Reflection Post

From advertisements to social media, hours of my time are spend consuming media, the food of companies fed mostly to teenagers. Before I had started my media blog, I had been quite immune to the things media fed me, always full of acceptance without a speck of scepticism of what could be hiding underneath. With each post in my blog, I began to notice the intentions and techniques that were involved in what had been my daily dose of media. I had also realized that I fallen for almost every marketing strategy carried out by companies. Just last week, I saw a horribly made acne cream advertisement in a magazine. They had claimed it was a miracle product used by many celebrities, despite the fact that the company was not able to list one. From my recently gained knowledge of media, I noticed that the advertisement uses the techniques, magical ingredients and testimonial, to appeal to consumers. Being able to notice the true intentions and strategies of companies, in a way, has made me limit my intake in media, as I now feel like there's really no point in it. From my experience, I think it's essential for one to be able to understand and see beyond what they are shown in media. With the knowledge, one can make their own decisions without being influenced by companies for the sake of profit. Without the influence, we can actually ask ourselves if we actually need the product or if the product will actually improve us. From blogging, I've seen a new light in media. Now, I can't see media the same way I had seen it before starting a media blog. But I still wonder if I'll actually be able to keep my knowledge on what I've learned of media and keep my awareness of its true intentions and techniques. Only time can tell.

Demi Lovato:Confident

About a year ago, Demi Lovato released a music video called “Confident”. In the beginning of the video, Demi is depicted as a criminal who is released to catch another female criminal by a top officer. When she attempts to catch the criminal, she discovers her mission to be a trap devised by the officer to bring her back to prison. Before she is successfully taken back, Demi rebels and is determined to get her revenge. However, when she discovers that the women she was after was also set up by the officer, she chooses to cooperate with her in order to get their revenge on the officer. Working together, they arrest the officer and continue on their own paths. When I had first watched the music video, I was amazed at how Demi Lovato emphasized the strength of women both independently and cooperatively. Through the lyrics and aspects of the music video, women stereotypes are destroyed and are replaced with empowering messages.

In the beginning of the song, Demi mentions how “I’m the boss right now…’Cause this is my game and you better come to play.” As a female, Demi being the boss and ordering others defeats the stereotype that women work under men and are expected to be obedient. Another set of lyrics that could empower women could be where she says “I used to hold my freak back. Now I’m letting them go.” Demi tells viewers to let go of their insecurities and be apathetic towards the contradicting voices of society. Not only does this line empower women, it also destroys the stereotype that women must be adequate-looking for society and must act as an object of aesthetic purposes. The scene where Demi works together with another women also warps the stereotype of women not being able to peacefully coexist with one another.

The music video was quite interesting with all the messages and intense movement.

Fifty Shades Darker Reaction

About two weeks ago, another trailer of Fifty Shades Darker, a romance/drama film based on the novel written by E.L. James, was released on YouTube. After watching the trailer for the first time, I was fascinated at how the simple language that was incorporated into the trailer was able to make a dramatic effect on viewers. A simple conversation between the two main characters would go by like:

Christian Grey: Anastasia, I want you back. Have dinner with me.

Anastasia Steele: Okay, fine. I’ll have dinner with you. Because I’m hungry.

Perhaps the dramatic effect that comes from the simple language is because of how it's relatable to a normal conversation that could occur in real life. Or maybe it's because some viewers create the dramatic effect by attempting to imagine themselves on a realistic date with a billionaire. However, when I had watched the trailer again, I had begun to notice small aspects of the video that contradict with each other.

The way Anastasia ran into Christian’s arms for safety after she was offered to choose between “being kept or to have respect” could reinforce the stereotype that women depend on men for a “happily ever after”, as it is mentioned by the trailer that their relationship is a fairy tale. Even though Anastasia is seen to be dependent towards Christian, it is also shown that she wasn’t the only one who had attempted to “save” Christian, implying that Christian depends on Anastasia in this scenario. The different views of a certain gender depending on the other contradict each other. There’s also the contrasting views of being kept and having respect in the video. Unlike before, Anastasia attempts to establish rules in her new relationship with Christian. This could indicate that she desires to have her voice heard. However, there are times when Christian limits Anastasia's freedom to the point where he becomes over protective, reflecting his possessive nature towards their relationship. Both views are present in the trailer and contradict each other.

Overall, the trailer seems pretty interesting for its simplicity and dilemmas.   

Family Guy:Stereotypes and Inferiority

After watching “Miss Representation”, a documentary focusing on the conflicts of the way media portrays women, I noticed an episode of a series I had watched in the past relates to the issues discussed in the documentary. In the Family Guy episode, “We Love You Conrad”, many hints of women stereotypes and their inferiority to men are shown explicitly. In the beginning of the episode, Brian Griffin is excluded from his ex-girlfriend’s wedding and begins to contemplate the accomplishments of his love life. After seeing that he has nothing worth acknowledging, he goes to a bar and meets Lauren Conrad, a guest-star in the episode. After their relationship is leaked, Brian is laughed at by both his family and the public for dating someone who is “famous for being famous”. After Brian realizes that Lauren is much more intelligent than he is, he leaves their relationship and attempts to get his unintelligent ex-girlfriend back at her wedding. Scenes from the episode that are relatable to the documentary go as followed:

Lois: Well, I think it's wonderful that you're datin' such a classy, well
educated girl like Lauren Conra ... ha ha. She's such an idiot, Brian.
She's such an idiot!

Brian: This doesn't make any sense. If you're so smart why do you hide it?

Lauren: Come on, Brian. You know America doesn't like smart people.

Brian: Alright, I can’t do this.

Lauren: Can’t do what?

Brian: I can't date someone who's smarter than I am.

Lois’ statement about Lauren being an idiot because everyone like her in media is unintelligent goes back to how a single stereotype about a group of people can result in the belief that a single trait shared by a small amount of people is applicable to everyone in the group. Similarly, a stereotype pointed out by the documentary would be that because women in media are mainly props to compliment the main character, women in reality must also be expected to be beautiful and obedient. Both stereotypes result in viewers and consumers to have a one-sided view without being exposed to different perspectives of the those in the group. Lauren excusing her hiding of her intelligence by claiming that “America doesn’t like smart people” shows how stereotypes can also limit our own characteristics. The way stereotypes shape our traits can be shown in the documentary when a group of teenagers change their appearances in order to seem more like women in media, the stereotypes of women. The reason behind Lauren accepting the stereotypes in the episode could be because she doesn’t wish to be excluded from the norm as an “outsider” for defying those stereotypes. Brian’s lack of acceptance towards Lauren’s intelligence indicates his refusal to be inferior to women, a group defined by stereotypes as less than men. “Miss Representation” defines this as the result of men believing they need to be more competent than women in order to be seen as a real man. Explaining how Brian refuses to date someone more capable than he is.

When I had first watched “We Love You Conrad”, I never gave much of any thought to the scenes involving stereotypes and inferiority. After watching it a second time with knowledge from the documentary, the episode seemed more clear and blunt than it had been before.

Facebook:A Thing of the Past?

As we all know, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter are all the rage in the world of teenagers. But what ever happened to Facebook, the once popular social network that was used by all in the past? Recent studies show that the U.S.’s proportion of 13- to 17-year-old social media users who are on Facebook dipped to 88% in 2014, down from 94% in 2013 and 95% in 2012. The cause that lies under Facebook’s drop in popularity is simply because teens, the trendsetters of society, have lost interest in Facebook.

As years roll by, Facebook has seen the amount of their users decrease as new social networks are appealing to teens of the recent generation. Surveys show that teens no longer see Facebook as a safe fun place as it was. Facebook being untrustworthy is most likely the result of the recent “discovery” of the social network made by older age groups. Because of the new older age groups on Facebook, teens have felt that their privacy is being invaded as some of their parents are also part of Facebook’s community. Aside from the lack of privacy, teens have classified the friendships made on Facebook as “meaningless”. Users friending strangers on Facebook have noted that their relationships are mostly based on numbers rather than actual friendship. Social networks that allow users to connect to those that they are familiar with in reality have appealed to users seeking a stronger relationship with their “real” friends. Or perhaps rather than having a friendship with strangers, teens are now more interested in having a “dominating” relationship with other users on social media. Social networks that offer “followers” tend to be more popular than Facebook, a social network that offers “friends”.

As teens stray away from Facebook, Facebook isn’t as popular as it was before. With the decreases of Facebook users, other social networks gain popularity. Who knows? Maybe teens will move on to something else in the future.

Kylie Jenner:Midriff?

According to The Merchants of Cool, a documentary filmed by Frontline, a midriff is defined as a woman who is seen as prematurely an adult, consumed by her appearances, and is a recollection of sexual cliques but repackaged to empower women. As we all know, the Kardashians have been all over media lately. From the internet to television, it’s nearly impossible for one to never have heard of anything related to the Kardashians. Among the Kardashians, Kylie Jenner fits perfectly in the shoes of a midriff.

At only nineteen years-old, Kylie Jenner has done what most teenagers won’t do in the next five years. With her cosmetic company and her modeling career, most would believe she is a young entrepreneur rather than just a teenager who was once a little girl in a reality t.v. show just a few years ago. Even though Kylie is still currently part of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, she is no longer seen as Kim’s younger sister, but as her own unique character. Many viewers who have watched the show in its early days or has seen Kylie’s old pictures have noticed that Kylie’s appearance has drastically changed over the years. Perhaps, Kylie has had plastic surgery to achieve her current appearance because of her insecurities. Kylie’s constant style changes shows her obsession of keeping up with trends in order to maintain her position of being “cool”. Fans  find her “inspiring” and a “role model”. What would’ve been seen as “slutty” a few years ago is now seen as empowering, in Kylie’s case. Kylie claims that she wants to be an inspiration for young girls but her actions say otherwise. In a photo shoot, Kylie is known to have been photographed in a revealing outfit while sitting on a wheel chair. Some have taken this negatively and see the photoshoot as just a way to criticize those with disabilities. However, fans believe Kylie had attempted to increase the awareness for those with disabilities using her sexual appeal.

Based on what we see of her life, Kylie Jenner fits all the requirements of a midriff.

Nike:Unlimited Future

On July 24th, Nike aired an advertisement focusing on multiple athletes, as babies, being put into a single nursery. The advertisement begins as a middle-aged man walks into the room and begins to tell the babies about the struggles they will face in the world. As he talks about the struggles, the babies stay silent and remain focused. At the end of the advertisement, one baby is seen with their fist raised into the air.

Throughout the advertisement, Nike has included messages and techniques in attempt to appeal to consumers watching the ad. For example, Nike’s use of babies in their advertisement appeals to consumers’ need to nurture. By doing so, Nike has attracted the attention of consumers, as most are easily won over with youth and innocence. The way Nike includes a middle-aged man, who in the ad guides the babies by shedding their sugar-coated view of the world, appeals to consumers’ need for guidance. Consumers let themselves be controlled by the advertisement when they see how a guiding figure, the middle aged man in the ad in this scenario, can help us get through life. Nike’s use of famous athletes’ names in their ad reflects the use of testimonial. By using the names of athletes, consumers will believe they can be as talented as a certain athlete by buying the product. Consumers believing they can have the talent of an athlete without all the training and hardships shows the advertisement’s use of simple solutions. In the middle of the ad, the middle-aged man mentions how “You get no say in the world you’re born into. You don’t decide your name. You don’t decide where you come from.” The emphasis on the things we don’t decide on reflects the lack of power within consumers. By emphasizing what we can’t control, Nike appeals to our need to dominate, as we desire the power to choose our life. An explicit message would be that “You are powerless in choosing how you start in life, take control of it by buying from Nike.”

Overall, Nike emphasizes the lack of power within our lives and encourages us to seek power by buying their products.