Please Don't Stop the Music

As much as I need my Blackberry, I need my music more. Therefore my iPod dictates what mood I will be in for the day. That meaning that I am never lazy to go anywhere as long as I have it with me. When I am driving I plug it into my stereo jack, and always have it handy whenever I’m commuting to work or school on public transit. If even just to go out for a walk around my block I will keep it on me.How ever with that being said, my iPod does become a distraction. Many of my friends often tell me how rude it is that I have my headphones in when I’m having conversations with them. This is probably the only negative thing about my iPod, other than that, it carries me through the day and keeps me entertained.

--Brednan--

Greenpeace

We are all aware of global warming and the fragile condition that the environment is in. If it wasn’t for an environmental group known as Greenpeace, the earth might have blown up a long time ago. Obviously this is an exaggeration, but Greenpeace does much to help keep the earth healthy and safe to live on for all. From campaigns as the “New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act”, which is An Act to establish in New Zealand a Nuclear Free Zone, to promote and encourage an active and effective contribution by New Zealand to the essential process of disarmament and international arms control, to the rescue and preservation of wild life.

Recently, with all the talk surrounding gloabal warming and climate change, I have become more insightful in regards to how I treat my mother earth. Although I lack the will power to live without a car, I always make sure to never over use things that most take for granted, like clean drinking water. As I get older and complete the transition into adulthood, I promised myself that I would make it my responsibility to help save the environment.



--Brendan--

Works Cited

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenpeace#cite_ref-23
http://canterbury.cyberplace.org.nz/peace/nukefree.html

Media Hegemonies / Mapping Who Owns What

Did you know that American telecommunications company, Viacom, owns all of these cable and film companies?
Cable
MTV
MTV2
mtvU
AtomFilms
Addicting Games
Gamerailers
Harmonix
MTVN International
MTV TR3S
Neopets
Parents Connect
Quizilla
Rhapsody
Shockwave
VH1
VH1 Classic
VH1 Soul
Virtual Worlds
XFIRE
Nickelodeon
Nick Jr.
BET
BET J
Nick at Nite
TV Land
NOGGIN
VH1
Spike TV
CMT
Comedy Central
Film
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Home Entertainment
Dreamworks Studiis
Paramount Vantage
MTV Films
Nickelodeon Movies
Home Entertainment

What does this mean? I think that cross media ownership is just another term for greed. It is amazing to me that one company can control so many. It seems that no matter what I do I will always be supporting Viacom, regardless of what I choose to watch on television or in film.

--Brendan--

Works Cited

http://cjr.org/resources/?c=viacom

Media Literacy

Media literacy is the process of accessing, analyzing, evaluating and creating messages in a wide variety of media modes, genres and forms. It uses an inquiry-based instructional model that encourages people to ask questions about what they watch, see and read. Media literacy education is one means of developing media literacy. Canada is the first country in North America to require media literacy in the school curriculum. Every province has mandated media education in its curriculum. For example, in Quebec the new curriculum mandates media literacy from Grade 1 right up to the final year of secondary school.

Although blogging is a big part it is not the only form of media literacy that I engage in. It has become common practice to send and reply to e-mails on a daily basis. When on social networking websites, such as Facebook, I write on friend’s walls and send messages as well. It would turn out that media literacy is a big part of my life. But the reality is that this is the direction that the world is going in. I think that this is a good move by the Canadian Government because with the way that the Internet is growing, it is essential people are taught from a very young age on how to use it in an academic way.

--Brendan--

Jamming you with culture

Culture jamming could be defined as an art movement, however this might not be sufficient enough of statement to cover the full spectrum of activities that is culture jamming. Culture jamming has been characterized as a form of public activism, which is generally in opposition to commercialism, and the vectors of corporate image. Some culture jamming takes aim at these power structures because they are part of the dominant culture, but any other aspects of the dominant culture are also fair game for culture jamming.

The message of this particular example of culture jamming is clear…the corporation’s strangle hold on America and the American people. The billboard shows that the stars of the American flag have been replaced by corporate logos. This is a frightening. If I were an American I would seriously take into consideration how I am involved in this act and what I could do to stop it.

This example of culture jamming is also a call to action. It is telling us that we should “Declare Independence From Corporate Rule”. I think that what this means is that it is we can be bombarded with advertisements left and right, but it is ultimately up to us to decide to support these corporations or not.

Works Cited
http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

--Brendan--

Fake News

When one thinks of fake news in reference to television such as The Colbert Report or The Daily Show for example, they may think that what is being said is made up. However I prefer to call it news satire for the reason being that what being said is not necessarily made up, but instead delivered in a comical way. Programs like these, which resemble that of news broadcasts, discuss real events and issues that affect their viewers, but delivered satirically for the purpose of comedy instead of as a hard news story.

Sometimes it’s good to have a laugh and look on the bright side of life…especially in such tough economic times.




--Brendan--

Buy Nothing Day

First I must confess, that on Buy Nothing Day, I will probably buy something. First off, its my pay day and I think that I deserve a little shopping spree. However I don’t feel bad for doing this. This being because I really don’t see what 24 hours of no spending would do to change how North Americans live. Why not have a Buy a Little Less Year which everyone is asked to commit to spending less money during the year in order to reduce waste. Although I may sound a bit sarcastic, this is only because the whole idea of Buy Nothing Day seems impractical to me. In preparation of Buy Nothing Day, consumers will buy everything they need before or immediately the day after, which completely defeats the proposed purpose. I agree that North Americans consume far too much, however one single day of not buying anything will not stop this problem.

--Brendan--

Participatory Culture: THE FACEBOOK

We all know about “The Facebook” as it has grown into something of a pandemic in our society, but I use the word pandemic lightly. In my eyes Facebook is the ultimate social networking tool and I find myself wondering what I did to keep in touch with friends, especially distant friends, before I began to use it. Yes you may say that I am simply part if a fad or a corporate scheme to gather consumer information on me in order to increase an already wealthy company’s yearly income, but I would respond by saying…I’m not hurting anyone. I use Facebook solely for the purpose to do what it was created to do, which is network with people. I rarely post pictures of myself intoxicated or describe every detail of myself from my marital status to what books I like to read, television shows I watch or even my political views. And I especially don’t write long sad notes about how hard my life is being adolescent black male. So really what is the big deal if I have a Facebook profile or a Myspace profile or a YouTube channel? It really makes no difference how I choose to display myself via social networking, because in the end as long as I am aware of the implications and the consequences, nothing should go wrong.

--Brendan--

Net Neutrality

What is Net Neutrality? Net Neutrality is about choice. Being able to choose to view whatever you want on the Internet. The Internet should be a place free of restrictions where people can express themselves, share ideas, opinions and talents without unnecessary censorships.

Advocates of Net Neutrality would like to it should be made into law and content providers such as Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft argue that network neutrality law is necessary because without law the free and open nature of the internet will be destroyed and also create a tiered, dollar-driven net that favours the wealthiest corporations over everyone else. Do we really want corporations dictating what we are able to see on the Internet?

Internet Service Providers want to end Net Neutrality. They intend to set restraints on parts of the Internet by charging website money in order to have access to it. Thus meaning that only wealthy corporations would be able to have websites. There would no longer be a flat level system in the Internet and a majority of users would not be able to have full use of the internet.

I feel that it is up to us, the general public to send our political leaders a message and show what the Internet should be and how it should be used. The Internet must remain accessible and neutral to all who use it to explore or share.

--Brendan--

Decoding Black Face…I mean and American Apparel Ad?

American apparel designs, creates and prints it’s own advertisements. The company is known for having very provocative ads in which a female model would be photographed wearing a see-through shirt for a top and just her underwear for bottoms. I understand that this is what sells in the retail industry now-days and that advertising companies will do anything to get their product sold, but to what extent will they go? In my quest to find an interesting advertisement to I stumbled upon an ad by American Apparel that features a white model posing in “Black Face”. I’m not sure what their understanding of “Black Face” is, but to my understanding, it is a stereotypical depiction of black people.

The blackface minstrel act was a very popular form of entertainment in 19th-century America. It was also a highly racist depiction of African Americans The model’s face is covered in dark brown make up her lips are extremely exaggerated to resemble that of a black woman’s. It seems to me that American Apparel is trying to promote a new line of hair wraps, so why not just have real black women in their advertisements…seems very strange and unnecessary to me. For more information on “Black Face” follow the link provided.

http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/huckfinn/minstrl.html

--Brendan--



Works Cited

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_26/b3939108_mz017.htm