family through the television

The computer is probably used most because though my mom doesn't necessarily enjoy using it she still has to for paying bills, or checking her email when she is off work and I use it for means of communication, or entertainment purposes.

My digital camera is used the least because my mom never uses it due to the fact that it isn't the first thing that enters her mind when she is going somewhere of significance and I rarely use it, I pretty much only use it when I am going somewhere I want to remember, somewhere of significance to me.

Children of different ages and sexes most likely appreciate different media products more or less because their interests differ greatly. Girls at the age of six will be playing with dolls while boys will be playing with cars or trucks. Girls at the age of fourteen will more likely be using the phone or computer while boys will be playing with video games, or on the computer for means of entertainment.

Portraying Real Arabs

My media product would be a television show called Similar Differences, much like Little Mosque on the Prairie, but in a much more urban environment. Set in Toronto, Ontario,it would feature five Arab people, and one North American, three males, and three females. Much like the television show Friends it will show the lives of six very different people. with normal lives, and an average income, dealing with everyday things. Two out of the five Arabs would be Muslim, and only one out of those two would be very strictly Muslim, for example: praying five times a day, at very specific times, to the extent of praying on the street or in a store, and attending church very religiously, this one character is there to show how "normal" and how lenient other Arabs and Muslims are. The other three friends of Arab descent will have a different believe system, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Atheism. The North American, at first, makes very stereotypical accusations of what she thinks Arabs believe, and do, thought once they get to know one another she finds out that isn't the case at all. It is set for more mature audiences, 14 and up. This television show is to establish how not all Arabs are Muslim, and how not all Muslims

Similar Songs, Different Meanings

Avril's 'Girlfriend' and The Rubinoos' 'I wanna be your Boyfriend' do share certain similarities -such as lyrics, which happen to be the most obvious similarity. The meter and rhythm are slightly the same, but the similarities end there. The tempo is totally and completely different, Avril's 'Girlfriend' is much faster than 'I wanna be your Boyfriend' by The Rubinoos.
The songs have very different ideas, 'Girlfriend' is lyrically confessing how she doesn't like someone's girlfriend and how she wants to take him from this other girl. 'I wanna be your Boyfriend' on the other hand is absolutely, totally, completely sweet and they're singing about how they want to go out with someone of whom they're only friends with at the moment.
Lavigne of course isn't totally original with her song, but nothing is completely original anymore. If you look hard enough you'll find copyright to be broken, well, in certain cases you may not have to look too hard, because certain things are crucial - such as lyrics. Though the lyrics are almost identical, they're sung in totally different ways. In the Rubinoos 'Hey, hey, you, you I wanna be your boyfriend' the second 'hey' and 'you' are more like echoes whereas Avril's is sung in the same tone.

Avril claims she hadn't heard the Rubinoos song previously, and there's no reason to doubt her, it's believable enough.

Works Cited:

People. .. . http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,1185920_10,00.html.

Barbie Meets Fulla

Barbie is the doll that everyone knows, the doll with the best sense of fashion and style, the oh so curvacious, big chested doll. She's "perfect" in every way, perfect hair, and makeup, perfect face, and perfect body. But, what if that's not good enough, what if people want a more realistic, more modest doll, well, that's what Fulla's for. Fulla is the Muslim Barbie, the one with the prayer mat, the one with a head scarf, the one who always has her shoulders covered and always has a skirt that goes below her knees.

Barbie and Fulla are in fact very similar, they are very much so alike in size, height and popularity, they only differ with their appearance and lifestyle. Barbie has blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes, Barbie has the curves, large chest and skinny legs, while Fulla has black hair, brown eyes and olive skin, a smaller chest, and is skinnier. Both dolls are criticized for representing and unrealistic idea of beauty.

Fulla was designed to promote Muslim values and be a role model for Muslim girls worldwide, whereas Barbie is targeted more towards Americans. Fulla is honest, doesn't lie, loves reading, she's caring, and loving, and respects her parents. Fulla has two friends along with a little brother and sister while, Barbie has many friends and Ken. Barbie along with Fulla want to promote the idea that women can do anything men can, therefore Barbie has been a doctor, astronaut and a Nascar driver and Fulla is coming out with a doctor and a teacher. Fulla's activities mainly include shopping, spending time with her friends, cooking, reading, and praying while Barbie has come out with a number of hobbies and careers. Fulla is sold mainly in the Middle-East where Barbie was banned for being too revealing.

They are so similar, but so different, with very different values and a very different audience. Fulla happens to be more modest while Barbie is more outgoing.

Works Cited:

Wikipedia. .. . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie.

Wikipedia. .. . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulla_(doll).

Your New Fragrance. .. . http://www.yournewfragrance.com/Barbie-s/1915.htm.

Talking About Britney

Britney's figure is slightly different than what it used to be, but that's no reason to gossip about her and constantly say that she's overweight. If she's overweight or fat then what about the rest of the population, the majority of the female population is heavier than her and yet they have the nerve to say that she's fat. Britney has had two kids and multiple addictions which would surely alter your body shape. People have no right to judge others, yet, naturally they do, saying that Britney Spears is fat, after all she's been through - she is far from fat, she's just not what she used to be. Britney has been seen in the public eye at her best and worst, and now that she is closer to her worst the general audience is criticizing her for it. She doesn't have the body she used to, but that's OK, that doesn't necessarily mean that she's fat, she may not be as thin as she used to be, but people change. Since she is in fact in the worst shape she's been in in a while people are talking, it's different, it's not normal for her, but if gives people something to talk about. People feed off celebrities, anything about them they eat up in anticipation. It's easier to point out a popular figures flaws rather than realize your own. It gives them something to talk about; they don't care if they have all the facts about her. People need things to talk about and celebrities are always available, making them the targets of gossip.

Works Cited:

California Rumor. .. . http://www.californiarumor.com/files/images/import/Britney%20Spears%20mtv%20performance.jpg.

Influential Media

Many media products are used daily, such as the computer, television, phone, and ipod. There are also many commercials advertising such things, there are more phones and computers being advertised on television and on billboards than toothpaste, or necessary hygiene products. Many commercials are filmed in such a way that you are unsure of what exactly is being advertised. For example, in a kinder chocolate commercial the actors break the kinder in half and zoom in on a relatively attractive woman biting into it. As she bites into to it some man on the cover of what's obviously a romance novel is surprised, or interested by the fact that she is eating such a delectable type of chocolate.The previously mentioned woman biting into the chocolate is relatively thin as well, which would lead you to believe that this particular type of chocolate won't influence body weight. Of course advertisers wouldn't dare use an overweight woman to advertise their product, it would never work, not in today's society where overweight people are shunned. It would appear to be a good commercial, though I wasn't exactly sure what was being advertised, I thought the novel was being advertised at first, it was all I noticed. Of course, it is slightly foolish to assume a book is actually being advertised on television.

For every hour of television, phones and computers are advertised more than eight times, toothpaste and hygiene products are advertised under three times, while chocolate and candy products are advertised between four and six times. These statistics prove that our society cares more about electronic devices than hygiene products, of course hygiene products are necessary and people can't live without them whereas electronic devices aren't necessary and therefore have to be brought to the publics attention.






Works Cited:

Prweb. .. . http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2006/07/27/0000417675/ExampleofCellPhones.jpg.

Living In A Post 9-11 World

On September 11, 2001 I was in Sydney, Australia, and as the planes hit the World Trade Centers it was just past 11pm and being that I was only 9 years of age I was neatly tucked in bed. I remember waking up just after 8 the next morning and my Aunt, Mom, and Dad were sitting on the couch watching the news with the greatest interest. There was a great deal of smoke and fire on the television and I saw people running in fear, so I knew something awful had happened. My parents were in shock, my dad was yelling, he claimed it was outrageous, and I kept asking, "what, what happened" though, of course no one told me until we got back to Canada. My family thought it was fake, they were in disbelief, I on the other hand thought nothing of it considering I didn't know what had happened. When I did find out what had happened I was surprised, very surprised, though I still didn't know how bad it really was, and how fast the world could change because of something like that, and oh it did, it changed very fast. The world is much more protective and protected, no thing's safe, and no thing's trusted. Fear has taken over.

In Alan Jackson's song, "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning" he mentions a fair amount of things that only relate to certain people, such as " Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer?" Well, let's face it, not everyone believes in heaven, nor does everyone believe in God, or a higher being. Sure, a lot do, in fact, the majority of the earth's population does, but that doesn't mean that they were the only ones affected on "that September day." Obviously Alan Jackson was only referring to Christian, adults, but he could have been more vague. Then again, the majority of people who enjoy country music are Christian adults, so it fit perfectly. It came from his heart, it's what he felt, and sure, it may be tacky, but it's hard not to be when Hollywood becomes reality.

United 93 and World Trade Center both came out 5 years after 9/11 in 2006. Both movies are based on true events, they're to make you more aware of what really happened that day, to show that people actually risked their lives, and people died doing it. They're to make that day seem more real for people who weren't there and to show younger generations, who don't understand what happened and who possibly weren't even alive. Producers created these movies to make people feel for the people who lost their families. Sympathy and empathy are the emotions producers want their audience to feel. They're horrific, heroic and the opposite of tacky, more touching, and they're aimed towards everyone, to inform them of what September 11, 2001 really was.

September 11, 2001 was a horrible day, 2,752 people died, and it's really unforgettable. It was like a movie, it didn't seem real, but it was, it was very real, and very devastating. People, in general are used to seeing things like that in movies, and on television, but suddenly it wasn't just a movie, it wasn't just television, it was real, it was actually happening. History was being made and Hollywood and reality didn't seem so different anymore.

Works Cited:

911research. .. . http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/info/docs/twin_towers1.jpg.

Gwen's Harajuku Madness

Harajuku, what a descriptive word, it’s used to describe an area, a style, and people. In definition Harajuku means one of many districts in Japan. A popular hang-out for teens who are into Street Fashion or Gothic Lolita style clothing. Gwen Stefani has a clothing line inspired by them, she compliments their style, she’s their biggest fan, yet people still criticize the use of Gwen’s Harajuku Girls. Gwen simply seems to like the culture, no harm done right?

Love, Angel, Music, and Baby are Gwen Stefani’s back-up dancers, they accompany her wherever she goes, well most places. They’re a figment of her imagination; the public can’t see them, but, this also means that they aren’t allowed to speak in interviews, or in public, well, they can speak, just not English, which for most of them is their native language. This is totally logical on Stefani’s part; she wanted to adapt the Harajuku fashion, and style or a part of it at least and incorporate it into her clothing line and music. Well, maybe not totally logical, but it’s fair. Love, Angel, Music, and Baby seem genuinely happy, and Stefani seems to really respect them, I mean she did write an entire song about them and their style and she values their style, she uses it in her clothing line, L.A.M.B (Love. Angel. Music. Baby.). They inspire her, she wants their style, and she wants their look as proven when Gwen comments on it, “Lamb’ is anything cute, it’s basically the clothes I wear. I want it to be my style, so I can wear them. I don’t know what it will evolve into. I don’t know if people will like it or not. I don’t know anything about fashion. I’m still learning. It’s just another creative thing for me to do, and it’s exciting.” Love, Angel, Music, and Baby did sign a contract, Gwen is legally allowed to tell them what to do, they are getting paid, and the extra respect and value from Gwen is a bonus.

Asians may very well be offended, and some are, by what Gwen is doing, some may even go as far as saying the Harajuku Girls are being treated as slaves, but that’s only what the public can see, and as you should very well know, the public doesn’t see the half of it, the Harajuku girls are doing what they want, and they’re in the public eye, which is what most people want. Many people may not know what Harajuku is, or what it means and many may not even research it, but it’s still in the public eye, which means it’s more likely to be looked up and researched online or in books than it would be if it weren’t brought to the media’s attention. OK, so Stefani may be changing things up a bit, fashion-wise with her Harajuku Girls compared to the Harajuku community, but the basic concept seems to be there, it’s Stefani’s interpretation of the Harajuku style. Gwen is bringing Asians into the spotlight, and although it may not be the way they want to be seen they are being seen and they’re alright with that, well some, of course there is always praise and criticism.

People, of any ethnic group or culture now-a-days are commenting on Gwen’s choice of her particular back-up dancers claiming that they’re a “modern-day geisha” or that Gwen shouldn’t hire four Asian girls to parade after her day after day. Gwen states, “The truth is that I basically was saying how great that culture is.” as well as, “Everybody’s making jokes about Japanese girls and the stereotypes. I had no idea [I’d be] walking into that.”

Stefani is simply using the Asian, in particularly the Harajuku culture to influence her music, and clothing line, ultimately trying to make money, as Chris mentions in a certain article, "The point is, Ms. Stefani has started using Asian culture as a way to make money. Specifically, as I understand, Japanese Harajuku style clothing in her upcoming clothing line.” It’s all reasonable enough, Gwen is simply more original in her ways to make money, and rather that following the North American fashion trends she’s using her back-up dancers as inspiration, the Harajuku Girls. “The all-Asian Harajuku Girls were inspired by Stefani’s fascination with the Harajuku girls of Japan, young club kids who have a flippant and fun attitude toward fashion.”

Works Cited:

Tian. .. . http://www.tian.cc/2005/04/gwenihana-harajuku-girls.html.

Racialicious....
http://www.racialicious.com/2006/11/30/gwen-stefani-everyone-else-is-racist-not-me/.

Hyphen Magazine. .. . http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archives/2005/04/gwen_stefani_pl.html.