Hells Kitchen

A popular television show a few years ago was Hells Kitchen, where Chef Gordon Ramsey would help a struggling restaurant return to glory. Most of the filming took place in England, within English restaurants.Ramsey would overhaul the restaurant, from cleanliness to the menu and even the staff. The show proved to be very successful with Ramsey’s fiery attitude and heated temper keeping viewers entertained. The Evening  Standard Newspaper however, believed that the action on the show was an extreme exaggeration, making the restaurants seem to be  health hazards when in fact there isn’t a problem at all.

Chef Gordon Ramsey took exception to this article and claimed that the show wasn’t fake and that the producers hadn’t created problems to be solved. Ramsey’s lawyer, Keith Schilling filled the libel action against the paper shortly after the article was printed. Gordon demanded the paper admitt that the claims were false and issue an apology to the program.

The case went to Londons High Court and has since been settled. The judge decided that the Newspaper didn’t have sufficient evidence to support their claims, therefor ruling in Ramsey’s favor. The Evening Standard Newspaper accepted that the claims were untrue, and printed an apology article.

I believe that the court was correct in its ruling, and issued a fair punishment to the Newspaper. Newspapers have to be held responsible for their stories and shouldn’t print anything they can’t back up with facts, or risk paying the consequences. Writing stories that are blind, and filled with lies that hurts someones appearance in the public eye is considered libel and is a crime. Newspapers should be held accountable and shouldn’t get away with  libel that hurts anyones.

Cat Fight

Recently in NCAA women’s soccer playoff game a New Mexico State player, Elizabeth Lambert, played more than a physical game when she hit and kicked several players from the BYU team. In a heated playoff game Lambert deliberately attacked several of the other players with fists and kicks and even pulling hair. During the game she was not even penalized until she argued with the ref and received a yellow card, which in essence is a warning. None of her actions resulted in her being kicked out of the game however.

After the game her actions were met with disgust and astonishment as her brutal actions were shown over and over again on television. Both BYU players, NCAA officials and the general public were at a loss of words for her actions during the game. Needless to say, Elizabeth Lambert has not been on good terms with the media since the incident during the playoff game.

That’s why, to stave off the negative criticism she should follow these general rules. Number one, issue a formal apology to not only the BYU team, but to New Mexico’s team, the NCAA and the general public, making sure to be sincere and heartfelt. Secondly accept whatever punishment may be handed down by the NCAA and New Mexico’s athletic department, don’t try to appeal the suspension, but instead issue another statement wording that you will accept your punishment and again apologize for your actions. Thirdly you should complete some kind of community service whether you are instructed to do so or not, you have to show that you are truly sorry and complete a small task that helps other people and gets you message across. And, finally take yourself to anger management for a few sessions and actually try to learn something from it as to prevent further outbursts like this while showing how serious you are about putting this incident behind you.

After completing these steps and without further setbacks you will be welcomed back by the NCAA and the University of New Mexico’s soccer team.

Media may try to attack this PR strategy by downplaying your sincerity or downplaying your off the field actions. If you come across as fake or “overly” dramatic about the incident than the media will be all over you. You’re off the field actions must be heartfelt as well if you go to one meeting for anger management or do your community service with a bad attitude than it will all be for nothing. You must follow through with this plan and actually mean everything that you do and say, otherwise the media will tear this plan apart, but if you are being true to yourself and the public than there is nothing stopping you from being back with your University and the soccer team.

http://ontheflix.com/2009/11/09/new-mexico-soccer-player-elizabeth-lambert-gets-suspended-for-fighting/

iPod

The Apple iPod is one of the most profitable pieces of new technology out there. And while it was a great idea that answered the needs of music lovers everywhere, the iPod’s continued success is in part of multimedia advertising. On multiple different formats Apple has advertised its product pushing the iPod to new and old crowds alike.

IPods can seemingly do everything nowadays, however they can’t sell themselves. Apple has successfully advertised iPods on all formats, including computers, television, internet, podcast, movies and even on billboards. With widespread advertising like this it’s no wonder that it has become a rarity to find someone who doesn’t own an iPod.

Advertisements fill websites online, and iPods can be ordered from various sites. When you buy anything from Apple they take advantage of that connection and open you up to new and other products you may be interested in buying as well. Apple can even send you emails alerting you of sales and keeping you up to date on the latest version of the iPod. IPod has also launched a successful advertisement campaign on television sets that are watched by millions of kids. The commercials make iPods out to be popular and a needed commodity, that is on the cutting edge of technology.  Advertisements in magazines and on billboards show the sleek design and capabilities of the iPod that keeps getting smaller while containing more and more music. IPods even make appearances in feature films, surly in the hands of a young celebrity using the stylish and sleek device.

All of these advertisements find their ways in front of teenagers and young adults. Apples target audience is anywhere from 12 to 25, the young crowd who can ask their parents or use their own money to purchase an iPod. They know that this is the crowd that is willing and able to buy an iPod to store their music. With their strategic advertising kids not only think, but they know that having an iPod is necessary and is the cool thing to do because everyone has one. With trends like this, the iPod is not likely to lose any of its popularity in the years to come.

Consuming Kids

“Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood”

The film proves to be very shocking and informative. I found myself stunned at the amount of control our nation’s youth had on American spending. 700 billion dollars were spent at the demand of children, and 40 billion more are spent by kids.  That amount is more than economy of the 115 poorest countries in the world combined, which is shocking. I cannot believe that much money is being spent directly on or by children. Seeing the statistics after Regan’s deregulation in the 1980′s clearly shows the link between advertising aimed at children and the money being spent on children. Because parents are more likely to buy things if the child directly asks for it, advertisers use multiple techniques not so the parents will see it and buy it but so the child sees it and asks his or her parents. This method has proven to be much more successful and consistent. While I found all of this very interesting I wasn’t too concerned with the outcome, I mean parents were spending a lot of money on their kids, what’s new?

People spend money all the time; it’s up to the parents to show self control in my opinion. In that regard I was shocked but not concerned. However when they explored the techniques and extent that advertisers would go to in order to create a perfect ad for children I became much more disturbed.

Almost interrogating young kids, following them through stores even going into their bedrooms and bathrooms in order to gain an edge and earn a dollar. To me this was the true crime being committed by advertisers, if they want to have an ad campaign that is part of capitalism and making money but to go to that extent is a violation of a child. I was appalled by the fact that people would allow their children to be used and exploited like that.

In the United States everyone’s goal is to make money, that hasn’t changed in the past hundred years. So to hear that advertisers are trying to make money isn’t surprising to me; however the invasion of privacy and stalker feel that the advertisers would use in order to track everything a child used or liked was disturbing and a clear exploitation of young kids.

Story

Story by Robert McKee is an informative non-fiction book that is the bible for screen writers. Entering college I knew I wanted to become a movie producer and director and writer. I learned that becoming all three would be tough so i focused on my main passion, writing. When i say writing i don’t mean Shakespeare kind of writing, more like Francis Ford Coppola or Martin Scorsese. A well thought out movie to me can be the most gut wrenching or heartwarming or bone chilling experience in the world.

In my creative writing class in freshmen year, my instructor told all of us, if you’re serious about writing you HAVE to own Robert McKee’s Story. So the next day I was in the book store searching for this book, I bought it took it home and opened it up. I didn’t stop reading until hours later, I was captivated. I learned more than I had in any of my classes thus far and couldn’t get enough of it.

It was amazing; the book was a class all on its own. For a writer it was the Holy Grail, and results were proven, McKee has held seminars informing and critiquing some of the most successful men and women of the film and television industry. Almost any successful show in the past 10 years has had supervision from McKee. So for a writer it was imperative that you read it, it helps you develop ideas, form plots and create characters. All aspects of a writer’s screenplay could improve with the help of this book.

In class most of us had purchased the book, and all of us determined it was the best book any of us had read on the topic of screenplays. Our teacher himself was young and had purchased the novel to better himself as a writer. For me personally, it was a relief, first off i don’t enjoy reading, but to read something and know you are truly helping yourself and improving yourself as a writer was a great experience.

A year later I still turn to Story for help and insight when i am writing, having the novel makes writing easier and helps me when I get writers block. Story is always there when teachers and friends aren’t there to help, so in a way it is a security blanket, always there to help. I believe reading the book has already paid off making me a better writer and more well rounded student of film.

All in all Story was easily the best book I have read and the best 40 bucks a writer could spend.

http://www.mckeestory.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McKee

http://www.buy.com/prod/story/q/loc/106/31265145.html

Beast Within The Beauty

Kids around the world can share one pleasant memory of their youth, Disney Movies. Whether it’s Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, Bambi or my personal favorite The Fox and The Hound. Children across the world grow up on Disney movies, hours and hours of them. You are probably thinking of your favorite Disney film as we speak, because, let’s face it we still love Disney movies. Parents grow up watching the movies then show the same movies to their kids Children learn and grow from the movies they watch, and as a youth they are extremely vulnerable and impressionable. This can be concerning because on the surface Disney films seem to be a innocent and natural part of every kids life however in reality Disney films have been shown to have negative symbolism that is not easily noticed.

Pushing stereotypes, inappropriate language, and vulgar images are spread throughout Disney’s films and has only recently been exposed. Films such as Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin and practically all Disney films portray women as slender, sexy and inferior and almost always the women are controlled by the leading male in the movie. In Beauty in The Beast, Belle (The Princess) accepts verbal and nearly physical abuse from the Beast and eventually overlooks it to marry him. In Aladdin, Jasmine wears skimpy clothing and has a slender physique that is emphasized throughout the movie.

For young girls this may be subtle or an afterthought, but exposure to this over time will definitely have an effect. Even older women are constantly looking at models and complaining about their own weight, so a younger more impressionable girl will surely have a similar reaction to their idols appearance.

Girls and boys are both exposed to the subliminal messages tucked away in some of the most renowned children movies of all time. The Lion King has a cloud of pollen spell SEX, right in the middle of a children movie, the preacher in The Little Mermaid has an erection and a tower on the castle resembles a phallic. Most of these were deliberate jokes that the artists added just to be funny.

When I was a child I viewed all of these films, and more however until recently I had never noticed any of the “slip-ups”, so I was skeptical of the argument that these messages affected children. But looking back I can’t deny that the stereo types used within the movies definitely affected me as a youth. The role of women in the films formed a stereo type within my mind as a young child; although not aware, I always imagined Disney films to reflect reality.

With old age came more wisdom, and I, like most, realized movies of any type didn’t reflect anything accurately in the real world. But Disney made its money off me and millions of other kids before we could come to this realization. Parents buy their kids merchandise from their favorite films, buy it on DVD, or go to the theaters. Soto hear about the naughty things in some of their classic films makes me feel torn, the films are part of every Childs life, but secretly we are being fed stereo types and cruel pranks from artists. Despite this though, Disney has managed to connect millions from different generations, races, religions and areas with its films, because when Bambi’s mom died, we all cried.

http://cinemaroll.com/animation/6-subliminal-messages-you-never-noticed-in-your-favorite-disney-films/

http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/tcom/faculty/ha/tcom103fall2003/gp13/gp13.pdf

http://www.newint.org/easier-english/Disney/diswomen.html

http://www.cracked.com/article_15677_9-most-racist-disney-characters.html

Facebook, Changing Lives

Social Networking sites such as face book instantly changed our lives giving all of us opportunities that we had never had before. The majority of us seized this opportunity and most of us were pleased with the results. We could become friends with classmates and co workers and discuss our feelings or random thoughts with everyone whenever they wanted. Face book became a supplement for phones and email making yet another form of communication possible for people.

Some people have even found old friends using Face book by just searching their name. Old pals were instantly re-connected even after years of being apart. People who hadn’t talked or seen each other in years could rekindle friendships; even older people began to use the site to talk to old class member who graduated decades ago.

Relatives were also reconnected using face book as people casually chat and found out more and more about each other until they realized they grew up near each other and sometimes were even related to each other. Long lost brothers and sisters and even mothers and fathers found each other using this social networking tool that most of us use just to let people know how bored we are. Life partners have also been found through face book, chatting casually people began realizing their similarities and worked off that until they had a relationship. Face book users have consistently formed relationships through communication on a social networking site.

Business’s also use face book as yet another form of advertisement and a way just to get their name out. Several companies have pages that you can “like”. Promotions and products are available for anyone over face book. Several entrepreneurial users have started companies and used face books full potential to get the word out about their business therefore making them more money.

Despite all these great benefits of face book there are cons as well. Many people especially during their high school and college years say and publish comments videos and pictures that may not always be appropriate. And because it is a social networking site it is shown to hundreds of people and is very public. Recently businesses have been checking want to be employees face book pages to check for any images or comments that could reflect poorly upon the business itself. Many people have been denied jobs due to explicit things posted on face book, completely changing their life.

Face book clearly has its benefits and as more and more people use it, the nation becomes more unified and interconnected. The vast number of things you can do on face book provides fun and a new way to communicate with millions of people. Users be wary though, because everyone is looking at what you post, and it can come back to bite you.

Year 2035, technological utopia or world gone mad?

Flying Cars, Robots, Holograms, Cloning, Instant information even Teleportation all are things we envision when we think of the future.  In 2009 the possibilities seem to be endless; computers, cell phones, and iPods seem to make strides each and every day making them more convenient and accessible. By 2035 things will be beyond belief cell phones will be more like computers and will never lose signal, iPods will be like hand held concerts and movie theaters, computers will be do-it-all machines. Technology changes over time to meet people’s needs (example- YouTube started with people trying to share videos); it is shaped around people trying to make our daily lives easier. Technology will continue on this path and new innovations will change the way we live. And while technology may be changing constantly what people want doesn’t. Since the beginning of time people have wanted to be entertained, informed and have the ability to communicate. By 2035 we will have a new version of face book that can update you on everything about anyone, with new features to communicate and share your thoughts. Computers will be everywhere allowing you to shop, talk, video chat, attend class from home, and attend work from home all done by voice command on the fastest computers. Meetings can take place from thousands of mile away over video with blazing speed. IPods will be able to hold hundreds of thousands of songs, movies and videos becoming a portable T.V. that you can watch anything on. Overall life will be great anything you want technology will provide.

Unless………….

By 2035 the people are run by technology instead of us running technology, we have become so reliant on technology that we are useless morons without a cell phone or computer to tell us what is what (Flight of the Concords kind of thing ). Our less desirable jobs have been solved with technology meaning no one is forced to do physical labor making leaving the house futile. By developing our technology the majority of people gradually became less and less reliable until they can’t do anything for themselves.  Privacy is a thing of the past cameras, face book, paparazzi make it impossible to live your life in peace. Instead of using technology to improve business, school and home life technology was used for terrible things. Reality TV and an internet filled with spam and advertisements are all that can be seen. What a terrible world it would be…….

Both worlds are tilted to the extreme; however, I believe 2035 will resemble the Utopian outlook much more than the world gone mad. My life will be great with the new innovations, being an Electronic Media and Film Major I am excited just thinking about the possibilities and new developments in my line of work. Communication would be seamless making business of any kind run smoother and easily reach out to all corners of the world. Movies would stream on TV, in movie theaters, iPods and maybe even holograms. News would be instantaneous and journalists would always have the scoop .The world will be a near perfect place to live from a technological standpoint. In 20 years every aspect of society will be advanced beyond our imaginations making everyone’s life easier no matter what it is you do.

http://www.futureforall.org/whatspossible.htm

Me Minus Technology

First off I have to say, going without media for 2 full days= impossible in today’s world. Whether you have the inner will power is left to each individual but eventually whether you want to or not you will experience some kind of media. I personally started off these two days during a school week adding to the improbable case that i would be able to avoid media.  Counting the waking hours it only took about 2 hours for me to receive a text message from a friend. Forgetting the minor slip up I managed to get through the first class just taking lecture notes. Walking to my next class I couldn’t help but notice the various fliers and billboards posted not to mention the Towerlights stacked in every hallway. In my second class i sat through a very long (and boring) power point presentation.  As I left my second class of the day, which was before noon, I already knew avoiding media wasn’t going to happen, well not entirely. Voluntarily I did quite well not using my computer or television for the rest of the day, but when it came time to read for class or go get something to eat, there was no avoiding the blatant media.

The second day, other than required media in class and the unavoidable media around campus I again managed to avoid most temptations to watch television or check my facebook. Other than a few text messages it was surprised that I as able to avoid media for so long. Once I became aware of how much involuntary media I was exposed to, in a way it was a relief escaping from the constant drag of advertisements. It was really a revelation, once you realize how much media you are FORCED to witness. I was a bit drawn back when i realized hoe much my life relied on technology and media. Whether it was going online for a class, planning a meal via text message, or reading textbooks I couldn’t escape some facets of  media. Media plays a large role in society and advertisements are an everyday occurrence , media simultaneously provides entertainment, sells us products, informs us and keeps us up to date. So, after these four days I declare media is a needed and appreciated part of life, however everyone should be aware how much they rely on technology just to get them through the day.

2 Days Worth of Media

11:42 AM on a  Sunday morning, I awoke and after a shower, immediately turned on the television. Boomer and the gang were busy bickering on Sunday NFL Countdown. Since the Redskins game doesn’t come on till 4:15 I walked down the hall to my friends room and turned on the xbox. Four of us proceeded to play halo for…..about 2 hours. Later I walked to the den across campus, listening to my IPod the entire way. Meanwhile several flyers and signs around campus caught my eye, although I didn’t actually read them (I don’t think anyone reads them). Chalk writing on the bricks beneath my feet caught my eye as well, but again they didn’t look interesting enough to read. As i walked into the den around 2:30 pm, I grabbed my usual sbarro’s pizza and a pepsi.  As i ate the t.v. in the background blared switching between the football game and  various commercials, most of which were for beer. A little after 3 pm i began my walk back to my room with my IPod in hand.

I hurried to my room and turned on my computer, the t.v. still on. I checked my e-mail and my facebook page noticing the advertisements lining each side of the website. Before i knew it i was on espn.com looking at the stats from the games that had just concluded. Simultaneously I watched eagerly as the Redskins game came on advertisements filled the screen, and the announcer declared “this nfl game is brought to you by…..” and a host of products followed. The game was stopped frequently and the gaps were filled with commercial after commercial. When the game finally ended, I then and only then began my homework.

Audio in Media was the book I was forced to read, which was surprisingly entertaining but an even bigger surprise was the fact that I had only read 14 pages in 2 hours. Writing comes much easier  for me, so I transitioned to Microsoft word  and typed diligently for my EMF 100 class. By the time i finished the whopping 3 page paper all i had time for was something to eat then bed. I set the alarm on my cellphone and then fell asleep.

After hitting snooze twice on an alarm set for 11 am I awoke. Walking to get something to eat again I passed signs and billboards around campus and got some chick-fil-a. My Video Production class spent half our time reading out of our textbook and the other half using cameras and audio equipment to set up for a small scene we were going to shoot and edit. It wasn’t nearly as exciting as it may seem, and with that i was done my one and only class of the day. I retreated my room and spent the majority of my night doing homework both online and out of textbooks.

Clearly looking back on a sample of just 2 days of my life it is clear a great majority of it revolves around various sources of media. Homework requires textbooks and or internet and walks around campus are filled with advertisements and always accompanied by the music of my IPod. Normally i view watching t.v. as a retreat from my daily work and chores and even that is media. Really, not too much I did wasn’t reliant on media or technology. I was shocked at how no one can escape from the constant presence of advertisements and media that subconsciously rest in the back of our minds, or so that’s what I’ve been told.