Decisions Decisions

In life, there are plenty of choices. Where to go on vacation, what car to buy, where to go out to eat? We all make decisions on a daily basis, so we're no strangers to whittling down the choices. Have you ever noticed though, that when you're watching TV, most of the shows are somewhat the same? At any given point there are a few dating shows, a couple of shows about rich girls in Hollywood, and a couple about hoarders. So, clearly there are choices. It's just a matter of which one of the same thing would you rather watch? Blah.

Da Media

After taking this media foundations course, I've really realized how corrupt the media actually is. It's very scary. Have you ever read A Brave New World? If you haven't, it's basically about a world that purely consumer based. Society is structured in a way that makes people buy things and people are brainwashed to be content in certain societal roles. You should read it if you haven't. That could happen to us.

We don't even realize that the major media players are fighting to cast the most influence over the world. It permeates all media: movies, television, publications, theme parks, products, etc. According to our text and many of the documentaries we've watched throughout the course, there are three major companies that own all other mediums. The content we see is manufactured to appeal to the largest demographic, and we're losing originality as a result. Long story short, the media is pretty much in control of the content we consume. It's keeping the less accepted works out of the media because it's less lucrative. We're being dumbed down for the sake of the all mighty dollar. That is unforgivable.

We're so Unique

Last semester, I took Intercultural Communication and I learned a lot about other cultures. In this week's readings, I was really able to tie the two concepts of intercultural comm and globilazation together. The question is, does globalization really mean a dominance of US culture? To some extent, it might be.

I learned that almost every other counrty, with the exception of some European countries, are considered collectivist. This means they don't focus on individual success, but rather what is best for the entire group, whether it be family or community. Here, in the US, we are individualist. This means we are raised with the notion of bein special and unique. Individual success is paramount, and if you're not fast enough, you'll be left in the dust. This idea of indiviuality is great for our entertainment industry, because here, we're encouraged to be creative. This can be creativity in an artistic sense, or even in a business sense.

With all this creativity happeneing, it's no wonder there's only one Hollywood. As our technology advances, the world shrinks in a sense. The world has easier access to our television shows, movies, music, news, etc.

I thought this parallel was pretty cool, but I'm also not saying that we are the only creative people in the world. Obviously, there are visionaries all over the globe. I'm just saying that because individualism and creativity are encouraged here, moreso than other countries, the concentraction of successful creatives must be higher.

Meg Ryan...

This is a great example of why the internet is so awesome. Not only do you get to hear awesome people like me talk about random stuff, but you get to watch kids like this act a fool. I stumbled across this video about a week ago and thought it was super funny, so I wanted to share it. I recently got my wisdom teeth out as well, so I feel this kid's pain (especially the part with the water).

The internet allows us to come into some sort of contact with people we don't know, and in some cases, will probably never meet. This kid is hilarious, and I would totally be his friend if I knew him.

So Real

It's inescapable, reality TV is everywhere. Most new shows on TV take on some sort of "reality" format, whether it be a dating show or documenting people's daily lives. The first reality television show was MTV's The Real World. When the series first came out, it was so original. The cast of the show were generally normal people with normal lives and egos. It introduced society to formally taboo topics; most notably, homosexuality, AIDS, eating disorders, and alcoholism.

As the show progressed, it's become more of a formula. They forgo the "normal" people in favor of the super attractive and super extreme in order to create drama in the house. In the past, I watched every season of the show, because it was just so interesting. As a young girl, I thought that The Real World was what being a young adult was about. However, the older seasons had some sort of eye opening lesson about tolerance and being open-minded to other people's lives. Now it seems that the producers just throw a bunch of hotties in a house, and we watch them get trashed, hook up, and fight. I'm now wondering if they'll ever stop making the show. Who knows, at least they put the kibosh on The Hills.

Mass Movies

I was checking out the website for the Massachusetts Film Office recently, and I must say it is very cool. I knew they were offering tax credits to film makers, and that there's an emerging film industry here, but I had no idea how many films were made here, and how many businesses have sprouted up as a result.

The website provides any film maker, small time or big time, with lists of resources to make the best film possible. It gives you links to places where you can get your film financed, and places to get costumes, film crew, writers, equipment, and literally anything else you might need to make a movie. I don't even make movies, and I find myself wanting to do one because it just sounds friggen awesome. Maybe sometime soon, I'll get started on a script (haha).

The real reason why I think this website is so awesome though, is that it has so many lists of film related businesses in the state, and I have been looking for a new job. Maybe I can use this resource for my own, non-film-maker benefit. Just a thought, but a pretty sweet one.

The Good Ol' Days

I was just thinking about text messaging the other day. I was reading in The Globe about middle school children, and how they mainly use the cell phones to text each other. I remember back in the day, back in the 90's, when middle school children didn't have cell phones. Back in the days of old, children would beg for their own phone line in their room. I remember my friend Stef had her own, and I was so jealous. Now kids have technology that rivals what I'm able to buy for myself. What little turds these kids are.

When I got bullied in school, I got bullied on the bus, or in gym class. Face to face. Home was a sanctuary for me, somewhere I could escape Rachel calling me ugly (I'm not ugly by the way, she was just jealous that the bus picked me up in front of my house). At least she had the balls to say it to my face. Now these little twerps are name calling via text and Facebook. How lame is that? What's even worse is what they say to each other, how quickly rumors can spread, and the idea that home is a get-away is essentially gone.

I got my first cellular device when I was 16. Nine years ago (holy crap). I remember exploring the various features of the phone, and discovered text capability. I guess my generation was slow on the up-take, because NO ONE used it. What the hell is a text message anyway? I'll just call my friend to tell her about the craziness that happened while she was on vacation with her parents.

It's safe to say that I make far more phone calls, than I send text messages. Texting is great for those occasions when you can't make a call, but I think it's far easier to call someone and tell them in two minutes what's up. Through text that same convo can take forever. Not to mention, you lose the vocals cues that make up an enormous percentage of the communication itself. I hear today's youngsters can't read non-verbals. Thanks, text messaging, it's all your fault.

Questions? Comments?

I remember reading an article somewhere about the future of journalism, and how our future newspaper may change. The author said that because the news is now available in an online format, it changes the idea of journalism as we knew it. In the past, a reporter would go out, take notes, do interviews and other research, and write a story. The paper would be delivered to people's homes, and they would then read the articles written by journalists.

Everyone has opinions and some even know other details relating to a story. Where people use to just speak to whoever was around about an article, people can now comment on stories right on the website. Have you ever read the comments section of an article in The Boston Globe? People get straight up nasty. Some people simply voice an opinion, or give a piece of information relating to the article. Never the less, we're now able to interact with our news, and in some cases, change the news.

Could this interaction be viewed as negative, though? Some of the things I've read in comment sections have really made me believe that a lot of people are just jerks. Perhaps if I met these people in person, they'd behave differently. We all know the idea of anonymity makes people brave. But I don't believe it's a license to be ignorant and insensitive. The worst offenses of this came after articles of political nature.

People are so passionate about THEIR politics. I think politics is a private matter, but clearly not many other people do. The comment sections of online papers have become places where people can slam others, and not be held directly accountable for their words. I could imagine how in a lot of cases, would anger the author of the article. He's educated in journalism, put all this work into a piece, only to have a bunch of a-holes use it as fodder to insult each other.

We need to be nicer to each other, people. At the end of the day we all have the same needs to fulfill. The internet has brought people closer to each other than ever. Let's not use it to alienate.

Ooo, Research.

As I was reading my text book today, I really came to appreciate all the information resources we have. We can find out almost anything just by clicking a link or opening a book. Obviously, internet searches are the easiest way to get to information. My favorite way to research on the internet (for school work) is to search academic databases. You can find some great material, and majority of it is peer-reviewed, so you know it's factual. But academic databases aren't always practical.

I was recently looking for a hotel in Bar Harbor, ME. I used Google to find the best one. If you know how to use search engines, you can get some great results. I used the maps feature, and typed in "hotels in Bar Harbor". It pin-pointed ever hotel and bed and breakfast in the town and listed them along the side of the screen. I'm a super-nerd when it comes to stuff like this, so I spent about four hours researching different places. I looked at the websites and read reviews, and all this was provided my the maps feature. It was so easy to get the information I needed to make an informed decision.

Imagine having to look for a hotel without the internet? How did people do it? Google is awesome, and I got a sweet deal on an awesome bed and breakfast. So pumped! Acadia, here I come!

P.S. That's a picture of sunrise on the top of Cadillac Mountain. Did you know that if you stand there at sunrise, you'll be the first person in the U.S. to see the sun?

Ra Ra Ra A A

I went to see Lady Gaga in concert last week, and honestly, I was blown away by her performance. I think a lot of people, including the media, don't give her enough credit for how talented she really is. I'm not usually a huge pop fan, so for me to say this is a little scary. When you support such controversial figures, it opens you up to criticism from other people. Whatever, bring it on haters!

The media portrays Gaga as a freak in weird clothes, but it's so much more than that. This girl can actually sing. As a matter of fact, girl's got pipes! She writes her own songs, which a lot of famous performers can't say, and she plays piano. She does all this while in a bra and panties, rocking ridiculous heels and covered in fake blood.

The thing I thought was so awesome about her was the way she spoke to her audience. If I personally knew her, she might be my best friend (sorry Stef). She comes across as so kind, and she truly loves the people who support her. I think this is a side of her she doesn't show often, especially in interviews. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard her speak before this occasion. She's coming back to Boston again is March, and I think I might have to go again. You should too!

He Should Be a Paperback Writer

Shattered Glass was a really interesting movie about journalist Stephen Glass. He was a writer for The New Republic back in the late 90's, and was eventually found to have "cooked" about a dozen published pieces in the prestigious magazine.

The movie supports the chapter about research that my class is currently reading. It was amazing to me that such an important publication was unaware that one of their top writers was making up stories. It makes you think, how many other things we read are untrue. Yes, a lot of tabloids are mostly BS, but those don't count. Most people who have a clue don't read that stuff for the facts. The New Republic, however, is said to be the "in-flight magazine of Air Force One". Very important people read it. It's pretty embarrassing, actually.

In the movie, Stephen got caught once at the end of his career. This prompted his editor to go back a re-read past contributions from him. In the end they found that many of his contributions were either partially or entirely fabricated. Clearly, they should have done better research while doing their fact checks.

I don't know what Stephen Glass is up to now, but apparently he was very entertaining. In fact, a huge reason why he never got caught was because he was so entertaining. He should consider a career as a fiction writer.