eyes wide open

I really liked reading and discussing Eyes Wide Open. I wish that we could have spent more time on it. I feel like there are so many things that could be discuessed still.

For example...

In chapter four Romanonski says that "under normal circumstances people go to the movies FULLY aware that they are allowing themselves to be drawn into the world of film."

I think it's so funny how people desire to be a part of the film world, yet are content with only watching it instead than taking part of it. The movie screen provides a kind of barrier that separates us from the film world and makes us invisible.

But I think that's how we would prefer it. I saw Obsessed this weekend, and although the drama was entertaining to watch, I can't say that I would want that to be my life. There was no point at which I thought, "Man, I wish that was me." The entirety of that particular film was all based on lust and lies. Sin is always intriguing and fun for a little while, but it always ends badly.

In the book it is said that the theater has an important role in shaping society. Some people do take this principles of deceit, lying, and pretence into action in their own lives. I have a friend who feels the need to live her life like a soap opera. The more her life is like a movie or a magazine article the happier she is. This is a lot of the reason why church leaders have distain for the theater.

just sit back and enjoy the ride

We covered a lot of ground in our last discussion. Bruce Springsteen was the main focus as we talked about chapter eight, but I still feel like there was a lot more to be seen in that chapter.

One concept in particular that stuck out to me was that "most films depict a world in which God is absent or non-existent."

I never realized that before. I think one of the reasons the idea of God irritates society so much is that, if there IS a God, then there is a being that is not limited by human merit. Our thoughts and ways are not God’s thoughts and ways, and bo human being can foretell consequences like God can.

Not being in control, and being left out of the loop really drives people crazy. People of all ages for that matter. I remember riding in the car as a kid and my mom would turn a different way than we normally would go to go home. I would always ask her, "now where are we going?" But she would just say, "Can't you just sit back and enjoy the ride?"

I couldn't just sit back and enjoy the ride, I had no idea where we were going! She wasn't giving me all the information, and I couldn't stand it. Movie-goers are the same way. I hate going to the movie theater with the kinds of people that like to verbalize what they think is going to happen next in a suspenseful film. They can't wait to find out if they were right or not. The murderer was in fact the next door neighbor!

Just "sitting back to enjoy the ride" is not a part of human nature. We are always trying to tie up loose ends, answer unanswered questions, and resolve unresolved mysteries.

time changes everything

In Dr. Miller's class we're learning about World War I, and he showed a clip from the movie Gallipoli. It was the ending scene where Mel Gibson's character was running from the camp to the trenches with an urgent message to saying not to have his troops attack, because they were so outnumbered. Before he returned his commanding officer was on the wire with another higher powered official telling him to continue with the attack.

This is one of the many climaxes throughout the movie, but at this particular moment I found myself laughing a little because of one of the lines. The commanding officer couldn't hear the order and kept saying, "Hello? Hello? Hello?!" My friend turned to me and said, "Can you hear me now?"

It was so inappropriate to be laughing at this moment, but the correlation between that particular line and the Verizon commercial made it funny. Peter Weir, the director, probably never imagined back in 1981 that he would have to worry about a cell phone commercial destroying the intensity of his scene.

Time changes everything, including media. Interpretations, symbols, signs, and meanings in culture and society can all be changed due to the time period.

Media repeats itself

In 1992 Sir Mix-a-Lot's single "Baby Got Back" was a number-one hit that went double platinum and won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. MTV aired the video for "Baby Got Back," but only during the evening hours because of its supposed sexual nature.

Within the past couple weeks this Burger King commercial aired during day-time T.V. featuring a different version of the same song.



Friday morning the Today show discussed the controversy behind this commercial. What was once only allowed to be shown in the late evening is now featured in the middle of the day with the popular Nickelodeon cartoon character, SpongeBob.

"Baby Got Back" was such a popular song in it's time, and it still is very well-known. It has been 17 years since it was originally written, and there are continually remakes being made.

Media always continues to reinvent itself.

Hannah Montana.... not normal.

While I was cleaning I had the T.V. turned on, and being a Saturday afternoon there wasn’t much on. I had E!’s True Hollywood Story on. For whatever reason, I’ve seen about every THS they’ve aired. Today it just happened to feature Miley Cyrus.

Now, Hannah Montana’s fan base is huge, and most of them are pretty intense fans. I would consider the typical Hannah Montana fan to be a bit obsessive. On this THS they showed clips of different people performing ridiculous acts in contests trying to win tickets to her sold-out show. One guy kept his hand on a 13-foot statue of Miley for six days in order to win a pair of tickets. Some dads dressed in drag and raced their little stiletto-wearing selves down a track to the finish line. Moms and Dads alike camped outside radio stations for days in hopes they would win tickets for their kids. This is my definition of “obsessive.”

I’ve never been one to freak out about any celebrity. If I like a musician, I’ll buy all of their CDs, go to some concerts, and add them on facebook or something. There are a couple T.V. shows that I absolutely love, and every week I am sure to tune in. I don’t see myself as being obsessive in my fandom…. Just normal.

Slumdog Millionaire

I had a friend tell me once that you know you saw a good movie when all you want to do is talk about it the next day.

Last night I saw Slumdog Millionaire, and it was a powerful movie. I went with a group of friends, two of which who were Indian. They’ve spent their entire lives here, but their dad didn’t come to America until he was an adult. A lot of the early scenes of the movie seemed to be dated further back than just within the last decade because of the amount of poverty. It was amazing to see the slums that families and children lived in. My two friends have been to India multiple times to visit relatives and they both said that India was just like that.

People go on mission trips all the time to third world countries and visit impoverished people. After watching the film I felt like I had experienced a mini mission trip. Some of the actors weren’t actually acting. The three young children in the have actually lost their parents due to anti-Muslim violence. I would adopt all of them right now if I could.

xanga.. what?

Back in the day I had a Xanga.

Wow. I remember how in 2006 Xanga was the thing to have. My friends and I would write blogs and leave comments back and forth on practically a daily basis, that is.. until Myspace became popular.

Then Tom created Myspace.

I didn't understand the thing. You could add pictures, and have friends, but what is so cool about that? Never did I imagine that the Xanga, which I loved, would be pushed aside to let in this new form of media based interaction.

But Facebook emerged!

I became thoroughly addicted to Myspace. Xanga what? It was about having the most friends and getting the most comments. If I didn't have a comment or message every day I was disappointed. I worked on Myspace like it was my job. Never did I imagine Facebook would become my new addiction. I had a facebook account for the longest time, but it was too comfusing, and technically I wasn't even in college yet (I was just doing post-secondary) so none of my really good friends were on it. But then one day, I decided to make the big switch and now Facebook is my life. I honestly love seeing those little red notification bubbles when I get on Facebook. It's like someone's telling me they love me. :) ahh.. But now.. I hear there's something new.

The Age of Twitter!

I don't even know what it is!? But Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Cruise, and MC Hammer have one, so it must be a big deal.

I say all that, to say this. Will there always be some form of media that aims to be bigger and better than the previous thing? Will it ever stop?

I seriously doubt it.

more bars in more places

AT&T has made many commercials that are all very similar. Every screen shot shows a line up of something that symbolizes the AT&T slogan, "more bars in more places."

Their latest commercial shows a dad going away for a business trip, but everywhere he goes he takes pictures of his daughter's little stuffed monkey she put in his briefcase. Evey picture has a stack of objects from shortest to tallest. AT&T pride themselves on having the phone company with the fewest dropped calls.

I always liked those commercials. I would always try and find the set of bars that were hidden in the screen shot. Sometimes they were in the form of towers, or boats, or stuffed animals. Regardless, I found it entertaining.

At a youth basketball league at my church we had the team line up from shortest to tallest, and I heard a couple say, "more bars in more places." It's funny how a line up of bars reminds people of AT&T now.

Filet-O-Fish

There has been a lot of talk about this commercial lately.

http://www.cantonrep.com/archive/x110664396/Does-singing-McDonalds-fish-reel-you-in

I remember the first time I saw it. I was like, "What on earth? This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life." But then, about a week later, I caught myself singing along with the commercial, and I'd even have it stuck in my head throughout the day.

The people that conjure up McDonald's advertisements are geniuses.

I have never had a filet-o-fish, nor have I ever wanted one. And, I can’t say that this commercial is changing that fact. But they have definitely made an impression on society.

We all know McDonald’s is around, it’s very prominent. But this is the first time, probably since the infamous BigMac commercial (two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, etc.) that we’re actually talking about them again. I see this commercial as reminding the world that they exist, and also, McDonald’s is trying to say that they are not just about cheeseburgers. Especially for all those people that are giving up meat for lent.

Brilliant.

Q: What has two thumbs and doesn't give a crap?

A: Bob Kelso.



I think Scrubs is hilarious. But I never really considered how the show originated, so I did a little research.


Scrubs writers worked with several medical advisors, including doctors Jonathan Doris, Jon Turk, and Dolly Klock. Their names launched the idea for the names of the main characters: John Dorian, Chris Turk and Molly Clock.

Scrubs is produced by ABC, even though it was aired by rival broadcaster NBC.
Bill Lawrence is the show's creator, executive producer, and head writer.

Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan have produced and written a number of episodes together. They started as writers/co-producers on the show, and have worked their way up to executive producers.

Bill Callahan is an executive producer and writer. He started on the show in season 4as co-executive producer and has since written six episodes.

Angela Nissel is supervising producer. She has written 7 episodes. She started on the show in season 2 as a staff writer.

Mike Schwartz is co-executive producer who started as a story editor. He has written 11 episodes and also has a reoccurring role in the show as Lloyd the Delivery Guy.



The television show became so popular that DVDs of each season are sold. And now there are even Scrubs podcasts, webisodes, board games, chat rooms, and soundtracks.

please use other door..

Every saturday morning at 9 o'clock I unlock the door to the store at the salon I work at. I move the "Please Use Other Door" sign to the side door that isn't supposed to be used while the store is open. I'm always entertained by the responses that little sign creates. I sit at my little reception desk and witness three basic reactions:

The first-

Woman walks to door, reads sign, turns around embarassed, doesn't say goodbye (although she hello when she arrived) and briskly walks out the correct door.

The second(most common)-

Woman walks to door, reads sign, turns around chuckling, feels compelled to tell me what they just did, explain that the salon is like a maze, and leaves.

The third(personal favorite)-

Woman walks to door, reads sign, disregards sign, and continues out the wrong door.

Although, I have to admit the last one takes a lot of guts, I think it's the most stupid reaction. These people have no idea why the signs there, it could be because an alarm will go off if that side door is used, but they don't care. They would rather keep truckin' than admit their fault and turn around.

It amazes me how the same little sign can create such different reactions.

house md

House is one of my favorite media texts. Dr. House is rude and brash, but he knows what he's talking about. It's genre is mystery and drama. I think there is a clear line between what makes the show more mysterious and what makes it more dramatic. Every episode begins with a medical MYSTERY. A teacher faints and starts convulsing, and nobody knows why. The teacher's symptoms only get worse until House has some revelation that clears up the mystery. However, inbetween every case there is the DRAMA of House needing vicatin, Cuddy adopting a baby, Wilson seeing his long lost brother, or Thirteen and Foreman dating. That is definitely more drama than mystery. It brings to the table a soap opera feel.

It's conventional in the way that it relates to all kinds of audiences, kind of like the C.S.I. series. There's mystery, yet the drama of the team is what really keeps our interest. I think Greg House is the opposite of convention. There aren't a lot of jerks on t.v. that are the heros, so it puts a spin on the show.

i love signs

So, I've really become more aware of advertisements, and I like looking at their meanings. I think this is so fun. :)



Here we have an ad for E!'s new show, Running in Heels. It's a reality show that depicts what "really" happens at Marie Claire magazine. I love this ad. The creativity is what makes it appealing to me. However, it has a connotative meaning that can mean different things to different people.

This show is all about style, so having a sharp, black stiletto be the main focus is an obvious choice. But what makes it original are the notches carved into the heel. By each notch it lists positions, starting at intern and moving up to editor-in-chief. Notches are used for keeping record, generally. But a common phrase associated with notches now-a-days is, "another notch in the bed post," which, if the ad is taken in that direction, makes it more edgy.

Stilettos are made to improve the look of the female form. They elongate legs and give a lift to body parts that look good lifted, so I half expect some of their intention for the notches is to remind people of the above mentioned phrase. However, the ad describes what each of the notches represents, and I think that is the company’s way of maintaining professionalism, but implying seduction. Basically saying, “Think what you want, but that isn’t what we meant.”

It's not all bad...

Sometimes media gets a bad rep because it's affecting our youth and shaping our culture; shows are too violent, teenagers are worshipping celebrities, etc. But it's not all bad.

Media educates, stirs discussion, and raises awareness.

One example is the book Under the Overpass. This book was a requirement for the freshmen, and it was thoroughly discussed in our College Experience class. There was also a chapel service where the author, Mike Yankoski, came to speak. Some background on the book: Mike and his buddy Sam lived on the streets for six months to understand what being homeless meant to its entirety. I read the book, and afterward my perception of homelessness was really changed. I had more compassion, for sure, and I wanted to do something to help.

A friend of mine is going to school up in Wisconsin. One night her and some friends were running around town, and afterwards she put up pictures of the night. They went rock climbing and out to eat, but before going back to the campus they walked around downtown. One of the pictures was of one of the guy's lying next to a homeless man who was rolled up in a sleeping bag on a stoop. The caption read something like, "random homeless man." And there were comments after it saying the homeless guy just pulled his sleeping bag up over his head and that it was so funny.

Before reading Mike Yankoski's book my first reaction would have been, "That so dangerous!" But my outlook completely changed, I really felt bad for the guy. He was just trying to lie down somewhere that he would be out of the way, and then a group of college kids come and make fun of him.



Media can be a good thing.

Life Gave Me Lemonade

I can honestly say enjoyed writing the Media Analysis paper. It was very cool to listen to song on a deeper level. The other day I was listening to some music on my computer and Chris Rice's "Lemonade" started playing, and it made me think. This would have been another good song to analyze, so that's what I'm going to do, just on a smaller scale.


So go ahead and ask her
For happy ever after
‘Cause nobody knows what’s coming
So why not take a chance on loving?
Come on and pour the glass and tempt me
Either half full or half empty, yeah
Cause if it all comes to down to flavor
The glass is tipping in my favor

[chorus]
Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day beneath the tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade,
Thanks for the lemonade

This song is a completely happy-go-lucky song that never fails to raise my spirits. It moves at a cheerful pace, and you can't help but smile while listening to it. I'm pretty sure that the first verse is encouraging this guy to ask his girlfriend to marry him. I just love the fact that this song says, "life gave me lemonade." The normal expression is, "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade," but this guy has already been handed the finished product. He was blessed, but he doesn't know why. Later in the song he says, "..while God above stirs with a spoon." He acknowledges God, and knows it's him who is in control of handing out these blessings. But he's just going to keep living every day to the fullest and appreciate the time he's been given.

Oh, look.. I found a video with Chris Rice performing this song, and he just happened to talk a little about the song before he started singing. I was so right. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2-rKgGnx34

Twilight-- another semiotic domain

Twilight is a huge deal. There are a ton of girls of all ages that love everything about it. It's adventurous and romantic, however, I wouldn't know for sure because I've never read the books or seen the movie.

I wanted to take a look at semiotic domain that's outside of my own. Because Twilight is such a popular series, and I know at one time or another I'm going to get sucked into reading it, I thought it would be interesting to look into the dynamics of the novel. All I knew before hand was that there was a human girl in love with a vampire, and that was pretty much it.

I've talked to a girl my sister's age on up to a 50-something year-old lady I work with and they all absolutely love the series. It's the romance between Bella and Edward that brings them in, but then it is the drama between the good guys and the bad guys that keeps their interest. From everyone I've talked to, the books in the series are way better than the movie, although, that's how it always is, it seems. Stephanie Meyer, the author of the book, paints such a beautiful relationship between the human girl and the vampire that the biggest complaint for the film was that the main characters did not have enough chemistry. Meyer's writing fulfilled desires and fantasies of the readers, and that gave the series its appeal. It's a story that combines suspense, desire, love and friendship, which causes young adults and adults to be sucked into Edward's and Bella's world and beg for more.

Visual Semiotic Analysis of Prince Family Paper

The shots in The Office always vary, however most of the time it is filmed with a closed frame. Since this is in fact a documentary, there are many times where there is an interviewee seated in front of the office window, creating a lot of medium shots. Whenever there is a lot of activity in the office the camera zooms out to a wide shot so everything can be seen, but then there is usually something important going on in the background that the cameraman zooms in on. Generally it would be a close-up of Jim’s facial expression.

This show is supposed to be humorous, and even the filming reflects that. It’s supposed to be shot in a way that makes it appear real life. The camera will follow always the most important subject and show their every move, not leaving anything to our own interpretation. For example, in the episode Prince Family Paper, right at the end of the episode, Michael walks in with Dwight past a picture of Hilary Swank. He says, “Who’s that? She’s hot,” and walks off camera into his office. The camera zooms in on Jim and Pam. The whole office was debating on if Hilary Swank was hot or not, and they had been split right down the middle until Michael tipped the scale. Not following Michael into his office, but rather having a close-up of the triumphant faces of Jim and Pam made the end of the show funnier.

We still would have laughed at the fact Michael was the tie-breaker, but with the camera panning so we could see Pam rubbing it in the other’s faces was way more entertaining.

“Dare to touch one.”

A little while ago Verizon came out with the LG Dare, a phone with multiple capabilities and a pretty cool touch screen. The magazine ad for it pictured a deadly black snake coiled around the phone with a caption that read, “Dare to touch one.” The phone itself is not dangerous, and you don’t have to be fearless to operate one. However, its new features are so bold that it’s like you would have to be dared in order to get one. Most people won’t go up to a venomous snake and touch it unless they’re dared. And even then, they really shouldn’t. But that’s the idea.
Snakes, especially dark colored ones, carry some heavy denotative meanings. The overall consensus is that a poisonous snake means danger. Snakes can pose as a threat, but only when they feel threatened.

Some people are deathly afraid of snakes, whether poisonous or not. To them snakes are scary, evil, harmful creatures that should not be messed with. Others like snakes, and are intrigued by them. They find them interesting and want to have them as pets, so they will learn more about them. These are two different examples of different connotative meanings that can be assigned to snakes, as well as this Ad.

No matter how the snake impacts you, it impacts you. You will either be freaked out or completely intrigued by the look of this Ad. Either way, it will draw your attention, and that is exactly what Verizon was going for.

Problems With Mass Media

I distinctly remember kicking one of my friends off my bed during nap time at a baby-sitters house because I saw Simba do it to Scar in the Lion King. When I went to tumbling class I had my leotard straps fall off my shoulders because that’s how Jasmine had her outfit in Aladdin. At my great-grandmother’s funeral, I put a flower in her hair (in the casket, mind you) like Ariel in the Little Mermaid. Needless to say, Disney really impacted my life as a child.

But sometimes grown-ups do the same kind of copy-catting, and I think that's one of the problems that exist in the relationship between mass media and society. Beautiful men and women flood the covers of magazines and movie screens. There was a recent study done that found the more couples watched chick flicks, the more unsatisfied they became with their own relationships. Viewing, reading, and listening to what we perceive as perfection affects us, and it’s not always for the better.

Identify a Myth in a Mass Medium.

Good ol' Forrest Gump pulled himself up by his own bootstraps. Forrest had a lot going against him, especially as a kid. His mother was a single parent, he had to wear those dreadful leg braces, and he was a little on the slow side. However, Forrest never let those things bog him down; actually he was actually pretty oblivious to it all. He managed to become an All-American football player, a war hero, a ping-pong champion, and multi-millionaire.

Forrest exemplifies this myth in that he was able to turn his unfortunate circumstances into wonderful opportunities for himself and the people in his life. Everyone he encountered (except Nixon) he managed to help one way or another. He helped Jenny and her sister get away from their abusive father, saved fellow soldiers in Vietnam, gave Bubba’s share of the shimping boat money to Bubba's family, made Lieutenant Dan a millionaire, and inspired two separate entrepreneurs to create Smiley Face t-shirts and "S*** Happens" bumper stickers.