Extra Credit

No, I had not used a blog prior to this RTF class.  Using the blogs in this course gave students an opportunity to review and have a better understanding of lectures.  Because the blogs are opened to the public, students may see each other’s and gain different perspectives of what is discussed in class and in TA sections.  Sometimes, they also forced students to read the given material, because without reading, one would not be able to complete the assignment. 

It was difficult for me, however, to complete the assignments where we were to find photos on the internet of specific scenes in a movie.  Many times these photos were annoying to find because I felt as though I could not complete the assignment to the best of my ability unless I found the perfect picture.  It was also difficult to find time to complete the blogs on a weekly basis with the time given.  It can be hard for students to complete a task when given only a few days to do so, especially if they are taking other classes where weekly assignments are due.  It would be more beneficial for the students if the assignment was given at the beginning of the week so that they have time to think about what is being discussed in lecture for their blog.  To overcome these difficulties, I would have to find different movies to discuss and stay up later working on other class assignments.  

The blog prompts that were more interesting/beneficial were those that entailed the reading.  The first assignment, for example, forced me to actually read the selected reading from the course packet.  It gave me better understandings of ideas like hegemony and ideology when dealing with the media.  Other assignments, like the shot progression topic, were difficult for me because I had trouble finding photos that would fit exactly into the requirements. 

I would only recommend a blog in a future course for RTF if the assignment is given sooner in the week, and if there were more opportunity for students to actually discuss what was in their blog.  Overall, I did not enjoy this particular blog; however, with some minor tweaking, I believe it could be beneficial for both the students and instructors. 

Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report.

Globalization

Globalization is the increase of interconnectedness between people, cultures, and nations.  This process increases opportunities for communication, exchange of material and symbolic goods, and the migration of people across national borders (Straubhaar).  Hybridization is the interaction between previously separate cultures over time.  This type of mixing can result in the glocalization of media products, or taking an idea that proved to be successful in one place and utilizing it in another.  Game shows, for example, have been adopted throughout the media all across the world.  Various Japanese game shows are currently being portrayed in the US, such as “Wipe Out.”

Grill Your Way to Happiness: Weber Advertisements

One of my favorite advertising campaigns is for Weber grill.  It is persuasive in a way that makes the consumer feel like he/she, no matter the age, will have fun with friends and family if a Weber grill is purchased.  The book discusses consumer needs to which advertising appeals.  One of these needs is “diversion” or a need to “have fun.”   

This type of advertising appeal allows advertisers to make their consumers feel like they will have a happier, more care-free life if a certain product is purchased.  In the Weber commercials, people of every age are dancing freely around their Weber grills, without a care in the world as to what others think.  This advertisement exemplifies this type of appeal because it offers suggestions of a life filled with fun and opportunity to let go with friends and family for those who purchase this product.

Here is a link to one of the commercials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVzOyrlm3zs

Hollywood's Three-Act Structure in Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park is an example of the use of Hollywood’s three-act structure in films.  There are two plot points that present mini climaxes and propel action into the following acts as well as a climax that provides a resolution to the main characters’ problems.

The first plot point occurs toward the beginning of the movie when the paleontologists/scientists are introduced to the dinosaurs that Dr. Hammond has created.  They realize that his vision was no joke and these animals are real.  Malcom, the crazy thinker of the bunch, sees that nature can evolve itself to reproduce and take control, leaving the audience to question if Dr. Hammond and his staff can keep control of his dinosaur park. 

The second point occurs about half way through the movie when the money and power hungry computer programmer, Dennis, attempts to steal some of the DNA used to create the dinosaurs by turning off the power in the park while the other characters are on a tour.  The paleontologists, children, Dr. Hammond, the lawyer and Malcom are left stranded with the dinosaurs lurking about freely, making it questionable as to if they will escape.

The climax occurs very close to the end of the movie when the characters realize they are going to make it out of the park safely after the dinosaurs almost take nature’s course and turn on each other.  This point takes place when the favorite characters are safely on a helicopter and the T-rex fights off the velociraptors and take down the “Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth” sign with his roar.

Sitcoms: How I Met Your Mother

Colin Tain discussed sitcoms as half hour long shows that are comedic, hyperbolic and absurd, and tend to be episodic. This episodic nature of sitcoms allows viewers to have a foreknowledge of what they are about to view even if they miss an episode, unlike serial shows like Lost where the viewer must see every episode to fully understand the plot of the television series. Episodic sitcoms have repeated patterns, especially in jokes and character traits and lessons that can be learned in each thirty minute episode.

How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom about a man telling his children about how he met their mother. He feels as though he has to explain this through describing the relationships and friends he had (and still has) before he met their mother. One character in particular, Barney, is obsessed with women and only having them for a short time. The viewer expects him to sleep with or attempt to sleep with at least one woman per episode, as well as tell his friends rules and hints about women. In one episode, for instance, he explains the “cheerleader effect,” where a group of multiple women can look beautiful but if one looks at them individually, they are not so attractive. Each character in this series has expected patterns and life lessons are learned for at least one character in an episode.

Moulin Rouge!

Moulin Rouge! contains various shots that portray the characters' identities, their power, and lack of power.

This eye level shot is of Christian when he finally accepts that he will never be with Satine.  Altough he feels hopeless and is still in love with her, he has control over his life and somewhat has the will to move on.  It shows his identity at the end of the film and displays his neutral power.

This low angle shot of the Duke portrays his power over the Moulin Rouge and his ability to control Satine and Christian's future.  He is seen this way through out most of the film until Satine admits her love for Christian on the stage of the finale of their show "Spectacular, Spectacular." 



 This shot is of Christian and Satine when Satine dies at the end of the film.  The high angle shot portrays her lifelessness and Christian's lack of power to take away her illness and ultimately death.

Studio Systems in Classical Hollywood

One of the aspects that allowed the studio system to work in classical Hollywood was the star system.  Stars were considered “tangible products of immaterial production” (guest speaker), and they were associated with genres and studios.  Studios used the discovery of and contractual agreements with stars to portray what studios did and the types of films they created.

Because stars were associated with genres, studios became associated with genres.  Genres give audiences ideas of the type of movie they will be watching before they actually see the film.  Warner Brothers, for instance, used Humphrey Bogart to help establish who they were as a company during the breakthrough of the crime genre.  The Maltese Falcon, Bogart’s defining role, helped Warner Brothers develop a new character for their crime films that was not considered a valorized gangster.  Even during the shift to war production, Bogart’s character in Casablanca was similar to those he had played in previous films.

"All in the [Modern] Family"

“All in the Family” was a television show that easily related to its viewers while at the same time portrayed controversial views of various topics, specifically in the episode we watched, those pertaining to sexual orientation.  The struggles and joys of the Bunker family in this sitcom can compare with those pertaining to the contemporary series “Modern Family.”

“All in the Family” and “Modern Family,” however, have differences that depict the separation and ideologies of dissimilar generations.  While “All in the Family” shows the very beginnings of the acceptance of gayness, it seems as though the writers of “Modern Family” expect their viewers to have already acknowledged that is merely a way of living life.  “Modern Family” does show controversial realities of our society; however, it differs than those shown in “All in the Family” because of the change in culture between generations.

These TV series are similar in that they relate to families of their time in the U.S.  The characters in “All in the Family” must deal with living with each other on a day to day basis while trying to figure out who they are in the process.  The much larger family shown in “Modern Family” must deal with the same issues and concerns including how to raise children, etc.   Both shows take the audience on the characters’ life journey, allowing them to relate to and enjoy the ups and downs of family life.

Because of changes and culture and ideologies, each show dealt with different issues.  “All in the Family,” like mentioned before, depicted gayness as a more controversial issue, and it also dealt with concerns of grown children living with their parents.  “Modern Family” does have a gay couple; however, they are depicted much differently than those in “All in the Family.”  “Modern Family” also portrays issues like older men marrying younger women, raising three very different children, and dealing with living closely to relatives. 

The Radio Industry

The forces of industries and institutional factors have highly impacted the shaping of the radio industry through the creation of “entertainment supported by advertising,” making the radio a “household utility,” and the rise of radio networks (Media Now).

Industries and institutions, such as AT&T, the government, groups of business professionals, radio networks, retail stores, newspapers, etc. shape the ways in which radio is broadcasted, what is broadcasted, and its appropriate audiences.  For a period of time, radio networks, such as NBC, developed many types of programs for various audiences, much like those we see in television today.  Clear Channel is a company that “sells audiences to advertisers” by researching audiences to show the relevance of advertisers to their audiences so that they will buy time on their stations.  These types of institutions and industries allow the radio to continue to thrive in a continually changing technological world.

In the 1920s, industries and institutions helped to develop and evolve the radio industry.  They helped to determine new technological developments, consumer requirements, and advertisement.  AT&T, for example, helped shape the vision of “entertainment supported by advertising.”  This led to manufacturers being able to advertise their goods, and ultimately the rise of commercials which influenced various other stations. 

Hegemony and the Media

Hegemony is portrayed in the media through gatekeeping, agenda setting, and framing, which is specifically seen in the ideologies of the Proactiv commercials.

Hegemony is the ability of a dominant group to continually control the ideologies, or values that seem “natural,” of the common population. It is a gradually changing process that allows capitalist, socialist, and even communist nations to uphold their ways of life. According to Lull, “...mass media are tools that ruling elites use to ‘perpetuate their pwer, wealth, and status [by popularizing] their own philosophy, culture and morality.’” The media because of its wide influence and use of gate-keeping, agenda setting, and framing, is able to help those in the “ruling” group promote and advertise people, issues, and products that “should be” considered important.

The Proactiv commercials use Katy Perry and other celebrities as influences to promote the ideology of the importance of having clear skin, which brings confidence and ultimately more success in life. The media uses gate-keeping by putting their focus on teenagers as well as others who do not have clear skin, and the consumer range is broadened even more so because of their use of celebrities. Agenda setting is used to make having clear skin seem like a natural necessity, and the media’s framing is used to connect the celebrities and the product.

This is a link to the Proactiv commercial with Katy Perry
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/05/04/business/1247467767739/proactiv-commercial-with-katy-perry.html

Why RTF? and a Little Bit About Me

Hey hey!! My name is Taylor Harrison, I'm a second year anthropology student, I LOVE to travel, and I hope to teach (or help kids in some way) in another country one day. I'm taking this class because it counts for my fine arts credit, and I enjoy learning about the media. I am excited to learn about the social and cultural aspects of the different industries we’ll be discussing, and of course...I’m excited about watching the films!! I hope to gain a better perspective of the media and its relevance to my major, and I would like to see if this class could influence me to help/be a part of documentary film making.

This is a photo from my most recent trip to North Africa (I'm on the far left)


My favorite blog: http://www.failblog.org/