Reflection Post

At the start of these media blog posts, I would write them as I watched a show, I would do all of my homework sitting in front of the T.V. Now I do my homework in my room. Not without any distractions like the T.V. but I have to admit I take a break on my phone every once in a while. That is definitely progress and I'm only getting better. Before we were assigned to write about our media consumption on the first day, I already knew I spent too much time, with the screen in front of my face, but writing about the media has allowed me to see the real reason and effects of the media that is thrown at us and displayed on every corner. For example I now know that advertisers get into our minds to make us feel uncomfortable so they can brainwash us into buying their product. I know that they use different techniques such as hiring celebrities that people admire and want to be like to use their brand and show it off in commercials to get us buy it to be more like them, or by telling us that if we don't buy their product we will be alone, or bribing us, or rushing us into buying their product, or by lying to us and promising things like an escape and popularity, individuality, power, superiority, and so on. They use these techniques to appeal to the basic human needs. Advertisers don't just use those needs to target a specific audience, they research people, stripping them of their privacy, and they use this information to directly focus on you when their trying to sell their material.
Being aware of these things allow me to obtain from falling for their untruthful ways of persuading us.

Because of this class I've also became aware of how the media effects us. I've learned how the media specifically targets teens because teens are easily influenced and because they believe that all teens have lots of money to spend from their parents who because are never around give them money in order to make up for the absence. I've learned from this class that this is a reality assumption because not everyone is under those circumstances. I know for sure that I'm not one of those teens because I'm trying to save my money to go traveling after school. I have no intention in spending my money. seeing this has helped me to see how advertisers appeal to teens by using stereotypes such as how teen are only interested in two things; sex and violence. Because they believe this, They've made all of the teens media just about those two things. Teen movies and shows always show the the same things with a women who is barely clothed, only serving as the love interest, and a man blowing things up in order to save the world. The effect that this is that women are seen as just that; a sex object, or a man pleaser. It completely disrespects women because it sends out a message that that is all that women are good for. Teen girls take this in and reflect it out by wearing small clothes to get the boy's attention, acting older than they really are, thinking their looks are all that their worth, so they try to change themselves by buying makeup, straightening hair, going on diets, and buying clothes that match the image that the media has put out. Because women believe that that's all that their worth they push aside or forget their education and becoming high ranking business women and women in political positions. The media hold women back.

Keeping this media blog has allowed me to practicing analyzing and noticing all of the things that I've mentioned above. It has served as a way to better my skills as a critical thinker. I am now tentative before believing what the media us saying. I am open,minded when I see the image of women that the media does not portray. I using the habit of a critical thinker of metacognition when I write these blogs to reflect everything. I've also become aware of how unethical the way advertisers advertise their products because they warp so many of the six pillars of character and promote so many stereotypes that are so wrong. Taking this class has allowed me to realize when the media is influencing me to become something that is a false image of women, exercise my skills of a critical thinker, and making the implicit messages clear to me so I can keep clear of them.

Why?

Why do we allow the media to do this to us? Why do we let the media invade our privacy, make us feel insecure, like we are so much less than the perfect models that we only see, like we have to change ourselves on media instead of being just us? The media treats us horribly, so why to we love it so much? The only things I can come up with is because we are so addicted to the kind of entertainment that the media has provided for us, we want to feel apart of.

By addicted I mean it is something that we would much rather be doing than going to your job, doing your homework, going to school, or even doing things that, in the past, would be seen has fun, such going hiking or hanging out with friends. And I think the reason we love it so much  is because it allows to take a break from the lives that have to live everyday. Media is one big escape. I hate to admit it, but when I have lots of homework to do I like to go on my phone for "only 5 more minutes' or turn on the T.V. and "just watch one show" because when I do really just forget everything that I'm worried about or stressed out about and I focus on the screen in front of me. The media allows me to go to a different world and I'd rather be watching T.V. than thinking about all of the homework I have to do and that is why I'm addicted. That is why "only 5 more minutes" turns into one hour and "just one more show' turns into two or three more shows.

The second reason I think we are so addicted to media is because it helps us to feel apart of something that is imaginary. The lives of actresses and actors on screen are all imaginary but it still creates something we can have a connection with. Picture yourself sitting on the couch with the T.V. in front of you, watching your favorite show, and your phone in your hand looking at your celebrity crush's Instagram. Now picture the same thing, except this time there is no T.V. and no phone. Imagine how lonely you would feel compared to the feeling when consuming all of this media. It would just be you and your couch. You might not realize it but we do have a deeper connection with media because of the escape it provides and the connection we have with it.

Miss Representation

The media doesn't treat women with any respect. When I heard this on the documentary, Miss Representation, it didn't take much explaining to convince me that this is true. All of these year that I have been watching T.V., going on the internet, and reading books and magazines, I never noticed the dehumanizing of women portrayed left and right in the media. Maybe I self consciously noticed it but I see anything wrong with it, and I don't think that very many people realize the effect that it has on so many women. The documentary talked about how the media takes women from politics, increases the numbers of women who are depressed, cut themselves, and starve themselves, and increases the numbers of women who are sexually molested and raped. These things need to become aware to more people so change can happen.

The media mainly creates one image of a women, and that is tall, thin, "pretty", with barely any clothes on, displaying their body for men to pick and choose what they like best. The media created one image of beautiful, making all women who are not the ideal look, height, or weight, put all their effort into becoming this image by putting on makeup, wearing small clothes, straightening hair, trying to loose weight. And if they can't achieve these things they are stripped of confidence and self respect. This leaves women with no time to focus on the important things like school and personality. A statistic that was given that really scared me was that the GPA's of women have lowered considerably and that in this generation women are less inclined to go into politics. Women who do push pass the clutter and go forth into politics are then criticized and disrespected. Those who put women down for simply running for political positions just like many men do so commonly, are giving into the fallacy of Ad Hominen. They are attacking women for only being women to refute their argument. In the documentary clips of interviews and news shows of men discouraging women were shown. One man asked something like what is the downside to women in politics, and the other man responded with, "You mean besides the PMS and mood swings." Both men then laughed. This angered me so much I couldn't help but clench my fists and cringe my toes. This discouraging of women after all that they went through to get to the position that they are at, is unexceptional.

If enough people were to be educated about the secretive downgrading of women that has been happening for years and years, problems would be addressed. I truly believe, if everyone were to watch Miss Representation, the views of women would change.

The Midriff

The definition of midriff is the human abdomen. After watching the video, Merchants of Cool, the term midriff became familiar to us all. It is the image that the media has advertised over and over again in advertisements, movies, T.V. shows, music videos, video games, and in magazines. they have created this image because they think that all teenagers are and want is sex and violence and these things are portrayed through actors, actresses, and models that are often times role models for impressionable teens. The fact that the midriff is really the torso area, but teen girls are called this in this analytical video of the media, goes to show the true definition.

It abdomen is just a symbol of how girls see their body as their most valuable quality. Girls my age, care so much about what other people think that nothing else seems important. I've recently noticed how we've been accustomed to this image since we were 4 or 5 years old. In Disney cartoons and fair tales, the women are seen wearing clothes that cover really only the necessities, wearing a lot of makeup, and being the object that the man swoons her because of her looks. When was the last time you saw a fairy tale that shows the princess really now the prince before they get married. There are very few Disney movies that you will find a women being strong and independent, not looking for a man to take them to his castle.  

Jay Alvarrez and His "Awesome" Life

Jay Alvarrez and his girlfriend, Alexis Ren live the life that makes the richest, happiest, and most beautiful person's life boring. Jay Alvarrez is an extreme athletic enthusiast and photographer while his girlfriend is the ideal model. He posts videos and pictures on his Instagram and YouTube accounts that show off his his life that consists of his romantic relationship with Alexis, his cute dog, skydiving, surfing, snowboarding, going on hikes, driving his various cars, doing flips off of roof tops and 50 foot cliffs, and going to the most exotic beaches, islands, and all around the world. 

What his pictures and videos do is basically make everybody who sees them jealous and unsatisfied. He puts an image of the ideal life out there, that really only the smallest of the minority can afford, have or do. It is questionable how even Alvarrez can acquire such a life and it his possible that he is being paid to put that image out that secretly advertises products such as the GoPro, Farrari's, Audi's, and brands that he is wearing such as Nectar, and Mirage.

Both him and his girlfriend put out an image, not only of how the perfect life is, but also the ideal appearance that "should" be presented in order to obtain this "perfect life". Throughout the posts on social media, Alvarrez shows off his tan, muscular body by not wearing a shirt while doing things like driving or skydiving. Things that would normally include a shirt. While Alexis is half naked the whole video, showing off her tan, thin body. This influences everybody who see's his posts, and the audience unwillingly is forced to think such an important factor of who they are, is the way they look, their bodies. So important that you need to show it off, and even the message that in order to live the perfect life, in order to be happy, is to have this body type. The posts put out the implicit message that you can't be happy without everything that him and his girlfriend have.

Link to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOHDkIxyu2A

Analysis of Bud Light Ad

The overall message of this add is if you want to have a good time time, drink bud light. They are trying to say that bud light brings you such of a good time, that a bad hangover and throwing up, that is under the chair, is all worth it. The target audience is targeting college students, specifically boys. The type of college boys that they are going for is the classic, stereotypical white boys who through a party in their dorm room every night. This is clear because both of the guys passed out, have light skin and light brown or dirty blond hair. In most movies about college, it is bound for some party to be thrown, with loud music, lots of people, dancing, drinking, and in the end, a couple people passed out from the night before. I think people try to live up to those type of parties, and those are the college students they are aiming for, the ones that look for that type of a good time.

The lighting in this ad is definitely artificial, like the classic florescent lighting that you would find in a dorm room. It is clearing highlighting the empty bud light cans all over the floor and the empty bud light box, that happens to standing up perfectly facing the camera. It is all focusing our attention one how good it must be that so may cans of bud light would be drunken, and then back to the product that is being sold, on that empty box.

The color scheme consists of a dull blue color that is on the bed, carpet and chair, and an off white. they chose these dull colors to really bring out what is on the floor. Those bright red cups that are seen in almost every party thrown on television are highlighted because that is the type of party that they want bud light to be at. Those stereotypical party throwers are their target audience. It is also highlighting the bud light box focus the audience on the product and bring the attention to it.

This add a using need for affiliation to get more buyers. Typically, the people who have these type of paries are popular and this is saying the popular kids have bud light at their parties. It is saying if you want to be with the popular kids, go to their parties with bud light or throw a party with bud light.

Analysis of Snickers Ad

The brand experience of this ad is saying that snickers will satisfy your hunger. They are trying to make you forget that in the end snickers is just a candy bar, and think snickers is a substitute for a meal. The target audience for this add is directing to everybody because they are not being very specific. They don't show a specific person, of a specific race, gender, or age. All they show are the different types of personalities that are the effect of being hungry. They show: 'cranky', 'confused', 'sleepy', and a little bit of 'dramatic'. This targets to all people no matter their personality when they get hungry, and by showing that there are more personalities that go on, they try to reach even more people. They try to reach all people but it really only targets those who are not very educated on health and nutrition that should be included in meals. Also those who are not concerned or conscious about their well-beings.

The lighting in this ad is artificial. It is specifically highlighting the real snickers bar and the word 'satisfies' in bold white letters. It directs your attention to what their trying to sell. The color scheme is the signature dark brown that is the background color of the wrapper. The color is very memorable and  if somebody sees that dark brown color, their mind automatically thinks 'snickers'. Not very many brands have that color as such a big part of their logo, which makes it unique.

Analysis of The Coke Ad

This Coke ad has a very clear and straight forward brand experience. The overall message is coke will make you happy. The hashtag in the upper right hand corner of '#openhappiness' is directly telling you that by simply opening a bottle of coke you will achieve happiness. By including the hashtag it is already targeting the specific audience of the younger generations of teens to thirties or forties. This group has more of a relationship with media and the internet and will understand what a hashtag is and may even use it in their own social media accounts. This hashtag can also be a use of the need for affiliation. For instance, on Instagram, those who put that hashtag on their picture will be part of a group and all pictures withe that hashtag can be seen all together.

The target audience is also both men and women because the add is depicting both genders. The man looks Latino and the women looks white showing that coke is targeting different races. They both look very happy because they are laughing and smiling, showing that they are aiming for a young, youthful and full of life group to buy their product.

The camera angle of this ad is eye-level and it is some what close to the man and women drinking coke. This has an intimate affect and the eye-level allows you to feel the same and close to the subject. You feel like you can be like them: happy, together, drinking coke. The angle of the camera tells you that all you have to do to have friends and be happy is buy a bottle of coke and drink it.

The lighting in this ad is artificial, highlighting the subject so you can focus on how happy they look. This has a lot of effect because it makes the happiness project through the add and to you. It makes the coke more inviting because the happiness is so highlighted in this add. The color scheme in this add is mostly bright red, which is the main color of the coke brand. It makes the ad more memorable and noticeable. There are two types of text that have much significance. The first is the traditional coke logo in the upper right corner. The signature white, cursive print reading "coca-cola" against that specific shade of bright red, uses the technique of plain folks. The other text is bold and big with the main words 'happiness' and 'coca-cola'. This is also very memorable and noticeable and get directly gets the message across. Coke will make you happy.