Discussion 9 (4/27- 5/1)

After seeing Triumph of the Will on YouTube, I can see why Leni Riefenstahl won so many awards for the making of the film. Her technique of moving cameras and telephoto lenses was legendary and first of its kind to be used in films. The massive troops used in the film was to reiterate the importance of Hitler, while in the World cup video, the sounds of the crowd was used to conjure up the excitement of the spectators and bring them to watch the games.

I agree with Henry that the propaganda film Triumph of the Will showed that the people had no choice but to obey the government, in the same way that Beijing spend billions of dollars building the Birds Nest for the Olympics while millions of people couldn’t even afford to eat.

I thought the clip for the World cup was well done. They used many clips of the most exciting and winning moments of the games in the past with loud sounds of cheering to appeal to the spectators. It gave the audience the message that this was something that you can’t miss out on. “Everyone in the world will be watching this and talking about the game”, it appears to shout. Even though I’m not a soccer fan, I know everyone will be talking about it, so I’ll be watching just so I can add my two-cents!

Violence in the Media and Its Influences on Children

Television, movies, interactive games and music are powerful learning tools, as well as highly influential media. In the article Media Violence, children between the ages of 2 and 18 spend an average of 6 hours and 32 minutes each day using media, including television, video games, movies, and internet (Committee on Public Education 1222). Although TV, internet and other forms of media can be a great way to encourage learning, their increased use of violence can lead to detrimental results for our nation’s youth.

Media tends to glamorize and trivialize death to a point where viewers will eventually be desensitized toward violence in real life. Most of the studies I reviewed found that negative effects of violence in the media on children fit into one or more of these categories:
· Children who see a lot of violence will most likely see violence as an effective way to settle conflicts. They will also more likely to see violence as acceptable behavior (Bushman 349).
· Viewing violent programming can lead to emotional desensitization toward violence in real life. It’ll also be less likely for a person to take action or help a victim when violence occurs.
· The showcasing of violence in the media can also bring a message that the world is a dark and cruel place. This will likely bring on feelings of mistrust of others, and increased self-protective behaviors for fear of being a victim of violence (Strasburger 1430).
· Exposure to violence can also lead to more violence in real life. Children who watch a lot of violence on TV will have a higher tendency to be more aggressive and violent later in life than children who do not watch so much (Bushman 349).

Violence has always played a role in entertainment, but it has steadily become the driving force of movies, television and many other sub-forms of media in today’s society. First of all, there’s been an increase in the quantity of violence shown in the media in the last few years. In the US, there’s an average of 20-25 acts of violence shown in children’s programming each hour (Committee on Public Education 1224). The study in this article also showed that 61% of children’s programming contains violence and only 4% have an anti-violence theme. In programs with violence, only 16% showed long-term consequences, 45% of the offenders went unpunished, 71% of the offenders showed no remorse, 42% of the violence was associated with humor and lethal violence was shown in 54% of programs (Committee on Public Education 1224).

It’s not surprising that studies correlate increased exposure to violence on TV to a higher tendency to become more aggressive and violent later in life. From a very young age, children sit in front of the TV, watch cartoon characters such as Wile E Coyote and the Roadrunner in “Zipping Along” try to kill each other or run each other over with their cars, and laugh about it. It is recorded that the cartoon mentioned contains 22 separate acts of violence, and it is only 7 minutes in length (Strasburger 1428). Zipping Along, among countless others, such as Looney Tunes, Power Rangers, and many other Japanese anime series are teaching our children that violence is amusing and doesn’t have any consequences. Children see and accept this violence because they don’t truly recognize the violent content as real. Because these characters execute violence within the world of ‘make-believe’, their acts are not considered to be heinous or deviant (Bushman 348). In normalizing the violent acts of Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, and the Roadrunner, children are being desensitized to violence in real life at a very early age.

In many popular video games, such as Grand Theft Auto 3, which is the best-selling game ever for Playstation 2, players earn points for high jacking cars, and stealing drugs from street people. Postal, another popular game, lets players earn points by randomly shooting people and has the main character programmed to say “Only my gun understands me” (Nikken et al 316-318). The level of violence in the gaming habits of young people is disturbingly high. In Mnet’s 2001 study, Young Canadians in a Wired World, 32% of kids ages 9-17 are playing video games every day or almost every day. Studies also found that 60% reported action/combat as their favorite genre, and when asked for a favorite game, gamers reported that their choices were “overwhelming” (Nikken et al 316-319). Researchers believe that violence in video games are so appealing to youngsters because it is like living inside a fantasy world, where you can act out your criminal fantasies without any real consequences. Even though many video games are rated M for mature, it’s no secret that kids still find a way to get them.

Violence in media entertainment has not only risen in quantity, but it has been becoming more and more graphic, sadistic and sexual in nature. Mainstream movies show explicit acts of stabbing, victims being cut from the throat and lying in pools of blood, and bullets piercing through bodies and exploding in slow motion. Shows like Law & Order: SVU and CSI Miami are famous for their sexually related crimes, and are constantly getting away with very explicitly sexual images and graphics that are not usually essential for following the storyline. Movie ratings are no longer reliable in providing guidance to parents for determining whether a movie is suitable for children. PG-13 movies tend to make more revenue than “R” movies, so the movie industry has been experiencing a “ratings creep”. Movies that were once deemed “R” movies are now rated “PG-13” by The Motion Pictures Association in order to increase box-office profits and rental sales (Freed 1259).

It is becoming tougher for parents to control their children’s TV habits, since inappropriate movies are now made easily available through specialty channels and Netflix. Mature video games are also accessible at local video stores. The Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) found that violence appeared on all network and cable channels, making it impossible for viewers to avoid. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission reported that in December 2001, retailers allowed 78% of unaccompanied minors, ages 13-16, to purchase video games rated “mature” (Freed 1260). To make supervision even more challenging, many children have their own TVs and video game equipment. According to Brady, 57% of kids aged 8-16 have TVs in their bedrooms, and 39% have gaming equipment (341).

News coverage has also changed direction. With so many different mediums where people can get their news, news channels are trying to outdo its competitors by
reporting on stories that sell- violent crime stories filled with disturbing images. Even though crime rates have fallen, the number of stories on violent crimes continues to dominate the news. News producers say that good news doesn’t bring in viewers. They are now relying on death and violent stories to keep their ratings up, or “If it bleeds, it leads” (Research on the Effects of Media Violence).

There has been so much research done on the negative effects of media violence on children. Children are influenced by media-they learn by observing, imitating, and making behaviors their own. Research shows that children younger than 8 cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality, therefore they are most vulnerable to the behaviors shown in the media (Bushman 352). Most of the research that I analyzed failed to come up with solutions to the problem of media violence. Instead of doing more research to prove the detrimental effects of violence shown in the media, we should be conducting studies on how to strike back- such as having media awareness programs in schools, where educators can teach parents, students and teachers about how the media can influence in a harmful way. These programs should cover topics such as how media works, how media can influence the way that we perceive reality, how to determine whether messages are appropriate, and how to reject messages that are not healthy.

I believe that in order to change behavior and attitudes, education is important. Other ways include collaboration between parents, educators, pediatricians, and the government to advocate for child-positive media messages, and encourage more child-friendly movies and less-violent video games. Children and their parents should also be educated about the health risks of too much television and sedentary behaviors. Kids should be encouraged to lead more active lives, and take part in activities and hobbies other than playing video-games or interests centered around media.

I failed to see any of these recommendations being mentioned in the research papers that I read, and it gave me a bleak outlook on the future of our youth. I believe that a lot can be done to turn thing around, both on a local and national level. The most important thing is to get parents involved, and shun the association of glamour with weapons, violence, and death. If violence is used, it should always be shown with sadness and loss, not pleasure or revenge. I would like to see more research done on children who have gone through media-awareness education programs with their parents compared with other kids who have not.

Works Cited

Brady, Sonya S., Matthews, Karen A. “Effects of Media Violence on Health-Related Outcomes Among Young Men.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Vol.160 No 4 (April 2006): 341-347. Print

Bushman, Brad J. “Short-term and Long-term Effects of Violent Media on Aggression in Children and Adults.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Vol. 160 No 4 (April 2006): 348-352. Web. 12 April. 2010.

Committee on Public Education. “Media Violence.” American Academy of Pediatrics. Vol. 108 No 5 (Nov 2001): 1222-1226. Print

Council on Communications and Media. “Media Violence.” American Academy of Pediatrics. Vol. 124 No 5 (Nov 2009): 1495-1503. Print

Freed, Richard. “Pulling the Plug on Entertainment Industry Ratings.” American Academy of Pediatrics. Vol 119 No 6 (2007): 1259-1261. Print

J.E. Tongren, A. Sites, K.Zwicker, and A. Pelletier. “Firearm Use in G- and PG-Rated Movies, 2003-2007.” Journal of the American Medical Association. Vol. 301 No 21 (June 2009). Web. 12 April. 2010.

Nikken et al. “Parents’ Interest in Videogame Ratings and Content Descriptors in Relation to Game Mediation.” European Journal of Communication. Vol 22 No 3 (2007): 315-336. Print

“Research on the Effects of Media Violence.” Media Issues. Media Awareness Network, n.d. Web. 13 April. 2010.

Romer, D., Jamieson KH. “Television News and the Cultivation of Fear of Crime.” Journal of Communication. Vol 53 Issue 1 (March 2003): 88-104.

Strasburger, Victor. “Clueless: Why Do Pediatricians Underestimate the Media’s Influence on Children and Adolescents?” American Academy of Pediatrics. Vol 117 No 4 (April 2006): 1427-1431. Print

Van der Molen, J.H.W. “Violence and Suffering in Television News: Toward a Broader Conception of Harmful Television Content for Children.” American Academy of Pediatrics. Vol 113 No 6 (June 2004): 1771-1775. Print

Walsh, David A., Gentile, Douglas A. “A Validity Test of Movie, Television, and Video-Game Ratings.” American Academy of Pediatrics. Vol 107 No 6 (June 2001): 1302-1308.

RUN FROM AFFILIATED MANGEMENT! GREED and LAZINESS IS THEIR MOTTO

Affiliated Management, located in Livingston, NJ is the most unprofessional management company I’ve ever encountered. I lived at the Mayflower on Engle st, Englewood, for three years, and was an excellent tenant, always paying my rent on time and never causing any trouble. The super Robert, lives in the building next door, but you can never get a hold of him. A broken cabinet hinge that needs to be fixed takes SIX MONTHS for him to fix. You can call the superintendent and management office as many times as you’d like, but you won’t get a response or a return call. The property managers are too busy to speak with tenants, and neither return calls or care about your well-being. After giving notice to move out, I haven’t heard from either a property manager or the super after calling and leaving messages for more than two weeks to try to schedule an inspection. They will deliberately screw you over in every way that they can- greed and laziness is their motto here. You’re better off ANYWHERE else.
http://www.affiliatedmgmt.com/

Appropriation Controversy

Every writer’s worst nightmare is being branded as a Plagiarist. When Harry Potter fans found the children’s book, The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson, to contain details that seemed suspiciously similar to the later written Harry Potter series, they began to question the originality of author J.K Rowling’s ideas. What constitutes as plagiarism when radical writers like David Shields, who believes “borrowing” from other thinkers and writers has been the foundation of culture since man first learned to read and write? (qtd. in Kennedy) I feel that the boundaries for appropriation should be based on whether an author, artist or creator is able to express a similar idea in a meaningful, thought-proving and inspirational way. The rules for musical and artistic pieces shouldn’t be as rigid because it is so difficult to define, but there should be appropriation rules for literary works. I believe that when appropriation problems arise, there should be a panel of judges from various backgrounds, such as literary scholars, famous artists or musicians, educators, etc to deliberate whether or not the author has overstepped his boundaries.

In Ibbotson’s book, which was published three years before Philosopher’s Stone, an orphaned boy with unknown magical powers lived with a family that treats him like a servant. The family spoiled their own overweight and intolerable son, and later the orphan boy discovers a doorway to the magical world through platform 13 at the London Station. Without a doubt, it seems very likely that Ibbotson’s book may have inspired Rowling’s Harry Potter series. I believe that although Rowling may have lifted some background details as a starting point for her books from another author, she has mastered the art of story telling by creating an entirely different and imaginary world with her words. Rowling’s in-depth development of the main character, Harry Potter, her captivating writing style, and her conception of all the magical characters and plot twists in her seven book series was entirely her own. Rowling had taken an idea and made it come alive. In the end, after carefully analyzation, it’s obvious that there are many more differences than similarities.

One of the authors mentioned in the Free Appropriation writer, David Shields, strongly believes that originality does not exist anymore. He supports his theory by quoting Terence, a famous playwright in second century B.C.: “there’s nothing to say that hasn’t been said before” (qtd. in Kennedy). I disagree with him, and feel that even though some ideas may not be original, the expression of these ideas can still have personal meaning and be innovative. A panel of literary and field experts would be a great way to shed some light on the subject. A few things the panel should consider when appropriation issues for literary works come up are: Is the work in question substantial enough to stand on it’s own without the borrowed ideas or materials? Does the author differentiate himself from the borrowed work in a meaningful way, whether it’s with his own writing style, strong personal opinions or views?

Some artists may have gone to the same art school, learned the same fundamental concepts, or been taught by teachers with the same school of thought, but real innovation is how they apply this skill in expressing themselves through art. For instance, I was listening to Lady GaGa’s The Fame Monster the other day, and came across the song Alejandro. I immediately recognized the melody in the chorus- it sounded a little too similar to Ace of Base’s early 90’s hit Don’t Turn Around. The beats in Alejandro’s chorus sound like it was taken straight from the beats that plays thoughout the entire Ace of Base song. Lady GaGa sings “Don’t call my name, don’t call my name Alejandro,” instead of the “Don’t turn around, or you’ll see my heart breaking,” as is the chorus in Ace of Base’s song.

I realized that this was exactly what the assignment was about. Although the beats and parts of the melody of the two songs are quite indistinguishable, the similarities end there. Lady Gaga has managed to embody an entirely different character in her song. She is the Spanish girl with a heavy accent who is breaking up with her lover Alejandro. Lady Gaga’s dramatic attitude and juvenile lyrics has almost a humorous effect-something that Ace of Base lacks. Therefore, I’ve concluded that Lady Gaga has not violated any copyrite laws and shouldn’t be branded a “copycat”.

Everyday, we are exposed to all different sorts of ideas, messages, people, and movements. Every book that we read, every bit of dialogue overheard, every conversation spoken, every message read on an ad or billboard is like water that goes into a pool inside our minds. The only way to continuously grow, improve and flourish is to add as much water as possible (Kern). The boundaries of appropriation will always have gray areas, and will never be black and white. What we can do is set guidelines, and ask experts in all areas to offer their opinions on whether some credit should be given to another fellow author or creator. I believe that sharing ideas and drawing inspiration from one another will help the cultural and creative world continue to flourish.




Works Cited
Kennedy, Randy. “The Free Appropriation Writer.” Nytimes.com. The New York Times. 26. Feb. 2010. Web. 21 March 2010.
Kerns, Michelle. “The Plagiarism paradox and 10 Famous Authors Accused of Plagiarism.” Examiner.com. The Examiner. 21 April 2009. Web. 20 March 2010.

Discussion 7- Week of 4/ 5 Sam Gonzales

I didn’t understand Astruc’s “The birth or a new avant-garde: La camera-stylo,” until I heard Sam’s lecture. The clips that he showed of David Lynch’s films, and the examples that he used made the article a bit clearer for me. The only Lynch film I had seen was Mulholland Drive, and found it to be captivating and stimulating. The plot does not seem to run in a linear fashion, and some of the scenes appear to be surreal and the imagination of the main character, Betty. Sam’s lecture on the importance of the camera pen, or writing directly on film without bothering with the separation of the script-writer, director and producer, reminds me of the movie Memento, which I believe fits in this genre. This cleverly made film is one of my favorites, and is told in two different narratives- one that is in chronological order, and the other in reverse-chronological order. Nolan is one of the few Hollywood writers and directors to think outside the box and make films that are not the typical “Hollywood blockbusters”. His style is dramatic and raw, and really takes you inside the skin of his characters.

Discussion Week of 3/29- Paul Ryan Lecture

I found Professor Paul Ryan’s theories and thinking to be very interesting. Reading his findings on “threeing” and relationships were a bit confusing at first, but after reading through a few times, I found them to be universally applicable to any situation that involves collaboration with people. I was particularly intrigued by Chapter One: The Three Way Solution. I agree with him that a relationship between two people does not address the differences between them, and that understanding can only be achieved with a third person. Many couples often can’t see the conflicts in their relationship because they are relating only to one another. Only when a third person is brought into the mix, can comparisons be made and conflicts resolved.

I read through Professor Ryan’s Threeing lessons, like the listening exercise that he proposed. I think it’s a very clever way to give each member a different role, and encourage each member to address a different part of the story being told.In this way, each member listens for something different within the story, feelings, patterns, etc, and will be able to offer a different perspective for the storyteller. Ryan’s idea of shifting roles will also help to avoid conflict which occurs when power or roles are unevenly distributed. I’m definitely interested in taking a class with Professor Ryan in the near future.

Abstract 2- Celebrity Twitter: Strategies of Intrusion and Disclosure in the Age of Technoculture

This article explains how and why celebrities use Twitter as the newest form of image control in our media obsessed society. In our society today, anyone, from gossip magazines, the paparazzi, to a fan on a discussion board can sabotage a celebrity’s image or create an unfavorable persona. In the 1920’s, the movie studios and agencies tightly controlled a star’s image, but the rise of Television quickly gave way to new outlets of intrusion, such as the gossip magazine Confidential, where scandalous stories about celebrities were printed.

In our society today, it is tougher than ever before for a public figure to maintain a good image, especially with the popularity of picture/video phones, social networking sites and YouTube, where tons of information can be received almost instantaneously. Celebrities are counteracting these new mediums of intrusion by Tweeting. In other words, Twitter poses as a real voice to validate rumors and stories that may be floating in cyber space.

This article is well argued with logical reasoning, quotes from image experts and strong knowledge of the history of image in Hollywood. It offers a more thought-provoking and reasonable explanation for the rise of Twitter use in celebrities. I’ve always wondered why they would voluntarily sign up for another medium where people will be able to track their whereabouts-as if the paparazzi and entertainment shows weren’t enough. This article puts this question to rest. However, this article fails to give any examples where a celebrity has actually used Twitter to squash rumors. I believe this would have given the article more authenticity.

Muntean, Nick, and Anne Helen Petersen. “Celebrity Twitter: Strategies of Intrusion and Disclosure in the Age of Technoculture.” A Journal of Media and Culture. Vol. 12. Issue. 5. Dec 2009: 1-13. Print