Theory/Praxis: Media Literacy

Before becoming aware of the medias tactics I purely saw advertisements and media as a way of attracting consumers. I now see that I was completely media illiterate. I did not understand the messages that they send out or what these advertisements imply. Now when I see advertisements or watch television shows I am more aware of the subtle messages.

I have recently started watching the new, hit television series Glee and their marketing strategies are creative. Within the show, there are performances where characters sing and dance. These songs are selling millions on iTunes and there is even speculation of a tour. Glee’s advertising execs and creators are genius. Creating a musical television show combines two of the biggest industries and allows for countless collaborations. Educational specialist Jane Tallim says, “Media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us everyday”(1). This ability is essential when dealing with sales strategies.

There are three stages to media literacy. The first stage is becoming aware of all the forms of media you are exposed to and limiting the time you spend open to the medias influence. The second stage is learning how to decipher what the message is and what you’re personal view is. The third stage is going in depth into the message and questioning why it is being sent. Questions such as who profits? Who loses?(2) By doing this you can become media literate and see what truly is being said, instead of allowing yourself to be fooled.

Works Cited

1.Tallim, Jane. "What is Media Literacy?" Media Awareness Network. 12 Oct. 2009 http://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/teachers/media_literacy/what_is_media_literacy.cfm.

2. Thoman, Elizabeth. "What is Media Literacy?" Media Awareness Network. 12 Oct. 2009 http://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/teachers/media_literacy/what_is_media_literacy.cfm.

Mass Media

Mass media is the outlet for mass communication. It encompasses any form of media that you can think of including television, the internet, radio and newspapers. Mass media can be seen as the form of dissemination, and mass communication is the message. There are many ways to get your message across but it still reaches a great number of people.

Marshall McLuhan used the analogy of a beached fish to our relationship to mass media (1). The fish does not know it lives in water until it is beached, where as humans don’t fully understand their dependency on the media until they are removed. When I was younger we had a cottage with no television. Taking away the television, which was my main form of media, seemed like a punishment. Before we set off it always seemed to be a negative experience until we arrived and found other things to do. Even today if you asked me what we can do without television, the internet or other forms of media I wouldn’t know an interesting option, but when we are forced to forget about these technologies we find activities to occupy ourselves.

“The main problem with mass media is that it makes it impossible to fall in love with any acumen of normalcy” (2). In Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman, he discusses how the media imposes their views on consumers, which distorts our view of normalcy. Every person now has their own view on what is “normal” and these views change everyday as the media exposes us to new ideologies.

Works Cited

1. The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan. Playboy Magazine, 1969.

2. Klosterman. Chuch. Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs. New York, NY:Scribner, 2003. Print.

Fake News

Fake news is seen as gossip magazines that rave about celebrities and their life or take quotes out of context. These most definitely are fake news but do we always know the truth when were given new information? John Berger states, “We are not born perceiving. We learn to perceive and not to perceive”(1). Believing what news stations emit keeps us unaware of everything that is going on. We are spoon-fed information and are told, “this is right, believe it.” Then why are there breaking news stories about dishonest politicians that we were previously told to trust? Distinguishing the real news from the fake, is a very important ability.

Fox News is the leader in putting their own spin on stories. They do not give “fake” news but they will give half truths and a strong right wing perspective. This is a form of propaganda because it doesn’t give you the whole story and let you decide your own view, it pushes the networks view on you, subtly changing your opinion.

There is also another form of fake news, which is mean to be funny satirical fake news. Shows such as The Colbert Report are meant to amuse and are not to be taken seriously as real news. This form of fake news does not detract from the news story but makes it funny. Other websites such as The Onion, are the same form of fake news where you are not exposed to only negative stories.

Although these fiction news stories are made for comedy they can shed light on situations in a different way. A news story I found on The Onion spoke about how the majority of children are abused by their parents, children report. It jokes that the abuse these children face is not getting a toy from Toys R Us, or having to help their father in the yard.(2) This made me think about how spoiled some children are becoming, and how some a sense of entitlement. These stories let you take what you want form them and actually become aware of things you wouldn’t normally notice in a typical news article.

Works Cited

1. Berger, John. Ways of seeing. London: Penguin Books, 1972.

2. Majority of Parents Abuse Children, Children Report. The Onion. 13 Apr. 2007. 12 Oct. 2009. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/majority_of_parents_abuse_children

Decoding/Deconstructing Advertising

Sexual objectification doesn’t only apply to women yet many people choose to solely focus on the ways the media shows women. Why not men? Advertisements where men are shown as objects and are used as a lure for women’s attention appear all over, however people choose to overlook them. There seems to be a double-standard to which the public deems acceptable for women and men in advertising.

Dolce and Gabbana’s advertisements are filled with images depicting men as objects or using their bodies to entice women. The man on the surgical table with the lights around him depicts how he is there to be scrutinized and seen instead of heard. The other men represent how dispensable men are where another one with a “perfect body” can be the replacement. In John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, he uses a quote about being naked compared to being nude: “To be naked is simply to be without clothes, whereas the nude is a form of art” (1). These men are not simply naked, they are nude. These photos are seen as artistic and are therefore sought after.

Sales of men’s beauty products have increased 30% over the previous decade, demonstrating how these ads effect personal satisfaction(2). Almost 20% more men are having plastic surgery and one quarter of anorexia and bulimia cases are males(2). There is no denying advertisements such as this one promote these feelings and statistics.

These advertisements do have an effect on what men perceive women want and how they should act or look like. These effects show by what young men strive to look like, which is big arms and a V shaped body (larger chest and shoulders with a small waist). Women covet designers such as Dolce and Gabbana, which is why men see these models and associate women’s desire with physical appearance.

This advertisement does not only alter males way of thinking, it inadvertently makes women believe this is what they want. They see ripped abs, muscles and a chiseled jaw and believe that is what a man looks like and that is no less than what I expect. So who’s to blame for this? Men?Women? Maybe instead of only focusing on how women are objectified we should see if were holding men in advertising to double-standard.

Works Cited

1. Berger, John. Ways of seeing. London: Penguin Books, 1972.

2. Day, Elizabeth. "Depressed, repressed, objectified: are men the new women?" The Observer 3 Aug. 2008. 9 Oct. 2009.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/aug/03/gender.healthandwellbeing

The Ecology of Media: Online Shopping

Instead of choosing a typical form of technology, I choose to dive into the topic of online shopping. It is not seen as a revolutionary form of technology in our day because it has become extremely common for even teenagers to use.

In 2007 the number of Canadian people aged 16 and over using shopping online grew to 8.4 million (1). These numbers are enormous considering that the average shopper places 8.3 orders and spent $183 on each(1). The online shopping business is its own market place where thousands of people can come and shop from the safety of their own homes. Online shopping now encompasses every form of purchasing, from cars to jewelry. Even groceries can be delivered straight to your house while all you do is click the items you need and add them to your “cart”.

This technology greatly succeeds in completing its function of allowing customers to be comfortable while shopping, yet hindrances still occur. Idealistically online shopping will be a place where consumers spend as much money as they would if in a store, but in reality this isn’t the case. Even though customers will be at home where they do not feel rushed or watched, they are still weary of giving their credit card information online.

Stores realize that online shopping can help their business tremendously, even when customers are not purchasing items online. In 2007 43% of Canadians went online to “window shop.” Some may not see this as a helpful percentage but when 64% of those customers come into the store and purchase because of what they see online, it makes having an online website very lucrative.

Although this technology is very helpful to the daily person, it can also become an impediment. This allows people to stay inside where no form of personal contact occurs leaving them isolated. It also has a negative affect on the environment as amount of cardboard and shipment wrapping increases to meet the demand. In the end I see online shopping as a positive technology to our society but it still doesn’t beat physically going into the store to get what you want.

Works Cited

1. McKeown, Larry. "E-commerce: Shopping on the Internet." Statistics Canada. 14 Nov. 2008. Government of Canada. 9 Oct. 2009 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/081117/dq081117a-eng.htm#tab1ftnote2

Academic Blogging

To me, blogging has always seemed to be a waste of my time and energy, yet when I discover interesting blogs I can sit and read for hours. The Sartorialist, Style Salvage or even a blog from my high school peer called Yeahfilms can sustain my attention for large part of the day and distract me from the important things I should be focusing on. This realization only occurred to me when I became aware of the fact that I too would be writing publicly, emanating my own thoughts and feelings about given topics.

It was very easy for me to set up a blog but the hard part is applying yourself. Investing time into posts is extremely important because followers don’t want to feel as though they are reading work that is rushed and not thought out. Blogs are not only for expressing your feelings and ideas but also for connecting with other people who have an opinion about your piece of writing. The difference to me from a regular blog to an academic blog is that fact that we are commenting on important topics and situations rather than spewing out information that we feel is relevant to society today. Taking on the task of writing a blog also gives me the title of a public figure, yet I don’t feel as though I’m affecting the public sphere. Maybe if I become a blogging sensation with thousands of subscribers I would feel as though my writing is adding to the public sphere but for now I’m satisfied making a few people rethink their own opinions.

As I write, I wonder if anyone will be captured by my blog and taken away from whatever issues are going on in their lives. Will it be an escape where readers will get caught up in the debate over net neutrality? Or, will it simply be another piece of information that will be ignored.