Extra Credit

This was my fist time using a blog before RTF 305. I read a few music blogs before I signed up for the course, but I never wrote my own. I am really glad I signed up for RTF 305, I had a great time taking the course. I didn’t quite look forward to blogging every Sunday, but blogging for the  first time was an interesting experience. There were many positive aspects of suing the blogs in RTF. It was definitely an easy way to earn some extra points, especially since the assignments were never too difficult, and quite interesting. Blogging every Sunday ensured that I was caught up in the class and knew what was going on. It helped me understand a lot of the important topics we covered, especially when I read another student’s blog and their interpretation on the topic/idea. I didn’t really encounter many difficulties during the blogging process, except that it was hard to remember to blog every Sunday. And, if I did have any difficulties, I could easily read another’s blog and have figured it out. The blogs in which we had to define an important term and provide an example for it were very useful. It really helped me understand some key and important terms, which was very helpful for the exams. For instance spending a whole blog on the term “hegemony” really helped me understand the concept, which proved very useful for exam 1. I definitely recommend using a blog in any future courses at UT, and definitely RTF. It’s a useful way to get other’s interpretations on important ideas and a great way prove your understanding of the material.

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

Old Spice

I find Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” commercial to be a very powerful and persuasive advertisement. The ad is directed at teenagers and younger men, and persuades them into believing that they can get any woman they want by using the “old spice” product. It creates the image that “old spice” makes them smell great and makes them appear “sexy” so any woman would want them. This is because of the intense use of sex appeal in the advertisement. The advertisers establish a sexual identity for old spice, and draws the audience (mostly directed towards teenage boys) into the ad, and makes them want to buy the product for their girlfriend or the girl of their dreams. The advertisers create the illusion that if you were to by the product you would be guaranteed that a bunch of girls would go after you. The commercial begins with a man with a perfect body standing half naked in a bathroom. This automatically captures the audience’s attention and makes them believe that they could be that man if they used the product he advertised. This advertisement exemplifies sex appeal, as it uses sexual innuendos to sell the product. It ends with the message that "anything is possible" if you were to use the old spice product. The advertisement also catches the eye of the potential girlfriend, who is suppoesed to convince her boyfriend to buy the product. The man in the commercial says to "look at your man, and then at me" indicating this is who your boyfriend has the potential to be if he uses our product. Old Spice tries to sell their product with an intense use of sex appeal.

3 Act Structure

According to Professor Ramirez Berg, there are three types of movie narratives. Among these, there is the 3 act structure. The 3 act structure is very popular and widely used in the film industry. It is a structure that viewers are very familiar it. The 3 act structure consists of a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning, middle, and end are referred to as the introduction, complication, and resolution. According to Professor Ramirez Berg, Hollywood's 3 act structure is good for quest stories and triumphant stories. He listed various films that use the 3 act structure. The film I am going to use is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

The introduction is the beginning of the film. It typically lasts about 30 minutes. The introduction starts off the movie, introduces us the the characters, familiarizes the view with the setting, and gives us a feel for what the movie is going to be about. In the introduction of How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, we are introduced to the two main characters Andie and Ben. We are given a background on the 2 characters and get a feel for what each character is about. We are introduced to their professions, which dominate both of their lives. Andie is a journalist, who works for a successful magazine called Composure. She wants to write about important issues, such as politics, but her boss does not take her seriously. She decides to write an article called "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". Ben is an advertising executive, who is eager to be incharge of his bosses new accounts. The 2 decide to use eachother to move up in their jobs, but end up falling in love. With the introduction, the writer has introduced the character and this leads us to act 2, the complication,

The complication is the middle of the story. This takes up the largest chunk of the story, which is typically 30-60 minutes. We are introduced to complication and obstacles, which then eventually leads to the climax. In How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, things get very complicated between Andie and Ben, when they find out that they were both using eachother

The third and final act is the resolution. This follows the climax, and is typically the last 30 minutes of the story. The resolution is the solution to the problem, and the point where everything falls together. The resolution in How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days is when Andie chases after Ben, who is about to move to a different city. The 2 confess their love for one another and live happily ever after.

Sitcoms

According to Bill Moyers, "tv is the campfire around which our nationtribe sits to weave and re weave our traditions and tales". The average american watches forty hours of television a week, basically making it a full time job. Television has dominated the lives for many american, as it serves as a full time job and even a hobby. The television world is specifically dominated by sitcoms.

Sitcoms last thirty minutes and the is including the multiple commercial breaks. The show usually ends just about where it begins and there usually is not much of a character arc. A common theme is sitcoms is teaching and learning an important lesson, but the plot development is quite predictable and becomes very familiar for the audience, as each episode usually resembles the prior ones.

An example of a television sitcom in Family Guy. Family Guy is a thirty minute comedic sitcom. Family Guy is an animated television series created by Seth MacFaralane for FOX. Family Guy re-runs are also played on other television stations, including TBS and Cartoon Network. Each episode centers around the Griffin family, consisting of father, Peter, mother, Lois, daughter, Meg, sons Stewie and Chris, and dog, Brian. Each episode has the same caste and each episode has a different story, so it is possible to follow this sitcom, without watching it from the beginning of the season. Each episode starts with a different problem, and ends with a solution, usually teaching some sort of lesson, which is an important aspect of a sitcom. The television deals with different life lessons, but in a comedic way. The Griffins are a dysfunctional family, but the shows deals with different aspects of teenagers growing up, as there are two teens in the families, Meg and Chris. The show also deals with different familial problems and lessons, and demonstrates that no family is perfect. For instance, if we focus on Meg, we see the different life struggles she goes through, as she struggles with high school. She deals with such problems as not being "popular" enough, too ugly or too fat. The sitcom deals with everyday problems.

LS, MS, and CU

There are three types of shots: long shot (LS), medium shot (MS), and close up (CU). An example of all three can be seen in Chris Columbus’ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was a highly anticipated movie at the time it was release. There was a very anxious audience awaiting its release. The movie did well, exceeding many expectations. The movie was shot wonderfully, and used various kinds of shots including LS, MS, and CU.

The long shot is also known as the orientation shot, because it gives and overview of the place and whose there. The image below is an example of a long shot, as it depicts the entire overview of Hogwarts during Christmas and shows who is left (which is not many people, as the majority of them went home for the holidays). Harry Potter is amongst the few left for Christmas, because he doesn’t have a family to go back to. The long shot is often associated with sadness, loneliness, and isolation. This particular long shot evokes these feelings, as the long shot shows the few number of people left for the holidays, and Harry is among them. This particular shot can depict Harry’s sadness, loneliness, and isolation.

The second type of shot is the medium shot (MS). The medium shot gives the viewer relationship information. These shots are usually common in television, but can often be seen in movies as well. An example of the medium shot can also be seen in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. This particular shot shows three best friends, Hermione, Ron, and Harry, and their intense bonds of friendship. It is evident that these three are best friends, because they walk to close and comfortably together. The three of them walking together gives us a lot of visual information. Notice how Harry is ahead of Ron and Hermione. This indicates that Harry is the leader of the group. He is the one who is taking charge, because the shot shows Ron and Hermione following his lead. Also notice how Hermione is the farthest back. This can possibly indicate that Hermione is possibly the most susceptible to danger, and that Ron and Harry will protect her.

The third type of shot in the close up (CU). The close up often gives us emotional information. An example of a close up can also be seen in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. This particular shot is a close up of Harry Potter holding his wand for the very first time. The close up gives us strong emotional information about Harry Potter, as we can see the awe in his facial expression and the power of the wand. The close up tells us about the intense connection Harry has with the wand.

Star System

During Classic Hollywood, spanning from 1920-1940, studios began to grow and prosper as they developed their own teams of actors and actresses, writers, directors, technicians, and equipment that enabled them to produce a lot of successful feature films. According to Straubhaar, the star system was the film studio’s use of star’ popularity to promote their movies. The star system was a key component in advertising and promoting movies. It encouraged viewers to go out and watch movies just because their favorite celebrity was starring in it. Further on, this made it more likely for studios to use the same actresses and actors over and over again for their films, because they had already created such a popular image for them. The star system was a great key in funding for film studios.

The star system affected the kinds of films the studios made. With the Star System, stars were directly associated with the genres of movies they starred in and studios. As summed up in class, the Star System made stars tangible products of immaterial production. They became the best representation of what studios did.

MGM was infamous for the Star System. We can examine Judy Garland, an MGM star. Child was discovered as a child, and became one of the world’s greatest actresses. She is a prime example of how studios used a consistent set of character traits to associate actors and actresses with certain genres. Judy Garland was specifically protrayed in her films as a lively character with her singing and dancing This became her very iimage during Classic Hollywood. An example of her stereotype can be seen in The Wizard of Oz. The Star System was widely used during the Classic Hollywood and did wonders for the movie industry.

"All in the Family" vs "Two and a Half Men"

“All in the Family” was a popular comedic television series of the 1970’s. The series dealt with controversial issues, such as homosexuality and racism. The series can be compared and contrasted  to the contemporary television series, “Two and a Half Men”. The main character of “All in the Family”, Archie Bunker, is a questionable yet comedic character, because of his use obscene language and his impertinent nature. He is similar to Charlie, the main character of “Two and a Half men”, who has a similar witty nature and personality. Both characters aim to make their audience laugh by addressing controversial topics and mocking tense subjects. For instance, the episode of “All in the Family” we watched last Thursday dealt with the subject of homosexuality. Archie mocked homosexuals and constantly made fun of them. He addressed a very controversial topic, and made a mockery out the concept of being a homosexual. The show “Two and a Half Men” too deals with controversial issues for a television series, such a sexuality.  Charlie is constantly hitting on woman and bringing women and stresses on the sexual nature of relationships. Both television series deal with real life issues, but address them with a comedic edge. Although, contemporary television series are more neutral when it comes to tense subjects such as homosexuality, as they aim to please all audiences and don’t want to offend anyone. This wasn’t a concept that was taken into consideration during the early 1970’s, when such shows as “All in the Family” were extremely popular.

The series “All in the Family” and “Two and a Half Men” differ in many aspects as well. For instance, we can look at the family structure of both shows. “All in the Family” represents your typical and average American family of the 1970’s, that consists of a mother, father, their daughter and her husband. Times have changed and this is no longer the typical American family. More and more we are finding interracial couples, couples of same sexes, and even single parents.“Two and a Half Men” represents a family structure that is more popular today. This consists of a divorcee, his son, and his brother. Both shows reflect the time periods the were aired during and popular issues during those times. The shows “All in the Family” and “Two and a Half Men” are similar and different and similar in many aspects, but basically represent the decades in which they were aired.

1920s Radio Industry

The radio industry has evolved enormously since the 1920s because of such forces as technological advancements, institutional factors, and government regulation and intervention. Although, I believe the audience demand has shaped the formation of the radio industry even more so, as the radio industry specifically reaches out to the needs and wants of its listeners, as it is the public opinion that determines their success.

The radio is vital tool as it connects people while entertaining them and informing them at the same time. In 1896, Guglielmo Marconi developed the first radio transmitter, introducing a tool that would forever change the world. The power of Marconi’s invention was brought to public attention in 1912, with the sinking of the “Titanic”. With the radio, the crew of the ship was not only able to send out calls for help, but, it became an important resource for reporting news about the disaster (Straubhaar 160). Once the public was aware that this device could be used to relay information and connect one another, the radio was soon on high demand, and audience demand began to shape the formation of the radio industry.

Little did Marconi know that this simple box would play such a significant role in the lives of families in the 1920s. Take for example Woody Allen’s film Radio Days, which illustrates the importance of the radio’s influence. In the film, each family member found an escape from their own realities through their favorite radio shows. Each family member used the radio as an escape, but it ironically brought the family together, as they would gather to listen to their radio shows. Families would gather around the radio for nightly entertainment, and radio ownership began to increase dramatically, which in turn led to the increasing of radio stations.The radio became an important tool for music, news, weather reports, politics, and fictional radio programs. The audience demand sparked an evolution for the radio industry in the 1920s

Social Learning Theory

The social learning theory is very important, as it takes a look at the effects of mass media. According to Straubhaar, the social learning theory explains media effects in terms of imitating behavior seen in the media. In other words, the theory takes a look at how people can learn by observing behavior seen in the media, and then, imitating it. This theory indicates the immense influence the media can have on individuals, as the media alters our beliefs, attitudes, behavior, and values. We as individuals are vulnerable to the media, as it unknowingly alters the way we think. Our minds as teenagers and college students are easily altered and influenced by the media. For instance, if we hear hype about a certain movie and that it was “so cool!” and “awesome!”, we as individuals believe that we have to go see the movie, because everyone else loved it. According to the social learning theory, our minds are easily influenced by the media, as we observe it, and then go on to imitate what we see.

I believe that the concept of the social learning theory helps me understand the impacts of movie trailers, as they can easily influence an individuals opinion about a movie, and urge or discourage an individual to go see the movie. As I mentioned before, we are easily compelled or discouraged to go see a movie once we hear the opinions of others. Movie trailers are basically composed by the best reviews, comments, and scenes, and are morphed into a 30 second trailer that compels us to go watch the movie. It’s funny how a bunch of intense scenes, combined with the right music can influence us to go see a movie. Take for example the trailer for the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The trailer begins with the flashes of the best reviews and awards the movie scored from various awarders and reviewers, encouraging us to go out and see the movie, because so many good things were said about it. The trailer shows various clips from the movie, showing enough about the plot of the movie to intrigue the viewer, but not enough the reveal the whole movie. According to the social learning theory, the movie trailer pulls the viewer in, and influences us to go out and see the movie.

Hegemony

According to Lull, the concept of Hegemony is defined as the power or dominance that one social group holds over other. Hegemony can basically be defined as the the amount of power and control one group has over another, as the dominating group subordinates the other. Hegemony is an example of the constant power struggles around the world. Hegemony plays an important role in our media. It is evident in the news, television commercials, and television series. This concept of hegemony is evident in NBC’s most popular game show, Dear or No Deal, as women are subordinated by men. This game show depicts and characterizes twenty-six women of which are made to equate plastic barbie dolls. Dressed in conspicuously matching red dresses, long heels, and smiles plastered to their faces, these idols don’t as much as wink longer than needed until otherwise commanded to do so.  The simple phrase, “open the case” admonishes them of their stances, and allows them to beam and captivate the world with their simple possibilities.  This game show demonstrates aspects of hegemony as women are blatantly displayed in their risky clothing and oozing sexual appeal.  These women are portrayed as helpless beautiful slaves of the corporate media production, waiting for the voice of one man, to make their next move. In the game show, women are subordinated by the dominating man, and they are depicted as helpless objects that don’t know how to function, unless they are given orders by the voice of men.

www.kimgreenblatt.com

First RTF blog!

www.centralohioansforpeace.org.

 Hello all! My name is Neetu Toor and I am a transfer student from UTSA. This is my first year at UT and its overwhelming! One of my favorite things about UT is the immense amount of classes we get to choose from. As I was scrolling through all the class listings, RTF immediately caught my attention! I decided to take RTF 305 for a multitude of reasons. First, it fulfills my fine arts requirement as an English major. But, I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am for this class. I am excited to finally take a class that interests me! I love that we spend a whole class just watching films! Most importantly, I am fascinated by how the media has such a significant impact on our society. Also, I am really into music and films, they are two of my biggest passions! I decided to take this class because it addresses some topics that I am very passionate about. I’ve never taken a class like this before, and I am excited to learn something new!  

This is a link to one of my favorite blogs. Hypem is a great website for music lovers to discover new artists and listen to different remixes! www.hypem.com 

A very chill and great song to listen too, and it has an awesome music video as well. Enjoy!