Blog # 7

I would like to take a look at question # 6 in the textbook, Media Analysis Techniques. This question asks how we should define gender. I personally believe that gender is a it's core is natural. We are either born as a male or a female. There are rare instances where we  see examples  people being born  with both reproductive organs, and I could see how in in those cases defining gender would be a tad more ambiguous. But in general, I think that it is something that is naturally assigned to us. I would like to acknowledge the fact though, that some people may identify with an opposing gender. And in those instances I can understand  the arguments that support the idea that gender is something that is socially constructed. In those instances, people are taking it upon themselves to assign their identity with a certain gender, despite of the sex they were born with. Years ago, I believe that this would have been something heavily rejected by mass society. But nowadays we do see a movement towards this progression and there is more support on the issue. I don't think it is fair to outwardly repress these individuals since the majority of people can not relate to the situation, but I think that it is important to take a look at how this gender identity crisis progresses internally among these individuals. Nowadays there are many different types of ways a person can identify themselves in terms of their sexuality and sex, so given this fact I would say that though gender is something that is natural, it has taken a new position in society as has become something that can be altered by the individual. People have the freedom to decided how to identify themselves and now technology has  advanced enough to support and further those decisions. While I do choose to remain neutral on the subject, I do find it fascinating how this new era of gender identity has begun to emerge. I also question whether this is something new, or whether this is an issue that has going on for quiet some time and has just been repressed. Possibly the reason we are seeing more instances of this occurring now, is because society has made great moves at being more welcoming and open minded towards these individuals.

Blog # 6

Miss Representation is a film that sheds a light on how media portrays women unrealistically. The film demonstrates how media has evolved beyond being just the messenger, and has also become the message itself feeding into to our society. Miss Representation shows how the message society is putting out is teaching girls that the most important thing they can do is look good, and that their appearance surpasses any other achievements. And paired with new techniques and technology, computers and other digital mediums have allow us to edit theses images on TV and advertisements to a completely unachievable standard. The women on advertisements are portrayed as perfect, and girls are comparing themselves to these figures. This self objectification has become a national problem. And to add on to that, Hollywood is constantly hypersexualizing women. All of these things send off the message that in order to gain power, they have to do it through their appearances and their sexuality. And when women do achieve a significant amount of power and position, despite these factors playing against them, they often receive a lot of backlash. Media treats power as if it is only defined by men, and this dehumanization towards females has negative effects on society as a whole. It teaches boys to think that they have to be better than women, and this causes grown men to become threatened once women reach superior positions because they feel as if women are trying to take over instead of just growing themselves. In my opinion, Miss Representation did a wonderful job of exposing these realities and also educated people who may not have been aware that these things were going on. And I hope that film will cause people to break out of this mindset and form a realistic perspective on the expectations imposed on women.

Blog #5

Psychoanalytical criticism refers to the interaction between our conscious and unconscious states of awareness. This concept is derived from various theories that originated from Freud and Jung. This concept can be applied to today's media and one can analyze it through various elements. For example, by looking at the show How to Get Away With Murder and focusing in on the character Laurel Castillo, one can see traces of  defense mechanisms and different conscious states. Defense mechanisms refer to the ways that people attempt to control their instincts and ward off their anxieties. They can also function as a way to enable self preservation. In the show, we can see a variety of characters using these mechanisms in order to cope with the situations they are put into. For instance, Laurel Castillo experiences ambivalence which is when she has a simultaneous feeling of love and hate, or attraction and repulsion towards something. In this case, her feelings are towards her aspirations to become a lawyer. Though she is passionate about the field, the audience can also detect a sense of disapproval and hesitation within her character as she realizes that in order excel in her career, she might have to take part in some morally questionable acts. She considers her self to be a just and ethical individual so this conflicts with her superego personality. The human personality consists of three parts, the id, ego, and superego. The id refers to meeting basic needs, the ego is when we deal with reality, and the superego is a state that is based on morals and judgement. Therefore one can see that clearly Castillo harbors the superego personality. So from this analysis on Castillo's character one can see that once we breakdown and understand the various concepts of psychoanalytical criticism, it is simple to apply and recognize how individuals and even a story line of a form of media can be interpreted through a psychoanalytical scope.

Blog Post #4

When I first heard of Marxism, I directly associated it with Karl Marx and with a form of governmental structure. By after learning and seeing examples of this concept applied to media, I was able to see how it is present among the shows and movies we consume. Marxism focuses on the different social hierarchies created in those mediums, and the different ideologies that are implemented within that particular society. In order to look at media through a Marxist scope, one must focus on various key elements. For example, it is important to identify the role of the individuals within various groups. Pinpoint who the hierarchical elitists, egalitarians, competitive individualists, and the fatalist are.This will help in dissecting the show or movie, and will allow you to see how the groups are formed and the how strong the bonds among the characters are. It is also important to identify any instances where a character might experience a form of alienation. This will give an insight on what the societal norms are and will lead to the identification of the overlying ideology. A great show to analyze through this Marxist looking glass is Freaks and Geeks, which we watched in class. There were various social classes present throughout the high school. There were the popular people, who were at the top of the food chain. Then there were the geeks, who were essentially a group of freshman boys who tried to desperately fit in with the crowd, and faced constant turmoil brought on by the bullies. And then there were the freaks, who where the outcasts or burnouts. Lindsay, the main character, wanted very much to be accepted in this "freaks" clique. Throughout the show, you could see the alienation she faced as she attempted to cross the hierarchical boundaries. And we also could see the importance of her identifying the different roles within the group in order for her to find a place where she could fit in. Once you open your eyes to  Marxism in media and begin realizing the role that it plays within our shows and movies, you are able to identify and better understand the class buildup and social structures that are present, and how important this concept is to the story line.

Blog Post #3

Before taking this course, I never truly analyzed the media I was consuming. Whether it was ads, commercials, or even movies, I never took the time to dissect the signs and meanings within the content. Now it is almost as if my eyes have been opened. I have slowly begun to pay closer attention to  subtle details and implicit messages, which all come and aid in the creation of the entire dynamic of the content being presented. What has surprised me the most has been the amount of thought that goes into media. The creators of the content fine tune down to the smallest detail. And I believe that the only way the user will able to understand the entire experience of the content, is to be able to recognize all of these elements. I will admit that when we first began learning about Semiotic concepts in class I was slightly lost. But once we began applying these concepts to the examples, the advertisement and the Sherlock series, everything began to make sense. Many of the Semiotic elements were visibly present and once you knew what you were looking for, it became so apparent within the media content. The same applies to Marxism. Marxism analyzes the hierarchical status within media. In class we watched an episode of Freaks and Geeks. After watching this episode through a Marxist looking glass, I was able to differentiate the different groups within the episode. Additionally we analyzed the type of role that each member in the different groups held, and how they as individuals and as a unit contributed to the story of the show. Now that I have learned to pay attention to Semiotic and Marxist concepts, I will be able to fully experience all of the media around me. I believe this broadens my spectrum, and will allow me to become more aware of the type of content I am exposed to.

Blog 2: Sherlock Semiotics

   Sherlock is a popular action packed television show based on Arthur Doyle's Sherlock Holmes character. From the first episode, one can see that this show is filled with semiotic characteristics. A couple of the most prevalent concepts within the show are the paradigmatic relationships, the synecdoches, the symbols, and the instances of intertextuality. 
   To begin with, quiet a few paradigmatic relationships are introduced in the the first episode of Sherlock. The first apparent one is the initial contrast between Sherlock and Watson. Sherlock is quick paced, blunt, and always on the move, while Watson is more reserved, and slow due to his war injury. At first Watson struggles a bit to keep up with Sherlock, but as the episode progresses we see a shift in this relationship between them. Another paradigmatic relationship between Watson and Sherlock would lie in the difference in how they keep their living space. Sherlock home is cluttered and a mess, while Watson's is very organized and clean, together this suggests that they make a balanced team. Another relationship detected in the episode is the woman in the car that Sherlock's brother sent to pick up Watson. She is on her phone the whole scene and seems aloof, which contrasts the mood of the situation. Her purpose could also be to provide a bit of comical relief to the viewers. 
   In addition, the concept of synecdoche is also present within the first episode. The most apparent example of this throughout the episode is Watson's cane. The cane directly represents his limitations. At the beginning of the show he is bound to it, moving slowly and struggling to keep up. But by the end of the episode he completely abandons it and has no trouble keeping up to Sherlock's pace. By leaving the cane, he was able to break free from the limitations he felt were imposed on him and thus was able to reach his potential. Another example would be the murder victim's wedding ring. The state of the ring represented the state of her marriage. It was scuffed and unkept, while all her other jewels were clean and polished. This was confirmed by Sherlock in the episode. 
   In continuation, symbols and instances of intertextuality also appeared in this episode of Sherlock. An example of a symbol would be the candle the restaurant owner placed on Sherlock's and Watson's table when they were on a stake out. The candle represented the fact that the owner thought the two of them were on a date. An example of intertextuality would be at the end, when Sherlock is offered the pills. At that moment he has to make a decision as to which one he will consume, and this is similar to the scene in the Matrix when Neo has to decide what pill to take. In both cases their decisions had the potential to  completely alter their future.
   In conclusion, these are just a few of the semiotic concepts present with the first episode of Sherlock. All of the elements from the cinematography to the smallest relationship come together to form a complex story filled with purposeful messages, making Sherlock a successful and intriguing show.  

Blog Post 1: Diet Pepsi Ad

This is a Diet Pepsi ad featuring Sophia Vergara. Just by glancing over the ad, we can pick up on a few distinct elements. In this image there is an attractive woman drinking diet Pepsi out of a can that appears to be more slender and tall compared to other cans we traditionally see.The can is also at the center of the image, along with a straw. She is only wearing the color blue, with the exception of her lip stick, which is a bright red. These colors reflect the Pepsi Brand's color scheme, which appear on the logo on center of the can and also on the straw. The words "the new skinny can" are also placed vertically on the right side of the image.
But by taking a closer look at this advertisement we can also pick up on what the ad is attempting to imply. For example, from her clothing we can assume that she is most likely taking part in an outdoor water activity or at least in that sort of environment. This implies that she is in a place where she is revealing her figure. Her make up is also done flawlessly and all of her hair is in place. By presenting her in this way, the ad puts a strong emphasis on aesthetics. This furthers the importance of looking good. And by pairing this aesthetic emphasis with a environment where your body is typically revealed, the ad directs the focus to having and attractive and "skinny" body. The droplets on the can also give the soda a refreshing feel, which would pair perfectly with the outdoor heat.
By looking at the words on this ad, we can clearly see that it is promoting a diet food product. Not only is the word "diet" on the can, but the zero is also in plain sight. The words on the side are also placed vertically, mimicking the new design of the soda can. The words "the new skinny can" suggest that by drinking this diet Pepsi you could, like the can, become a new skinnier version of yourself.
So overall the message of this ad is that drinking this diet Pepsi could help you could be just like Sophia Vergara and have an attractive body. And by calling this new design innovation "skinny" it emphasizes the message that this soda is for the skinny drinker.