Blog Post 7

3. Do you think people today use the mass media differently compared with how people used media 10 or 20 years ago?

The way people use media nowadays has definitely changed compared to 10 years ago. Overall, we have so much more power over our media consumption. We can choose which device to watch the media on, from smartphones and tablets on the go to traditional TVs and computers. We also have a choice over which platforms we want to use to consume traditional media. With Hulu and Netflix, we can choose what shows or movies to watch whenever we want to watch it. Other than traditional media, there's new media such as podcasts, vines and youtube videos. Podcasts allow us to listen to something we would traditionally watch. Youtube changed the way we view media because all of the content is user-generated, so viewers have more control than ever before. Vines are short clips that are symbolic of how our culture has become so fast paced that we no longer have the attention span to watch a video that is more than a few minutes long. However, the short length of Vines make them easier to share, which is why so many of them go viral. With all these new innovations, the downside is the information overload, where we cannot focus on one thing because there's too much information we are able to consume. Some aspects that have remained the same are the uses and gratifications behind why we consume media in the first place and the effects media has on us as a society. The most important uses and gratifications are still enjoyment, amusement and connectivity. The effects are the same and maybe even more so, now that there is so much media to choose from and we can take it with us wherever we go.There is still much yet to be known in the realm of effects of new media, since not much research has been done on it yet.

Blog Post 6

I had already watched the documentary "Miss Representation" on Netflix at the recommendation of a friend, and I loved the positive message it spread. The objectification and manipulation women go through in the media is transforming this generation as we know it. Girls are taught from a young age that beauty is only skin deep and that they must fit certain qualifications to be considered beautiful. They are taught that their value lies in their attractiveness and in winning the approval of men. We might blame the women in the media for acting this way, but they are victims of this scrutiny as well. When beauty is the only thing seemingly worthy of attaining, girls forget about excelling in school or finding their true passions. The scene from Mean Girls, where Cady acts dumb to get a boy to like her, comes to mind. Mean Girls is a perfect example of how the media perpetuates this stereotype of women being too competitive and dramatic for their own good. We see them fighting and acting like "zoo animals" over petty issues. The majority of people know most girls don't act this way, but some might think it's realistic. With this over dramatization, there is also a lot of truth to how they act in the movie, like when each girls picks out her flaws in the mirror or when Regina's younger sister dances in front of the TV. Something that always comes up when talking about future plans, is how a woman will balance career and family. It's absolutely absurd that we have to think about this from such a young age, can you imagine men being asked the same question? Like the documentary describes, since women can't "have it all", we have to put labels on what they can have. Women are either objectified like we are just there for the pleasure of others or just there to reproduce. There is no in between. Remember John and Kate plus Eight? How about Octamom or 19 kids and Counting (I think they're 20 kids now, but I hope they're not still counting)? Often women are put in the media in relationship to men, they aren't given their own identities. There are some shows nowadays that challenge this, but the vast majority of women on TV talk only about men and their dealing with them. TV shows and movies featuring women as leaders are great, but often they are portrayed as "not like other girls," because they're intelligent or passionate or funny. Did I miss something? Because the women I know are all of the above.

Blog Post 5

Psychoanalytical theory is based on the conscious and unconscious motivations of characters for acting in certain ways. You have to analyze the media by thinking of the deeper or root problem. The main developers of psychoanalytic theory were Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. Freud developed the basic psychoanalytic theory of the iceberg, which suggests that we aren't always in control of ourselves. We do things for reasons even we don't understand or cannot admit to ourselves. The tip of the iceberg, what everyone sees, is the conscious. And then there is the unconscious which is hidden, such as sexual and aggressive impulses. We create a barrier between our unconscious and conscious. For example, a conscious reason for using a lighter would be to light a cigarette and the unconscious reason is a desire for mastery and power. There are three types of psychoanalytical categories that characters will usually fall into, including: id, ego and superego. Id is someone who follows their desires and the line between right and wrong is blurred for them. Ego is the middle ground that is the rational and logical waking part of the mind. It acts appropriately depending on the environment. Superego is the moral judgement that censors us and wants us to act according to ideal aspirations. Our psyche is in constant struggle between id and superego, with ego mediating between them. The aim of the ego is self-preservation. Freud suggests that civilization makes us feel too guilty for being id figures, there is too much pressure on us not to act on our desires. Heroes are superego figures, while villains are is figures. We mask our unconscious desires through symbolism, which allows us to escape guilt from the superego. We see characters in the media using defense mechanisms, which are techniques the ego uses to control instincts and ward off anxieties. Jung talked about archetypes such as heroes which are universal themes in dreams, myths, religions and art. Jung talked about the collective unconscious, which is the source of archetypes, as an inherited unconscious that we all have because of the generations before us. He did not believe that we all created our own individual unconscious when we were born, but rather it is instilled in us and passed down from one generation to the next. Lastly, Jung talked about the anima and animus. The anima are feminine traits found in men. The animus are masculine traits found in women.

Blog Post #4

To use Marxism to evaluate media, you must first be aware of the essential concepts that Marxism entails. The most essential concept is that everything is shaped by the economic system of society. This system determines who gets to have power and who doesn't. Power, in this case, means that a powerful person's ideas become other people's ideas. So, in short, people with the most power shape how we view the world. Thus, our ideas are not entirely our own. The ideas people have are those the ruling class wants them to have. Even though we do filter through these ideas and are not mindless followers, some ideas are less heard than others so we have less to filter through. This also builds upon the concept that knowledge is social. Obviously, one person can't know everything; so we each know bits and pieces and put our knowledge together to see the bigger picture. Some Marxists such as Enzenberger have a more cynical perspective on media, believing that all media manipulate. Or the Frankfurt School, that believes all media is controlling, therefore it is evil. Henri Lefebvre said that we are living in a "state of terror" because compulsion and the illusion of freedom have converged; so we think we want something out of our own free will, but we are actually being manipulated into wanting it. Another basic Marxist perspective is that our media preferences are shaped by the desire for our beliefs and values to be reinforced and not challenged. We consume media that does not conflict with what we believe in, to prevent cognitive dissonance. We see messages that reinforce the status quo as normal, and messages that challenge the status quo as abnormal or undesirable. Though the "status quo" is constantly shifting and changing as our beliefs and values change. Media that challenge the status quo become accepted later on.

Blog Post #3

Since starting this class, I've definitely become a more cynical consumer of media. I no longer watch anything with rose tinted glasses. I guess this was the goal because I remember that this class was supposed to "ruin" the media we consume. I'm much more aware of the effects, whether negative or positive, the media may have on me. After reading the chapter on marxism and all the ideas of different scholars, I considered whether staying away from media altogether was the solution. I learned that different types of media could control consumers without us ever knowing that we are being controlled by it. We think that our autonomy is still intact when in fact we are part of this collective mind. We receive ideas from the media, they are not our own. The media, for the most part, is controlled by a small group of people. Therefore, a small group of people can "mind control" a large group of people. We see advertising everywhere, and this makes us spend our money in pursuit of happiness and so that we can outdo others and show off our wealth. Everything we buy is a symbol for who we are, but it is not unique. It is all part of the culture in which we live. Marxism says that the wealthy higher class controls the knowledge and ideas that the lower classes consume. Another idea I found interesting was that of alienation. We are alienated because we are told to do work that is separate from ourselves. It is not technically our own work. This makes us unhappy. To distract ourselves from this unhappiness, we buy into media that will make us escape from reality. So we spend our money on the distractions and continue working. It is a never ending cycle. This idea intrigued me because it is so logical yet presents a cynical view of our media consumption. These philosophies may or may not be true but they still explain a lot. We all know that people who make media don't have hearts of gold. Their goal is probably not to make us happy, but to gain profit. So we must stay conscious of who we are in the postmodern society we live in. Nowadays, people are gravitating less towards TV and more towards the internet. Even though social media allows us to have more autonomy, we still see the same advertisements. Only this time, the advertisements are even more pervasive and effective because they are personalized to fit each consumer's wants.

This week, I watched The Cheetah Girls. It was one of my favorite movies on Disney when I was growing up, but this time I was able to analyze it. For many reasons, I still love it as much as I did 10 years ago. I noticed how this movie must have played a role in shaping kid's views about black women and minorities. The Cheetah Girls are ethnically diverse, and their songs reflect that diversity and acceptance. They spoke different languages and had different cultures. I guess that's why I identified with it so much. They may not have been exactly like me, but they were different than the girls I would always see on TV. They each had different issues, including a mom who was never around and being an orphan raised in a foster home. The underlying themes are endless. Another aspect I loved was how empowering it was for girls. One could even argue it had underlying feminism. The dad cooked and the mom worked. The songs they sang talked about girl power and not needing a man to save them. It was nothing like the usual cinderella story. It was the Cheetah Girls, and those girls were fierce.

Blog Post # 2-Dalia Faheid

There is a sad creepy looking doll in the background when Watson is talking to his therapist, signifying gloominess. Watson says "Nothing happens to me." He is bored with his life and ready for a change. This is an example of syntagmatic analysis. There is a sharp contrast between happiness right before people take the pill and the sadness portrayed as they take it, which is why everyone is surprised by the suicides. They seem happy not long before they kill themselves. This is an example of paradigmatic analysis. They signify the concept of sadness through the similarity between the rain and tears when suicides occur. Another paradigmatic analysis is compulsion v. free will. The police want to know if the suicides were actually murders or if they took their own life because they wanted to. Texts received at the same time during the conference and cameras everywhere watching Watson signify control.

An example of paradigmatic analysis is everyone's simple mind compared to Sherlock's highly complex mind. He says other people have"funny little brains". Sherlock ignores people's feelings, signifying his anti-social behavior. He keeps referring to his enemies because he has no friends. He also finds normal relationships "dull". The darkness and loneliness in early scenes signify that Watson was unhappy with his life. Both men wear dark colors, signifying seriousness and how unapproachable they both are. Sherlock's messy room is a metaphor for his messy brain. The skull in Sherlock's room symbolizes danger. Sherlock needs Watson as an "assistant" aka his sidekick, while he is the hero. This is an example of syntagmatic analysis.

A code in London is that people always drink tea. Whereas in America, we usually drink coffee. The music changes to signify that Sherlock is analyzing something. Sherlock is narcissistic. This is signified by the fact that he knows he is right but he wants people to tell him he is right too. He wants to prove his cleverness to them. He also assumes people will do as he commands and he is impatient. The old looking house where the woman was murdered signifies abandonment. The intertextuality I found was when Sherlock said "Houston, we have a mistake". A paradigmatic analysis is danger v. caution. This is an internal conflict John Watson faces. People tell him to stay away from Sherlock, yet he accompanies him anyway. He is always hesitant to try things at first but then he admits he enjoys danger. He goes on missions with Sherlock though he is scared. He wants to live an adventurous life. He also battles with being loyal v. abandoning Sherlock for his own gain. But he ends up staying loyal to him and refuses to spy on him. Another way he is loyal to Sherlock is that he does what he commands without an explanation.

A cultural norm (code) is that it is okay to be gay in London, as is referenced several times throughout the episode.  However, both Sherlock and Watson are unsuccessful in having relationships or understanding women. When Sherlock goes to the restaurant, he remember the waiter's name and greets him. This signifies that he genuinely cares about people. Another code for London is that everyone takes taxis. Watson does't need the crutch. It signifies that he is scared of taking risks and uses it as an excuse. It is also a metaphor for security. Sherlock is mad when people talk when he is thinking, signifying that he needs complete quiet and stillness to concentrate.

The killer is right in front of Sherlock the whole time. The old lady kept saying "The taxi is here,"though Sherlock didn't ask for one. This signifies how taxi drivers go unnoticed. "They can hunt in the middle of a crowd and no one suspects a thing," as the murderer says. The taxi was there when each person was killed. The cabbie, who is a genius, wants to be noticed and praised for his elaborate scheme. The cab driver uses the word "copper" interchangeably with the word cop or police, which is a synecdoche. The ironic thing about the villain/hero situation was that the villain was warned about the hero, meaning Sherlock is more dangerous than the cab driver. Sherlock is proven a hero when the policeman says he is a great man. This is an example of syntagmatic analysis.

Sherlock and the cab driver are very similar.  When Sherlock and the cab driver go to the big room with empty chairs and tables, it is a metaphor for vacancy and loneliness in both men. They are geniuses who get mad at people who don't think like them. Earlier, Sherlock had a whole map memorized in his head. The cab driver says he sees " a map inside his head". Sherlock smiles when asked to choose a pill, which shows that he is not scared to risk his life to solve a mystery, and neither is the cab driver. He will do anything to prove he is right. Choosing a pill, the man says, is a metaphor for a game of chess.

The window between Watson and Sherlock as he is about to take the pill is a metaphor for helplessness and the barrier Watson is then able to break when he shoots the window and saves Sherlock.Sherlock doesn't need the blanket they give him to feel safe.  When Sherlock is thinking, the symbols are the words that float around him. We find out that the cab driver killed people to get money for his kids, signifying that he had an unselfish motive. Watson says he doesn't mind killing someone who isn't nice, which signifies his support of justice and need for revenge.

Signifier/Signified 1.       Sad doll 2.       Rain and tears 3.       Control over people 5.       Criminal wants praise 6.       Villain warned about hero 7.       Villain and hero are similar 8.       Sherlock isn’t scared 9.       Unselfish motive 10.      Watson doesn’t mind killing 11.      Anti-social 12.      Watson unhappy 13.      Dark colors 14.      Music 15.      Arrogant and impatient 16.      Old house 17.      Both unsuccessful in relationships 18.      Cares about people 19.      Normal relationships are dull 20.      Crutch excuse 21.      Complete concentration 22.      Killer unnoticed

Syntagmatic Analysis 1.       Watson’s boredom 2.       Sherlock is great man 3.       Watson aka sidekick

Paradigmatic Analysis 1.       happiness v sadness 2.       force v control 3.       intelligent v unintelligent 4.       danger v caution 5.       loyalty v abandonment

Metaphor 1.       empty chairs=vacancy 2.       pill=game 3.       window=helplessness or barrier 4.       Messy brain=messy room 5.       Crutch=security

Synecdoche 1.       “coppers”

Icons

Indexes

8.Symbols 2.       words 3.       skull

Intertextuality 1.       Houston space mission

Codes 2.       tea 3.       gay 4.       taxis

Blog post #1

            However simple this Target advertisement may be, I think a lot of elements in the advertisement signify a deeper meaning that resonates with us as the consumers. This advertisement is specifically targeted to consumers of healthy food.The text mentions happiness and living a full life. How you achieve that is by buying their healthy food.It says "Long Live Balance" which is supported by the images that we see. I'll start off with the background, which is an abundance of brightly colored green leaves. This gives it a very natural and clean feel. It signifies life, renewal and energy. This is a common theme throughout the advertisement. They want people to feel happy and have hope for a new day where they can start fresh. Green is a color that makes us feel safe. The bottom of the background is darker which gives it contrast from all the light at the top. The girl is standing on a bench, which signifies growing as a person in all aspects of life. The girl is balancing on one leg, starting the theme of balance. The girl's shoes have stars on them, which signify self-fulfillment and advancement. You could even assume the girl's gray tights are a form of balance between black and white and therefore signify compromise. The girl is very lively and there is a lot of light on her and in her face. She seems very optimistic and happy. I think they chose a little girl because children and youth signify a kind of hope. They are energetic and curious about the world around them. There are many red elements in the advertisement, including her red dress, hair tie,  watermelon and some text. The reason for the abundance of red is firstly because it excites us and it makes us remember the advertisement. Red goes with this recurring theme of energy. It also signifies passion, positivity and a willingness to take action. The girl is holding both her arms up as if to suggest balance. The little girl is smiling which shows happiness and radiance.The watermelon is another sign of nature and freshness that goes with the green background.