Serial Killers... They are no doubt a different breed, I think that's what attracts us to them. What they do is so random and hard to fathom why they would do that to someone is what attracts people to what to learn more about them and in turns helps them reach this pseudo celebrity status. Murderers aren't uncommon to our culture & society and some of the time it's easier to see where someone might be coming from when it happens from crimes of passion, etc. However with most all serial killers they usually don't know their victims. Unfortunately victims usually happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
I've mentioned this before but something that doesn't help with creating the celebrity culture for these monsters is the 24 hour news cycle, every news network beats stories to death with their constant news coverage, one network tries to get the scoop on another network by beating them to the punch. If you need an example look no further then the missing Malaysian Airplane.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Accidental Racist
This week we talked about the song "Accidental Racist" and the national attention it received due to the sensitive nature of the topic. One of the reason's I believe it got a lot of the attention it did was because it was done by a country artist and like in the reading we did this past week with country artist a reason for their success is because people can actually understand their lyrics. Let's be honest this isn't the first song about racism but I think due to the fact that it was a white person talking about and almost minimizing it by saying hey the confederate is just a dew-rag to me, and since it was a song it didn't get into any type of depth into the things they listed so there was too much left open to interpret. Another mitigating factor I think that helped push peoples buttons about this song is in general most people think that a lot of people who listen to country music are racist which is a huge over generalization.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Disney
This week we discussed the vast reaches "The Magic Kingdom" has, for some people it's almost like a religious pilgrimage to load up the whole family in the ol' truckster like out of the classic movie National Lampoon's Vacation and head on out to see the mouse and his friends. However, I think an even more significant trip would be taking the family to the nations capital, Washington D.C.
Now stating the obvious here there isn't the sexiness of going to Washington D.C. like there is in going to Walt Disney due to it not being a theme park but just the amount of history and knowledge that is in that city with the Museum and national landmarks is truly overwhelming. I certainly know that not everyone is a history junkie like I am but I certainly think it would serve a lot of our younger generations some good to see first hand some of the symbols that epitomize our country to people around the world like The White House, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, or the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
I'm a firm believer in looking back and trying to learn from some of our greatest accomplishments & challenges in our past and then using the tools we have now to learn from them. George Santayana said it best when he said this -"Those who are unaware of history are destined to repeat it."
Now stating the obvious here there isn't the sexiness of going to Washington D.C. like there is in going to Walt Disney due to it not being a theme park but just the amount of history and knowledge that is in that city with the Museum and national landmarks is truly overwhelming. I certainly know that not everyone is a history junkie like I am but I certainly think it would serve a lot of our younger generations some good to see first hand some of the symbols that epitomize our country to people around the world like The White House, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, or the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
I'm a firm believer in looking back and trying to learn from some of our greatest accomplishments & challenges in our past and then using the tools we have now to learn from them. George Santayana said it best when he said this -"Those who are unaware of history are destined to repeat it."
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Intertextuality
This week in class we talked about examples of Intertextuality, a lot of the examples I found involved the animated TV show "Family Guy". They like to take a lot of different movies and put their own "Family Guy" spin to it. If you look at this Top half of the picture you have the iconic picture from the Movie North by Northwest and then on the bottom you have Peter from Family Guy reenacting that famous scene. 
The second example from the Family Guy is a pretty iconic scene from the movie Star Wars with it being reenacted by Stewie & Brian from Family Guy with them playing the roles of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Coolness
In our readings we looked at the a couple different viewpoints on what is considered cool. If you take a look at Klosterman article he talks about the exclusivity of things that are cool. Take for instance the example he cited about about cereal and the "Trix Rabbit" is always denied his craving of some of the sugar in a bowl that they market to children. By making it only for "kids" it has the image of being exclusive and therefore they are in the cool club.
If you look at the piece by Quart that if I may say was brilliantly narrated in class (shameless plug for person that read the Frontline Questions, I know lol) Anyhow, she talks about how hard she has observed children trying to be cool and how active they are to represent that in different forms of social media that is out there.
If you look at both viewpoints I think they are both strong arguments and are valid however they just seem to differ a bit.
If you look at the piece by Quart that if I may say was brilliantly narrated in class (shameless plug for person that read the Frontline Questions, I know lol) Anyhow, she talks about how hard she has observed children trying to be cool and how active they are to represent that in different forms of social media that is out there.
If you look at both viewpoints I think they are both strong arguments and are valid however they just seem to differ a bit.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Comparing Violence
In class this week it was all about violence and how we process the things we see on television or in movies. The video "Mean World Syndrome", Gerbner talks about how its not that media violence makes us more violent, what the video does a great job of showing is that the underlying cause is that media violence causes us to have anxiety and fear of being a victim of violence and the more people were witness to this the anxiousness in them became elevated.
There is some definite similarities to the "Mean World Syndrome" and the Article that features American Civil Liberties Union in the way that they do not see a problem with media violence which in turn makes the case that there should be no need for new regulations in regards to violence in media. As noted in this article, the FBI has recorded a decrease in youth violence over the past few years, so the argument about media violence creating violence acts and aggression among children is incorrect. Something that backs up what the FBI study says is that Gerbner mentions that crime rates have decreased. Even though crime has been on the decline the one thing that stands out is that gun purchases have been on the rise.
Both articles that we have read and the video "Mean World Syndrome" have shown great examples of issues that I have mentioned here. With that said my own personal view is that I would side with the stance that the ACLU takes. I don't feel more regulations are necessary but more dialogue between children and their parents is what is needed. If parents put more effort into being a parent and not letting a video game, or television show be the babysitter/parent I feel the impact would be seen in a positive manner down the road.
There is some definite similarities to the "Mean World Syndrome" and the Article that features American Civil Liberties Union in the way that they do not see a problem with media violence which in turn makes the case that there should be no need for new regulations in regards to violence in media. As noted in this article, the FBI has recorded a decrease in youth violence over the past few years, so the argument about media violence creating violence acts and aggression among children is incorrect. Something that backs up what the FBI study says is that Gerbner mentions that crime rates have decreased. Even though crime has been on the decline the one thing that stands out is that gun purchases have been on the rise.
Both articles that we have read and the video "Mean World Syndrome" have shown great examples of issues that I have mentioned here. With that said my own personal view is that I would side with the stance that the ACLU takes. I don't feel more regulations are necessary but more dialogue between children and their parents is what is needed. If parents put more effort into being a parent and not letting a video game, or television show be the babysitter/parent I feel the impact would be seen in a positive manner down the road.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Intimidation Culture
In the Frontline video we watched in class it explored how football at the High School level has turned into what they call a "football factory". Being a former football player on a lot of different levels (Junior High, High School, College, and Professional) as well as also being a high school football coach in Iowa I feel like I have some knowledge on this subject. Although I haven't worked at a school that can claim to be a "football factory" I have seen first hand what they look like.
However, I don't feel you have to be at a "football factory" to have the "intimidation culture" that was referenced in the reading by Klosterman. Almost every level of football that I have played at as well as once I became a coach, I have coached players to be aggressive. Football isn't a sport that you can patty cake your way through it, the sport of football is played with controlled aggression. It's a sport where I have coached people if you're going to make a mistake it's 100% full speed. I would rather have an athlete make a mistake going full speed then questioning what his responsibility is on that certain play.
It's not uncommon to hear on the practice field or game field that I want to see a "snot bubbling hit" on this play, or at times I would refer to our kickoff team as the "Hit Squad". I know that with the rising concerns of concussions in football that some could say that's being irresponsible to make statements like that but I will tell you with 100% certainty that I have seen more injuries when players start to question what they are doing or don't play to the whistle then I have with someone playing the sport like it was meant to be played which is like I said before when it's played right it's played with "controlled agression" and by no means am I saying to play dirty, I am saying that football is played within the rules that have been established for the sport.
However, I don't feel you have to be at a "football factory" to have the "intimidation culture" that was referenced in the reading by Klosterman. Almost every level of football that I have played at as well as once I became a coach, I have coached players to be aggressive. Football isn't a sport that you can patty cake your way through it, the sport of football is played with controlled aggression. It's a sport where I have coached people if you're going to make a mistake it's 100% full speed. I would rather have an athlete make a mistake going full speed then questioning what his responsibility is on that certain play.
It's not uncommon to hear on the practice field or game field that I want to see a "snot bubbling hit" on this play, or at times I would refer to our kickoff team as the "Hit Squad". I know that with the rising concerns of concussions in football that some could say that's being irresponsible to make statements like that but I will tell you with 100% certainty that I have seen more injuries when players start to question what they are doing or don't play to the whistle then I have with someone playing the sport like it was meant to be played which is like I said before when it's played right it's played with "controlled agression" and by no means am I saying to play dirty, I am saying that football is played within the rules that have been established for the sport.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Adult Entertainment Business Drives Technology
This past week we read about how the technology in general really exploded once the adult business started to capitalize the uses that it offered it. Take for instance the internet, now I'm sure even Al Gore the self proclaimed inventor of the world wide web didn't expect the internet to explode with pornography. However the fact people could access things of an adult nature without having to leave their comforts of their own home should be no shock to anyone in my opinion.
To me it's no surprise that the porn industry has helped sky-rocket the technology industry, when you look at our society in general sex is what sells. You look at the marketing industry like we have so far in the semester and you have advertisements that have nothing to do with the actually product they're trying to market to the general public.
I don't feel this will ever change and the reason I say this is because in general I think we are a pretty superficial and materialistic society, there is certainly exceptions to the rule but until we have a society that chooses to not idolize people like Kim Kardashian who is really only famous because of a sex tape that propelled her into stardom, until that changes I believe we will continue on with the status qua.
To me it's no surprise that the porn industry has helped sky-rocket the technology industry, when you look at our society in general sex is what sells. You look at the marketing industry like we have so far in the semester and you have advertisements that have nothing to do with the actually product they're trying to market to the general public.
I don't feel this will ever change and the reason I say this is because in general I think we are a pretty superficial and materialistic society, there is certainly exceptions to the rule but until we have a society that chooses to not idolize people like Kim Kardashian who is really only famous because of a sex tape that propelled her into stardom, until that changes I believe we will continue on with the status qua.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Objectifying Ads
To be honest there wasn't a lack of ads to chose from on this topic, there was a huge selection to go off of, I chose three different ads that objectify women in different ways.
The first one is an advertisement for Durex XXL Condoms which seem to be implying that the guys that are wearing these condoms would rip open the mouth of the women that they were engaging in oral sex with due to the bandages at the corners of her mouth. Not only is this objectifying women by just showing her mouth, it also seems to imply that its okay to be so rough with women that you rip open their mouth during a sexual act.
This second picture is a car advertisement that states "Nice Headlamps" which as you can see from the ad it has nothing to do with automobiles at all due to the picture showing just a woman in her bra. Not only is this objectifying women by showing just her breasts it also makes it seem this is the only part of a woman that is worth showing.
Lastly, this advertisement features the pop singer Katy Perry where she is selling some type of chips, with the tagline of "Nothing fake about 'em" which I do give them credit for actually showing the bags of chips but they are strategically placed where her breasts would be and is implying that her breasts are real and not implants. Now this ad may seem tame compared to the others but it's still objectifying women due to the fact that it's talking about fake breasts Vs real breasts in selling potato chips.
The first one is an advertisement for Durex XXL Condoms which seem to be implying that the guys that are wearing these condoms would rip open the mouth of the women that they were engaging in oral sex with due to the bandages at the corners of her mouth. Not only is this objectifying women by just showing her mouth, it also seems to imply that its okay to be so rough with women that you rip open their mouth during a sexual act.
This second picture is a car advertisement that states "Nice Headlamps" which as you can see from the ad it has nothing to do with automobiles at all due to the picture showing just a woman in her bra. Not only is this objectifying women by showing just her breasts it also makes it seem this is the only part of a woman that is worth showing.
Lastly, this advertisement features the pop singer Katy Perry where she is selling some type of chips, with the tagline of "Nothing fake about 'em" which I do give them credit for actually showing the bags of chips but they are strategically placed where her breasts would be and is implying that her breasts are real and not implants. Now this ad may seem tame compared to the others but it's still objectifying women due to the fact that it's talking about fake breasts Vs real breasts in selling potato chips.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
10 Seconds to Love
I could pick several different women who would sum up who I feel represents a modern day sex symbol in America today ranging from Kim Kardashian, Emma Stone, or Jessica Biel. However the woman I feel sums it up is Kate Upton who has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated several times as well as countless other magazines. To me Kate Upton is the All American Girl that would leave countless high school fellas drooling over their pages of SI.
What I think makes Kate Upton unique from other women out there is she isn't in the mold of other Hollywood starlets, she has some meat on her bones. She also looks like a girl that could possible grow up next door to you and for some women that makes them less threatening. I think in today's world what I like so much about Kate Upton in this day & age when you hear about countless girls struggling with their body image Kate Upton shows that you can not be the size of a pencil and still be sexy as hell.
What I think makes Kate Upton unique from other women out there is she isn't in the mold of other Hollywood starlets, she has some meat on her bones. She also looks like a girl that could possible grow up next door to you and for some women that makes them less threatening. I think in today's world what I like so much about Kate Upton in this day & age when you hear about countless girls struggling with their body image Kate Upton shows that you can not be the size of a pencil and still be sexy as hell.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Internet
Technology is a GREAT thing! The reason I can say this is because I grew up in the era of the Atari and regular Nintendo, and before that it was Oregon Trail on DOS which was slower then dial up internet. My first video game experience wasn't an Xbox One or PS4, so I can testify first hand how technology has advanced and it's leaps and bounds from where it used to be. Which brings me to the internet, anything you could possible ever want to see or read about is a fingertip away from you. Which can be a good thing or a bad thing, at this very moment I should fully be concentrating on all my homework but I have multiple tabs open ranging from this blog post to Facebook as well as the benefits of Transcendental Meditation. Now I'd love to be able to ignore that flashing icon when a Facebook notification happens but's it's like a putting a crack rock in front of a drug addict, it's just not going to happen. So for me what I love about the internet is it's quickness for getting information, I don't want to wait around when I want something I'm very impatient so for me having the ability to access information when I want to 24/7 is an amazing tool.
However, one thing I think the internet is doing to us all is in a way dumbing us down we don't have to retain the information we seek because thanks to all of those devices out there and their capabilities of being mobile i.e. smart phones, tablets, and laptops we don't need to retain that information we can just say hold on a second while I refer back to that bookmark I made on that webpage. I can even take it a step further and talk about my spelling ability, since we have auto correct / spell checker now on almost all devices why would you ever need to remember how to spell a word correctly which I can testify first hand that is something I struggle with. Not only spelling how about remembering a phone number when I was growing up I could tell you the numbers of all my high school buddies as well as relatives, fast forward to today and I struggle to recall even my wife's phone number because all I have to do is hold down a button with her picture on it. Again so simple to use a monkey could probably handle it but in a way it's taking away from all of our critical thinking skills.
So yes Technology/internet is still a GREAT, I love it, life would probably suck without it maybe everything that I had to do when I was younger makes me appreciate it more, but on occasion I still do things the "old fashioned" way and look it up in book instead of using "google" just to make sure I haven't totally lost my mind.
However, one thing I think the internet is doing to us all is in a way dumbing us down we don't have to retain the information we seek because thanks to all of those devices out there and their capabilities of being mobile i.e. smart phones, tablets, and laptops we don't need to retain that information we can just say hold on a second while I refer back to that bookmark I made on that webpage. I can even take it a step further and talk about my spelling ability, since we have auto correct / spell checker now on almost all devices why would you ever need to remember how to spell a word correctly which I can testify first hand that is something I struggle with. Not only spelling how about remembering a phone number when I was growing up I could tell you the numbers of all my high school buddies as well as relatives, fast forward to today and I struggle to recall even my wife's phone number because all I have to do is hold down a button with her picture on it. Again so simple to use a monkey could probably handle it but in a way it's taking away from all of our critical thinking skills.
So yes Technology/internet is still a GREAT, I love it, life would probably suck without it maybe everything that I had to do when I was younger makes me appreciate it more, but on occasion I still do things the "old fashioned" way and look it up in book instead of using "google" just to make sure I haven't totally lost my mind.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Millennial Traits
One good trait for Millennial's is the way they take advantage of the technology available to them for their shopping experience. A lot of shopping is done over the internet instead of actually having to travel to their local shopping malls, with a lot of incentives such as no tax as well as free shipping their really is no downside except for not being able to get the item right away.
However a downside that Millennial's have when it comes to is that they need the instant gratification so they feel the need to go out and spend money that they possible don't have to get all the new gadgets and toys that they see all their friends having or playing with. That instant gratification that they feel doesn't allow them the time to work towards something to earn it, they would rather spend their financial aid, charge it to their credit cards, or even go ask mom or dad for extra cash so they can purchase the items they think they need.
However a downside that Millennial's have when it comes to is that they need the instant gratification so they feel the need to go out and spend money that they possible don't have to get all the new gadgets and toys that they see all their friends having or playing with. That instant gratification that they feel doesn't allow them the time to work towards something to earn it, they would rather spend their financial aid, charge it to their credit cards, or even go ask mom or dad for extra cash so they can purchase the items they think they need.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Happiness
Happiness.... What is happiness really? Over the past week I was asked to read to different articles about what to some people would consider happiness and I have to say both articles made me personally reflect myself on what makes me happy. Chuck Klosterman makes an excellent point about the need for material things in our society and how the endless consumption of material products almost ranks us in society. The more fancy gadgets we own, or multiple cars that we have doesn't come with a happiness bonus, although a lot of people think just because I have so many zeros in my bank account all these little problems I have will go away, which I believe is the furthest thing from the truth.
Comparing that with the other article about the shelf life of things that are suppose to make us happy and the one thing that stood out to me was the comparison about would you rather have a 'broken leg" vs a "trick knee" now ones gut reaction would be I would totally take the trick knee over actually breaking a bone in my body but as I've gotten older in my life and having aching bones I'd much rather go through the immediate pain of a broken bone and have it completely heal and move on then have to deal with a bad knee that will never fully heal for the rest of my life.
I think both articles say similar things in the sense that material possessions won't make you happy as well as things that you think will make you happy might do just that but that doesn't mean that happiness is a forever feeling, it will eventually go away and you will have to face your day to day issues just like the rest of the minions of the world.
D's out!
Comparing that with the other article about the shelf life of things that are suppose to make us happy and the one thing that stood out to me was the comparison about would you rather have a 'broken leg" vs a "trick knee" now ones gut reaction would be I would totally take the trick knee over actually breaking a bone in my body but as I've gotten older in my life and having aching bones I'd much rather go through the immediate pain of a broken bone and have it completely heal and move on then have to deal with a bad knee that will never fully heal for the rest of my life.
I think both articles say similar things in the sense that material possessions won't make you happy as well as things that you think will make you happy might do just that but that doesn't mean that happiness is a forever feeling, it will eventually go away and you will have to face your day to day issues just like the rest of the minions of the world.
D's out!
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