Understanding the Media

The Media and Society

[thegenerationofthemedia-blog]

Miley Cyrus’ 2015 VMA Performance: Genius or Banal?

Every year MTV hosts the VMAs which is commonly known as the “Video Music Awards”. At this award show a variety of artists come together to perform some of their hit singles and if lucky enough, they may even have the honour of accepting one of the many awards. With every differing artist and band, comes their unique style of performing on stage. In saying that, in the year of 2015, one particular artist decided to present herself in a very abstract way. Miley Cyrus decided to sing her new single at the time called “Dooo It”. This particular song is not something many were expecting Miley to perform and it was very aggressive and uncensored. The Miley we saw that night was not the same Miley many grew up with. Was it a phase? Is this who she was always meant to be? These are common question that her audience had running through there heads and after that performance, things became that much more confusing. In saying that, it is evident that she wants to stand out in the celebrity world, but I believe that the way she choose to pursue that was more inappropriate than genius. Her aggressive language and demeanor suggested that she lost some of her moals and instead comes across as reckless and carefree. Growing up, I was introduced to Miley Cyrus through her show “Hannah Montana” and in this show Miley was the complete opposite. In addition to that, when she started her singing career, her songs were very country-like and often had positive messages. It wasn’t until she stopped the show and got a little older that her music choose began to change and mature with her. She also surprised everyone when changed her appearance by cutting her long brown hair really short and dying it blond! From that point on, she developed into a completely new person and most of her new self was shown during the 2015 VMAs. Nonetheless, every artist is entitled to express themselves in any which way pleases them, but I do believe that there has to be a limit to how far one can go. Miley Cyrus definitely left a new impression on the audience that night and till this day, continues to express herself in a very unique and abstract way.

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The Issue of the Paparazzi and Celebrities...

The definition of a celebrity is fame and public attention in the media, that typically applies to a single person or a group of people. Generally speaking, the status of a celebrity comes with the idea of wealth and success. When one reaches that point of fame, it becomes their full time career. This type of career comes with a handful of ups and downs. On one side, the celebrity is pursuing one of their talents, which typically includes: singing, dancing, or just performing in general. On the contrary side, some of the downs include the constant chaos of always being in the media or even the lack of a “normal life”. In saying that, when your life is constantly being broadcast through the media it can easily get overwhelming and exhausting for the celebrity. This type of career poses as a game where people like the paparazzi are quick to capture everything that celeb does and often times twists the truth to make their job that much more interesting. For example, often times when one thinks of Justin Bieber, they will automatically think of something negative about him, and that is simply due to the fact that everything posted in the media is usually something negative. Rarely, do we hear about all the charity work that Bieber takes upon himself to do. In saying that, I do believe that celebrities have some right in complaining about the paparazzi. This is because many paparazzi fail to realize how overwhelming the life of a celebrity can get and if they always have paparazzi in their faces and commenting on their every move, it is a natural reaction to unintentionally lash out and blame the media. Celebrities do have some right in expressing their feelings about the paparazzi, but at the same time, growing up in the fame comes with the added stress of the paparazzi so although they can complain about it, it’s something that can’t really be changed. Overall, being a celebrity is not an easy job, even though it may seem like it. Paparazzi is just part of being famous and whether or not you choose to complain, it’s something that won’t stop.

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‘’That Sugar Film’’ - The Most Relevant Documentary...

Throughout the documentary unit, we were given an opportunity to watch a variety of different documentary films that were both informative, as well as humorous. In saying that, out of all the films we watched, I believe that the one that my peers should take the time to watch, even if doing so is not their favourite, is the one called “That Sugar Film”. The reason I believe that this documentary is definitely at the top of my list is simply because it holds such a strong message that young teenagers, including myself can really benefit from taking the time to understand. In saying that, this documentary has some humor behind it and is not your typical dry and statistic-based documentary.  That Sugar Film was about a young adult who was on a mission to figure out how sugar really affects one's body, mind and daily performance. His task was to eat sugar-filled meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is similar to the movie “Supersize Me” where an individual was told be eat Mcdonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner for about 30 days. In addition, That Sugar Film shows the effects that sugar actually has one your body. For example, in the film, the young male who was participating in this experience explained how he would have these temporary, short-lasting bursts of energy and then as soon as the energy high ended, he would feel physically exhausted. Also, he continued to explain how his temper was more active, in the sense that he noticed himself getting angry or frustrated quicker than usual. Furthermore, he noticed that his cravings for sugary foods became that much more stronger once he got his body use to eating the way he was. It almost as though when he wasn’t eating, his body was getting frustrated with the fact it wasn’t getting any sugar. His body became so use to all the sugar, that it forgot about what healthy eating was. Fastforwarding to when he finished his very last sugary meal, it was evident that his body was not satisfied with the removal of all unhealthy foods, as he mentioned that everything he ate had a strange and unfamiliar taste to it. When looking at teenagers as a whole, we are known to have sugary foods a priority in our diet, as they often satisfy our taste buds and can easily be accessed. In saying that, we often forget to realize the negative effects that are happening to our body every time we place sweets into our mouths. It is  for this reason, that I think if I had to give one of my peers a documentary to watch, this would definitely be one of them.

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Ultimate Cult Classic Film...

Over the years, there has a numerous amount of movies that can arguably be considered to have the title of “ultimate cult classic film”. In my opinion, out of all the movies we watched in class, i believe that the one that deserves the title, is pitch perfect. Pitch Perfect is a movie about a first years college student, named Becca, who has a difficult time fitting in with the general population if the college. Little does she know that beyond the different friend groups that already exist, the one thing that she does have in common, is how well she can sing together with the Barden Bellas. This all girls acapella group is known for their repetitive performance, but as Becca gains more confidence being around them, she finds a way to take them out of their comfort zone and perform something completely different. This new combination of songs allows the girls a better chance at make their way to the top of the college music competition. For example, during one of their performances, without any rehearsal or confirmation from the leaders of the group, Becca takes it upon herself to add a new song into the mix. Although it worked well and didn’t sounds out of place, the rest of the girls were not too happy about what had happened, especially because there was no warning in the first place. In saying all that, the story line can be very relate-able to many people as attending a new school can be very overwhelming and stressful, but finding something or someone you can relate to and have things in common with, can make ones experience that much more exciting. Due to the fact that Pitch Perfect has not only one, but two sequels makes it even more obvious that giving it the title of ultimate cult classic, is the most accurate decision!! 

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All-Time Favourite Movie!!

John Hughes is an American film director, producer and screenwriter who directed and scripted some of the most successful comedy films in the 80s and 90s. He is commonly known for his successful work on teen movies, including The Breakfast Club, which in fact is my all-time favorite movie. This movie was released in 1985, and till this day is considered to be a cult classic. The Breakfast Club is about five high school students that come from completely different paths in life. Each student poses as different high school stereotypes, but are forced to spend their Saturday together in their school library for detention. This is no ordinary detention, as their power-hungry principle is determined to collect an essay by the end of the day on who they think they are. In saying that, these five students pay no attention to doing the essay, so instead they end up pouring their hearts out to each other and let each other into their daily lives. By doing so, they are able to understand that despite their given stereotypes, they have a lot more in common than they think. The reason I consider this movie to be my all time favorite is simply because of the plot and story line. I feel as though a movie such as this one can be very relate-able, especially to high school students. In addition, the fact that the actors fit their roles very well makes the film that much more interesting to watch. Furthermore, this film is not your average film, in the sense that the entire movies takes place in one scene; the school library. This, in my opinion, is what makes it stand out compared other movies because typically a movie would have several different scenes and characters coming in and out. The Breakfast Club in fact, the opposite of that and I think will always be on the list for my top three favorite movie!! 

[thegenerationofthemedia-blog]

1950-Present Day TV Family Sitcoms

The idea of television shows were not always as common or well put together as they are today. It took many years of trial and error to get TV shows up to par. In saying that, it only makes sense that they would progress and get better as the years went on. After studying multiple TV shows these past couple weeks, from the 1950s to the 2000s, it is very evident that these shows are evolutions of TV family. Every TV show that comes out, is typically one that represents how life is during the time it was released. For example, the very first TV show we watch was called ‘’Leave it to Beaver’’ and aired in the 1950s. That was a time where a typical family included a mom, dad and kids. The mom would typically be a house wife, the father would be the one working and bring in the income and the children would simply focus on school and at times, adult-like responsibilities. In addition, their everyday attire would appear to be very formal if you compared it to what people where now as everyday attire. The children also had very mature behaviours and obeyed their parents. As time progressed, so did the way a typical family would interact with each other. Eventually, when we get to the 2000s and watch shows like ‘’The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” it is very evident that these families are now interacting with each other on a more relaxed and lay-back attitude. For example, in the show, one of the main characters ‘Will’, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, and spoke to his aunt and uncle with some ‘’street language’’ or ‘’slang’’. The vocabulary of the families become a little less formal. Furthermore, I would say that the one TV show that related to me the most would be ‘’The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’’, simply because of the morals and values that Will introduced to the family. He made it clear that you should do what makes you happy, rather than what everyone around you expects you to do, in terms of for your future. On the other hand, the one that related to me the least was ‘’Leave it to Beaver’’ because their family dynamics don’t resemble my family dynamics. To continue, I believe the most realistic TV family would be the family from the Cosby Show and the least realistic TV family would be the family from Leave it to Beaver. 

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My Favourite Television Show

TV shows have been airing on television since the beginning of time. As society continued changed and technology became more involved, television shows have been getting better and better. In today’s day and age, the shows that exists are never-ending and the types of shows that one can watch are endless. When it comes to my all-time favourite TV show, I would have to say it is Prison Break. This show has 4 seasons and about 22 episodes in each season. It used to air on television, but now can only be watched on Netflix. Prison Break is an American television series and is about a very intelligent individual named Michael Scofield who finds himself in a desperate situation that involves getting his brother out of Fox River State Penitentiary. His older brother Lincoln Burrows was convicted of a crime he did not commit and was sentenced to the death penalty. After months of endless planning, Scofield purposely robbed and held up a bank to get himself incarcerated in the same penitentiary has his brother Lincoln. While in prison, he sets in motion the series of elaborate plans to break Lincoln out of the prison and prove every one of his innocence. Once out of jail, the brothers’ freedom doesn’t come right away, as they must flee to escape being recaptured. In addition, they must overcome a series of political obstacles that appear to put everyone’s life in danger. On top of all that, the struggles of maintain personal relationships adds to the chaos. No matter how complicated things may get, these brothers never give up on the plan or each other. The very first episode of this show was aired on August 29th, 2005 and the very last episode was aired on May 15th, 2009. As you can see this TV series was running for several years before they decided to bring it to an end. In saying that, they recently announced that it was coming back with a fifth season, which proves how popular and well-liked this show is. The reason for this being number one on my list, is because of the type of show it is. I find myself interested in crime shows, which is why after Prison Break comes Criminal Minds. When I first started watching Prison Break I was unsure if it was something that I would continue watching because the first episode was hard to understand, but the ending of the first episode left me wanting to know more, which lead to me watch every episode of all 4 seasons. In addition, I strongly believe that Prison Brake will always remain my number one favourite show because the story line was really well written and played out. Also, being so attached to the show, lead me to appreciate the personalities of each character on a more personal level, which is another reason why no other show can top Prison Break.

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Culture Jamming

Often times, the media can be very manipulating towards what they want us to believe about their products. As consumers we fail to realize and understand that there is a deeper message behind what companies and brands are saying through their ads. Why would the media not tell the complete truth? Well, they need to make sure that the products are the best they can be, and if that means they must stretch or leave out parts of the truth, than that’s what they will do. Companies need to make sure that they appear to be better than their neighbor company. In saying that, many people who are not oblivious to what is happening in front of them, feel it is important to raise awareness and speak their minds about the issue. Those who are opposed to the idea of constantly buying and consuming material possessions are known as “anti-consumerists”.  The idea of “Culture Jamming” stemmed from anti-consumerist movements, as the feel it is necessary to bring out the truth in many ads. Culture jamming is an act where one would use existing forms of media, such as billboards, bus ads and posters, and vandalize them as a way of communicating with the general public. Anti-consumerists would physically disrupt corporate advertising by re-configuring logos and symbols, in hopes of getting their point across. The point they want people to realize is that things are not always the way they appear to be. The individuals who culture jam, don’t announce what they are going to do before they do it. They take it upon themselves to just go for it and hope that those around them will take a moment to notice what is being done. An outsider who is witnessing what is happening, would automatically think that a criminal act is being done, as vandalizing corporate property or anything in general is illegal. In saying that, I personally believe that culture jamming is a criminal act and those who pursue it should certain suffer consequences. Culture jamming is no different than simply vandalizing, and although as a Canadian citizen we have the freedom of expression and speech, I believe that using vandalism to get your message across is not acceptable. It is the job of companies and corporations to advertise their products and the way in which they choose to do so, is solely in their control. We, as everyday citizens, do not have the same authority as multi-billion dollar companies do. It is very easy for these companies to replace the vandalized ad, with a completely new one. Culture jammers ruin the ads and flee the scene as if nothing happened. This is the same behavior as an everyday individual who decides to vandalize an abandoned house. Both these individuals are showing signs of rebellion and the anti-consumerists are not pursuing their beliefs about advertising in a civil or correct manner. Overall, I believe that the purpose and motives behind culture jamming may seem fair and just, but the way in which these individuals decide to state their opinion is truly inappropriate.

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Advertisements are Normal...

One of the most common techniques that companies and brands use to try and sell their products is known as advertising. If one were to define the word “advertising”, it would be the act or practice of calling public attention to one’s product, service, need, etc., especially by paid announcements in newspapers and magazines, over radio or television, on billboards, etc. In today’s society, it is inevitable to avoid advertising, as ads surround us on the daily! In the past week, I have paid close attention to the type of ads that are placed around my neighbourhood. I came across ads shown on a variety of places, such as billboards, signs and in magazines. The very first ad I saw was advertising pastries which a nearby bakery was selling. The sign was placed on a main road, which was done on purpose to catch the attention of the people who were driving by the plaza where the bakery was located. The pastry being advertised was ‘zeppoles’ and the sign stated “St. Philips Bakery; Toronto’s #1 Zeppole; Come Try Today”. This short and simple message was effective as it was quick to read while driving and gets the point across. In addition, the second ad I found was also on a sign, placed at the side of a major road. The difference with this ad is what the product being sold. Instead of selling a tangible product, they were advertising two real estate agents that belong to the real estate company “Remax”. People are constantly looking to buy and sell homes and advertising a real estate agent, gives them the satisfaction that they can receive professional assistance. Furthermore, the third ad I found was in a magazine. This ad clearly belonged to Calvin Klein, as they were advertising their men’s underwear collection. This ad was effective has they used Justin Bieber to model the underwear for them. Many people look up to Justin Bieber, therefore using him will catch the attention of many people, which would get people taking and eventually buying. The fourth ad I saw was for Men’s Gillette Razors, which was shown on a billboard and located also on a main road. As mentioned earlier, this is very effective because as people drive past the billboard, especially men, it will grab their attention and possibly make them want to try that product, since shaving is part of their daily routine. The writing used was very short and simple which gets the message across and the colours used were contrasting which makes the ad appealing to the eye. The last two ads I saw had to do with fast food restaurants, but more specifically a McDonald’s McWrap and Tim Horton’s coffee. Both ads were placed right beside their drive through, making it very easy to see and be influenced to buy what is being advertised. Overall, although there are many advertisements constantly surrounding me every day, I don’t necessarily feel overwhelmed or bombarded by them. It has become part of the societal norm to see ads everywhere you go and I think it is very important for companies to advertise their products through advertisements. If I was not surround by their ads on the daily, than I would be very difficult for me to keep up with all the new products that companies are creating.    

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Works Cited

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/advertising>.

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My Media Consumption Within A Week!!

The media has become an essential part of today’s generation. It is fair to say that many people especially teenagers, have formed the way they view life, based on what the media has to say. The amount of media that an average person consumes on a daily basis continues to increase, as the amount of new technology continues to be created. I myself am guilty of a large amount of media consumption, mainly electronic media. Compared to the print media, electronic media is easily accessible to me at any time and any place. In saying that, while I do find myself investing sometime in the print media, whether it is reading the web or a magazine, having electronic media accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week catches my attention and interests more. Also, having my cellphone on me all the time is the reason why I spend a total of 21 hours using electronic media sources. I frequently use my phone to talk to friends and family via text messaging, as well as using it for the web or social media (ie. twitter, Instagram, snapchat, etc.). My lowest electronic media consumption includes video games, listening to broadcast radio, creating print/images, sounds/games and using a personal digital assistant. I genuinely do not catch myself spending any time on those types of electronic medias, as they are things I don’t enjoy doing. Furthermore, when it comes to the print media, my highest consumption is reading internet sites and my lowest would be reading newspapers, as well as fiction/non-fiction novels. I believe that the reason these print media consumption's are so low is because if I was ever interested in reading up on the news or even just reading a novel, I can access it through my cell phone. On the other hand, my highest would be reading magazines and internet sites. Nowadays, there are magazines that are targeted towards teenagers, as they include updates on famous celebrities such as Justin Bieber and have fun quizzes that can easily relate to the life of a teen. These magazines usually grab my attention and make me want to spend time looking at them. In addition, internet sites can be a very popular “go to” as they tend to have everything and anything you want or need to know. They are also easily accessible to everyone. The grand total for my print media consumption is 21 hours and the grand total for my electronic media consumption is 81 hours. It is clearly evident that electronic media has more of my attention than the print would or does. The media in general is slowly but surely taking over the lives of teenagers and although one may argue that we, as teenagers, should be more physically active rather than glued to our cellphones, it is fair to say that with the technology driven society we live in today, it can be very difficult to not be so invested with the media. The media has become our normal and being our normal means that it is an essential part in our everyday lives.