Public Relations.. Advertising?

In a world full of competition, advertisement is essential for growth. It has become such a widespread commodity that it is almost impossible to avoid. This mass marketing technique has been used for centuries and has made a significant impact on today’s society. Although ads can be found to be adverse and questionable at times, the overall application of it in society is immense and continually expanding. The marketing techniques ad used today have proven to give off a large impact throughout history; consequently, this results in both positive and negative effects.
         

 Initially, looking back on history, the use of ads has proven to cause a huge impact on events that shaped America into the country that it is today. For example, during wars America would use propaganda to increase the involvement from its citizens and boost morale among them. The use of these posters and other forms of ads were so successful and influential that America was equipped with all that it needed to be a dynamic force in war. In addition, in the 1950’s when television had made its way in most American households, the increased exposure of advertisements to the average Americans caused a large increase in economic growth. Americans suddenly were obsessed with the idea of “Keeping up with the Joneses”, a mindset that still remains in our society today.

Furthermore, the purpose of an advertisement is to act as a medium of information in which one can persuade others to buy their product. This allows for many positive effects on society such as those pertaining to price level and a decrease in unemployment. Advertisements generate an increase in competition between businesses therefore forcing them to decrease prices and overall put the consumer’s first. Advertisements also put smaller businesses in a position to compete against much larger corporations. This leads to economic growth and helps level the playing field between corporations and smaller businesses. In addition, there has been an increase of job openings for models, producers, and actors as a result of advertisements. With a growing number of youth interested in pursuing these career paths, advertisements truly open job opportunities for those in need.               

  Moreover, advertisement also causes negative effects on society. This occurs as a result of marketing practices that convince people they’re in need of items that they don’t need. The use of psychology is used often through subliminal messages which stimulate the consumer’s subconscious. This can all become dangerous when these advertisements are exposed to vulnerable groups such as children and teens. For instance, the use of sexual overtones and of unhealthy body types that symbolize the definition of beauty has proven to only lower the self-esteems of teens nationwide. More and more of America’s youth are becoming exposed to advertisements that aren't age-appropriate or healthy for them to see. These forms of advertisements are a prime example of the negative face of ads.
               

    All in all, advertisements play a huge role in American society today. Its widespread use has led to

the expansion of many businesses and projects throughout history. Without a doubt, the impact that it has on our economy is countless. Whether you’re flipping through channels on TV or sitting down and reading the newspaper for leisure, one simply cannot avoid being exposed to advertisements in everyday American society.

Importance of Comedy

            When you think of the word “television” what comes to mind?  Entertainment, drama, comedy, fantasy, horror, and sci-fi for a person to watch on a daily basis; television is a “telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with or without accompanying sound”. Television plays a big role in society especially when it comes to entertainment. When an individual is feeling down or angry. The best way to change their mood from a negative to a positive is turning on the TV.  Television offers a wide variety of categories, but the one that stands out is comedy. Comedy will make u laugh, change a negative mood, and jokes to keep you throughout a rough week.

           

Comedy was created to make people laugh. On television, they have funny shows on comedy central designed to make people feel better. Without comedy in your life, you can end up miserable because nothing humorous encamps around you. If you had a long day and you want a good laugh, the best thing to do is watch tv. Most channels such as comedy central, nickelodeon, cartoon network, and Disney channel were made for laughs; they’re also good with comedy movies.

           

Whenever something happens to an individual, it tends to change their mood for the worst. In society, stress is common in everyone’s life, whether it could be school; church, work, or just daily duties, stress is there. There are numerous of ways to deal with stress. One of the ways, is watching TV. Most people tend to watch funny shows or shows filled with drama. Once they do that, it is common that there mood will switch to positive, because the humor from the show tends to make a person forget what they were doing and how they use to feel.

           

On a daily basis, every student or person in general, can have a rough week. School is stressful, work is a burden, and having time for you is out of the picture. Throughout this all, everything you do seems long and rough. The solution towards that problem is comedy, jokes on tv shows will have you laughing for days, such as: maury, jerry springer, love and hip hop, house of pain, etc. These shows all fit under the comedy category. The jokes that you hear on these shows are uncommon. You never hear jokes like that, so all you can do is laugh. And when you do laugh, everything seems to not bother you as much, because you become jolly.

           In my conclusion, comedy plays a big part in life. Everything about it, brings laughter, and humor in serious situations. Without comedy, people would be uptight; they would not know how to joke around and take things lightly. Comedy has an impact on entertainment because every show that comes on revolves around it. If there was no comedy on TV, ratings would go down because viewers would not watch the regular dramas. In order to feel good and survive, you need comedy.

            

The Understanding of Hip Hop..

Everyone knows that music has a way of penetrating the ears of an individual. It hits the soul, therefore propelling a person to move their body or bob their head. There are numerous of genres in music that makes people think, such as: Hip hop, Pop, R&B, and Gospel. The feel of the music changes a person’s aura, it can infiltrate the mind to change the way you feel, also known as emotion. Hip Hop is the main genre that can change your whole aura, just by the lyrics, the beat of the song, and the voice of the artist; those 3 things alone will blow your mind away if you think about it.

When you hear the word “lyric” what do you think it means? A Lyric is a set of words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. Lyrics are abstract; they are a form that emphasizes mainly on articulation, experiences, and also expression. When a lyricist expresses his lyrics, all you can do is just listen, listen to what they say. They could have gone through so much, that it hits you and it changes the way u feel. Lyrics are strong expressions and over time hip-hop lyrics changed drastically, compared to the 80’s. Hip-hop lyrics were fun and everybody could relate to the references of parents bugging their children, going to school, making jokes of the teachers, etc. But now lyrics are degrading women, packed with violence, drugs, and sexual references, therefore leading hip hop to redraw musical lines.

What comes to the mind when you hear the word “beat”? Violence or the thing that makes yours body rock when you hear it. Beats are essential in Hip-hop, which is the base of the whole genre. Without it, there would be no hip-hop, because with no beat being present, you will not move your hips nor hop to the track. You would only listen because the only voice you would hear is the lyricist. The beat has always remained the same; only thing different is the artist.

In order to pay attention to someone speaking, what has to grab the audience’s attention? Their voice, if a person goes up to speak with an annoying voice, there is a high possibility that audience would not want to hear anything they say; same thing goes for hip hop. The lyricist has to have an appealing voice in order to grab a listener’s attention. For example: Drake, Jay Z, and Kendrick Lamar. Those 3 artists have appealing voices and their lyrics are appealing too. If an artist did not have a good voice, we would not listen to them period, because their voice does not match our standards.

In my conclusion, Hip-hop has changed and sparked a new generation. The beat, the lyrics, and the person behind the lyrics can grab our attention and change our aura. Music is power in some cases, without music the world would probably riot, because whenever we get in our ways –anger, sadness, romance- we have to find a solution to cure it or calm us down. Hip-hop artists expound on every emotion they feel and we can relate also. The only thing that brings hip-hop down, are some of the artist that degrade women, and make a mockery out of serious things and situations.

Media Convergence ._.

          

Did you know, that over the years the media has changed drastically? Some people are blind to the fact. But if you look at it, whenever something comes on TV and you miss it? You aren’t sad or down, because when you get back home you’ll be able to see it again. The reason why? Is because we demand access to our media. We can see it anytime we want or wherever we want. Media converges on our Pcs and TVs, Mobile devices, and society accepting the convergence.

            In society when it comes to entertainment. There are numerous of things to entertain an individual. The biggest source of entertainment comes from the TV. You have mainly reality shows, scripted shows, or just regular cartoons. Imagine if you miss it, what next? Should u just forget about it and kill your self because it isn’t coming on again anytime soon? No, the media has changed completely. The Pc is like the new TV. If you miss a show, you can just go online and watch it. No problems or anything. Once Internet hooked up with Pc’s, it’s been a craze especially for the TV industry. Some shows lost views because no one really tunes in to watch TV. They just go on the computer, and also it’s easier because there aren’t any commercials of such.

            When you look at it. Mobile phones propel convergence. Mobile phones aren’t like how they used to be back in the 70’s where they weighed 5lbs. Mobile phones now can do almost everything. They can call, text, video cam, play music, download apps, and the list goes on. Mobile phones are converging with other sources of entertainment such as: TV, games, and pc.  You can download game apps from the app store; you can download Netflix (movie app), and download pc apps. The list is everlasting; technology is updating. All entertainment sources are just going to converge.

         With technology and the media converging, society accepts it. Why would you not want too? You can have every source of entertainment in just one device, and by the way how the media is upgrading. It’s bound to happen. The sources are just split right now and each source is copying off of each other and at the same time upgrading. The convergence in the media is withstanding and it’s reaching levels. In the mid-1900s phones were only used for calling, now you can watch movies, go on the Internet, text, and listening to music all at the same time. Pcs could only type letters, now you can download anything and play games. The TV use to only be in black and white and only hold up to 10 channels (local), now certain TV companies can hold up to more than 1000 channels. It’s amazing.

            In general, I can notice the change in the media and the convergence. Every source of entertainment is pushing to be the best and be on top. In my case mobile phones are upgrading and I have a feeling it’s going to be on top. The convergence between the TV and Pcs are crazy, because both should have different functions, but they’re becoming similar. Humans in society could do nothing else but accept it. Technology is upgrading and in the end only one media can stand, we will just have to wait and see.

Privacy or No Privacy?

            In society people have no privacy. Privacy does not exist anymore as it used to. You cannot wake up and live life without someone watching you. There was a point in time in which you could go to work without thinking about it. The government plays a big part in keeping an eye on everybody. With the US being attacked by other countries in the past, the government feels as if they have to watch the lives of people; from where they go, tapping their phones, and watching online activity.

            When an individual wakes up, the first thing that revolves around the mind, is finding out what they are going to do today. Some people do absolutely nothing at all; some go on adventures, while the rest relax until something comes their way. People all have tasks on their plate to accomplish. The government has a way of spying on the people. “Files on TrapWire, a government-sponsored program that allows U.S. intelligence agencies to track people’s movements using surveillance cameras, have surfaced with  the latest batch of Wikileaks  documents” (Epstein). Once an individual leaves their house to go to a store, the first thing they notice are cameras watching their every move. Of course, we all know cameras are there to watch the store’s safety, but little do we know the government can see through them also; not just the store, but also pedestrians walking by. The reason behind this is to make sure that no one is up to any suspicious activity. The government is paranoid.

              On a daily basis about 85% of people are using their phones. This could be through texting, emailing, and calling. That is how humans communicate, especially through phones. People all have conversations on life, church, relationships, jobs, etc. However, did you know that while they have these conversations, the government taps every phone call? After the 9/11 terrorist attack, the government has tapped into each and every phone call to find out if there are any terrorists planning to cause harm to the United States. Society has no privacy at all. Imagine a man or woman in a relationship talking to their spouse about their plans with the peanut butter and jelly. Little do they know, the government is listening to their conversation. It is funny, but yet wrong, because phone conversations should be private. The government has their reasons, so people should keep their conversations limited to a certain subject.

            Other sources of entertainment can be found online; whether it is through a dating website, facebook, twitter, instagram, or vine, they are all entertainment. Whenever an individual is bored, the first place they go to free themselves would be online. Usually when something extraordinary or unbelievable happens, the first place to talk about it is online-- mainly facebook. The government knows of their actions, because they watch online activity. It would not be surprising if they watch people in the showers, too; or even when they use the bathroom. The government is unfair; of course we know that they are looking out for their people, and also trying to protect the country. One thing they need to do is give people more privacy. It is somewhat like we are all Truman Burbanks being controlled by another person; no one likes to be controlled especially by someone more powerful (Weir). When it gets to that point, riots come into the picture and society rebels.

 In conclusion, society has no privacy anymore. The government watches people in their every action; whether it is through the internet, cell phones, and movement; they watch us. In order to avoid this, people must keep their conversations G-rated, watch what they post on their networking sites, and just watch their backs. Privacy does not exist, but people can hold their dignity and watch what they say.

Works Cited:

Weir, Peter dir. The Truman Show. Dir. Niccol Andrew. Universal Studios, 1998. Film. 11 Sep 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120382/>.

Epstein, Mike. "The Governement Maybe Uses Cameras To Track Your Every Move." Ekosyst. (2012): n. page. Web. 11 Sep. 2013. <www.geekosystem.com/trapwire-surveillance/>.

The Truman Show.. My Thoughts

In class yesterday we watched the Truman Show. While watching this show, I realized that the media in our society are trying to run our lives. We don’t see it yet because we’re blind to the fact of entertainment not knowing that the media is pretty much controlling our lives. In the movie, the commentary made a role of media in our lives, it had utopian and dystopian views of media, the line between public and private, the difference between real life and performance, and the ethics of reality TV. I will elaborate.

If you think of it, what do we do on a daily basis? Watch TV, use our phones, and check our social networking sites, etc. When you look at it, technology controls us; we can’t live without it. The social commentary in this movie was good, and probably that’s what caught the attention of the viewers. We can function as humans every single day but if u compare it to the movie, it’s similar. We wake up, meet new people, make friends, and get a job. Just the average stuff and this movie showed it. It was so real; that you wouldn’t even know it was staged. Even though there were a couple of get ups in the movie.

Life proceeds and society changes especially in the media. There are times in which you might feel as if everything goes complete perfect, but then again knowing that it’s life. Things don’t always go perfect. The media has a way of portraying utopia on national television. Especially on reality shows, everything seems perfect in that person’s life when actually dystopia plays it’s part. Everything is staged. The media lies to us on a daily basis and we follow?  “We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented. It’s as simple as that.” -Christof

Truman was absolutely stuck in a world of his own, he was trapped not knowing that every person he encounters and the city he lives in. Is just fiction. The real world was outside of the dome constructed in Hollywood.

            Everyone wants privacy, space, and time for themselves. Nobody wants to be watched or not have space. Some people love other people in there business or they love being watched. In the Truman Show, Truman experienced both. They had cameras everywhere in the city especially in his house, his car, and his job. He had no space. But one day he devised a plan and then he left. So the cameras couldn’t follow him. So you can say there is a line between privacy and public.

            In life, there are borders between real life and performance. One is reality, and the other one is staged, meaning that it’s written. In the beginning of the movie he was absolutely clueless. He thought the life that he was living was real until he started seeing clues that made him realize that something’s fishy. Therefore he left and the producers couldn’t find him until he reached the end of the dome. He realized that his life was fake and staged. That was the border between life and performance. The ethics of reality TV I’m not really sure they even have one. What people really look for in a reality TV show is for it being real. Everyone looks for the real in a person’s life. Truman on the other hand swore his life was real but it was all staged. The Truman Show on a whole was an amazing movie.

           

About Me ..

                                                               A City Boy Far From Home

      
     

In society, there are numerous of people and new technology in various parts of the world. That’s the thing that catches an individual’s attention, because the world is complex. I’m an individual that differs from the average individuals I encounter everyday. I’ll expound on who I am, what is the role of media and technology in my life, and the role of media on the expansion of information in society.

           

On August 26, 1994 at St. Lukes Hospital in Manhattan, NY. I was born. I’m an individual that loves God, loves to follow his dreams and be successful at it. When I have my mind set on something precise, I never stray from it. My dream is to become a successful actor in the media, and by the looks of it? God is blessing me and my dreams are turning into reality.

           

My life revolves around media and technology. When it comes to communication? You can get me through facebook, my cell phone, and instagram. The reason I say that, is because that’s usually where you can find me. For entertainment, I’m usually watching cartoons on TV or playing sport games on my Xbox 360..

           

When I look at the roles of media and technology it plays a big factor. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to understand and be updated with society. I wouldn’t know anything that occurs in the world. Or even be able to talk to my friends. I probably wouldn’t even have friends.

           

In my conclusion, the media and technology are the only ways we can stay updated. Without it, we wouldn’t be that complex or even have any expansion when it comes to knowledge, especially in society. They are key factors in life.

           

           

Song describes me.. Empire State of Mind :)

Born in Bronx, NY. 8/26/1994