I found Cody's blog on Ancient Aliens interesting.

Ancient Aliens and Super Heroes…

The blog post I found most interesting was Cody’s blog about the show Ancient Aliens and Super Heroes. In his post he is describing a show that I occasionally watch with my brother. This show is a mash up mockumentary, in which they make correlations between the known world and fantasy worlds of mythology and belief in aliens. They often show some expert that fills in the blanks for the audience with speculation and conjecture in order to fill gaps in the lack of continuity to their claims. On the other hand it is entertaining and even though I find their claims a bit silly my brother just eats it up. We love to engage in semi intellectual conversations, even applying rational and empirical philosophical logic to mythological subjects like zombies, aliens and super heroes. We have determined in our abstract thoughts that the zombie apocalypse would be most survivable in tropical environments due to the rate of decay to human flesh. We surmised that superman would not be able to get the proper amount of resistance on Earth to develop his muscular physique. The hardest thing for me is that I see this as fiction and entertainment and my brother I think sometimes really believes it. My brother would never watch this film that debunks most of their claims.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9w-i5oZqaQ

I read/buy the newspaper because...

I read the newspaper because... 

I read and buy the newspaper mostly out of tradition. I also live with my mother who is now almost 70 and she refuses to give up her paper. I think a better question for me would be why I would give up the newspaper. I would offer that it has no real purpose in today’s society. I use to use it to look for things to buy cheap and local but now with competition from internet sites like Craigslist there is no need to go to the paper because no one is going to use them to sell their goods. Craigslist lets people post their items for free while the paper charges for that service and does not reach a broad enough audience. I also have a desire to lower my carbon footprint and we tend to waste an ungodly amount of paper. It gets recycled or burned and most of it never gets read. Also, contrary to popular belief among folks my age and older, today's mediums are multipurpose and not antisocial at all. We can, not only interact with our news sources but we can also communicate with friends as we are involved in reading and finding news or entertainment.   

If I was to tell a newspaper what to do to stay in business I would likely tell them they first need to be affordable and by affordable I mean free. Second, they should narrow down to quality articles that appeal to a wide range of taste and take out all unnecessary items in a way that maybe uses less paper. Third, I think the overall size of the paper is dated and cumbersome. Most people are not wanting to unfold and scan these huge pages with their tiny print. I know that I use my computer more now than I ever have in the past and the more I become acclimated to its uses the less I use the paper because the internet provides more information on a much more convenient media platform. 

     

SNL as a Cultural Mirror

Topic #2 – SNL as a cultural Mirror

When I was little way back in the 70’s I was not exposed to a lot of television. I grew up outside of Corvallis Oregon in the country. I knew of cable TV because my step brothers lived in town and when I would visit them I got to watch something besides Little House on the Prairie or Sesame Street. We had the antenna so we got 3 network stations and PBS until the cable lines were finally put up in our area around 1982. This was back when the networks signed off at midnight. I remember it fondly because I use to stay up late every Saturday night for one reason and one reason only. To hear those words that would set in motion the most glorious hour of television in my day. That baritone voice that yells out “Live from New York, its Saturday Night!” I don’t know quite when it started but I have never given up on Lauren Michael’s vision.

Now there are all kinds of choices, some of them are good, most of them are a complete waste of time. It’s not like the glory days of Adam Sandler and Mike Myers or the days of Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin but SNL are still doing live sketch comedy and I still love it.

I chose the October 10, 2014 episode of SNL with Bill Hader hosting. Saturday night live is of course a sketch comedy show with various skits depicting a myriad of topics over the years. I think it’s an excellent example of the how television mirrors culture. This is a program that absolutely must keep up with the cultural attitude of the modern society some way at all times in order to remain relevant. The actors cycle through and the times change but no matter what the formula stays the same. Many short skits performed live that make fun of current events and social topics. In this episode they did a skit that speculates on the disappearance of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. There is also a commercial that mirrors the Christian Children’s Fund making fun of the small amount that the guy is asking for on the commercials.

 http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/39-cents/2818605?onid=148621#vc148621=1/

Saturday night live feeds on stereotypes. A stereotype is the applied symbolism to people. Stereotypes have positive or negative connotations linked to them and satire wouldn’t be much fun if it didn’t exploit with the utmost sarcasm. One of my favorites is a recurring character played by Vanesa Bayer who is a little Jewish boy preparing for his bamitsfa. In this episode however the Christian fund skit has the white host coming off as being cheap and having an unrealistic grasp on the situation and the real cost.   They also poke fun by linking common stereotypes of African Americans to starving people in Africa by having Africans, first asking for more donations and then getting angry and demanding more money even threatening bodily harm at the end.  

Judging from the commercials the target demographics are a wide range of adults. With commercials for Subway Sandwiches and Denny’s restaurant up to high end cars like Lexus and Mercedes it seems to appeal to all types. I counted about 40 commercials advertising over 30 different products and services in one and a half hours. Other products advertised were a Google app, Oil Can Henry’s, Toyota and Aveeno skin care. The only political advertisement was the Yes on 91 ad.

I think the strengths of this show is that they can apply humor to social issues without coming across as bias in any way. SNL has been making lite of the political realm for many years and they have never made it seem as if they have an opinion. Unlike other comedy shows like The Daily Show, SNL makes fun of everybody, not taking sides, instead emphasizing a character trait of a politician or the absurdity of a proposed law. Or in the case of the weekend update they give an actual recent headline followed by a swift shtick punchline. 

  http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/weekend-update-101114-part-2-of-2/2818626?onid=148621#vc148621=2

In this critique of SNL on Splitsiders.com by Erik Voss, he writes about the many new cast members that have been added recently. His critiques are usually very fair as he is a fan of this seemingly dying art like me. His take on them is decent but he does bring up the fact that other shows are far more appealing to the modern audience. He quotes “Those low-hanging fruit gags, punchlines overwhelming the premise, the tendency for characters to randomly walk out of a scene without the sketch actually ending, etc. Also, the show has yet to reclaim its satirical edge, and with John Oliver so thoroughly setting us straight on Sunday nights, it's doubtful progressive America will look to SNL for its comedy any time soon.” I think he is right and with these other comedy outlets people do not have to rely solely on SNL as I once did but I am a cult follower and SNL is my Jones Town. Til death, baby

http://splitsider.com/2014/09/snl-review-a-new-hope-with-chris-pratt/

SNL is on Facebook and Twitter and trying to stay up with new mediums like everyone else but I don’t know how well that is actually working for them. First I don’t understand Twitter and I am not really sure how it would or would not work for them. Unless it can bring in younger viewers because as I pointed out, it seems to cater to an older crowd.

In conclusion I’d have to say there is more underlying stereotypical portrayal than I thought. I also have to be thankful for the DVR because I forgot how nauseating it can be to have to sit through all those commercials. As far as surprises go, I have watch SNL and shows like it since Carol Bernet, In Living Color and Mad TV. I have always sort of analyzed and critiqued the programs I watch in all kinds of ways from their Mise-en-scène to their deeper meanings, nothing really surprises me anymore. 

The MisFiTs

    The Misfits on Facebook. I am a huge fan of the Misfits. Or, what I should say is, I was a huge fan. These days I'd have to put them in the nostalgia category as far as where their music ranks on my desire to listen. I can still pull a lot out of my memory, though because the songs are still prominant in my long term memory. They have a lot of songs I like to refer to as cerebral cling on's. Frankly, I lost interest in The Misfits a few years after there original singer left the band.  The reason I picked the misfits for this blog is because of their re-branding they have done over the past decade or so. This Horror punk band would be as obscure as other punk bands from the 80's like Susie and the Banshees or the Dead Kennedy's, if not for their trademark skull that many of us have probably seen a million times now on campus. This is especially true of a punk band that's founder found God and changed a lot of the lyric style of the band.    

  Today there is a lawsuit brewing between the man who formed the band, Jerry Only and his original singer because Only figured out how to re-brand the bands name and logo and now he is making a lot of money off merchandising. Glenn Danzig who co-wrote many of their most infamous songs, now wants a portion of the profits. They never release anything new and yet I see people wearing the skull almost every day. Even people who had not been born yet when I stopped listening to them around 1986. I think the brand itself says more about the people wearing it than the band anymore. I felt like a misfit when I was a teenager and I think the a lot of people can just relate to that feeling. With their target audience, middle ager's and misfits everywhere, the Misfits, as a band is far less relevant. The Misfits as a brand on the other hand, seems to be doing just fine.

  I liked what Jarvis says about the five lesson for advertising. Focus on talent, Newness, Data, making money through the back door and focus on the user and all else will follow. These lessons stood out to me because they are really trying to do more than just make a product for people they want the consumer to feel as if they are a part of something not a mark. 

Topic 2 Campaign advertising. 

  The latest issue adds I have noticed are the ones for Yes on 91. This is the legalization of marijuana proposal. I have been a proponent for the legalization of marijuana for a long time. The reason I noticed them is that they are really trying to reach the average citizens. There are three that I have seen. One with a police officer, one with a mom and one with an attorney. I think they use hidden fear and the association principal. I like these adds because they are finally reaching out to the people that can actually end the prohibition of marijuana. The people who actually vote on a regular basis they are reaching out to the plain folks. It did not influence the way I will vote because I am anything but plain folk. I am glad to see a real campaign for this issue, finally.   

  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eBCRu_BYnw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV3nSlcXr7U

Treading Water Falls

Twitter

 I finally relented and started a new Twitter account because I had not used mine since I set it up years ago. I was also having trouble with them not sending me the link to change my password. Three entities that I am following are Ozzfest, The Blazers and The Onion. I followed Ozzfest because I figured it would be a good way to keep up on that particular event and new bands that may get their start there. I chose the Blazers because they are one of my favorite sports teams and I don't always have time to watch games so any quick info would help. I chose the Onion because I do like politics and comedy. In fact, it seems the line between the two is getting awful blurry.

 My favorite Tweet so far is one from The Onion, titled

Coworkers Each Putting In Herculean Effort To Sustain Conversation For Entire Commute

 I clicked on the link and the whole article is about two guys riding on a train commuting to work and trying desperately to carry on a conversation. They run short on small talk and spend the remainder of their ride opting to badmouth their coworkers.  

 I realized something in class and that is that I am totally out of touch with a great deal of media on the internet. I found myself jotting down a few ideas that I might be interested in checking out, like linked up and Snapchat. Perspective is key on how we see things and I realize I have a very narrow perspective of the internet. I'm really OK with that, though because I really don't like being on the internet a lot. I do have a very real interest in politics and I definitely find it interesting how this new age of technology offers so many different platforms. It almost seems like politicians would have to have a tech savvy team that can keep up on popular media if they have any chance at being relevant to the younger generation. I like to read CNN and NY Times articles on Facebook but other than that I stick to fact based information and local news like C-SPAN, The Democrat Herold and my voters pamphlet. I find national and international politics to be depressing and most of what we get is repetitious hyperbole. In short, everything seems taken out of context and spun. It plays to emotions and not reason and that might be why we get politicians that spend more time scrambling to get reelected than they do, doing there jobs.

"WWGD"

 The concept that stood out to me in the book was "Elegant Organization." This is the concept that something good can be made better, faster if everyone is working together. This means the costumers opinions are as vital to the growth of the company as CEOs or investors.

 The most common thing these days, I could relate this to, would be group discussions and projects at school. Everybody has ideas and facts in their head and it's not always the people who are in charge that have the best ideas. We learn better when we are able to reconstruct outside information and understanding and formulate our own reasoning. If we learn better, then the teacher has also taught better and the whole class is better off. I think when students are able to get together they can make a stronger case or provide a better product. I realize this is contingent on whether or not everyone or most people in the group are productive.

 When it comes to Jarvis's answers, I'm gonna go with Freedom of Expression. Anybody can say anything on the internet sounds like cause for celebration to me. How many times in human history have so many people had so much power over self-expression? It is a glorious age in this regard. We should have the freedom to make junk and consume it if we want.

 








     

Dennis's media blog

   Hi, I'm Dennis. At 44 years old, I am one of the older students at LBCC. I lost my job in the auction business in 2010 and found myself unable to land any work during the economic free fall that began around '07, '08. I am old enough to understand that the economy will bounce back in time but I found myself going stir crazy being broke and unemployed. After about a year, my step son convinced me that I might actually enjoy going back to school, so I enrolled and came back in 2011 for the first time since 1996. Now I am a broke student. I am not a journalism major, I am taking this class because it is required for my degree. I started out on a computer science degree but switched to an Associates of Science with a liberal emphasis after taking a couple of social science classes and realizing how much I liked them and understood them. I hope to work in the addiction field one day since I am happily reaping the benefits of their help and blessings today. These days, I am just enjoying the process and trying not to lose focus. 

   I think what interest me the most about media is its holistic connections to all other aspects of social interactions like home life, community and government. I am one who tends to cringe whenever I hear people generalize and blame government or media for societal problems. At some point individuals need to accept some responsibility for the media they absorb and the decisions they make based on the information they chose to process. Be it 24 hour news or video games or social media there are so many choices that we have the power to make ourselves open targets to information we prefer. Constantly bombarded with our own confirmation bias and/or blissful ignorance. My favorite sources for information are C-SPAN, The Daily Show and my Facebook feed that I have carefully crafted so as not to tick me off anymore. I know I'm not getting the total picture but really, who does?  

Topic 2

   Outside of school I am fairly boring. I am a home body and a bit of a geek. I love technology and the things it allows us to do including access to so many forms of media. I have never shied away from the future. In fact I welcome it with open pocketbook when I can afford it. I am not an online gamer but I do like to play video games when I have time. I'm a slow reader with horrible study habits though so it's usually best if I stay away from gaming these days.


   I do agree to a point that gaming can create a better world. Much like sports has given many societies a platform to complete with former enemies in a peaceful way, video games seem like an ideal way to to be competitive without causing harm. I a video game battle there is no physical collateral damage. At the end of the day the battle is either won or lost but everyone lives to fight again.

   Second skin was an eye opener for me and I would like to show this movie to many of my family members. This subject is very personal to me. Twenty years ago my brother was made handicapped when he was shot in the head by one of his best friends. His injury has cause many physical, mental and social disorders. He is less mobile due to paralysis on the left side of his body. He has slowly isolated himself to the point that he has become agoraphobic and he plays video game obsessively. It has gotten to the point at times that I do not know if he is speaking about real events or something in the game. I do recognize his physical limitations and therefor I allow him some leeway as far as his obsession. I understand addiction and that and this is not addiction. This is something completely different to me. What my brother seems to be striving for is to be relevant. In the real world he can barely maneuver his own body. In the game he can be just as, if not wiser and stronger than anyone else.