Part 3

The media shows what it wants to show but, does it create a true representation of reality? In advertisements we see perfect people. The women who are slim and beautiful, and the men, fit and masculine. If you took a look around, you would see all different shapes and sizes while if you just watched television or read magazines, you would see that everyone was pretty much the same. Yes, there are advertisements for weight loss, but they're not really that realistic. They just show you the before and after picture, while in real life it takes hard work and a long time to look like the after picture. Also, the world is filled with The Other because everyone is different.  Judging by the fact that certain things are  foregrounded and backgrounded, shows that media doesn't fully represent reality because we're not seeing the full truth. The media can make things seem realistic but not without some kind of manipulation. Whether it's a body, or a story. 
Like in my journal about Lana Del Rey's GQ shoot, women are not always so vulnerable and dependent on men. And men aren't always so smartly dressed, and powerful. 
Advertisements aren't really realistic either because even if you buy the products, what happens in the commercials won't exactly be the same as your results. I do not think that the media creates a true representation of reality. I think that they represent this "false reality" because if they just left things the way they were, we the society, would not engage with it. We see normal things everyday but the media shows us what "could be" even though unrealistic.

Day 5: Representation of Muslims in the Media

In the media, Muslims are automatically associated with immigrants, bombs, and terrorism, especially because of Osama Bin Laden. It's because of what the media puts out, that Muslims are now all generalized into one dangerous category. It also doesn't help when shows like All American Muslim were being aired on TLC, where so-called Muslims were out acting like typical American teenagers which is not even close to what being a Muslim represents. It's what they put on our television screens that add to some people's false ideas of Muslims. Some girls are even prohibited from playing certain sports, or working certain jobs just because they wear hijabs.

But it's not all the media. People believe what they let themselves believe, and I think people should remember that whatever they see on TV isn't the same everywhere else. Just because there's one dangerous Muslim somewhere, doesn't mean that every other Muslim is the same. We should all let our minds be less constricted and not believe that what we see on the television, is the full story.

Journal 5: Commercials

I was watching some commercials and noticed that they add unnecessary details. But I think it's those unnecessary details that are what sell the product. They add sexualization to an M&M commercial which doesn't really make sense but it makes people laugh. Also they use things that are popular in the media, such as adding in a popular song that teenagers love, that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the product. But since people know what song it is, and since they like it, and since they laugh at the M&M making a fool of himself, it sells.

Also in cosmetic commercials, the makeup is clearly always edited. But for some reason, girls and women watch it and go "Oh! I want that!" staring at the painfully obvious fake eyelashes on the screen.

Day 4: News

After watching Fox News, there was a case "Accused shoplifter dies at Walmart store". The man was apparently a serial shop lifter and he was accused of stealing a couple of DVD's. Three Walmart workers, including a security guard, restrained him by using a choke-hold on him and placing themselves on top of him. By the time the police were about to put handcuffs on him they said he was unresponsive and bleeding from the mouth and nose, and pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The male news anchor then discusses the case with a female Fox News legal analyst and a male former Federal Prosecutor.They then show a quote on the screen from a Walmart Spokesperson saying,

"This is truly sad news. We're in the process of working with the law enforcement to determine all of the facts and cooperating and providing any information we have to assist..."

Throughout the discussion it seemed that the two men were trying not to put the blame on Walmart by bringing out details like how he's shoplifted before, and how he has been known for substance abuse, and that apparently he took a swing at a Walmart employee which means anything can happen. The Fox News legal analyst continues to say that he was just trying to steal a couple of DVD's and that 3 workers basically jumped on him. She also adds that Walmart's policy is to back off and call 911 when something like this happens because they are not Law Enforcement trained people. Also, she says that if they had been Law Enforcement, it would have been excessive use of force.
I think that the Legal Analyst was right and it seemed like they were making excuses by saying that he was accused of substance abuse and cocaine abusers have weak hearts, but then saying that they don't know all the details so who knows if he could have been "theoretically fuelled up on narcotics".

Journal 4: The Vampire Diaries

The Vampire Diaries clearly does not represent reality, because they deal with supernatural things like Vampires, Werewolves, Hybrid-vampire-werewolves, and witches.

But, the show has been showing some consistencies. So far, they have been following a typical horror convention where they always kill off the minority. Even friom season 1, the first ones to die have usually been black people. Also, every single witch that we have seen in the show, has been black. One could make the argument that they must all be descendants of the Bennett family but they never showed any evidence of that and there must be more witches out there who aren't part of the same family. I don't know that it's a coincidence but we have yet to see a change.

Day 3: Stereotypes

Stereotypes are seen a lot in the media today. In the news, as well as on shows. There's always an Asian, who is overly smart, good at math, small, bad at driving and has a strong Chinese accent. And African Americans are generally stereotyped as dangerous thugs who live in the ghetto.

In reality, and coming from experience, not all Asians are straight A students. And we don't all have strong accents because in fact, not all Asians are Chinese. And although the driving in certain countries in Asia isn't quite as orderly as in Orleans, that doesn't mean they're all bad at driving. 

Also, Americans are just as capable of committing crime as any African-American.

Another stereotype is the dependency of women upon men, and how men hold all the power. Women are meant to be in the kitchen and men are off to be successful in their work.

I am not quite sure how to combat the usage of stereotypes in media. Once we get rid of one stereotype another will take its place. I think, however, it is very important that people are able to recognize the stereotypes. Children should be taught from the schools what are the stereotypes that exist in society and how one should understand them, so that they, first of all, did not reproduce the existing stereotype, and secondly, did not except everything what they see in movies, press or Internet for the pure truth. I believe that we need to start from elimination of believe in stereotypes within the society. - Lily Gataullina

Journal 3: Lana Del Rey GQ Photoshoot

In October, Lana Del Rey did a "Woman of the Year" photoshoot with GQ Magazine. She looked beautiful in all of her photos but, it was a little disturbing that in the picture below, the man is dressed well, in a suit, while she is positioned the way she is. This picture gives off a very strong feeling of power, and male dominance. The manner and location  his hands are positioned, are very aggressive and it's a bit overwhelming. Lana could have easily been just as beautiful without being objectified had they put her in more clothes, as in the rest of the pictures she is wearing little to no clothes.  

The media's idea of what a "Woman of the Year" should be is questionable, if what you're wearing is just enough to cover your private parts. Especially since all of the GQ "Men of the Year" were fully clothed in suits in their magazine covers while Lana Del Rey was bare naked.

Men's Cover:
http://forums.thefashionspot.com/showpost.php?p=10987547&postcount=588
Other photos Lana Del Rey's shoot:
http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/men-of-the-year/home/winners-2012/woman-of-the-year-lana-del-rey/viewgallery/0

Day 2: Females

Women in ads are normally shown as young, slim and ideal beauty. With their makeup airbrushed perfectly, form-fitted clothing, perfect hair and skin. Women are also in positions. These positions may include sexualized positions or just in certain positions to make them seem as slim as possible. Like in the photo shown, this young woman is wearing a black, skin-tight bodysuit. Her body is also positioned to the side, showing the slimmest angle of her body. Her makeup is perfectly applied in a dark smoky shadow, making her eyes stand out and her gaze more alluring. The product for which she is advertising is Nina Ricci: The New Malicious Perfume, therefore she is supposed to symbolize being “malicious”.

Women in general could be viewed as: womanly, successful, modest, independent, human, intelligent, and not honest. Woman in advertisements are: childlike/maternal, jobless, seductive/provocative, dependent upon man, perfect, ditzy/unintelligent, and manipulative. -Kendra Bermosk

I think the way that women are represented in the media isn't always right. Especially in advertisements where they are altered and intentionally placed to sell certain things. The fact that a woman needs to show her skin or figure off just to sell a bottle of perfume seems unnecessary.

Journal 2: New Girl

New Girl is about Jess, an adorable quirky girl who's roommates with 3 guys. There's Nick, the grouchy, frugal guy who doesn't have much luck with romance. Schmidt, who is the eccentric, Jewish, vain, womanizer, and Winston, the competitive yet more understand former basketball player that was struggling with careers. Jess' best friend Cece, is the hot model who is always there for Jess but has her own guy problems.

New Girl shows what the life of 3 male roommates might be like, adding in the complication of having to deal with the struggles of a young woman. I'm not sure if this show realistically represents what it would be like to live with 3 men but seeing as it is a comedy, the situations are probably not 100% truthful.

Day 1: Bowling for Columbine

1. The thesis of the documentary was that Michael Moore was trying to show why the crime rate in the US was so high. 
2. The issues that Moore believes are wrong with the US society are that Americans create too much fear which makes them all want to buy guns. Also, it is really easy to access a gun. 
3. When the Moore and the victims of the shooting at the high school went to Walmart to ask them to stop selling the bullets, and they didn't do anything, Moore called in the press. I think if they hadn't, not much would have been done about the situation.
4. The documentary conventions that Moore used to persuade the audience were voice over, the footage, and the interviews.
5. Yes I think these conventions were effective because for the voice-over, his voice was very serious. For the footage, he was careful in selecting the ones that were pretty graphic, which can hit people emotionally. And of course, he chose the right people to interview. And of thosehe interviewed, he knew which ones to prepare and which ones not to. For example, Marilyn Manson.
6. Examples of juxtaposition in the film was putting the footage of the NRA and Heston saying "from my cold, dead, hands"while holding his gun, and then when the father of a boy shot in the Columbine shooting. Also, there was the NRA's second rally then skipping to the elementary school where the 6 year old girl was shot in Flint. I think this technique was successful in persuading the viewer because the two shots are so contrasting that it's hard to believe that such events occurred.
7. Moore showed a realistic view of reality when Nichols tells him that he keeps a gun under his pillow and show it to him and then also pointing it to his own head. He also went to go see for himself if Canadians in fact did leave their doors unlocked. And even though he only showed a few it is true that some Canadians do leave their doors unlocked. 
8. Moore showed an unrealistic view of reality because he didn't fully show everything in the situation. First of all, when he went to the bank, and they said you get a free gun for every new bank account opened, he made it seem like all he had to do was fill out a form and leave with the gun all in the  same day. Also, when he went around to everyone's houses to see how many people kept their doors unlocked, he only showed 3 or 4, and those 3 or 4 were all the houses with unlocked doors.
9. I think a lot of what Moore showed was bias. He really focused on his side or the side he was supporting, and completely left out the other side.
10. I did like the film. I thought it was well made and although Moore didn’t always show the full truth in every situation, it was an “eye-opener” to the situations happening in the US. Moore was trying to make his point and show people what was going on in the US, and he did.

Journal 1:Emily Owens M.D

Emily Owens is an awkward quirky intern at a hospital. And in the show they show that even doctors go through certain situations. The show is kind of like a high school drama because she has conflict with her High school enemy who, coincidentally is another intern at the same hospital. Also, her crush from Medical school is also an intern and she has to struggle with the one-sided love she has for him, while neglecting the other nice boy she only thinks of as a friend. 

This show represents the problems that occur in the lives of the patients, as well as the ones operating on the patients. For every patient they've shown the interns, or Emily having a relationship with patients which makes it seem that all doctors get attached to their patients. And those patients always have some type of problem like in the family. The show speeds up the resolution of the problems making the problem fixed when having just been addressed.