¡Hola chicos y chicas! ¡Soy yo, Precioso! I just ate Chipotle and now my Mejicano juices are flowin'. (SO many things wrong with that, but summer's almost here so I'M DONE).
I would say that media consumes my life because it is so entertaining. It's basically what keeps me sane during this sophomore year of ainfierno vivientebecause it's simple and easy-going. I can't honestly answer how this impacts my life, but I would imagine that since I am so heavily consumed with media that it would have a significant impact on my life, and if I had paid better attention to the videos played in Zero Period I probably would know what the impact is.
Critical Thinking in regards to media and media consumption has completely ruined the experience of viewing media. Before, I would see crappy commercials on television and laugh and make fun of the stupidity but now as I watch these advertisments, while sipping my tea with my pinky lifted to the ceiling with my nose in the air, I say, "Hmph! Amateurs. Obviously that is a utilization of the over-used advertising technique of testimonial. How bland." I WANT MY OLD LIFE BACK. THIS UPPITY-WHITE-#*$%@ is not what I thought I would become. I want to be the dumb stack of IHOP pancakes that laughs with drool coming from the corner of my mouth with my eyes going cross-eyed and slurring my words. That was the innocent, uncorrupted youth that I will NEVER, EVER get back.
My media consumption habits have definately changed this semester and even this year because I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO TIME FOR JOY OR HAPPINESS DURING THIS SOPHOMORE YEAR OF HISP AND THAT MEANS NO TELEVISION OR MEDIA OR SUNSHINE OR DAISIES OR RAINBOWS OR PUPPIES. Now, when I see commercials that use techniques and needs I cry because they remind me of school, which reminds me of stress, which reminds me of HISP which makes me want to cry so I have to throw a plate at the TV and run in my bedroom and hide under the covers. #thestruggle
It is important to have media literacy because it allows a person to become more aware of the ways advertizers are manipulating them to buy their products. Being an educated consumer is important because, well, education is valued in all regions of everything in life, so obviously an education in consumerism is good.
If you, dear reader, have been following me from the very start then you will know exactly what I have gotten out of this media blog: stress and stress-relief. It was hard to keep track of doing each single media blog week after week after week but then it was relaxing, and quite frankly, natural to complain, assume and make fun of advertisings. I'm not even sure that I am doing these media blogs right but the school year ends in like two days so what the hell, PEACE OUT YITCHES!
¡Adiós ydormir bien!
XOXO,
Precioso.
P.S. ¡Ay qué dramatica! PLEASE don't hurt me HISP teachers, I thought it was funny and an exaggerated truth. FREEDOM OF SPEECH! 1st amendment of our country!!! ¡Ay dios mío! I'm going to be failed aren't I?! HAVE MERCY POR FAVOR!!!!!!!!
....I'm going to go lie down now
Recently, Martha Stewart's name has been flung around like raw meat in a pit of lion-like media outlets, all scrambling for their piece of the juicy, 3-day dry-rub and 12-hour marinated steak. I googled "Martha Stewart online dating" and immediately there were thousands of big-time magazines and media conglomerates, like US Magazine, The Washington Post, OK Magazine and The Huffington Post with there claws in Martha's story.
The bomb dropped when Martha went on the Today Show and revealed the Matt Lauer that she was considering joining an online dating service, and later Martha returned...with news. She signed up with match.com with the user name "TheGoodLongLife". Her hobbies are listed as "cooking, dining out, travel, fishing and hunting. One website I looked at said that the 71-year-old homemaker was looking for a man in the 40-50 and 55-70 age range, she could become the next cougar. GO MARTHA! She's looking for a date or someone to go to bed with, and probably doesn't care what the media will say about it. Props to Marth.
The media has nitpicked everything Martha has said or put out on the internet and used it against her. As stated earlier, only because Martha was looking for men younger than herself caused this "scandalous" story to erupt. If a man was looking for a younger woman to date and have a relationship with, no one would so much as sniff at the direction of that story. BORING. But God forbid a successful businesswoman such as Martha Stewart, albeit a former prisoner, have a younger man in her life. THAT'S the tipping point.
Martha, now in her early seventies, is under much scrutiny because of this online dating service, but she isn't the first celebrity to do so. Joan Rivers did so, but her age range match that of her own. Charlie Sheen did so as well, but he's a man, so OBVIOUSLY it's allowed. Carrie Ann Inaba of Dancing with the Stars also joined match.com but that's okay because she's young. Chase Crawford, Gossip Girl's Nate Archibald also joined, but again, he's a man. And even Jenny McCarthy took part in the online dating service, but like Inaba, it's okay because she's young.
There are so many things wrong with the previous paragraph that I don't even know where to start. All of these roles that women must fit in: young, attractive, not too slutty but not to prudish, successful, fun, entertaining, caring, loving, supportive, second-fiddle when necessary and much much more are all defined by the media. Not only the media, but the man-run media industry. Not only men but white men in power. Old, wrinkly, liver-spotted, bald men are in charge of what is pretty. Gross. These old farts are who define the separate catagories that women must register in order to be the "perfect woman".
Many of these issues are reached in the American documentary, Miss Representation. Shown in the film, women are introduced to the "perfect woman" at a very young and impressionable age, such as Barbie dolls and they see what is valued by both men and women alike and are introduced to something that they have to compare themselves to. This ideal of the "perfect woman" has many affects on these young girls and they (not every single girl mind you, but the majority) are constantly comparing themselves to this Barbie doll. According to Miss Representation, 17% of teenagers cut themselves due to anguish over their appearances. Girls and teens then turn on each other and judge and compare.
As women continue to be seen as objects, they will see themselves as objects. This snowball-effect causes more pressure on women's appearances, more anguish and in some cases, more self-harm. As women are higher up on the media-food chain, the more they are criticized, like actresses and politicians. Female politicians have the butt-end of the deal, for centuries politics was a man's world. Now in the political world (in a country that is based upon the belief of equality) women politicians are under the radar for many things men aren't. During interviews, interviwers would refer to female senators as Mrs. or Miss, deminishing their accomplishments. The worst aspects of power are associated with women, shown by the media bias where men are seen as "stating" facts while women are "complaining".
Former SNL actresses Tina Fey & Amy Poehler
Above is a clip from The View, in which the hosts discuss a Saturday Night Live clip in which actresses Tina Fey and Amy Poehler portray Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton respectively. In the clip, sexism in politics is a topic introduced by one of the actresses that The View focused on. Elisabeth Hasselbeck said, "Sexist remarks work for the woman...women get behind other women who have had sexist remarks directed towards them." Barbara Walters said, "If you say anything about a woman, it's sexist. We are a little different than men, but still..." Another host of the show mentioned that Joe Biden said, "If Sarah Palin made it to the white house it would be a backwards step for women." Barbara Walters later said, "They make fun of Joe Biden being old, is that ageist?"
Now personally, I identified more with what Barbara Walters said than any other co-host said. Her comments might have been brusque, but to me they were matter-of-fact, no BS-covered opinion. I find her opinion on sexism to fit my idea of sexism the best and I believe we see eye-to-eye on the matters of sexism. I also think that the media is a harsh, judgment-filled world, but some judgments might hit a little closer home than others, not just for women, but the one's that do hit closer to women seem to escalate into bigger problems. Not to be rude, but what ever happened to standing up and brushing the dust off of your pants? If insults made by some fat, sweaty blogger living in LA trying to make it as a copywriter or something equally lame makes you feel bad about yourself and then you LET that blogger's words AFFECT you, how can you lead a country?
That is why I identify with people like Barbara Walters and Martha Stewart, because the acknowledge the differences between men and women, but they do not let it define what their capabilites are and they embrace that difference. To me, that is more inspirational than fighting back people calling you fat or unattractive or dumb.
Stop making fun of us. This is serious guys. Serious. SERIOUSLY DUMB. These ads and commercials were seriously bad and I honestly hated them. It felt like the scum scraped off someone's hiking boot after a heavy rain in the muddy mountains was being served to us as advertising. Yuck. The only thing that kept me from screaming every time I encountered these ads was the fact that Justin Long was one of the actor and I supported him because I thought he was Asian, and we Asians stick together. Turns out I was thinking of the Matrix's Keanu Reeves so therefore I don't feel bad writting this blog.
I cannot imagine what went through the minds of the creators of these advertisments, I only hope that they were humans and not goats behind typewriters (because those are still used, right?). I believe they rely on many stereotypes, techniques and needs that have become very apparent to me as a student of critical thinking.
One stereotype present in this advertisement above and below is the appearance of the "PC" and "MAC" characters. The "PC" appears to middle aged, less-fit and has an over-all Disney-channel-style-geeky nerd. Whereas, the "MAC" is this chill, young, fit still slightly-geeky-but-laid-back-and-cool nerd that has become a popular style in recent years. Therefore the advertisers are conveying the message that PCs are an ordinary geek but MACs are geek-chic®. In the advertisement below, the stereotype of the female Public Relations spokesperson is present, who is clarifying what the "PC" is telling the audience. This stereotype shows a woman cleaning up the mess of the man, which could possibly be a stereotype-defier because the woman is censoring the man and dictating what he does. But then again, a prominent woman-figure dominating a "lesser" man is shown through many types of media, especially the television show Desperate Housewives.
Bree van de Kamp from ABC's Desperate Housewives
The technique of Plainfolks is used because both the PC and MAC look like ordinary characters but the MAC looks just a tad bit cooler. Also, the technique of testimonial is used because the character of PC is John Hodgman and the character of MAC is Justin Long, both actors and celebrities. And also the technique of wit and humor because the PR spokeswoman for the "PC" character essentially censored the truth of what the PC was saying and put a more positive spin on it, making fun of companies and advertisers who do this as well. The need to achieve is depicted because the PC is trying to be better than MAC, which also goes along with the need to dominate and the need for autonomy because PC wants to be the best and stand out from others like MAC.
Now, these pictures and commercials are extremely hard to watch because of their poor quality and just awful lines and humor. It's honestly degrading reading and watching these advertisements. Now other countries have copied the PC vs. MAC commercials to sell products and messages through their advertisements.
To the left we have an advertisement from Japan trying to copy what Hodgman and Long have produced in their commercials. Below and to the right we have a very offensive picture from, based on appearances only, comes from a Middle Eastern country.
Now, I'm not sure if these are genuine pieces of advertisement from these countries or spoofs made by the Great Americans who pride themselves on racial-humor. These racial-humorists solely rely on stereotypes of the other people, which to me is offensive. I will admit that certain forms of racial-humor can be entertaining, but there are DEFINATE lines that should not be crossed. And the forms that are entertaining are the good-natured from one-Asian-to-Another kind of humor, not ignorant white (that's a stereotype right there) men in suits coming up with these advertisements. I believe that advertisers should take a stand against racial humor and try to re-instill some sympathy into the cold hearts of the goal-oriented-money-in-hand advertisers (another stereotype, I'm just as bad as them).
® registered trademark of the Precious-Iz-AweSome-Kompanie, 2013
Critical Thinking in regards to media and media consumption has completely ruined the experience of viewing media. Before, I would see crappy commercials on television and laugh and make fun of the stupidity but now as I watch these advertisments, while sipping my tea with my pinky lifted to the ceiling with my nose in the air, I say, "Hmph! Amateurs. Obviously that is a utilization of the over-used advertising technique of testimonial. How bland." I WANT MY OLD LIFE BACK. THIS UPPITY-WHITE-#*$%@ is not what I thought I would become. I want to be the dumb stack of IHOP pancakes that laughs with drool coming from the corner of my mouth with my eyes going cross-eyed and slurring my words. That was the innocent, uncorrupted youth that I will NEVER, EVER get back.
