Propaganda and Advertising/PR

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/things-to-do/?CMP=BAC-CRT|7228513|1072904|92353056|54632090

This advertisement was from a website streaming TV shows that leads to Disneyland.com. The original ad was not too big but once I clicked on it and it brought me to the main site, it showed the huge slide show of people enjoying themselves at Disneyland. A key word I see is "Affordable", like they want you to enjoy what they have to offer even though it's still pricey. The most noted thing is they try to make everything look candid. In every picture everyone is smiling. This taps into the emotional desire to want to be part of what this thing is because it promises happiness.


http://www.forever21.com/Product/Main.aspx?br=f21

The ad pops with color and the size of the letters. The promotions appeal to a savvy shopper. The models that are represented look confident and beautiful and the promotions reinforced at the top with an offer of free shipping of online orders makes it seem easy.

Internet

Admittedly, when it comes to online shopping I have a little issue. Just a few simple clicks and days later my packages arrive on my doorstep. It seems so easy but then my bank account is a paycheck's worth of money short. But that happens rarely. I know someone who makes friends from online dating websites and she says it's just for fun but the last 3 guys she has dated she met via dating website. I've seen commercials for eHarmony and match.com that claim to find the perfect match but to me it seems like a foreign ritual. I looked up a few dating websites but I also looked at a site I came across called idatedthatdouche.com (I know, it's awesome.) and found some women's horror stories of online dating and  few screenshots of guys who got caught with a profile their significant other was not aware of. I think social networking is an interesting way to meet and connect with people but a dating website is much more vulnerable and risky. Making a fake profile on a dating website has different consequences than making a fake Facebook because the site matches you to someone with similar interests and an in person encounter with a fraud does not sound ideal.

http://www.pof.com/
http://www.okcupid.com/
http://www.eharmony.com/
http://www.match.com/
http://www.christiansingles.com/

http://www.idatedthatdouche.com/

Television

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/103474/the-towns-hainted
Length: 2:18
Description: This episode of Southpark brings about the topic of Classism vs. Racism. The townspeople driver out the rich people because they don't want rich people around, this can be viewed as racist but the creators of Southpark are actually mocking social hierarchy and subtle racism. The provocative line at the end suggests that one of the townspeople was stating something racist.
Chapter 9: Television
Quiz question: What morals and values did censorship try to protect and what values do they represent today?
Quiz answer: Censorship tried to keep everything PG and rounded by the values of a wholesome American family. Today, the restriction are much more loose, although cursing is still a restriction to some degree depending on the word. But things not shown on TV back then, like gay marriage are now popular because of how they relate to the audience. The times have changed.

Movies

My favorite movie of 2012-2013 is Silver Linings Playbook starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. I love this movie because of the simple elegance of the production value and the cast. It's just a sweet film that really captured my attention so I kept watching it over and over again. The sporadic moods of the main character really bring out the human emotions and realization in a raw way. It was very well presented and made one feel like they were really there because it wasn't highly lit like most films. My favorite movie of all time would have to be Pride & Prejudice because it's based on my favorite book and the acting is fantastic. They stayed very true to the infamous novel and captured the essence of the time in which it was set. The humor and sarcasm in Jane Austen's writing was delicately fit into screenplay and her story was very well told on screen.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silver_linings_playbook/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj5_FhLaaQQ

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1153077-1153077-pride_and_prejudice/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJA27Jujzq4

The name of this magazine is Liner, it is a make up magazine for serious make up artists or those who aspire to get the tips of professional make up artists. This magazine is different because it consults professionals but gives tips for those who don't intend to work a runway. This targets women from ages 16-32 who are also interested in knowing about celebrities and fashion. This magazine features make up tricks from different countries and offers suggestions on what make up is healthiest. Advertisers that would want to reach my audience are make up companies, beauty schools, skin care companies, acne treatments, and retail stores. The premier issue is simple but elegant. Drawing attention to the cover girl and features articles on make up as well as a photo shoot with a celebrity.

Books

I'm big on books so this is really hard for me, coming up with three influential books is like picking my favorite child. I like them all. The first would have to be Dr. Seuss' "Oh The Places You'll Go" and this book is influential because when I was four and didn't know how to read, that was my favorite book to read with my mom. Eventually I flipped through the pages myself and decided to take inspiration upon myself by making my own book. I stapled printer paper together and had my mom write out the story and I drew pictures just like Dr. Seuss. Now my Broadcasting Journalism major requires the love of writing in everything I do.
The second book that has influenced me is Pride & Prejudice. Jane Austen taught me how to use distinguished vocabulary in a way that captures the reader and specifically affects the writing itself. My favorite thing is how her main character's live happily ever after. I read this at a vital age where what I read affected my writing and how I would be writing in the future.
The last book that has influenced me is Kate Chopin's "The Awakening". I adore everything about this book. It instilled feminism in me that women felt in times of sexism and oppression in history (women's rights) and at the age that I read it it was necessary. It's a coming of age piece of literature which was perfect because the gangly teenager that read it felt confident enough to become a young woman and be satisfied with herself.

Media Impact

An example I have seen the most is bullying amongst teenagers. I know we discussed this in class but in this instance social media was directly blamed to be the cause of a teenage girl's emotional distress. The article states that the social media site Ask.fm works as a site where users can ask each other questions and in Jessica Laney's case, comments were made to a teen who had a history of mental illness. I have also included a video of a press conference relating to the case because cyberbullying was blamed but it seems as though the authorities claimed otherwise because bullying did not occur at school and she did not inform her school she was being bullied. One can say that without the access of the website no cyberbullying would have occurred as well as the website's team did not take preventative measures like reporting spam or monitoring site activity.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/social-media-blamed-teen-suicide-article-1.1218550

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaL8LYLYOx0

Media Autobiography

• Books: I love books. Reading has always been an interest of mine and over the year my taste in books has changed but the preferred format has always been the same. I like raw paper books that I can hold and turn the pages while laying in bed. There's something genuine about holding the book itself and something poetic about the smells of the pages. I'm not weird, I just pay attention to these things. My senses are heightened as I try to imagine what is happening in the novel I'm reading and it just makes reading good to me. It's peaceful. Engulfing myself in reading makes me pay attention to the details so I don't just read a book once, I read it over and over again.
• Newspapers: I read the newspaper more when I was younger but the subscription proved to be a disadvantage so I usually read the headlines from Yahoo. I noticed that the front section was the most interesting and then there are sub-sections that go into more detail about certain topics but those who do enjoy the newspaper read the top section first. That was me, but of course I liked the crossword puzzles and the comics as well. In fact the comic section was what first caught my attention in the newspaper since at 5 years of age it was all I really understood when my grandfather handed it to me.
• Magazines: Magazines are an interesting thing for me, there is so many genres of magazines that it amazes me when I'm in the grocery store taking in all the competitors screaming for my attention. When I was in high school, Seventeen magazine was what struck me the most. I wasn't much of a girly girl but I liked what other girls had to say even though the kissing as well as dating advice was terrible. That magazine taught me beauty tricks and offered light information on healthy eating and health. But my favorite part of the magazine was the awkward moments shared at the end because I was young and it was nice to know I'm not the only one who endured those.
• Movies: Movies are my thing. I have seen tons of movies and stream them online because I love watching so many different types of movies, my favorite being gory bloody action flicks. Classic horror is right behind it but I have masculine taste in films. I thought I was obsessed until I took Intro to Film and realized there are so many different movies I have never and will never see. Foreign and Experimental films are the worst thing ever.
• Music: Music is inspiring when it comes to having a creative mind. I love all genres of music to some sort of degree and appreciate it to the fullest. The best thing about music is how one can listen to it whilst doing other things like homework or walking. 
• Radio: Like most people in my generation, I listen to the radio most when driving somewhere but I enjoy the information that NPR offers every now and then. My family raised me old school and that's what we listen to when driving anywhere together. I enjoy the radio to a degree, the biggest hassle is the signal change when on the road.
• Television has made quite a decline in my life since my younger days. I used to plop in front of the TV and be hypnotized for hours but now everything is available via internet. Recently I decided to major in Broadcasting Journalism and have revisited my love for Television and the news but more than anything I want to take part in Production Management or Operation Management. I will figure this out while attending San Francisco State University this fall.
• Internet: The internet is my biggest friend as of late. I can stream movies as well as Television with one click of a button and tend to spend hours completing homework as well as distracting myself with social networks and music. I think I'm addicted.