PETA

The activist project I want to focus on is PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals). There are over 2 million members and supporters for PETA and it is also the largest animals right organization in the world. PETA focuses on four areas in which animals suffer the most which are: on factory farms, in laboratories, in the clothing trade and in the entertainment industry. The PETA organization works through different outlets like public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns. I am a vegetarian because I am for animals and against animal cruelty. PETA’s motto is "Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment." I strongly believe that in this motto because it holds true. You do not see people going around eating other people so I do not understand why other people do the same. It is not just about the consumption of animals but also the way they are treated. Animals are used for makeup testing, entertainment purposes and are even killed for their fur, which I think is ridiculous. I think there should be more laws against the cruelty of animals, and there should be more organizations for helping these animals that are not being treated with some sort of respect. I understand the reasons for why a person eat meat and partake in such activities like purchasing fur coats, etc. but is it fair for those animals who are being mistreated just so you could wear a comfortable coast or have a tasty sub. Next time you indulge in a meat burger, decide to buy an expensive fur coat, or so forth just think about the animals that were killed for you to get that burger or coat.

Work Cited

Mission Statement. PETA, 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2009. .

Buy Nothing Day

Buy nothing day started in North America during the 90’s. Now, over 90 countries celebrate this international day. This day was set up so that for 24 hours on this day people across the world would not purchase any products. Everything we purchase has an impact on the environment and this day is very significant in reducing the environmental damage caused by consuming products. In developed countries, 20% of the world’s country is consuming 80% of the world’s natural resources. This is causing environmental damage and an unfair distribution in wealth (Smith, year ). The creation of this international day is sort of like the creation of comics. The reason for why Buy nothing Day was created was to better understand the causes of what has been around for so long which is the environment and the how we impact on it. In the book Understanding Comics, it explores the definition and talks about the historic development of comics. They relate to one another because Understanding Comics is about the historic context of comics and why it is so important to understand the significance of comics. Same goes for Buy Nothing Day, it is a day where we understand the importance of the environment and the impact we have. Buy Nothing Day is celebrated on November 25th and hopefully it is a day where many people partake and do their share to help the environment by not purchasing anything.

Work Cited

To buy, or not to buy... Michael Smith, 2000. Web. 22 Nov. 2009. .

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York, NY: Harper Paperbacks, 1994. Print.

Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is a network design paradigm that argues for broadband network providers to be completely detached from what information is sent over their networks. It argues that no bit of information should be prioritized over another. This principle implies that an information network such as the internet is most efficient and useful to the public when it is less focused on a particular audience and instead attentive to multiple users (biggovernment.com). The most important feature in new neutrality is that consumers of certain websites may not be able to access certain websites. It is important that Net Neutrality become a law because if not, it goes against the peoples’ freedom. We as people should have the freedom to access any type of information online without having to pay an access fee. By allowing the telcos (telephone companies) to tier the internet, consumers will be forced to pay multiple times for the same service. On top of that, tiring could result in telcos becoming an internet “gatekeeper” that could greatly influence what stays and goes on the internet (biggovernment). For instance, if consumers wanted to surf the net for certain information their computer may be extremely slow making it impossible to navigate to the site or, the site may not work entirely.

Work Cited


Net Netrality Fight Causing New Rifts On the Left. Big Government. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .

Response to the Arguments Against Net Neutrality. NetWork Neutrailty. Web. 21 Nov. 2009. .

Participatory Culture

Social networking is a very important part of my culture. It is the way in which I communicate and meet new people. So, to say that social networking is when you meet people would be an understatement. Social networking: The use of a website to connect with people who share personal or professional interests, place of origin, education at a particular school, etc. (dictionary.com). A great example of social networking would have to be the wiki. Every single one of us that take mass communication is on that wiki constantly posting up comments, blogs, request, etc. In the start of the year we knew of no one in that class but now, a lot of us have known each other and have made great bonds with each other. In Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Klosterman writes about Big Brother. Big Brother was a game show were complete strangers would be picked to live together and while living there they would face each other to win a half a million dollars. This game show was a perfect example of social networking because these strangers would live together, and while on the show would be forced to get to know each other (without knowing each other you would not create alliances and therefore will probably not win therefore you will probably be the first voted out which would suck). A lot of times on these shows you find cast members hooking up, breaking up, fighting, forming friendships, and so much more. It is comparable to the Real World as well but the only difference is that there is no half a million dollars to compete over.

Another great example of social networking is the widely popular phenomenon called facebook. I myself am heavily involved with this form of social networking. It has given me the opportunity to make friends with people I was not really friends with in High school. For instance I have started talking to this girl that was in my grade 11 math class, we never really spoke then but just recently we started talking. This comes to show the powers of social networking and how it has truly become a popular culture that many people engage in. I have had facebook for years now and I have only increased my friends list. I think it is important to have an outlet where you get to meet or better understand a person. For instance, I have my co-op coordinator on facebook because I know in the future that could help me out when I ever need a letter or recommendation or even a reference.


Work Cited

Social networking. Dictionary.com. Web. 19 Nov. 2009. .


Klosterman, Chuck. Sex, drugs, and cocoa puffs a low culture manifesto. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Cultural Jamming

Culture jamming is a tactic in which an activist attempts to disrupt or subvert mainstream cultural institutions or corporate advertising. (dictionary.com)
The ad I will be analyzing is the Absolute Vodka advertisement.
By looking at this picture you see a vodka bottle. The bottle is shrivelled and at the bottom you see the saying Absolute impotence. This impotent bottle represent what can happen to people but more so in men to be specific if they consume a lot of alcohol. An over consumption of alcohol in men results in 80% of men that drink heavily face sexual side effects, erectile dysfunction, sterility, or loss of sexual desire. This ad is targeted to those who may over consume alcohol and may not realise the effects it could have on your body. Also, showing you what the advertisement does not want you to know.

Cultural jamming is a great way to take big companies like absolute vodka, McDonalds, etc. and to really show the effects it can cause, or just show what they do not want people to know. Overall, cultural jamming is a great way to make others aware of what the companies or products are about, to make apparent the damages or to just get across the side effects. I think it is important that people become more aware of what they consume on the regular basis and become more advertisement savvy.


Work Cited

Culture Jamming. Cybertreehugs, 05 May 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. .

Alcohol & Impotence. FirstMed. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. .

Media Hegemonies

There are many major media companies that own different types of media outlets such as radio, television, newspaper, print and online. One of the high brand companies I will be discussing about is Walt Disney. Walt Disney owns many different other companies like:
The ABC Television Network: ABC Entertainment, ABC Daytime, ABC News, ESPN on ABC, ABC Television, ABC Kids, and Touchstone Television.

Production & Distribution Companies: Walt Disney Television, Walt Disney Television Animation, BVS entertainment, ABC Studios, Walt Disney Television, Disney-ABC Domestic Television.

Cable Networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN PPV, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPNHD, ESPN2 HD, ESPNEWSHD and ESPNUHD, Disney Channel HD, Toon Disney, SOAPnet, ABC Family Channel, A&E Television Networks (37.5% equity; includes A&E, the History Channel, the Biography Channel, History en español, Military History Channel, Crime & Investigation Network, A&E HD, The History Channel HD), Lifetime Entertainment Services (50% equity; includes Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women).

International Channels: ESPN International, ESPN Classic Sport Europe, ESPN Latin America, ESPN Asia, Jetix Europe, Jetix Latin America, Jetix Canada, Jetix Israel, International Disney Channels, History International, NASN Limited.

The ABC Television Network has 226 affiliated stations reaching 99 percent of all U.S. television households. The company owns and operates ten ABC television stations in the nation’s top markets.

Programming: Good Morning America, World News with Charles Gibson, World News Now, 20/20, Primetime, This Week With George Stephanopoulos, Sportscenter/Monday Night Football, ESPNplus, Playhouse Disney, Jetix, ABC Kids. ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, Radio Disney, Lifetime Radio for women (50% equity), ABC Music Radio, ABC Radio Networks: Imus in the Morning, The Mark Levin Show, Morning Joe, The Tom Joyner Show.
Magazines: Family Fun, ESPN the Magazine, Jetix Magazine, Wondertime Magazine, Bassmaster Magazine and Disney Adventures

Music: Disney Music Group distributes music and motion picture soundtracks under its four labels: Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Buena Vista Records, Lyric Street Records, Disney Music Publishing Worldwide.

Books: Disney Publishing, a subsidiary of the Company, owns Hyperion Books, Hyperion Books for Children, Disney Press, Disney Editions, Disney Adventures, Disney Fairies, Disney Digital Books, Mirimax, ESPN books, ABC Daytime Press, Hyperion East, Hyperion Audiobooks, Volo, Jump at the Sun, Disney Libri (Italy), Disney Hachette JV (France).
With big companies like Disney owning many different types of companies, it only creates implications such as bias. For instance, the owners of Disney may believe in a certain perspective or view when a story hits. So, all the different type of newspapers, television programming, etc will share in the same bias because the same owners of Disney own those smaller newspapers, television broadcast news, etc. This gives the viewers and audiences a biased perspective.
“It is an approach that will preserve the plurality of editorial voices and the diversity of programming available to Canadians, both locally and nationally, while allowing for a strong and competitive industry," said CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein. I agree with this statement because if one company owns most of the smaller companies then it loses the diversity in this industry and only the powerful and wealthy people would have a say. It would be owned by the same people and only they would have a say in what goes on.
In the book Toxic Sludge is good for you it writes about the roles of public relations and how they are silent partners. We get the news and we think it’s accurate and correct but what we fail to see is that the news we hear goes through boardrooms of these public relations companies. These companies like Disney that owns smaller companies like ABC daytime, Good Morning America, etc. are biased information because they are owned by the same company and are given the same information to report on, that is the jobs of public relations. And that is an implication to cross-media ownership.


Work cited

CRTC imposes cross-media ownership restrictions. CBC, 15 Jan. 2008. Web. 28 Oct. 2009. .

Ownership Chart: The Big Six. Free Press. Web. 02 Nov. 2009. .

Corporately funded news

As journalist and people we have a morality to uphold when it comes to telling the truth about the news. There are many implications involving corporately funded news for instance, the public is given false information on what the news is conveying. Corporately funded news may also contain bias. Conglomerate is a term where a company owns different types of corporations, so we see what they want us to see. For example if a company owned CNN, Fox, and Toronto Star then these 3 major outlets of news would hold bias because the company that owns these outlets of news may only shows us what they want us to know and may hold true to a certain angle or side.
I’m sure we are all aware of a certain celebrity blogger by the name of Perez Hilton. Now I love Perez Hilton and all, but I know that he may not always be right. A couple years ago Perez Hilton claimed on his blog that Fidel Castro had died; he was the president of Cuba. Perezhilton.com being so successful that many readers believed what he had written. Of course when you hear this you believe it’s true? I mean it’s Perez Hilton, but later on did we find out that in fact Fidel Castro was not dead that Perez himself was given faulty facts. This comes to show that not everything you hear or read about is necessarily true just because the source may seem trustworthy or may hold a valuable reputation.

This brings us to another type of corporately funded news which includes Entertainment. Do you pass by stores and notice magazine headlines that just sound so outrageous and crazy. Why is it that these tabloids are able to print such false news and fabricated argument’s and still people believe every word of it as if it were being said by CNN or BBC. By reading such false news people lose sight of what is real news.

So, there are many different serious news that are corporately funded but I choose to talk more about the entertainment side just because more people are able to relate it back to them. We all know we love Hollywood and every time we pass the checkout counter we just walk slowly to read the new leads from People magazine or Ok. We just need to know how it affects us.

Work cited

Corporate-funded studies a concern. Mer Eckstut, 30 Oct. 2003.10 Oct. 2009. http://thedp.com/node/40538

Reality

Realism in the Webster dictionary is stated as, the quality or state of being real. So when we watch TV how do we know what we see as real? Even though the show is classified as reality, is it still real? An example of this is, the popular TV show called The Hills. I’m sure a lot of girls and yes some guys are aware that this show is classified as being a reality show, but did you know it’s not. In the show two characters by the name of Justin Bobby and Kristin Cavallari are going on but in reality they are not. "Everyone is trying to get story lines and create drama in their lives. It's just so... fake. There's no truth to it. At all." There are plenty of other proofs to show that The Hills is in fact not a reality show even if it’s said to be.

So if The Hills is not real then what is? Chuck Klosterman in his book, ‘Sex, Drugs and Coco Puffs,’ writes about reality and what it is. He compares many movies and one that mentioned is Mulholland Drive. I myself have seen this movie and did not quit like it because I couldn’t really tell what was real until the very end. After the film you question what reality is and what is real. The fundamental question is, what is real? Well we all have a different perspective of what reality is because of what we have been exposed to growing up.

All I know is that anything is possible and that’s what I believe. Writing about reality I also came across something crazy and you have to be an open minded person to believe this or at least try to be.

The Time traveler’s wife a movie starring Rachael McAdams and Eric Bana is about a man who can time travel and meets his future bride when she was just a little girl. So it got me thinking about if time traveling was real and I heard from a friend that it was possible, and then I stumbled upon this clip. This man claims that he found a portal under his kitchen sink. So he went to fix his leaking sink by crawling through the bottom until he was able to stand up. He met the future him and videotaped it so people would believe him. The question is, is it real?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2sp-clMk8s

Now with such crazy things we see on TV and of all the new innovative experiments and cures, so with technology progressing at an alarming rate, is it still possible? Well, no one’s certain but I’m a believer and I do believe anything is possible.

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”
-Albert Einstein


Work cited

Abovetopsecret.com. 21 Apr. 2007. Web. Oct. 2009.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread278967/pg1.

Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein. Kevin Harris, 1995. Web. 11 Oct. 2009.
http://rescomp.stanford.edu/~cheshire/EinsteinQuotes.html.

Kristin Cavallari: 'The Hills' isn't real, the producers tell me what to do. Christopher Rocchio, 30 Sept. 2009. Web. 11 Oct. 2009.
http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/kristin-cavallari-the-hills-isnt-real-producers-tell-me-what-do-9632.php.

Analysing advertisements

Sex. It’s something we may all face one point in our lives if not already so why not get used to the idea of it in advertisements. As far back as I can remember sex was a concept many companies used and still do to advertise a product and so far it works. We have always been bombarded with such profane images, commercials, and advertisements that it’s a thing of the past and now everywhere you look you see these big companies selling their clothing, shoes, accessories and even cars with the concept of sex. And yes I wrote cars, to be more specific the Volvo.

I was looking around for the perfect ad to discuss when I happened to run into this certain ad which was perfect. I have never really heard of companies using sex to sell cars, I always thought it was for clothing, shoes, accessories, etc. but not cars.
Here you can see the front seat of the car, the seat and the hand brake. By looking at this ad we all know what the handbrake is supposed to represent and I just found this so funny and amusing because again, I have never seen a company use such tactics to get across their product.

I think this ad is trying to convey the message that if you buy this car you will get lucky in more ways than one as well as be on your A-game in terms of having the latest toys. Also, if you notice the slogan, ‘We’re just excited as you,’ is just perfect to describe this car. Another term associated with this car is, ‘And you thought this was just a family car.’ Both these slogans use innuendos. I think what this ad is trying to get across is that the Volvo is the newest and hippest car for you to get weather you’re single or have a family because of its versatility. It’s directed to anyone and everyone weather you’re a teacher, student, mother, father, everyone.

In Chuck Klosterman’s book ‘Sex, Drugs and Coco puffs,’ Klosterman writes about “the acceleration of culture” when talking about porn. He was referring to amateur porn and professional porn and how people prefer amateur porn on the internet. People like watching porn that has these people looking like normal people like the girl next door, your neighbour, teachers, etc. What these people like is watching attractive reachable targets because it gives them a sense of hope. Also, Klosterman writes about how sex is something anyone can relate to as long as what they are seeing is reachable. Now you may wonder, what does this Volvo ad have anything to do with porn? Well, this ad and porn have a lot that correlate with one another. This ad is made for everyone. I believe that this ad is an example of amateur porn in the sense that this car is something anyone can attain. This car is something everyone can relate to because almost everyone has a car so it’s a common ground between people. So for the company advertising the Volvo car, I saw we do our share and buy the car only then will it make us all united right?

Work cited

15 Ads That Prove Sex Sells... Best? Amy Gifford, 2006. Web. 8 Oct. 2009. http://inventorspot.com/articles/ads_prove_sex_sells_5576.

Klosterman, Chuck. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. New York: Scribner, 2003.

Mass Media

The mass media to me is media in any form being presented to a large audience. It takes many forms such as broadcast Medias like radio and television, print broadcasting like news papers and magazines, and the internet. My perception of what the media is varies from individual to individual because of my experiences. For instance, I myself love the media for the main purpose of communication. Others may not see it the same way because they may believe that the media is full of fake news or bias.

In the book written by John Berger, ‘Ways of Seeing’, you see women in oil paintings naked. These paintings were made by men for men. To me this was a form of mass media in the past because this was a form of entertainment that many men were exposed to. Men were the medium that would publicise or communicate their work and the women were the message.

When oil paintings were seen it was an art piece that you could get lost in because it appealed to your senses. In the past, that was what was popular in their culture, for the rich to have the wealth, power and women while the others envied them. Oil painting erases reality for a moment and allows the viewers to be engulfed in this new reality where what they see is what they get. That to me is my understanding of what the mass media is. It takes different forms and is a way to escape reality. To me, that may not always be a bad thing

Work cited

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books, 2008.

The Ecology of Media

The media has been around for many years and as time goes on there will always be people for or against it. The specific medium I am going to focus on is the television. The television’s main purpose is to entertain and inform, but what it’s actually doing is so much more than just informing viewers. Now during these technologically advanced periods the televisions purpose has changed dramatically and its new function no longer holds true to its purpose. The television now in popular demands can be found almost anywhere on a globe and with that, cultural implications arise.

Americanization is changing the face of the world and ultimately, many countries are losing their cultural identity. Many girls now across the world are watching shows such as Gossip Girl and are being influenced to believe what they see as real and acceptable. Now all around the world people are becoming more ‘Americanized’ and thus losing their true cultural identity because of the television.

Neil Postman believes that our society has not plummeted to levels of intellectual deprivation and that the television does not have enough ‘resonance’ to change the truth of reality. My understanding of what reality is, is the world we inhabit. As kids are watching shows and movies that contain violence, I strongly believe our youths are being desensitized to violence. With that, television can change the truth of our world therefore changing the reality we live in. Also, I believe our society has plummeted in levels of intellectual deprivation because now what we watch is being taken in for face value and no being properly understood. As a result of this lack of ability for the viewers to compare the difference between truth and fabrication, viewers are losing that one thing that holds true to them and allowing it to fade away, their intellect.

The television can be a device that can do more good than harm if used properly. It’s a tool to help understand global events, and is a form of entertainment. ‘Television, for Postman is inextricably linked with entertainment and is dangerous when it attempts to be serious.’ I agree with this statement because if entertainment and gossip is taken serious then we believe it and therefore we are being influenced by false perception. It’s important to understand the importance of the television and to understand all the cultural implications the television has to offer. ‘The medium is the message,’ is what Marshall McLuhan said and what he meant by this was that the medium is merging itself within the message which is creating a relationship where the medium is influencing how the message is being perceived.


work cited

The Playboy Interview: Marshal McLuhan. March 1969. 5 October 2009 http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~gisle/links/mcluhan/pb.html.

Marshall McLuhan: Media is the message. Todd Kappelman, 14 July 2002. 5 October. 2009. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/mcluhan.html.

Academic Blogging

Blog writing has never been something I thought of myself doing, why would anyone care about what I had to say? I believe given the right issues and topics I would have a lot to say that would hold value. The thought of making these blogs did not amuse me at first but after setting up and creating posts I have now second guessed myself and have now realize the responsibility I hold in regards to this and the future blogs I create. By making this blog public I have now become a public figure for many. I think as public figures we hold some power just like different mediums in regards to how strong and influential those mediums can be. By me posting my blogs and having other people read it, there is that chance that I can influence the reader’s thoughts to match my own. I just hope you are still able to hold true to what you believe but also hear me out. If you don’t like my beliefs or opinions then take what I have to say by a grain of salt. I’m sure blog posting will become an exciting process once I really get into it and I can’t wait to keep posting my blogs.