Ads for a Better Now

Lately I have been seeing a lot of ad about drinking and driving. It's interesting to think how big of a problem this really is. The ads I have seen are about drunk driving versus buzzed driving. The ads are set up to show that there is no difference. The ad features one picture of what happens to a car or a person after a car accident caused by alcohol consumption. The single picture is shown twice but one is labed "drunk driving" and the other is labeled "buzzed driving."

I think this is an excellent way to quickly and effectively get the idea across that there is no difference when it comes to impaired judgment. Alcohol consumption is still a major problem among teens. It's hard to believe that so many teens are getting their hands on not only alcohol but illegal drugs and abusing them at fatal or near fatal levels. These ads make me think about other things that are plaguing our teens. What are things in school that make life hard? What decisions are they faced with everyday?

This is definitely a touchy subject to be discussing in schools and certified counselors should be addressing these issues in the classroom often. I think for our purposes we could analyze the ads. What does this ad say about drinking and driving simply from the layout, text, and images? How and why is it effective? The teacher could have different ads from the Ad Council and other types of PSAs. If the teacher chooses, he/she could have a class discussion about messages that are communicated in the halls at school and how. Why is drinking seen as cool? Why is smoking seen as cool? Who defines cool? This is definitely an issue that would need to be approached with care and professionalism but it could work.

You are a Hero

This week I watched Rocky for the first time. It was an interesting experience because there are references about this movie all around me. This was basically a Cinderella story about a club boxer who gets his big chance in the ring. He realizes that nobody thinks he stands a chance. The only reason people want to help him is because of money. The person who cared most about him when he was a nobody was Adrian. Rocky and Adrian saw each other when no one else did.

I think this film has excellent themes and teaches great morals. Rocky had good standards and sense of self worth. I loved how Rocky tried to help that girl stay off the streets. He told her that life in the streets will only make her known by her reputation. He was also so gentle with Adrian. He told her brother to be nice to her and he was always thinking of ways to make her laugh. He genuinely had a good heart and his morals gave him motivation and showed a good example.

I think this film could inspire a lesson and activity on heroes. The teacher could ask the class who some of their heroes are. A list could be compiled then the teacher could ask why the heroes were selected. What are the qualities that make them heroic. After some discussion of heroic qualities, the teacher could ask who they think might see them as a hero. People seldom think about the people who look up to them. When they do notice it makes quite a difference in the way they act and carry themselves because they know they are the example.

Music You Can See

I had to analyze a music video for one of my other classes so I watched quite a few to find the one I wanted to write about. It was interesting to see the huge variety of music videos behind all these different artists. It got me thinking about what the purpose of music videos are and their place in the media world.

It seems like when a new song is released, everyone is listening to it. Your friends ask you if you've heard such-and-such song and if you haven't they immediately find it so you can listen to it. After the novelty of a song wears off the artist releases the music video to make their popularity last a little longer. As I thought more about the significance of music videos I decided that that it is the artist's (or the producer's) interpretation of the song. Music videos let the public see the inspiration for the song or a specific representation.

I think it would be fun to discuss music videos in a classroom and see why the students like them. The teacher could ask the students some of the music videos they have seen in the past month. The class could discuss the specific likes and dislikes of music videos in general. The teacher can get more specific by asking what kinds of music videos are liked by the students. The teacher could choose a "safe" music video and have the class analyze it. The teacher could ask about editing, picture choice, and portrayal of the band. This discussion could be quite interesting and many points of view could be seen.

Ethics

This week I did a presentation on media ethics. The information we discussed was quite interesting. There was a section in Reading and Writing that really helped me out. I was in a group with two other people and as a group we talked about a definition for media ethics and compared it to taste. We also talked about the effects of editing photos and the dangers of irrational journalism.


My part was media ethics vs. taste. Ethics has to do with being truthful and taste is a matter of thing we don't want to see (i.e. sex, violence, etc). It's not ethical to show a photo that has been altered to create a different meaning. News sources loose credibility when they get caught publicizing altered photos. An example is the cover of OJ Simpson that Times Magazine ran. The altered OJ's mug shot to make him look guiltier by making the photo more black. They probably wouldn't have got caught if Newsweek hadn't run the same picture on their cover, unaltered. The public knew there was something wrong when they saw the photos side by side.

It's not unethical to show a graphic photo of violence but it is questionable in taste. People need to have strong reasons to show photos like that. People don't want to see explicit violence or sex on TV or in the newspaper but sometimes it raises awareness. This doesn't mean we can't find more mellow, non-violent photos to raise awareness. Photos are powerful because the hit us in our gut.

I think an ethics lesson in a classroom could be extremely informational. The teacher could create a presentation containing definitions of ethics, taste, and anything else they feel applies. Included in the presentation could be pictures and video of altered media. The teacher could explain if the material is ethical or not and discuss with the class why. This lesson would be most effective with lots of discussion. The teacher could ask the students to think of media they have found to be questionable or without taste.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

This week I got the opportunity to watch The Wizard of Oz. I was surprised that I remembered all the songs and I could sing along. I think this film carries nostalgic meanings for every audience. I used to hate the black and white part as a kid because it was "boring" and "old." I think every little girl wanted a pair of ruby slippers to take them home or to meet the Wizard. This time when I watched it I sang every song out loud and in character. During the commercials I tried to remember everything I could about Judy Garland. This film has become a classic of all ages and all generations.

It's sad how the acceptance and acclaim of the film and Judy Garland did not reflect Judy's personal thoughts of herself. The public loved Judy and her work but she needed constant reminders from those close to her. She was attacked from the inside out by Hollywood. She didn't feel pretty or talented and tried to be accepted by the Hollywood executives. She was told she was the "ugly duckling" and was made to wear things to change her figure and appearance. As I watched the film I realized that the Wizard of Oz poetically and tragicly contridicts Judy Garland's personal life. She didn't like herself and her mentality couldn't be turned around by anyone.

The story behind the story of The Wizard of Oz is interesting but I'm not sure if that kind of analysis is what I want to teach kids about. I think this film could be used as a simple film analysis. It would be nice if the eniter film could be shown but clips could work too. The teacher could show clips and ask the students about the basic elemets of the film. The class could discuss how these elements create a theme. I think this would be fun activity because the students would bring a variety of ideas to the table and come up with unique themes.

Guzzle Guzzle

This week started out with a video game called Root Beer Tapper. I was captivated instantly! The aim of the game is to give all the customers root beer before they get to the end of the counter. You also have to catch all the empty glasses that get sent back before they fall on the floor. After you clear all the customers from the bars you move on to the next level. Sometimes satisfied customers leave tips. You have to run down the bar to get the tip. When the tip is received it brings entertainment. This buys you time because some of the customers stop traveling down the bar to watch the show. You don't really need any intense video game experience. I got better and better every time I played the game.

This game created some interesting analysis. I was playing this game at a male friend's house with my husband and brother-in-law. As I played I improved with each leve and each attempt. I filled up the top ten score sheet by myself. The boys got into the action and they seemed surprised that I was as good as I was at this game. They commented to each other that they had never gotten the high scores I got. This sparked some interesting thoughts in my head.

After reading the video game article that I found it was interesting to see the gender gap in video games. The boys were surprised that a girl could do so well. I grew up with three brothers so I had plenty of exposure to video games. I think what was most interesting is that boys typically think that video games just aren't girls' "thing." They are definitely justified in thinking this way. I usually don't get into video games but this one caught my interest. I was pleased with myself that I could surprise the boys like I did but at the same time I didn't feel the need to prove anything.

I think this could be a good classroom discussion about why boys and girls like (or don't like) certain things. I think a good introduction could be the book that Amy showed us for the gender section. The teacher could briefly explain and give a definition of gender roles and then ask the class what they think separates boys from girls. The teacher could also take time to discuss how gender roles have changed over the years. I think it would be fun to have the boys and girls make a list about the things they think the other likes. After they compile their lists, the class could go through them together and see how accurate each view is. I think it would be interesting to see what the boys and girls actually like.

Rated E for Everyone!

I have been taking note of a lot of commercials lately. The commercials I have noticed most these past few weeks are the Nintendo DS commercials. They are simple yet profound. Nintendo has used celebrities like Nicole Kidman, America Ferrera, Liv Tyler, and Carrie Underwood to promote their product. I think this is pretty strategic because each celebrity reaches a different demographic or audience. The commercials are simple because they just show "candid" moments of fun with Nintendo DS. The commercial ends with the featured celebrity saying the name of the game featured and "only on Nintendo DS."



As I thought about these commericals I wondered what made them so intersting. I found that the appealing aspects were not only the celebrity endorcement but a peek into the private, "normal" lives of the famous. I think these commercials were effective because they appeal to the emotions of the viewers. People are always wondering about the personal lives of the rich and famous that's why tabloids are still in check out lines. Nintendo definitely did a great job at showing how even celebrities can have fun with a "simple" high-tech toy.



This could be a fun lesson in the classroom about celebrity endorsements. The teacher could teach the class about how companies will sometimes use famous actors or singers to sell their products. The teacher could ask the class to name the celebrities they have recently seen in commercials. After the lesson, the teacher could have each student invent a product and then assign a celebrity to sell it. The student would have to tell how the celebrity would sell it (i.e. show them using it, show post use, have them hold it, etc). The students could aslo analyze commericals that the teacher has found. The class could discuss how the commercial is effective and what makes people want to buy the product.