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.

Media Frenzy

So the big story in the media today (the day after presidential elections) is of course Obama as the new President of the United States. Not surprisingly, this story is everywhere. Every media outlet and technology is being used to publicize and even celebrate the outcome of the election. All the news stations last night were covering the results of the elections, radio was covering the election, newspapers, websites, billboards and even bumper stickers promoted the importance of electing a new president. I found it extremely interesting how as months turned into days and days turned into hours, more media was being utilized for politics. I definitely think it is an important part of our patriotic duty as US citizens to vote and participate in elections. I noticed a lot more with this election the important role media had in helping America "know" and "see" the political canditades.

As I was thinking about all the media coverage I thought of specifically why it was important that different kinds of media were being used for an election. My first thought was this was a sure way to reach almost everyone. Since these elections are so important it is equally as important for the public to be informed. Not everyone has access to a television or the internet but radio is pretty easily accessable as is the newspaper and billboards. I also think that the compilation of all this media created a more complete whole.

As I tried to be informed about the elections I drew information from all over the place. I watched national morning news and looked at websites for both local and international news. I listened to NPR and KSL. I listened to what people were saying about the candidates, read the paper and watched the debates. By looking at the information in different media formats I was able to get a more complete picture of political standings. As the elections got closer I looked at the websites provided by each candidate. I know I didn't catch everything the candidates were working on but I was able to get a broad range of information that helped me make an informed personal decision.

Now, application for the classroom dosen't necessarily have to be about politics. I would like to explore the broad idea of utilizing all media to spread information. I think it would be benificial to talk to the class about the election and what happens in an election (being as objective as possible and leaving out personal political opinions). Explain how people vote to elect the new president of the United States. The teacher could ask the class how they thought their parents got their information (via radio, newspaper, TV, internet, etc). The teacher could give a lesson on the different strenghts and benifits of the different types of media. After the lesson, the teacher could set up a senerio saying that each student is running for president. How would they tell people to vote for them and why? How would they use media to inform their voters so they could make a decision? Each student could write a proposal for how they would use five different kinds of media to promote their campaign. Each student would get to share their proposals with the class when complete.

Knowledge is Power!

I was listening to NPR today and it was interesting the things they discussed about politics. I listened to All Things Considered and they were talking about how people were connected to current issues. The thing that stood out most to me was when they were talking about SNL and other media that creates parody of the debates and candidates. They opened up the phones to listeners to discuss how media is shaping people's opinions. A listener called in and pointed out that the parodies were not funny unless you knew about the original. She explained that some witty comments were often missed because people hadn't seen the debate or didn't go to the rally.

This was interesting to me because I think programs like SNL can be extremely influential both ways. I have heard people express concerns about how the SNL skits can be ruining the politicians' image because they just make fun and present important, professional issues as silly and insignificant. I think to a certain extent this could be true if people choose to be ignorant. If viewers are only laughing because everyone else is laughing then it's their own fault that they don't understand the issues.

For me, when I saw the skits, they were only funny if I saw the thing they were creating their parody from. There were a couple skits that I saw before I saw the actual media clip. I watched the SNL version of the Couric/Palin interview. As I watched I didn't understand what was so funny about it. This skit encouraged me to look at the real thing. I looked up the real interview and then went back to the skit. It made so much more sense because I was informed. I think these skits are more encouraging than distructive. They encourage the public to be involved and informed so they can understand the humor.

I think this could be a great lesson for the classroom. The teacher could teach about the importance of information and knowledge. They could take an everyday task or element and ask the class to tell her/him about it. After the class explanation, the teacher could ask why it is important to know about the specific element. The class could engage in a discussion about the element's uses and maybe other things that are important to know how to use. I think the main lesson that should be taught is to seek out information. Students should walk away knowing how to form their own informed opinions based on facts not what the crowd is doing.


Need to know the news to understand the satire