Reading the streets

This is a video that myself and my group members created regarding media in the beaches neighbourhood. The video has some slides with text while the actual images are pictures taken while walking around the neighbourhood. We talk about the different types of infrastructure and how they are affecting media, as well as advertisements in the beaches for specific companies and festivities.  Here is the video we created:

The Simpsons 138th episode

Watch the Simpsons 138th episode and name three key features. Explain how this episode is a good example of three key features of post-modernism.
The three examples of post-modernism features in this episode I have chosen to evaluate are Parody and Satire, intertextuality and self-awareness.
 Parody and satire: An example of parody in the episode is when Homer starts to sing the Flintstones theme song. Another example is a parody of the Marilyn Monroe's famous Happy Birthday song to John. F. Kennedy, as well as the scene where Peter Pan appears to be flying through the window

Intertextuality: Some examples of intertexuality  in this episode are the Richard Simmons robot and the end of a few scenes where they would ask a trivia question similar to game shows. As well at whole episode is made to look like a talk show, therefore they keep making references to other talk shows. At the beginning when the cash register says "NRA4EVER" it is making a reference to the National Rifle Association ,which is based in the United States.

Self-awareness: This episode is self-aware because it talks about how the t.v show first started off and how it has evolved and changed over the years it has been on the air.



     

This is the link to the 138th episode of The Simpsons : http://seekcartoon.com/watch/26164-the-simpsons-season-7-episode-10-the-simpsons-138th-episode-spectacular.html#.U008B6hdVIF 

The Sweet Hereafter

1) Name three key features of postmodernism that are apparent throughout the film and explain. Refer to the post that includes the key features of post modernism.

Three key postmodern features are fragmented subjectivity, rejection of universality and mom-linearity. These are just three of the postmodern texts that are shown in this film, however many more are shown throughout the film. 

Fragmented Subjectivity: Fragmented subjectivity occurs when the different views of the bus crash are shown to us through different character. Each character has a different point of view of what happened in the bus crash, therefore they have very differing opinions of exactly what happened.

Intertextuality: Intertextuality occurs throughout this movie because it is based off the book The Sweet Hereafter. The movie is said to be very true to the book, as well some of the script is very similar to the actual dialogue in the book. Therefore I would consider this to be intertextuality. 

Non-linearity: Non-linearity occurs when the time shifts from the present to the past and is continuously going back and forth. When the lawyer is trying to figure out who was responsible for the bus crash the film is in the present moment, however when the characters are remembering scenes before, during and just after the crash it all takes place in the past. 

  

Out of the Mouths of Babes: New Rob Ford Video

1) How can the following video be considered post Modern refer to the key features of postmodernism? 

This video can be considered as postmodern because it has the postmodern features of currency, self-awareness, intertextuality and parody and satire are prevalent tones/modes of expression. 

Currency: This medium talks about the current issue of the mayoral campaign and the Rob Ford scandals. 
Self-awareness: This medium has a specific audience, that being Torontonian's who can vote. It is trying to show Toronto how ridiculous the current mayor is.  It is trying to convince people to go out and vote for who they believe to be a better mayor for Toronto.
Intertextuality: This video borrows the lines from the Rob Ford video to make it into this parody. They take the exact words Rob Ford says and get actors to act them out in a different situation to prove the directors point. 
Parody and satire are prevalent tones/modes of expression: The video's main purpose is to make fun of Rob Ford and to make a parody of his ridiculousness. The tone of the video is completely serious, however anyone who has heard of the Rob Ford crack scandal knows this is a parody.  






Here is the link to the video and the article talking about the video: 
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/02/rob-ford-attack-video-puts-the-mayors-words-into-the-mouth-of-a-child-who-did-not-do-the-crack/

Postmodernism and the mayoral campaign

1) What key features of postmodernism does this Media Text exhibit? Name two key features and explain?

 Two major features of postmodernism in this video are currency and  self-awareness. The feature of currency means it is a postmodern text that reflects and examines present situations, which clearly what this piece of media is doing. It also means the medium explores themes like technology which is to be incorporated into their medium. This video uses Atari as their type of technology which is effectively incorporated into their medium. The feature of self-awareness means the postmodern text knows it has an audience. This video has a specific audience they are trying to target this video towards. This is obvious as the video is clearly not being marketed towards children. Children cannot vote therefore the audience of this video would be adults.

2) Who is the target audience of the Media texts?

The target audience for this media text are peoples from ages 30+. I think 30+ is the age group because the video is made to look like Atari. Atari was the first gaming device of it's time and was a huge hit in the 1980's. A lot of people who are younger than 30 would probably have not used Atari before therefore this video is aimed at 30+ citizens of Toronto.

3) What is the overall message?

The overall message is to vote for Olivia Chow to be the new mayor of Toronto. The video criticizing the other candidates who are running in the mayoral campaign to become Toronto's new mayor. 


    












Here is the link to the "Help Save Toronto!" video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiSMvwmf9rw&feature=youtu.be

Postmodernism

A postmodern medium I have found is the T.V show  Modern Family. One aspect of postmodernism that Modern Family has is fragmented subjectivity. The definition of fragmented subjectivity is: A postmodern text that embodies multiple perspectives. Its meaning shifts, depending upon the location and identity of the subject. Modern Family  has many different characters with large but different personalities. These characters are in all episodes and are normally affected by the varying situations that has occur in each episode. They all give their varying perspectives of a situation as the perspective shifts from family to family. Therefore fragmented subjectivity is a postmodern aspect of Modern Family. 

    

My meme

1) Where did you get the picture for your Meme?

I got the photo of my meme from Google.

2) Who is your target audience for your Meme?

The target audience of my meme is Canadians, who have had to brave the very cold winter we have encountered thus far.

3) What is the appeal of your Meme?

My meme is appealing because it is funny and relates to a current issue that Canada is having....that issue being the freezing cold weather. The picture I believe captures the essence of how most Canadians are feeling at this moment because I believe most of us are very done with these freezing temperatures as spring started last week. My meme is reaction of what I believe to be what most Canadians are thinking.

4) How did you choose you text and font to emphasize the meaning of your Meme?

I chose a bold white font to resemble snow and cold (hence the winter we have had). The colour and font are also used to pass on the message of my meme, as well as the emphasize the text I have written across the top of the image I have found.

The meme

1. What is the meaning of the meme?

This meme is made to make fun of football "soccer" players. Specifically the two players in this meme: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. These two players are constantly being compared to each other, and they have a large rivalry. This meme is specifically about the El Clasico game between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. These two teams are the biggest and best teams in Spain, so these games tend to bring a lot of tension and competition between both the teams and their supporters and the meme is trying to lighten the mood and tension a little bit without specifically making fun of either team.  

2. Why does this particular meme have meaning to you?  What is it's appeal?

This meme has meaning to me because I am a huge football fan and Real Madrid are the team I support. I have a huge amount of respect for both of these teams though, and even though I will cheer for Real Madrid over FC Barcelona I admire them both very much and I think they have many qualities that are to be respected and admired in a football team. Football is huge in Europe and El Clasico is a major event that will draw a lot of attention from people both in Europe and around the world. Therefore its appeal would be prestige for the winning team until the next El Classico comes. 




I thought this meme was appropriate as the El Clasico is today :)

My favorite commercial

One of the best commercials I have seen so far this year (2014) is the Capital One commercial with Martin Short. I think this is one of the best commercials I have seen this year because it is short, gets its message across, it is funny and eye catching. I never get tired of watching this commercial even when it I see it multiple times a night. I am also a fan of Martin Short and I think he is a excellent actor (and he is very funny) which may make me a little bit biased towards this commercial. However I believe it to be an excellent and well though out commercial that is worth watching.


 

This is the youtube link to the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT-Z_sBFvu8

Ad buster

1) What is the original message of the company or brand you have targeted in your Spoof Ad?

The original message of the ad I have targeted is they are trying to sell their Rouge Caresse lipstick. Other than to promote their company and their product I do not think there is any other message to the ad I have spoofed.  

2) How have you changed or subverted the original message of the brand or company?

I have changed the message by showing the real side of the company L'Oréal. L'Oréal tests on animals to create most of their products. I do not think this is a very well known fact to the public because it could make their company look less desirable to consumers. My poster reveals what a true ad for L'Oréal could look like because there are probably some poor animals in the world in a test lab that are wearing this exact lipstick, just for the benefit of humans. 

3) What techniques have you used to target the company (humour, shock, attention to problems within the company and it's message)? 

I have taken a picture of a bunny to replace the head of the female model in this picture to represent how this company tests on animals. The slogan I create "The real face of L'Oréal" is to also represent how this company tests on animals. I think the little touches I used to create my spoof ad can come across as shocking and funny. It can be funny because the bunny with the bright pink lipstick obvious looks odd and I believe would make people stop and actually look more closely at the ad. I also believe it can be shocking because when people get a closer look at what I have created I believe they will see the under lying message that I have tried to expose. 

Ambush Marketing Under the Influence

1) How did Budweiser hijack the sponsorship of the Olympic games?

Budweiser hijacked the sponsorship of the Olympic games by creating a 70 foot blimp shaped like a goal light in hockey game. This goal light shape blimp would then light up every time team Canada scored.They hijacked the Olympic games because they were not the official sponsors of the National hockey team. Budweiser was outbid by Molsen. However the blimp made it seem as if Budweiser was still the official sponsor.  

2)  Do you think Budweiser was successful in drawing attention to their brand?

I think Budweiser was very successful in drawing attention to their brand because it is getting a lot of media buzz and it was a very creative way to advertiser their company. If a company gets this much attention then I would deem it successful to drawing (for the most part) positive attention to their company. 

3) How did Budweiser use methods employed by culture-jammers to undermine their competition? 

They made a bigger and bolder "ad" to overcome Molsen (who they lost the national hockey league sponsorship title to). The COC  and Molsen both believe that Budweiser were playing foul, however Labatt (the owner of Labatt Breweries of Canada) thinks that Budweiser were just promoting their beer in a clever way. He believes "it kept promoting the blimp openly -- and stealing Olympic buzz". This displeased a lot of people because it made Molsen look less superior to Budweiser because Molsen didn't have a massive blimp flying around and lighting up whenever team Canada scored. These are the methods Budweiser used to become superior to their competition. 



This is the link to the article the globe and mail wrote regarding the advertising in the olympics: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/olympics-advertising-who-won-who-lost/article17060580/

Dumb Starbucks

1) Why would someone want to parody a major corporation like Starbucks?

I think somebody would want to make a a parody of a major corporation like Starbucks because it would draw a lot of attention to their selves. Starbucks also has a very high reputation and to dirty the image of Starbucks by using it as a joke would humiliate the company. These could be some of the reasons a person would want to humiliate Starbucks, also they could be trying to make a point to the public about consumerism and brand names.

2) What do you think is the message of Dumb Starbucks?

I think the message of Dumb Starbucks is about consumerism and how a lot of people do not buy for quality but for a brand name. This was evident in the mini-clip we watched on YouTube when people were paying $10 for a hat that was a normal baseball cap, but it had the Starbucks logo on it and said Dumb Starbucks. Also when there was no coffee or cups left in the shop people were still waiting in line so they could just enter the small coffee shop with the hopes of maybe finding a spare cup they could take home. This showed how people will do almost anything just to say they have a specific brand name of something. This was the message of dumb Starbucks and how many people will just buy companies objects for its brand name.

   

This is the link to a clip on YouTube about dumb Starbucks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo_deCOd1HU

This is a link to an article in the New Yorker about Dumb Starbucks: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2014/02/dumb-starbucks-and-the-art-of-the-hoax.html

Chobani Posts Ad Inspired By Gay-Pride Flag, Takes On Russia's Anti-Gay Laws

1) Do you think it is appropriate for a product or advertiser to use a social issue like gay rights to market a product?

I do not think an advertiser should use social issues to market their products because I think they could possibly offend a lot of people and I feel they are taking advantage of social issues. Firstly I believe it can offend a a lot of people if an advertiser uses social issues to bring awareness to firstly their product and secondly the social issue. The social issue the advertiser is using should come before the advertising of their product and I think most advertisers fail to do this. The right intention is behind their ideas, however it usually comes across as if the advertiser is taking advantage of these issues to come up with clever marketing ideas.

2) What communities might find the Chobani ad offensive?

The communities that might find this offensive are the gay and lesbian communities, the government and people who work to bring awareness to social issues in communities. I think these people might find this offensive because Chobani is using a important social issue to market his product, which will allow him to make large amounts of revenue, which isn't right. I am aware that he is trying to show that the American's are defying the anti-gay laws that were established in Russia, and I think he has good intentions, however he is going about it the wrong way.

3) Are the Olympics an appropriate venue to address human rights issues? Explain.


Since the Olympics are on such a large stage and so many people watch them, that addressing human rights can be considered to be both a positive and a negative thing.  I think it can be a positive thing because so many people will be made aware of specific social issues. As well if they use the athletes to address these issues, people who idolize then are going to be more likely to help these social issues be eliminated around the world. However I also think this is a negative place to address human rights issues because the Olympics are focused on athletes trying to be the best in the world and to bring prestige and pride to their countries. Ultimately the Olympics are a sporting event that brings everyone in the world together to cheer on their country, therefore it isn't the best setting to be discussing social issues in the world.






This is the link to the article Emily Thomas wrote about this ad: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/08/chobani-gay-ad_n_4752509.html 

Lets go team Canada!!!

Good luck to all the Canadian athletes that are participating in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics!

   


This is the link to CBC's website to follow team Canada's progress in the Olympics: http://olympics.cbc.ca/

Documentary reflection

1. Write a reflection on your documentary presentation that includes portions of your presentation or the presentation in its entirety. Please include any new insights that you developed in presenting your documentary to the class.

I though our documentary presentation went very well. The documentary we chose to present was called The Bride Price. Our documentary wasn't to long, which meant the class didn't become disinterested in our presentation. I thought the documentary we chose had a very strong message and conveyed it very effectively. Even though our documentary was short every moment of it was important and relevant to proving how serious child marriages are, and how the film maker (Stephanie Sinclair) thinks it should be abolished. Each time I re watched the documentary it makes me appreciate even more the freedom to chose to marrying whomever I may choose, and at an age where I am ready to be married. Unfortunately for these girls in this documentary they never had that option and were married off at a very young age.One question I started to wonder about while I was doing the my presentation was whether or not Stephanie Sinclair has started an organization to free young women from having to marry men, whom they do not know at such a young age. I have since looked up the answer to my question and discovered she has not started her own organization, but she often helps out with other humans rights organizations.

This is the link to the documentary The Bride Price,  created by Stephanie Sinclair: http://mediastorm.com/clients/the-bride-price-for-icrw




2. Write a reflection on one of the other documentaries that you viewed in class. Name the tittle of the documentary, the intended message and please include your opinion on whether you think the message of the documentary was conveyed effectively. 

Another documentary I viewed in class was called The finale of HBO's "24/7" Red Wings-Maple Leafs: Road to the NHL Winter Classic.  The message of this documentary is used for entertainment purposes. They are trying to promote the the Winter classic and trying to tell people there is a deeper meaning to hockey and it is a serious game. The players who are on the team have had to go on a long journey to get to where they are now, and most of them are pretty humbled by it. Personally I am not a huge hockey fan, however viewing this documentary made me want to watch the winter classic, and maybe even some other hockey games. It made me feel sympathy towards the players because they had to play in horrendous conditions, however they all played because they are passionate about the game. Therefore I would say this documentary effectively conveyed its message.

This is the link to The finale of HBO's "24/7" Red Wings-Maple Leafs: Road to the NHL Winter Classic: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=699005

Hoop dreams vs. Bowling for Columbine

1) List three major differences between the two documentaries.

Three major differences between these documentaries are the length, Bowling for Columbine was a much shorter documentary than Hoop Dreams. Secondly the viewing of the filmmaker, you only saw the filmmaker in Bowling for Columbine however they never showed up in Hoop Dreams. The filmmaker was not shown in Hoop Dreams because it is a more traditional documentary. Lastly these were two different types of documentaries. Hoop Dreams was focused on two boys and their basketball careers, whereas Bowling for Columbine is more focused on an object and an organisation. The object being guns and the organisation being the NRA (National Rifle Association) in the United States.

2) Hoop Dreams was an incredibly long film 2hrs 52mins, why do you think the filmmakers chose to include so much footage in their film?

I think the film makers wanted to include so much footage into their film because it was all relevant to the story they are telling. They are following the lives of these young boys for 4 years, therefore they would have immense amounts of footage. Obviously they edited the amount of footage they had, however they took the most relevant aspects and parts from their years of footage to create this film. I think the film was long, however while watching it didn't feel that long because it was very well edited and contained all the necessary points to make this a brilliant documentary.

3) Who was the narrator in the documentary Hoop Dreams. Why are we not made aware who the filmmaker is or what they look like throughout the documentary? 

The narrator in Hoop Dreams is Steve James (he is also the filmmaker). We are not made aware of who the filmmaker is because it isn't that important to the documentary. The documentary is following the lives of two boys, therefore the filmmaker had no purpose putting himself in the documentary because it is not relevant. By adding himself into the documentary they are creating more footage that will make the film unnecessarily longer.

4) What makes Hoop Dreams a more traditional Documentary?

Hoop dreams is more of a traditional documentary because it is much longer than most modern documentaries, and the filmmaker never makes an appearance in their film. Traditional documentaries tend to have these aspects whereas Bowling for Columbine shows the filmmaker and is a much shorter documentary. The aspects of Bowling for Columbine show more modern day documentary components.