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.