Media is everywhere we go,
whether it is in the commercial we see before a YouTube video or the print
advertisement in the menu of the Cheesecake factory. We are surrounded by
discrete messages that if one does not learn to consider, we are influenced by
the information we are subjected to and unconsciously incorporate the meaning
into our lives. This is one of the main reasons why the fashion industry has
imposed an image of the ideal ‘super model’, an unreachable aspect of beauty. Before
this class, I considered the media as manipulative, although the media can
impose ideas into our thoughts and lead us to classify better with some ideals
more than others, it is not all negative.
The media also helps in
spreading positive messages. To take an example from recent pop culture, in the
music video “Superpower” by Beyoncé, the overall theme of the video visualizes
the quote “love and war” that focuses on the idea that even in difficult times,
love always triumphs.
In high school, the
importance in understanding what we read instead of what we see is emphasized.
Books have hidden meanings and their success leads them to become pieces of
timeless literature. Although the plot “Romeo and Juliet” is unique and has
probably never happened to anyone exactly the way to them, their story of the
troubles of love can be applied to many situations, both to when the play was
published to our current times. This type of media was analyzed and withstood
the test of time.
Learning how to analyze media makes for a better understanding
in the culture and ideas that a society has. Personally, wanting to work in the
media aspect of advertisement, it is important to keep advertising both
relevant to the time period and timeless while attracting the attention of
many, otherwise an advertisement is unsuccessful. After learning semiotics, how
to analyze media, it is important to me to focus on what media is trying to
advertise unconsciously instead of what they are directly presenting.
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