Wow, gaming articles are not for me! I tried about four times to get through these articles and then I would just keep changing my mind about which would be easier to read and write about. Maybe this is because I am not a big gamer myself. My gaming experience consists of super Nintendo and Game Cube… I guess that makes me a bit ignorant on the subject. I just really don’t see the point of sitting on the coach for hours at a time and pretending to be involved in some mock, fantasy, technological world. Really though, maybe there is a gamer out there who can defend their habits, I would love to hear the other side of the story. My brother always said that it was a way to forget everything and what shocks me the most is that he is active! He plays on sports teams and down hill races, has a job and goes to school. But somewhere in there he has found the time to play Halo for hours on end, and all to forget…? Don’t get me wrong he is not addicted or anything, thank goodness. It just makes me sick to see those skinny, pale teenage boys on intervention who are addicted to video games and their parents are crying “we miss him so much”. Argh… that is just so twisted to me! Sorry to anyone out there who is addicted or finds that they have a problem but honestly…get over it!
Racial Division on TV March 21, 2007
Racial division might just be the stupidest idea that I have ever heard of! I am sad to say that I missed the airing of this desperate attempt to win back viewer numbers. In our society today I think that most people have become very aware of what is appropriate when it comes to racial topics and what is not considered morally or politically correct to say. Almost to the point where people have become hyper-sensitive and are afraid to say anything that could be taken to be even remotely racist. But I hope that, that is just the step that we have to take to find an equal balance between all races.
Reading this got me to thinking that there are so many stand-up comics or comedy shows such as “MadTV”, “MXC” or movies like “Borat” where you often find yourself over-whelmed with racial slur and stereotypes. But for whatever reason this seems to be over looked, I mean I am sure that some of it does get stopped or the producers or comics are punished for expressing these views. But why does it seem to be more acceptable? Is it just that these prod casts are simply hinting at it, or are their producers less well-known? Although I do see some moral and political dilemmas in the latest idea for “Survivor” I do not think that they are that far from what other media sources are producing and showing. I am not sure that it would matter what “Survivor” does, so long as they are separating groups into sub-groups whether cultural, gendered or other, it will appear inappropriate to someone. It seems just as mean, rude and derogatory to me to divide into men vs. women as race1 vs. race2. As soon as you create an environment where there is a specified division, there will be struggles for power and resources. I think that there would be immediate conflict, but I guess that, that was the whole point.
All I really want to say I guess is that the producers chose the potential to make money over keeping their program morally, politically and socially correct. They are ultimately using man-kind against itself and all to make dime. They are exploiting the social issues that we are currently still learning to deal with in our society. This also raises a debate on the aspects of “Orientalism”. I am curious to inquire the race of the men and women who are behind the idea of this division of race theme. It would in no way surprise me if they were Caucasian. According to the dilemmas within “Orientalism” western cultures have been aiming their gaze at eastern culture and are therefore holding the power. So if our society is indeed in a position of power, maybe we could be a little more prudent with it and respect other cultures and not subject them to division within reality TV shows. Because ultimately by showing that racial division is hilarious and turns a profit of television what kind of example are we setting for our future generations…? Just as a side note to all you big company producers, this idea was not all hunky-doohray!
“The Consumer Isn’t a Moron; She’s Your Wife” March 13, 2007
I absolutely love that quote! It just wraps up everything that I want to say on this topic. I do believe that both men and women are starting to realize the antics that advertisers are using in order to sell their products. I don’t think that our society is totally oblivious to the images that are being portrayed and their sexual content, which is becoming more and more obvious and less and less tasteful. But what men and women are not grasping is that these ads are disrespectful and further are becoming deeply embedded in our minds as normal. That is why I love this quote! Sure it is easy to sit there and think “wow any women who buys those jeans hoping to look like that model is an idiot”, but no one realizes that it is their wife, mother, sister, girlfriend or friend who are effected by these thoughts. On the other end of the spectrum women think “wow any man who finds that to be attractive is a total pig, and does not see women as anything more than an object”, but no one realizes that, that man had been persuaded to see women that way. We seem to have pulled ourselves away from the issue, we don’t want to be involved, but it is too late. There is no way that anyone could genuinely say that after every ad they see, they stop for a moment and de-brief. These images and ideas slip into us; unless we consciously fight each idea in every ad, we will be effected. Individuals do not have time to sit down at the end of the day and think over and over again “Women are NOT objects, Men are NOT pigs” … or “Women are marginalized, we live in a man’s world”. Ads have become so conniving and frequent that we no longer have any control over what is embedded in our minds.
When someone is confronted with the question what can we do to stop this cycle; the obvious answer is to say “bring attention to the problem” We need to convince young girls that there is more to them than their sexuality, and to boys that they are more that testosterone. Which does have potential to work and possibly to stop the rapid decline of self-esteem in this country, but who is going to do that? The individuals with the economic capital and resources, of course! And who are those people; well they are owners of large corporations. Alright so here we have Dove, who has done a magnificent job of demonstrating that behind all the work that beautiful woman is actually quite normal looking, nothing special, just average. Which can be helpful, it shows that no one naturally looks that beautiful. So we can all put down our mascara and love ourselves, right? Wrong, Dove ends their ad saying join our campaign, help girls create higher self-esteems. This is just another technique for selling products! The term is called “Affectual Rationality”, meaning that because this corporation is associating themselves with charity and kindness, more people will purchase their products. When a consumer walks into the cosmetic aisle and is forced to decide between a bar of Dove soap or of Olay, Dove is hoping that the consumer will remember the commercial and think “Wow, Dove is really trying to make a difference; I should support them and their campaign” What Dove has just done is sold another bar of soap, how many girls feel better about themselves, we will never know!
The Desensitization of Music Thievery March 7, 2007
It’s hard to believe that despite the fact that stealing music is wrong and illegal, I can’t remember a time when music was not on the computer. The text states that it went “wildly out of control” in the 90s when the internet made it big. Does that mean that there were no issues of stolen music before the golden era of the internet? I find this somewhat shocking; it is just strange to think that no one worried about it at all, until a medium to do so was discovered. All though from another light, I must admit it makes perfect sense, what a paradox.
The way I see it, music is being stolen at such a large and successful rate is for several reasons:
- CDs at record shops seem to be overwhelmingly overpriced, especially when the band is no longer popular.
- There is so much music circulating and so many different genres that it would cost a fortune to keep up with it all.
- As a consumer it is difficult to justify buying a 20$ CD when you only like one song by the band. It is even more difficult to buy a 5$ single track, seeing as there is only one song on it.
- There is this idea out there that Celebrities and Bands are above the rest of society. So despite the fact that the music might be amazing, charging so much for a CD may cause some dissonance in consumers. As much as they want to own the CD, buying it represents supporting the band and therefore supporting an idea that you as the consumer or just a piece of a vast society living under the world of
Hollywood. - Stealing music off the internet or simply burning your friend’s copy is so accessible it would seem foolish not to. On this note, I think that it is also fair to assume that music burners do not understand how they could get caught or the consequences for this action.
- All stores and other consumer based industries have found ways to protect themselves from loses like these. So there is a mentality out there that bands and musicians should be working to protect themselves from getting burned (pun intended). We can take
A Perfect Circleof TOOL for example, Maynard has made his CD’s “non-burnable”.
On the other hand, I do recognize that stealing music is wrong and that musicians work hard to produce the music that they do.
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- It is difficult to write songs, both the lyrics and the music, but also to get up on stage and perform for millions of eager fans.
- A Musician is a very acceptable career in our society today, so just because they are probably having a lot more fun and living a more comfortable lifestyle does not mean that they are not working. I think in a sense it can be compared to workers being replaced by machinery. Instead of making the most profit that they can be performing the task that they are good at, their employers are investing their time and money into finding ways to get the work done without depending on the actual worker.
- Bands and Musicians are also investing time and money into various other institutions that help keep this capitalist market rolling. Such as record labels, Photographers, Journalists, CD production companies, recording companies and charitable programs.
- Numerous bands and Musicians are also creating their own charitable programs with aims to better the world.
In the end, I guess that I am just searching for a way to understand how it has become acceptable to steal music but not cable or internet or CDs from the store. I want to find where it became desensitized to this extreme.
The Insights of an Audience’s Audience February 27, 2007
Lurking in the far left, back corner of the movie theatre allows for quite the entertainment. By entertainment, I am not referring to the show that is being played on the oversized screen, but rather the behaviour of the audience in the theatre. Upon arrival most larger groups head towards the middle row of the theatre. This is not only because they all need to be able to sit in a row together but also the influences of social cohesion. All smaller groups tend to head to the sides of the theatre and if they do stick to the center the make sure that there is a descent distance between themselves and the larger groups. Under the contexts of this social cohesion smaller groups are not meant to challenge the larger groups that dominate the center of the theatre. If they were to try and create some type of challenge then all the smaller groups would sit together in a cluster, opposed to scattering across the theatre.
There is a tendency for groups of people to stick to the back half of the theatre. Upon entering it can be noted that the larger the group the more confusion there is going to be about where they should be seated. These groups don’t really seem to realize that two minutes into the ad, they won’t really be aware of their seating anymore. When one or two individuals walk into the theatre there is a more pre-determined sense of where they are going to sit. Maybe in this moment they recognize that people are watching them and developing ideas based on how the choose where to sit and where they do. However, this mentality of how to behave while people are watching you will soon be lost.
At this specific 10:05 show of “Ghost Riders” ten groups of people showed up to watch the film. The movie theatre has done a commendable job at engraving it in their customers’ heads that a movie is not a movie with out some overpriced popcorn. Only one of these ten groups at this particular showing was not eating popcorn or drinking pop. Of all these groups of people there was only one man who had come alone and only one couple turned out for the show. This suggests that movie theatres are socially organized and are designed for a group environment; it can also be assumed that this movie is not a “date movie”.
Movie theatres like most social institutions have created their own social code of conduct as well as unique social norms. Roughly fifteen minutes after the movie started a teenaged usher walked up and down the first aisle, he stopped once to ask one person to lower their legs off the seat in front of them. It can be assumed that the usher is checking for young adults or children who have sneaked into to witness a PG14 film, people who are behaving inappropriately or maybe just putting their feet up. As for the norms in a movie theatre- it could be assumed that they would be similar to those in a class room or perhaps a play or performances. It has a similar set-up the audience enters from the very back of the room and knows to sit down, they know that they are meant to face forwards and focus on what is being displayed before them. However, what is deemed appropriate seems to vary a bit. For example, in the movie theatre you can walk in late after the movie had started and make your way up to the front walk through the middle row and find a seat. In any other similar situation that would be seen as disruptive and rude, but here, well it’s just a movie theatre. Once the lights go down and the speakers that are far too loud, almost to the point where it is uncomfortable starts up and the over-sized screen is flashing rather large colors at the audience, people start to forget where they are. All of a sudden there is this new mentality in the crowd that no one is watching each other and everyone is focused on the film. This is when the individuals’ behaviour really starts to change, all of a sudden it is okay to touch your face, pick at things on your skin and force large handfuls of popcorn or candy into your mouth. Despite the fact that the chairs are dirty, from the hundreds of people who have sat their before and that they have just handled money there is no hesitation to put their hands on their food, in their mouths and on their faces. In any other social setting this would not be appropriate, which indicates that there is something different about the movie theatre. Maybe this social setting is homier and individuals are feeling more comfortable or maybe they are just so distracted that they do not consciously control their actions nor do they realize that some sociologist might be watching them.
Having gone to a movie just to watch individuals watch a movie, maybe Smith does have some valid points. His “sensory stressfest” idea is quite validated, the speakers are too loud and the screen is too bright, but it is acceptable in this atmosphere and the audience arrives ready for it. However, the audience that I witnessed was rather quiet, no one was over the top excited before the movie, and maybe it is because the movie was lacking in quality, but the audience remained quite calm throughout the film. It may still be shocking that so many people are familiar with celebrities even though they don’t feel like they pay any attention celebrity events. However, seeing that happen in a movie theatre, is really not that startling, it is seen everywhere else: newsstands, grocery stores, on TV and on the radio, why wouldn’t they get people involved so close to the source? In the end going to a movie is really not that strange or socially bizarre, this question could be directed at any social institution. They all have their own flaws and exceptions and they all attract different types of people with different interests and tastes.
Watching “Barenaked Ladies” as a Group Event February 14, 2007
Over the weekend I went to see the “Barenaked Ladies” (BNL) concert at the enmax center. Which explains my title, which hopefully was not too shocking and makes sense now! Its funny how they must have originally created that name to shock and grab the attention of a large audience. Unfortunalty they would always be held back by this invisible band that we can refer to as the Canadian nationality. But that is not really my point, I just wanted to point out how their name is not so shocking anymore and really just understood. I am sure that when you first read my title, you most likely thought of the band…not sure what other options you went through first…haha…anyways…Their name is no longer shocking because we are now somewhat de-sensitized to this type of humour.
So as I am sitting there way up in section HH, second last row, I had a great view of not only the performance but of the entire crowd. It was so interesting to watch which groups I would say roughly 3500 hundred people there, they were all still concerned about how others were behaving and did not want to act differently. A boy sitting next to me (don’t worry I won’t mention your name Mark) was just having a blast! He was dancing in his seat, acting out all of the words to the songs but he would not stand up. I am thinking to myself he personally would most likely have more fun if he was standing up rocking out, but he wouldn’t and it was because nobody else was. He would only have been noticed by the 25 immediate people surrounding us but still that was not enough to get him up out of his seat.
Along these same lines, I tried to picture what the show would have been like if it had just been me and my 3 friends at the show. Something tells me that it would not have been the same!
For starters BNL would not have been interested in performing for 4 University students and not only due to the fact that they would make less then 160$, which would be in no way profitable, but there would be no motive for them. Our reactions, dancing, clapping and whistling would not be gratifing enough for them to really put on a good show.
Second of all I don’t the 4 of us would have had much fun in a huge empty hockey arena watching a show that is meant for a crowd of at least 5000 people. I think that in a way watching other people clap and whistle encourages us to do the same and in a way justifies our behaviour aswell. And back to my friend who wishes to remain anonymous, would he have wanted to rock out with just us 3 around him? I doubt that he would have been as interested or as provoked to dance if there was no one around pretending to ignore his somewhat strange behaviour in comparison to the social norms at that specific time.
PS> Any guesses as to what BNL did on the day of festivus??
TV over Internet February 7, 2007
Personally, I am not the hugest fan of the internet! For me there were more cons than pros for communicating on the internet with friends or strangers. Yet at the same time I realize that it is something that I can’t really live in this society with out ever touching. Although I would just like to mention that I recently met someone who does NOT have the internet at home!! Strange how that is so shocking! But the only time that he ever uses it is when he is on campus to check his e-mail and do whatever. So as much as I dislike the internet and as much as it bothers me on some level that I can’t quite grasp, I see that in a way I have been conditioned to it. It got me to thinking, the same thing would have happened when cell phones came out. There would have been people who said “I have never needed a cell phone before why would I need to get one now” So in a way it is a matter of conditioning….which is also a little bit strange to think about anyways.
Now I will appear as a hypocrite by saying that I love to play Game Cube and watch TV every now and again…because they too would have been strange to someone else and maybe even me (well Game Cube only) when they first came out. It just seems that the TV feels a little more natural to me in comparison to the internet. However, I do realize that its because when I was growing TV was just a reality, it was around before me and already apart of my parents lifestyle and what not. The internet, however, I guess would have made its appearance when I was in grade 2 and I was not allowed to go on without my parents watching. But I think that, that sensitivity has been lost, now young kids are allowed to go on when they are not under direct supervision. Which bothers me just a little bit, I think that parents should be more responsible when it comes to what their kids are seeing on the internet and the same thing goes for the TV. If I have learnt anything from the media as of yet, its that we can’t trust institutions and the media to decide what is safe for anyone to see, we need to be play as our own filtering system.
The Institutions of the Pageant January 31, 2007
So after having watched that movie last week, I think that what truly shocked me the most was the 13 year olds participating in the pageants. These girls were the perfect definition of the “mid-drift” they in no way understood their bodies or their sexuality, but there they are flaunting it. The girls were talking about looking up to pop stars like Britney Spears and the like, but Britney is no perfect role model for your normal 13 year old girl. So anyways back to the pageants, I was so shocked at these girls, it was the fact that they felt that this is what it took to win. They need to look good all the time, wherever they are going and they feel this desire to flaunt themselves before millions of judging eyes. This topic got me to thinking about pageants that involve even younger girls. You know the beauty pageants that comprise young girls aged about 4 to 6. So I am sitting here comparing the two and trying to figure out if one is worse than the other. The 5 year old girls aren’t really too aware of what is happening to them, they are just following their parents and participating without any idea of the social conditions. 13 year old girls on the other hand, seem to have a higher understanding of what is going on. They are re-enacting what they have seem “sexy” women do before them. They have been socialized to this condition and this way of thinking. Where on the other hand, the younger girls are less aware of their actions and the reactions that come with it.
In this debate I was not coming to any conclusive answer when it occurred to me there are numerous institutions that these girls are passing through, all of which are sick. So first I will start off by saying that 5 year old girls should not be showcased in this manner under any circumstances especially by their parents. Their parents must in some way have been warped by society and such forces to think that this is normal. So here we have institution number one, parents who are allowing and potentially supporting such exploitation.
Secondly, we have this mass media (my second institution) which is throwing out these images of what a “sexy” woman is meant to look like. There are women like Britney Spears who are not taking any responsibility for the power that they have come across. Media and corporations are continuing to target younger and younger girls with their marketing of sexuality, and it is being eaten up. Personally, I think that little Ms. Spears and other women in her position should step up to the plate and help save these girls from these circumstances instead of encouraging it.
Thirdly, we have this institution of the pageant alone, an event that is completely based around the critic and exploitation of young girls. Some body out there actually put this out there, they created a sick and twisted event of judgements and forcing girls to flaunt themselves before they even understand it.
Now what might be even sicker than all of this, is the fact that these institutions are not being stopped, we sit here and realize all of the flaws within them and nothing happens. As a society how have we gotten to a point where we are accepting these institutions into our lives? And why is it that people who are in positions to be moral entrepreneurs are falling us miserably? We should be able to count on the people of power such as managers of huge media corporations and even Britney Spears, but they are not looking out for the better of man kind.
So there are some laws? January 24, 2007
Well I must say that this is news to me, I definelty thought that the media was not under the control of anyone really but themselves. So maybe even though there are regulations, does anyone really have much power over the media? Maybe for example, if someone were to claim that some form of media has oversteped the rules, would the media corporation not just pay off the individuals before bad press could circulate? I mean I have never been involved in any legal cases, but I think that, that might just happen.
As I was reading through the ‘Moral Principles’ I noticed, “Social Responsibility Ethics”. I think that all theories where someone presents an idea that allows a person or group of people to decide the better for all of society. It just really seems so ridicoulus to me. Sure maybe and I mean maybe the people of power behind global, are responsible enough to screen what is being presented to the majority of its viewers. But then what happens when their positions are taken by others, when they retire or quit, or whatever condition would cause them to leave. We know have new people taking on this responsibility…but what assures us that these people will be as responsible.
So not only is that an issue with this theory, but does it not bother you just a tad to think that as you sit there watching TV someone else is deciding whether or not it is appropriate for you to be viewing. It reminds me of that feeling I had when I was 16 and my parents would not let me watch certain movies, because to them I was still too young. So even though I could drive on my own, stay out till mid night, there is no way that I a old enough to see a sex scene on TV.
Finally I would like to take a second to tell you all that this class has gotten me addicted to my computer. Never before have I watched so many episodes of The Office, maybe because I did not know that they were so accesible. Oh and to all of you who are arguing about Scrubs, Greys and whatever else, my vote is for House.
Elitist Versus Populist January 17, 2007
As I was reading through chapter 1… just in time for tonights lecture, I might add. The whole concept of “Elitist vs. Populist” really jumped out at me. First I thought that the notion was a brilliant idea, but then they just left us hanging, I mean who are these people? I understand that the elitists are concerned with the amount of power that the media has and wishes that the media would take up some responsibility and control the information and views that are presented. On the other hand, the populists are completely endulged in the media and believe to be all mighty and true. But then that is all, they do not provide us with any information, so I have been left wondering is it possible to move from one end of this theory to the other? Does it allow for people’s opinions on the media to change. Personally, I think that most people’s opinions should change as they age and become more aware of the patterns and systems that the media is using. For example; teens in high school seem to appear far more involved in the music, movie and TV industries, yet as they age and start to realize the faults in the media do they not seem to move from watching music videos to listening to records. It seems to me thats what my friends did as they left high school and moved on to MUCH better things, but that is not the point. All I really wanted to say was that this theory is intriguing but from what has been presented in the text book it seems to falls short.
