Blog Post #3

With only a couple of weeks into the course, I've already learned so much about analyzing media. Before taking this class, I was disconnected to the media I  viewed. When I was watching a show or a movie I was just thinking of if I'm enjoying it or not. As for advertisements, I was only looking at what was being sold in the advertisement, not looking at why they said this or did this to sell the product. I never challenged the medias ideas. Now I have learned to pay closer attention to small details such as lighting or camera angles, as play major roles in exposing the theme presented by the media. Since now I'm not so disconnected to the media I consume, I find myself using semiotic analysis strategies when looking through magazines, watching TV, or even at the movie theater watching a movie.  After this week's class, we will now be combining are semiotic knowledge with the Marxism theory. When watching Freaks and Geeks in class this past week, I looked for semiotic techniques along with incorporating the Marxism concept of ideology and hierarchy of power.

Unlike shows such as Gossip Girls, or Pretty Little Liars, Freaks and Geeks is a great depiction of what high school life really is. Sam and Lindsey and not rich kids going to prep school or involved in a murder mystery, but instead are two middle-class kids just trying to find their place while in high school. I noticed the use of intertextuality right at the start of the show, referencing the That 70's Show. Though, through the dialogue, the viewer can tell the show is based in the early 80's, there is That 70's Show aesthetic throughout the show. As we talked about in class, there were many ideologies being used throughout the Halloween episode we watched. The ideology of not handing out candy that is not wrapped was seen in the show. The hierarchy of power is very present as well. When it comes to Millie, Lindsey is at the top of the pyramid in their friendship, but she finds out that Millie has a boyfriend and feels that she is losing her "top of the pyramid" statues. This of course, pushes her to go out with the Freaks on Halloween, instead of hanging with her mother. I must admit, I was instantly captivated by the Freaks at the start of the show, but I can see why the show only lasted one season. Besides the low budget quality that showed, easily noticed when using semiotic analyzing strategies, but the concept of a regular high school life just is not worth watching. Viewers want what most of us can’t have, meaning vampire boyfriends, going to a prep school, or being involved in a murder mystery. There are always exceptions of course, such as The Cosby Show or Boy Meets World, but I'm sure timing played an important role as well.