Blog #3

Most Americans know what is implied by “keeping up with the Joneses.” It’s a statement that reflects the desire to maintain a similar, or better, socio-economic status as one’s peers. In the past few decades this level of satisfaction has dramatically changed, largely due to the effects of mass media. There exists a positive relationship between this escalated need for satisfaction and every day consumerism.

There are different means through which the media works to dictate satisfaction. In the 1950’s there was an emphasis on domestic life. Women were responsible for cleaning the home and caring for the children. They became the targets of advertisements that promoted an easier lifestyle. Appliances that eased manual labor, such as the washing machine became very popular. This began a new era in which the media emphasized self indulgence opposed to need based spending. After the washing machine was purchased women had more time to relax, and possibly watch more programs. Television began to dictate what should be consumed in order to remain in a decent social standing. This was done largely through shows, in which there was a dilemma that was eventually solved by some sort of appliance. This idea of consumption has continued into the present day. In order to remain successful it is necessary to have the same luxuries as those we see on television. People today are often exposed to an unrealistic standard of living. In general, the regular American is working more hours and is less satisfied with life. The media sends the message that personal success is measured by ownership. It is simply impossible for the masses to ever achieve the media’s depicted levels of success.

Jackson Lears’ excerpt Advertising and the Idea of Mass Society brings attention to the “developing rhetoric of “mass man.” Essentially, there are many struggles faced by advertisers regarding their target audience, and methods for delivery. It is the fantasy atmosphere surrounding a product that appeals to the consumer, not necessarily the product itself. “People are duped. Seeking a pleasurable escape from the workaday world, they find it in a deceptive dream world which is no dream at all but a sales pitch in disguise” (Williams 1982 p.169). Advertisements, therefore appeal to this sense of desire that is unattainable for many. Success in terms of the media is “rationality for the few, irrationality for the many” (Lears 1994 p.201). The majorities of consumers are financially unable to purchase the product but are captivated by the atmosphere. Those that are financially capable then purchase the product as a status symbol, to display their apparent success.

Magazines are included in media, and therefore follow the same path as television. It does not matter if a person reads Sports Illustrated, Cosmo, Glamour or Enquire the message is the same. Advertisements promise fantasy and an escape to a dream world where the consumer meets the standards of success. Once the product is purchased however, the consumer is back to square one. Success can be measured differently however it always reverts back to consumerism. If a person’s finds success through a fit, muscular body, then it is necessary that he own the latest in home gym equipment. Images are very powerful because, given the context, they are able to send a non-verbal message to the viewer. Semiotics studies the interactions between a symbol, and the message it sends to the viewer. An easily identified example is eye glasses, which will make a character or model appear intelligent. Books are also effective in portraying higher education. A picture is said to be worth a thousand words because an images’ complexity captures meaning far easier then text.

The October 2008 issue of Men’s Health featured a double page Dolce and Gabbana ad. This is an Italian clothing line that is grossly over priced. A pair of jeans costs roughly $500 while a blazer is over $1000. This is not the typical price range for the average consumer. The ad features actor/model Matthew McConoughey posing in a white button down shirt, the ad cuts off at his abdomen. His hair is gelled back and he is not cleanly shaven. The background features an incandescent room that is dimly lit. McConoughey’s white shirt contrasts the background in combination with white lettering reading, “The new fragrance for men DOLCE AND GABBANA the one.” Flipping to this page, the viewer is exposed to a theme of elegance. The model is gazing at the viewer with a welcoming pose. The ad offers a luxurious lifestyle that can only be achieved through the purchase of this cologne. It almost feels that purchasing this product will break down the imaginary boarder between the real world and allow the consumer to enter into the magazine. Those with high incomes are drawn to the name of the product “the one.” This provides individuality and sets Dolce and Gabbana cologne above all others. The longer I focused on this ad the more enticing it seemed. The soft colors made it appear almost hypnotizing and secluded, like a peaceful utopian world. The multiple ads on the following pages seemed busy and stressful. Today’s society is very demanding and this ad touched on the desire for a calm, luxurious lifestyle.

Images provide society with very powerful messages. Messages that dictate consumer behavior and what it means to be successful in this country. The idea of escaping reality is a common desire that appeals to many. This has provided a foundation for advertising ever since the introduction of department stores in 1852 (Williams 1982 p.172). Technological changes often affect the surface of the media, however the underlying messages remain the same. There will always be a positive correlation between the media’s definition of success and consumer behavior.



WORKS CITED:


Lears, Jackson. 1994. Advertising and the Idea of Mass Society. Communication in History. Pearson Education Inc. Boston MA.

Williams, Rosalynd. 1982 Dream Worlds. Communication in History. Pearson Education Inc. Boston MA.

Political Blog #2

The first political debate between Barock Obama and John McCain progressed in the usual format. Both candidates managed to spend a significant amount of time reflecting on the concerns of the nation, bashing their opponent’s policies, and verbally tip-toeing around how they will personally make a difference in our nation. The hour and thirty-four minutes flew by. As expected, both candidates pulled their “trump card” at one point or another. McCain represented experience and referred to himself as a “maverick” due to his disagreement with the Republican Party on various issues. While Obama allowed himself to be seen as the voice of change, a candidate who understands the people.
Both Obama and McCain were victorious in different areas of the debate. The opening point questioned both candidates’ position on the current financial crisis. I feel Obama was better rehearsed on this issue. He drew attention to the everyday working American, "the nurse, the teacher, the police officer who, frankly, at the end of each month have got a little financial crisis going on" (Wills 2008). Many Americans feel politicians are very distant to middle class life. The Obama campaign ran with this approach when McCain was unable to recollect the amount of houses he owns, which is seven. I’m slightly surprised that this topic did not emerge while discussing homeowner concerns. At any point I half expected Obama to say something in the nature of, “how would you know the concerns of Americans who fear losing their homes? You have seven!” Obama instead remained professional and political.
Tax concerns were another debated issue. McCain stressed the importance of lowering taxes for large companies. His idea was that if companies can operate anywhere in the world why come or stay in America when the business tax is 35%? By lowering the business tax, fortune 500 companies will be enticed to operate in the states, increasing jobs and aiding the injured economy. Obama however, stressed the fact that only so many tax cuts are possible, and it is better to give them to the people that already need some relief. There are also many loop-holes that businesses find to avoid such taxes, therefore they are not suffering. This was a successful approach because the ratio of regular Americans to businessmen in fortune 500 companies could severely favor Obama on Nov 4th.
The foreign policy round went overall to McCain with small glimpses of hope for Obama. McCain’s many years of “experience” was emphasized as he reflected on the faults of Vietnam, which he was indeed part of. He stated that Obama was naïve, and went on to clarify terms such as “strategy” for his opponent. He also attacked Obama for not wanting to give President Bush funding for the Iraqi invasion. Obama’s response was that he did not oppose funding if there was a time constraint. He did not want to give a blank check to the president. This is where I felt Obama looked the strongest on the topic of foreign policy. Although both candidates continued to verbally punch each other I believe this was a point where Obama threw up a successful block. I feel McCain dominated the rest of the foreign policy issues.
My opinion of the debate was also shared by the general public and the author. “The polls gave Obama a modest lead and indicated he was viewed more favorably than his rival when it came to dealing with the economy. But the same surveys show McCain favored by far on foreign policy” (Wills 2008). If there had to be an overall winner I believe Obama was victorious. There were two different instances when Obama defended himself by clarifying the accusations made by McCain. This was seen in the area of taxation, pointing out the loopholes Fortune 500 companies jump through, as well as his position on funding the war in Iraq. Many people, including myself, believe politics to be a continuous battle of verbal manipulation. The fundamental approach for many campaigns is to twist the opponent’s words as to make them the ‘bad guy.” The only difference during the debate is that it allows the candidates to expose all the dirt they have created on the opponent in a little over and hour and a half. Obama’s defense to many attacks enabled the American people to understand a larger portion of the issue, opposed to just what is being questioned. McCain seemed to babble on in conventional political jargon, firing away accusations and contributing little.
I watched the debate coverage online, however the visual picture was really unnecessary. McCain and Obama have distinct differences that distinguish them from one another. Obama is a 47 year old, multiracial democrat, while McCain is a 72 year old white republican. Without a visual, it is easy to tell which candidate is speaking. If Obama wins he will be “among the youngest presidents in history,” while McCain would be, “the oldest to win the office” (Klein 2008). This age difference is reflected when the Obama campaign refers to this election as the vote between the past and the future. I believe both men were portrayed equally by the media throughout the debate. I’m unsure what channels aired the debate, however following its conclusion it was readily available online. I feel new technology will greatly increase the awareness of voters as to candidate’s policies. The unknowing voter has the means to research a candidate and instantly view important videos, such as the debate rerun. The next two debates will take place in Nashville, and New York on Oct 7th and Oct 15th (Wills 2008). On November 4th America will decide between the economy and change, or foreign policy and experience.




WORKS CITED:

Klein, Ezra. 2008. The Obama-McCain Age Gap That Matters. Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-klein1-2008jun01,0,2168608.story (accessed September 27th).


Wills, Christopher. 2008. Obama, McCain argue over war, taxes in 1st debate. Myway news. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080927/D93F1KL01.html (accessed September 27th).

writing vs. speech

Technological advances in today’s society have furthered the traditional roles of speech and writing. While both are extremely important, I feel that oral communication is much more effective, therefore leading to its superiority over writing.
There are many differences between speech and writing. Speech is temporary and directed toward a specific audience, while writing is permanent and written for an unknown reader. The permanence of writing is often what brings people to significantly admire it, after all, it is how we have been able to gather knowledge about previous cultures. It is therefore impossible to say that writing is no longer of importance. Speech however, is what brings about impact and change. So what is more important, permanence of thought, or its impact? I do not believe that there will be a problem preserving the culture of the 21st century. Three thousand years from now, people will not be reading our papers on environmental concerns. Instead they will question what we were thinking buying a case of disposable bottles of water every week, and throwing them into landfills. It is what we do that will concern future generations, not necessarily what we say. Our actions speak louder then words, and speech significantly influences our actions.
Today, writing can be used as a shield to deflect meaning. An author may compose a work and leave its meaning open to interpretation. The meaning of a statement can be altered if looked at differently or taken out of context. This is the case with the recent political campaigns. Oral communication however, requires the speaker to think critically and spontaneously. Through speech the truth is attained, while writing can lead the reader a stray. This idea is reflected through the importance placed on job interviews. A résumé, or the written word, can only get a person so far. An interview that requires oral communication is a true test of a person’s character and intelligence. Through speech we are held accountable for what we say, and do not have time to formulate and print rebuttals if ever questioned.
I feel a recent phenomenon that reflects this accountability is “drunk texting.” In the last few years of college I have witnessed that “drunk-dialing” has taken a new form in “drunk texting.” While inhibitions are lowered people are inclined to act irresponsibly and often harass their latest crush, or mouth off to someone that has annoyed them recently. Rather then calling the person I have noticed that texting is now the chosen path to harassment. I believe this is for many reasons including: conversation can take place in the presence of others while remaining discrete, there will be a record of what was said in the morning, and there is even less accountability for what is said. The first two reasons are self explanatory, however the last is the main point. Through texting the writer is given complete power to say whatever he feels necessary. There is no argument until the next incoming message arrives, if ever. Additionally, there is always the excuse of “someone stole my phone.” If something completely inappropriate slips out of your fingertips then automatically it wasn’t you, and you cannot be held accountable. If that same inappropriate statement slips out of your mouth however, that same excuse cannot hold up.
Different forms of writing have emerged as technology has changed including blogs, aim conversations, text messaging, and e-mailing. Although blogs and e-mail are used in the professional field, they do not escape amateur writers. Each new form of writing has become closer to that of speech and farther away from traditional writing. Through conversation it is possible to hear tones underlying sarcasm, or see facial expressions that convey a message. There are now certain rules to understanding this new diction. For example: if a person writes in all capital letters they seem to be YELLING, or feel VERY strongly about their meaning. Similarly, various faces can indicate mood , while abbreviations help convey meaning. Newer forms of writing are able to show the persona of the amateur writer, opposed to just their meaning.
The expressions and tones that coincide with oral communication enable the audience to easier commit the speech to memory. I experience this first hand within the classroom. When a professor uses power points (that are often on blackboard) he tends to drone on monotonously, adding very little to the visual information already provided. Additionally, there is this notion that when word for word information is provided for our convenience on blackboard, we tend to pay attention less. On the other hand, if a professor lectures and does not allow the class to take notes, they are forced to pay attention in order to obtain the information. “A master of written Greek, Plato feared that written language would undermine human memory capacities” (Gardner 2008). From the time we were small children, we have been recording information that could be referred to later. The most learning that occurs in our lives takes place when we are very young, before the introduction of writing. When we were babies we absorbed the words spoken to us and thought about them in our little minds. We did not hear the word “daddy” and write down his characteristics in order to identify him later. We processed the information taught orally and learned from it.
In February 1942, Roosevelt urged Americans to spread out a map during his radio "fireside chat" so that they might better understand the geography of battle” (Jacoby 2008). Roosevelt used this speech to communicate with the people and impress upon them the vast distances necessary to ship supplies. If he has written this information down and sent it to every American house this information would not have had the same effect. Similarly, the spreading of Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis was greatly influenced by the printing press. However “Illiterates were attracted to Luther’s ideas through visual devices and oral communications. Personal relationships, oral communication, printing and writing, and institutions: each played a part, separately and interactively” (Harvy 2007 116). It is impossible to attribute the protestant reformation to the printing press alone. If Martin Luther had written the 95 Thesis and kept it to himself, history would be different.


WORKS CITED:

Gardner, Howard. The End of Literacy? Don’t Stop Reading. Washington Post; February 17, 2008.
http://blackboard.umbc.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_37304_1 (accessed September 20th 2008).


Graff, Harvy J. 2007. Early Modern Literacies. Person Education Inc. pg116

Jacoby, Susan. The Dumbing of America. Washington Post; February 17, 2008. http://blackboard.umbc.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_37304_1 (accessed September 21st 2008).

Political Blog #1

Recently, the public’s attention has shifted toward the Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. In an effort to learn more about her policies, ABC’s Charlie Gibson conducted a series of three interviews. The first interview, conducted on September 11^th, was a reflection of presidential nominee John McCain’s policies on national security and foreign policy through the mouth of Palin. Later in the day, during the second interview, she stated that she and McCain “agreed to disagree” on the concern over global warming and energy policies. She emphasized her belief that global warming is not ENTIRELY man-made. (Goldman 2008). The word “entirely” was emphasized as a means of clarifying a previous statement that read, "I'm not one though who would attribute [global warming] to being man-made" (Goldman 2008). Throughout the blog, author Russell Goldman followed the interviews closely and provided a decent analysis of the candidate from a relatively impartial point of view. The main point that lacked objectivity would be the emphasis placed on one single word, and the way it seemed to apparently alter Palin’s position.

I find it interesting that such a position is held by the governor of Alaska. Scientists have proven that due to human activity, climatic temperatures have risen. There are few areas that are affected as severely as Alaska. In 2006, USA TODAY referred to Alaska as the “poster state for climate concerns.” There are many factors that are contributing to drastic changes in the environment. According to the article, the primary cause is the rising concentration of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, which is released through the burning of fossil fuels (Weise 2006).

Essentially, the Drudge Report focused on Palin’s change in position throughout the campaign. To say that global warming is not man-made is completely ridiculous. It would mean that human activity has not had an effect on the temperature change, despite all scientific research proving otherwise. The claim that global warming is not ENTIRELY man made attempts to suggest that humans have had a part in this phenomenon. So which is it? Have we or have we not effected global warming? Palin has made statements supporting both, therefore it is necessary to surpass her statements and examine her actions. She has proposed drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR.) (Goldman 2008). If the burning of fossil fuels were responsible for global warming, shouldn’t she be trying to lesson our dependence on this resource and find new sources for power? Instead she is attempting to make oil more abundant. Sarah Palin and John McCain have conflicting views on a very important issue. I think this will have negative consequences on Election Day.

Goldman, Russell. 2008. Palin Takes Hard Line on National Security, Softens Stance on Global Warming. The Drudge Report. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5778018&page=1 (accessed September 13, 2008).

Weise, Elizabeth. 2006. Alaska the ‘poster state’ for climate concerns. USA TODAY. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2006-05-29-alaska-globalwarming_x.htm (accessed September 13, 2008).

MCS222 Assignment one

My name is Emily Thompson and this is my first blog, created for assignment one in MCS 222. My hometown is the city of Niagara Falls, New York and the primary reason I attend UMBC is to play softball. I would say that my relationship with the media is fairly strong. In my spare time I typically spend time surfing the Internet on sites such as facebook, and using instant messenger. Academics and athletics contribute to my Internet use. I check blackboard at least once everyday, while also checking my e-mail numerous times. All updates and changes in my schedule for class and softball are made public though e-mail. I watch movies to relax and recently more box sets of my favorites television shows have made their way onto my DVD rack. I listen to music both on the radio as well as on my laptop. I enjoy hearing new music, however continual repeats of the same songs leads me to turn on a CD or my ipod. In recent years, technological advances have led to the large expansion of media. Items such as laptops, cell phones, and ipods have made their way into our everyday lives. Changes in technology have paved the way for a change in the way people live their everyday lives. We are constantly connected. Communication is no longer limited by time or location thanks to cell phones and networks that apparently consist of hundreds of people in hardhats walking around ensuring good service. Im amazed how much the media has changed within the last few years. VHS tapes have been replaced my DVD's. Data used to be stored on 3.5 floppy disks, which were replaced by CD's which were then replaced by jump-drives. The Internet was once extremely slow and during connection made an extremely terrible dial tone sound. Today, I have a wireless router in my apartment that provides a high speed signal. When i was younger the only hope of hearing a song that was not yet released on CD was to listen constantly to the radio and if i were lucky, and prepared, record it onto a cassette tape. How far illegal downloading has come in a few short years. Essentially, the media has dramatically changed, impacting every aspect of society. Politics, academics, economics, and advertising are only a few areas that have changed. I am really excited to closely examine the relationship of the media and the way it shapes society.

The political blog i will be following is the Drudge Report: http://www.drudgereport.com/