I mag i nati on

I saw this performance by John Mayer while I was surfing the always entertaining Perez Hilton website. In case you are not familiar it serves as a compilation of all celebrity gossip and news, and plays off current media issues whether true or not. When I saw the link to this video I initially though Alicia Keys and John Mayer did a collaborative performance, which immediately ignited my interest. After watching it however, I was not only surprised, but incredibly impressed. I watched it like four times in a row, and once everyday since I was first exposed to it. The live music and intimate setting is a product of past performers. It reminded me of performances my grandfather used to watch of Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin. It removed the highly stylized nature of live performances today and reverted back to the limited distracting elements that best allow a display of real talent. It was great to see someone so prominent recognizing their talent and utilizing it without some sort of gimmick. The incorporation of the Alicia Keys song was so impressive because he made it his own, and did it so casually. As other musicians were introduced throughout the performance, it deepened the level of improvisation and really highlighted his ability to adapt.

This video performance really captured the idea of convergence. Not only did John Mayer utilize two very different songs to create a musical masterpiece, but he incorporated the use of various instrumentals in order to achieve a specific sound. Furthermore, the performance was done without preparation which suggests his ability to produce under any and all circumstances. Throughout the video there are examples of people with small cameras videotaping, which leads to my assumption that this is how the video got release. Another example of convergence; as an audience member was obviously impressed by this performance and decided to use mediated vehicles such as the camera, and then internet to create exposure and share it with the world. The ability for people to share their experiences is almost as impressive as the actual occasion being shared. The concept of convergence is therefore not only innovative, it is progressive. Conclusively, I am really glad someone was able to elucidate this performance- Rock on John Mayer!

It was recently brought to my attention that the anti-smoking commercials have been becoming increasingly provocative. The few that I consider to be especially stimulating are the ones that use victims of throat cancer as their main subjects; some even go as far as making the patients speak with the electric accompaniments. These commercials have always caught my attention because they brought the dangers of tobacco to reality. Instead of listing facts and implementing warnings, the depiction of people who have experienced the repercussions has proven, at least for me, to be far more effective.
      But the anti-smoking campaigns retailored their message and taken a bold step further. The latest commercials have replaced the preceding cancer stricken adults with children, even babies. The first of the series addressing the tobacco industries devastating effects utilized children and their relationships with their parents who are smokers. They told stories of their parent’s hospitalization, their failure to quit their habit, and the effects that it has had on their individual health. Furthermore, and most effectively, they illustrated stories of children who have lost a parent to tobacco. The stories were told as first hand accounts by children who suffered the devastation. These commercials controversial, they are incredibly explicit, hence they are exceedingly successful.
      Upon my exposure to this ad I was immediately certain that the description of personal experience from the mouths of suffering children would be the most effectual approach taken. My initial opinion held true until the other night while I was watching my weekly episode of Gossip Girl.
During one of the many commercial breaks I saw the most provocative anti-smoking commercial yet. The commercial was composed exclusively of infantile children. As they smiled and giggled (as healthy babies do) smoke poured out of their mouths. I cannot even begin to sufficiently describe the emotional impact this had on me. The actual presentation of babies as having smoke-filled lungs was horrifying. It put into perspective the selfishness of this disgusting habit.
      The evolution of the anti-smoking campaign has been progressively contentious. There is a sense of counter-hegenomy involved with the composition of these ads. Oppsosing the preservation of child innocence and exposing the truth in an explicit way brings a sense of reality to the effects of ciggarette smoke. The daring attitude toward approaching this epidemic, although subject to implication has proved effective. Bravo!

My final project!

This picture I found is of two African children. Although they look incredibly different, they are in fact of the same ethnicity, and furthermore the same parents. The difference in color is at first shocking, and almost refutable, yet with the proper education this phenomenon becomes increasingly understandable. Esteemed historian Audrey Smedley has devotecd her life’s work to examining the worldviews encircling the ideal of race. The most recent complitation of her studies, Race in North America, includes a thorough analytic discussion of the antecedents and eventual entrenchment of racism in western culture. Her explicit critique not only denounces this ideology but completely discredits it. the innovative perspective she brings to examing race creates a variety of a undeniable arguments that ultimately dismantles it; according to Smedley race only exists a social construction.

The foundation of her arguments and truth seeking approch correlates directly with the idea of post-modernism. She suggests that there is no one truth and everything is relative. The strength of this claim is illuminated by the importance the world race holds. In our society, so much is reliant on the existence of this idea, for a historian to abolish the entire concept is product of an entirely post-modern outlook. The brother and sister pictured in this photo serve as evidentiary support to her one of her central arguments. If so many varieties exist within the same race, how is it possible to categorize people according to differences of physicality between races? It is unethical and inaccurate to force conformity in suggesting truth in racial determinism. Audrey Smedley is not only inspirational in her thinking, she is revolutionary in her actions. She is a prime example of post-modernism in America.

I saw this ad for Dolce & Gabbana which immediately prompted my reference to the Calvin Klien ad we looked at in class. As in the CK ad, the women is depicted as completely subservient. Her placement in the picture creates the central focus while illustrating her lack of power. Her body position is extremely sexual in relation to the male pictured with her. The fact that he is holding her down suggests that he is in full control of the situation. To elaborate on the male dominant connotone, it is important to notice the element of prevalence. There is an obvious majority of men in the picture, all standing, while the female is subject to the ground. The way that they are all hovered over her, creates a sense of entrapment and helplessness such as the inability of escape. She is wearing an ample amount of make up which is consistent with the American idea of beauty. Even in a moment of vulnerability a woman is portrated as being beautiful; which in this case is defined as being appealing to men. Although the female does not appear to be in serious danger, she also does not seem completely compliant as she is looking away from all of the male figures into an area of negative space. The lack of eye contact, while all the males are fixed on her, is a tactic of resistance (the only dissenting option available in her current situation). As similar to the Calvin Klien ad, this Dolce & Gabbana advertisement suggests the acceptance of traditional gender stereotypes while construing excessive sexuality and depiction of desire. This is an explicit example of mass media’s appeal to the consumer’s idea of fantasy and pleasure.

This spring break I will be traveling to Mexico with the Marist Global outreach team. Eight of us will be working in a community, adhering to their most current needs. The mission we were presented with was to incorporate enviornmental education with new forms of media. Upon our assignment we had a meeting to begin brainstorming about how would implement these ideas. A collective decison was made to have a constant theme, and surround our lesson plans around this central focus. As we were discussing the goals of our project, to educate the community about media as well as living in their enviornment, it became very clear to me what our theme should be. I introduced the idea we worked with this semester in class. Our theme is titled “Re-focus your lens.” This theme reflects the importance of seeing, not only through the cameras we will be bringing down there and training them on, but in their everyday struggles within their community. This class provided me with the insight to not only understand this concept, but to apply it to my own endeavors. Since one of our trips goals is to teach the members of the town how to use a camera, they too will be enlightened about having an individual perspective, and new ways of projecting it so that others may share in their experiences. I think that connecting the media sources with the enviornmental material, and forestry work will serve as a efficient and effective means of not only teaching these people new technologies, but leaving them with a new vehicle of outlet. My experience in this class has braodened my knowledge and forced me to become more aware of all that surrounds me, I only hope that I can others to acheive the same epiphany. The population we will be living among and working with ranges from infants to elderly so it will be interesting to develop innovative ways of tailoring our methods to all those wishing to participate.

We started watching this video in class and I had to finish it. It brought the entire experience of the class in a whole new light for me. Through the duration of the semester we continuously returned to the constant theme of the importance of seeing. But until we viewed this documentary I was not comprehensively understanding the significance of this practice. When examining scientific messages, and evidence, in this case in analyzing our place in war- a sense of reality surfaces. Upon watching this video it became clear that being aware and being involved is not only beneficial, but necessary. This is starts with looking. The example of war really solidified this idea for me. As I see it, we have our own soldiers fighting and dieing for reasons we may or may not agree with; thus we should at least be knowledgeable enough to request evidenciary support as to why we are there in the first place. Although the practice of looking was a consistent thread that pulled us through the smester, it was its relation to life, death and justice that gave it real meaning for me. Good choice of media!- Thank you for sharing.

On November 28th I attended the New York City Christmas Tree lighting. It was amazing to see the immense amount of people, standing unbareably close together in the freezing cold weather, all staring at this one tree. As a symbol of the holiday season, the lighting ceremony serves as the ignition. What made me think of media literacy was my personal encounterance with the element of vouyerism. I was standing in the road, on the corner of 51st and Rockefeller Plazza directly in front of a six story building (Anthropologie located on the ground level, and business offices occupied the rest of the space). There were wall-size windows about two stories up, and I was able to see a Chrsitmas party taking place. There were three men, dressed professionally, drinking wine and looking at all of us in the street. They were indulgent in our friendliness through our struggle to stay warm, and were under the impression that no one was aware of their observation. When I caught one of their eyes I began to wave, all my friends did the same until we created a large enough appearence and they were able to see us. Upon their realization that we had seen them watching us, they began laughing hysterically. They motioned an invitation to join them; we declined!

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