Sunday, February 22, 2009
Blog #4
Option 1:How do the media images & stereotypes of men & women impact how we view each other professionally (at school, at work, in politics, etc.)?
The media images and stereotypes, I believe, affect all men and women in a negative way. There are so many stereotypes for every different type of person that people believe as truth and base their ideas off them. I think overall that stereotypes and media images prohibit respect for other people depending on the stereotypes and images we have seen. For example, with the dumb blonde stereotype, some people in school are shocked when they hear that a blonde may be smart, especially if she dresses preppy and may be popular. It has been shoved into our heads through TV shows and books that girls that are blonde, care about their appearance, and are popular, can not be smart. This causes people to under estimate what these people can do, therefore they under estimate themselves and never reach their full potential. I think that media images affect how we view women more in politics. If a women is attractive and can be seen on a magazine cover, they feel that they are just an object and can't do anything productive in their life. There could be a lot of women who are qualified out there to become president, but will never get the chance, because people can't get over the stereotype that a man is supposed to be our president. Overall, the images and stereotypes the media portrays affects everyone in their daily lives. If we don't live up to what the media puts out for us, many people feel inadequate or not confident within themselves. We need to stop letting media influence such a large part of our lives. If we take people for who they really are instead of what they looked like or what we preconceive them to be, what would the world really be like?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Blog #3
A current TV show that I watch from time to time is called Super Sweet Sixteen on MTV. This show is about rich, spoiled kids that force their parents to throw them extravagant birthday parties for their sixteenth birthday. I found that this show represents most of the ten American Core Values, in some way. This show tells the viewers to value material goods more than anything else, but not just regular material goods, expensive ones. For example, you shouldn't ask for a used Honda for your first car you should get a new Lexus or a Mercedes. Also, it tells kids that they should not be happy until they get everything they want. In this show you see many sixteen, or soon to be, year old teens have temper tantrums and throwing fits because they don't get the right table decorations. I think this show is a bad example for teens and kids across America because it doesn't teach you to be grateful for what you have, it teaches you to be greedy until you get what you want. The only time you see someone grateful on this show is right after their party when they are thanking their parents for spending thousands of dollars on one night, and getting them their first car that is worth more than most people earn in a year.
This is a list of how the show represents the ten core American values.
Achievement and Success: Many times the parents say that the kids deserve such a large party because they have been so good and working so hard in school. Yet many of them don't have jobs and are average students. Also many don't do chores, but the show portrays them to be hard working.
Activity and Work: The party is an activity that keeps them busy planning and "stressing" about what they believe is the most important day of their life.
Efficiency: They usually pay to have someone plan their party so they can continue their normal life while picking out a few details that correspond to the party and pretending to be busy.
Progress: Most teens in this show feel that in order to make progress once they turn 16 that they will need a car and unfortunately many parents fall for it.
Material Comfort: All the girls need to wear multiple dresses to the party because they feel like they can't be seen wearing the same dress the entire night. Also, they need to be drizzled with thousands of dollars in diamonds and expect expensive, high end gifts.
Individualism: They try to pick a theme that represents who they are and that no sweet sixteen person has ever used before.
Freedom: The only way I can think that relates to this show is they are allowed to have a party and the parents let them do whatever they want.
Conformity: They all conform to the idea that you need a huge sweet sixteen party just because you are allowed to drive. They also conform to the idea that you need a brand new expensive car.
Humanitarianism: One person on the show charged an entrance fee and gave all that money to a charity; another person had an all "green" party, trying to be environmentally friendly.
Youthfulness: They are all young people on this show, however, it is somewhat ironic because all the people on the show try to act older. The only thing is you can see that they are young by the way they behave when they can't get something they want.
This is a list of how the show represents the ten core American values.
Achievement and Success: Many times the parents say that the kids deserve such a large party because they have been so good and working so hard in school. Yet many of them don't have jobs and are average students. Also many don't do chores, but the show portrays them to be hard working.
Activity and Work: The party is an activity that keeps them busy planning and "stressing" about what they believe is the most important day of their life.
Efficiency: They usually pay to have someone plan their party so they can continue their normal life while picking out a few details that correspond to the party and pretending to be busy.
Progress: Most teens in this show feel that in order to make progress once they turn 16 that they will need a car and unfortunately many parents fall for it.
Material Comfort: All the girls need to wear multiple dresses to the party because they feel like they can't be seen wearing the same dress the entire night. Also, they need to be drizzled with thousands of dollars in diamonds and expect expensive, high end gifts.
Individualism: They try to pick a theme that represents who they are and that no sweet sixteen person has ever used before.
Freedom: The only way I can think that relates to this show is they are allowed to have a party and the parents let them do whatever they want.
Conformity: They all conform to the idea that you need a huge sweet sixteen party just because you are allowed to drive. They also conform to the idea that you need a brand new expensive car.
Humanitarianism: One person on the show charged an entrance fee and gave all that money to a charity; another person had an all "green" party, trying to be environmentally friendly.
Youthfulness: They are all young people on this show, however, it is somewhat ironic because all the people on the show try to act older. The only thing is you can see that they are young by the way they behave when they can't get something they want.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Blog #2
Option 1: Why should consumers be worried about media conglomerates? Explain your thoughts in detail. Support your ideas with specific examples, if possible.
In my opinion, media conglomerates would destroy the media. I love being able to flip through the channels on the television and find out what people have to say about different issues. If there were to be only one or two media conglomerates people would not hear the diversity we are use to. A major problem with media conglomerates is that they don't just control one form of media, they control multiple different forms. For example the Time Warner conglomerate described in the book; if you read through all the different divisions the company owns it will amaze you. To think that one company and a few elite people have control of the messages these forms of media give off, it shows how large of an impact their message portrays. Imagine that one large company like Time Warner owns some of the most influential forms of media: magazines, music, film,and television. They publish 20 of the top magazines, have over 7 publishing companies for books, owns about 20% of US comic market, over 39 record producing labels, multiple film production studios, the second largest cable TV system, and the largest regional theme park in the US(Understanding Mass Media, p 267-268). To ponder that idea and how large of an impact that they could create by sending out their messages through the variety of forms they have available to them. Over time with their companies making profit, who knows, they may be able to buy out some of the other large companies. If we continue on a path with media conglomerates, there will be a future with only one message being heard. Which over time may diminish our love for being an individual and creating our own thoughts. With one company spreading their word, and ruling over the media, no matter how hard you try you would not be able to expand your message to the world. However intense media conglomerates may seem, I believe that we will never get to such an extreme measure. Our world contains such competition, that we will never have one media conglomerate.
In my opinion, media conglomerates would destroy the media. I love being able to flip through the channels on the television and find out what people have to say about different issues. If there were to be only one or two media conglomerates people would not hear the diversity we are use to. A major problem with media conglomerates is that they don't just control one form of media, they control multiple different forms. For example the Time Warner conglomerate described in the book; if you read through all the different divisions the company owns it will amaze you. To think that one company and a few elite people have control of the messages these forms of media give off, it shows how large of an impact their message portrays. Imagine that one large company like Time Warner owns some of the most influential forms of media: magazines, music, film,and television. They publish 20 of the top magazines, have over 7 publishing companies for books, owns about 20% of US comic market, over 39 record producing labels, multiple film production studios, the second largest cable TV system, and the largest regional theme park in the US(Understanding Mass Media, p 267-268). To ponder that idea and how large of an impact that they could create by sending out their messages through the variety of forms they have available to them. Over time with their companies making profit, who knows, they may be able to buy out some of the other large companies. If we continue on a path with media conglomerates, there will be a future with only one message being heard. Which over time may diminish our love for being an individual and creating our own thoughts. With one company spreading their word, and ruling over the media, no matter how hard you try you would not be able to expand your message to the world. However intense media conglomerates may seem, I believe that we will never get to such an extreme measure. Our world contains such competition, that we will never have one media conglomerate.
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