Extra Credit Blog

Before this course I had used blogs in my high school English class. I was very much aware with this same program as well since it was the same one I used. The blogs I previously wrote were book reports and analysis of the authors and their style of writing. I really enjoy using blogs for this class, or any other for that matter, because they are a great way to readily communicate your ideas on a specific topic, design it to your preference, and see other students blogs and learn as if your were discussing. It allows you to be creative and really express what you have learned from the material at hand. I didn’t really encounter too much difficulty with the blogs. The set up and design are pretty self explanatory and any college student should be able to navigate around one. The format this class asked for in writing them was also fairly simple and let you show your character with the design choice but still show further understanding by inserting media. The easier blogs I felt were the ones related to the films we watched in class. The films are a bit more opinionated and probably more interesting for the grader to hear different information than just the same stuff regurgitated. I would absolutely recommend that blogs be used continually in this course, especially since it is a media studies class and there is a lot of room for technological creativity. The only thing I would think to change about the blogs in the future is the grading style. It is hard to maintain a decent grade on some blogs because if you get a 2/3 for a minor mistake that is already a 66% and you failed. However, overall the experience of the blog and the class was helpful and informative and I enjoyed it!

Glocalization

The term globalization can be described as the process by which economies, cultures, and societies all come together through a global network centered around communication. Over time the world is becoming much more integrated. One aspect of globalization is a term called glocalization. Glocalization is when global and local ideas are combined and communicated across cultures. There is a sense of locality and globally centeredness to it. For example, the music industry is great at doing this. In every town there are local artists who thrive on where they are from and their music is a direct reflection of the local area. Then, when they get signed to a label, that local music is dispersed across nations everywhere and people all across the world fall in love with a sound that originated from one place. The people of the local town, hear the music as the same way they always have and it still seems the same like the same local tunes they have enjoyed for a long time. A great example of this is Austin local musician, Bob Schneider. His music is Austin native and appeals very much to the likes and ways of the Austin locals. He also still plays many shows in Austin year round more so than anywhere else. However, his music is known globally and has appeared in hot Hollywood movies such as Josh Heartnets 40 Days and 40 Nights.

Ubiquity

I recently came across a powerful and extremely inappropriate advertisement for a cologne for men. The advertisement was a cologne ad by Tom Ford that said, “The first fragrance for men by Tom Ford.” What grabbed my attention so quickly was how the product was placed in between a woman’s legs, and might I add she was naked deeming this ad exceptionally inappropriate. Not to mention, dating back to the documentary about advertising we watched in class and how it portrayed women, the advertisement made women pure sex objects and nothing more. It was as if the ad was telling me that women are for their use and amusement.
I think this ad uses ubiquity because it grabs the consumers attention with strong appeal and it is personal for male use since it is an advertisement for a male cologne. However, it also grabs the women’s attention making her think, “wow all women look like this I need to work out more.” Therefore, it grabs everyone’s attention but is personally placed towards adult males.
It exemplifies this ubiquitous appeal by its graphicness and nudity while singling out that it is specific for men. This is a common characteristic of advertising, although, it is not the most respectable and modest it is one of the most powerful, in my opinion.

Three Act Structure

A newly made Hollywood film that fits the three act structure discussed by Professor Ramirez-Berg is The Hangover. The three act structure worked well for this film because it is goal oriented, in chronological order, and has a happy ending.
The first act is the introduction of all the characters, tells what they are doing and why, and presents the main conflict of the film, “we lost Doug!” It develops the strongest with the car scene as they are driving to Los Vegas when you can get a sense of who each character is and how their role will play out. The peak, or mini climax, is when the four guys are on the roof giving speeches and taking shots to get the night started. Then instead of showing the action, or the night adventures, the director cuts to the next morning when they realize they have lost Doug.
The second act begins when they are outside by the pool trying to back track to figure out where Doug might be. This lays out the compilation of the film and the journey they will make: they have to find Doug in time to get him back for his wedding. The search for Doug makes up the largest part of the film, as does most Hollywood three act structured films. The next plot point in this act is when they win the $80,000 at the casino to give to the little Asian guy from the trunk to get Doug back. They soon come to find out it wasn’t “white” Doug that the Asian guy was hording from their miscommunication the night before.
The third act begins when they find Doug on the roof where they had put him the night before. This begins the resolution. Now the next order of business is getting home in time. And, what do you know, they make it home just in the nic-of-time and the wedding is saved and everyone is happy! The End.

The Fourth Wall

Sitcoms, or situation comedies, are TV shows that are created in series with several episodes connecting each other. The information from one carries into the next and gradually increases. One key aspect of sitcoms is that generally, not always, they are focused on a particular set sometimes with an audience in the background which is known as the “fourth wall.” The fourth wall can be where an audience is that isn’t seen or just where the camera crew is and all of the technical equipment. However, mainly in a sitcom you only see three walls at a time. For example, has anyone ever seen the right side of Monicas apartment in Friends? I sure haven’t and I obsessively have all the seasons and greatest hits.
The Office is an example of a sitcom. It is cumulative, also known as serial in the TV world, and is a funny extension of the theatre. Different situations arise and are dealt with in a humerous way with star Steve Carell as their leading man. Anyways, when you are watching an episode you never see the camera turn around in a 180 degree angle because there is that sense that the audience is the fourth wall. Having the audience be the fourth wall gives the viewer a sense of peeking in on what is happening as if there is a piece of glass separating the action from the viewer (oh the irony). This gives the audience a feeling of being nosey on an issue that perhaps without they would not have seen.

The Blind Side

The Blind Side is a recent motion picture about a family that takes in a homeless boy and in conclusion ends up being a star football player. However, he faces many trials and tribulations before he gets there of self assurance and figuring out that his new family was meant to be his all along. Emotion is a large part of this film and is well noted and is displayed with numerous close ups of laughter and tears.
The long shot I want to look at is one where it shows the main character, Michael, the homeless boy walking down the street after he has realized he has nowhere to go. This long shot include Michael only down a distant road telling the audience that he is all alone and has nothing left. This gives detail into the setting of where he came from but most importantly his isolation and that he has no one to care for him or love him. A key thing to realize about this shot also is that it is from a high angle as well taking away any bit of power he had left. This large, tough boy is now small and weak.
Next, is the close up. Once he is adopted by the family he begins to play football and is exceptionally talented! You get good sense of the emotion and anger on the football field by a close up shot of his face through the facemask, dripping in sweat, and gritting his teeth. The director does this to show his feelings of hard work and intensity he must find in himself to defeat his opponent and is a metaphore for his life.
Last, but not least, is the medium shot at the end that tied the movie together. It is a shot that includes the entire family showing how they have all come together and grown as one. This depicts their relationship and how close the family is. This one shot gives you all the information you need to know about the family and the roll each plays.

The Stars Shine the Brightest

In Classical Hollywood, the studio system was a distinct and potent part of the industry. The studio system is what defined the era, in my eyes, since it had so many key elements that set it apart from any other. On example of the studio system was there use of Stars. Stars were more than just actors in a hit film, but they were advertisers for the company from which they were owned.
The use of Stars, such as Humpfrey Bogart or Lucille Ball, made films less about the quality and more about the quantity, or the number of viewers or money it brought in. People began to go to the movies to see their favorite stars regardless of what the movie was. The public could identify with a Star and followed their films. This made it more profitable for the production companies since the quality was less they wouldn’t have to spend as much money making the film and consequently they would generate a lot of revenue from it. These companies were savvy and rolling in the big bucks.
For example, when you went to a cinema the Star in the film was more important than the film itself since that’s who the audience identified with. Because of this you would see the stars name written above the title and generally in a larger font too. The genre, the company, the content was no longer the main factor it was all about the Stars in Classical Hollywood.

Old vs. New

It is interesting to see how over decades the media can change and the content it produces. For example, let’s compare All in the Family and Everybody Loves Raymond. In the episode of All in the Family that we watched in class I felt that they dealt with more challenging issues to try and break through societal standards, as opposed to Everybody Loves Raymond where their conflict was more so between family and work matters and weren’t as challenging and made for more fun instead of thought.
However, they were similar in format. Both shows were family based, comedy, and the setting was primarily the same focused in the home with a typical mom, dad, and children set up. Another important factor to note is that the main character in both shows was the father, but the mother in All in the Family was much more passive and didn’t have as dominant of a role as in Everybody Loves Raymond. The main difference was the role each family member played, in my opinion.
The specific issues that were addressed were also quite different. In All in the Family sexual orientation was the main issues and I am sure in many other of their episodes the topics are just as offensive but informative in a satirical way. However, I felt in Everybody Loves Raymond and in most contemporary family comedies that they focus their conflict on issues between family, school, or work, as in the episode I watched were the grandfather insulted the daughter of Raymond and the resolution was his apology. Another important attribute is that some of the issues targeted in both may seem a little harsher or prevalent in older sitcoms because it was not as much of a societal norm, such as gays and lesbians, whereas if you were to see gays or lesbians on TV today it would not be near as offensive or uncommon.

Radio and the People

The 1920’s and 1930’s were molded by radio as we are by internet today. People craved this new and exciting alternative reality they got to experience several times a day. The reason the radio was so popular was due to the demand for it. When the audience you are trying to please is crawling at your feet begging you for more the last thing you want to do is disappoint. Regardless of technology or sponsors, without an audience demand, the radio, or anything for that matter, would crumble. Therefore, let’s dive into how and why the American public became zombies struck by the wave of the Radio Age.
As more and more of the public began to become “in tune” with the new means for entertainment, households started to demand more radio boxes and programs because so many family members and friends wanted to be a part of the action. The radio broadcasters realized they would have to appeal to all people based on gender, age, class, etc. This was also a great way for broadcasters to improve their ratings. More shows began to develop for different types of societies. So, when mom had her soap operas and Tiny Timmy had his superhero shows and dad listened to the news conflict began and people wanted more radio boxes and more shows. If the demand is increasing the supply must follow.
The demand, therefore, led to the evolution of more shows branching from just the wireless music. Also, as more people began to watch new technology had to be developed to keep up with the increasingly large numbers of listeners. As we saw in the film Radio Days, the entire family had programs they were interested in and followed daily. When many people were tuning in to action segments they realized adding more action segments would generate more money and please the majority as well. Now instead of one superhero you had a plethora to choose from and mimic his dangerous stunts.
The radio captivated the audiences all over the U.S. but more importantly to audience captivated the radio shows and made its success. Without consumers, in this case the listeners, if you are a supplier you will not make it. Therefore, I believe it is safe to say the audience demand is the most influential part of the Radio Era.

The In's and Out's of the Cultivation Theory

The media has different effects on different people. Not only does it affect people differently, but there are many theories in discovering how exactly it does so. If it is direct, gradually over time, through subliminal interpretation, etc. One method that caught me off guard and required my direct attention was a theory known as the Cultivation Theory. What is the cultivation theory you ask? Well, it is a proposal that blindly states that people take in what the media euphemistically puts out and turns it into reality.
The cultivation theory, in my opinion, is said to have some of the most detrimental effects on society as opposed to any other. Long, permanent damage can be done due to an over intake of the medias dominant approach to violence, crime, sexual assault, and all things fearful. However, this doesn’t just happen overnight. Messages relayed over time and persistently reappearing on majority of media outlets make it difficult for you to escape and not become a victim.
For example, we all have heard of the, blown out of proportion, terrors of going into high school and being bombarded with embarrassment of the upper classmen. Many kids are highly affected by this idea that society through the media has cultivated to be a norm. Fear is instilled in the minds of the “fresh meat” on campus that they are going to get picked on, stuffed in lockers, dumped in the trash can, or perhaps be taunted by the hot shot quarterback saying, “hey, four eyes, where did you get those clothes? Wal-Mart!” as his friends stare and echo with laughter. This is a perfect example of the cultivation theory how terror is accumulated over time and turned into reality through the media, because we all know in high school those stereotypical hazing procedures didn’t make it into reality, no one cared enough.
The name says it all, cultivation. An idea cultivates in your mind over time and is reassured to make you more and more afraid of what is really out there in the world. Life is not as bad as it seems. The media are just evil villains who like to poke at the negative and frightening parts of society when really they are considered infinitismal to how they are portrayed.

Hegemony: A Subliminal Attack

In decoding the media and how it functions there are many extensive concepts to understand. Not only do you need to understand them, but also see how they are used and how they affect the subject. Some would say the main, and most trivial, concept of our deceiving source of news and entertainment is hegemony. Hegemony is something we come into contact with daily, hourly, and practically every second of our lives. In order to help you understand, and share my recent understanding of what this oh so powerful word means, we will look at definitions and examples of how it creeps into your mind and thoughts altering many of your infinitesimal and life changing decisions.
Hegemony takes a specific idea and through the media makes it appear as something that you, the consumer, would depict as common sense. Therefore, the idea they are exploiting seems as if it were second nature to you and a reassurance of what you already know. Why is this bad you ask? IT’S A SUBLIMINAL ATTACK! I don’t know about you but I am most certainly not thrilled to know messages are being sent into my mind through my subconscious. This idea of hegemony makes you question, what is part of the natural world or the social world? If something appears to you as common sense you would think it was a natural concept and it may never occur to you that someone somewhere may have made it all up.
A perfect example of this concept comes from a passage in James Lull’s “Hegemony.” He expresses that the media has circulated the idea, through hegemony, of a homeless person turning a shopping cart into a means for self, movable storage. This is not a common concept but through social, media, and interpretive tendencies it becomes a societal norm and stereotypes every homeless person with this quality. This example struck my attention out of majority of others because especially living in the area we do, this is something seen almost daily in an urban, city environment.
Hegemony is something most people don’t realize is happening when it is at its strongest. I bet you never would have thought of the homeless man and his shopping cart as something the media interpreted into common sense. We must think critically about the messages behind the media and the ideas they are interpreting, in or out of proportion, to their advantage into the minds of our society.

RTF blog post #1!

My name is Kym Filip and I am a journalism student in the college of communications at The University of Texas at Austin. I decided to take RTF 305 because I am very interested in the media and all that encompases it. I would potentially like to get into the broadcasting division of the school and I thought this class would really help me understand the "in's and out's" of the media industry and the production that goes into it. From this class I want to gain knowledge of how the media works, what influences it and how it influences people, and the pros and cons of the industry.