Proposition Eight

Describe a situation in which you thought personal or public expression went too far and should be curbed? How might you remedy this situation?

I am from California, and so I have had to deal with Proposition Eight stuff for the longest time. My roommate and I have been attacked personally because we are Mormons and we are doing what we think is right. I think that everyone should have the right to voice their opinion, but protests against Proposition Eight have gone too far. Protesters should not be making blacklists of Mormons who decided to use their rights to express their opinions. Also, by impeding entry to the Los Angeles Temple is taking away our rights to practice our religion. In the end, both sides are fighting for what they believe in. We should all be grateful that we have the right to have an opinion.

So far, not much has worked to remedy the situation. I know that when homosexual friends of mine came to me to attack me, I told them that I had nothing against them. I told them that I loved them and that I was sorry if they did not agree with my choice. I also asked them to please respect me for the decision I had to make, because I would respect their decision. This seemed to work pretty well.

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Tom Thumb Advertising

Showman P. T. Barnum epitomized century press agentry with exaggerated claims such as those about Tom Thumb and Jenny Lind. Do such promotional methods exist today? Are there examples?

Today, we have rules about false advertising. It is considered unethical, and businesses can be fined for it. I think that most businesses exaggerate how great their products work. A few examples can be found on infomercials. Generally, the infomercials show the product that they are trying to sell as doing all of these miraculous things. Most of the time, once the consumer buys the product it does not work as well as the infomercials said it would.

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Is PR really the devil?

Are public relations activities like imageü consulting ethical? Explain.

Yes, public relations is ethical. Everyone deserves to have someone watching thier back. Big businesses especially need public relations consultants because there are always sneaky journalists trying to pull the rug out from under a corperation. One could almost call a public realtions consultant a security guard who protects businesses from scandals and the public.

Chia Pets

Is advertising effective? Why? List some examples of where it did and did not influence one of your buying decision.

Advertising is effective if it is done well. A tacky advertisement can ruin the product. If the advertisement is very good, people will remember it when they are shopping. Image is everything for items that are for sale. A rotten advertisement makes the product look rotten.

Did Influence:

At&T Commercial

Coldplay Commercial for Viva la Vida

Pac Sun Clothing

Hollister Clothing

Herbal Essences Commercial

Did Not Influence:

Chia Pet Commercial

CitiBank Commercial

Fantasy Perfume Commercial

AXE Commercial

Camel Advertisement

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Select 2 advertisements you consider good and 2 you consider bad. Include the ads (or copies) and explain what makes each a good/bad ad.

Good Advertisements:

This first advertisement is one for AT&T. It is one of the "alter-ego" advertisements. This one is my favorite because my dad and I allude to it all of the time. It is a good advertisement because it is memorable, and people allude to it. Also, it gets the point across.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oleLJEtiC00

This is another advertisement that is for CitiBank. It is one of a series of many. This is a great advertisement because not only does it get the point across, but it is funny about an issue that would otherwise be too serious. I have remembered this advertisement ever since I saw it in 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KERwnA8VfFM

Bad Advertisements:

This is an advertisement for Skittles. It is supposed to be funny, but I just found it kind of dramatic. Candy commercials should be funny and light. This commercial was heavy and dramatic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exgpW2_MbRM

This is an advertisement for Britney Spear's perfume "Fantasy." After you listen to how she is a beautiful goddess, you have to watch her be chased around. It is an interesting commercial, but I felt like it was just a vain display of Brittney Spears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDs5YZSoPHE

Idols

Many people would say that television has had a greater impact on society than any other form of media. Do you agree? Why or why not?

I believe that television has had a great impact on people. There is something for every kind of person on TV. Everyone alludes to their favorite shows, and we try to be like the TV stars. We are entrenched in the lives of our favorite characters more than our own. People copy the hair and clothing of the characters on TV. Some people even try to lead similar lives by having the same jobs and having the same habits.

The LCD

Critiques argue that in trying to “offend no one, ”the networks tend to offer TV programs that appeal to the “lowest common- denominator. ”Do you agree? Can you name programs that are definitely for the LCD? Can you think of any network (NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW) programs that defy the LCD label? Explain.

I agree to an extent. I think that it is true that there are shows aimed at the LCD, but I think there are also a variety of shows that appeal to the better informed while being simple enough for the LCD to understand.

I know that programs like Jerry Springer, The Simpsons, The Bachelor, and Blind Date are all set to appeal to the LCD. It is interesting to note that shows like Jerry Springer and Blind Date are on during the late night hours.

I actually think that most all of the major networks have at least one show that would appeal to the LCD. The major networks have to appeal to the masses in order to become and stay major powerhouses. though I think that NBC and ABC have the least shows that appeal to the LCD.

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My Movie

If you were a movie producer, what would you do to make a box office hit in 2008?

I would definitely not make a book into a movie. The book always ends up being loads better than the movie. I would make a romantic comedy about a journalist and a public relations consultant who are rivals. At first, they will do everything in their power to trip the other up. However, when they both get fired from their jobs, and they uncover a major scandal in a large corporation, they team up to bring down the guys who got them fired. It sounds cheesy, but I can see it working

It would star:

Scarlett Johansson












Shane West

Couch Potato

Track your television viewing for one week. (If you don ’t watch television, WATCH SOME !!) What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about television? What does television provide you (fulfillment of a need -- See Chapter 15)?

I was raised in a home where my parents do not want cable. I grew up with seven or eight channels. My parents thought we should be doing

something more productive than watching TV. However, whenever I

got set loose in front of the TV, I stay glued for hours to TV shows like CSI, Dancing with the Stars, the news, and Jay Leno. I am now also obsessed with The Office.

I learned that TV shows are overly dramatic, and the producers try to suck viewers in to the ongoing stories. Also, the majority of TV is advertisements.

TV provides entertainment and escape from our own stressful and boring lives. Viewers can experience things vicariously through characters on TV. Through a TV, you can experience thing through the views of others, and see things you have never seen. TV can teach us about new things. TV also provides news and communication between different parties.

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Blaming Video Games

Why is the amount of sex and violence increasing in motion pictures? Is this a case of Hollywood giving society what they want or is it simply society ’s acceptance of what we are given?

I think that sex and violence are increasing in motion pictures because of their popularity in other media. Sex and violence are what sell, and people have enjoyed them for decades. Whenever there is an car accident, or a fight, people want to watch. Video games are one example. Because people are buying video games like Grand Theft Auto and Hitman, , movie producers make violent movies that are similar in violent content. The game Hitman was even made into a movie.

I think that sex and violence are what society wants. We had a morbid fascination with mystery and gore. Is CSI less violent than many of the movies that people are making and watching? I do not think so. I also think that as people support movies with a lot of sex an violence, the sex and violence increase.

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The Most Personal of the Media

Radio is described as “the most personal of the media,” why is that? Why do you think music is an important part in radio programming? Why is talk radio so popular?

Radio is very personal because many radio stations broadcast from the area in which their listeners live. Listeners can have a direct effect on what the radio stations play. For example, listeners can also call in to the radio stations and talk on air.

The majority of listeners tune in to the radio for the music. Many artists and recording companies use radio stations to promote and release their newest recordings. Music brings people together as a society and defines them by the genres they prefer. The music played on the radio introduces listeners to new songs, genres, and ideas.

Talk radio is popular because it helps people understand or dispute the ideas of others. A lot of talk radio shows focus on politics and issues that many people have strong opinions about. By thinking about about and voicing concerns and opinions people can become better informed.

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Tuning in to Utah Radio

Come up with a list of 5 radio stations in the Utah area (choose some FM and some AM stations – music and talk). Write a description of each station including format, advertising, and target audience. What makes each station successful?

104.3 FM is a country station. The station targets country fans of all ages because it plays music from recent artists like Kenny Chesney, and it also plays country artists from the 80s and the 50s. There are weather and traffic reports every half-hour, but the majority of the station is music with a few advertisements.

1160 AM is a talk radio station. This station targets drivers and those seeking news. The weather is reported for the region, and road conditions are discussed. The main focus of this station is to talk about different issues such as the stock market and home foreclosures. 1160 AM is successful because it talks about current issues that concern many people. It also gives traffic and weather reports which help drivers.

910 AM is classified as a "kid's station." This is the local connection of Radio Disney. It targets younger children, and many parents turn this on to entertain their children. Disney plays music from their movies like "The Cheetah Girls" and "High School Musical." This station is a big advertisement for Disney and its movies. Songs like "Love Story" by Taylor Swift and "Lovebug" by the Jonas Brothers are two top songs being played on 910AM. It is successful because of its family-friendly image. Since Disney makes a lot of popular children's movies, the music is popular as well.

97.5 FM is a rock station. This station plays music by artists such as Metallica and Hinder. The bands that play on this station are appealing to a very broad audience because of the presence of both new and older artists. Rock fans of all ages will be drawn in by 97.5. Advertisements include thngs such as concerts and shows that will be in the Utah area.

101.9FM is a Pop radio station. It plays current and popular music such as "Fearless" by Taylor Swift, and "Let it Rock" by Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne. This station is appealing to teenagers and young adults. It has advertising for credit card debt fixes, concerts, and radio shows. This station is successful because it is playing all of the songs that are on the top of the itunes charts. Also, the introduction of new songs that fit in this genre make song sales go up. Musicians and recording companies seek this kind of radio station to release new music.

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The Daily Herald

Delve into one of our local papers. What is the balance between hard and soft news? What kind of topics are being covered? Are they still the watchdogs they used to be?

The Daily Herald has about 65% hard news and 35% soft news. One of the top stories includes the opening of a new elementary school. However, The Daily Herald still has a lot of election and economy coverage. A recent story that ran in the Daily Herald was written about the economy. It was entitled "'Sticky' prices keep grocery bills high." This article commented on the recession of the United States economy as well as the prices for gasoline. Otherwise, the newspaper keeps track of all of the regular subjects such as weather, sports, and local news.

I do think that this paper can serve as a watchdog. However, it has become less of a priority with the advent of the raging economic problems and the presidential election.

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Loss of Circulation

Many metropolitan daily newspapers have lost circulation and some have shut down. Why? Any examples? Community newspapers however, especially suburban weeklies, are booming. Why? Any examples?

Recently, metropolitan daily newspapers have lost circulation because people are starting to get their news on the internet. When students or professionals open their computers in the morning, most homepages have the top national stories of the day. There is no cost to read stories on the Internet, and they can be updated at a moment's notice. There is much less of a need for metropolitan papers. With less readership, advertisers have been moving away from newspapers and moving on to the internet. The mass majority of of a newspaper's income comes from advertising. The New York Times has announced cut-backs and layoffs of reporters because of a lack of money. A few examples of the decline can be seen in the circulation drops of the Miami Herald at 5.5% with a 10.1% drop on Sundays, The Washington Post lost 3.4% of readers, and The Los Angeles Times lost 4.2% of readers.

Community papers that cover smaller areas are booming because of readers that have read the town paper for years. These faithful readers continue coming back to the paper that they have relied on for years. Also, the Internet does not display the news for such small areas. So, most local news must be obtained from reading the local paper. Because of the large readership, local businesses advertise in the paper. this has kept the smaller metropolitan papers going strong.

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Statistics from

Brace for Impact

What impact will/has the electronic media have/had on the magazine industry?

Electronic media has inspired magazines to create websites that feature many or more of the articles that they publish in the actual magazine. I do not believe that the magazine will cease to exist like the newspaper has because of the Internet. Readers enjoy holding and reading the magazines for the pictures and color. Some people also collect magazines. Often times, magazines clippings are used for creating collages and decorating dorm rooms. If one simply prints magazine articles and pictures off the Internet, they do not get the same effect that comes with the color and glossy feel of the magazine. The fact that magazines have been aimed at specialized audiences also adds to their popularity. By having websites with more interactive features can only help the booming magazine industry.

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"Blending" it Up

Go to a bookstore (not BYU’s) and look at the different magazines. Select one that appeals to a highly specialized audience (different from one of your own interests). Read through the magazine and based on the magazine’s content (including the advertisements) prepare a description of the magazine’s “typical reader.” Give specific examples to justify your generalization.

The magazine I picked up was called Blender. The cover features a popular rapper called Lil Wayne as well as headlines that range from "Rock-Star Style Tips" to "159 Must-Have Downloads."

This magazine's typical reader is probably 18 to 27 years old. I reached concluson because many of the advertisements were form companies like Newport cigarettes and Bud Light. There is also a tie-in to the presidential election which features playlists that were chosen to represent Obama and McCain.

The magazine looks like it is a music magazine from the cover, and to a degree, it is. It looks like it is aimed at a predominantly African American reader. At first, the advertisements make the magazine look diverse (with all cultures represented), but most of the artwork done by the magazine and the majority of the advertisements feature African Americans. The reader would have to be a music (especially rap) fan or an artist because many of the advertisements and articles have to do with rappers and bands.

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College Textbooks

Which would you prefer to use in your college classes, regular textbooks or electronic textbooks? Why? Which would you prefer for your leisure reading? Why?

I would prefer regular textbooks. At the beginning of the school year, my classmates and I were given the option to purchase a textbook with ebook access or just to buy the ebook. I bought the textbook itself even though it was substantially more expensive. I did this because i know that I need a book in front of me to highlight and take with me. If I had an ebook, I would get distracted and use facebook instead of my ebook.

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For leisure reading, I would also prefer a hard copy of a book. In high school, we annotated all of the novels we read. This helped us to focus and remember the elements of the text. I also like to be able to lie in my bed and read a book. Though I could take my laptop and read on my couch or bed, the laptop might run out of battery or inconvenience me. A hard copy of a book is much more compact and will fit in my backpack or purse. If I was to fly home, I would want to have a book rather than my laptop to read. It would just be more comfortable and convenient.

The textbook and book industry will probably stay safe and not go out like the newspaper industry because of their compact size and tangibility.






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Read Any Good Books Lately?

Poll 10 people by posing the question "Read any good books lately?" How many have the read in the last 6 months? What types of books have they read? What does this tell you about your sample and society?

1.Tyler: Pudding Head Wilson and Breaking Dawn. He has read about 36 books in the last six months. He has read textbooks, novels, scriptures, historical fiction, foreign language books, and historical nonfiction.
2. Carol: Above Perfection. She has read about 5-6 books in the last six months. She reads mostly novels. She used to read a lot more when she was younger.
3. Matt: The Hero of Ages. He has read about 20 books in the last six months. He has read textbooks, scriptures, and novels.
4. Laura: Breaking Dawn, Pride and Prejudice, and The Hobbit. She has read about 20 books in the last six months. She's read textbooks, scriptures, and novels.
5. Kay: She has read about 20 books in the last six months. Most of the books she has read have been textbooks and novels.
6. Andrew: He has read 15 books in the last six months. He said that he has read five text books and ten novels.
7. Kate: Has read 10 books in the last six months. The books were textbooks and novels.
8. Jordan: Cane River was a pretty good book. He has read about 15 books in the last six months. Half have been text books and half have been novels.
9. Stetson: The Harmless People and The Peace Giver were good books.He has read about 8 books in the last six months. Most have been novels and textbooks.
10.Tyler: Has read 4 books in the last six months. He said that some were textbooks and others were church books and novels.


From my sample, I can conclude that students do a lot of reading. Carol, who is an older adult read just as much as the college students polled when she was in school. However, with less time on her hands, she only gets to read an occasional novel. College students, however, are required to read a vast array of textbooks but often, they read novels for pleasure.

Laura, who is a high school student read just as much as the college students. This is because high school is a critical time for learning. Many of the novels read were for high school. Novels are alluded to in every day life such as To Kill a Mockingbird or Of Mice and Men. To be considered educated in our society, one must read a great many books in the years they have gone to school

Books are massively important to society. We teach and learn from books as well as seek pleasure from them. The excitement and imagination attract many loyal followers. When a movie that is based on a book is released, most people who have already read the book will comment that the novel was much better than the movie. Books are critical to learning, communication, and culture.

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Tuning the Real World Out

There is the possibility that people will be immersing themselves in the world of mass media to a point to where they begin to tune out the real world. What might happen if people begin to overly distance themselves from the reality of the outside world? Are there examples of where this has already happened?

Some people have already overly distanced themselves socially from others. Two large examples of instances where people tune out the real world come from video games and the Internet. Both of these aspect of mass media allow direct communication, but the communication is not in person.

An older brother of a friend of mine decided to play the popular video game Halo for two days straight. He only left his room to use the restroom, and his mother brought food up to his room. Even after he had beaten the game, he still kept replaying the game.

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With regard to the Internet, most college students that have a facebook or myspace account have had the experience of signing online around five in the afternoon and not getting offline until midnight that night. Most social networks make the participant loose track of time. Internet is also making social skills rarer and rarer as teens result to online messages as forms of communication. One does not even leave their desk or get out of their PJ's to talk with all of their friends.

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Stereotypes

Do stereotypes exist in the media today? Explain and if yes, give examples- if no, explain why you believe they do not.

Yes, stereotypes do exist in the media today. They are the most visible in advertising, movies, and television but can also be seen in Internet, print media, music, and radio. Stereotypes are often used to sell products or to appeal to certain groups. A few stand out stereotypes are gender, race, age, and religion. Many advertisements and televisions focus on stereotypes in order to appeal to their audience. Stereotyping can be humorous or serious.
BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE GRAY PRINT TO BE TAKEN TO EACH EXAMPLE!

EXAMPLES:


Stereotyping in Advertising: These two links lead to two commerials from the most recent Superbowl, and they stereotype both men and women. (There is a commercial before the actual Super Bowl commercial.)


Stereotyping men through the old saying the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

Stereotyping Women as sexual toys





Stereotyping Through the Internet: This video stereotypes an elderly woman who has no idea how to use modern technology.





Stereotyping in Movies: This movies stereotypes nerds, airheads, and men. The end of the movie results in breaking these stereotypes.



Stereotyping on TV: This is a clip from the popular TV show "The Family Guy." It stereotypes politicians as well as the undecided voters.

Stereotyping in Print Media (Newspapers/ Magazines): This stereotypes a girl's boyfriend's friends and how to impress them.

Stereotyping in Music: This song is from the musical "Wicked." Glinda is a poplar beauty queen witch who tries to help make her green skinned and frumpy roommate (Elphaba) popular

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