Blog post #12: Extra Credit

I had used blogs before RTF 305, one was to keep in touch with my family and friends while I was away during the summer. I had another for an AP English Composition course which we used to turn in our writing assignments and critique other student’s pieces. Using the blog for a class is great, it’s very simple to use, and it’s easy to incorporate examples (i.e. links to articles, pictures, videos, etc.), and I like using them because I am able to keep track of my work. There were really no difficulties which I encountered.

The prompts which I found interesting were ones where I was able to take a piece of media with which I was familiar and analyze and apply it to what we were presently learning: I especially enjoyed analyzing camera angles and the different formats of television shows, blogs number 7 and 8, respectively).  I found others to be less engaging, normally when we were required to write about a concept with no specific direction, such as cultivation theory or globalization. I felt that aside from the short definition, they could be extremely subjective, and I was not always confident in what I was writing.

I would recommend using blogs in the future courses of RTF 305, and other courses as well; they are extremely useful for students and teachers alike. However, in the future, I would recommend more communication through the blogs. I would have liked to see feedback from the TAs on my posts instead of discussing them in our section meetings.

Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report.

Blog post #11: Globalization

     Globalization is the process by which cultures are gradually integrated with one an other and regional culture slowly becomes subversive to another. This is evident though many different facets: business, music, food, and film. One could say film is where American cultural imperialism is best illustrated. Cultural imperialism, of course, being the promotion of one culture over another, usually a powerful culture over one with less [power].
     All over the world American films can be seen, almost disproportionally over regional films. When I was staying in Ireland over the summer, I went to the local video store, nearly all films on display were American, the ones people were renting were American, and the ones being promoted were, yes, American. I was also taken to a movie theater. The features: Toy Story 3, Twilight, and assorted other American films. Not a single Irish made film or films featuring Irish actors. This would lead one to believe that Ireland does not produce films or have decent actors, but that's not the case. The country actually has produced many actors and directors who are recognized on an international level. However, despite the regional talent, preference is given to "foreign" films (specifically American film). On the Irish Film and Television Academy website there is even a statement referring to the premier of TRON: Legacy (an American film) in Ireland.
     When there is such an overwhelming presence of American film, it's difficult for other countries to establish and maintain a film industry which produces films relevant to their own regional culture.


Here are recent Irish Box office numbers: notice all the the films are of American origin. 

Blog post #10: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

Advertisements which I find to be especially effective are the recent advertisements of Old Spice. Why are they so effective? They employ a character which women want and which men want to be like. Isaiah Mustafa, now forgetting that his name already sounds inherently awesome, Old Spice is sure to use his sex appeal to draw in a female audience. He is depicted either in only a towel, or shirtless in most incarnations of their advertisements. He even directly addresses women and states he is "the man your man could smell like," insisting that their current significant other smells inferior. By making this assertion, he is made more desirable to women, who at this point must think "yeah, my guy does smell pretty bad--do tell me more mysterious attractive shirtless man." Sex appeal is essential to their message--if their actor was in any way "inferior" in appearance, their message would not be as well received and viewers would be less inclined to listen to their advertisement. Because really, who wants to listen to an unattractive male tell you how to smell nice. Now, another important component of their advertisements is their ability to make men feel inferior, and hence envy the man who uses their product. It creates a fear that if a man cannot do all these amazing things then at least he can smell like the man who does these amazing things, so of course after viewing this commercial every man becomes insecure until they are able to go pick up some Old Spice and smell like a man. The commercials effectively target men because they challenge their masculinity; when a man's masculinity is challenged, they feel a need to prove themselves--in this situation, by buying Old Spice scented body wash. It's like children on a playground: when you relentlessly taunt a child, "I bet you can't go ALL the way across the monkey bars," that child will feel an inherent need to prove the contrary, and have the opportunity to say "I can too!" With men wanting to be this man, and women wanting their man to be this man, it's clear why Old Spice's marketing is affective. It is able to appeal to two different demographics in very vulnerable ways: women with sex appeal, and men with challenges to their masculinity. *It should be noted that after watching this commercial, my brother went to CVS and immediately bought three bottles of Old Spice. Why three? I guess he's extra manly, or....well, never-mind.