¡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
I remember a while ago that the news of a half-ton woman crushing her nephew made huge headlines across the nation. To me, the news of this obese women crushing her nephew was, and please don't judge, amusing. Just for a split second people, calm down. Haters gon hate. Think about it, a woman who was 1/4 the amount of the average car crushing her nephew under the sheer mass of her weight was so unbelievably bizarre that it was funny. But then I read more about it and saw pictures of this woman and it was not so funny anymore. Now it was sad and shocking and it made me mad that media outlets exploited this woman's painful story for the sake of advertisement. I mean, she's just going along trying to live her life, do her thing, and then people like TLC use her story to have high ratings.
Stewie Griffin from "Family Guy"
Like in this image, Family Guy character Stewie is just trying to enjoy his life. He's having his cake and eating it too. But what do we do when we see this? We laugh and call him fat. That's just wrong.
Now I'll admit that I laughed when I saw this picture because it was funny. BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT. Family Guy often uses crude humor, like obesity, to make the audience laugh. This clip below is an example of Family Guy and the crude humor they use so take caution before watching.
See? That kind of humor makes me laugh. I'd image it would make others laugh as well. This laughter, while wrong, sends the message to advertising companies that they can make fun of people's weight (which is a very sensitive issue for most) and use that as humor to advertise media outlets so they can garner more higher ratings, which will make advertisers want the more popular media outlets, creating a vicious cycle.
But it doesn't really stop there, does it? The majority of media (at least the ones I watch anyways, which says a lot about my personality/character) exploits the differences many people have and their quirks and odd characteristics. I think that is funny, but that doesn't make it okay or right. In fact, it can sometimes be downright offensive.
Saturday Night Live, an age-old tradition, is notorious for its nonsensical, judgmental humor and is displayed through many skits.
Above, SNL members Vanessa Bayer, Taran Killam and host Jamie Foxx make fun of J-Pop (Japanese pop, a musical mainstream in Japan since the 1990s) and more importantly, the people who listen and revolve their lives around J-Pop. I found it hilarious. I loved the way these white actors played white people speaking fake-Japanese because they are supposedly so absorbed with the culture within J-Pop. As a Japanese-American, I could see how other people (J-Pop devotees or Japanese) could find this material offensive, which makes it wrong.
Below, we have a short SNL clip with host Anne Hathaway and SNL member Kate
McKinnon. In this short clip, we see Kate impersonating Ellen Degeneres and Anne is announced to be Katie Holmes in an upfront mean way. Kate then does Ellen's trademark dance moves when the guests come out and the music plays. But it's not the same kind of dancing. Here, Kate is mocking Ellen's dancing abilities (which are great by the way) and moves (equally great) and then they sit down. Now Anne full-on makes fun of Katie's appearance, voice and mannerisms all to the delight and laughter of the audience. Okay this can be seen as just plain cruel. If they were back in middle school or elementary school, the yard duty would send them straight to the teacher or principal. Obviously these kids are getting the message somewhere.
And I get it. It's funny. It makes people laugh. That's doesn't make it right. I believe there is a line somewhere, and I think that line should be made at advertising. Advertisers already have so many pieces of arsenal that do we really need to provide them with another? Let's leave this one behind and many think before we speak. Or did the big grown-ups already forget what they enforce to their children?
(NOT RACIST, I DON'T EVEN THINK HE IS MEXICAN. TO ME HE LOOKS ASIAN BUT I HAD TO CLARIFY FOR ALL YOU RACISTS OUT THERE.)
Gordito has a slight problem with fast foods. I think it could partially be because of advertisement. I'm not sure. However, advertisement of fast foods have become increasingly sexual over the years. What does this have to do with Gordito, you might ask? Well, he is a young, impressionable child who can be swayed by anything the advertising world throws at him.
Now, if the sexual content of these advertisements are unclear to you, congradulations, no matter your age, you aren't susceptible to these advertisements.
Sorry to be a buzz-kill here, but I can guarantee that none of the models shown above have ever eaten fast food, and if they do, they make a short visit to the privacy of the restroom several minutes later. Ew.
Now this advertisement is decent and clean, and from what appears to be from the 1950s. Since the 1950s, fast, junky foods have become increasingly popular and advertisers were there to scoop up the lard by the shovel full and then force-fed it to the American masses. Since the 1950s, the quality of advertising for fast foods have deminished and now that quality is alike the quality of the very same foods they are advertising.
As time goes on, Americans become more and more susceptible to the allure of fast foods, but why? What makes them so sought after? The grease? The bloating? The stomach pains? The acne? The lack of energy? The clogged arteries? I believe this picture below answers all of those questions.
Americans are buying fast foods because they are too busy to make healthier choices. They are too busy because of their hectic schedules. Their schedules are hectic because of the demanding, fast paced lifestyle that has become the American way. Then these over-worked Americans get into a slump and buy more fast food because they don't have the time and they start to crave more salt, sugar and fat (I learned that from a That's So Raven episode, the one where she inflates her jumpsuit to demonstrate unhealthy eating habits). Soon they enter an unfortunate cycle, one that ends in the emergency room.
This cycle is the advertisers dream. They can sluff off any crap they have left over in the cesspool of creative advertising and use it for fast foods because they know that Americans are weak for their grease.
And now poor Gordito has become the victim of advertising and corporate America's bidding because his parents are too busy to provide a healthier alternative and Gordito has seen the fast food commercials and advertisements and begs his parents to take him to McDonald's for some fries and the cycle begins. I can only imagine that his parents work for Michelin and look like the Michelin man because poor Gordito's arms are like tires. Thanks to the advertisements of fast foods that enticed him.
Recently, Weight Watchers' new sponsor has been American Idol season three finalist Jennifer Hudson. Hudson in 2012 wrote an autobiography detailing her weight loss endeavors. According to an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show Hudson lost eighty pounds. Her infamous Weight Watchers' commercials have been played over and over and over and over and over again, making us fat slobs lying on the couch in our bathrobes eating stale Doritos because we are to lazy to get up and buy new ones feel a little bit, well, fat.
May/June 2007 Issue
Jennifer Hudson wasn't the first spokesperon for Weight Watchers. Weight watchers has a long history of spokespeople, manly spokeswomen.
January/February 2007 Issue
The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson (left) and Jenny McCarthy
(right) have joined the ranks of Jennifer Hudson as the spokeswomen for Weight Watchers. Actresses Lynn Redgrave (below, left) and Jessica Simpson (below, right) have also been spokeswomen for Weight Watchers.
January 1984 Issue
November/December 2012 Issue
And that raises the question, how come only famous women are depicted on Weight Watchers? With a little more research, I discovered that famous men had also used and endorsed Weight Watchers, but they were not as heavily commercialized. Professional basketball player, now retired, Charles Barkley is the only man I've found picture evidence was on/took part of Weight Watchers and even then he didn't appear on the front cover of a Weight Watchers magazine issue.
This makes me wonder what the advertisers of Weight Watchers are thinking. Do they believe that men do not sell as many magazine covers than women? Is their target audience male or female and do either respond better to a female spokesperson or a male spokesperson? Do they believe women struggle with weight more than men and that they would respond better to another woman struggling with her weight loss? Countless other questions could arise that would take hours to configure and answer. Nonetheless, there is definately a method to their madness.
An obvious technique used in the advertisement is testimonial because each Weight Watchers issue or picture focused on someone famous who endorses the product. Also facts and figures could be a technique because Weight Watchers advertising tells the audicence exactly how many pounds so-and-so lost.
Definately the need to achieve is present throughout several Weight Watchers advertisements because each endorser has a goal of so many pounds to lose and they accomplish it, with the help of Weight Watchers. Also phsyiological needs could be used because Weight Watchers frequently displays foods and healthier alternatives that appear lushious at not at all green, gross and smelly like they are in reality.
So why do advertisers predominantly use women on the covers of Weight Watchers magazine?
How the hell should I know? I don't work in New York for some advertising firm!
Essentially, what Honey Boo Boo's mom is saying is the message Arnold/Oroweat Bread is trying to convey to its audience. The ideas of "better" and "being better" are expressed continuously throughout the commercial. In the case of Arnold/Oroweat, "better" means living healthier and slimmer.
So the commercial starts with, "there's a better within all of us". The advertisers want the audience to believe that Arnold/Oroweat breads will help bring out that better quality of their lives. When this is said, a very fit woman is jogging just as the sun rises. And she's smiling. She's obviously very happy that she is out exercising at the crack of dawn. Of course she's happy! She's thin! Her legs don't chafe when she runs, her fat doesn't sag over her elastic waistband and her pours don't sweat bacon grease. If they did, she'd look more like this.
Homer Simpson from The Simpsons
That was the first mistake with this commercial. Then, after a nice brisk jog at the crack of dawn, she's in her kitchen eating a nicely prepared, well-balanced breakfast of toast, orange juice and fruit. And once she takes a bite of her toast, it just brightens up her day. And after just that one bite, she takes her keys and is ready to conquer the world. This was the second mistake. No one is this happy in the morning getting ready to go to work unless they are severly medicated or about to go off the deep-end. And nobody eats that healthily in the morning! That's the kind of food squirrels eat and those things are freaking crazy. I don't know about you but this is how I eat in the mornings.
Rasputia from the movie Norbit
Then she goes happily to work, still smiling like an idiot. Then she's back at home admiring herself in the mirror (conceited much? Just kidding I do that too...I just cry afterwards). Then she goes grocery shopping and looks at the pasteries. YUMMY YUMMY IN MY TUMMY. And as she starts to salavate, her stomach rumbles and she inches closer toward her target, her eyes lock in. She gets closer, her heartbeat increases, her imagination running wild as to what delicious calorie-filled delight is in store for her. But then she remembers the Arnold/Oroweat bread conveniently placed right in front in her basket and she turns her chin up like some uppity b**** (pardon my French) and she goes home.
No, after shopping at the store, she's home playing soccer with her children and then serving a delux dinner of Arnold/Oroweat sandwiches. And then we realize why Arnold/Oroweat is so much "better". It is because it is filled with delicious whole grains and fiber and once you eat better, you feel better and therefore you become better.
Obviously this super-mom is on crack because she's buzzing around like a hamster in its wheel non-stop. Early jog, breakfast, work, grocery shopping, playing soccer, and serving dinner all in a day's time. OBVIOUSLY it must be the whole grains and fiber.
So the woman in this commercial fits and breaks some stereotypes. 1: she's thin, pretty, and blonde: stereotype successful. 2: she's a careerwoman: stereotype broken. 3: she shops for groceries: stereotype successful. 4: she takes care of the kids: stereotype successful. 5: she prepares the meals: stereotype successful. and finally 6: she's concerned about her weight and health: stereotype successful. Adding them all up, the stereotype fix/break ratio is 5:1. Great job Arnold/Oroweat.
Techniques used in this commercial probably are facts and figures because the 100% Whole Grain label is shown prominently throughout the commercial which also means the technique of repitition is used. This commercial could have used plain folks but to me her kitchen seemed out of a magazine and her energy levels were not that of a normal, plain person so I might have to pass on the whole plain folks idea.
The need to satisfy curiosity could be used because 100% Whole Grain is a number that satisfies curiosity. Probably the need to achieve because she is achieving her goals of staying healthy and slim with Arnold/Oroweat bread. Also physiological needs because there are many points where delicious and nutritious foods are displayed.
Before I sign off this is my final note. After watching this stupid commercial I feel like this.
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.
