When Will My Reflection Show Who I Am Inside?

           Wow, time really does fly by. Freshman year was pretty tough for me and when I heard that we had to take a writing class and critical thinking class, on top of all my other classes, I contemplated on whether or not to stay in HISP. But I told myself to suck it up because I thought there was a slight possibility that I might actually do well this year. I should have known better. Now I wont get into college, my parents will send me back to the rice patties in China, and I will have to live on the streets as a hobo and I don't like hobos. Hobos scare me. Especially the ones in San Francisco. Even though things didn't go well for me in my classes, I never said I didn't enjoy them. There was a small part of me that really liked the zero period classes. That's what's so great about the HISP program. We are able to take classes that are totally different than the regular school standards. I really appreciate the opportunities we are given in this program.

           Before I took this critical thinking class, I was oblivious to everything that surrounded me. I never knew the effect of media had such an impact on our lives. Media is everywhere, and it is scary to know that we are exposed to it everywhere we turn. It is almost impossible to imagine life without media. I admit that I am a victim of the media and now that I think about it, the media I consume impacts my life immensely. The media forces me to look at an advertisement of perfect people and compare it to myself. It makes me tell myself things that aren't necessarily true and it builds my insecurities to a point where I am ashamed of myself. I realize that I am not an individual. I follow trends, I act like people want me to act and I try to fit in with the crowd. It makes me angry to know that I am exactly what the media wants me to be. I have become more aware of the techniques advertisers use when they introduce a new product to because of the media unit we did in this class. I feel a little bit better about myself because I know that the people in the advertisements are clearly photo-shopped to perfection. There are such a wide variety of advertising techniques and the way advertiser's use them is very successful.

           After spending so much time analyzing the media, I actually stop and watch commercials now a days. I apply every thing that we have learned and picked apart every aspect of the advertisement. It bothers me to know that the media creates so many stereotypes and makes their viewer feel as though they cant be themselves. I think teenage girls and boys are the ones who suffer the most when it comes to the media. During these few years, teenagers are filled with so much insecurity that we fall into the traps advertisers set us up with. I haven't changed how much media I consume on a daily basis but I definitely am more aware of the literacy and the meaning behind each advertising technique used. I don't take advertisements very seriously now because I have learned that basically everything we see is fake. However, I am not blaming the media for everything. It is partially our faults for being sucked into their little schemes.

          Overall, I really enjoyed taking this Critical Thinking class because it opened my eyes to the world and the media. I looked forward to writing my blog every week because I got to share my opinion and provide my own personal writing to all of you. I also had fun reading everyone else's blogs as well because I felt like I got to know my classmates better by experiencing their writing and opinions. Okay.. well, um, bye. (:

Media Blog #12: Hanes Shirts vs Cats

 

             

             Cats are so cute. They're fluffy, soft, and quite irresistible in my opinion. They always try to bite me when I pet them. ... But they're so soft! This Hanes commercial is one of my favorites on TV at the moment and it instantly caught my attention.

 

            This commercial started off with a couple of guys hanging out on the couch. One of them is wearing cats on his shirt. Yeah you heard me. Cats! With the Gestalt Principal, it shows how outrageous the cat shirt is. It really does look crazy cool and I'm sure cat lovers will go crazy when they see this commercial. The other guy is telling the one with the cats on his shirt that Hanes has new and improved shirts - softer than a kitten! This commercial uses the ad technique of testimonial when the cat guy asks Michael Jordan what he thinks of his cat shirt. Michael Jordan responds with "Duuude, wow." He is making the cat shirt look dumb and making the Hanes shirt sound appealing to the viewers.

 

           But I got it off of Sky Mall.



Media Blog #11: She Looks Like... What?

 

           So I came across this song a while back ago and it seemed perfect for this occasion. Mike Posner's song, Looks Like Sex, is one of the many songs that objectify women and seems to stay very catchy as well. That's what all songs seem to focus on now. Love, sex, and drugs. Girls see themselves as objects and it's all because of the media. Young women see advertisements, music videos, movies, and celebrities and force themselves to be exactly like them. Girls crave perfection but just like anyone knows, nobody is perfect. That's why media is at fault. They are sending the wrong message to girls by saying you can get anything if you have a sexy body, if you have a pretty face, if you are absolutely perfect. The list is endless and the media is definitely not a good influence for young girls. But how could we possibly stay away from all this?

 

           Mike Posner's Looks Like Sex is quite disturbing in my opinion. Although this song is extremely catchy, it gives the wrong message out to young boys and girls. In the song Posner sings:

 

"That ass makes me wanna oooh, oooh, oooh,

You know exactly what you do, oooh, oooh, oooh,
I would really like to take that home
Everybody here knows

She looks like sex, sex, sex, sex
She looks like sex, sex, sex, sex
She looks like sex, sex, sex, sex
She looks like sex, sex, sex, sex
She looks like..."

 

           Yeah I get it, she looks like sex. Man, how many times do you have to say it..? This song speaks for itself. Men see women's bodies as objects and they take advantage of that. What bothers me the most is that women accept this idea of selling their bodies. I know that it isn't right for men to treat women as mere objects but I believe women are to blame for this as well. If women don't want to be treated like this, why do they wear skimpy clothing? Why do they go to extreme measures to be impossibly skinny? Why do women get plastic surgery? The answer is attention. That's what it's all about. Women desire attention and they will do whatever it takes to get it.

 

           We see this everywhere in media and in our daily life. In commercials and magazine ads, they use women's beauty to sell us something that we don't really need. Women are plastered on advertisements, posing seductively. When men mirror those same images, we laugh. We think it is pathetic and it's as though they are making fun of women. When women pose seductively, we just accept it as a part of life. We as a culture accept it.

 

            All these ideas get into the minds of young girls everywhere. Even though they really aren't objects, people start to think the only way they can be beautiful is to allow themselves to become objects rather than people. The media tells us that women are useless and they are only used to please men and sadly, it starts to become true. Even after everything girls go through to try to be perfect, it is still not good enough in the media's eyes.

 

 

         





Media Blog #10: Daisy by Marc Jacobs

             I don't know why i am so attracted to perfume ads. They are the only magazine advertisement that i stop and look at before flipping to the next page. Because it is so hard to advertise perfumes and colognes, i am curious as to how the company tried to sell their product. I personally really like this perfume ad. It's pretty, simple, and the color scheme is very refreshing. It reminds me of warm and breezy spring days, with nature at its finest. The ad makes me want to be one of these girls. They look like they have no worries, free, and relaxed. If this is what the Daisy perfume does for you then i would buy it instantly. 

           I think the product placement was somewhat effective. I like how the company chose to put their brand name at the top of the advertisement, in bold letters. I think the girl who is holding the perfume plays a big part of the significance of what this fragrance has to offer. Her facial expression tells a lot about what she is feeling and since she is holding the bottle, it must affect her somehow. She is connected to the fragrance in her hands and her face is telling us that she is in complete paradise at that moment. It's as though she is closing her eyes, taking in the scent of the perfume. The only problem i have with the product placement is how big the bottle is. It looks like it is as big as the girl's head. I don't think they should blow the product up when it is unproportionate to someone who is a lot bigger.

          This advertisement most likely won't catch the reader's attention but the reason i like it, is that it's so simple. Everything about it is so careless but still pretty and put together. I think this advertisement shows the "need to escape." The two girls in the ad look happy, carefree, and beautiful, standing in the middle of nowhere. 

Media Blog #9: The Secret Life

            I'm so sorry if i offend you by what i am about to say. The ABC Family original series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, makes me cringe every time i watch it. Maybe i just don't see what is so great about this ever so famous teen drama. But some people seem to disagree with me. This show has become one of ABC Family's biggest hit and one of the most popular shows on cable, drawing an average 3.8 million viewers an episode. I usually fall in love with any show that has some sort of dramatic story line that catches my attention but this is just bad. This show primarily follows the life of Amy Juergens, her husband-to-be, Ricky Underwood, and the chaotic lives of their family and friends.

            To keep it short and simple, this girl got pregnant at 15 years old, at band camp. I understand how the story line catches many viewers attention but i hate how the producers of Secret Life depicts the life of Amy Juergens. We all know that raising a child is hard - and it must be ten times harder doing it as a teenager. Everything about Amy Juergens' life is so unreal. It doesn't show the sacrifices she would face that normal teen moms are accustomed to. In the show, Amy focuses more on her relationship with her boyfriend and other guys that she may or may not have feelings for. Real mothers don't have time for that. This television show is basically telling teenage girls that it is okay to get pregnant at 15 years old, that everything will eventually be fine and dandy when in reality, there are harsh consequences. 

            Recently, Amy Juergens is having doubts about marrying her boyfriend, Ricky Underwood. To be honest, it's quite annoying how her mind keeps changing as feelings for other boys arise. The show shouldn't be dragged out into this long, dramatic, 900 page book. What's worse is that Amy's two friends, Adrian and Grace are also engaged and they haven't even graduated high school yet. The viewers get this idea in their head that it is normal to be engaged before they graduate, but nothing like that ever happens in our day to day life. The more they see it in out media, the more they start to believe it is okay. It also gets many teen's hopes up that they will find their love of their life when they are still very young. What makes me really angry, is that the parents of the show don't do ANYTHING. It seems like they don't care how many people their child has slept with, if they get pregnant, or if they get married at 18 years old. It's as though they encourage it. 

            I also have a problem with Secret Life being on the television channel, ABC family. Why is a show about a teen pregnancy on a television channel who's target audience is for the whole family? You got me on this one. With several scenes of young teens rolling out of bed with unknown people, a father openly asking his daughters about their sex lives at the dinner table, and a troubled boy revealing that he had been molested by his father, it just doesn't seem fit for the entire family. Overall, i think this show is a terrible influence on any teenager who watches it. The acting is horrendous, the subplots are pointless, and i just want to pull my hair out when i watch it. 

Go watch One Tree Hill.

Wait... I'm totally contradicting myself...

Media Blog #8: For Exercising Not Socializing

             For exercising, not socializing. I need to put my running shoes into use. Starting now.

             I think the target audience for this Oakley advertisement is for women who are in their late teens to mid thirties. This Oakley ad is  specifically targeted for women because there are several women placed specifically on the ad and it is a women's collection. The target audience could be women who enjoy exercising and are starting to commit to a healthy lifestyle. I think mostly women connect with this ad because Oakley breaks the generality that women only socialize instead of doing something a man would do in his spare time, like exercising. 

            This advertisement caught my attention because of the color use that Oakley chose to utilize. The entire advertisement is black and white, except for the products. The clothing she is wearing, including the sunglasses all pop from the simple background. The words "women's collection" also pops out because it is the only words written in pink. I thought it was interesting how they used a pink color consistently throughout the ad. The advertisers make it very easy for the reader to identify the product and who the product is for. 

            The most noticeable advertising appeals are the "need for autonomy." The three girls in the right side of the advertisement are grouped together, and it seems as though they are staring at the girl who is going running. Within a crowded environment, the girl who is about to exercise is being looked at and singled out because some girls don't exercise very often. I also saw the "need to dominate" because girls who work out are proud of what they can do. They feel good about themselves and feel like they are more capable and have a bigger advantage than other girls who aren't as fit. 

            Overall, i thought this advertisement was very attention grabbing and effective. I appreciate the little story line and the eye catching product placement. 

Media Blog #7: Acqua Di Gio

             Hmm, where to start with this advertisement... First off, i love the smell of the Giorgio Armani cologne. My mom takes forever to shop. She can stay in Nordstroms forever, and when there's nothing better for me to do, i go straight to the cologne section for men. Yeah i know, i'm pretty lame. I go to the mall with my mother and smell men's cologne.

             I think the target audience for this magazine ad is for all men and teenage girls to their mid twenties. On the advertisement, there is a young, handsome man placed in the center of the page. Teenage boys would connect to this ad because they think, "Wow, that guy is handsome. If i wear this cologne maybe i will be too." It's kind of ridiculous but that's how advertisers suck their customers in. And sadly, it works. The magazine ad can be appealing to older men because they think that if they wear this cologne, they will feel young again. Teenage girls are crazy. When they see this ad, the first thought that comes up is, "I want my boyfriend to look like THAT." So they buy the cologne for their special someone, hoping that he will spritz some Acqua Di Gio on himself, go to sleep, and wake up looking like a hot Abercrombie model.

             The biggest, and most notable advertisement appeals is the "need for attention". This is quite prominent because there is a very handsome man, who is of course shirtless, staring off in the distance. Many people are attracted to this and it seems as though many advertisers use this technique. There is also the "need for autonomy" present in this ad. This ad tells the reader that if they want to be singled out within a group of people, they should wear this cologne. The man in the magazine ad is at the center of attention and he is thrown in out faces because he takes up most of the ad. People want to be this man, and that is exactly what advertisers want. I also saw the "need for aesthetic sensations" because the man's beauty attracts most people.

             Overall, i thought the Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio advertisement was not very effective. Because they used only grey, white, and silver colors, it made the ad extremely drab and i don't think it would grab anyone's attention. The product placement was not very efficient because it is placed randomly at the corner of the page. It blends in with the rest of the ad and it's not very noticeable as well. I know it is probably very hard to advertise a fragrance because we don't know how it smells on television or a magazine but, a shirtless man has nothing to do with cologne.