Before this RTF class I had never written a blog before other than a few posts on Myspace when I was in junior high. I feel like the blogs and the research that went into them helped me to learn the content better and understand the terms more in depth. Even more, I have become better acquainted with the blogging realm and processes that accompany the practice; also I learned several simple aspects of computer and Internet usage such as how to embed a video clip. I had minimal difficulty in preparing my blog, especially after our TA demonstrated how to embed a video. Other than embedding, there was only one other issue and that was finding appropriate and useful videos or other media content that pertained to the topic.
The blog prompts that were the most difficult were the ones that asked for the explanation of a concept from the class lectures. For example, the blogs that asked for examples and definitions for hegemony and globalization. Though the concepts themselves were not difficult to understand, finding in depth and highly useful examples to use as supplementary detail in the blog was a difficult and often long task. I personally enjoyed the prompt that asked us to write about our favorite film and explain three scenes that used the shots that were covered in class.
I would definitely recommend using the blogs in the future, though they required much effort and some time they served as a creative way to explore the concepts that we were covering in class and in our readings. The only thing that I would recommend is that the new blog prompts for the week to be emailed at the beginning of each week with at least five days to complete them. A few times we did not receive the next prompt until one to three days before they were due.
Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report
Thanks!
Kaitlyn
Friday, November 26, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
According to Merriam Webster dictionary, globalization is "the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets". This sort of development is usually, throughout history, the result of imperialism. Stronger, more developed nations move in and take over the systems of a weaker, less technologically advance people group and set up their own systems, government, society, and economy usually to the stronger country's own monetary or global benefit.
This cultural imperialism causes drastic changes to the culture and nature of the people who are being subdued. It not only serves to take the native culture out of power and authority, but it also gives the imperialist nation a means of gaining capital at the imperialized nation's expense, whether this expense be trade, customs, language, religion, family, or even lives.
Throughout history imperialism has thrived as a practice of the Western powers. Britain took control over India, a people group who had been expanding, trading, and thriving for centuries previous. Spain conquered the South American and Mexican regions and even southern portions of North America, taking over the livelihoods and enslaving the natives whom had dwelled in the areas for centuries as well, practicing many different forms of music, dance, hunting, healing, and craftsmanship. This practice has endured up until today as the United States is a leading global power that is currently in the Middle East trying to set up a democracy.
This video is an interesting perspective of students on cultural imperialism.
Several films and other types of media throughout history have served as depictions of this sort of cultural domination. From the 1995 children's Disney film Pocahontas in which the British army comes to the north eastern area of North America and attempts to gain control over the natives in order to ultimately build on the land, expand their borders, and call it their home. In this clip from the movie, the native American woman Pocahontas criticizes the British way of thinking and demonstrates the beauty and color of her own "savage" people.
In this montage of films that portrays the white race moving in on a culture and taking over, the media generated illustration of imperialism is demonstrated. The people group takes over of imposes, someone of the opposite races fall in love, an emotional attachment is born in which a new drive to protect the subjects is created, and finally a war results.
Although it is known that many white imperialists took wives of the people that they were imposing on, I am critical of the romantic nature of such a relationship. But, it makes for a good Hollywood film.
This cultural imperialism causes drastic changes to the culture and nature of the people who are being subdued. It not only serves to take the native culture out of power and authority, but it also gives the imperialist nation a means of gaining capital at the imperialized nation's expense, whether this expense be trade, customs, language, religion, family, or even lives.
Throughout history imperialism has thrived as a practice of the Western powers. Britain took control over India, a people group who had been expanding, trading, and thriving for centuries previous. Spain conquered the South American and Mexican regions and even southern portions of North America, taking over the livelihoods and enslaving the natives whom had dwelled in the areas for centuries as well, practicing many different forms of music, dance, hunting, healing, and craftsmanship. This practice has endured up until today as the United States is a leading global power that is currently in the Middle East trying to set up a democracy.
This video is an interesting perspective of students on cultural imperialism.
Several films and other types of media throughout history have served as depictions of this sort of cultural domination. From the 1995 children's Disney film Pocahontas in which the British army comes to the north eastern area of North America and attempts to gain control over the natives in order to ultimately build on the land, expand their borders, and call it their home. In this clip from the movie, the native American woman Pocahontas criticizes the British way of thinking and demonstrates the beauty and color of her own "savage" people.
In this montage of films that portrays the white race moving in on a culture and taking over, the media generated illustration of imperialism is demonstrated. The people group takes over of imposes, someone of the opposite races fall in love, an emotional attachment is born in which a new drive to protect the subjects is created, and finally a war results.
Although it is known that many white imperialists took wives of the people that they were imposing on, I am critical of the romantic nature of such a relationship. But, it makes for a good Hollywood film.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Beer Advertisements and the Real Man
There are two different types of beer advertisements, one that uses the sexuality of women to sell their product and the other that shoves masculinity in the faces of the men who are viewing the ad. I say men because the beer market is obviously male dominated and male consumed and without the help of concrete statistics one could conclude that beer consumers in the United States are mostly male. But to assess the validity of this statement, drinkfocus.com states that only 25 percent of beer drinkers are female (which is much higher than ever before). Nevertheless, beer is unquestionably being sold to men through these hypersexualized advertisements that feature your average tan, toned, and supplemented woman as a tool to reel men into the idea that this particular brand of beer will lead to the attainment of such a lady. Budweiser is a frequent user of this tactic as they plaster their insignia on the otherwise bare bodies of slender women who are either holding one of their products or laying suggestively on a life size bottle, making them appear smaller and less powerful.
Whether consciously or subconsciously, men associate the drinking of beer with what they see in commercials, billboards, and magazines. This may not only be influenced by the use of sexual appeal but also by the question of masculinity. What straight man would want to feel or be called wimpy or feminine? Beer companies use this male complex to teach men that beer is manly, especially their brand of beer. Dos Equis serves as a prime example of a company that utilizes this appeal as they employ the "Most Interesting Man in the World" appeal in which the Sean Conneryesqe man is sitting amongst beautiful women while other men sit off to the side as spectators to his social success.
Although these advertisements are blatantly directed at men, they are indirectly effective on women as well. A woman who views a Budweiser ad may feel that the drink will empower her to seem as sexy and appealing as the women used to sell the product if she consumes it herself. In a similar way, when viewing a Dos Equis ad she may desire the position of the women who are sitting next to the handsome most interesting man and to be desired by him would mean drinking his beer.
Advertisements have a strong, and often subtle effect on those who view them. They use several different types of appeals to draw the desired audience in to their product, and in the beer industry sexual and masculine appeal are key to gaining consumers.
Dos Equis Commercial:
Budweiser Advertisements:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/593/motivational_3d_advertising_budweiser.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/26382&usg=__gbb9KFa8lkrBqmQZa_2v8H90tvU=&h=480&w=600&sz=58&hl=en&start=119&zoom=1&tbnid=BN7SuMHsF8wBRM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=155&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbudweiser%2Badvertising%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D550%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2443&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=564&vpy=104&dur=228&hovh=136&hovw=170&tx=106&ty=95&ei=NEbWTKWVCIm_nAeg5sDiCQ&oei=gUTWTPi6FoOdlgewhdmDCQ&esq=4&page=6&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:119&biw=1366&bih=550
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.inspirational-quotes-short-funny-stuff.com/images/budweiser-ads-funny-beer-ads-sexy-girl-king-of-beers.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.inspirational-quotes-short-funny-stuff.com/funny-ads.html&usg=__srZDVb179uD2Yk8SpgUYfIo9kNg=&h=349&w=465&sz=47&hl=en&start=119&zoom=1&tbnid=_yWEODWeqxLkkM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbudweiser%2Badvertising%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D550%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2120&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=400&ei=NEbWTKWVCIm_nAeg5sDiCQ&oei=gUTWTPi6FoOdlgewhdmDCQ&esq=4&page=6&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:119&tx=85&ty=74&biw=1366&bih=550
Whether consciously or subconsciously, men associate the drinking of beer with what they see in commercials, billboards, and magazines. This may not only be influenced by the use of sexual appeal but also by the question of masculinity. What straight man would want to feel or be called wimpy or feminine? Beer companies use this male complex to teach men that beer is manly, especially their brand of beer. Dos Equis serves as a prime example of a company that utilizes this appeal as they employ the "Most Interesting Man in the World" appeal in which the Sean Conneryesqe man is sitting amongst beautiful women while other men sit off to the side as spectators to his social success.
Although these advertisements are blatantly directed at men, they are indirectly effective on women as well. A woman who views a Budweiser ad may feel that the drink will empower her to seem as sexy and appealing as the women used to sell the product if she consumes it herself. In a similar way, when viewing a Dos Equis ad she may desire the position of the women who are sitting next to the handsome most interesting man and to be desired by him would mean drinking his beer.
Advertisements have a strong, and often subtle effect on those who view them. They use several different types of appeals to draw the desired audience in to their product, and in the beer industry sexual and masculine appeal are key to gaining consumers.
Dos Equis Commercial:
Budweiser Advertisements:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/data/593/motivational_3d_advertising_budweiser.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jesseshunting.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/26382&usg=__gbb9KFa8lkrBqmQZa_2v8H90tvU=&h=480&w=600&sz=58&hl=en&start=119&zoom=1&tbnid=BN7SuMHsF8wBRM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=155&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbudweiser%2Badvertising%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D550%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2443&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=564&vpy=104&dur=228&hovh=136&hovw=170&tx=106&ty=95&ei=NEbWTKWVCIm_nAeg5sDiCQ&oei=gUTWTPi6FoOdlgewhdmDCQ&esq=4&page=6&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:119&biw=1366&bih=550
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.inspirational-quotes-short-funny-stuff.com/images/budweiser-ads-funny-beer-ads-sexy-girl-king-of-beers.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.inspirational-quotes-short-funny-stuff.com/funny-ads.html&usg=__srZDVb179uD2Yk8SpgUYfIo9kNg=&h=349&w=465&sz=47&hl=en&start=119&zoom=1&tbnid=_yWEODWeqxLkkM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbudweiser%2Badvertising%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D550%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2120&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=400&ei=NEbWTKWVCIm_nAeg5sDiCQ&oei=gUTWTPi6FoOdlgewhdmDCQ&esq=4&page=6&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:119&tx=85&ty=74&biw=1366&bih=550
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)