Media Reflection

Media is everywhere these days and has made a huge impact on our lives, my life including, for the good and bad. In a way, media has shaped our lives, telling us what is right or wrong, good or bad, pretty or ugly, hacking into our brains and tampering with our feelings and emotions. Through trickery and persuasion, many advertisers have used our igorance to their advantage to get us to buy their product. Keeping in mind that only certain product appeal to specific people, it is up to the advertisers to figure out where to properly place their ads. It is quite interesting to see how creative the media can get. Sometimes, it is quite impressive how persuasive an advertisement can but, but other times they could just be plain cheesy. As for me, bright colors and catchy music that fits the situation or product, humorous as well as heart-warming commercials, and I am ashamed to say fancified words, now known as Weasel Words, attract my attention. Before taking this class, I was one of those, falling for their conniving methods to suck the audience into buying whatever product they are trying to promote. Unaware of the common techniques used in much of advertising seen everywhere, I just believed whatever media itself said. But after learning of the clever techniques advertisers use and certain needs they appeal to, I am now much more acquainted with the deceiving ways of media. By creating this Media Blog to analyze media I see all around me, I was better able to examine with more detail, focus, and precision. It helped me better understand the usage of techniques and appeal to needs, and exactly why advertisers did it. Through this entire class as a whole, I was able to fully understand media. Media literacy is important because t helps you decide whether or not it is actually telling the truth and whether or not you want to "fall" for their pitch for you to buy their product. Now, whenever I see a commercial on TV or an advertisement in one of my magazines, I first analyze what it is exactly trying to sell, going into depth on the advertisement itself, and then choose to act upon it and remember to go try that fantastic new product I just read or heard about, or push it aside and move on. It is important to be an educated consumer because it allows to you put a limit on how many ads you wish to believe and know with the knowledge of the common techniques used and appeal to the emotions, you are able to stop yourself from falling for those pointless ads that want you to get sucked into a product that is not worth your time. Before, I knew little of how advertising really worked as well as how much of it a really consume a day. I use to think I would only see maybe four or five ads a day here and there, but in reality it was said that a teenager like me consumes 3,000 commercials and ads a day, most unconsciously. That’s crazy! I asked myself, am I really that oblivious? I didn't even know I could "see" that much. After hearing that shocking number, it made me realize just how much media is in our daily lives, and even if you wanted to escape it, it is likely you wouldn't be able to. Just like technology, media is here to stay, and it does have its benefits, but sometimes I just wish there was an OFF button so I could just, for once, have a thought for myself.

Media Log #14- Stride: A Little Bit Epic Commerical

Wow, so just by chewing this Stride gum, some cute girl, or guy in my case, I have had a crush in ages will finally notice me and say hi?! OMG. Maybe this is "a little bit epic" or maybe this is just a commerical trying to make you think it can do all that stuff, when in reality its just a tiny stick of chewing stuff that is mostly only needed for when you have bad breath or just need something to chew, so shouldn't the advertisers be focusing on that instead of the things a gum can possibly, highly unlikely though, can do? These days, commercials are getting crazier and stranger by the second. It does a good job of using Wit and Humor, becuase it did make me laugh, but after seeing it once through it probably won't be funny anymore. It also uses Simple Solutions because before chewing this gum you are a sad sack who doesn't have the confidence to do much anything, but with this new Stride gum you can do anything, even talk to that girl you liked since forever ago. It also uses the basic appeals of need for attention, because with this gum you can stand out and be noticed. I noticed int eh commerical that the colors were very gloomy or plain except for the green Stride gum packet. They do that on pursoe to make their product stand out. It also has two average people with a guy at a coffee shop around mid-20s sitting down for coffee with more normal people around him, which msot anyone his age has had an experience similar to that. Overall, this commercial, although it was funny once, did not make a lasting impression on me.

Media Log #13- Audi 2012 Vampire Commercial

O man, another vampire parody of some sort. In my opinion, the vampire "world" I guess you would say is way overused in the movie and commerical industry. The Twilight Series with Kristen Stewart, Rob Patterson, and Taylor Launter was enough for me. Don't get me wrong I am definitely a Twi-hard fan but then that dump movie "Vampires Suck" movie was released and then the new series The Vampire Diaries on the CW premiered and vampire this and vampire that. The idea got kind of old after a while. And now after seeing this commerical I thought wow has it relaly come this far that now advertisements such as car commericals are deciding to use the whole vampire concept to attract people to buy their product? That's a bit much. But this is only one girl's opinion here and maybe it has worked on the rest of the world. Who knows. Anyway, I guess it was a clever idea to use vampires in the commerical because Breaking Dawn Part One just came out recently and as most people know it is part of the imfamous vampire Twilight Series.  This commercial uses the ad technique Plain Folks suggesting that thens young adults are average people just at a typical collage party. I am guessing many college people or older around early 20s to late 20s can relate and have been to a party similar to the one on the screen... except for the whole vampire thing. The advertisers are targeting this age group, suggesting that you should buy this Audi because cool people who go to parties drive this car. It also uses Avante Garde making its product ahead of the times with its new headlights that is a bright as the sun, making vampires disappear with they walk in front of it? Of all the features in a car, they choose headlights to advertise and hype up. That is a bit strange, but ok. It uses the basic appeals of need for attention because with this new Audi and its "bright as the sun" headlights you will stand out from the crowd and everyone will look at me and my cool car. Overall, I thought this commercial was beyond cheesy, and the whole vampire concept is yesterday's news.