Sui

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Lifefoot

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Blog Post 3- Marginalization of the Urban Black Underclass

Question: In what ways was hip-hop influenced by the marginalization of the urban black underclass?

“Many if the stylistic excesses associated with African-American youth culture were conscious efforts to deconstruct and critique mass-mediated images of African-American youth” (Neal pg. 484). In other words, people believes through images that hip-hop was created in the “ghetto” and it is affiliated with gang violence. To many that is the outside look into the urban areas of the black community, however, it’s a whole different story when you actually listen to the hip-hop culture music because this is the reality they live in.

During this era (Mid 1970′s) was the embrace of civil rights movement, even though policies were changed to give rights to African Americans nothing in the urban places changed. They still were living in danger and violence continue to grow through gang development (Crips/Bloods). Going into the drug war of having it take over society that dealing became a job to people. Neal says, “While much of this activity was driven by the need to give voice to issues that privilege the local and the private within the postindustrial city--thus the over determined constructions of masculinity, sexuality, criminality, and even an urban patriarchy--hip hop’s best attempts at social commentary and critique represented traditions normalized and privileged historically in the Black Public Sphere if the urban North” (Neal pg. 485). Hip hop culture was influenced through the surrounding of reality of danger. They wanted to make a difference in their community and by doing so music was their way out. Many MC’s during this era was making music to create a community of getting the youth off the streets and not into the drug/gang violence.

An example of this is the documentary/film called “Flatbush The Movie” of how gangs come together to show the dangers of the world is not worth killing innocent bodies. The film is is about the beginning of New York’s gang epidemic in the early 90’s, the effects it had on the streets, breaking up of childhood friendships and bonds. Also, the movie shows how it started in the jails here in NYC by OG Mack to counter the Latin Kings who were giving the Blacks a lot of problems in the jails and spilled into the streets and spread like wildfire. The movie is based on the statement that Neal makes, “For African-American youth, hip-hop music also allowed them to counter the iconography of fear, menace, and spectacle that dominated mass-mediated perceptions of contemporary black life by giving voice to the everyday human realities of black life in ways that could not be easily reduced to commodifiable stereotypes” (Neal pg. 486). The film is based on how giving the voice to people that the reality the live in is not based on stereotype visions but the real world reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwZXK-siSB0

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Blog Post 2: Hip Hop Roots

It interesting to know that hip hop was discovered through other genres of music to find the true heritage of Black history. With Kurtis Blow and Afrika Bambaataa two major influences that created the underground works of hip hop culture. The genre brought a community together and the invention of “Rap” was created and it change the game of the music industry. As it says, “MC’s hip hop’s masters of ceremonies, are its literary artist. They are the poets and rap is the poetry of hip hop culture” (Anthology of Rap pg. 1). In other words, rap and hip hop are complementary to each other and it started this whole revolution of music that so many people in the Bronx could relate to. 

When watching the development and reading how hip hop came into the world, the part that fascinate me the most is how rap was formed into the beats and breaks of a song. The way songs have breaks was the purpose of dance moves and parties to enjoy the interesting beats and breaks in a song. Which was the same way rap was brought up as stated, “Rap was the voice of this culture, the linguistic analog of hyper kinetic dance moves, vividly painted subway cars, and skillfully mixed break beats” (Anthology of Rap pg.1). Showing the comparison of how hip hop culture exploded with the purpose of poems being know as Rap bars. When the industry itself was growing rap was just know as just talking in the mic. People would just yell phrases during the breaks and when the beat comes through with the different phrases it created this new sound that everyone started to accustomed to it. More and more people want to be MC’s and they started this stage of levels of being a rapper or an artist in the MC’s culture. Some MC’s are “Old School” like Afrika Bambaataa. “The Old school is always audible when listening to rap. We hear it in direct references and recycled verses, or in glancing lyrical gestures and tendencies of rhyme” (1978-1984 pg. 1). Meaning, that when it comes to rhymes back then was just off of the DJ playing the beats. It was simple rhymes that sounds smooth through the beats and breaks in a song.

Rapping has so many different levels of how competitive it can be. As it says, “Rap would take creative competition to elaborate and impressive level” (1978-1984 pg. 5). Explaining how artist can be so skilled to be a lyricist. The way a bar would be said is all through poet metaphors and alliterations that creates such a creative vibe that only certain people can do. For many the wordplay is what tells a story. “These difference in terminology reflect both regional and individual styles. They speak to the artists’ identities and to their communities” (Anthology of Rap pg. 5). MC’s use the skills of rhyming to talk about a person or themselves, some will take it into political views like Grand master Flash. Speaking on experience and the vision on what is actually happening in reality is what many lyricist write. Which is why it will always be a competition on who has the best rhymes.

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Blog Post 1: Revolution of Rap Today

Henry Louis Gates Jr. describes the theory of how Rap started. Interesting on how the revolution of Rap has made it to film, TV, music and so much more. Gates goes into his experience of how rap was evolved into society through music. He say, “Mastery of pace and timing, the capacity to inflect and gesture, the ability to summon the identities of different characters simply through the nuances of their voices” (Gates pg.1) In other words, the style of rap is based on rhymes and poetry stanza. Rapping is based off of the signifying and meaning to it. The start of rap was created in World War I and black cultural practices through the rhetorical principle. Gates claim, “Poets improvised through and around this received content, with improvised stanzas and lyrics that might address a range of concerns from social and political issues to love, loneliness, heartbreak, and even death” (Gates pg.1). Even though this happens in music, rap is also portrayed in many different forms that grabs the attention of every generation.

An example, is through TV shows that main content is through lyrics and rhymes the basis of what rap is. The TV show Wild N’ Out the majority of the show is freestyle different bars and samples of celebrities and songs through humor. As Gates states, “What you hear is great humor, great joy, and great boisterousness. It’s a joke. It’s a parody and parody is one of the most venerated forms of art” (Gates pg.2). During the show there is multiple scenarios/games two teams play that expresses the African American culture through slang, language, style, people etc. One of the games that is played is Wildstyle where they freestyle against each other. At times the game becomes intense with the battle against each other. In video are different clips of how the game is played and how intense and funny the game can get.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX7IlIV2yZg

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Social Media Industry

Social Media is the reason we as a world are able to connect in such a rapid and fast way. Social Media allows people to get quick access to all information through the internet and the improvement of technology. Now a days you can access anything through a mobile devices or any device that can connect to data plans or WiFi. Social Media is such a big outlet industry that is the reason why some media networks even exist today. Let’s dive in more on the Social Media Industry and how much of an impact it has on society

Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg

The founder and "face" of Facebook indirectly holds around 11.92 million Class A Facebook shares indirectly through a series of funds, according to the CEO's most recent filing with the SEC on August 30, 2018. Zuckerberg also owns a whopping 392.71 million Class B shares per the company's April 13, 2018, proxy statement. Control over nearly 78.9% of the Class B shares, gives Zuckerberg 53.3% voting rights in the company. On July 25, 2018, Zuckerberg sold 240,000 shares of Facebook common stock. The stocks sold at an average price of $216.71, for a total transaction of just over $52 million. Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room and has become one of the most famous businessmen in the world. Zuckerberg and Facebook have come under fire in the Cambridge Analytica scandal where it was revealed that the latter accessed user data and used it to target political advertisements. Zuckerberg in a written statement before the House admitted that the company had not done enough to protect its users.

Snapchat: Evan Spiegel & Bobby Murphy

Evan Spiegel launched Snapchat with Bobby Murphy in September 2011. Described as a product visionary to rival Steve Jobs, Spiegel holds the title of CEO at the company and has set up its share structure so he and Murphy will retain control in the future too. Murphy and Spiegel were frat brothers at Stanford when they co-founded the app and have grown it to a company much larger than just disappearing messages. While Spiegel is described as a product genius, it is Murphy who is leading a lot of Snap's cutting edge work in its Snap Labs division.

Snapchat was initially focused on private, person-to-person photo sharing, but you can now use it for a range of different tasks, including sending short videos, live video chatting, messaging, creating caricature-like Bitmoji avatars, and sharing a chronological “story” that’s broadcasted to all your followers. There’s even a designated “Discovery” area that showcases short-form content from major publishers like Buzzfeed. Snapchat even lets you store media to a private storage area. Other features include the ability to add filters and AR-based lenses to snaps and show your live location on a world map.

Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger/ Facebook

The photo-sharing app was acquired by Facebook in 2012 when the app had just 30 million users. Facebook bought the company for $1 billion in cash and stock, then updated the privacy policy for the app about four months later. Profiles and anything posted to the app is collected by Instagram, according to its privacy policy, and that information is shared with business partners and “people who help us provide Instagram to you."  

Instagram is a free photo and video sharing app available on Apple iOS, Android and Windows Phone. People can upload photos or videos to our service and share them with their followers or with a select group of friends. They can also view, comment and like posts shared by their friends on Instagram. Anyone 13 and older can create an account by registering an email address and selecting a username

Recent Trends:

Donald Trump Twitter Feed

An unprecedented feature of Donald Trump's successful campaign for president was his personal use of Twitter and it has continued as Trump meets with advisers and potential members of his cabinet. If this continues into Trump's presidency, the method will be new, but the approach will be in line with a long tradition of presidents going around the so-called filter of the press. Since Election Day, Trump tweeted a list of countries whose leaders he has spoken with before his team sent out a press release

#METOOMOVEMENT

Since sexual misconduct allegations exploded against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, dozens of women have accused other high-profile men. What started as a hashtag aimed at giving victims a voice, has turned into lawsuits filed against some of Hollywood’s most powerful players and ethics investigations in the case of some accused elected officials. #MeToo paved the way for #TimesUp, a legal defense fund and anti-sexual harassment initiative backed by prominent women in the entertainment industry. The second annual Women’s March on Jan. 20 brought out millions of people across the country.

Colin Kaepernick & Nike

Nike's controversial ad campaign with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has drawn a surge in Instagram followers and likes on Twitter and Facebook, which should translate into higher sales, according to one analyst. The ad campaign generated "possibly record likes by Americans" on social media, even though there's been a wave of anti-Nike comments as well, according to Webush's internal analysis of the marketing campaign. Kaepernick, who knelt during the 2016 National Football League season during the national anthem in protest against racial injustice, opted out of his contract with the 49ers and hasn't signed with another NFL football team.

Meme’s & Gifs

Form of Communication

An Internet meme can be almost any idea or concept expressed in some form of content on the web, which is why it can be so completely difficult to drill down to a real definition. It can be a photo, a video, a person, an animal, a fictional character, an event, a song, a belief, an action, a GIF, a symbol, a word or anything else.

When one of these things is broad enough to be considered extremely relatable between most people and has a humorous effect to it (like sarcasm or exaggeration), it often gets shared all over the Internet. Mass sharing gives it its internet meme status.

Major Controversies 

Mass Shootings

Mass shootings are commonly followed by demands for action on social media, research shows. Yet it also shows that such initial momentum gradually runs aground when faced with gun-rights activists. History suggests that the challenge for the gun-control activists goes beyond channeling grief and outrage into calls for new gun laws.

In the hours after the shooting, several student reactions posted on social media went viral. Students also used Twitter and Facebook in attempt to locate friends who were missing, mourn friends who had been slain, and directly weigh-in on the gun-control debate their stories were beginning to fuel.

Peaceful Protest

DACA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSUVRW1L2CU

LGBT/Transgender

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMBBrAmVnSE

Teacher’s Protest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_rn9DHFbGY

Historical Development

Social Media is based on a timeline below and how it has developed in such a fast pace that its hard to not be involved in Social media. 

Notable artists/pioneers:

Justin Bieber

In 2007, Bieber became the poster child of what social media can do when he was discovered by his manager, Scooter Braun, on YouTube. The singer was known by his small YouTube following as kidrauhl, a 13-year-old aspiring musician who posted covers of hits like Chris Brown's "With You." The covers quickly led to a meeting with Usher and a recording contract, and the rest is history.

Liza Koshy

Liza began posting comic videos on the Vine platform, in 2013, under the pseudonym "Lizzza", where she posted short comedic videos. By 2016, Koshy was also becoming noted on the YouTube platform. In November 2016, just before the 2016 election, Koshy interviewed president Barack Obama on her YouTube channel to encourage voter registration. Koshy's videos feature "her loud facial expressions, quick pace, and her commitment to looking as ridiculous as possible as the joke demands. [Some of her videos] take serious issues – like anxiety, the pressure to fit in and internet trolls – and make them accessible and engaging for her viewers." She suspended adding new videos to her main YouTube account in early 2018 as she turned to full-time acting and hosting work. 

In 2017, Koshy became "the fastest YouTube personality to reach 10 million subscribers". As of November 2018, her main YouTube channel had over 16 million subscribers and more than 1.8 billion views. Videos on her main channel average nearly 10 million views. Her second YouTube channel had more than 7 million subscribers, and her two channels had a combined total of more than 2.3 billion views.

In 2016, Koshy starred in the Hulu original horror series Freakish as Violet Adams.She reprises the role in the show's second season in 2017. Also in 2016, she played the role of Aday Walker in the horror-comedy feature film, Boo! A Madea Halloween, and starred as herself in the YouTube Premium series, Jingle Ballin’. She has hosted the reboot of the Nickelodeon game show Double Dare since June 2018

Ball In The Family

Ball in the Family is an American reality web television series that premiered on August 29, 2017 on Facebook Watch. The show documents the personal and professional lives of the Ball family. On May 14, 2018, it was reported that Facebook had renewed the show for a third season. It premiered on June 10, 2018. This show is the first reality show to only be watched on Facebook. Which shows the amount of how Social Media Industry has improved and is still growing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDxsYsfJwXk

Work Cited

https://makeawebsitehub.com/social-media-sites/

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insights/082216/top-9-shareholders-facebook-fb.asp

https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-snapchat-shareholders-2017-1#evan-spiegel-snap-cofounder-and-ceo-1

https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-metoo-20171218-story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/02/20/why-social-media-appeals-after-mass-shootings-have-done-little-to-change-gun-laws/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.212107e21c4e

http://webcasts.acc.com/handouts/ACC_264_F058_109_Sample-Social-Media-Ownership-Policy.pdf

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Lab 3: Xnfinity Radio Industry

Technology revolves around our society and generation and it will continue to increase through the media industries and the different conglomerates that deals with technology improving the company in different outlets of media especially in the radio industry. Cable has improved with technology especially through movies, television, music, and social media. Xfinity/Comcast is one of the biggest cable network and the amount of media and technology to improve the industry.

Comcast was founded in 1963 by Ralph J. Roberts, Daniel Aaron, and Julian A. Brodsky as a small cable system in Tupelo, Mississippi. In 1969 the company moved to Philadelphia and was renamed Comcast Corporation. Its initial growth was fueled by strategic investments in rival cable systems, including Group W Cable in 1986 and Storer Communications in 1988. Additional rivals were acquired, including E.W. Scripps in 1995 and Jones Intercable, Inc., in 1999. In 2002 Comcast purchased AT&T Broadband, at the time the largest cable television operator in the United States, for $44.5 billion.

In addition to acquiring cable television systems, Comcast moved into the areas of entertainment and program content development. In 1996 Comcast created a regional sports cable channel called Comcast Sportsnet, which was later merged with Home Team Sports in 2001 and renamed Comcast Regional Sports Television. Comcast purchased controlling interests in E! Entertainment in 1997 and the Golf Channel in 2001. In April 2005, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Comcast acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. Four years later it was announced that Comcast had agreed to acquire 51 percent of NBCUniversal from General Electric Co. (GE); the deal was completed in January 2011. Two years later Comcast purchased GE’s remaining shares.

Comcast’s digital cable television subscription offers customers hundreds of channels, on-demand options, high-definition programming, and a digital video recorder (DVR) service. High-speed Internet is available through Comcast residential broadband service. Comcast Digital Voice, launched in 2005, provides customers with telephone service plus the ability to listen to voicemail online and forward voicemails via email.

Comcast Corp. is a media, entertainment, and communications company, which engages in the provision of video, Internet, and phone services. It operates through the following segments: Cable Communications, Cable Networks, Broadcast Television, Filmed Entertainment, Theme Parks, and Corporate and Other. The Cable Communications segment provides video, Internet, voice, and security and automation services under the Xfinity brand. The Cable Networks segment consists of national cable networks, regional sports, news networks, international cable networks, and cable television studio production operations. The Broadcast Television segment includes NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment involves in the production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of filmed entertainment. The Theme Parks segment consists of Universal theme parks in Orlando, Florida; Hollywood, California; and Osaka, Japan. The Corporate and Other segment includes operations of other business interests, primarily of Comcast Spectacor. The company was founded by Ralph J. Roberts in 1963 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.

https://corporate.comcast.com/company/xfinity

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Blog Post 13: Emmy’s Political

In the media today the world is revolved around political issues with government, film industry, sports, and even in comedy today. The interesting part about all of this is the politics were always with comedy however now that humorous manner of jokes can become a serious manner. In the article The Emmys Should Be Political by Sophie Gilbert describing how the joking matter of Bill Cosby situation.

Gilbert said, “The Cosby joke was noteworthy for its timing. Back in January 2015, the allegations against Cosby had only recently resurfaced, thanks to a stand-up routine by the comic Hannibal Buress a few months before. The New York cover featuring 35 Cosby accusers was still months from publication. Cosby was still nearly a year away from being criminally charged with aggravated indecent assault. But in a joke, at an awards show, Poehler and Fey helped shift the public perception of Cosby from a benign, avuncular human sweater to a pathological drug and abuser of women” how Poehler and Fey took the issue was in the stance of calling Cosby out for what he has done. Even though it was in a humorous manner many took it in a serious manner to have it be aware that being abused as a women. Having all of this happen in a public atmosphere and live to the world has brought a new level of political issues being upfront with platforms.

As it says, “The television industry is defined by politics. The best TV shows illuminate reality and the ways in which the world is going wrong. Awards shows shouldn’t indulge the impulses of people in power who’ve always preferred to look away.” is best way of showing how media can be effected through politics and serious issues to get through the audience of the world and people.

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Blog Post 12: Gender Equality Gap

The society we use to live in was based on having in-appropriate behaviors or harassment the believed is to be not an issue or to keep a silent manner. However in the society we live in today women across the globe is standing up to this Gender Equality Gap and saying enough is enough our voices will be heard. In the article The Brutal Math of Gender Inequality in Hollywood by Derek Thompson jumps right to the point on how females in the show business is not appreciated in the works of Hollywood.

Thompson’s explains how there is not many or there is very few females that are directors, producers, cinematographers, and other high level position in the film industry. He states, “In 2017, women comprised 18 percent of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 250 domestic grossing films,” wrote Martha Lauzen, the author of the report and a professor of film and television at San Diego State University. In the last two decades, the gender wage gap in America has narrowed and women have eclipsed men in the ranks of new college graduates. But behind the camera in Hollywood, nothing has changed since the late 1990s”. Then goes into detail about how in this film industry it is male dominated making it harder and a struggle for women to get to that level as men are. As for many years we have witness this with the salary gap with female and males through the film business but also in other businesses (sports, music, restaurants, military, education..etc) that continue to put women below a man.

Thompson continues on explaining the gap of equality for both females and males in the industry however he takes it in perspective of harassment and sexual behavior. He believes the reasoning of why females can’t be on top because they fall short of the man in control and just silent their voices to get the position that they have. He claims, “In my book, I reported on a study by the Geena Davis Foundation that analyzed speaking roles in 120 popular films released between 2010 and 2013 for demographics, sexualization, occupation, and career. Just 23 percent of these films had a girl or woman as a main character. The ratio of men to women portrayed at the highest levels of local or national government authority was 115-to-12 (and three of the 12 female roles were portrayals of one person: Margaret Thatcher). Meanwhile, girls and women were twice as likely as boys and men to be shown in sexually revealing clothing, and five times more likely to be called out for being attractive. If these movies collectively formed a single nation, women in this world would account for less than one-third of the workforce and two-thirds of its sex workers.” Describing how females are only known for posing in front of the camera instead of actually taking control behind the scenes. Which is the challenge in the society we are facing because males in the society believe that a women cannot do what they can do. In all reality we are humans and we have the same attributes and can do the same thing as anyone. However, they have made it a social norm that women have to be below a male which is absurd. At the end of the day this society is coming together by speaking out and females are empower to take what they deserve and not silent their voices over anything that a man believes is under their control.

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Blog Post 11: Music Industry

The music industry is an interesting industry that it changes on a daily basis. With the amount of upcoming artist to those that became legendary and is still known for their music in the past and currently. When it comes to music every person can relate to the industry because everyone listens to music. However, only a few can actually go deep into the industry and how the distribution action plans of artist and how albums and labels make a name for themselves.

To be apart of the business or industry it all starts with the recording industry and how that production of artist work with culture and the majority of the world as an audience. Turow’s explains how the recording industry uses Concentration of Distribution as he says, “The major recording companies are the distributors of choice because of the immense powers they bring to the marketplace”. In other words those record labels that are well known like Death Row Records, Def Jam, Cash Money, A&M etc. they are huge in the industry because they produce many different artists in different genres to keep them in the high level of the game. Which gives the challenge on independent artist to make a name for themselves without a record label.

For independent artist they go through the challenge of not getting benefits that other artist would have through a record label. However, these artist also have the advantage in providing content of their own and not following the policies and restrictions certain record labels have. Independent artists have the advantage of streaming music on spotify, youtube, soundcloud, pandora, and many other music sites that allow people to listen. As Turow says, “Internet radio is a pre-chosen music stream based around certain genres-for example, hip hop or classical-provided free to listeners and paid for commercial advertisements, much like a radio station”. Explaining that internet radio is the way the distribution happens in the music industry for independent artists. Through the use of streaming also known for, “process in which an audio file is delivered to a computer-like device from a website so that it can be heard while it is coming into the device but cannot be saved or stored”. Independent artists streaming their music is the way the create a fan basis and rating on make them famous, the same way Chance the Rapper did, he took the process of internet radio and streaming to allow him to come up as an artist and become famous for his music like those that are in record labels.  

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Blog Post 10: People Magazine

People is an American weekly magazine of celebrity and human-interest stories, published by Meredith Corporation. With a readership of 46.6 million adults, People has the largest audience of any American magazine. People had $997 million in advertising revenue in 2011, the highest advertising revenue of any American magazine. In 2006, it had a circulation of 3.75 million and revenue expected to top $1.5 billion. It was named "Magazine of the Year" by Advertising Age in October 2005, for excellence in editorial, circulation, and advertising. People ranked #6 on Advertising Age's annual "A-list" and #3 on Adweek's"Brand Blazers" list in October 2006.

The magazine runs a roughly 50/50 mix of celebrity and human-interest articles. People's editors claim to refrain from printing pure celebrity gossip, enough to lead celebrity publicists to propose exclusives to the magazine, and evidence of what one staffer calls a "publicist-friendly strategy".

People's website, People.com, focuses on celebrity news and human interest stories. In February 2015, the website broke a new record: 72 million unique visitors.

People is perhaps best known for its yearly special issues naming the "World's Most Beautiful", "Best & Worst Dressed", and "Sexiest Man Alive". The magazine's headquarters are in New York, and it maintains editorial bureaus in Los Angeles and in London. For economic reasons, it closed bureaus in Austin, Miami, and Chicago in 2006.

Teen People

In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens, called Teen People.However, on July 27, 2006 the company announced that it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. In exchange subscribers to this magazine received Entertainment Weekly for the rest of their subscriptions. There were numerous reasons cited for the publication shutdown, including a downfall in ad pages, competition from both other teen-oriented magazines and the internet, along with a decrease in circulation numbers.Teenpeople.com was merged into People.com in April 2007. People.com will "carry teen-focused stories that are branded as TeenPeople.com", Mark Golin, the editor of People.com explained, and on the decision to merge the brands he said, "We've got traffic on Teen People, People is a larger site, why not combine and have the teen traffic going to one place?"

Sexiest Man Alive

The annual feature the "Sexiest Man Alive" is billed as a benchmark of male attractiveness and typically includes only famous people and celebrities. It is determined using a procedure similar to the procedure used for Time's Person of the Year. The origin of the title was a discussion on a planned story on Mel Gibson. Someone exclaimed, "Oh my God, he is the sexiest man alive!" And someone else said, "You should use that as a cover line."

For the first decade or so, the feature appeared at uneven intervals. Originally awarded in the wintertime, it shifted around the calendar, resulting in gaps as short as seven months and as long as a year and a half, with no selection at all during 1994 (21 years later the magazine did select Keanu Reeves to fill the 1994 gap, with runners-up including Hugh Grant and Jim Carrey). Since 1997, the dates have settled between mid-November and early December.

Dates of magazine issues, winners, ages of winners at the time of selection, and pertinent comments are listed below.

As of 2016, John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Patrick Swayze are the only winners to have died since winning. Kennedy, Adam Levine, David Beckham and Blake Shelton are the only non-actors to have won the award.

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Blog 9: Daily Express

The Daily Press published its first edition on January 4, 1896, just 12 days before the General Assembly declared Newport News a city on January 16, 1896. Charles E. Thacker owned and edited the paper from a small printing shop in the basement of the First National Bank at 28th Street and Washington Avenue. Thacker promised in his four-page first edition to “espouse the right and oppose the wrong wherever found.” Thacker sold copies of his paper for one cent.

The title is in top center of the newspaper, I believe it catches many people’s attention through the simple bold font and the logo in the middle. The logo is what stands out to grab the reader’s attention and recognition of the brand and newspaper, which makes them stand out in a unique way. The front page has ads and local coupons and the bottom center explains the biggest issues or trending in news today in the world. The headline of the huge story covered is 50% cover the front page. Depending on the year or period of time that determines what big issue gets to be portrayed on the front page. Daily Press makes sure the cover international issues and local issues, however the majority of the front page is focus on international issues. The front cover has simple bright colors that draws the reader’s attention. Teaser on the front page is a funny trend of weathering humor. Each page has some type of humor jokes that deals with the newscast and the news channel in that local area.

The newspaper has improved throughout time that it is a digital newspaper. In the past where the Daily Press was on paper the different sections in the newspaper was News, Sports, Business, Travel, and Entertainment. They has small sections because the world was still developing with connecting with the world. Fast forward to now having the newspaper be digital and on it own website. The sections are the same however the added subsection within the larger sections of the newspaper. The majority of the ads are in the section of traveling and life/style to get reader’s attention to keep interest in the newest deals. The ownership of Daily Press is owned by REACH PIC, a public limited company, a british newspaper.

The online version of the newspaper is reliable however, too many things are happening right when you enter the first page. Many ads take over the site especially when reading an article ads will pop up and distracts the reader from the visual point. Some sections and articles on the newspaper are short and simple and has good content that deals with certain issues. Certain sections when reading articles they have man hyperlinks to lead you to another website or newspaper to learn more information or to understand more about the issue that was written.

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Blog 7: Hometown Media Control

In Colorado Springs, it depends on the area you live. Where I specifically from is the low income side of Colorado, also known as the poorest. When it comes to media control, it’s not as large as other corporate business. With newspaper there is only one company that runs or have control over that which is the Gazette. With radio stations they are based on news and what is happening in Colorado Springs. However, when it comes to music there is only certain stations that you can only listen to in Colorado Springs. If you are traveling to Pueblo or Denver the station will not work. Dealing with Broadcast Television is mainly on the news channels that is spreading the information media aspect in Colorado Springs. The media source is dealing with just being local. 

Turow goes into detail on how criticism in the media works and how the reality we as individuals live is not real. Turow states, “Broadly speaking, people use the media in four ways; for enjoyment, for companionship, for surveillance, and for interpretation” (pg.11). Speaking upon the media aspect of how communication rolls into play and the ability to interact with others and a large audience. Mass media has three C’s that contributes to the distributes on how media is displayed on devices and electronics. Content, Corporation, Computer through messaging, creating/distribute content, and forming the message into the digital system. Turow also says, “Researchers have found that the credibility people place on the positions that mass media take depends on the extent to which the individuals agree with the values they find in that content” (pg. 15). In other words, people trust the media credibility through their own personal belief as true and if it goes against what they personal believe they will discredit it.

[talofasp7]

Blog Post 6: Convergence vs. Net Neutrality

John Bellamy Foster and Robert W. McChesney compose the article “The Internet’s Unholy Marriage to Capitalism” that argues how the internet has changed the game in a capitalist world. The way our world works revolves around the internet and the increasing improvement that technology has done from 1990′s to what the future holds. Technology has changed the game for corporations with where the digital world is not based on information but also, to make a profit for the company. As they claim, “Many important political debates in a  Capitalist society are concerned with determining the areas where the pursuit of profit will be allowed to rule, and where it will not be” (44). For this Capital society technology is their bases of what gets them the most money and what they might be wasting money on to change it electronically. This world has changed with technology and many people haven’t noticed what digital world has changed this society upside down. As Foster and McChesney asserted, “The internet, or more broadly, the digital revolution is truly changing the world” (43).

         Digital revolution has changed not only for media industry but also, for job industry as well. In the article, it states, “By all sides in communication debate in the early 1990′s, as the World Wide Web turned the Internet seemingly overnight into a mass medium” (45). In other words, the old fashion way of the Internet being AOL turned into Google Chrome and has changed the way society works especially in the job industry. In the past many people when looking for a job many would have to go into facilities to see if they were hiring or look in the newspaper to see what jobs were available. Now that technology has improved over the years you can search up job sites that will give you a list of what jobs are opening and what are available. They have created websites, for example, Indeed.com, snapjob.com, ziprecuiter.com, and many other sites that help people find jobs and help companies post opening positions that are in need of fulfilling. It’s not only for job search but also, job applications. Foster and McChesney mentioned, “ Capitalist development of Internet-related industries has quickly, inexorably, generated considerable market concentration at almost every level, often beyond that found in non-digital markets” (46). Which I thought of job applications. In that past many jobs when filling an application you had to fill it out on paper and turn it into the store manager. Technology has changed that, now when applying for any job they tell you to go online. Companies not only make it more efficient for the company but also saves money from printing copies of applications.

When in comes to dealing with Net Neutrality, Turow’s comes into play with how privatization and the convergences. Turow goes into detail about how the digital media is spreading and growing competition in the field of mass media. He states, “Digitization also has created major challenges for firms involved in production, distribution, and exhibition of media material” (pg. 159). Explaining that the world of digital has made challenges to production and which comes back to Net Neutrality of closing off certain things on the internet because of the fast pace lane has made it challenging for production to compete. He also says, “In the digital world, distributors desire to have many windows as possible for their products has encouraged the growth in convergence-that is, the movement of the same content across different digital media” (pg.160). In other words saying that if companies don’t have enough internet outlets to keep their business functioning it becomes a problem. Which is why they try to distribute “windows” to every company but with a large amount of money they can jump to the advantage on buying more access to the internet. 

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Blog Post 5: Gran Torino

In this chapter Turow discusses privacy settings and the freedom of speech. How there is regulations and laws dealing with what privacy rights their is when it comes to media. 

A movie that comes to mind dealing with ratings and privacy is Gran Torino. The movie is based on a racist Korean War veteran living in a crime-ridden Detroit neighborhood is forced to confront his own lingering prejudice when a troubled Hmong teen from his neighborhood attempts to steal his prized Gran Torino. Decades after the Korean War has ended, ageing veteran Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is still haunted by the horrors he witnessed on the battlefield. The two objects that matter most to Kowalski in life are the classic Gran Torino that represents his happier days working in a Ford assembly plant, and the M-1 rifle that saved his life countless times during combat. When Kowalski's teenage neighbor (Bee Vang) attempts to steal his Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation rite, the old man manages to catch the aspiring thief at the business end of his well-maintained semi-automatic rifle. Later, due to the pride of the Asian group, the boy is forced to return to Kowalski's house and perform an act of penance. Despite the fact that Kowalski wants nothing to do with the young troublemaker, he realizes that the quickest way out of the situation is to simply cooperate. In an effort to set the teen on the right path in life and toughen him up, the reluctant vet sets him up with an old crony who now works in construction. In the process, Kowalski discovers that the only way to lay his many painful memories to rest is to finally face his own blinding prejudice head-on. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMhbr2XQblk

The movie was rates 3 stars out of 5 because they say that Clint Eastwood work in this movie could of been better. However, personally, I believe the reasoning is the true meaning of the movie dealing with gang violence, abuse and sexual brutality. The amount of shots that were taken in the film they only use 20% of the violence scene because of Antitrust Policies. Definition is Policies put in place to maintain competition in the U.S. economy, carried out through the passing of laws, through enforcement of the laws by the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorneys general, and through federal court decisions that determine how far the government ought to go in encouraging competition and forcing companies to break themselves into a number of smaller companies. In other words, the amount of criminal activity can only be showed in a different perspectives. Where it doesn’t become a controversial problem to the audience. 

However, when drugs and violence was shown in the movie Straight Out of Compton this policy didn’t correlate with the movie. Yet, the majority of the movie was based on the criminal actions in the neighborhood created. Which is the same scenario dealing with Gran Torino. Yet, Straight Out of Compton got 4 to 5 star rating when the movie was released. Because of the Policy it denied the amount of film that were allowed to show during the movie. 

[talofasp7]

Blog Post 4: Racism on Ads

"Under the hood of the converging media world, though, are activities that also support media firms but in a more hidden and indirect way than advertising" (Turows pg. 91). In other words, the media world continues to grow but through the use of advertising.

The definition of advertising is, "Activity of explicitly paying for media space or time in order to direct favorable attention to certain good or services" in a simpler way of saying is paying media to produce an objective that the target audience will either buy or sell. When it comes to ads and how many people dont truly look at them, some ads that are produce become a controversial debate.

For example, when H&M used an African American boy to model a sweater "The Coolest Monkey in The Jungle" and it became a world wide debate on whether H&M was being racist towards the young boy wearing this sweater.

Many people when talking about the issue they went on to explaining their perspective on Direct-to-Consumer ad that H&M pursue. Direct-to-Consumer is a type of advertising used most effectively by the pharmaceutical industry, which presents a prescription drug as a medial solution and encourages viewers to ask their physician to order the medicine if appropriate. In other words having a formula content that is presented to the audience (customers) that will best fit their interest. Explain H&M theory on how they wanted to be more diverse with their models on children with fashion, they didn't realize how it would back fire on them in so many ways.

In the video below The radio show "Breakfast Club Power" talks about this racist ad. How H&M marketing strategies got this approved. Because a woman blogged the photo and it became viral. As it explains the racial slur and the impact on the marketing production. Going into Turow stating, "In evaluating a media outlet, media planners examine syndicated and custom demographic, psychographic, and lifestyle research to decide whether the audience segment they are aiming at can be found at that outlet" (Turow pg. 98-99) The way that random woman found this picture and blogged about what was wrong with it and the large amount of people agreeing to the racist ad is a question that everyone ask who made this decision?

[talofasp7]

Blog Post 7: Ball in The Family

          Ball in The Family is a reality TV show that is only shown on Facebook of the Ball family. The Ball family is a mixed family of basketball boys that are all born to go pro. LaVar and Tina Ball, who is the parents of three committed basketball players Lonzo, LiAngelo , and LaMelo. The show is based on these three boys as they pursue a professional career in basketball and making it to the NBA. This reality TV show allows stereotypes be present from the beginning of episode one to future episodes.

          Gareth Palmer writes, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition An American Fairy Tale” focusing on how some reality TV shows gives the oppression that “The programme is, in short, a fairy tale where magic is represented by selfless communities, free goods, labour, and dreams coming true” (51). Basically saying that only certain people can be choose for the privilege to have their dreams come true. Which in the TV show “Ball in The Family” is described in those exact words that Palmer writes. In the show they base it off of a stereotype that since these three boys are half black they should be good in basketball and make to the NBA. Which they increase that stereotype as the oldest son Lonzo makes it to the NBA and plays with the Lakers. The other two brothers are following under Lonzo’s footsteps to make it to the pros.

           Not only are the Ball’s family committed to basketball but they also, fall into the category that Palmer described is family is big foundation to these reality TV shows. In the show they explain that not only is this family perfect, but things never are truly perfect. As Tina Ball had a sever stroke that took a toll on the Ball Brothers. Seeing their mother have difficulties in walking and speaking hits them hard because as they know their career is first to everything they want to but that aside to be there for their mother. Giving into another stereotype of boys being a “Momma’s boy” that any boy would do anything for their mother and make that public to the world.

          Palmer asserts, “While the working class learn taste, the petit bourgeois learn about ‘real people’ (i.e. the sort of people they would not normally ever encounter in their lives as designers for the rich and famous)” (53). This quote relates to the Ball’s Family because since they are considered mixed (half white & black) they would not have the money like the Kardashian’s to make their own clothing brand and make up line as well. Yet, in the show the Ball’s family have their own clothing/shoe brand called “Big Baller Brand” and they are famous for their brand and has become wealthy off of it and the career’s of the Ball Brothers as well. Also, with this type of publicity and fame this family is somewhat the same with the Kardashian’s yet they work hard to get to where they are, especially for the Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo. For example, in one of the episode as LiAngelo enters college (UCLA) his father buys him a Ferrari to show him that if he keeps his grades in check and basketball on point these “gifts” will be given to them for the hard work they put in. 

[talofasp7]

Blog Post 3: “Ball In The Family”

As I wrote before about this TV show on Facebook is based on the production of how this show is produced and the demographics that go along with it when it comes to viewers. 

During the third season Lonzo Ball (Oldest Son) and his girlfriend Denise announce they are having a baby. However, TMZ found out and spread it to the world before Lonzo and Denise could even tell their families and friends. During Denise’s pregnancy everyone was excited except Lavar Ball. He believed that Lonzo and Denise were too young and starting a family to early. This aspect of Lavar being an typical parent that cares for their kids is a production quality to get viewers to watch and relate to Lavar’s expectation. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXb5pGxtcTA

Another action that took place on Lavar being a father first to his boys rather than coach. As Lavar continues to coach Gelo and Melo for the major leagues and for their future to play in the NBA side by side with Lonzo. In a current episode Lavar criticizes Gelo to the point where Gelo becomes frustrated with his dad and says something under his breathe, which angers Lavar and this where Lavar steps in as a father and tell the camera crew to cut the cameras as he talks to Gelo. Production starts to focus on Melo playing till Gelo comes back to the game. Giving audience perspective that Lavar is still a normal father teaching his sons the way of Respect. Which production focus on especially in every episode to match the theme “Respect your elderly”. 

[talofasp7]

Blog Post 2: Cultivation Studies

Cultivation studies is based on stereotypes that are normalized and not spoken of as “Racists”. The definition of cultivation studies is “Studies that emphasize that when media systemically portray certain populations in unfavorable ways, the ideas that mainstream audiences pick up about those people help certain groups in society retain their power over the groups the denigrate” (pg.47). In other words, racist comments or action become a social norm to increase ratings and other demographics that are based on “white male” perspective. 

An example, is TV show “Fresh Off the Boat” on ABC is a regular Asian American family that based on the other TV show “Modern Family”. In these sitcoms they basically show the same actions. However, when dealing with culture, the Asian community sees this TV show as “White-washed” in the perspective of reality that Asian families are not “socially norm” as they are characterized in the TV show. Going back to the article, Turows states, “Researchers are also interested in depiction, but in a different way” (pg. 47) relating to these two television shows are alike however different but of race.