Reflection Post

It's weird now thinking about how clueless I was before this class, especially this unit. I now realize that media surrounds, no matter where we go. Walking around town, there are billboards and flyers and posters, all with the same goal in mind: to try to get us to buy what they're advertising. If you're playing a game on your iPhone, there are always those annoying little ads that pop up trying to get your attention. Can we ever escape this world of media?

I've found that the answer, sadly, is no. However, we do have the power to stop being affected by the media. I remember when we first got our lists about the needs and techniques advertisers use to sell their product. They attempt to satisfy the needs for sex, for affiliation, to nurture, for guidance, to agress, to achieve, to dominate, for prominence, for attention, for autonomy, to escape, to feel safe, for aesthetic sensations, to satisfy curiosity, and our physiological needs by using the techniques of avante garde, facts and figures, weasel words, magic ingredients, patriotism, diversion, transfer/association, plain folks, snob appeal, bribery, testimonial, wit and humor/sex appeal, simple solutions, glittering generalities, bandwagon, repetition, time pressure/exigency, and gestalt. Thinking about it now, there have been so many times that I've let media satisfy my needs with those techniques.

What we have to do to prevent ourselves from being affected by media is stop and consider what exactly the media (the long commercials, the paper ads, etc.) are really trying to get us to feel. An expert in the documentary The Persuaders said that as humans, we are eighty percent emotional and twenty percent intellectual. Before we decide that we just HAVE to have those new shoes, that new computer, or that new phone, we need to think. Yes, that means using that wonderful organ we have up in our heads. Since taking this class, I've started to deal with the affects of media by asking, "Do I really need this?". Asking myself this question, I've learned that most of the time the answer is no.

I've come to realize that not all media is bad though, I mean Taylor Swift songs are perfect for breakups and things like that, and All-American Reject's song Move Along is my motto song (if that's a thing). Media connects with us in a way that nothing else can, and I think that that is one of the reasons we are so absorbed in it. However, because media can take such a big toll on us emotionally, we have to be aware and educated as consumers. If we are not careful and thoughtful, media can consume us until we become shop-a-holics, always wanting and wanting, never pleased with what we have.

Making us buy things isn't media's only job, though. The media puts a picture in our head of the perfect woman or the perfect man, and that is what we try to become. Not only must we stay critical about the commercials, but also the magazines. Who has the right to tell us how much we're supposed to weigh? It's impossible to say what the perfect weight is, because everyone's body is different. If we fall under the trap of media's social pressure, we can easily become anorexic, bulimic, and other unhealthy things our bodies don't deserve. We'll start getting plastic surgery everywhere just to look like those models we see. The funny thing is that these people we are trying to become aren't even real. At least one thing has been done to them to make them look more appealing. We have to remember that those people are not truly themselves in those photographs or commercials.

Media has the power to trick and deceive us, but also the power to strengthen and motivate us. It's important that we stay critical and question the media we are exposed to, otherwise even the lies we hear will sound like truth. Thanks to my new knowledge about media, I have started to question what I once thought was true, and I will continue to do so for the rest of my days.

The A Team

One of my favorite songs to listen to before falling asleep is The A Team by Ed Sheeran. At first I only listened to it because it had such a nice melody and made me want to close my eyes and sleep. However, once I started to actually listen to the lyrics, I realized that it was actually a really sad song about a girl addicted to drugs. Now, this song makes me extremely sad, but has a really powerful message all the same.

The song describes a girl who does anything to gain some money to spend on drugs, whether it being selling magazines or selling her body.

I love that this seems upbeat. If you listen to the instrumental, you think that this song is actually really happy and joyful. In reality, though it is a very dark and sad song. It's really neat how Ed Sheeran combined a bright melody with dark lyrics, and I respect his musical capabilities for that. In an interview, Ed Sheeran is asked about his song "The A Team" and what it's really about. He tells them the basics and also mentions that the reason why he wrote the part "and they say, she's in the class A team" is because Class A is composed of a group of drugs such as cocaine and heroin. He uses euphemism to make the song seem less dark. Class A doesn't sound as bad as cocaine or heroin. Just imagine if he actually put the real words into the song... "and they say, she's in the cocaine team." I don't know if I'd want to listen to that song anymore.

Before, this song used to make me want to smile, but now I want to cry every time I hear it. It is such a powerful song, and this song makes me feel like I have some access to the mind of one addicted to drugs and the struggles they face. It makes me think about all the people who are addicted, and I've stopped being so judgemental towards those that I see around me that are addicted. Thanks to Ed Sheeran, I can understand a little bit better why these people do what they do. I can understand their stories a little bit better.

Taylor.

The other day, I was flipping through the recent Yahoo news stories when I came across the People's Choice Awards Gallery. I decided to click on it because I like seeing what people wear to those kinds of things. I was shocked when I came across this picture of Taylor Swift. The typically conservative Taylor Swift sported an elegant dress with a plunging neckline. Did the media finally get to her too?

After watching Miss Representation, I began to notice just how much truth rings to their argument. I know many young girls who love Taylor Swift and look up to her as a role model. What are kids going to think when they come across this picture of her? They will think that it is okay to wear these provocative clothing, because Taylor Swift and many other celebrities do it. In reality, if you go outside with something like this, most likely some bad things are going to happen to you.

This is one of my most unpleasant experiences with media I've had, no doubt. I hate the fact that Taylor Swift chooses to wear this dress when so many young kids look up to her, and I hate how Yahoo, and most likely many other internet sites praise the outfit. Yahoo news describes her as looking "amazing as ever" with a "sexy plunging neckline." People reading this Yahoo article are going to believe that by dressing provocatively, you'll look amazing as ever. There are a lot of adjectives that can be used to describe someone who wears something like that, but amazing is not one of them. 

Another thing that pisses me off is how Yahoo news writes "The best way to get over a breakup? Looking even more amazing than ever!" There are many ways to look more amazing than ever like working out, eating healthier, or something else more productive. Instead they choose to encourage showing your body off to the world as the way to look amazing. 

I don't mean to hate on Taylor Swift or anything. I love her music and I've bought every album she's made. It's just sad how this woman who used to be someone many could look up to has now fallen victim to the pressure of media to become someones she originally was not. What is media doing to us?

Link to Yahoo:
http://tv.yahoo.com/photos/people-s-choice-awards-2013-red-carpet-slideshow/

Zitty to Pretty?

As teenagers, one of our biggest fears is looking in the mirror to find a pimple on our face. It's obvious that we all try to get rid of these imperfections because many of us have at least one product that helps decrease the chance of these annoying red dots from appearing on our face. Selling products that claim to help get rid of acne is a great way for a company to gain some profit because a lot of the time, we are still looking for that perfect product that will make our worst nightmare disappear.

The target market for this specific ad are women from the ages 14 through 20, which is roughly around the time acne is at its peak.

One of the advertising techniques used in this ad is simple solutions. The three biggest words in this ad are what triggers many women to buy the ad. You will go from zitty to pretty with this product. This technique goes hand in hand with the technique of transfer/association technique. The word zitty has the negative connotation of being terrible and uncomfortable, while pretty has the positive connotation of being attractive and nice.

Another advertising technique used is magic ingredients. The ad describes the product as a "new emergency zit blitzer" that can reduce the size and redness within 4 hours! It's funny how at the very bottom, in the smallest font, they put that this product has only been tested on 174 teenagers. It is a large number, but I don't think it's enough to state that this product will reduce in a matter of hours. Talking about the word reduce, reduce is a weasel word. The connotation for the word is positive, but the word doesn't really specify how much it will reduce. The word reduce for some people could mean very minimal reduction or almost close to gone.

One of the needs this ad satisfies is the need for attention. By using this product, you will be seen similarly to the attractive zit free girl with brown hair and blue eyes in the ad. The user will also feel special and unique. By using gestalt with the unusual colors and designs in the ad, the consumer will feel that they are different, which satisfies the need for autonomy.

One of the thins I found interesting about this ad is that the two girls are two different people. It's not a before and after kind of message. The girl the back with acne has black hair, dark eyes, black lips, and black blush, while the girl in the front has multicolored hair, blue eyes, pink rosy cheeks, and a bright pink lip color. I'm not too sure why the advertisers did this, but it is definitely interesting how the advertisers chose to do what they did instead of doing a before and after of the same girl.

The colors of this ad caught my attention while searching for an ad to write about, but after reading it and breaking it down, I don't want to buy it. The vagueness of it just doesn't have me convinced, even though it claims to solve one of our greatest fears.

Be an Angel...End Animal Cruelty

As I was waiting to be called in for my dentist appointment today, I saw the famous commercial by BC SPCA with Sarah McLachlan's song Angel playing in the background. Because of this, my day was ruined. I hate this commercial so much for several reasons.

First of all, every single time I see it I always want to burst into tears because of the faces of the animals. It uses pathos to persuade us to help by using our emotions to convince us. Whenever I watch this commercial I think of my dog, which we adopted from the SPCA, and I think about all the other pets we were not able to adopt and what happened to them. This thought usually leads to thinking about what the animals were rescued from, whether its abuse or abandonment. This commercial really plays with my emotions because they have really cute dogs that look really sad and lonely. There's also a scene of a dog attempting to walk without the capability of moving his two hind legs, which usually gets to me the most. The song by Sarah McLachlan doesn't make it any better because it's a slow song and sounds sad. There is just a whole lot of sad in this commercial.

Another reason why I hate this commercial is because I feel so hopeless. I want to help these animals, but it's hard to know if the money put into this association really does help animals. Sure, it says that they'll give them food and shelter, but there is no way to really know for sure except to actually be there watching them save animal's lives. There is also the option of going to my local SPCA and adopting a pet there, but I already have one dog, and that's enough for me. This commercial makes me want to help these animals, but I get stuck in how to proceed, and ultimately just end up feeling like a fail in life.

Some needs the commercial uses to get the consumer to donate money to help stop animal cruelty are the need to nurture, the need for affiliation and the need to satisfy curiosity. Because the commercial shows these lonely pets in need of an angel, we feel that we need to take care of these animals. Our need for affiliation is satisfied because we see that by either adopting or donating, we can have an intimate connection with those we saved from abuse. Lastly, the commercial gives the facts about how often animals are mistreated and abused, which satisfies our need for curiosity.

Techniques used in this commercial are facts and figures, testimonial, and time/pressure exigency. By telling us the facts, the commercial makes us want to help. When adding Sarah McLachlan promoting the program, it becomes more believable. By adding the time/pressure exigency, the commercial really pushes us to get off the couch and do something to help.

The positive connotation of angel is also used to convince the consumer to help out. An angel is seen as a heavenly being that constantly does good. As humans, we strive to be like angels, and this commercial tells us that we can be angels by helping this program and the animals they rescue. Reification is also used because of the multiple times the word "angel" is said.

This commercial is, no doubt about it, one of the most depressing commercials I've ever seen. However, it is also on of the most affective commercials, getting to me in all the ways it was made to. The sad dogs, their attempts to recover, their cute faces, and the song just make it the worst commercial because it ruins my day, but also the best commercial because it's the only commercial that makes me want to get up and do something to help.

Gollum's Debates

My dad and my brother recently went to go watch The Hobbit in the movie theaters. It seemed to have spur some desire to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy over again. So, Lord of the Rings was constantly on for a while, and I had nothing better to do so I watched the series all over again too. Gollum's little debates with himself have always been funny to me, and I figured that I could do a media blog about the camera angles and how they affected the scene. 

In the first clip, which is in the second movie, Gollum debates his feeling towards Frodo and Sam. I think it's interesting how the director made it seem like Gollum was divided into to different people, the one on the left side and the one on the right side. It's almost like the angel and the devil on Gollum's shoulders, fighting over what should be done. It's also interesting how Gollum's face seems to change as each angle is shown. On the right side, Gollum seems like a sweet and cute creature, while on the left he looks evil and creepy. At the end, when Gollum finally makes up his mind and tells his left side to never come back, the camera goes from right to left once again, but left side Gollum does not return. This shows that his "left side Gollum" has disappeared.

In the third movie, Gollum has another debate with himself, but this time his evil side gets the better of him. Instead of moving the camera from the left to the right of Gollum, the camera focuses on Gollum, who is above, and Gollum's reflection, which is below. By changing the angle of the camera, the audience feels which Gollum is good and which is evil, even though at the end Gollum is all evil.

The director also sets a mood in each scene, which could almost foreshadow the end of his debate. In the second film when Gollum has his debate, the lighting is bright. It's not completely sunny, but there is more of a brightness then what is shown in the third. Because of the light, a feeling of hope and possibility is given off in the first Gollum scene. In the second, the sky and the surrounding space is dark. Clouds fill the and block the light from shining. This shows that the outcome of Gollum's debate isn't going to be good, and that evil will come back into him, even though he asked it to never come back. By using different angles and lighting, the director has given the audience an easier way to interpret the scene, and to feel Gollum's emotions.

Katy Perry's Popchips

 Popchips  have always been one of my favorite snacks, even before the celebrities started advertising how good they were. However, there is no doubt about it that using celebrities to advertise a product always helps the product's sales. There have been so many instances where I wouldn't even notice a product unless there was a celebrity associated with it. Advertisers use testimonial to attract customers to their product.

In this case, Popchips uses Katy Perry to advertise their product. Katy Perry is widely known for her music, and is mostly listened to by people from the ages 12-30. Because Katy Perry's fan's age span is so large, there are more people willing to buy her products. If Popchips chose a celebrity familiar to only younger girls, there would be less income for the product because the target audience is more specific. The target audience for this ad are women who enjoy Katy Perry music, and for people who look up to her as a role model. People who are similar to Katy Perry's wild personality are also attracted to the chips because the ad is saying that people like them eat Popchips.

There is also the target audience that just wants to be healthy. The ad makes it look like Katy Perry's body looks the way it is because she eats Popchips. Instead of lifting weights, she is lifting Popchips. The ad is trying to show that Katy Perry's workout is eating Popchips. This is another technique that the advertisers use to get the customers to buy the product. The simple solution of eating Popchips to become fit is what the ad relies on to attract those customers who want to be healthy.

Advertisers also try to make the ad memorable in some way so that when the consumer is going grocery shopping, they will be thinking about the product. By using gestalt, the advertisers capture the attention of the audience and make the ad memorable. The ads below are pretty bright and vibrant, which attracts the consumer. The ads also play with "in" trends such as vampires, which Katy Perry is pretending to be on the left hand side. On the right hand side, the advertisers are using wit to capture the audience by saying that there is nothing fake about Popchips. This pokes fun at plastic surgery because there are two Popchips bags side by side by her chest, and the ad says that even though they look good and it seems impossible, these chips are real.

Overall, the advertisers did a pretty good job advertising their product by using multiple techniques. I know that if I wasn't already familiar with Popchips, I would want to go try some after seeing these ads.