MOVIES!!!

There’s no doubt that sex and violence are increasing in motion pictures today. But why is this? Are people just accepting what movie producers are giving them or do we demand the sexual and violent content. I think it goes both ways.
Sex sell, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Sexual content is stimulating and violence is exciting. Once people get a taste, they want more and more. So, the movie producers deliver to their audience whatever will give them the biggest profit.
Of course, not everyone enjoys these kinds of films, but they will watch them anyways because those are the only kinds of movies that are available to them. The plot of a movie may be very good but with a lot of bad “extra stuff” and most people will go and watch it regardless. Not too long ago my roommate brought home the movie Atonement for us to watch. The film received a lot of good ratings and was said to have beautiful cinematography, but it is rated R. I’m ashamed to say that I watched it anyway. It was a very good movie but it did contain a lot of violence, sex, and bad words.
Movie producers know what a lot of people want (sex and violence) so they cater to them. People who don’t particularly enjoy that sort of thing are likely to go watch a film with offensive content because they simply want to see the movie, so they just deal with the garbage.

What kind of movie would I make for a box-office hit in 2008?The most popular movies these days are the ones that were originally books. Twilight, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings are just a few examples of box-office hits that were first books. I would find a very popular book among children, teens, and adults alike and create a great movie from that. For some reason, people are fascinated and curious when a book becomes a movie; so much so that they just have to see it.

ADVERTISING

Advertising

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0SLJkA1A8w
Here is the link to my example of a good advertisement. It’s of the ipod nano. This commercial has good music and the traditional dancing silhouettes but what’s great about this commercial is the neat rays of light that protrude from the ipod. The people are having fun, being creative, and looking good all at the same time while listening to their ipods. The colors are very eye-catching. Anyone walking by a room with this commercial on the TV couldn’t help but stop and watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEsqELX5e4o
And this is the link for my bad commercial. First of all, this skittles commercial is a little disturbing and just doesn’t sit well. Second of all, if their product is so great, why would this man want to fix his skittles leak in his ceiling? I would think that he would put a bucket down underneath the hole and consider it a blessing from heaven. This commercial just proves that skittles are a problem to be fixed, not valuable, and certainly not a treat.


Is advertising effective? It certainly is. Masters of the trade have persuasion down to an art. Advertisements are made to be pleasing to the eye. Some are moving and captivating works of art. Other ads are hilarious and are talked about for years. Humans are usually emotional creatures and advertisers know just how to tap into that. They are no longer just trying to sell a product; they are making a statement and influencing the way people think. The ads that don’t simply sell a product but are well-thought-out, creative, and pleasing to look at are the most persuasive advertisements. It’s almost like they sell a better way of life. I’m such a sucker for Old Navy commercial products. The commercials are cute, colorful, and creative. There is always fun music playing in the background and the models always look cute. I’ve gone and bought clothes from Old Navy after seeing one of their commercials. On the other hand, I’ve seen commercials that actually persuade me against buying a product. The Superdell Totally Awesome Computers commercials with that really annoying guy were a total turnoff. Also those cheesy lawyer commercials with Bob Debry or Keith Barton make me never want to purchase their services.

The bottom line is, if advertising wasn’t effective it wouldn’t still be done. Companies wouldn’t spend thousands of dollars to show 30 seconds of their product on television. Advertising has the power to influence our decisions but it doesn’t make the decision for us. We ultimately make the choice. Advertising is powerful but it can’t make us do anything.

Television

TV Journal

November 27, 2008
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 30min.
The Errand of Angels 1hr.

November 28, 2008
None

November 29, 2008
Saturday Morning Cartoons (Spiderman and Ninja Turtles) 45 min.

November 30, 2008
No TV

December 1, 2008
Privileged 1hr.
Made 30 min.

December 2, 2008
Judge Judy 20 min.
Desperate Housewives 1hr.

December 3, 2008
CSI 45 min.
HGTV 30 min.

For me, television is a great time to unwind and relax. It helps me get my mind off stressful things and after I’ve watched it for about an hour I’m able to get back to work and keep living my life. Everyone needs some down time and for me that is television’s whole purpose.
When tracking my television watching habits, I’ve noticed that I love watching drama! I can’t get enough of it. I also don’t watch a whole lot of educational programming or the news which is probably not such a great thing, but, as I said before, TV time for me is relaxing time. I don’t really want to be learning during those few precious minutes in my hectic day.

Critiques argue that TV is trying to offend no one because the networks tend to offer programs to the lowest common denominator. On average, I believe that this is true. Most television shows don’t make people think or analyze. They are simply there to entertain. Shows like King of the Hill, a humorous program about white trash people and their lives, Blind Date, a show where people are set up on dates with people that they have never met before and there is usually violence and/or sexual content, and The Jerry Springer Show, where they put dysfunctional people on stage to duke out their problems, are made for the lowest common denominator. These kinds of shows are the norms for television. There are not many programs that are thought provoking and intelligent. However, there are some shows that are smart like Nova which explores planet earth, Myth Busters which uses science and math to solve problems, and Numbers in which the detectives use mathematical formulas to fight crime and solve mysteries. These programs are the exception and not the rule which just goes to show that networks are catering to the lowest common denominators in America.

Television has had the greatest impact on society than any other form of media. It’s safe to say that almost everyone has at least one television in their home. It’s also safe to say that almost every person in America watches at least some TV every single day. While most households have books, magazines, and newspapers, not as much time is devoted to reading these forms of media as is devoted to watching the TV. That gives television a lot of power. Networks put issues on the screen with the use of sound, moving picture, and words. This makes watching television a more memorable experience. Children who can’t read are more likely to watch TV because they can be entertained without having to be literate. Almost everyone enjoys watching television while the same can’t be said of book and newspaper reading and radio listening. Many studies have been done to show that TV affects the way people think and behave because it is such a driving force in our society. The television is the most powerful form of media to date.

Radio
K Bull 93.
This station plays country and only country, so of course in a hodunk place like Utah, it’s pretty popular. The country music is primarily the new stuff from Rascal Flats, Carey Underwood, and the like. The target audience is the younger generation of cowgirls and cowboys or anyone in general who likes the new country music. K bull has a lot of contests to win money and cds by playing name that song. They advertise a lot of upcoming events like country lovers concerts and things like Disney on Ice.

107.9 The Mix
The Mix plays all of the latest music ranging from Chris Brown, Fergie, and Daughtry. I listen to The Mix so I can know what the most recently released songs are. Every weekday they give away a free ipod during the early afternoon to attract people who “listen while you work” as their famous catch phrase goes. 107.9 advertises a lot of clothes and lingerie stores. Recently they have been advertising hip Halloween costume shops and the most frightening haunted houses. This station has fun dj’s and they even have a segment where you can be the dj over the phone for three songs. They try to get their audience very involved

My 99.5
99.5’s big thing is that right after they play a song, they name the artist and the song title. Their slogan is “More music, more variety, my 99.5.” 99.5 is similar to 107.9 in the types of songs that they play except they don’t play as recent songs as 107.9, and they also play a lot of 90’s music. 99.5 doesn’t bother with a lot of dj’s and games, they just give you the music which is attractive to a lot of people. They advertise concerts and upcoming events. Once in a while 99.5 will broadcast a news, weather, and traffic update.

KMTI
KMTI is an am station targeted towards Sanpete county farmers. There is a morning program that talks about the weather and has a thing called “tradio” where people advertise things that they need, things that they need to sell, and things that people are missing. In the afternoon Paul Harvey comes on with his The Rest of the Story. The type of music that the station plays for the rest of the day is country music, the old stuff with a twangy sound. If there is a local high school football or basketball game, it will be broadcasted on KMTI. KMTI mostly advertises for hardware stores and a few local businesses.

KSL 1160
KSL is a news radio station. They feature talk shows from Sean Hannity (a strong republican) and Clark Howard who primarily talks about economics. The morning news with Grant and Amanda is very popular and later in the afternoon the station does a segment called the Utah Noon News. A huge section of this radio station is dedicated to politics, probably because that is always such a hot topic. This station advertises all sorts of things ranging from tires, touring companies, and even other radio stations. They target the average Republican Utahan.

Radio is a very personal form of media. I think the main reason of this is because people usually listen to the radio in their cars when they are all alone. People love to have someone talking to them and that’s what a radio station does; it talks to you. The DJs and the talk radio hosts speak in a way that makes it sound like they are speaking directly to you. We choose the station that best fits our personality and the radio station does the rest. Sometimes I find myself talking back to the radio station DJs when they announce that they are going to play a song that I like I tell the host, “Thank you.” My dad listens to the Sean Hannity political talk show regularly and I’ve been in the car with him on a few occasions while he’s listening to it. He always talks back and gives his two cents even though nobody can hear him. Human being like to participate and feel like they are a part of something and radio helps them feel this way.

Newspapers
I think metropolitan papers have become less popular because they are general interest papers and not targeted to a specific audience. All forms of media have made changes so they are more audience specific such as books, radio stations, magazines, and T.V. stations. Metropolitan newspapers are sent to homes all across the country so their audience is very broad which makes it impossible to satisfy every reader. The stories and news presented there are general interest articles.
On the other hand, small community papers are booming with success. I think it’s because small community paper readers have something in common; they all live in the same area. People want to read stories that directly affect them. People want to know the latest gossip in their home town. In the local paper is where people find out who’s getting married, who’s going on a mission, and who has recently passed away. I think the best part of having a local paper is seeing pictures of yourself and people you know in a real newspaper. Moms eat that sort of stuff up because they can use the newspaper clippings for their child’s scrapbook. My local paper is called The Sanpete Messenger. It is online also so while I’m living in Provo, I check the local paper often so I can know what’s going on in my community. I never check the Daily Herald or the Tribune on the internet and I think that says something.

I analyzed the Deseret News. This paper has a lot of political and economical news. There is a whole section of the paper entitled Utah which has a whole bunch of Utah news including obituaries and special Utah news stories. In the Deseret News, there is a viewpoint section for letters to the editor and people who would like to get their opinion out there. The lifestyle section includes a lot of plays, musicals, and opera productions that will be playing in Utah. This section is mostly dedicated to the fine arts. There is a wall street section and of course there is a section dedicated to sports. The Deseret News favors BYU sports over Ute sports because they showcase huge, colored pictures of BYU players and dedicate whole, color layouts to BYU sports. U of U doesn’t get the same treatment. The paper is very conservative and Christian. There was an article entitled, “Obabma’s character remains highly suspect” and one called “Terrified Christian families flee Mosul.”
I don’t think this paper serves as a “watchdog.” It produces the stories its advertisers want it to produce and the paper writes stories that they feel most of Utah would like to read. The Deseret News targets LDS republicans and I think it does a pretty good job at it.

Magazines
The magazine that I chose to analyze is called Antiques and Fine Arts. The groups of people that this magazine seems to attract are those who want to furnish their home with fine art. Since they own homes and are interested in furnishing them with very expensive items, the readers of Antiques and Fine Art are probably wealthy and in their “later” years. These groups of people like the rustic, classic look for their homes. They are interested in new and upcoming artists as well as the traditional artists. They also restore old antiques.

The Effect of the Electronic World on the Magazine Industry
Today, almost every magazine has its own website where its viewers can log onto the website and see sneak previews of what’s in the latest magazine issue. The fans can buy the magazine if they want the full story. I’ve visited People magazine’s website on several occasions to see pictures of celebrities and read about the latest gossip. But after seeing the pictures on the internet, I’ve never had the desire to go out and buy the magazine. I’ve already read what I’ve wanted to read and seen what I’ve wanted to see on the website. Plus, if I was really interested in a specific story, I could find it anywhere on the internet for free. If it is people’s sole purpose, when reading magazines, to get information, then the electronic world hurts the magazine business. But I don’t think that that is the main reason people read magazines. They read them for entertainment. It can be relaxing and it’s always fun to look at all of the bright, colorful pictures. Reading a computer just isn’t the same as reading a magazine

Books
When I polled ten people and asked them about their reading habits I got some very different and similar answers. The two high school boys I interviewed both said that they had read no good books lately and the only books that they had read in the last six months were text books for their classes. I asked one middle-aged man the questions and he said that he had read no good books lately and the only things that he had read recently were the scriptures and a few articles from magazines. The two younger boys (early middle school and late elementary) that I interviewed had both read some young adult books like Holes, Despereaux, and NFL Superstars. They had read between five and ten books over the last six months.
The girls that I interviewed were a lot better readers. The youngest girl that I interviewed (about 10) had only read one book lately called Diary of a Wimpy Kid and read two books in the last six months. The three college girls that I interviewed had read plenty of good books lately ranging from Women’s Murder Club Mysteries, Pride and Prejudice, and The Book of Mormon. They all had read between eight and nine books in the last six months. And finally, the eldest woman that I interviewed had recently read the popular book Peace like a River and enjoyed it and had read about two books in the last six months.
From these results, it’s pretty obvious to see that women are more likely to read a book than men, and younger boys are more likely to read a book than older men. For high school jocks, I think it’s probably considered “lame” to be an avid reader and the boys I interviewed were definitely the athletic type. Or maybe they just don’t have enough time with all their athletics to read. Maybe one of the reasons that boys, on average, aren’t as good of readers as women is because there are more children’s books targeted towards girls like The Babysitters’ Club and The American Girls Series. Girls start out reading and so they have a good “reading foundation” to build upon for the rest of their lives. Or maybe other mediums of media are taking the place of books like TV and the internet. We only have so much time in one day so we have to choose and it’s very likely that the average person’s first choice is not to read a book for entertainment. Whatever the reason may be, there needs to be a change because the benefits of reading are so great and will help you for the rest of your life.

Paper Books or Electronic Books?
I have used both kinds of textbooks in college, electronic and regular, and I’ve got to say, I prefer the regular textbooks. Even though the cost is much cheaper and in many cases free, it’s easier on my eyes to read paper. Plus, I can mark and highlight important information very easily on a textbook. There is the option to print out all of the text, but I think it is a hassle to print hundreds and hundreds of textbook pages. It takes up time that I just don’t have.
Hands down I would rather read a regular book instead of an e-book in my leisurely reading. Call me old fashioned but there is just something special about curling up on the couch with a blanket, cup of hot chocolate, and good read. It wouldn’t feel the same trying to get cozy with my laptop computer. I like to feel the pages and know how far I’ve gone in the book. Books are easily portable, cheap, and they don’t have to be plugged in. Sometimes, you just can’t beat the original.