MSET+593+Media+Log

1. **Olay Commercial: 3/22/10** a. See and Hear : Soundtrack, shot changes of woman from close up to graphics of makeup and skin, show product, woman smiling. b. Sound only : Eye lift, defy gravity, without surgery, list of product functions, 14 day intervention kit, repeat "lifted" many times, end with slogan "love the skin your in" c. Visual only : Text "lift", smiling face of lady, switches to color when she begins to talk, rubbing product on face with a smile, shows product floating, close up, striking eyes and mouth. d. Meaning : A woman needs some kind of intervention to look young and beautiful. You can use this as an alternative to surgery because it is less expensive, and claims to provide quick results.

2. **Kick Ass: Comic vs. Feature Film**: **4/18/10** My boyfriend was excited to see the new movie Kick Ass because he had read the comic, and wanted to see it brought to life. I wanted to read the comic before watching the film, and so I did, and then we went to see it on the opening weekend. To our disappointment, the movie did not follow the original story, and we left feeling confused and frustrated.

Why is there a discrepancy between text and the visual/theatrical representation? Is it a licensing issue? Is the director required to change content so that it is not plagiarism? Or does the director feel he/she can tell the story better? Today, comic book movies are popular, but I think the general public is not familiar with the mythology behind it, and so directors are not expected to follow it. It is sad for be because those who only watch the movie will be consuming a story that is not as profound as it could be. The movie will just turn into another semi-entertaining time filler that will be remembered for some catchy gore and violence, and not for the rich social commentary that the comic provided.

So what about the comic fan who wants to see their favorite story in a new medium? The same fans who made the story popular enough to even be considered for adaptation on the big screen? As my boyfriend would say, "they need me there to tell them what they're doing wrong !"

3. **Call in topic on The Morning Edge: 4/26/10** As I was driving to work, the topic on the morning radio program for 104.1 The Edge was about people being honest on their Facebook pages. The question was if a man should post current and real pictures of himself, or keep misleading pictures up for the public to see. I was reminded of a discussion we had in class about students lying about their age, and so I called in to comment.

I was surprised that they answered right away, and a little startled, but then I just started talking about how my middle school girls post provocative pictures of themselves, and how they say that they are 18 and 23, but the truth is that they are 12 year old kids, and any man would be in trouble for looking at them if they knew the real girl.

The hosts laughed and talked about how they would be very upset if that was their daughter, and that they don't allow their children to be on those sites. It was a short discussion, but it could have lasted for hours. My question would be, "do they really know what their kids do online?" I know my parents never sat next to me while I explored the Internet. I have never had a teacher supervise me either. I would assume kids are the same way today as I was, curious. The problem now is that predators and other kids have many more tools to pursue deviant acts online, than they did when I went to AOL Chat Rooms. We only had text, in contrast to today where kids can chat with their web cam, and send instant images of themselves.

This is just another reason why media education is critical because they do not realize the implications of putting your private material in a public forum.

4. **Searching YouTube for Student Videos: 4/30/10** A fellow teacher and I spent the evening looking for a specific video on YouTube: two girls fighting from our school. Neither of us were very familiar with how to conduct a search on this site, and when we did a search for "girl fights at school" there were thousands of entries. I know the phenomenon of posting girl fights has been around for a while. A few are sensationalized on the news every now and then, but the truth is that it has become a source of entertainment.

It is so easy to tape and post something. These students have camera phones (all nicer than mine) and digital devices. They fidget with them during class, and pull them out during any free time. We were able to find a few more videos taken during school hours. Some were just three minute clips of a classroom, others were girls fighting in various places. The most shocking think to me was the audience participation. Girls were "coaching" from the sidelines, like the girls were training on each other.

I avoid confrontation, but I also believe you should stand up for yourself. I thought is was crazy to watch girls and boys who I spend everyday with, who I am legally obligated to protect, encouraging two girls to "Hit harder" and "Get up! Keep fighting!" I know this is part of the bully process. Their reality is posted, and maybe staged for the entertainment of others. Our search proved that this happens across the country. It also is evidence of criminal acts in some way or another. The question is, should they be held responsible? School administration hardly has the time, or is aware of searching for this evidence, and so it remains an underground outlet for students. If public schools had a more comprehensive curriculum of digital citizenship, some of this behavior could be changed, or at least regulated for discipline issues.

Today I did something new. I watched a movie (Gremlins 2) on an XBOX360. The new thing was that there is a theater application where you can invite a friend through XBOX Live. The movie plays on a theater screen while your avatars sit and watch. You can talk to each other through the headsets, and you can give your avatars commands to laugh, cry, clap, etc. It is a cool new way to watch a movie with people but not be in the same physical space as them. This reminded me of the Second Life game where people exist in an alternate world online. The are being piloted by real people, and they can do real things like go to classes, exhibits, and social gatherings. Watching a movie like this is another way that friends and family can stay connected through media. I like this idea because it is easy to get carried away in the dangers of cyber living. I am reminded that it should be fun and positive. It is a good thing that we have so many different ways to connect with each other, and we should take advantage of the social health benefits that it can cause.
 * 5. Fun With NET FLIX: 5/1/10**

We need to remember that we control technology, and that we should never let our technology control our lives.