The slides are available for download HERE.
I'd like to know your comments, questions, reactions from today's lecture. Here are some possible discussion questions for you to ponder:
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
2) What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
3) What kinds of stories in the media made you think twice about a common assumption that you have about the world, others, yourself? How did that particular story succeed in making you put yourself in another person's shoes?
See you all on Thursday.
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27 comments:
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
Well, there's the proclamation about the media being an evil force. Remember those rumors back in the early days of television about popcorn companies flashing the word "popcorn" for a brief few nanoseconds as we watch shows to increase our popcorn consumption? Stuff like that is what freaks people out about the media, that it's some kind of mind-control device.
In commercials, this and that beauty product tell us "oh, use this! men/women will run after you in droves!" It's all such nonsense and it preys on the human desire to be, well, desired. The media makes us think that certain products can help us win other people's hearts. False claims like that, to be blunt, suck!
As for politicians...well, they're constantly at each other's throats lowering each other's SWS scores. With all the negativity they put out about each other, it's hard to notice any of the good things they do. So what's their course of action? They demonize the media. "This or that journalist misrepresented me to get fame! I'm suing!" Right, Mr. Politician...you really didn't have your hand in Juan dela Cruz's pocket? After all that stuff you said about your opponent you paint yourself as a saint and, since a journalist doesn't see you the way you do, automatically the media is the guilty party?
Honestly, the media has become a political scapegoat, a way for them to say, "I did nothing wrong! The media is inefficient! The media is self-serving! The media should put the interests of the people ahead of itself and deliver the truth, not these lies so they can gain recognition!" It's funny...I could say the same about how politicians act. Would it kill them to practice what they preach?
All right, end of rant. Hopefully, I answered the question correctly after that tirade. @_@
2) What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
Well, Aristotle didn't believe in writing love letters, right? It's funny that nowadays people adore love letters, cling to them, keep them as keepsakes of devotion and such. It depends on how love and affection are mediated though. In this crazy world, people meet and fall in love online as this article states:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6976167.stm
3) What kinds of stories in the media made you think twice about a common assumption that you have about the world, others, yourself? How did that particular story succeed in making you put yourself in another person's shoes?
The ones that involve journalist deaths and kidnappings. I used to have aspirations about being in that field, bashing the government and such, being the voice of a nation aching to be heard. And then I saw the news and thought "Oh my God! I don't want to die like that. I don't want to die. Period." Violence against the media is commonplace and that's a sad fact. Consider the latest crime committed against a journalist: the kidnapping of Ces Drilon and her camera crew. If they didn't pay the ransom, what the hell would have happened to them?
So yeah, it's selfish of me to not be a voice in the news because I want to save my own skin. I'm aware of that. But really...if you had a gun to your head and they threatened your friends in family, would you still make those reports against the government or certain militant groups? I'm not willing to find out. Some of you might confidently scream "Yes!" in the safe confines of a classroom and buckle once in the actual situation. I'm going to be honest. Here and now, I say no. People keep saying the truth is worth dying for. What they actually mean is the truth is worth having other people aside from themselves die.
Can you already tell I'm a cynic?
I am glad that Robyn is very active and vocal in Com classes. o_O;
EJ: Well, I adore the class. I like to discuss what I'm passionate about. A lot. :)
Robyn, EJ, yes, it's always good to be passionate about what you study! I probably would be a whackjob by now if my PhD were in mathematics! :)
Thanks for the BBC link on love letters. Clearly, the ancient Greek philosophers are not all-knowing.
So we're free to agree AND disagree with Socrates' stand against writing love letters.
Remember Elle Woods herself famously disagreed with another Greek philosopher in Legally Blonde! She too dissed Aristotle's stand "Law is reason free from passion" by saying, "No offense to Aristotle but..." :)
OK, seriously, emotion can't be mediated. Sure, a love letter might pull at a heart string or two, but then real, raw emotion has to conveyed face to face. That is, if you want the emotion to be conveyed that way.
Is an impassioned "angry letter" with a list of all your grievances work better than going up to that bitch who annoys you and telling her she has a stick up her ass and she can go to hell?
In my head, the latter works better. Verbally ripping someone a new one is far more effective than a seemingly emotional letter or a comment on a blog or whatever.
Emotion sort of travels through barriers, and the more barriers they travel through, its power diminishes. Emotion in its purest state starts within us, then it travels through the barrier of dialogue to the next person and already its not as powerful as it was when we were feeling it. What more if we mediate it, right?
People go out on dates so that they can converse, find out about each other, do something fun, maybe make a little something something happen. People can do that through, lets say, the internet as well. They can chat through YM and find out about each other (maybe even view each other's profiles), watch movies through streaming sites or youtube, and even have hot steamy cyber sex (or as hot and steamy as that can get, watev).
Again though, which of the two is the far superior form? Which has real communication happening? The former, obviously. No matter what anyone says, love, anger, affection, emotion in general, is best conveyed in person.
Even if you use a mediated form of communication to make a connection like, lets say, the itnernet, even if you find someone through the .net, you'd still like to meet that someone you made a connection with in person right?
There have been a lot of stories through the media that's made me step back and look at the world or myself a little bit differently. Like the Japanese Animated film "The Girl Who Leapt Through time". It made me think about time, about the conventions of time, and how I sort of want to do some stuff even more now and treasure what I have because, after all, time waits for no one. It's all very deep and philosophical and awesome, but still relatable to my mundane life.
Another example would be the comic We3, written by Grant Morisson and drawn by Frank Quietly. It's about animals tested on and turned into living weapons by the American government and how they escaped the facility they were trapped in. Think Prison Break season 2 meets animals with a high concept twist.
By the end of the book, I was crying and I learned to love my pet dog a hell of a lot more. I know it doesn't sounds like the type of story that'll do that to you, but its pretty frikkin' awesome and the emotions were properly conveyed. It's extremely hard to properly and effectively convey emotion like this little comic did and I give props to the the creative team behind it.
Its hard to convey emotion or properly get a message trough different sorts of mediums. Hell, even through one-on-one convo's it could be difficult at times. That's why, I guess, I'm trying to learn about communication and stuff so I can tap into the power of "good communication" because I have stuff I wanna say and get out there into the world.
Sir Jon: I have a friend pursing a PhD in just that. She believes math is the language of the cosmos. It's a pity because it's a language I don't understand. Semiotics in action. Except I can't figure those damn math symbols out. Never will, I guess. A failure to communicate on both ends, perhaps. I think I agree with St. Augustine's medieval views on math:
"The good Christian should beware of mathematicians and all those who
make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that mathematicians
have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and confine
man in the bonds of Hell." -- St. Augustine (354-430)
P.S. Augustine did really say that, but in his time there was no difference
between mathematicans and astrologists. Astrologists told the future,
which was diabolic.
(source: http://www.xs4all.nl/~jcdverha/scijokes/1_5.html)
I think this still holds true somehow. Math certainly confined me in the bonds of hell. It's all how we interpret what St. Augustine is saying through time. Things have changed a lot since his time. Well, except the part about math being evil. Math will always be evil. That's what it's communicated to me by being unbearably difficult. Math and I have had a very painful dialogue.
As for love letters, yes there are a lot of different perceptions. There's one episode of Star Trek: Voyager entitled Unforgettable that tackles preserving things on paper. The first officer falls in love with a woman he's doomed to forget. She has a virus in her system that wipes all technological traces of her so you can't keep her on computers, on scanners, on any technology. That same virus infects minds, makes you forget her. To remember her, he writes about her on paper so he can read about her even after she's completely wiped from his mind and from his computers. So yeah, letters can be pretty timeless. They're not as easy to wipe as a hard drive, not as forgetful as the human mind.
(Mind you, I hated Unforgettable. He didn't belong with that woman and I hope he lost those papers. He belongs with his captain. xD)
Ah, haven't seen that movie. @_@ Still, sounds like a good concept. Everything has passion in it. :p
I don't watch Star Trek, Robyn, so I don't quite understand what your post means. :)) LOL.
I have some point to make (which I hope I really make. Haha).
In the world today, we can't help but displease one of either the conservatives or the liberals when it comes to advertising and media.
Let's talk about sexy things. :))
Talk about condom commercials. They are existent not only because of its commercial value as a commodity for sexual use but also to educate men and women that in order to prevent the spread of such an "icky" disease. However, the oldies and the conservatives (talk about the Catholic Church) is against the airing of such commercials because of they think that they entice the people who have raging hormones to engage in sex all the more. Such questions arise: should condom commercials be shown on public television? Do condom commercials act as teasers for sexual act? The answer remains actually to the audience themselves. One thing emerges: BE A RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN!
For students of sex education, this is helpful not in the sense that it will prevent pregnancy or such. But it helps in the campaign against sexual diseases. It makes these kids aware that not only it does add pleasure when you have fun with your partner, but it also opens their minds to reality that such sexual act, when done in the not so nice way, will lead to the spread of such disease.
Right? Right! So it really depends on how the audience gets what you mean.
Okay, my discussion is going nowhere. But my point is in media, it is our hope, as Com majors, to reconcile the conservatives and liberals. It's like having sex with a partner: both should be satisfied. Right? Now the question is how can we do it?
*opens his thinking caps*
EJ: The basic concept is a man falls in love with a woman he's doomed to forget. Something about her makes her impossible to remember, to record. The only way he'll be able to remember her is by writing about her on paper and not using computers because all info about her gets wiped from technology, too. It's basically saying that paper and pen can be a more powerful means of communication than human memory which can forget, than computers which can be wiped. :) That's it translated into non-Trek English. Would have made a nice love story if I didn't hate the woman he fell in love with. xD
Sexy things? Do tell. xD Human copulation has always been a topic of intrigue, one that has been both encouraged and discouraged in many ways throughout history.
I do agree with you on the condom bit. It's all about human perception. The commercials might encourage sex, but they encourage RESPONSIBLE SEX. Granted, Frenzy's commercials are a bit kooky. That sort of encourages RESPONSIBLE KINKY SEX WITH ROLEPLAYING. Not sure if that's a good thing. @_@ Still, one has to admit that those commercials are aesthetically pleasing. The colors are nicely done. :p
How can we do what? How can we have both sides be satisfied? Well, right now, it seems that ceasefire is the way to go. Agreeing to disagree. There are just some people who won't change their minds once pushed to a certain point.
And hon, I think you mean you want to "put on" your thinking caps. :) Opening them makes it sound like we're popping open bottles of some kind. Bottles of knowledge? xD
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
We can see mobile and telecommunications companies boasting of connecting people and teen stars endorsing their "favorite" politicians. We see ads telling people to go get a treatment in Belo's Medical Clinic simply because it's the derma-hut of the stars. Media dominates the world, nowadays, no matter how much we beg to disagree. And lots of power-hungry, money-hogging and influence-thirsty people are using media as their very own Green Destiny (Haha. It's the legendary sword that everyone's going after in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.)Media, like that sword is breathtaking, pun intended. We can all let it sway us to any direction it wants and get ourselves brainwashed by the beauty and power of it all. However, as Comm majors we are obliged, if not destined, to look at the world with sharper and clearer eyes than most. We have to be responsible and smart when viewing and using media. We are the next generation of media people. We know what it can and cannot do. Let us then show the world that we are the masters of the sword and not the other way around. ^-^
2) What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
I think that people originally intended mobile phones and other techie stuff to keep the bonds of people somewhat nourished despite temporary absences and the like. But as we all know, we humans tend to abuse most of life's conveniences and turn them into tools to do everything. Cell phones, for example, were created basically to keep people in touch with each other despite the distance. But nowadays, people use it to start relationships and (oh God forbid) end them. I think love and affection loses its magic in cases such as these. None of the things that make sparks fly come into play anymore (when everything's done the techie way). No blushing cheeks and other telltale signs of genuine emotions, no more gathering up the courage to ask a girl out... Emotions lose potency when mediated. Sure, love letters make us girls so kilig... but even in manually written love notes, guys have come up with cheats too as if they were playing video games. They may have seen those lines in a text quotation from a friend or they must have asked some other person to write those oh-so-heart-melting poetry. I am not against love letters and stuff, okay? Hahahaha. I'm just saying that, well, emotions are meant to be felt. Without close contact or a direct approach, how can people feel? For me, those short, spontaneous proclamations of love or expressions of some other emotion give the most impact. We get to see the real thing, the cute, nervous dude trying to win us over by using and, therefore, risking the greatest medium they have in their arsenal: their adorable human selves. :)
3) What kinds of stories in the media made you think twice about a common assumption that you have about the world, others, and yourself? How did that particular story succeed in making you put yourself in another person's shoes?
a) http://misericordia.deviantart.com/art/Fashion-Victim-IV-71314861
b) http://nattenborough.deviantart.com/art/Media-63137392
These are link to photos that some artists have created. I think it made me think about how media affects people's mindset and values most especially when it comes to fashion, beauty and youthfulness.
The first link shows a model garbed in pages from various fashion magazines. It made me think of how, maybe, the models do not seem as happy with all the glitz and glamour the fashion world has to offer. Her pose gives me an impression that she feels naked despite being clothed with designer brands. Despite the fact that she is very uncomfortable with what she's wearing (electric tape and lots of magazine spreads), she poses to show the world that "Hey, I'm hot and it's because I'm wearing this and that brand". It shows us that not everything is as they seem to be. Oh and the artist's comment on that picture is that "Just because they told me so." I think that I wouldn't wear such an impractical and uncomfortable piece of clothing unless I was told to do so in exchange for quite a large amount of money. Hahaha.
The second picture shows a little girl with messy makeup. The artist said "This is what you get when you come across a seven year old engrossed in today’s media". It made me think of the girl's mother, how frustrated she must be that her cute little girl is using makeup even though she does not need it. It does not simply end there. We all know that this little girl has been corrupted by media. Perhaps she saw an ad saying that she has to wear makeup to make heads turn. Even though the girl did not intend to make boys' heads turn, she must have felt the need to get her parents to notice her. And so, she put makeup on and ended up with such ghastly results. The messy makeup not only reflects the childishness of the ads but also the messed up value that it teaches the young ones nowadays.
Both pictures made me think a lot. It made me view media from different perspectives and I think this experience made me more convinced that hey, I really am studying Comm. :)
For the first question, the most common claim being made through commercials and ads in general is that one must look a certain way to be thought of as beautiful or attractive by society. Their idea of beautiful, as portrayed in advertisements, are women with long, silky black hair with waistlines that don't go above 28s, and men who are clean cut and who generally look like male models. While these types of people are always nice to look at, this is not the reality of the world today. People do not need to look like that to get noticed, or to be attractive. But because the media sends this message to millions of unassuming viewers, even though we do not want to believe these things, we are subconsciously absorbing and believing what they are saying.
Television doesn't give its viewers much of an avenue to segregate the information that it flashes on its screens, so I suppose the best way to be more critical about this is to make a conscious effort to sift through the information that is being handed onto us. Think about what we hear and see first, before we believe it.
Regarding question number 2, I believe that love and affection cannot fully be mediated.
Sure, media can be a means of expressing emotion, but it doesn't really get the enitre point across. When one is angry, would it suffice to type in ALL CAPS to show this emotion? I think it's always more effective to scream it out, or vocally express this emotion. If one proclaims love through let's say a text message or an instant messenger window, sure, you get the point, but wouldn't it be so much better to hear those words, or see the actions behind them?
That being said, I think that emotions are not meant to be expressed through media. There is always something more personal in face to face communication versus technological mediums.
Oh by the way, this is Chyna Lo! ^-^ hahaha
I understand my answer is kind of late, since we had this discussion awhile back. Sorry Sir :)
1.What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
One claim would be saying that we cannot live without the media. And indeed, no matter how much we try to deny it, this is true. In a time where gossip blogs receive a million hits each day, where the latest TV shows are being downloaded off the Internet before they can be shown in local television, it is safe to say that we depend on the media. It is not just a form of amusement, although that alone already shows why we are so dependent on it.
The media may also be used as an ally in self-propagation and self-glorification, particularly with politicians. Politicians rely on the media to propagate themselves to the masses, to those they are trying to reach out to the most. Politicians know that no one is spared from the overwhelming presence of the media, thus, they use this as a ploy to gain awareness about themselves and, if they are lucky, respect. Again, this shows a dependency on the media.
Another claim would be about the media being a device that strengthens our consumerism. Advertisements are supposed to encourage people to use a certain shampoo, toothpaste or noodle brand. Movies and TV shows show characters who dress up or live a certain way. We are made to think that we can be like them if we drink what they drink, or wear what they wear. Ultimately, we do give in to our consumerist nature, thus proving that the media plays a part in our consumerism habits.
2. What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
A thousand mushy text messages proclaiming your love for another will never be the same as actually coming right up to him or her, and saying those three words.
I'm a hopeless romantic, I know. :|
I believe that the mediation of emotions takes away the thrill of the whole love-professing act and its subsequent consequences. From experience, I can see that people are more daring or "walang hiya" when the personal, face-to-face aspect is missing. When they are safely behind their laptops or cell phones, the awkwardness and the fear flies out the window.
But don't the fear and the awkwardness make everything more worthwhile? That sigh of relief, that feeling of reassurance, I think it can only be properly experienced through personal interaction.
Pat Dayacap
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
Sir, do you mean claims being made about the media, or the claims that the media makes? Thanks to Kasey for pointing it out. I think that we view the media as simple as a yes or no. Yes if we agree to what is shows us, or no if we disagree. It can also talk about how the media convinces or even fools us into what it's trying to feed us. To be critical, we need to look at the media and what it presents to us from all sides. From the masterminds to the audience, because that's where we can start seeing the truth, if there is any, in what is being presented.
2) What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
I think it becomes more artificial and less heartfelt. And the less it is heartfelt, wouldn't there be less love and affection?
I agree with Aika. It just isn't that same if you see the words and you hear the person say them to you face to face. And being the romantic that I am, it looses its touch when the person isn't in front of you.
It's funny how we consider a handwritten letter special when we think text or an instant message is just a daily thing. Considering also what Robyn said about love letters, does this mean it's just getting harder to convey our emotions face to face?
3) What kinds of stories in the media made you think twice about a common assumption that you have about the world, others, yourself? How did that particular story succeed in making you put yourself in another person's shoes?
A lot. One would be how racism is depicted in the media in subtle ways. My English teacher said that to know America's enemy, watch their movies. And it's true. There are so many movies with people from the Middle East depicted as the bad guys and it's so sickening. I got so tired of those movies because it's just the same plot over and over. Even Ironman had Middle Eastern bad guys.
The effect of this would be when we see a Middle Eastern person in the mall, we automatically think he's a terrorist. It isn't fair to judge people like that. I remember hearing that if you look Middle Eastern in an airport, you're subject to stricter security checks.
(this is KitKat, by the way)
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
There are so many grand claims being made right now by the media so I'd like to tackle just one. This would be the claim made by the Beijing officials: China is ready for the Olympics! China is clean and will welcome the world with open arms! (By the way, I'm not trying to be racist. I'm even part Chinese.) I would like to believe that China is all these things but I still think that the Olympics is part of China's attempt to sweep all the human rights violations under the rug for forgetting. There's nothing so clean and green about the smog in Chinese factories, the covering up of serial-killers to avoid a bad image, the Great Firewall of China, the poisonous toys, the poor health standards, the repression of freedom of expression, and plenty more. These certainly aren't part of the Olympic flame of humanity and love. Instead of cleaning up its image, China should be cleaning up itself.
When governments and businesses rely on good PR instead of actually fixing their problems, that would be dirty communication. I think communication and the media should be used to help solve problems instead of building a facade for them.
2) What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
Sometimes a drop of the essence of love can be bottled and preserved for all to taste. There will always be reliable mediations of emotions, such as the well-crafted film or the personal and well-written love letter.
However, I do believe that the mediation of emotions has lead to the stereotyping of such emotions. Sadly, humans aren't always creative so media-producers will end up having to rely on 'effective' formulae to catch the audience's attention. Hence, we have love-teams, cliched notions of love, repetitive patterns (same color, same shape, same smiling couple), and the like splattered all over our billboards, greeting cards, movies, and commericals.
3) What kinds of stories in the media made you think twice about a common assumption that you have about the world, others, yourself? How did that particular story succeed in making you put yourself in another person's shoes?
I started paying special attention to the news because I was in my high school's debate varsity. Stories about suffering, especially human rights violations, in other countries have always affected me and impassioned me most during debates. One of the stories I try to be constantly be updated on is the battle for Burma's release from the junta. Aung San Suu Kyi will always be my inspiration. I was also moved by the marching of the monks in a quiet and brutally-put-down protest and I teared up while reading the report in TIME Magazine. Although I can't really do anything about their situations right now, the least I can do is spread awareness of the suffering of other people so that they aren't alone.
I read so many sad stories about the world and what really ticks me off is that people seem to be ignorant or apathetic towards these issues. I have tried to discuss issues with my peers and normally they don't pay attention to the news or aren't really affected by the suffering. Of course, I understand that my debate background helps in my understanding of current events but when newspapers all over were/are screaming Hesbollah/Iran Nuclear Crisis/ZTE Scandal/Chinese Human Rights Violations and the Olympics/Clinton Gives Up it's sad that people don't know what's going on.
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
I have grasped several emphatic statements regarding media and how it goes about today but, I guess the one that really grabs me by the neck is the idea that media has become insensitive. Being a communication major, I was initially offended at the aforementioned thought because duh, I’m intertwined with it now more than ever. But after immersing myself in countless beauty commercials, I have realized that sadly, the claim can actually make sense. Products such as those that will enhance fairer and whiter skin for women, in a way, set a norm for the quality of beauty that should be appreciated in our society. In addition, aside from brainwashing viewers into thinking that white is beautiful, these commercials also have an immediate effect on the disposition of those with darker skin. (And what will you do if a bazillion lotions or creams just can’t seem to erase the dark mark that God left you? Wait, you can be emo about it. So I guess it’s pretty obvious that the “grand claim” being made here is that white skin = good and dark = pitiful. How tactless. ) Compared to other claims, I guess this may come off as weak or ‘sooo grade school’ but I think this perfectly explains the controversies occurring in media today.
Again, being a communication major, I believe that I, along with all the other cool and really good-looking comm people in the world (white or dark skin haha!), have a responsibility to remind the world that media isn’t the bad guy here. I actually consider media to be the victim in this situation. Since it is easy to get a hold of, companies simply use it as medium to convey a certain idea in order to sell a product without even thinking of the consequences. Therefore, I think that the best way to be critical about the whole thing is to be reasonable and logical. First of all, don’t go hating on the media because in cases like this, they are nothing but mediums. Secondly, think. Like for the skin example, if having darker skin is a one way to ticket to being a social outcast, then how come there are countless African-American people who have made a mark in the world? My point here is just to have commonsense. A particular claim by the media doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a universal truth. Go through the information carefully before making yourself vulnerable to its influence. At least, that’s how I would do it ;)
2. What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
First of all, since I’m a sucker for romantic sh*t, I clearly don’t approve on the mediation of emotions. (As I understood it to be using technology and the like to express feelings as opposed to personal face to face situations, and I hope I’m right haha!)
I think when an emotional message is mediated; it somehow loses its strength and value, among others. Personally, I think that it takes more guts to say something face to face than composing it through a letter or whatnot. Especially when it comes to matters of the heart, I believe that the unrestrained expression of a particular sentiment is better than an artificial state wherein someone has the power to edit the thought or mood (like making sure it doesn’t come off as too aggressive, etc.) before transmitting it. Moreover, it also takes away the thrill and excitement as nerve-racking situations wouldn’t be as nail-biting if one is merely facing a computer monitor or the screen of a cellphone. So there, that’s my stand on this rising phenomenon. And well I don’t know about the rest of the world, but I would initially prefer an ‘I love you’ in person (and whatever spontaneous thing that comes after it) over a simple text message saying such.
Jech Tiu. 073492
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
I, for one, am a bit wary about reality shows, soap operas and the like. Somehow, these shows seem to think that they are our bridge to reality. That they can show audiences what really happens in real life. This of course is untrue, because considering the context of these shows, is there really this "reality" to begin with?
How can the housemates of PBB behave naturally when there is a camera watching, following their every move? If I were a housemate, I just think that a presence of an outside observer will change the way I behave. I’ll be more self-conscious, in short. And what about the plots of soap operas that automatically inject social issues? Do we always have to deal with, say, poverty and incest in real life? Uh, let me think—no!
2) What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
Text messaging and online chat, in my opinion, are poor avenues to express oneself. Choosing emoticons to express joy or hate is just pathetic. One can never fully show what you are feeling, right there and then, with such a limiting medium. Thus, I believe that conversing face-to-face is still the most ideal. With this type of interaction, even the body communicates—the eye contact, hand gestures.
How do you create tone, for example, through SMS? By picking the right words, of course. But in our world today, one wrong word in a text message can end relationships. It can be read differently, misinterpreted, because the reader gets minimal cues (mostly just the text). Constructing your messages, then, has never been so important when using these modern mediums.
3) What kinds of stories in the media made you think twice about a common assumption that you have about the world, others, yourself? How did that particular story succeed in making you put yourself in another person's shoes?
A few years back, I saw this woman on TV complaining about how EDSA 2 just reflected the beliefs of the privileged few. Her comments struck me because as part of the upper stratum of society, I, for the first time, have heard a voice from the other side of the fence. I wasn’t able to attend any of the ceremonies that time, but all I know is what we were fighting for mattered. Plus, it also helped that the media portrayed the EDSA 2 in a positive light. It was shown on primetime news as very celebratory, a gathering of people poised to bring down a corrupt leader.
Andrew Ilagan
(Answer to number 3 cont’d. Haha. Sorry sir, the text I pasted got cut.)
But looking back on her comments, I asked myself, was this the real public opinion? Or was it jusy the voice of the elites? And what about the people from the fringes of society like, say, the ones from the provinces? Did they have a say?
When EDSA 3 came, the crowd there was portrayed rather adversely. The event was seen, in contrast, as a mob rule. Some TV reporters even commented on how filthy the place had become.
Andrew Ilagan
#1
Perhaps it’s just me and I’m totally clueless but I have not heard any claims regarding Media in general other than the one mentioned by Michael Moore in 'Bowling for Columbine'. I can faintly remember Michael Moore mentioning the media's power over the general population of the United States. According to him the media has created a culture of fear in the United States. Cool.
I can recall a few celebrities mentioning the media being
evil because of how it disrupts their privacy but I believe their anger is only
directed at the paparazzi taking their pictures of their drunken states and/or
crotches. The paparazzi only represent the tabloid newspaper media.
I can recall a few celebrities mentioning the media being evil because of how they disrupt their privacy but i believe their anger is only directed at the paparazzi taking their pictures of their drunken states and/or crotches. The paparazzi only represent the tabloid newspaper media.
As for the claims I usually hear from teenagers regarding advertisments, I can just throw out some general statements that concern how the Clear Black shampoo commercial featuring 'Rain' is incredibly funny and confusing. "I am Rain." I can throw out my own claim as how the quality of commercials here compared to those of other countries like for example those made by Belief Design or Troika Productions differ from each other immensly at least when consistency is considered (by that I dont mean all the commercials here are bad, I just see them as inconsistently good.).
I hear claims as to how the government uses the media to it's advantage. Actually I can state how the government outright controlled the media to it's convenience. Marcos anybody? These arent really claims that immediately describe media.
#2
The mediation of love and affection is flawed. For example when you mention to somebody that you love them, I believe no amount of explanation can ever be enough to quantify or define that love. I dont mean to say that love cant be mediated; it just cant be expressed perfectly. Lets just say the world could possibly be an easier world if people could immediately and perfectly understand emotions.
#3
One of the common stories Ive heard concerning the media here in the Philippines, primarily about a specific channel, are what I call the 'Horror Stories'. These are stories that truly give me the chills just because of the fact that they happened. Its the stories like how some of the dancers hired by this channel were hired because they first had sex with the producers. Stories like how this channel hires young talented kids to work for them and yet they are overly underpaid and under-recognized. These are the kinds of stories that make me want to become good enough that I will get to the top and stop these horror stories from happening anymore. Cause lets face it, it would suck if this continues.
*fixing my answer to number one.
I want to make it clear that I was talking about how people assume that media alone can fix problems. That's the claim about the media I was talking about. Even though billboards, propaganda, and beautiful models can be flaunted before your eyes, media is usually just an interpretation of the problem, not a solution.
:)
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
Hi Sir! Jech and I were a bit confused by this question. Do you really mean claims made about the media, or claims made by the media? (I've decided to answer the claims made about the media part, but if this is wrong, then let me know and I will happily make another discussion regarding the claims the media makes, which I believe is a lot more fun!)
I'll start off with the claims the government makes about the media for I find the dynamics between the two pretty interesting, especially in the Philippine setting.Many important documents regarding transactions, procurements, etc. are tucked away from the public eye, and can only be accessed by certain "authorized" persons. (Ex. That infamous brown envelope which was left unopened during Joseph Estrada's impeachment in 2001, or, more recently, information regarding the ZTE scandal). When information about government anomalies leaks to the public, journalists are instantly accused of crossing certain ethical and professional boundaries, of poking their noses in situations that they have absolutely no business in--they are condemned (by the guilty parties concerned) as a destructive force in society. I believe this claim has been made over and over again throughout Philippine history--from heavy press censorship during the colonization period, to Martial Law during the Marcos regime, to the numerous journalist killings and kidnappings that we've recently seen on the news. Add to this the lack of a Freedom of Information Act--a law that allows not only media practitioners, but also the general public, to access government information and to see right before their eyes just what the government is up to.
On the other hand, I believe other politicians have a different take on the media. Instead of treating it as a destructive, anti-government force, some claim it as an effective means to construct a certain public image that they feel majority will respond positively to. The power of the media is undeniable in this aspect, especially that of the camera with its selective manner of "seeing". One can manipulate it in many ways imaginable in order to bring only a certain set of images--all directed towards a certain theme or cause--to a target audience. Add to this some editing and digital enhancement, as well as some carefully chosen words intertwined with subliminal hints, and one has the perfect formula for propaganda. This use of media is a lot more blatant in election campaigns, but we can also see subtle hints of image building in product advertisements. Commercials of a certain senator advertising a popular brand of detergent, for example, makes him more accessible to a certain audience, as well as appear more credible because of the reputation of the very brand he patronizes.
I believe marketers also see the media as the all-powerful method to draw in consumers and profit. Advertisers could easily manipulate the elements of their commercials and print ads--from the images they convey (specifically, their content and composition) to the words in the catch phrases they use--in order to make a maximum impact on a specific target audience. There is obviously some psychology at work here, for consumers are influenced into buying products without them being fully aware of it. An example is the iPod. The reason why it's a lot more successful than many other portable mp3 players out there is the way it was promoted. Besides being colorful and catchy, its advertisements sold not only a kind of mp3 player, but also a sense of musical identity--an element that has obviously become a hit with the consumers.
As for teens, I think a lot us tend to claim that media has the potential to become a great social equalizer (at least, in cyberspace), the reasons being, we can all post content on the Internet, or take on a persona whom we aspire to be but are totally different from in real life, or have a shot at becoming an overnight celebrity.
For society to be more critical of these claims, I believe we must learn not to take everything at face value. However, this will be quite a challenge, for we all are overwhelmingly saturated by media on a daily basis--it's difficult to filter certain information out. The key is to look at these claims with some skepticism, and to carefully examine the circumstances with which these claims are made.
Kasey Albano
What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
A standard on the meaning of love is created. Children grow up watching depictions of love in movies and tv series, which influence them to imitate and do the same things when they are old enough to be in relationships.
For example, people develop an understanding of 'kilig' depending on what they've been exposed to through media, like, the people who keep reading love stories, they always have this fantasy of getting swept off their feet in a romantic love story. And what exactly is their idea of romantic? It comes from the media too.
Dashing boy falls in love with average girl and they go through every obstacle together. Boy very much in love plays the martyr to win hesitant girls' heart or the other way around. Broken-hearted boy drowns himself in alcohol. Broken-hearted girl slits her wrists.
And the winning example is the very cliched 'teenage couple so convinced they'll last forever so they run away despite their parents' objections to the relationship.' And now there are a lot of the youth keeping their relationships secret. And usually, young idealistic girls tend to think their first relationship is going to be their last.
Psychology 101 says that people usually imitate what they see. And most of what we know, we know through observation, which translates to 'seeing'. So, what I'm trying to say is that when love and emotions are mediated, people develop a sense of 'right and wrong' regarding emotions, influenced by what they have been exposed to. Though I cannot think of a particular example now, I do know that there are lots of stories involving teenage couples eloping, risking everything for their love, because some factor or another does not permit them to be together. Media makes it sound like it's all okay, because love is everything. Therefore, that becomes a 'standard' everybody thinks love is: a man/woman in love must sacrifice everything (as in everything) because "love is all that matters". But in real life, if we think rationally as humans are supposed to, the danger of risking everything usually is NOT worth it. It does NOT always turn out for the better.
And maybe we learn that after we experience a relationship ourselves, but before we do, what most people know of love is the idealistic type they show on television or write in books. That, or the abusive ones. In any case, they're not extremely practical or realistic knowledge. People fall in love with the idea of running away with their true love, just like they do in soap operas. After all, that very unrealistic song claims that even "when we're hungry, love will keep us alive".
Okay, the point is, when anything is mediated, even love and emotions, a standard is set and people feel compelled or are brainwashed to follow that standard because media is oh-so-powerful. But media isn't perfect and it isn't always right, so sometimes people get in serious trouble for believing too much.
Kasey, Jech, Aika and I were discussing the first Powerpoint presentation earlier. The following is a transcript of our conversation, with the unnecessary parts removed.
Tonibelle Chan: obvious naman how the media connects, right?
Jericho Tiu: like when we watch tv and stuff
Jericho Tiu: it connects to us?
Jericho Tiu: whats a more nice explanation?
Tonibelle Chan: look at slide 21
Tonibelle Chan: the world 'shrinks' because of the existence of media
Tonibelle Chan: because we dont need to go to greece to know about them
Tonibelle Chan: or to talk to people who live there
Tonibelle Chan: we dont need to go to a grocery store to know if there are new products out
Tonibelle Chan: because there are commercials
Tonibelle Chan: there are billboards.
Tonibelle Chan: we dont need to drive around the whole country to know where there is a place for rent
Tonibelle Chan: because may ads
Jericho Tiu: okay gets
Jericho Tiu: so thats how media connects?
Jericho Tiu: by making the world smaller?
Tonibelle Chan: yes
Tonibelle Chan: i think so
Tonibelle Chan: that's how i understand it
Jericho Tiu: that makes sense
Jericho Tiu: How is everyday life transformed by the media?
Jericho Tiu: okay thats fairly easy
Jericho Tiu: i mean when you connect to media
Jericho Tiu: you are influenced by the happenings diba
Tonibelle Chan: wait lang, how does it separate muna?
Jericho Tiu: ah separate
Tonibelle Chan: hmmm
Tonibelle Chan: when i first read that, ang naisip ko is that
Jericho Tiu: i guess yung mga people na walang media
Jericho Tiu: disconnected sila sa mundo?
Tonibelle Chan: it separates the world because not everyone has access to it naman di ba?
Tonibelle Chan: yes
Jericho Tiu: parang
Jericho Tiu: if you dont check your ygroups
Jericho Tiu: di mo alam na may readings pala
Tonibelle Chan: you're an outcast
Tonibelle Chan: hahaha
Tonibelle Chan: tska parang di ba lumalaki gap ng rich and poor
Tonibelle Chan: kasi because of media
Tonibelle Chan: parang there is a 'standard' na nabubuo
Tonibelle Chan: gets?
Jericho Tiu: ah
Jericho Tiu: parang the media shows the good stuff?
Jericho Tiu: di ko gets
Jericho Tiu: the media shows the poor din naman a
Tonibelle Chan: yes
Tonibelle Chan: but
Tonibelle Chan: hmmm ganito kasi
Tonibelle Chan: example #1: brand
Tonibelle Chan: parang the richer companies afford billboards so they're better known, and a standard is created na parang, 'hey this brand is good because it's known so if i have it, i'm sikat'
Jericho Tiu: that makes sense
Tonibelle Chan: then the poor people buy fakes of that stuff kasi they believe nga na if you flaunt stuff with that brand name, you're sikat
Tonibelle Chan: haha
Tonibelle Chan: actually, i think that's what influences the fake-makers to make fakes nga
Jericho Tiu: thats sad
Tonibelle Chan: kasi they see through media that this thing is good, so they fake it to serve the poorer people and serve themselves too with the big profit they're sure to make
Tonibelle Chan: How is everyday life transformed by the media?
Jericho Tiu: parang cellphone
Jericho Tiu: kung masira for a day
Jericho Tiu: parang sobrang hirap na ng buhay mo
Tonibelle Chan: yeah, well, obvious naman yun kasi nga media is everywhere so malamang we are affected daily
Kasey Albano: yep i agree
Tonibelle Chan: so let's move on question 3
Tonibelle Chan: How do we make use of the media in constructing our identities?
Jericho Tiu: we perceive sa media
Jericho Tiu: kung ano yung 'cool'
Jericho Tiu: at 'in'
Aika Beltran: We try to copy what we see in ads and stuff.
Jericho Tiu: ergo, we follow
Tonibelle Chan: yes
Tonibelle Chan: and i thought of internet din, actually
Tonibelle Chan: di ba they always say
Tonibelle Chan: na because of media people develop multiple identities?
Tonibelle Chan: well, hindi yung disorder ah
Tonibelle Chan: pero like
Aika Beltran: Gets ko yan
Kasey Albano: yep, i agree with that XD yung you can be a different person online
Tonibelle Chan: a person is diefferent when he is online, when he's texting and when he's facing you
Aika Beltran: Parang you're a different person online/through text
Jericho Tiu: like sa IRC
Jericho Tiu: dati
Tonibelle Chan: eto pinakamalupit na example
Tonibelle Chan: yung com100 blog
Tonibelle Chan: like, kaya tayo may com100 website, di ba sinabi dati ni sir
Tonibelle Chan: na that site is for the people na nahihiya magsalita in class?
Tonibelle Chan: and people can give smarter answers there, because naiisip yung mga sinasabi
Kasey Albano: yep, that's true
Aika Beltran: I agree.
Jericho Tiu: tama yan
Tonibelle Chan: so that means that whatever is posted there, how it's posted
Tonibelle Chan: does not really reflect the real identity of the person who posted
Tonibelle Chan: and sa text din, pag bulok cell phone mo crude ka magtext
Aika Beltran: Exactly.
Jericho Tiu: anyway
Jericho Tiu: lets move on
Tonibelle Chan: How are media used to dominate? For economic and/or political gain?
Aika Beltran: Companies with ads tend to get more patrons
Aika Beltran: Compared to those without
Tonibelle Chan: and through mass media, a standard is set, like what was said earlier.
Kasey Albano: i thought of hunger as ideology. hahaha
Tonibelle Chan: yeah
Kasey Albano: subliminal images targeted at specific people, tapos youre getting influenced without you knowing it
Aika Beltran: Since almost everybody watches tv, etc.
Aika Beltran: Political, kung mas maganda yung poster mo
Aika Beltran: Baka mas iboto ka ng mga undecided
Kasey Albano: or your public image
Tonibelle Chan: ui ayan si aika politician
Tonibelle Chan: hahahahahahaha
Tonibelle Chan: yung political gain i think
Tonibelle Chan: the media becomes a vessel used to convey the politician's 'planned image'
Kasey Albano: yun nga, yung public image diba? how politicians construct themselves to be
Tonibelle Chan: and it's not necessarily the 'true image'
Aika Beltran: Yes!
Tonibelle Chan: like if a politician is shown eating with the poor
Tonibelle Chan: like, malay ba natin he only ate with them habang shinshoot pero after ng camera, wala na rin?
Kasey Albano: yeah i was about to say that toni nice
Kasey Albano: or nakikain lang siya tapos umalis kaagad. hahahahah
Jericho Tiu: TAMA YAN!
Aika Beltran: I have an example
Aika Beltran: Sa poster ko
Aika Beltran: Naka half-ponytail ako. Pero in reality, my hair is hardly ever fixed
Tonibelle Chan: and pagandahan lang ng gimik ang politics
Aika Beltran: Eh pero, yun yung gusto ng party. Maayos ang itsura
Tonibelle Chan: gimik that is made possible by media
Jericho Tiu: HA!
Jericho Tiu: ang lupet
Tonibelle Chan: alin ang malupet?
Jericho Tiu: yung gimiks
Aika Beltran: AND. I look tall in my posters
Tonibelle Chan: anyway, next question
Tonibelle Chan: How do they offer freedoms of expression? How do they claim rights of surveillance and control?
Aika Beltran: Freedom of expression
Aika Beltran: You can always express what you think/feel through message boards, ims, etc.
Aika Beltran: Without the fear of getting beaten up or whatever.
Aika Beltran: You can hide behind the internet, or text.
Kasey Albano: hmm for control i thought of like, the big tv networks? may biases din sila eh
Kasey Albano: especially abs cbn
Jericho Tiu: does pbb count?
Kasey Albano: hmm baka for surveillance. but then may control din kasi may editing and stuff
Tonibelle Chan: yes to the editing and stuff
Jericho Tiu: ok
Tonibelle Chan: media influences how people think.
Tonibelle Chan: there are people who 'control' the media
Tonibelle Chan: so parang syllogism
Tonibelle Chan: these same people control how people think
Kasey Albano: yup, i agree
Aika Beltran: agreed
Kasey Albano: i was going to say that for question number 1 sa post
Tonibelle Chan: parang walter benjamin ito, kasey
Kasey Albano: omg oo nga
Tonibelle Chan: as in, di ba
Tonibelle Chan: yung existence ng camera and film
Tonibelle Chan: paano sya nakaka-affect. kasi dahil may camera na at mechanical repproduction, nacocontrol ng cameraman/photographer kung ano yung makikita ng audience
Kasey Albano: yup, yung selective thing
Tonibelle Chan: yes
Kasey Albano: i guess in a way pwede ring gamitin si foucault?
Tonibelle Chan: yes!
Jericho Tiu: move on naaa
Tonibelle Chan: How do we regulate the media? What specific policies and broader philosophical norms should we consider?
Kasey Albano: hmm yung govenrment right now, may mga policy siya for regulating the media
Kasey Albano: *policies
Jericho Tiu: mtrcb ba counts?
Kasey Albano: like, not all government documents are easily accessible by them
Kasey Albano: pero it's kind of a bad thing rin, 'cause people are left in the dark about what the government is doing ... so i dont think it's a norm that people should consider
Jericho Tiu: okay
Tonibelle Chan: and what else
Tonibelle Chan: hmmm
Tonibelle Chan: cable?
Tonibelle Chan: hindi lahat ng channels available sa lahat ng cable companies
Tonibelle Chan: and it's up to us to choose ano gusto natin
Tonibelle Chan: and if you dont have money you cant even get cable
Tonibelle Chan: so you're stuck with limited channels
Kasey Albano: hmm yeah pwede
Tonibelle Chan: which means, again, money regulates media?
Kasey Albano: yup, money and personal gain
Kasey Albano: tsaka who holds power na rin?
Tonibelle Chan: yes
Tonibelle Chan: the rich.
Tonibelle Chan: haha
Kasey Albano: yep there ya go
Jericho Tiu: yay
Tonibelle Chan: next question
Tonibelle Chan: What kinds of stories about ourselves do we tell? What stories about others do we tell?
Jericho Tiu: lets go to slide 33? [edit: Intro to Media]
Jericho Tiu: explain
Tonibelle Chan: we may know something
Tonibelle Chan: but we dont necessarily act on it
Tonibelle Chan: media lets us know
Tonibelle Chan: but does not provide us with a way to act on what we know
Jericho Tiu: hmm
Tonibelle Chan: tama ba?
Jericho Tiu: thats how you understood it?
Tonibelle Chan: hindi ko rin sure eh
Jericho Tiu: wait il reread
Tonibelle Chan: yes
Tonibelle Chan: okay
Jericho Tiu: so parang kulang media?
Tonibelle Chan: yata.
There. Haha. I just thought of sharing our little ideas with you all. :)
1) What are the grand claims being made about the media today, in adverts, by marketers, by politicians, by teens, etc.? How can we be more critical about them?
2) What happens when love and affection are mediated? What is your take on the mediation of emotions?
3) What kinds of stories in the media made you think twice about a common assumption that you have about the world, others, yourself? How did that particular story succeed in making you put yourself in another person's shoes?
1. Actually I really don't know any claims made by media. I am only wary of the reality shows. Actually, for me it is, just like the others, not shows reality at all. All of them are being watched and what shown in to the public is already screened by the producers. They select the scenes that they are going to show. We can be critical by thinking before believing.
2. Love and affection cannot be mediated through media alone because it shows no emotion at all. Media can only help in showing love and affection but it cannot be the primary thing to express our love. Emoticons are just a way of helping us show our affection but we are really not sure of it. It can be misinterpreted or one can fake ones emotion.
3. Actually there are none as of the moment.
Robyn: I actually meant to ACTIVATE my thinking caps.
They really need activation now, seriously! *wink*
EJ: Activate? Your thinking cap is a device of some sort rather than just a head garment? @_@ Or maybe you mean a thought light bulb? *sighs* Sometimes figures of speech are taxing. Semiotics, right? :p
Ok…Sir Jon, I know this is really, really late but it’s better to be late than never, right?
Anyway, I’ll answer number 2.
Many (I’m not saying ALL) of the media that I see nowadays are giving love a new definition. I’m talking about the men and women I see in billboards, one-page ads in magazines, and commercials. Most of what I see for the first two are “stolen shots” of a man and woman in close proximity with each other, fore playing (think ads of Guess and Girbaud). Meanwhile, for the last, I find the Axe commercials a good example; most of the stories are modest women suddenly turning into wild lustful chicks after smelling the guy’s perfume. I don’t know if I’m just being too moral or traditional, but I feel that the media now are equating love with sex. As we all know, sex sells. For some reason, people are naturally curious about it. However, I’m sure all of us here in the class are mature enough to know that they’re not the same. But what about the kids who don’t understand these things yet? It’s like they’re subtly implying to those kids that Axe perfumes, or clothes from Guess would make men, or women, want to have sex with you. Therefore, sex (or love) would be your reward for buying those products. And it’s so wrong. It seems that they are already conditioning the minds of the young ones that they’re supposed to lust for, not only like, the opposite gender. They’re stooping the level of love down to only sex, when we all know that the former transcends the latter much more than that.
Loving is a natural human instinct. We just do it. We’ll die if we don’t love. But we can live without experiencing sex (Ok, the men might not agree, but seriously!). This just goes to prove that the media sometimes influences you to make you want something (in this case, disguising themselves as good as love), and ultimately transforms your wants to your needs, so that you'll buy or support their product. Most of these ads do not think about the long-term effects it’d have on the mentality of the society, most especially, of the younger generations. I feel sad that, aside from the good, these bad stuff are also happening now.
Paoie Minerales
P.S. I will now start to post more in the coming days. :)
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