Mass Media: Reality TV

What surprised me:
What surprised me was the fact that someone could actually think they are the star of a Tv show mentally. Also, how when he took off his blind fold and he was in Korea.

What I agree on:
I agree with the fact that some people do or say outrageous things just to become famous. Now a days It seems as if their aren't as many people that get famous because of their talent anymore(The Kardashians.)

What I disagree with:
People starving themselves or doing very abnormal things for the media.

Something I'll Remember:
I'll remember how crazy this phenomenon is. I just can't believe that this actually happened.


Article:

NPR Reality Code Of Ethics:

Main Idea: How reality TV can be damaging 
Quote: "If you want to watch some of this stuff, you have to live with the fact that it exploits emotionally charged situations and could easily cause psychological harm to people."

Reality TV Debate:
Main Idea: Two people debating on " that commission form of municipal goverment is an improvement of the present system and how reality TV effects viewer time.
Quote:"Mr. Laing began, arguing that reality television saps ad dollars and viewer time that could be used more nobly; that these shows are bad for the people who go on them."

Why Do Americans Love Reality TV:
Main Argument: How hard it is becoming to avoid getting sucked into reality television. As well as why people seem to love reality TV that much. 
Quote:"Others believe that the show's secret to ratings success may be as simple and harmless as the desire to seem part of the in crowd."

Media and Politics: Wellstone

Wellstone Post Questions:
1. The humor in his quick commercials helped gain his money and his popularity.
2. Without the media, without the two minute commercial begging to have a debate. I think that if he never made that commercial, there wouldn't have been the debate and Wellstone wouldn't have won.
3. I thought it really showed his personality. I also think that a lot of people respected him.

Monday Media Report

With the Wild 3.4 seconds away from being 20 minutes away from the second round of the playoffs and another postseason trip to Chicago. Almost surprisingly for a team that often loves to do things the hard way, the win circumvented what would have been two very long off days in the Twin Cities waiting for another road Game 7. The Wild now gets four or five days of rest before the second round begins in Chicago later this week. The NHL hasn’t announced the schedule.
I thought this was very interesting because The Wild haven't been this good in a while. The fact that the Wild are on a winning streak is amazing and very good for Minnesota! 

Media and Politics

1.  Main Argument: The argument is talking about how much America focuses on more of the advertisement and media coverage they get rather than the politics itself.
Qoute: "Modern American media covers politics extensively, and the news media relies on politics to fill much of it's broadcast time."

2. Main Argument: This article states how a successful journalist must not tie itself to closely to any politician or idea in order to convey the truth-the best, most important form of media
Quote: "The true journalist seeks the truth. "

3. Main Argument: This article is discussing how important it is to be the first politician to campaign and be fully involved in the media about it.
Quote: “ J.F.K. was the first president to understand television, and Howard Dean saw the value of the Web for raising money,” 
Facts:
1. All of the Obama supporters who traded their personal information for a ticket can now be mass e-mailed at a cost of close to zero.
2. The people will continue to expect a conversation

4. Main Argument: This article more closely discusses on how the constitution and laws allows the government to function around the media.

Quote: "The absence of interference from the state in the freedom of communication and expression is a mandatory aspect of democracy. The government may protect information from its public disclosure by classifying it as sensitive, classified or secret." 
Facts:
1. In the new media environment, the general public is no longer an observer.

Monday Media Report: Weather

The Midwest and Northeast have been stuck in a pattern of below-average temperatures this year, however, this past week above-average temperatures settled in. Temperatures climbed into the 60's and 70's from Minneapolis to Chicago. Even Michigan saw highs in the 60's almost every day this past week through Friday. I thought this was interesting because lately we have had very nice weather. However, today temperature dropped to the 50's. I personally like it when its above 70 degrees but I guess thats what you get when you live in Minnesota. 

Weekly Blog Post

Being gay in High School is a very tough thing in our society today. This year is no different. A Mississippi county school board banned 18 year old Constance McMillan,who wanted to wear a tux and bring her girlfriend. As well as a story of a gay senior in Miami who was crowned prom queen, however,was disowned by her family. Lesbian,bisexual and gay students face extremely cruel struggles in High School. Some are harassed and bullied, while others are accepted and nurtured. At this point,some of them create clubs, however, most remain closeted. I thought this article connected to what we were learning in class this week. It talks about how most lesbians, gays, bisexuals are bullied but what we say back to that is that "it gets better." I believe that we need to attack this issue now, other wise it will never change. 

Monday Media Report: Beard-A-Thon

In the Last six seasons, Thousands of fans have participated in the Hockey related Beard-A-Thon. This charity rasies over $3 million for hockey related charities. However, this year the goal is to raise an additional $1 million through the participation of hockey fans across North America. In order to participate in the Beard-A-Thon, fans can register at www.beardathon.com. This is where fans can choose their favorite NHL team and invite family and friends to pledge their playoff beards. By receiving pledges, participants have to promise that they will not shave until their team wins the Stanley Cup or is eliminates from the playoffs. I thought this article was very interesting because they are raising money for a good cause while doing it in a fun, and creative way. 

Weekly Blog Post

Many people believed Sisa Abu Daooh was a man until several weeks ago, when she revealed her 42 year secret, she is a woman. Perhaps surprisingly in a society where many hold conservative notions of gender roles, Ms. Daooh’s announcement was greeted not with condemnation but with curiosity and a flurry of mostly positive reactions from local news media and officials. In an interview last week, Ms. Daooh said she began dressing as a man as a practical matter, to escape restrictions on women’s employment in a patriarchal culture and earn enough to support her daughter, Hoda. This article was very interest because of how gender roles are today. The fact that a woman pretended to be a man for 42 years because of women's employment, that just crazy.

Monday Media Report: Nation

Three and a half decades after calling for homosexuals to be stoned, former Bob Jones Ill has apologized.When he made the comments, Jones was part of a group of ministers who went to the White House with 70,000 signatures on a petition opposed to extending provisions of the Civil Rights Act to homosexuals. "I cannot erase them, but wish I could, because they do not represent the belief of my heart or the content of my preaching"-Bob Jones. This article shocked me when reading it. The fact that it is 2015 and we claim we are accepting of Homosexuals is a lie. There are thousands of people just like Bob that have these beliefs and preach them too. I agree with everyone has their own opinion, but being a homosexual does not mean that you are a bad person or makes anyone else superior. 

Weekly Blog Post

 President David Boren has said he wanted to expel or discipline the fraternity members. Eugene Volokh, UCLA law professor, told MPR news that the Constitution is on the students' side.

"I don't think it's justified for him to expel students for what is after all the expression of their views," he said. "Hateful views and views that the rest of us rightly hate, but views that are protected by the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects all viewpoints: It protects communist advocacy, it protects advocacy supporting Hamas or the Islamic State or al Qaeda."

This article really shocked me. In class yesterday we watched a short video about how the racist people that claim they are not racist cause these issues. However, when a black person does something bad everyone blames that person. When a white person is in the wrong, we justify it with "its their expression of their views."  

A-Z Taxonomy

Alcohol
Black People
College/chant
Discrimination
Expelled
Fraternity
Greek
Hanging
Insensitivity
Judgement
KKK
Law
Media
National
Offensive
Punishment
Questioning
Rasism
SAE
Tradition
University
Violence
White
Xenophobic
Youth
Zoo

Selma Article Analysis

NY Times

This article was about President Obama's speech and the main points hemade in Selma, Alabama commemorating the 50 year anniversary of the events that took place there. The one thing I definitely agree with is when Obama said “racism is not over in America, and unfortunately it will take a lot of effort- big and small- to overcome.” 

White House article:

This article gave a closer look into the things President Obama mentioned in his speech. However, I think that they needed to revise what they were saying about the Voting Rights Act and how they brought up Ferguson. What really intrigued me was that the Congress were almost going against what President Obama was saying. 

Star Tribune:

Star Tribune talks a lot about the history of the events that took place in Selma 50 years ago. The article also talks mostly about how racism and discrimination have been improved in the last 50 years. However, the article didn’t just talk about the improvement of our nation but how “we” still have a lot of work to get to the point that we want to be in. 

Monday Media Report

A Canadian tourist was killed after a small inflatable tour boat collided into a whale of the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The victims name was Jennifer Karren, dead at age 35. Two other people aboard were injured, however, after seeking medical help survived the accident. When the whale and the boat collided, Jennifer fell into the water and was rescued by the skipper of the boat. The tour companies general director expressed regret that one of it's guests died, despite receiving first aid and being transported to the hospital. I thought that this article was very interesting yet scary. The fact that a whale collided into a tour boat frightens me for the next time I'm on the ocean! I think that in the future the boats should be more durable than an inflatable boat. Changes like that, could've possibly saved a life.

Weekly Blog Post- Black Rights Today

"Although times have changed, the conditions facing black Americans today are just as daunting as the fire hoses and billy clubs of four decades ago. Today we think our society is close to equal. You only have to compare the lives of black and white children." The average black child is:

• one-and-a-half times more likely to grow up in a family whose head did not finish high school.
• twice as likely to be born to a teenage mother and two-and-a-half times more likely to have low birthweight. 
• three times more likely to live in a single parent home.
• four times more likely to have a mother who had no prenatal care. 
• four-and-a-half times more likely to live with neither parent. 
• five times as likely to depend solely on a mother’s earnings.
• nine times as likely to be a victim of homicide.

This part of the article really stood out to me because I thought our world was improving a lot more than I thought. The fact that studies show that black people are nine times as likely to be a victim of homicide makes me sick. What I question is "will we ever be equal or is it impossible?"  Fifty years ago, Martin Luther King Jr spoke for African American rights and how the world needs equality. Our society needs to wake up and realize that even though we are all technically equal, certain races are still being discriminated. 

Selma Essential Questions

Yes voting matters. Without the chance to vote our society would be corrupt. Black Citizens risked their lives to vote because saying that they can't basically means that their lives don't matter. As well as their voices don't matter in our society. Few people exercise this right because as the years pass, our world changes a lot. Years ago hitting your children was discipline. Now a days, if you hit your child you are send to jail or fined. People are too scared to stand up anymore.
In order to end deeply ingrained injustice you need political voicing. Someone that the people can trust and respect their decisions.

POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS:
 Why were adults hesitant to join and students weren't? 
Adults were hesitant to fight because they were scared of losing their lives. Students saw how badly their parents were being treated and they didn't want that for them or themselves.

What kind of planning,organizing and communication are required to take action and bring about change? Is participation enough?
 They would drink out of white fountains on purpose and disobeyed all the White Laws. They would host meetings and plan out how they are going to protest and where. Participating is not enough. You need to participate and make it known around the whole city/everywhere you go what your purpose is and what you are fighting for.

Does voting still matter? If so, why do so many people not exercise the right to vote?
 It does still matter, however, since voting is legal for all races and gender now a days, I feel like voting isn't as appreciated anymore. The saying "you never know what you have till its gone" applies to this because if we had the right taken away from certain people again, it would be a huge issue and we wouldn't take the opportunity to vote for granted.

Monday Media Report

Last week the DECAfé was closed on Monday, it was because a group of second graders visited, wanting to obtain some advice. The second grade students are coming up with their very own imaginary businesses. They had the DECA students explain what DECA was and how it relates to business. They also got an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, seeing the inventory of the shed, and hearing about some upcoming and past DECAfé promotions. The eager students were excited to learn all of the different working parts of the DECAfé, and were inspired to add some similar touches to their own businesses. 
I thought that this was a great thing for EHS to offer to younger students because they can get a preview of what business is like. They can also take the advice from the DECAFe and apply it to their project at school. Also, I think they should offer an elective in middle school that teaches students about business. So, that if the elementary students like the idea of starting a business, they can start learning the advanced material sooner. 

Miss Representaion

POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS

1. Do you feel that our ideals of femininity and masculinity are learned or natural? Why?

I feel like our ideals of femininity and masculinity are learned. We are taught as a child that playing “house” would be mostly a girl game. However, “doctor” or “investigator” games would be mostly boy games. It took a group of people to stand up and teach our society that women have equal or more potential than a man.  

2. What are some stereotypical stories media tell about women? What are some stereotypical stories media tell about men? Give some examples of each.

Women stereotypes:

http://www.motherjones.com/media/2012/11/geena-davis-institute-women-girls-are-stereotyped-sexualized-hollywood

Men stereotype stories:

http://mediasmarts.ca/gender-representation/men-and-masculinity/common-stereotypes-men-media

3. How do the messages in advertising counter or undermine social change? (Use space on the back.)

Advertising helps to reinforce the ideas that people are pushing to change. However, the social change needs to be more effective or the advertisement will still be effective.

Parks and Recreation announces "Final Season"

"This is not what I wanted to be feeling right here, right now, as I prepare to say goodbye to what has been, for most of its seven-year run, the sitcom I’ve loved the most. The endgame stakes aren’t terribly high—at least not for Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler)". Parks and Recreation has been showing on NBC for almost seven years, airing two episodes per week. Parks bold moves have been executed timidly. It’s typical of shows in their final stages to return characters or relationships to something close to their original factory settings for the sake of making a closing statement. However, Parks and Recreation hasn't been doing so according to Entertainment Weekly. 

When critiquing this article I was very intrigued. I was a huge fan of Parks and Recreation, and having them announce their "final season" made me upset. However, after reading Entertainment Weekly's article on "5 reasons why 'Parks and Rec' is under-delivering" I could somewhat grasp the idea on why they are not continuing Parks and Recreation anymore. The show has played it safe for the past seven years, and they reviews were good just not good enough to continue. 

Weekly Blog Post

The standards of feminine beauty are presented in almost all forms of popular media, barraging women with images that portray what is considered to be the "ideal body." Beauty is completely unattainable for most women because of media standards. The majority of the models displayed on television and in advertisements are well below what is considered healthy body weight. The media's use of such unrealistic models sends a false message that in order for a woman to be considered beautiful, she must be unhealthy. 

I thought that this article related to the movie we watched in class "Miss-representated" because they both show how beauty is presented in the media. However, even though most of our society knows models are mostly photoshopped, but we still consider them beautiful. I think that everyone is beautiful with what they are born with. When the media portrays models that are way below the normal body weight, those who are perfectly healthy start to question their appearance. 

Oscars response

Quote I disagree with: "It's a white industry. Just as NBA is a black industry. I'm not even saying it's a bad thing. It just is." -Chris Rock

I disagree  with this Chris because even though that is how each industry is, it doesn't mean its okay. I don't think industries should be defined on their skin. A white man should be able to be great at basketball without being questioned. As well as, a person with black skin winning an Oscar or other type of award.

Quote I agree with: "This is a movement to say we are more than just our dresses." -Reese Witherspoon

 I agree with Reese because I believe women should be asked how their careers are and their accomplishments rather than their appearance/dress. On E! network, they talk for days about "who wore the best dress and vise versa. What a woman wears should not define who they are.

Quote that Surprised me: " For 87 years, the Oscars have been a celebration of film making. And the message it puts across, however unintentionally, is hard to miss. Certain voices matter more than others."

This quote really made me stop and think. I think it's completely wrong to say and believe that only certain voices matter. No matter who you are or your skin color, your voice matters. This quote really shocked me because for years we have been fighting about equality, even in 2015, our society still doesn't treat people equal.

Quote I questioned: "It was almost like he wasn't interested in the designers. Designer Nicole Miller said, 'He seemed more interested in the celebrities and their careers.'"(The Hollywood Reporter)

I questioned this quote because what the designer said  made a good point. I believe that the celebrities deserve to wear the nicest dresses because they worked hard to get where they are today. However, you don't get an Oscar for wearing the best dress, you get it for the work you have done.Quite frankly, I think it's pointless asking " who are you wearing." Reporters should be asking about the career of these stars, because in all, that's the whole reason why they are there.

Overall, I do think that there is an imbalance with racial nominations and I really hope our world understands that skin color doesn't define who you are. As for the #AskHerMore, I agree that the commentators do need to ask women more about their careers while creating a balance of fashion questioning. I enjoyed reading and watching the clips on this topic!

Monday Media Report #6

The climate is changing. The earth is warming up, and there is now overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening, and human-induced. With global warming on the increase and species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many are agreed that climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. Recent years show increasing temperatures in various regions, and/or increasing extremities in weather patterns. I thought this was important because our society we live in addresses the issue of global warming, however, we aren't doing enough to make a change. It makes me upset that we are treating our planet so badly. Many are afraid that tackling climate change is going to be too costly. But increasingly, studies are showing action will not just be cheaper than inaction, but could actually result in economic, environmental and even health benefits, while improving sustainability.

Quote

"One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten,distorted,skimmed over. We must not remember that Daniel Webster got drunk but only remember that he was a splendid constitutional lawyer. We must forget that george washington was a slave owner...and simply remember the things we regard as inspiring. The difficulty of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive..." I chose this quote because I believe that somehow the most heroic people in our history are only known for the good things they did. History should include the good and the bad. It seems like one good deed can cover up all the bad things a person has done, and vise versa. 

Monday Media Report #5

JOHNNY MANZIEL REHAB
Teammates have been questioning Manziel’s work ethic and his off-field behavior. He was fined for not showing up for the team’s final walkthrough last season, with one player saying that Manziel thought his rookie season was a "100 percent joke." Johnny knows there are areas in which he needs to improve in order to be a better family member, friend and teammate and he thought the off-season was the right time to take this step. On behalf of Johnny and his family, we’re asking for privacy until he rejoins the team in Cleveland," Beckworth said. They are asking everyone to be kind, and support Johnny on achieving his goal of being sober. Johnny has apologized for his actions in the past and wants to start a new future.
This article is very interesting to me because I think the media has over dramaticized this issue with Johnny. I think he is being very couragous to go to treatment and be sober. Taking control of your actions and moving on from the past is very important to me. 

Beauty in the media

Color of Beauty
In the film beauty is described as being white and white features. When they describe beauty in black women, they talk about how black models need to have white features to be hired. “They really look like white girls that were painted black.  That’s beauty, you know, to the industry’s perspective, to agents’ perspective.  When they see that, when they see a girl that can look different, you know, by skin pigment and still have great features like that, it is sellable, you know…But for those lucky few girls, like Renee, they have white girl features, and it’s messed up, but that’s just the way the industry is.” They do this because, If we think the products we buy will make us look like the women we find beautiful in the advertisement, we are more likely to buy it.
Ted Talk

Beauty in this video is described by choosing the same type of women. "The real way that I became a model is that I won a genetic lottery and I am the recipient of a legacy.. for the past few centuries we have defined beauty not just as health, youth and symmetry that we're biologically programmed to admire, but also as tall, slender figures. And this is a legacy that was built for me and this is a legacy that I've been crashing out on." This quote describes how the gatekeeper aka the media chooses who is beautiful, vise versa. The media now a days struggles with non-white modeling. However, the gatekeeper needs to let more of the community through the gates.

Monday Media report #4

Three year-old Chase Loney is attacked by Pitt bull

Last August, Chase and his parents were invited to their neighbor's Prior Lake, Minnesota residence for a block party. Chase was standing next to the dog, when he turned around to get paper plates and suddenly the dog bit him. After the attack, Chase ended up with 22 stitches. A report was filed with police, but no charges were filed. The parents of Chase gave the neighbors an option, get rid of the dog or pay the medical bills. In the end, the neighbors decided to keep the dog and pay the medical bills. I thought this article was interesting because of the fact that the kid did nothing to the dog and somehow the dog attacked him. I also can't believe the amount of damage the dog did to the kid. 

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/27980122/pit-bull-attack-sparks-controversy-in-prior-lake-neighborhood.

Weekly Blog post #3

PSYCHOLOGY OF ADVERTISING

In this article it talks about the beginning of advertising and the effects advertising has on our mind. Printed symbols were invented by an advertising man who made use of them to give recognition of his merchandise. We find advertisements engraved on walls and tombs, and printed by the first printing presses. Now a days, the advertising rate has been advanced in many magazines during the last few years. Firms used to pay one hundred dollars for a full-page advertisement in the Century Magazine, now the cost of a full page for a single issue is four thousand dollars! The Agate Club of Chicago speaker said, "Art is the doing and science is the understanding how to do, or the explanation of what has been done. If we are able to find and to express the psychological laws upon which the art of advertising is based, we shall have made a distinct advance, for we shall have added the science to the art of advertising." In summary, the article talks about the psychology of advertisement. Questioning why big companies spend so much money for a page of a magazine or a 30 second commercial. 
This article relates to the material we learned in Mass Media because we are learning the significance of the effects of media. Understanding and grasping the psychological impact on advertisement is a hard concept to understand. As well as the effects advertisement has on our society and our mind. 


http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1904/01/the-psychology-of-advertising/303465/

Magazine and TV show critique

Monday Media report

Storm JUNO is taking control of the seven states of the Northeast. Already, about 3,000 flights for Monday and Tuesday have been canceled, and those that are running, are predicting delays. It is predicted to snow about 2 feet from Monday to Wednesday. Winter Storm Juno hit Monday and is expected to last through Wednesday. This includes New York City, Boston, Providence, Hartford and Portland. The article says that more than 28 million people could be affected by power outages, travel disruptions and ice. 

Storm Juno affected my family as well. Due to my grandma being sick, my relatives from Boston, Massachusetts came to Minnesota to visit. Waking up sunday morning was quite frantic when they realized "Storm Juno" was happening the day they were flying back to Massachusetts. This affected our nation hugely because the article said that 28 million people have been affected. 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/26/winter-storm-juno-looms-with-record-level-snow-thr/

Weekly Blog post #2

ARE IPHONES BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

Technology is one of the most addicting things out there in the world today. Most people need their Iphone right by there side the whole day because without they feel like they are "naked." In this article, 66% of people say that they are afraid to lose or be separated with their cell phone. However, studies show that being on your phone too much can be damaging to your health. 

After reading this article, I was amazed with how damaging your cell phone can be. Cell phones are with us everywhere we go, and we are scared to be without them. However, even if people were educated enough to know the effects on technology, will they ever stop using their cell phone?

Monday Media report #2

In this article, A driver was driving down the highway when his car slipped on black ice. The driver was sandwiched between two semi trucks. After he was rescued, he had a lot of injuries but managed to survive. As the interviewers asked "what was going through your mind when you saw your life flash?" He said that the only thing he could think about was hoping he would live.
I can connect to this article because driving in Minnesota can be very icy! Three weeks ago, I was driving down Highway 100 when my car slipped on black ice. Driving in the winter is very scary and dangerous. This article should be a lesson to everyone that safe driving is essential in the winter.




http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/18/us/oregon-crash-survivor/index.html

Weekly Blog post #1

The article below talks about the effects of our generation using technology. They say that 10 years ago kids would play outside, do their chores and talk at dinner with their family everyday. However, now our generation is addicted to our technology. Dinners at home become a texting frenzy with little or no interaction. Entertainment technology has advanced so rapidly, that families have noticed the impact and changes to their family structure and lifestyles. 
Reading this article made me question myself on " am i addicted to my phone/technology? I answered that questions pretty fast because after the article i read i quickly checked twitter. This article also connects to what we learn in class because we just watched a documentary "A digital Nation" which talked about the positive and negatives of technology and our society.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/technology-children-negative-impact_b_3343245.html

Monday Media Report: "Black Lives Matter"

On Monday, Dec. 8th, Edina High School staff members showed support in the cafeteria for African-American students in the aftermath of recent police brutality. They spoke to every lunch explaining the significance of the staff standing at lunch. However, The student reaction to the staff presence was mixed. Some students thought it was a great idea to stand up and show their support. Junior Laura Lehman, on the other hand, said, “I feel like they should have done more than just stood there.” 

However, I was at lunch when they spoke to the students and noticed people disrespecting the staff by saying rude comments and even "booing" at Doc Loc when he was speaking. I agree with what Laura Lehman said because I believe that they should have done something more meaningful than just standing at lunch. Also, I talked to my friend that is African-American after lunch and she said that it just made her feel awkward. 

http://www.edinazephyrus.com/group-of-ehs-teachers-show-support-for-black-lives/#sthash.HO2tCIv2.dpuf