Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Conner - Final Project
For my project I wanted to look more closely at societal perceptions of homosexuals and
homosexuals in the media, along with “straight privilege”. I believe that the media and pop
culture shapes the minds of people to think and act a certain way towards homosexuals. The
media creates an overgeneralized and often false stereotypical identity for homosexuals. Also I
believe that with being heterosexual comes privilege and many people are unaware of that
privilege. The media today utilizes Cultural Hegemony to create a popular consensus about how
all “gay” people act. We watch tv shows and movies that all stereotype and overgeneral
homosexuals in the same manner; as flamboyant etc... Consumers of pop culture and media
then see this and create a belief that all homosexuals are this way.“Our thoughts and values are
commonly shaped through media influence, whether good or bad” (Sarper, 2013). In addition
there is a clear heterosexual/homosexual binary that states that you are either one or the other
and if you are homosexual you are viewed in a negative way and stereotyped. “homosexuals
are often men, they are very interested in fashion, dress well, are extravagant, social,
selfabsorbed and have high pitched voices” (Sarper, 2013). Heteronormativity is the cause for
the binary. Heteronormativity coincides with heterosexual privilege in the belief that the default
status of any romantic relationship is heterosexual and anything else is considered abnormal. “If
you are straight , you can live without ever having to think twice, face, confront, engage, or cope
with anything listed below. These privileges are granted to you, and many of them are things
you’ve likely taken for granted” (Killerman, 2014). In media and pop culture today there is a
clear heterosexual/homosexual binary and heteronormativity that impacts homosexuals
negatively. For my project I wanted to take a queer theory approach to hopefully disrupt those
socially constructed systems of meaning surrounding human sexuality. I wanted to queer the
media and switch roles with the use of some parodies. For the first part of my project I decided
to create a video about a straight male growing up in a homonormative society where instead of
the homosexuals being outcasted the heterosexuals were. I felt it was necessary to do this
queering of media so that an audience could see how ridiculous it is to outcast someone
because of their sexual orientation. For my Real Housewives parody I reversed the roles and
attempted to queer the media. I chose to make it about two men, who are very flamboyant and
stereotypical homosexuals. Also I wanted them to talk about having a “Straight Best Friend” and
instead of hearing all of the stereotypes in the media about homosexuals and gay best friends, I
wanted them to reverse the roles and talk about their straight best friends while making the
same overgeneralized statements about homosexuals. I really wanted it to be funny and light
hearted so that the audience enjoyed the film, however I hope that the audience realizes how
ridiculous the homosexual/heterosexual binary is, and that heteronormativity control most of
what we think about people and sexual preferences.
Killerman, S. (2014, August 10). 30 Examples of Heterosexual Privilege in the US. Retrieved
October 6, 2015.
Sarper, T. (2013, March 14). Stereotypes of Homosexuality in the Media. Retrieved October 6,
2015
Sam - Final Project
From the millions of people that watch the Super Bowl to the millions of dollars of
revenue made by professional sports teams in each game, sports are clearly an important part of
popular culture in the United States. This importance is perhaps why the use of Native American
team names and images has been a widely discussed topic. It is my belief that Native American
names and images should not be used by sport’s teams because they perpetuate stereotypes and
may be offensive to some Native American individuals. The media’s influence on how race,
culture, and ethnicity are viewed by the public is an important part of why using the names and
images are problematic. For instance, normalization allows the names to seem like they are
benign and just the natural order of things because they have been around for a long time
(Drazner-Hoyt, 2015a). The idea of memes also applies because the names and images of Native
Americans are not only replicated through media but also in the minds of people. The names and
images provide an idea for what Native American individuals and cultures are like, and this
spreads through the minds of people (Drazner-Hoyt, 2015b). For example, fans of a team may
mimic the idea of Native Americans as portrayed by the team’s mascot when they dress up as a
Native American at a game. This spreading idea is the basis of a stereotype being perpetuated.
For my project, I created several t-shirt designs advocating against the use of Native
American names and images in sports teams. I chose t-shirts as the medium for expression
because sport’s teams often have merchandise that supports the team. I wanted to twist that idea
of the support for the names and images through their portrayal on the merchandise, and turn it
into a product that subverts the use of the names and images. I wanted argue against using both
names and the images so I created one t-shirt for mascots and another for names. I also created a
culture jam of the Redskin’s logo.
References
Drazner-Hoyt, K. (2015 a). Cultural Analysis: Race, Ethnicity, Nationality, and Religion in
Media [Presentation slides]. comminpopculturefall2015.blogspot.com. Retrieved from:
http://comminpopculturefall2015.blogspot.com/2015_10_01_archive.html
Drazner-Hoyt, K. (2015 b). Memes: Spreadable Culture [Presentation slides].
comminpopculturefall2015.blogspot.com. Retrieved from:
http://comminpopculturefall2015.blogspot.com/2015/10/memes-spreadable-culture.html
Kaylie - Final Project
Website: http://kewalsh.wix.com/pgps
On a daily basis, we assume people’s preferred gender pronouns (PGPs), which in most
casual conversations may not seem like a big deal. However, to transgender, genderqueer, and
other non-binary individuals, it is. Gender non-conforming and trans* people face disrespect that
stems from ignorance on a daily basis. Many people feel uncomfortable or even unsafe
disclosing their true PGPs outside of designated safe spaces. If people knew more about gender,
even the basics like PGPs, trans* people would experience less prejudice and less violence.
According to TSER, 80% of trans students feel unsafe at school because of their gender
expression, 58.7% of gender non-conforming students endured verbal harassment, and 49% of
trans students reported physical abuse (2015). These statistics show that trans people have to
navigate environments that are often incredible hostile towards them. Far from PGPs, trans youth
have to worry about verbal and physical violence, rejection from their families, and isolation
from their friends and peers. With that said, asking someone’s PGP is the first small step toward
creating a safe, honest space for trans and gender non-conforming people in their daily life.
We live in a heteronormative culture where 1- we assume that everyone we meet is either
male or female based on their appearance 2- that identity is synonymous with their genitalia 3-
that everyone is attracted to the “opposite” sex. By assuming cis gender hertosexuality is the
norm, heteronormativity, which was discussed in Hoyt’s gender and sexuality presentation,
paints sexual orientations and sexual orientations that diverge from the expected as deviant,
rather than as natural variations in human identity (2015). Hoyt discusses the theory of gender
performativity in her presentation on gender and sexuality as well, a theory that is complicated
because gender is made up but everyone has a right to perform their gender as they see fit
(2015). While gender is a performance, that doesn’t detract from the importance of respecting
people’s PGPs and letting them perform their gender, regardless of how it intersects with their
biological anatomy or expectations of their peers. Additionally, my project seeks to enlighten
people to the fact that gender performance and gender identity do not necessarily coincide with
each other either because someone is not safe to perform their gender how they would like to or
simply because their gender identity is not dependant on their appearance, which is okay too. As
we talked about in class, the gender binary is insidious in even our media like advertisements
(2015). A commercial never has someone that has someone who is gender non-conforming; the
gender of media personas are always fit with what we would assume. And when there is a
“gender surprise” it is for a comedic relief rather than an opportunity to demonstrate that gender
is an internal quality that must be shared before being assumed.
Something that is almost never addressed in everyday human interactions, gender
pronouns are generally assumed and can be a bizarre or uncomfortable topic for some to discuss.
The more routine we portray PGP disclosure to be, the more safe cis-dominated spaces will
become. To ask someone’s PGPs when meeting them isn’t asking people for very much; in fact
it is a small, easy act of consideration that on the individual level protects a person’s identity and
on a larger scale affirms the validity of trans* people to live freely and safely in society.
Works Cited:
Hoyt, K. D. (2015). Gender and Sexuality [Emaze slides]. Retrieved from:
https://www.emaze.com/@ALLOIWII/gender--sexuality-in-the-media
Why Trans People Need More Visibility. (2015). Retrieved November 22, 2015, from
http://www.transstudent.org/transvisibility
On a daily basis, we assume people’s preferred gender pronouns (PGPs), which in most
casual conversations may not seem like a big deal. However, to transgender, genderqueer, and
other non-binary individuals, it is. Gender non-conforming and trans* people face disrespect that
stems from ignorance on a daily basis. Many people feel uncomfortable or even unsafe
disclosing their true PGPs outside of designated safe spaces. If people knew more about gender,
even the basics like PGPs, trans* people would experience less prejudice and less violence.
According to TSER, 80% of trans students feel unsafe at school because of their gender
expression, 58.7% of gender non-conforming students endured verbal harassment, and 49% of
trans students reported physical abuse (2015). These statistics show that trans people have to
navigate environments that are often incredible hostile towards them. Far from PGPs, trans youth
have to worry about verbal and physical violence, rejection from their families, and isolation
from their friends and peers. With that said, asking someone’s PGP is the first small step toward
creating a safe, honest space for trans and gender non-conforming people in their daily life.
We live in a heteronormative culture where 1- we assume that everyone we meet is either
male or female based on their appearance 2- that identity is synonymous with their genitalia 3-
that everyone is attracted to the “opposite” sex. By assuming cis gender hertosexuality is the
norm, heteronormativity, which was discussed in Hoyt’s gender and sexuality presentation,
paints sexual orientations and sexual orientations that diverge from the expected as deviant,
rather than as natural variations in human identity (2015). Hoyt discusses the theory of gender
performativity in her presentation on gender and sexuality as well, a theory that is complicated
because gender is made up but everyone has a right to perform their gender as they see fit
(2015). While gender is a performance, that doesn’t detract from the importance of respecting
people’s PGPs and letting them perform their gender, regardless of how it intersects with their
biological anatomy or expectations of their peers. Additionally, my project seeks to enlighten
people to the fact that gender performance and gender identity do not necessarily coincide with
each other either because someone is not safe to perform their gender how they would like to or
simply because their gender identity is not dependant on their appearance, which is okay too. As
we talked about in class, the gender binary is insidious in even our media like advertisements
(2015). A commercial never has someone that has someone who is gender non-conforming; the
gender of media personas are always fit with what we would assume. And when there is a
“gender surprise” it is for a comedic relief rather than an opportunity to demonstrate that gender
is an internal quality that must be shared before being assumed.
Something that is almost never addressed in everyday human interactions, gender
pronouns are generally assumed and can be a bizarre or uncomfortable topic for some to discuss.
The more routine we portray PGP disclosure to be, the more safe cis-dominated spaces will
become. To ask someone’s PGPs when meeting them isn’t asking people for very much; in fact
it is a small, easy act of consideration that on the individual level protects a person’s identity and
on a larger scale affirms the validity of trans* people to live freely and safely in society.
Works Cited:
Hoyt, K. D. (2015). Gender and Sexuality [Emaze slides]. Retrieved from:
https://www.emaze.com/@ALLOIWII/gender--sexuality-in-the-media
Why Trans People Need More Visibility. (2015). Retrieved November 22, 2015, from
http://www.transstudent.org/transvisibility
Sal - Final Project
Bullying has been an issue that has plagued my own life and those of close friends, and what becomes the biggest struggle for me is what comes after. The internal conflict, the torment, and the simple nature that believing that being dead is the easiest way to stop the pain. Therefore, I felt like seizing the moment to deliver my own message. A message that is both expressive of my own internal conflict juxtaposed with the concept that life is really not that bad. A guided element of disjointed thoughts, by ending a thought abruptly, but coming back to the piece with something positive adds to the element of self doubt. With the incorporation of some transmedia, emotional affect with music based on some sort of instrumental score, and mocking the traditional script portrayed in modern media, I will deliver my message through spoken word. Through all of this I challenge the normalization that we have begun to create, and hopefully will force and urge individuals to break down the notions surrounding bullying and misconceptions of suicide. After all, we are all human, and we make mistakes, but one mistake easily avoidable is knowing when to bite your tongue and keep your mouth shut. Using two articles published by Karen Walden and Karen Knight and campaigns started on both Facebook and Twitter, I will be able to tell my story and the silent story of so many others afraid to speak up. Ultimately encapsulating the message that being kind to one another well end this silent plagued of suicide in direct adherence to holding each other up and bolster true, honest friendship.
Emma - Final Project
(click for full resolution)
This piece was created using a female mannequin as well as a collage made up of
magazine clippings and print advertisements of women. The purpose of this piece is to critique
the way women are shown in the media, especially in advertisements and how this can have a
negative effect on media viewers. Multiple studies have also examined this idea and found the
hyper sexuality of women in the media to be negative, “the frequency of sexualized images of
women in popular media, combined with the extreme intensity of their sexualization, to be
cause for concern,” says Erin Hatton a professor of sociology who has performed studies on this
subject. This art piece also hopes to draw attention to the sexuality that we are often blind to,
drawing attention to this can increase the viewers’ media literacy of female sexualization in the
media. The piece also uses remix, by taking multiple unrelated sources to prove a point about
the way we are portraying women especially more recently, “15 percent of ads studied used
sex as a selling point in 1983. That percentage grew to 27 percent in 2003,” says a study by Tom
Reichert. Overall this piece of art is attempting to show the emphasis we put of female sexuality
in the media and how that can affect the way everyone views women.
Resources
Donovan, P. (2011, August 10). Study finds marked rise in intensely sexualized images of
women, not men University of Buffalo. Retrieved from
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2011/08/12769.html
Mulvey, J. (2012, June 7). Why sex sells… more than ever. Retrieves from
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2649-sex-sells-more.html
Jessica - Final Project
My activist media project is a Tumblr blog (fitsposucks.tumblr.com) that uses the methods of reblogging and creating original posts in order to criticize the fitspo industry for the damaging effects that fitspo images have on women's self-esteem. Tumblr is a great medium to use to make an activist media statement because it allows for both images and words to be included in posts, so I can show fitspo images and add my own commentary to them.
Fitspo, short for "fitspiration," is a collection of images and quotes that are designed to motivate women to work out and get fit. It is clear through a large amount of anecdotal evidence present on the internet that fitspo images create pressure in the minds of women to look perfect and guilt in women when they don't fit the mold represented in the images.
In researching the topic, I learned that fitspo is centered mainly around the female gender and I found it interesting that there weren't many males featured in the images (Kneeland). Using Tumblr allowed me to participate in writing pop culture instead of simply reading it. In addition, it also allows me to demonstrate and develop media literacy by viewing pop culture and fitspo through a critical lens.
"Fitspo Sucks: 5 Reasons Photos of Hot Women, Catchy Slogans Are Awful." Jessi Kneeland. 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Fitspo, short for "fitspiration," is a collection of images and quotes that are designed to motivate women to work out and get fit. It is clear through a large amount of anecdotal evidence present on the internet that fitspo images create pressure in the minds of women to look perfect and guilt in women when they don't fit the mold represented in the images.
In researching the topic, I learned that fitspo is centered mainly around the female gender and I found it interesting that there weren't many males featured in the images (Kneeland). Using Tumblr allowed me to participate in writing pop culture instead of simply reading it. In addition, it also allows me to demonstrate and develop media literacy by viewing pop culture and fitspo through a critical lens.
"Fitspo Sucks: 5 Reasons Photos of Hot Women, Catchy Slogans Are Awful." Jessi Kneeland. 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Lily - Final Project
While it is true that there is more representation of different sexual preferences in the entertainment media, the representation of bisexuality is still seriously lacking. For some reason completely unknown to me, bisexuality has been seen as a threat to most heteronormative narratives that we have seen throughout time on mainstream entertainment media. It is important to note that while the depiction of bisexuality in entertainment media has increased, the quality of these depictions is poor and harmful. These misrepresentations are problematic because they reaffirm the stereotypes that marginalize bi-identifying people in both the straight and queer communities.
Popular culture, specifically mainstream entertainment media, perpetuates a culture that reinforces negative bisexual stereotypes. This in turn invalidates bisexuality as a normal and healthy sexual orientation and contributes to negative feelings toward those who do identify as bisexual. According to CBSNeews, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh said, “Bisexual men and women face prejudice, stigma, and discrimination from both heterosexual and homosexual people,” and “Men who identified as heterosexual were three times more likely to consider bisexuality ‘not a legitimate sexual orientation.”’ I believe this is largely due to the reinforced stereotypes of bisexuals portrayed in the overwhelming amount of media we consume daily as a society.
Due to my need to physically work with an artist medium and my inexperience with most media tools, I chose to make a collage. My collage features large images of characters from popular TV shows and movies whose characters identify as bisexual or are depicted as being such and who reinforce these sterotypes. My collage also features famous celebrities who have come out as identifying as bisexul and faced prejudice. Making a physical object such as this collage allowed me to produce my project on a larger scale, which I believe contributes to its impact. In the margins surrounding my images I have written the hashtag #BiIsNotAStereotype along with several other hashtags. I chose to do this because of the overwhelming impact social media has on people today, especially my generation. This hashtag is an instantly recognizable tool used to get a message across using very few words that can connect hundreds of thousands of people in a conversation pertaining to a serious issue such as this.
By creating this work I hoped to spark a realization that these stereotypes do exist and are in direct correlation to how bi-identifying individuals are presented in the mainstream entertainment media we are constantly consuming without much critical thought. In a generation who is making strides to deflect from this idea of “binaries,” I believe this issue is important because it would allow us to recognize that sexuality is even more complex and fluid than we ever could have imagined and however one wants to identify themselves is healthy and valid. The recognition that this is an issue is the first step towards actually changing this misrepresentation.
MG - Final Project
Summary:
For my final project I chose to take a closer of look at the sexualization of female children focusing on dolls marketed to toddlers and pre-pubescent girls. The dolls currently on the market are not reflective of what an actual female child looks like and are also hyper-sexualized. From the manner of the dolls dress, features, and even their ‘biography’ there is a sexual element that is not beneficial for young girls to be inundated with. These dolls promote unhealthy body images and seem to promote the vapid female stereotype as well.
Thesis:
I argue that these dolls are detrimental to the development of young girls since they instill unrealistic standards. Additionally these dolls normalize the sexualization of children, which is obviously abhorrent. There needs to be awareness on the effects the dolls can have on young children.
Vision:
I chose to make a physical media artifact for my project. I used a Bratz Doll, one of the most popular dolls in the United States and then placed her in a diorama that was based off the prostitutes in the windows in Amsterdam’s red light district. I created a price list for various sex acts and juxtaposed it against some of the more juvenile elements of the doll’s packaging. I also altered the dolls ‘biography’ to be somewhat more sexual as well; however, somewhat disgustingly I only had to change/add about six to eight aspects of it to accomplish this.
For my final project I chose to take a closer of look at the sexualization of female children focusing on dolls marketed to toddlers and pre-pubescent girls. The dolls currently on the market are not reflective of what an actual female child looks like and are also hyper-sexualized. From the manner of the dolls dress, features, and even their ‘biography’ there is a sexual element that is not beneficial for young girls to be inundated with. These dolls promote unhealthy body images and seem to promote the vapid female stereotype as well.
Thesis:
I argue that these dolls are detrimental to the development of young girls since they instill unrealistic standards. Additionally these dolls normalize the sexualization of children, which is obviously abhorrent. There needs to be awareness on the effects the dolls can have on young children.
Vision:
I chose to make a physical media artifact for my project. I used a Bratz Doll, one of the most popular dolls in the United States and then placed her in a diorama that was based off the prostitutes in the windows in Amsterdam’s red light district. I created a price list for various sex acts and juxtaposed it against some of the more juvenile elements of the doll’s packaging. I also altered the dolls ‘biography’ to be somewhat more sexual as well; however, somewhat disgustingly I only had to change/add about six to eight aspects of it to accomplish this.
Ryoma - Final Project
For my final project I decided to research and analyze something that was significant
to me in popular culture which are hashtags. I have never seen such a tool bring millions of
people together on social media through the use of certain words or phrases. For my thesis,
I am making the argument that hashtags are an important part of social media because it
brings to it an aspect of individuals having the ability to come up with words and phrases to
bring together a group of similarly like-minded people to market product or identify social
problems. For my artistic approach I decided to scour the internet and find 9 hashtags that I
think changed the world or united communities to take action on a particular matter1. With
these 9 hashtags I found pictures that were associated with the hashtags and created a 3x3
picture frame. My project incorporates a few concepts that we learned in class which include
citizen journalism, normalization, and social sphere. I believe citizen journalism has a
significant role in hashtags created for social justice issues because usually if groups of
people are being united by a hashtag such as #IceBucketChallenge it’s because the main
media is not doing its job of accurately and unbiasedly presenting the news. Frequently, the
main media does not fairly and equally portray victims the same because of race, nationality, ethnicity, or religion. Which leads me into another concept from class that I have
incorporated into my project which is normalization. Social relations between individuals
start to become normal because of ideology which makes established relationships of power
appear to be the natural order of things. This has started to frustrate black people in
particular because they would be portrayed very negatively in the news as a victim and
suspect when white people don’t get the same treatment which lead to hashtags such as
#BlackLivesMatter and #IfTheyGunnedMeDown. Lastly, I see the concept of social sphere to
have a role because hashtags give individuals power to come together and freely discuss
issues that are societal problems, and through it influence political action. Overall, I had a
great time making the media artifact because I was able to go back and find hashtags that
defined periods of time in the last couple years. I was able to analyze the importance of these
hashtags not just to society but the effect it had on mass media and social media.
1 Taurianen, J. (2015, March 20). 8 Hashtags that changed the world (thus far). Retrieved
November 15, 2015, from
http://www.hlntv.com/article/2015/03/20/hashtags-changed-world-
thus-far
Grasso, C. (2014, December 29). 10 Powerful Hashtag Campaigns of 2014, Because It Was A
Busy Year For Social Justice And Social Media. Retrieved November 15, 2015, from
http://www.bustle.com/articles/55806-10-powerful-hashtag-campaigns-of-2014-because-it-was-
a-busy-year-for-social-justice-and
Adam - Final Project
For my final activist media project I have decided to take a stand on why college athletes
should be paid for playing their respected sports. To show my stance I have decided to make a
slogan saying, “We Play, You Pay”. I will place this on shirts and as well as a hashtag for all
media platforms. This idea came to me from the warmup shirts that NBA players were wearing
last year. Seeing how these high profile athletes wearing these shirts trying to get their message
through, a way I thought this could be a good idea for me as well to get my message across as
effectively. So I plan on creating this slogan as hashtag for all social media platforms in hopes
that it will get my message to a wider crowd. The primary social media platform I plan on using
is twitter. I plan on sending a tweet to professional athletes in the world with explaining what the
meaning behind the hashtag and how I believe college athletes should be paid. Doing this I hope
the athletes will retweet my tweet and therefor spreading my hashtag and stance across the
country.
The vision of my final topic in creating this hashtag or slogan, #WEPLAYOUPAY, was
to argue that college athletes deserves to be paid a sum of money. I think they should because a
college athletes schedule there is little time for them to have jobs to earn money for things that
they may need. Some may argue that being on a scholarship is enough, but in my opinion is not.
I would like to see a regular student to have one semester or quarter of a college athletes
schedule and see how much extra time they have to have a job to earn a little extra money. They
will find out quickly that it is almost impossible with practice, traveling and keeping up with
your school work to have a job.
The first concept that comes to mind from what we have covered in class this fall is
participatory culture. Participatory culture is another way of framing the read and write culture.
It is the applied production of a form of published media. Since twitter is a source of the read and
write culture and a place for people to publish their own media, I figured my media activist
project fits with this term because having others retweet it and therefor spreading the message of
college athletes being paid. There for is see this being the most beneficial way for me to get my
point across.
The second term that my project correlates with is remediation. Remediation as defined
in class is a source of visual media that achieves cultural significances by refashioning earlier
media ideas. This term correlates with my final project because I’m taking an idea that got a very
sad message to their intended audience effectively as shown by the NBA players. Therefore
seeing the effectiveness of the NBA player’s shirts, I thought having this slogan on a shirt and on
all types of media platforms will help my cause. As well who doesn’t love shirts that have a
purposeful message on it?!
The last term that best associates with my project is Cult Media. This is because Cult
Media is devoted to all media platforms as a source for sharing important ideas and as well
producing new culture. I feel my activist media project fits this term because once it is out in the
world, people are free to add to my case of why college athletes deserve to be paid. As well with
my activist media project it adds to the little coverage regarding this issue and hopefully will add
more to the reason why college athletes deserve to be paid.
should be paid for playing their respected sports. To show my stance I have decided to make a
slogan saying, “We Play, You Pay”. I will place this on shirts and as well as a hashtag for all
media platforms. This idea came to me from the warmup shirts that NBA players were wearing
last year. Seeing how these high profile athletes wearing these shirts trying to get their message
through, a way I thought this could be a good idea for me as well to get my message across as
effectively. So I plan on creating this slogan as hashtag for all social media platforms in hopes
that it will get my message to a wider crowd. The primary social media platform I plan on using
is twitter. I plan on sending a tweet to professional athletes in the world with explaining what the
meaning behind the hashtag and how I believe college athletes should be paid. Doing this I hope
the athletes will retweet my tweet and therefor spreading my hashtag and stance across the
country.
The vision of my final topic in creating this hashtag or slogan, #WEPLAYOUPAY, was
to argue that college athletes deserves to be paid a sum of money. I think they should because a
college athletes schedule there is little time for them to have jobs to earn money for things that
they may need. Some may argue that being on a scholarship is enough, but in my opinion is not.
I would like to see a regular student to have one semester or quarter of a college athletes
schedule and see how much extra time they have to have a job to earn a little extra money. They
will find out quickly that it is almost impossible with practice, traveling and keeping up with
your school work to have a job.
The first concept that comes to mind from what we have covered in class this fall is
participatory culture. Participatory culture is another way of framing the read and write culture.
It is the applied production of a form of published media. Since twitter is a source of the read and
write culture and a place for people to publish their own media, I figured my media activist
project fits with this term because having others retweet it and therefor spreading the message of
college athletes being paid. There for is see this being the most beneficial way for me to get my
point across.
The second term that my project correlates with is remediation. Remediation as defined
in class is a source of visual media that achieves cultural significances by refashioning earlier
media ideas. This term correlates with my final project because I’m taking an idea that got a very
sad message to their intended audience effectively as shown by the NBA players. Therefore
seeing the effectiveness of the NBA player’s shirts, I thought having this slogan on a shirt and on
all types of media platforms will help my cause. As well who doesn’t love shirts that have a
purposeful message on it?!
The last term that best associates with my project is Cult Media. This is because Cult
Media is devoted to all media platforms as a source for sharing important ideas and as well
producing new culture. I feel my activist media project fits this term because once it is out in the
world, people are free to add to my case of why college athletes deserve to be paid. As well with
my activist media project it adds to the little coverage regarding this issue and hopefully will add
more to the reason why college athletes deserve to be paid.
Rob - Final Project
When I started this project, I thought I wanted to go in a
completely different direction. However, while hunting for video’s
for the other idea, I came across the Sarah McLachlan video on a
website, and instantly had my idea. I instantly knew that I really
wanted to change the video, and “queer” it up a bit.
In class we talked about how the media shapes gender roles, and
how the media reinforces those roles. However in my presentation
I tried to use gender roles in a different way, and go for shock
value, as absolutely no one is expecting my voice to come out of
Sarah McLachlan’s mouth. I hope that the shock of my voice will
intrigue and entice my audience into listening what my commercial
is about. Also, the juxtaposition of my voice on Sarah’s face
creates a different form of commercial, one that people are not as
used to seeing. By queering up the video, a new, different type of
argument is formed.
I also tried tapping into the attention economy idea a bit. I did
my best to make my commercial interesting and attention
grabbing by using the faces of famous politicians in the video, and
starting my commercial with a very intense, attention-grabbing
headline. I also tried to use a well-known commercial so that
people would be intrigued and watch. Also, as I mentioned above,
I tired to go for a little bit of shock value, in order to really capture
the attention of my viewers.
Additionally, I tried to tap into the idea’s we discussed about remix
in class. I took a well-known, well-parodied video and made
something completely unseen before, which to be honest feels
pretty neat. This video has been parodied by SNL and countless
other comedy shows, but that is exactly why I chose to use it; the
video and the content of the video are extremely well known. It is
much easier to make an argument through a remix if your
audience knows the original video. I also tried to follow a similar
format to the original video. I did this to maximize my own
arguments ethos; by making the internet seem weak and easily
attacked, I make my own argument (that we need to defend the
internet) even stronger.
Sources Cited:
Sarah McLachlan SPCA Commercial. (2008, November6). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO9d2PpP7tQ
References
Cruz, T. (2014, November 10). "net neutrality" [Photo and Caption
]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/tedcruzpage/posts/1015283935592246
4 Liebelson, D. (2014, December 4). Rand Paul Opposes Net
Neutrality Rules: 'I Don't Want To See Regulation Of The
Internet'. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/02/rand-paul-net-
neutrality_n_6256368.html
Finley, K. (2015, July 31). ISPs Unload Their Case Against Net
Neutrality Rules | WIRED. Retrieved from
http://www.wired.com/2015/07/isps-unload-case-net-neutrality-
rules/
Knutson, R., & Gryta, T. (2015, April 2). Telecoms Are Readying
Their Fight Against Net Neutrality - WSJ. Retrieved from
http://www.wsj.com/articles/telecoms-are-readying-their-fight-
against-net-neutrality-1428017027
Chase - Final Project
Social media has become embedded in our everyday lives and has largely impacted our perceptions, understandings, and construction of meanings and general view of reality or the world. Social media has also changed relationships in a great way. It has both influenced people in positive and negative ways. It has allowed people to meet, keep in touch, and communicate wherever and whenever they want. It is important for one to explore the downfalls of social media, as it can be a platform for negative things to surface in ones life. People are constantly ruining their friendships and relationships because of things they may have said or things they may have done that they thought were hidden. Everything and anything can go viral these days. I personally chose to focus on social media in romantic relationships. More specifically, how social media can impact people’s insecurities and secrets. For instance, how watching a Snapchat video of your bf hanging out with another girl can cause the other relational partner to question the relationship.
I chose to make a video for my project, which specifically explored the problems with social media and how things can go from being supposedly a secret to getting them in trouble. In this specific scenario, the guy was caught being with another girl at a party because someone took a clip and put it on social media (Snapchat). Key concepts I cover are how culture values are being shaped by the advancement of technology, how the Internet age affects relationships, and the idea of false persuasion due to social media.
Max - Final Project
Prezi Link: https://prezi.com/hzekabcstzmd/edit/#39_95982358
My final activist media hits on a few class topics in particular. First off,
mimicry can be seen through my comics that mimic the humans’ actions. It portrays
their neglect and ignorance they have towards the effects their actions have.
Rhetoric is very evident in my dialogue that is arguing for humans to consider their
impact on coral bleaching by causing climate change and messing with coral. As with
any argument there are various sides to the topic and demands discussion. Lastly,
Scopophilia is very relevant as people go diving and snorkeling because they enjoy
see fish and beautiful coral. My activist media project not only relates to topics
discussed in class but clearly extracts from the overall concept of the class as seen
by portraying the significance of coral bleaching (communication) through various
media platforms such as the news, articles, pictures, videos and social media (pop
culture as we know it). Weather and climate plays a vital role in the world, as we know it and the
livelihood of all of Earth’s organisms. It categorizes areas by their environment type,
produce, and often times their industries, recreational activities and economy as a
whole. Our history reminds us of the power weather has over all species on earth.
This power is is evident through weather patterns such as drought, floods, tsunamis,
earthquakes, ice ages, and perhaps most importantly climate change.
Climate change is a topic that is relatively new (last few decades) that has
been heavily researched, debated and analyzed. Data and increases in volume and
severity of many of the weather formations mentioned above clearly show that
climate change is occurring. One clear example of climate change is the overall
average increase in the global oceanic water temperatures. The increase in
temperature is causing coral bleaching. The coral expels algae that give them their
nutrients and color, which causes them to turn white. When this happens the coral
becomes more susceptible bacterial diseases. This is very problematic as reefs are
home to twenty five percent of all oceanic life (NOAA video). The loss of reefs can
have huge impacts on fishing and tourism industries and thus large, which causes
both unemployment and financial loss. Additionally, the decrease in the supply of
fish will leave a hole in the food market that needs to be fulfilled with the increase in
production of other foods. This can also cause some people to starve and die as they
rely on the ocean for their food. The long term effects of coral bleaching and reef die
off could be much more severe.
It is important that humans work together and devote time, money and
energy towards the prevention of coral bleaching and saving the world’s reefs. We
need to act now and engage more people in the cause by educating them on the
issue at hand. As climate change is at the heart of the issue, it is crucial that humans
try to reduce their overall carbon footprint. This involves reducing both carbon
emissions and green house gases. While long-term solutions are not yet available, I
encourage each person to try and reduce their carbon footprint. Simply and common sense actions such as not touching coral when diving, driving less, and
changing the lights in your home to energy saving lights can make a difference.
Climate change is the biggest contributor to coral bleaching and thus figuring out a way
to combat it is going to be the best chance humans have in terms of saving our coral reefs.
Preservation and sustainability are the most important aspects of a resource or species. It
would be great if the issue went viral because then there would be a better chance of the
discovery of more permanent solutions that would have a bigger impact on the prevention
of coral bleaching. In conclusion, hopefully the issue continues to spread across the world
through various media platforms and people become educated on the topic and the
collaboration of ideas causes the discovery of a permanent solution.
Works Cited
NOAA warns of global “coral bleaching” (You Tube). (2015). CBS Evening News.
<
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxzsG4W8IAU>.
My final activist media hits on a few class topics in particular. First off,
mimicry can be seen through my comics that mimic the humans’ actions. It portrays
their neglect and ignorance they have towards the effects their actions have.
Rhetoric is very evident in my dialogue that is arguing for humans to consider their
impact on coral bleaching by causing climate change and messing with coral. As with
any argument there are various sides to the topic and demands discussion. Lastly,
Scopophilia is very relevant as people go diving and snorkeling because they enjoy
see fish and beautiful coral. My activist media project not only relates to topics
discussed in class but clearly extracts from the overall concept of the class as seen
by portraying the significance of coral bleaching (communication) through various
media platforms such as the news, articles, pictures, videos and social media (pop
culture as we know it). Weather and climate plays a vital role in the world, as we know it and the
livelihood of all of Earth’s organisms. It categorizes areas by their environment type,
produce, and often times their industries, recreational activities and economy as a
whole. Our history reminds us of the power weather has over all species on earth.
This power is is evident through weather patterns such as drought, floods, tsunamis,
earthquakes, ice ages, and perhaps most importantly climate change.
Climate change is a topic that is relatively new (last few decades) that has
been heavily researched, debated and analyzed. Data and increases in volume and
severity of many of the weather formations mentioned above clearly show that
climate change is occurring. One clear example of climate change is the overall
average increase in the global oceanic water temperatures. The increase in
temperature is causing coral bleaching. The coral expels algae that give them their
nutrients and color, which causes them to turn white. When this happens the coral
becomes more susceptible bacterial diseases. This is very problematic as reefs are
home to twenty five percent of all oceanic life (NOAA video). The loss of reefs can
have huge impacts on fishing and tourism industries and thus large, which causes
both unemployment and financial loss. Additionally, the decrease in the supply of
fish will leave a hole in the food market that needs to be fulfilled with the increase in
production of other foods. This can also cause some people to starve and die as they
rely on the ocean for their food. The long term effects of coral bleaching and reef die
off could be much more severe.
It is important that humans work together and devote time, money and
energy towards the prevention of coral bleaching and saving the world’s reefs. We
need to act now and engage more people in the cause by educating them on the
issue at hand. As climate change is at the heart of the issue, it is crucial that humans
try to reduce their overall carbon footprint. This involves reducing both carbon
emissions and green house gases. While long-term solutions are not yet available, I
encourage each person to try and reduce their carbon footprint. Simply and common sense actions such as not touching coral when diving, driving less, and
changing the lights in your home to energy saving lights can make a difference.
Climate change is the biggest contributor to coral bleaching and thus figuring out a way
to combat it is going to be the best chance humans have in terms of saving our coral reefs.
Preservation and sustainability are the most important aspects of a resource or species. It
would be great if the issue went viral because then there would be a better chance of the
discovery of more permanent solutions that would have a bigger impact on the prevention
of coral bleaching. In conclusion, hopefully the issue continues to spread across the world
through various media platforms and people become educated on the topic and the
collaboration of ideas causes the discovery of a permanent solution.
Works Cited
NOAA warns of global “coral bleaching” (You Tube). (2015). CBS Evening News.
<
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxzsG4W8IAU>.
Troy - Final Project
In this activist media production of a parody/spoof you can see a good basis of my argument and really get a clear picture of how the media is influencing the public’s wants/needs or what they think they want/need. This is really part of cultural hegemony that we talked about in class. With the media really shaping the culture and way the public reacts to news. In the sports world, news usually means scores and results, but today the media has made that include scandals and really the personal life of athletes. Having said that I know that other media covers the personal lives of athletes but news sources, such as ESPN in the sports world, used to mainly stick to scores and updates but really focus on both personal and on field play now a days. Another main concept covered is the idea of the attention economy and for example in the tweeting world it is the media’s job to bring in views in a short amount of time. This is seen when they use scandals to bring attention to their website in order to generate more traffic and therefore more views on all news products and not just that scandal. That really is a part of today’s media but the lengths the media goes to in order to bring in that traffic is what my stance is against. The media needs to keep the sports scandals more involved in today’s news and more focused on sports rather than everything that that player has ever done in their life just to bring in attention. This spoof really outlines a reality of press conference that one would expect with a little parody and going overboard, but the main point is the lengths of which the media tries to go personal rather than professional.
Works Cited
Gilbert, J. (2011, September 23). Scandals challenge sports reporters to look beyond the field of play. Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/146702/scandals-challenge-sports-reporters-to-look-beyond-the-field-of-play/
Hoyt, K. (2015, October 27). Comm in Pop Culture Fall 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015, from http://comminpopculturefall2015.blogspot.com/
Jacobs, B. (2015, June 13). Why sports scandals are so mesmerizing. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article23954026.html
Leondis, C. (2014, September 29). 10 SuperStar Athletes Involved in Major Scandals. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/11-famous-athletes-involved-major-scandal/
The Pga Tour Prohibited Substances and Methods List. (2013, September 1). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://usga.org/uploadedFiles/2014-2015 Anti-Doping Manual.pdf
Savanna - Final Project
Advertising has the evil capability to shape the minds and form the
perceptions of reality to result in financial success for corporations. One of the more
controversial aspects of this occurrence is the marketing tactic of exploiting
insecurities. This attack further reinforces in the consumer a need to buy a product
to “fix” themselves., and thus insecurities are preserved and corporations are
flooded with money to keep the cycle going. Recent trends in popular culture
include the concept of “health” worship. At its base this practice seems like a
wholesome valuation of eating right and exercising. However this cultish obsession
has resulted in the creation of a new eating disorder (not yet recognized in the
medical field): Orthorexia. Orthorexia, “a term coined by Dr. Steven Bratman in
1997”( McNiely)where its victims perpetuate the health fad to extremes, which
include but are not limited to: food restriction, overcompensation with exercise, and
elimination of certain foods from the diet altogether for fear of weight gain. The final
artifact displays the marred vision an individual with Orthorexia will see when
given advertisements and articles from a popular “health” magazine: Women’s
Health. Through the harmful thoughts when looking through the lens of an
individual with this disorder, one can better understand the daily hardships that
present itself through this lens, and how each extra representation of “perfect
health” in the media adds a harmful consideration to Orthorexia’s grasp. It is no
secret that the advertising industry thrives off of the commodification of insecurity
in women, however the newest front from these agencies strictly defines the diet
and exercise regimes women “ought to be” following to insure perfection-thus
resulting in a new form of eating disorders: Orthorexia.
Works Cited:
McNiely, Claudia. "When Does 'Eating Clean' Become an Eating
Disorder? | Broadly." Broadly RSS. Vice, 3 Nov. 2015. Web. 22
Nov. 2015.
<https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/orthorexia-
eating-clean-eating-disorder>.
Aleana - Final Project
BLOG LINK:
http://fightforyourrighttotumble.tumblr.com/
ARTIST STATEMENT:
When asked to produce an activist media artifact that takes a stance on a pressing social,
political and/or cultural issue, I immediately thought of Tumblr. Tumblr is a social media site
that is chock full of activism due to its anonymous nature. Unlike other social media websites,
users on Tumblr can choose to only be known by their blog username, and not their real world
identity. This creates a social media environment in which users feel free to speak their minds on
issues, creating the activist culture of Tumblr. The culture of Tumblr is incredibly unique and
liberal, and blog posts of the encouragement of social change and betterment of society are
relevant in almost every blog on the site. Feminism something that is greatly blogged about on
Tumblr, as it is a pressing social, cultural and political issue in today’s society.
There are many class concepts addressed in the blog I made for this project. The beauty
myth is the first topic conveyed. The beauty myth is the idea that beauty is not something we
innately recognize, it is simply a social construct that we all buy into. The media facilitates this
construct (Wolf, 1991). The feminist posts on my Tumblr actively cut down this construct,
bringing light to its existence. Most users on Tumblr in my opinion also participate in believing
in Queer Theory. This is an interdisciplinary perspective that seeks to disrupt socially
constructed systems of meaning surrounding human sexuality and relationships in general
(Goldberg). Many Tumblr users’ ‘reblog’ and blog about taking down the social constructs
concerned with gender and gender stereotypes. Some of these posts are shown in my blog.
Tumblr users also participate in discursive construction. This is the idea that the ways people talk
about a topic create the ‘truth’ of the topic. Tumblr cultivates a specific culture and certain ideas
(Ceralvo, 2011). Participants of this social media site all form very similar opinions after seeing
countless posts of that opinion on their ‘dashes’. After a while, the ideas constructed through
discourse on Tumblr regarding feminism and male privilege seem to be seen as fact, and not as a
popular opinion on the site. People then become invested in these ideas and will fight people in
online discourse on these issues.
The blog created for this project encompasses many of the ideas that I have regarding
feminism and societies social constructs. I believe that feminism is something that everyone
should support. The inequality of the sexes is shown in many more ways than society’s typical
stereotypes. Male dominance seeps into every aspect of society whether it is in everyday life, the
work force, or at home. It is important to support equality of the sexes.
References
Wolf, Naomi. 1991. The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. New
York: W. Morrow.
Goldberg, Michael. Queer Theory. University of Washington.
https://faculty.washington.edu/mlg/courses/definitions/queer.htm
Ceralvo, Bianca. 2011. How is Tumblr Culture Different From Twitter?
https://www.quora.com/How-is-Tumblr-culture-different-from-Twitter
http://fightforyourrighttotumble.tumblr.com/
ARTIST STATEMENT:
When asked to produce an activist media artifact that takes a stance on a pressing social,
political and/or cultural issue, I immediately thought of Tumblr. Tumblr is a social media site
that is chock full of activism due to its anonymous nature. Unlike other social media websites,
users on Tumblr can choose to only be known by their blog username, and not their real world
identity. This creates a social media environment in which users feel free to speak their minds on
issues, creating the activist culture of Tumblr. The culture of Tumblr is incredibly unique and
liberal, and blog posts of the encouragement of social change and betterment of society are
relevant in almost every blog on the site. Feminism something that is greatly blogged about on
Tumblr, as it is a pressing social, cultural and political issue in today’s society.
There are many class concepts addressed in the blog I made for this project. The beauty
myth is the first topic conveyed. The beauty myth is the idea that beauty is not something we
innately recognize, it is simply a social construct that we all buy into. The media facilitates this
construct (Wolf, 1991). The feminist posts on my Tumblr actively cut down this construct,
bringing light to its existence. Most users on Tumblr in my opinion also participate in believing
in Queer Theory. This is an interdisciplinary perspective that seeks to disrupt socially
constructed systems of meaning surrounding human sexuality and relationships in general
(Goldberg). Many Tumblr users’ ‘reblog’ and blog about taking down the social constructs
concerned with gender and gender stereotypes. Some of these posts are shown in my blog.
Tumblr users also participate in discursive construction. This is the idea that the ways people talk
about a topic create the ‘truth’ of the topic. Tumblr cultivates a specific culture and certain ideas
(Ceralvo, 2011). Participants of this social media site all form very similar opinions after seeing
countless posts of that opinion on their ‘dashes’. After a while, the ideas constructed through
discourse on Tumblr regarding feminism and male privilege seem to be seen as fact, and not as a
popular opinion on the site. People then become invested in these ideas and will fight people in
online discourse on these issues.
The blog created for this project encompasses many of the ideas that I have regarding
feminism and societies social constructs. I believe that feminism is something that everyone
should support. The inequality of the sexes is shown in many more ways than society’s typical
stereotypes. Male dominance seeps into every aspect of society whether it is in everyday life, the
work force, or at home. It is important to support equality of the sexes.
References
Wolf, Naomi. 1991. The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. New
York: W. Morrow.
Goldberg, Michael. Queer Theory. University of Washington.
https://faculty.washington.edu/mlg/courses/definitions/queer.htm
Ceralvo, Bianca. 2011. How is Tumblr Culture Different From Twitter?
https://www.quora.com/How-is-Tumblr-culture-different-from-Twitter
Ariel - Final Project
Link to project: http://digitalinquisitor.tumblr.com
I believe that there can come into existence some sort of media platform where physical
book lovers and tablet connoisseurs a like and come together and healthily discuss why or why
not they prefer said form of their common interest; reading! This blog will aid in creating or
adding possibilities to this narrative and hopefully provide an outlet where the opposing views
can be met with the best of what the web 2.0 world has to offer. The ability of leaving comments
on these platforms is crucial to the overall growth of the topic I’m exploring for this project. It’s
rather difficult to find a middle ground where both sides of the spectrum are argued and
presented fairly. The comment section in is really the only space where conflicting ideologies are
seen in context with one another in hopes of growth for the medium in question. Thus, I will be
the utilizing the Read/Write culture in my project and allowing for continuation for the hopefully
active participates in convergence culture. This, to me, provides a general outlet where my topic
is accepted, appreciated, and explored further in a fun, interactive way. The two sides of this
conversation are very biased and closed-minded. For example, on the side for e-readers,
Kozlowski (2014) states, “Many readers cite the price of eBooks as one of the primarily aspects
of why they choose to read digitally”. On the opposing side in favor of physical books, as Baron
(2015) states, “Readers are human. If you dangle distractions in front of us (or if we know they
are just a click or swipe away), it’s hard not to take the bait”. There will probably never be a
middle ground here, considering the extremes of both sides. But by allowing said groups of
people can interact with one another through this blog, there could potentially be a proactive and
useful conversation started. The blog will be very user friendly, clearly enabling the active
members to understand the layout, leave as many comments as they like, and ask lots of
questions. As well as incorporating memes for everyone to enjoy and possibly find a common
interest ground.
References
Kozlowski, M. (2014, October 26). EBooks vs Print – The Reasons Why Digital is Better.
Retrieved November 4, 2015, from
http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/the-main-
reasons-why-ebooks-are-better-than-print
Baron, N. (2015, January 15). The case against e-readers: Why reading paper books is better for
your mind. Retrieved November 22, 2015, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/01/12/the-case-against-kindle-why-
reading-paper-books-is-better-for-your-mind-and-body/
I believe that there can come into existence some sort of media platform where physical
book lovers and tablet connoisseurs a like and come together and healthily discuss why or why
not they prefer said form of their common interest; reading! This blog will aid in creating or
adding possibilities to this narrative and hopefully provide an outlet where the opposing views
can be met with the best of what the web 2.0 world has to offer. The ability of leaving comments
on these platforms is crucial to the overall growth of the topic I’m exploring for this project. It’s
rather difficult to find a middle ground where both sides of the spectrum are argued and
presented fairly. The comment section in is really the only space where conflicting ideologies are
seen in context with one another in hopes of growth for the medium in question. Thus, I will be
the utilizing the Read/Write culture in my project and allowing for continuation for the hopefully
active participates in convergence culture. This, to me, provides a general outlet where my topic
is accepted, appreciated, and explored further in a fun, interactive way. The two sides of this
conversation are very biased and closed-minded. For example, on the side for e-readers,
Kozlowski (2014) states, “Many readers cite the price of eBooks as one of the primarily aspects
of why they choose to read digitally”. On the opposing side in favor of physical books, as Baron
(2015) states, “Readers are human. If you dangle distractions in front of us (or if we know they
are just a click or swipe away), it’s hard not to take the bait”. There will probably never be a
middle ground here, considering the extremes of both sides. But by allowing said groups of
people can interact with one another through this blog, there could potentially be a proactive and
useful conversation started. The blog will be very user friendly, clearly enabling the active
members to understand the layout, leave as many comments as they like, and ask lots of
questions. As well as incorporating memes for everyone to enjoy and possibly find a common
interest ground.
References
Kozlowski, M. (2014, October 26). EBooks vs Print – The Reasons Why Digital is Better.
Retrieved November 4, 2015, from
http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/the-main-
reasons-why-ebooks-are-better-than-print
Baron, N. (2015, January 15). The case against e-readers: Why reading paper books is better for
your mind. Retrieved November 22, 2015, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/01/12/the-case-against-kindle-why-
reading-paper-books-is-better-for-your-mind-and-body/
Emily - Final Project
Over the years, American society has evolved into a culture that is heavily
dependent on technology. Today, we are exposed to more media than ever before.
According to article by ABC news, in 2006 the average American spent approximately 5
months out of the year (3,518 hours) intently consuming media. This number has most
likely increased since then. At this rate of consumption, it’s safe to say the media is
certainly playing a role in the practices our society is adopting.
There are very explicit guidelines for gender formalities, sexuality and body
image that are imposed by the media onto its viewers. As a result, our society’s people
(women especially) believe that if they don’t dress a certain way, look a certain way or
weight a certain amount, that their self worth is minimal. As a result, we are constantly
on a quest to augment and alter ourselves in order to meet the standards that our
society bares. This constant pressure and emotional stress of not being good enough can
lead to consequences outside of the social realm such as depression, anxiety, substance
abuse and eating disorders.
I chose to create advocate commercial in regards to this idea because I thought
that it would be the most amusing for my audience. I specifically wanted to outline
(slightly dramatically – for entertainment purposes) the extents that people go to try to
accommodate this societal burden. And some of the rather ridiculous insecurities that
are common among media consumers.
I believe that it is in within our primal desires to be esthetically pleasing and to
receive social acceptance. However, I think that the universal conceptions and
portrayals of beauty are what are causing the harm. In my opinion, beauty should be
unique to each person and reflect everyone’s internal qualities. Nobody is the same, and
as a result, nobody should be comparing themselves and trying to be someone that they
are not. In a perfect world, the media would be (much) more diverse in appearance,
race, size and sexuality. Instead of consistently creating the notion that you have to look
like a size zero Victoria’s Secret model, in order to be worthy, it would encourage
consumers to embrace what inside of them makes them unique and express it. Beauty
should not be a specific image; it should be billions of different images that represent
each person as an individual. I believe that true beauty will never exist in our society
until the media encourages people to stop looking with their eyes and start seeing with
their hearts.
Works Cited
M.D, S. (2006, December 15). Mass Media Exposure. In ABC News. Retrieved November 18,
2015, from
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2727587&page=1
Méndez, J. (2013). Cold. On Silhouettes [Online sound recording]. Retrieved November 18,
2015.
Luke - Final Project
Through my video I am exploring the media’s portrayal of two celebrities against the
public’s perception of the same two celebrities. The media portrays celebrities in all different
ways, focusing on certain aspects of their life and ignoring or leaving out others. I chose to look
at Caitlyn Jenner’s transformation and how it was portrayed in the media. Another star that I
chose to examine was Tom Brady and his involvement with the Deflategate scandal. This
scandal took place during a NFL playoff game between the Patriots and the Colts when Tom
Brady was accused of knowing about a deflated game ball. I interviewed four people, two men
and two women, concerning their personal views, as public participants, on these two celebrities
and their issues. I also considered the bias in the media’s portrayal of Jenner and Brady.
In Communication and Popular Culture we learned how emotions could influence and
persuade peoples perceptions. Caitlyn Jenner and Tom Brady both played on emotions during
their controversies in the media. Specifically, when Kim Kardation talked about Bruce (now
Caitlyn) cross-dressing she played on the audience emotions on the Ellen Show. Kim was
justifying Bruce actions and letting the world know that this is who he really is. Also Kim talked
about how Bruce was cross-dressing in secrecy and had to hide his true identity from everyone
he loved and cared about. This triggers emotions from the viewers; they could disagree or feel
sympathetic.
Tom Brady’s controversy of the deflategate also used emotions to influence the audience
point of view. For example if someone was a supporter of the New England Patriots they would
disagree with the NFL and their diction to severely punish Tom and the rest of the team.
Additionally football fans might be persuaded by their emotions when learning about how the
NFL responds to potential cheating. Depending on a person’s favorite team they may have positive or negative emotions associated with the deflategate controversy.
In class we discussed how media and the news are influenced as a networking tool in this
current technological age. Due to both Caitlyn and Tom’s life updates, they have both been all
over the news and social media sights. Caitlyn has had several articles in magazines about her
gender transformation and has been on countless talk shows including Ellen and Diane Sawyer.
On the same note Tom Brady and his involvement with the deflategate scandal was heavily
discussed on networks such as ESPN and Sports Center. In this current time period when society
relies heavily on technology the social media networks are responsible for constantly updating
their information and keeping society up to date.
The last course concept is gender and sexuality. This idea can be used to talk about
Caitlyn and Tom Brady. Caitlyn’s gender transformation was heavily discussed in all different
media platforms because society felt in the need to classify her into a gender category. Caitlyn
identifies as a female, and dresses to support that. Tom Brady’s gender was not discussed during
this controversy, but he is a male, he’s a professional athlete, strong, masculine and a father, but
often associated with several female traits such as being a “pretty boy” a model attractive and
very clean cut. All in all social media plays on both Caitlyn and toms gender identities.
References
E. (2015, September 10). ESPN First Take Richard Sherman Statement on Tom Brady's
Deflategate Ruling. Retrieved November 18, 2015, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moKaq_CetVA
T. (2015, September 30). Kim on Caitlyn Jenner. Retrieved November 18, 2015, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX05yYc-9k8
Monique - Final Project
Photo shop is deadly. It has the power to negatively affect our society in exponential ways. Photo shop is responsible for the spike in eating disorders. Photo shop is also responsible for the concerning obsession of our societies unrealistic portrayal of body image. Women and men are constantly trying to fit a certain look that is completely unattainable because of the use of photo shop. Because of our advancements in media, most everyone has access to media if they want to. It is all around us. It is hard to ignore because of such an easy access. A professional Photo shopper explained that 99.9% of all photos shown in media have been enhanced and edited through photo shop. This being said, nationaleatingdisorders.org has a statistic saying, “Of American elementary school girls who read magazines, 69% say that the pictures influence their concept of the ideal body shape. 47% say the pictures make them want to lose”(Martin 2010). If we compare the two different statistics, we can see how powerful photo shop is on the minds of the youth and how commonly used it is. Even though many people know that the photos they are seeing in pop culture are altered, people are unable to separate fantasy versus reality. For this specific project, I had to become tech savvy and learn how to use Photoshop as if I were editing the covers for magazines. I could have easily taken photographs of celebrities and altered them but I wanted this project to hit home for my audience so I decided to edit photos of myself. My classmates see me around campus or in class each week and know how I look, for the most part. What will shock my audience is to see how easily it is to completely transform a photo with a single application. Although I cannot speak to a nation, I hope this project helps my classmates differentiate between what is real life and what is not.
Nadine - Final Project
Final Activist Media Project: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/gratefuldread6
In our current society, from an outside perspective, I wonder why LGBTQ relationships
seem so “complicated” or “taboo.” I am constantly asked questions, mostly from straight friends,
about how these non-heterosexual relationships work- specifically how gender roles work. I look
towards the media’s influence when analyzing why so many people do not fully grasp the
different concepts of LGBTQ relationships. How many television shows, movies, or
advertisements do you know that focus on LGBTQ relationships? I could probably count on two
hands the amount of movies I have seen with gay main characters. And, when analyzing these
characters further, many of them fit stereotypes commonly associated with gay men or lesbians.
In my activist piece, I argue that there is such a misunderstanding of LGBTQ relationships
because our society is restricted by gender binaries which are perpetuated through the
mainstream media. When we queer these binaries, and look at it from the opposite perspective, it
becomes clear how ridiculous these presumptions are.
In my piece, the Tumblr post labeled “If Straight People Were Asked/Told the Same
Things that Lesbians Commonly Are,” I look at this concept of binaries from a queer theory
perspective. When I refer to binaries, I am referring to the gender binary, which according to
Wikipedia is “the classification of sex and gender into two distinct, opposite and disconnected
forms of masculine and feminine” (Hoyt, 7). We see the perpetuation of male and female roles
and their association with masculinity and femininity through all forms of media from movies to
television shows to commercials. Because of these binaries, it creates confusion for society and
individuals when people don’t conform to them, especially in LGBTQ relationships, for example
the question stated in my activist piece “who is the man, and who is the woman?” Because being
LGBTQ is not a norm, there are no gender roles or norms established. Neither partner in these
types of relationships pick up the male or female role, it is very much based on an equal
distribution of roles and responsibilities.
In lecture we defined queer theory as “an interdisciplinary perspective that seeks to
disrupt socially constructed systems of meaning surrounding human sexuality and relationships
in general”(Hoyt, 8). The reason I chose this particular approach for my piece was because I
thought it would make it more relatable to my audience in which the majority (I’m assuming) is
heterosexual. By looking at it from this queer perspective, just as we did for the “blurred lines”
music video, it allows us to see how ridiculous the messages are when we take them out of the
normalized context. For example, if we were to ask a straight person how they know they’re
straight if they have never been with someone of the same sex, many people would find this
question makes no sense, yet it is a common question for LGBTQ people who have never had
sexual interaction with the opposite sex.
The reason that I used gifs specifically was to portray my argument in a similar way that
memes do. Meme’s are “a ‘unit of culture’ which is ‘hosted’ in the minds of one or more
individuals, and which can reproduce itself, thereby jumping from mind to mind” (Hoyt, 3). I
find that gifs can accomplish very similar things. Gifs, especially when take from mainstream
media pieces, can arguably just as influential as memes when driving home a point. Memes tend
to use sarcasm as well as a picture from a common media moment, to support their point.
Specifically on my Tumblr page I used examples from well-known television shows and movies
such as Orange Is the New Black, Austin Powers, and the Office. By using well-known media
examples, this allows arguments to be made clearer, as they become much more relatable to the audience. Both memes and gifs can be taken out of context in order to support the author’s
claims, for example in question number two “how did your family react” Michael from the
Office is obviously not hugging Jim for “coming out” but his reaction in his gif makes it both
comical and relative to the answer of the question.
References
Dudebropartymassacre3. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/dudebropartymassacre3-5sf-l0qYX3JRyYbPq
http://giphy.com/gifs/JdhoPVAzf143K
Hug GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/editingandlayout-the-office-hug-michael-scott-yidUzriaAGJbsxt58k
Hoyt, K. (n.d.). Comm in Pop Culture Fall 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://comminpopculturefall2015.blogspot.com/
Kristen Wiig GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/kristen-wiig-frustrated-unimpressed-Xj8orUvjQ2SLS
Oitnb GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/oitnb-scotus-marriage-equality-80UQAJYZYm1JC
http://giphy.com/gifs/good-friday-ya-MsWnkCVSXz73i
Right GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/right-dr-evil-jeXiz1RAvzX44
(n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/katy-perry-gif-i-woke-up-like-
this-fVtFqDTmRW5os
In our current society, from an outside perspective, I wonder why LGBTQ relationships
seem so “complicated” or “taboo.” I am constantly asked questions, mostly from straight friends,
about how these non-heterosexual relationships work- specifically how gender roles work. I look
towards the media’s influence when analyzing why so many people do not fully grasp the
different concepts of LGBTQ relationships. How many television shows, movies, or
advertisements do you know that focus on LGBTQ relationships? I could probably count on two
hands the amount of movies I have seen with gay main characters. And, when analyzing these
characters further, many of them fit stereotypes commonly associated with gay men or lesbians.
In my activist piece, I argue that there is such a misunderstanding of LGBTQ relationships
because our society is restricted by gender binaries which are perpetuated through the
mainstream media. When we queer these binaries, and look at it from the opposite perspective, it
becomes clear how ridiculous these presumptions are.
In my piece, the Tumblr post labeled “If Straight People Were Asked/Told the Same
Things that Lesbians Commonly Are,” I look at this concept of binaries from a queer theory
perspective. When I refer to binaries, I am referring to the gender binary, which according to
Wikipedia is “the classification of sex and gender into two distinct, opposite and disconnected
forms of masculine and feminine” (Hoyt, 7). We see the perpetuation of male and female roles
and their association with masculinity and femininity through all forms of media from movies to
television shows to commercials. Because of these binaries, it creates confusion for society and
individuals when people don’t conform to them, especially in LGBTQ relationships, for example
the question stated in my activist piece “who is the man, and who is the woman?” Because being
LGBTQ is not a norm, there are no gender roles or norms established. Neither partner in these
types of relationships pick up the male or female role, it is very much based on an equal
distribution of roles and responsibilities.
In lecture we defined queer theory as “an interdisciplinary perspective that seeks to
disrupt socially constructed systems of meaning surrounding human sexuality and relationships
in general”(Hoyt, 8). The reason I chose this particular approach for my piece was because I
thought it would make it more relatable to my audience in which the majority (I’m assuming) is
heterosexual. By looking at it from this queer perspective, just as we did for the “blurred lines”
music video, it allows us to see how ridiculous the messages are when we take them out of the
normalized context. For example, if we were to ask a straight person how they know they’re
straight if they have never been with someone of the same sex, many people would find this
question makes no sense, yet it is a common question for LGBTQ people who have never had
sexual interaction with the opposite sex.
The reason that I used gifs specifically was to portray my argument in a similar way that
memes do. Meme’s are “a ‘unit of culture’ which is ‘hosted’ in the minds of one or more
individuals, and which can reproduce itself, thereby jumping from mind to mind” (Hoyt, 3). I
find that gifs can accomplish very similar things. Gifs, especially when take from mainstream
media pieces, can arguably just as influential as memes when driving home a point. Memes tend
to use sarcasm as well as a picture from a common media moment, to support their point.
Specifically on my Tumblr page I used examples from well-known television shows and movies
such as Orange Is the New Black, Austin Powers, and the Office. By using well-known media
examples, this allows arguments to be made clearer, as they become much more relatable to the audience. Both memes and gifs can be taken out of context in order to support the author’s
claims, for example in question number two “how did your family react” Michael from the
Office is obviously not hugging Jim for “coming out” but his reaction in his gif makes it both
comical and relative to the answer of the question.
References
Dudebropartymassacre3. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/dudebropartymassacre3-5sf-l0qYX3JRyYbPq
http://giphy.com/gifs/JdhoPVAzf143K
Hug GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/editingandlayout-the-office-hug-michael-scott-yidUzriaAGJbsxt58k
Hoyt, K. (n.d.). Comm in Pop Culture Fall 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://comminpopculturefall2015.blogspot.com/
Kristen Wiig GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/kristen-wiig-frustrated-unimpressed-Xj8orUvjQ2SLS
Oitnb GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/oitnb-scotus-marriage-equality-80UQAJYZYm1JC
http://giphy.com/gifs/good-friday-ya-MsWnkCVSXz73i
Right GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/right-dr-evil-jeXiz1RAvzX44
(n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015, from
http://giphy.com/gifs/katy-perry-gif-i-woke-up-like-
this-fVtFqDTmRW5os
Gunther - Final Project
This project is meant to bring attention to the issue of the use of racist mascots and team
names in the sporting industry. To formulate an idea on the issue I looked at four main media
artifacts. First, I chose to look at an article that discussed how the term “Redskins” was banned
in the state of California from being used as a mascot at all sporting levels (California
Legislature Approves Ban On 'Redskins' Mascots. Huffington Post). Next, I looked at another
article that discusses how a recent poll revealed that approximately 60% of people in Washington
D.C believe that the Washington Redskins should keep their name. It continues on to discuss the
legal matters that the team is currently facing (Majority of Washingtonians Support Redskins'
Name, Washington Post Poll Finds. Huffington Post). Third, I observed a Twitter post that was
in support of banning racist mascots and moving towards more appropriate names (Glo, 2015).
Finally, I found a Twitter post that strongly supported keeping the mascots how they are and
used the hashtag “#idiots” to describe people of the opposing view (Adrian, 2013). After
viewing these artifacts, I was able to determine my stance on the issue. My final thought on the
subject is that the term “Redskin” should be banned from sports mascots and the Washington
Redskins should change their name. However, teams such as the Cleveland Indians, Florida State
Seminoles, or the Atlanta Braves should not be forced to do so. I do not think these names have a
negative meaning or representation of Native Americans. In terms of my final project, I used the
culture jamming, race/ethnicity/nationality and the activist strategies lessons that we discussed in
class. I took an issue based on race and by combining the methods we learned in the activist
strategy and culture jamming lessons, I was able to create prototype jerseys, a new name
(Washington Pigskins) and logo (football) for the redesigned football organization in
Washington D.C. to take advantage of and use.
Jack - Final Project
THESIS & CONNECTIONS
I. Thesis: The problem with Political Correctness today is that people begin taking their ideas too far and jumping to vast conclusions simply because someone was not entirely politically correct, therefore forcing their views on others, rather than just living their lives how they want.
II. Connections:
- Media Convergence:
- I. Media can be transferred across media. In my project we see media issues today being related to a prison, and Halloween. An idea is used in a completely different setting.
- II. Mimicry:
- I created images that were in part made to mimic the ludicrous nature we find in political correctness and how far the issue can be taken. As well the idea was to over exaggerate images that promote this type of political correctness.
- III. Rhetoric:
- My images beg for a response. They are made to persuade and influence. Each image shows a side of the argument, therefore begging for a counterargument.
Drew - Final Project
(click image for full resolution)
For my activist media project I chose to focus on two mainstream pop
culture issues that have become prevalent in the recent weeks. The first being the
social media response to the terrorist attacks in Paris, France through the 1-click
profile picture change that allows users to place a French flag over their profile
picture in “support” of the victims of the French massacre. Through Facebook’s use
of rhetoric and national lens they focused their users attention on France and in
turn promoted the “support” of a situation many did not have connections to. This
act created a situation in which a response was asked for by Facebook as they want
their users to do this. I decided to make a statement about this campaign as there
have been tens of attacks with similar if not great death tolls in recent months that
have not received any recognition whether via social media or the news media in
general that I believe is a disgrace to the people and families who have been effected
by these acts of terror. By essentially doing the work for the users, Facebook made a
way for people to falsely show support of a terrible situation in order to reap likes
on the photos for their half hearted support. They used this specific situation over
the other countries shown in my picture as France is much more relatable to the
western world and many citizens are desensitized to the atrocities happening far
more often in the Middle East.
My second picture is an activist peace on the negative response that
Starbuck received upon their release of the Red Holiday cups. The cups in the past
have born symbols related to the holiday season such as snowflakes, snowmen,
ornaments, etc. This marketing strategy is a great way for Starbucks to gain
attention as it is easily recognizable, but effort in the attention economy sky-
rocketed after the mass coverage of the redesign that some people think came
straight from hell gained popularity. In 2015 the company went with a simple all red
cup with their logo design that infuriated a former minister Joshua Feuerstein to
create a social media campaign against the design that he says “removes Christ and
Christmas away from the cups”. (Feuerstein) My activist movement was to
completely remove everything politically correct from this cup and add “Hail Satan”
and a pentagram, the satanic symbol, to the cup as a representation that what is
printed on a cup shouldn’t really matter as long as the contents of the cup is what
you want.
These two activist projects combined show how both through a meaningful
photo and simple design a statement can be made that supports the remembrances
of those whom many chose not to pay attention to, as well as make a statement
against the passion one group has about the simple design of a cup.
Work Cited
Feuerstein, J. (Director). (2015). Starbucks REMOVED
CHRISTMAS [Motion picture]. Facebook. Facebook Video
Flags Of The World. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/ docs/flagsoftheworld.html
Starbucks Red Cups. (2015, November 1). Retrieved November
17, 2015, from https://news.starbucks.com/news/red-
cups-and-starbucks-2015-holiday-beverages
Brooklyn - Final Project
Twitter link: https://twitter.com/StrongGirlsRock
For my media activist project I chose to focus on how women are depicted in
the media. To narrow that large concept down, I specifically wanted to highlight the
talk around female women and body image within sports. Men, be it football players
or basketball players or boxers, are always praised for their ability and their
accomplishments and what they look like is an after thought. Most times the latter
isn’t even a thought. However, women athletes are judged by the shape of their body
rather than what they have won. This does not help young women who look up to
them and it certainly does not help the stereotypical stigma between genders.
For these reasons, I chose to create a twitter account to combat these
stereotypes. An article from the BBC stated, “Apps like Instagram, twitter and
tumblr influence the way youth see their bodies and describe them. It’s the main
means of communicating with each other” (Roxby, BBC). Twitter is such modern day
tool within the attention dichotomy of our society. Therefore, my messages can be
shared over multiple sites through multiple people My goal is to use the hashtag
#EveryStrengthIsSexy on photographs of prominent female athletes to relay the
message that being strong doesn’t make you masculine, brolic or manly.
Furthermore, I made it a point to include a diverse group of athletes in what sports
and what race they identify as. A study found that “non-white athletes are more
accepting of the way their body looks through the eyes of the media compared to
white athletes” (Bissel, 2). However, African-American athletes are criticized in a
stereotypical way compared to their white counterparts. They are “angry” “hyper
masculine” and “ape-like” to name a few. By including women that all look different
will convey the message that every strength is sexy, every body beautiful no matter
the color, gender, or shape.
Athletes pictured
Serena Williams- Tennis
Ronda Rousey- UFC
Misty Copeland- Ballet
Christmas Abbot- CrossFit
Skylar Diggins- Basketball
Billie Jean King- Tennis
Works Cited
Bissell, K. L., & Zhou, P. (2004). Must‐See TV or ESPN: Entertainment and Sports
Media Exposure and Body‐Image Distortion in College Women. Journal of
Communication, 54(1), 5-21.
Roxby, P. (October 2014). Does Social Media Impact on Body Image. BBC News
For my media activist project I chose to focus on how women are depicted in
the media. To narrow that large concept down, I specifically wanted to highlight the
talk around female women and body image within sports. Men, be it football players
or basketball players or boxers, are always praised for their ability and their
accomplishments and what they look like is an after thought. Most times the latter
isn’t even a thought. However, women athletes are judged by the shape of their body
rather than what they have won. This does not help young women who look up to
them and it certainly does not help the stereotypical stigma between genders.
For these reasons, I chose to create a twitter account to combat these
stereotypes. An article from the BBC stated, “Apps like Instagram, twitter and
tumblr influence the way youth see their bodies and describe them. It’s the main
means of communicating with each other” (Roxby, BBC). Twitter is such modern day
tool within the attention dichotomy of our society. Therefore, my messages can be
shared over multiple sites through multiple people My goal is to use the hashtag
#EveryStrengthIsSexy on photographs of prominent female athletes to relay the
message that being strong doesn’t make you masculine, brolic or manly.
Furthermore, I made it a point to include a diverse group of athletes in what sports
and what race they identify as. A study found that “non-white athletes are more
accepting of the way their body looks through the eyes of the media compared to
white athletes” (Bissel, 2). However, African-American athletes are criticized in a
stereotypical way compared to their white counterparts. They are “angry” “hyper
masculine” and “ape-like” to name a few. By including women that all look different
will convey the message that every strength is sexy, every body beautiful no matter
the color, gender, or shape.
Athletes pictured
Serena Williams- Tennis
Ronda Rousey- UFC
Misty Copeland- Ballet
Christmas Abbot- CrossFit
Skylar Diggins- Basketball
Billie Jean King- Tennis
Works Cited
Bissell, K. L., & Zhou, P. (2004). Must‐See TV or ESPN: Entertainment and Sports
Media Exposure and Body‐Image Distortion in College Women. Journal of
Communication, 54(1), 5-21.
Roxby, P. (October 2014). Does Social Media Impact on Body Image. BBC News
Jordyn - Final Project
(click image for full resolution)
This piece was created to promote the dangers of online dating and online chatting in
general. Dating websites such as eHarmony all the way to apps like Tinder have stormed the
social scene as of late. People have even used social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter to chat people whom they have never met. A recent phenomenon that has been taking
place is something called catfishing. This is when someone uses another person’s pictures to
attract the attention of people they wouldn’t otherwise attract. It is commonly seen with
predators who are trying to lure kids into horrific situations. However, it is becoming popular
with people who are simply uncomfortable with their looks and utilize someone else’s pictures to
get the attention they are desperate for. I got the idea for creating this image after seeing that one
of my friends had her pictures and information used by someone who was creating fake profiles
(Eischens, 2015). She was upset that someone thought it was okay to take her pictures and
information to get attention for themselves and that ultimately hurt her personal reputation
(Eischens, 2015). This was my main inspiration for this piece because it offered the perspective
of someone who had their identity stolen, which is often overlooked as people only focus on the
catfisher and the catfishee. The main ideas that helped form the framework of my project were
the beauty myth, the aspects of culture jamming and activist strategies. In terms of the beauty
myth, this thought gives people the idea of what society perceives as beautiful. For example, this
gives people who catfish the idea that they need to say the provocative things and post a picture
of a young, thin, blonde woman to attract the attention they are searching for. The culture
jamming and activist strategies go hand in hand. I used this opportunity to expose the dark side
of the online dating and social interactions that take place on a daily basis. Hopefully this image
encourages people to take extra precautions when they decide to engage in online dating and
social media interactions in general.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Emily - Final Presentation
For my final project I will be focusing on the themes of gender roles, sexuality and
media portrayals of women to articulate a commercial that outlines the expectations
placed on women by the media and the harm that it is causing.
My thesis is: The media’s depiction of women influences societies expectations of
females, which in turn, result in emotional, physical and social burdens among
American women.
Vision: I want to create a (hopefully entertaining) commercial that brings light to
the standards women are held to in modern society and film/reenact different ways
that American females are being harmed by it.
media portrayals of women to articulate a commercial that outlines the expectations
placed on women by the media and the harm that it is causing.
My thesis is: The media’s depiction of women influences societies expectations of
females, which in turn, result in emotional, physical and social burdens among
American women.
Vision: I want to create a (hopefully entertaining) commercial that brings light to
the standards women are held to in modern society and film/reenact different ways
that American females are being harmed by it.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Comments on peers' projects
Rather than inundate you with another email, this is a friendly reminder that it is okay to be respectfully and constructively critical of your peers' projects. If that person hasn't finished the project, it will help them deliver the best artifact possible. I have heard from a few people who genuinely want constructive feedback on their projects before they complete it.
Please also be mindful of projects that haven't received feedback and try to offer it to those people.
Please also be mindful of projects that haven't received feedback and try to offer it to those people.
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