#tuftsml2013

[astrid2690]

News on Media: Why Are Romantic Comedies So Bad?

This commentary on Romantic Comedies from The Atlantic caught my attention because I am frequently watch movies of this genre. Normally though, I am easy to please; as long as there is comedy and some sort of a plot twist, I am content.

I do think though that this commentary sheds a light on how romantic comedies may have changed – and how society truly influences how media is created in general. The commentary argues that romantic comedies have always been couched in issues that might exist in starting a relationship, such as racial/social or SES difference, geographic difference, parental disapproval, premarital sex. However, because many of these obstacles to romantic relationships have almost disappeared, the plotlines of today’s romantic comedies pale compared to the Audrey Hepburn classics (and supposedly, the remaining obstacles to romantic relationships are too serious for romantic comedies).

There is a part of me that agrees with the sentiments in this article. The nature of societal problems and issues do reflect heavily on what movie plots will be most effective. Therefore, I do agree that the nature of romantic comedies have probably changed throughout the years.

However, I also still believe in creative license. I think that witty dialogue, engaging plot twists and borderline absurd scenes that are comedic can still exist in the context of a supposedly less problem-ridden romantic scene. Life IS a narrative. Somehow, somewhere, there are stories that will have a problem or two, no matter how small, that can be used as a setting to a romantic comedy. Perhaps it is easier for movie makers to create a classic if there are obvious societal obstacles to romantic relationships. However, I do think that truly creative writers can and will find something in the midst of our supposedly more boring romantic scenes.

[astrid2690]

News on Media: Is Texting Killing the English Language?

This article is an interesting take on the argument that texting has been killing the English language. The author of the article argues that texting has not damaged our use of English; instead, texting is developing as its own mode of communication with its own grammar and rules of connotation. 

This article is engaging because it couches the argument in terms of history. The article explains how writing and speaking have always been historically different because the former is slow and deliberate while the latter is quick and casual. Texting is supposedly the bridge that allows for writing to “reproduce the speed of conversation” – which means that texting can take on the same casual tone that talking has. Furthermore, the article claims that history itself is unfolding at this very moment with evolution of connotation in texting. The author uses “LOL” as an example, which has evolved from its literal meaning of “laugh out loud” to a filler word that creates a casual mood.

I think the arguments used in this short, yet thought-provoking article are insightful. It makes sense to look at texting as the evolution of a new dialect as opposed to the destruction of another. Perhaps the interesting question is, with the growing prevalence of casual texting language, will formal language eventually be pushed to the backburner? Yes, texting is not ruining our ability to write using proper spelling and grammar, but we do write with proper English less because it is more acceptable to write informally. Many years down the road, will using the traditional English grammar only be considered an art form, the way of Old English?

[astrid2690]

This was a funny YouTube video shown to me by a friend. The video shows a husky following along as a baby whines and utters incomprehensible sounds right next to it. The video is almost 3 minutes long, all of it the same repetitive husky-copies-baby scenario.  

I did not watch the entire video, but I almost did. The video was indeed hilarious, but I wondered why I was glued to watching the same, repetitive thing for more than 2 minutes. One simple explanation would be that, simply, it was funny. Seeing the same hilarious scene over and over again was probably satisfying and engaging for me as a viewer. Perhaps another reason though was anticipation of something even funnier or cooler. For every time the husky howled with a funny sound, I wondered if later on in the video the husky would make an even funnier sound right next to the baby.

I realized that perhaps, it is this sense of anticipation that makes videos without clear plots successful. Because the video has no clear trajectory, the viewer does not know when the video will reach a pinnacle in which the scene is the funniest or most engaging. Thus, the viewer keeps watching the same repetitive scenario. However, this only works after some time. As I did, most viewers probably realize shortly that there is not much else to the video like this, hilarious as it may be.

[astrid2690]

News on Media: Current State of TED talks

This article outlines the most recent critiques of TED Talks platform that has catapulted into popularity in the past few years. The article does a good job outlining the context of the article by starting from the perspective of a speaker as she receives an invitation to talk at a TED Conference. The rest of the article then goes into the history of TED, the current state of the organization and some of the critiques about the organization and the platform as a whole.

The title of the article implies some sort of focus on the criticism that TED has drawn throughout the years. While there are hints to what some of the critics have said about TED, the article mostly focuses on the history of the organization (how it turned from a niche conference of technologists, engineers and designers to an eclectic mix of speakers) and the opinions of the organizers. The article ends with an optimistic note from TED’s leader, Chris Anderson, on how Ted’s popularity shows thirst for learning.

From my perspective, I think the article was successful in shedding light on TED and how it came to be what it is now. It was, indeed, a news article that provided context and different sides of the story. For a TED Talks fan, I was curious to hear more about the specific critics or perhaps alternative suggestions that have been proposed. However, perhaps the article’s purpose was to simply provide a quick overview of TED and then spark interest in the curious to do more research and delve into more in-depth sources of information.

[astrid2690]

Bubble Bees Game: http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g2/bubble.htm

Whenever I want a low-key game, I go to Orisinal.com. This particular game that I chose, called Bubble Bees, asks the player to trap as many bumble bees as possible inside bubbles, which are created when the player presses the mouse. Ultimately, the key is to get the timing correctly so that the bee passes right before the bubble bursts.

I like this game (and the other Orisinal games in general) because they are engaging without being complicated. I think the Bubble Bees game works in particular because of the following:

-       The Bubble Bees instructions that play in the beginning is short and easy to understand. The animation makes it easy to see what needs to be done without requiring the player to read a lot of text

-       The playful but soothing music sets a tone of relaxation. It sets the mood of the game as one that is meant to be low key

-       There is only one task (to trap the bees in the bubbles), but there are a few

o   There are red bees that fly faster that are worth more points

o   There are clocks that fly occasionally that, when trapped in a bubble, give the player more time

-       The graphics are simple but colorful

The additional rules make the game adds excitement to the game but, since there are only two, the rules are easy to remember and does not over clutter the game space

Of course these games are not for any intense gamers who want a lot of action. This simple, 2D game would not draw the same audience as, say, Call of Duty would. But I think that’s what makes this game successful. The game is made for only a particular mood of playing and everything about it– the tune, graphics, and pared down game space – stays true to that.

[astrid2690]

News on Media: False viral stories about Boston Attacks

This news article is probably one of the more useful ones to have read after the explosion of media after the attack at the Boston Marathon.

I think the article does a good job outlining the most common false information that went viral during and after the incident. Some of the images in the article were useful and the tag-lines were also helpful in outlining each of the viral stories. It would have been better if all the stories had images with it, but even if they didn’t, each snippet provided specific information that allows the users to recognize what the article is talking about (I recognize most of these fake stories – and I’m glad I read this article because I thought some of these were true).

The article itself almost has a mocking tone that denounces the fake stories. Clearly the article is not meant to be a formal, unbiased report of false stories. This becomes clear when the article talks about the conspiracy theories that have come up after the event. The opening sentence makes a very clear statement:

“We almost hate to even address this stuff. We'll start with a bottom line: Anyone saying they know what happened at this point is making it up.”

The last point of the article, which talks about someone who bought the URL bostonmarathonconspiracies.com to prevent “some conspiracy theory kook from owning it”  re-emphasizes this point of view. It leaves the audience with the feeling that the stories that circulated were, in fact, ridiculous and overexaggerated versions of the truth.

This article, of course, clearly shows the downside to having media tools at our fingertips. On the one hand, it is very useful for being updated during emergencies as this. However, it also allows for quick propagation of rumors and falsities. How do we strike a balance?

[astrid2690]

These two images that depict the twin explosions that occurred during the Boston Marathon is informative and succinct. The first image, which shows the location of the explosion in Boylston St., has crucial information that makes the image informative but not overwhelming. It is helpful that it has labels for some of the more well-known buildings, such as the Boston Public Library. It allows those who may have been in the area before to recognize where the bombings have occurred. The labels for the finish line and the direction of the runners also put the location in perspective of the marathon. I also think that the use of the red and yellow as markers stand out and are easy to spot from the rather bland color scheme of the page.

It was beneficial to have both an overview map and a more detailed map together in one page to show where in Massachusetts the bombing occurred. This makes the visualization useful to those who might not be familiar with Boston or the route of the race.

One thing that I think could have been done to improve this is to have the two images side by side. This just makes it easier for the user to not have to scroll down to view both pictures. Even better is if there is a way to indicate that the top image is really more a zoomed-in version of the bottom image. Again, this can make the visualization more cohesive to the audience.

[astrid2690]

Read Paywalls help newspapers achieve decade-first rise in circulation revenues & other Media Week news online. Paywalls help newspapers achieve decade-first rise in circulation revenues from Media Week. Media Week magazine - news and information from the world of media

This article discusses the rise in revenue gained by newspaper companies through paywalls and digital subscriptions. According to the article, the increase in revenue this year is the first gain in almost a decade.

The information outlined in this article was actually news to me because ever since the explosion of online content, there has been a lot of speculation that the digital subscription model will not work well for media companies, especially because it is easy for news to be disbursed in other ways online. However, perhaps the growing number of online subscription is an indicator that many individuals still want to receive their information from their most trusted sources. While we can get information through brief articles from other online sources, we now that quality reporting that is published in well-known publication is more likely to be accurate and informative. Ultimately, the subscription pays for the name and for the guarantee that what we are reading is worthwhile

I wish that the article had delved deeper into what incentivizes individuals to pay for a subscription, though this is probably beyond the scope of the article since the article seems to be only a pure overview news report. For what it is, I think the article does a good job having the appropriate statistics and numbers that renders the information into something quantifiable. For instance, writing the amount of money in billions reminds individuals of how big of an industry the media this is and how much money can be lost or gain in the industry.