Media is Reinforcing Stereotypes

To continue my discussion about gender streotypes, I think it's important to bring up media's role in the issue. As I mentioned in my previous post, the gap between genders is becoming lesser, but it still remains prominent in society. The question I posed was, why? To answer that, media is why!

Personally, I believe that news broadcast stations, magazines, music, film, etc. are all reinforcing these stereotypes - whether purposely or not - by bringing up irrelevant, and just stupid, things such as the J Crew catalogue. As you saw in class, and probably all over the media, J Crew published a picture of the designer with her little boy, painting his toenails. Unfortunately, something so minuscule was made public through news broadcasters who misconstrued the image, sparking debate and issues of gender identity. By making the image public, media outlets are only confirming stereotypes - as they tried to do with J Crew.

But what are their motivations for doing so? You would think that media outlets would not want to get involved with issues such as gender identity since the material could be offensive or conflicting to viewers' views. With this being said, I think it has to be profit. Controversy sells. Why do you think we primarily see sex, drugs, and death as the main topics in news today? It all comes down to getting viewers' attention so they can make money. The issue of gender identity is such a controversial topic that it's obviously going to get the publics attention, but it's sad that it has in a way become leverage for making a profit.

Women Comedians

In class today, the presenting group discussed sexist views of women in society. In their discussion they used female comedians as an example, showing that research suggests that - in comparison to males - are not funny. I thought that it was interesting that this topic was brought up because it wasn't but a week ago that I was watching Chelsea Lately when my boyfriend made a comment about how "dumb" the show was becasue she wasn't funny. Now this wasn't the first time I've heard this (since he finds it necessary to make the same comment everytime I watch the show) but it wasn't until class today that I began to think about it at a deaper, more gender oriented level.

Personally, I find Chelsea Handler to be hilarious -- if you haven't read her books, I suggest you do so ... just make sure you're in private because you WILL be laughing out loud -- but was that just me? Is she really not funny? Or is my boyfriend demonstrating what we discussed in class?

Not only in comedy, but in almost every aspect of our lives, women have been positioned as second to men, so how do we change that? I understand that generations before, women did not always the privileges they have today, but as the gap begins to decrease will we ever find a way to eliminate these views and assumptions? Is it possible to convince men that women comedies are just as funny? I guess we'll just have to wait and find out ...

Globalization of Media

In one of my other communications classes we have been discussing globalization of media and how it effects a counry's identity - I thought this would be a good topic of discussion for us as well! Through globalization, economies, societies, and cultures are becoming integrated, but is this integration blurring reality - ultimately, shaping a country's identity to reflect that of Western influences?

The examples that we looked at discussed reality television being introduced all over the world and its implications. While a number of country's were supportive of the programs, suggesting that they provided new forms of entertainment and were educational in that that they reflected "reality," other country's suggested the opposite.

In country's such as Africa and Saudi Arabia, reality television has not only raised controversy around established social standards, norms, and religions, but also around false representation. When reality television show, Star Academy (similar to American Idol), began airing in Saudi Arabia - a country revolving around their religion and set social standards (i.e. women and men do not interact, defined social classes with the royal party being the most powerful - and pretty much in charge) - a number of organizations fought to remove the "Westernized" reality tv program. The show, which allowed both men and women to interact freely, also encouraged the use of explicit language and actions; going against everything the country has been built around. What are your thoughts? Do you believe that this could eventually be a positive transition for a country? What about the claims to globalization being just another term for "Westernization?"

Social Media is Taking Over my Life

As a senior, I have been participating in the dreaded job search for hours a day, and today while on Twitter I noticed the abundant number of job openings posted by companies! It seems like EVERYONE is becoming involved in social media, and is something that you just can't avoid. But I'm curious, is this just a fad that's going to change over the next couple years? We see so many trends come and go like the seasons throughout the year - well, not so much this year because it seems like winter is going to be NEVER ENDING, but you get the point.

Social media has become a primary source for which we communicate, and not just between peers, friends, or relatives. Through facebook groups and Twitter accounts, you can now become involved with your favorite musicians, actors, companies, or groups and organizations; it's amazing! It's become a tremendous channel for mass media and communication, but for how long? Personally, I see social media staying around for a long time. With organizations hiring employees for the sole purpose of managing their social media sites and our generation being so involved, and growing up with it, I definitely don't see it going anywhere. If anything, I see it expanding into something even greater.

It's weird to think that our lives could become completely revolved around media - mine already might be - when ten years ago I didn't even have a cell phone. I love being connected at all times, but I start to wonder if this a bad thing. Like I had posted before, I'm lost without my cell phone, which is so sad!

Here's a really cool video called "The World of Social Media in 2011" ... take a look!

Getting Paid to be Controversial

I was sitting in my brand marketing class yesterday when my teacher got off topic and began discussing the cast of the Jersey Shore. (I know, I've used them in WAY TOO MANY posts, but this is the last .. I swear!) Not very familiar with the show, he asked the class what they actually do and immediately a student responded that "they get paid to be controversial." This of course got me thinking about media,TNC's, and how this came to be the trend today. We've talked a lot about censorship the past couple of weeks and we've seen the implications controversial shows have had on both the public and government programs, so why does the media show and support it?

Just recently the MTV series, "Skins," aired on television, but not without multiple implications before the first show even ended. Showing teens involved with drugs, alcohol, and partying, the show immediately became a concern for the Parents Television Council; which could have easily been predicted before the show even aired. So why show it? Is it again money? Or is MTV actually trying to relate to young adults at a deeper, more controversial, level? It's hard to determine the motivation for media outlets, but personally, if people are watching it, they must enjoy it. Is this ethical or good for society though? Probably not, but I thought America was a place of freedom and opinion?

International News

In class we have been discussing the role of International News and Americans abroad, and it reminded me of a topic that we discussed in my Global Communications class. Having never realized it before, American news abroad is obtained from two primary sources: Reuters and The Associated Press. Both of these news gathering organizations have reporters and journalists traveling the world to cover the latest news, which is then sold to American media outlets such as Fox, NBC, or the NY Times. What is reported is unbiased and simply facts of particular events; unfortunately, as soon as this information is received by media outlets it becomes framed; an extremely popular trend we see in all forms of media, not just the news. But why? Is it for the profit?

What about the Suddam Hussein videos we watched in class ... each video of the statue toppling was released by a different news broadcast, but why? In this example it doesn't seem as if they are trying to gain a profit, but instead to alter the way the public sees things so that they correlate with those of the news station. Everyone knows that Fox is an extremely conservative station while NBC is liberal, and I believe that each wants to be the "right" view.

With this being said though, can we really trust any of the news we absorb from American media?

The Power of Framing

To continue with our discussion of celebrities and their claim to fame, I think it's also important for us to discuss the framing that is involved with this. Sure, a lot of celebrities - such as the infamous Jersey Shore cast - claim to fame is the ridiculous things they do or their wealthy family, but have you considered the media's role? As we saw earlier in the semester, framing is done by someone with an agenda and can distort the image, making us think in a particular way. Have you ever noticed that during an episode of The Real Housewives, for example, cameras only show certain events - usually the most ridiculous and outlandish ones - encouraging viewers to perceive each character in a particular way? By the order of the clips, lighting, clothing, facial expressions, etc. things become completely distorted and left for viewers to make sense of.

It wasn't until I watched the reunion of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills that I realized that most of the show, was in fact, framed. As one of the housewives described, she has been labeled as being obsessed with money and inconsiderate of others, but only because the scenes they show are ones that reinforces these ideas. The ones of where she is helping out a friend or playing with her kids, well, that's left out.

So, considering these ideas, I wonder if the cast of shows, like Jersey Shore, are actually intelligent and that they just go with these framing techniques because it gets them their 15 minutes of frame ... something to think about.

I'm Naked without my iPhone

In class we've talking about media outlets and their influence on how engaged we are with the culture and politics of our nation, and I couldn't help but automatically think back to this summer when I lost my iPhone. Never in my life have I been so lost without something. Having never really realized it before, my life revolved around my phone. Trust me, I was the first to question, 'what has my life come to'? But in reality, I'm not the only person to feel "naked" without their phone. Truth is, with the continuous introduction of smartphones and tablets, we are not only able to access and engage with social media networks, news, etc., but we are also encouraged to do so; it has become part of our culture.

Before my iphone I was never one to be that interested in politics or what was going on in the world, but with my iPhone, I could download newspaper, magazine, and tevlevision apps and suddenly I was more involved, without even realizing it.

So when I lost my phone, not only could I no longer could I whip it out and google an actors name I couldn't think of or update my Facebook status, but I also lost a sense of what was going on in the news. In a way, I felt separated from the world. I don't really watch TV, but when I do, it usually consists of reality TV or the latest episode of Glee, so losing my phone meant I was less engaged and aware of the culture and politics of our nation. Sure, media outlets encourage us to become more involved, but what happens when you no longer have access? It's amazing to look at how revolved around media and technology we have become; it's no surprise why magazine and newspaper subscriptions have been decreasing. Are the profit-focused corporations to blame? Or are we for supporting it?

Atoic Tom had their Instruments Stolen

I was responding to Steph's blog - the one about the woman who got her phone stolen - when I found myself constantly being reminded of viral marketing. As I mentioned in my response to her post, viral marketing has become an inexpensive, yet powerful, tool for individuals and companies, in which they use pre-existing social networks to produce an increase in brand/individual awareness. Through channels such as word of mouth and the internet, the message or brand (whether it be personal or physical), is delivered. With 2/3 of the worlds internet users using social media sites, viral marketing can be a powerful way in spreading messages, both intentionally and not.

One example - that I can't get enough of - is by Atomic Tom, a band who wanted to get their name out there, but didn't have rich parents to pay for their music videos (coughRebeccaBlackcough). The band came up with a clever idea to tape a live performance on the NYC Subway, using only their iphone apps for instrments because their instruments were "stolen."

ATOMIC TOM - Take Me Out Tonight (Live on NYC Subway)

Viral marketing can have extremely positve results, but I think it's also important to demonstrate that it can also have negative connotations. For example, celebrity culture. Much of our discussions over the past few weeks have been in regards to celebrity culture, particularly pertaining to consumption and distractions from greater underlying issues. One celebrities mess-up or embarassing moment can spiral into the next day's topic of discussion; viral marketing is not always intentional. Anyone have any good examples?

"Teens Becoming Pregnant to Get on 'Teen Mom'?"

So I came across this ridiculous article, "Teens Becoming Pregnant to Get on 'Teen Mom'?" by Rob Shuter and thought it would not only be a great conversation topic, but it also fit perfectly with what we have been discussing in class. From their appearance on MTV's 'Teen Mom,' each of those teens has managed to make their way to celebrity status, while they enjoy their "15 minutes of fame." The popularity of this show has grown tremendously. The girls are being talked about online and in magazines, only encouraging their behavioral, and as we've been describing, distracting us from what the show is really about. Supposed to be educating young adults about teen pregnancy and the consequences, it has become an outlet for entertainment, encouraging young girls that being a teen mom will make you a celebrity. This article shows how issues are being distorted into positive messages for young girls, and now that Teen Mom 2's season is coming to end, there's opportunity for new girls. Just another example of what this so called "celebrity culture" has come to.

Celebrity Culture

Staying on the topic of the Jersey Shore, they again, are a prime examle of Celebrity Culture, but as a distraction from important issues of economics and power of the ruling class. In my previous post I had shown how they have gone from "average" to "celebrities," and with this comes power. As part of being able to stay at the shore house, the cast is required to work for Danny, the owner of the Shore Store; although, in season 3 we see its more like Danny works for them. Now celebrities, the cast has upped their status and power, leaving Danny without any control over them. Illustrated in the pictures below, the cast often sleeps during work, leaves without permission to go to play games on the boardwalk or go to the bar, and even shows up in the same outfit from the night before. Personally, I think it's ridiculous how they can get away with this. By having the cast work at the store, it has brought huge publicity and profits, and because of this, Danny really doesn't have an option, but to let them do what they want. Obviously aware of this, the cast takes full advantage.

  

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"I'm going to the Jersey Shore B*!@h"

It's almost Thursday, which means ... JERSEY SHORE! Like most other college students, I have come to revolve my Thursday nights around the infamous reality TV show, Jersey Shore. From the offensive, but hilarious, quotes and ridiculous drunken acts, Jersey Shore cast members have managed to acquire a "celebrity" status, and ultimately become part of the celebrity culture that comes with it.





In the previous class we discussed celebrity culture as it pertains to two particular assumptions. First, that it celebrates the idea of consumption; and second, as a distraction from important issues of economics and power of the ruling class. The Jersey Shore has become an epitome of both assumptions, but at this particular time I am only going to discuss the first.

Before the Jersey Shore, and even during the filming of the first season, the cast members were just a group of average individuals, enjoying their summer at the Jersey Shore as they would any other summer. But as the seasons pogress, we start to notice more than just their drunkenness: consumption. Now, pulling up in BMW's and Escalades, they have become materialistic and obsessed with their "15 minutes of fame." No longer concerned about spending $300 for a pair of sunglasses, or $100+ on a miniature motorcycle, the cast of the Jersey Shore, like most other celebrities, are consumed by consumption.