[B]latantly [M]aterializing [W]omen

Recently, I came across an ad for BMW cars. Within the ad, it depicts a couple having sex, but placed directly on the women’s face is a magazine showing the latest BMW. I find this ad offensive because not only is it very sexual, it also destroys the real meaning of sex. Sex is supposed to be a way for one to express their love to another, and in this ad that is down played. This ad is depicting women as mere objects that are being used for sex, because a man can’t have sexual relations with the car.

If I were to write a message to the magazine company that published this picture I would tell them that I am concerned about the views they have towards women.

Mock Letter

Dear BMW Magazine,

I find the latest ad put out by your corporation very disturbing and sad. Women, like men, tend to purchase your vehicles as well. So why would you all put out an ad of this manner?

This ad is degrading women, and that is unacceptable and offensive. Females are already viewed in a sexual manner, now you all are depicting us as beings that are lower than materialistic things. And that is not a healthy message to promote.

Suppose some little kid come across this ad. Not only is it extremely sexual, it also destroys the meaning behind sex. After seeing this ad those kids will think that this ad is depicting the norm, and whenever they become sexually active young boys will be disrespecting girls by fantasizing about materialistic goods opposed to thinking about her.

This may sound a little extreme , but this ad can inspire someone years down the line to make little head covers that depicts a guy favorite car, or something of that nature to go over girls head while having sex, and that is beyond very disrespectful. But with ads like this being put out, that action is what’s being okayed.

You all have failed to recognize the fact that women are one of the most important beings to walk this earth. Without us, life as we know it wouldn’t exist. So you and the person behind creating this ad need to wake up and realize that, and stop degrading women.

Thank you in advance for simply taking the time out of your hectic schedule to read this letter.

 

Sincerely,

Jazmine Thomas

Tigerfest 2012!

A public event that I have recently attended was Tigerfest 2012. This event is hosted by Towson University and is a big get together for all of the students here.

One thing many of the officials were trying to influence here at Towson while attending the event was to have a “Positive Tigerfest”. The university wanted to make sure there were no illegal activities taking place.

To ensure that no one participated in underage drinking or other illegal practices, they hired security to search bags, and had a huge amount of police officers on duty around the entire campus to regulate any suspicious activity.

The University also gave out many products to reinforce the idea of partying sober or positive.

A Public Relations Strategy used by the University was giving out temporary tattoos, cups, and t-shirts that said “Positive Tigersfest” to enforce the idea of basically living above the influence.

The university was successful at enforcing this idea of having a “Positive Tigerfest”, because it was everywhere.

Another reason is because nobody wanted to get locked up or put out of school for one foolish decision. The University also made it hard for people to obtain alcohol. Security guards had the right to check all baggage (purses included).

They were also effective because they made event occur early in the day so many people wouldn’t drink. Drinking, to some, is like a night-time activity.

They also didn’t allow outside drinks and things into the stadium in which the event took place.

Once again, all of these methods were successful with people like me because one I am underage, afraid of the police, and would probably die if I were to get put out of school or have to be hospitalized because of a foolish decision.

There are really no other suggestions that I could make for the University. I feel as though they did a lot of great things. Not only did they promote “Positive Tigerfest”, they had many faculty and staff, security officials, and products to help enforce what they were trying to promote. Overall, good job Towson University!

Think Like a Man Product Placement

Most recently I viewed a movie titled “Think Like a Man”, based on the reading Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey.  The movie focused on the reading, but in another way. Instead of simply acting out the reading or summarizing Steve Harvey’s story, the directors of the film approached the movie, as if the actors were reading the book themselves.

Within the movie, there was a woman and man to portray the different stereotypes in relationships. For example, the momma’s boy, the single mother, the player, the man with no job, the man that can’t commit, and a great deal of many others.

The movie was not only very entertaining, funny, and romantic, it also offered viewers a great deal of things they can apply to their personal dating lives.

A great deal of already established celebrities were depicted within this movie from Michael Ealy (Actor), Gabrielle Union (Actress), Kevin Hart (Comedian/Actor), Taraji P. Henson (Actress), and a great deal of many others.

Even the small cameos within the movie consisted of those individuals who were already very well established celebs, for example, Chris Brown (Superstar), Keri Hilson (Singer), LaLa (Reality Star/Talk Show Host), also basketball players and many others not mentioned.

But, now let’s address the reason behind me writing this post’s Product Placement.

Within this movie a great deal of products were advertised from the book itself to different movies and comedy shows some of the actors participated in.

For example, Steve Harvey advertised his book Think Like a Man as if he were to do it in real life.

Michael Ealy advertised a movie he had previously starred in called “For Colored Girls”, by Tyler Perry. He did this within the movie by simply having a conversation about the movie (like a movie review) with his friends. He explained overall what happened, and even talked about an action he participated in directly as if he wasn’t the man he was describing. It was very neat how that was incorporated into the script.

Another cool Product Placement, was when Kevin Hart a well-known comedian, accused his peers of “Laughing at my pain” within the movie. This is of significance because “Laughing at my Pain” is the title of one of his comedy shows.

However, of the three products placed within the film I think the placement of the actual reading Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey was most effective and will be remembered most by the audience, because it set forth the purpose of the actions of everyone within the movie. I think the producers included each of these products to not only enhance the humor of the movie, but  to give the viewers a little insight as to what was going on in the book for those who had yet to actually read it.

This is a form of Product Placement within the move “Think Like a Man” which is still in theaters, go check it out!!!

A Series of Books that has Impacted Me

A series of books I have read that has made a significant difference in my life are the readings True to the Game by Terri Woods. These books have left an impact on me because it made me question my values, and the people I would like to surround myself with.

I read these books while in high school. I came across them because of one of my mother’s co-workers, a lady named Mrs. Lisa.One day while at my mother’s hair salon, we were discussing readings and I was dishing about how I only liked readings that focused on urban life and struggle. Mrs. Lisa overheard me and the next day sent me the books.

After I began reading the books every time I went to the salon. I would discuss the book with Mrs. Lisa, the lady who gave me the readings. We would discuss how addicting the readings were, how crazy a particular situation was, and sometimes she would even give hints as to what was to come next within the reading.

These fictional reading were so interesting to me because they painted clear images of a young girl’s life, which could be similar to mine depending on the life path in which I choose to take. This novel focused on an urban setting in South Philly, very similar to my hometown Baltimore.“Book Review for True to the Game”

The young girl within the readings got caught up in the wrong crowd, which is what happens many times to my peers. They get attracted to the glitz and glam of the fast life, and forget about the dangers of the lifestyle in which they choose to live.

This novel really was an eye opener for me because her story made me realize that no materialistic things or money should be valued more than my safety, and because of this I began to question some individuals I associated myself with. Many times within these readings, the main protagonist was put in situations that could’ve ended her life, from being face-to-face with guns ,  to facing jail time, and to me it just doesn’t seem worth it.

So with that being said, these readings encouraged me to stay focused while in high school. Stray away from drug dealers and money-hungry females that may influence me in a negative way and deter me from pursing my secondary education .Which will one day lead me to a good job and  tons of legal money ;).

Seventeen Magazine Bigger, Better, it’s the Best!

A mass media publication that I have grown to love is Seventeen Magazine. This magazine offers the latest in news, fashion trends, advice, and many other beneficial things for your average teen girl. Seventeen magazine is owned by the corporation known as Hearst Magazines.

This corporation owns many other Magazines from Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, to O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, and many more.

If I were to try and cross-promote this magazine within other properties owned by Hearst, I would create an ad campaign that would solely focus on triggering the attention of teen girls between the ages of 14-20. This ad would be used to gain this age group attention because I believe the magazine relates most to women within this age range, also due to the fact that Hearst Magazine owns more than one magazine set out to attract different audiences, I wouldn’t want this ad to take away the fan base of another magazine.

Specifically, I would put this ad in most of the other Hearst owned magazines that is geared towards women focusing on fashion, and giving advice. I would do this with the hopes that even if an older audience of women came across the ad, they would want to if not read the magazine themselves offer it to a teen girl that they know.

On the ad, I would use a celebrity teen reading the magazine, and then have a saying that suggests that “Seventeen is the hottest magazine for teen girls”, creating the desire for a teen girl to want this magazine “Marketing to Teens – Advertising Strategies” supports how this desire is formed .I would also use very colorful fonts and prints to get the attention of the magazine readers. I believe by doing this it will allow them to erase any doubts about the magazine, making observers think that it will be a very interesting read. Lastly, I would offer a free one month subscription which will not only give the magazine readers a taste of what is to come if they become subscribers, but this will also help create a new fan base.

This is one of my favorite mass media outlets, and listed above is how I would cross-promote this magazine amongst the corporation it is owned by.

Life in 2035 Utopian,Dystopian, Real Life

Imagine life in 2035.

2035 video will it be like this??

Imagine life in 2035.

In a utopian society I can picture life in 2035 being limitless. Imagine waking up and having the ability to be transported to any place in the world within a blink of an eye.

Imagine having every desired fulfilled for you as soon as it pops up in your head. Imagine being able to do anything you wanted no matter the circumstances.

A 2035 utopian society will allow you to have a computerized house that will do everything for you. When you’re hungry, the house will pick up a signal from your inner body and create the food for you within a matter of seconds.

If you are in pain, the house will sense that and create a stimulating atmosphere to either relax you or ease the pain.

The house will act as one’s escape and offer everyone the opportunity to erase any problems they may face when out of the house.

Basically in a utopian society in 2035, everything will be done for you and computerized making life very easy and simple.

Although this utopian Life in 2035 may seem ideal, it can result in a dystopian society as well.

Maybe life wouldn’t be so great due to having a computerized world.

Maybe a utopian society would result in disasters.

Ever watch iRobot or see a movie that showed how advancements in technology eventually back fired on a society?

Well, that is possible. Imagine waking up in your computerized house that experienced a malfunction, and no longer worked for you, but made you the house’s slave.

Imagine walking down the street and being zapped or forced to be a computer slave.

Life would be miserable and the power these robots would have over us will be limitless. Although computers are created by humans they are way more advanced than us.

We use computers and other forms of technology daily and if these forms were to retaliate and go against us a lot of people would die, or simply not exist, because a lot of people depend on technology for survival.

For example, people suffering from different disabilities or diseases use technology for different treatments, and if technology were to go against us in a dystopian society those people wouldn’t be able to go on.

Although both of these societies could possibly exist, I think my life in 2035 will be advanced, but not as extreme as described in the utopian society. I think life would be easier due to different advancements in technology that will benefit the medical field. For example, scientist are now trying to create new advancements that will be able to read the human body to tell one exactly what is wrong with them in a matter of moments “Credit card chips embedded into the human body”. Another advancements would be within cars and how they are working to not only make them Eco-friendly by reducing the need for gas .They are also making cars have the ability to not only park them self,but allowing their engines to start with the pressing down of a button.

These advancements might have a huge impact on our lives, but I do not think forms of communication will change .However, maybe there will be advancements within how we communicate that will allow us to exchange different products or materials through video chat, etc.

And as a result of those advancements the field of mass communication will be affected, because it will offer businesses and other organizations another way to reach the people. For example, online shopping will no longer require shipping, but will be transported to the shopper immediately after purchase. Another example is how we interact with each other. As we begin to have the ability to exchange products and other materials through video chats and other things of that nature; the amount of face –to- face interaction will decrease, because it will no longer be needed. Everyone would be able to exchange different things within a matter of moments.

This is life in 2035. The utopian version, dystopian, and what I really think will happen.

The Usage of Social Networks Impact on Our Future

While reading the article 5 Ways Social Media is Changing Our Daily Lives by Soren Gordhamer, I began to realize how much of our daily lives are impacted by social networking sites. This article 5 Ways Social Media is Changing Our Daily Lives focused on five different areas of our lives and the ways in which we are impacted by them.  

According to Soren Gordhamer social networks impacts our lives in the following ways:

1. Acts as an outlet for us to get news.
2. Determines how we start and do business.
3. How we meet and stay in touch with people.
4. Alters what we reveal about ourselves.
5. Determine what we can influence.

Overall, this article just explained how social networks has altered our lives and how we communicate. This article also brings awareness to the fact that due to social networking, one’s success can be limitless, but it also suggests an issue that may be present in the near future.

Due to the lack of face-to-face communication and the increased usage of social networks many of the things we have today may no longer exist. For example, as technology increase social networks will become our sole source of communication and with this it will bring about different learning styles, also a bigger gap between the haves and haves not.

As different forms of technology increase the people who are unaware of how to use these electronics or cannot afford them will be left out .Businesses will soon begin to adjust how they are operating to fit the new advancements in technology oppose to the people who can’t keep up or afford them, and with that the digital divide will increase, resulting in problems for the elderly and people who cannot afford the latest in technology.

In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this article and hopefully you will too! The article was not only very interesting, but informative as well. It made me realize that social networking may be the most important/key factor in many of our careers in the near future, and because of that many issues may present themselves for those individuals who are unaware of how to use them or doesn’t have access to them.

Will You Be The Individual That Allowed A Criminal To Walk Freely and Continuously Kill Innocent Children?

Imagine going to sleep with the possibility of being abducted.

Imaging being a little girl and becoming a sex slave.

Imaging being a child that’s force to kill your parents.

Imaging being a child and having to disfigure your friends body.

That is what a lot of children are facing in the country of UGANDA.

Life as we know it doesn’t exist for these children turned soldiers and sex slaves.

Every day life for them is a war against dying and living.Nobody should ever live in such horrific circumstances.

These children are forced to kill their parents ,see their siblings get murder, become sex slaves, and participate in some very hatred based crimes.

I couldn’t imagine living in such fear or simply having one of my family members or friends become a victim of this tragedy.

After watching the film that informs viewers on whats taking place in Uganda .I became inspired to make a change, and lend a helping hand.

No one should ever go through what those children are going through, and it upsets me because it’s a possibility that if we don’t take action as soon as possible those abductions and other harsh crimes can still continue . Making those once invisible children invisible again .

I feel like in this present day there is nothing that can stop us as whole from making the World a better place. If we stay on top of bringing awareness to this issue, we can change history.

If you would like to obtain more information on how to stop KONY the leader of this army of children and sex slaves ”  Click on me“” also to watch the 27 minute documentary that gives you great detail on what is actually taking place  “Watch Me“.

Also if you are still unsure of what to do just remember your one little action can save lives,and remember if it were  you or your family members going through this you would want someone  to help save you.

So be that someone and act now !!

No one ask to be born in the situations they are born into so let’s make these little one’s lives better and….

STOP KONY2012!!!

BEATING the ODDS (a NEGATIVE to a POSITIVE)

Talk about feeling disconnected from the world. The last few days I felt like the social outcast or the lady that missed out on the last pair of the hottest shoes.

 Different forms of media are all around us and it is very hard to avoid it or simply not consume it.

However, I was somewhat successful in avoiding media; but it was merely impossible to avoid all forms of media .So I decided to eliminate Texting, Social networks, the Internet, Emails, and Television, also the usage of my cellular device and CPU. 

Eliminating these items had to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

No longer did I have my alarm clocks, directions, daily planner, celebrity gossip, or  ways to vent (social networks).

Those days were really confusing. I ended up over sleeping and running a little late for a few of my classes (bittersweet).

This exercise made me realize how much of my life was impacted by the usage of media and it scared me. The disadvantages of not having media were the loss of easy forms of communication, and instant ways to relieve myself from boredom. However, these disadvantages eventually presented me with advantages because it made me realize it was possible for me to live without the excessive use of media.

For example I finally programmed my real alarm clock & now I have many ways to occupy my time instead of wasting it on feeding into celebrity gossip ( Rihanna & Chris Brown ) but to focus my time on other useful things like catching up on homework, exercising, and simply getting more involved on campus.(During this time I attended an RA interest meeting and went to a campus comedy show).

Overall, my days seemed boring in the beginning because I didn’t know how to occupy my time; but now I know my left over time can be used in many ways which is now my greatest benefit.

In conclusion, this exercise increased my understanding of media habits because it showed me that even though I can consume it daily; it is not the only thing I should focus my free time on.

 This also increased my understanding of the role media plays in modern society because although media can be entertaining and beneficial in most cases; it can also lead to a down fall and/or hinder ones growth personally and academically.

Days of Consuming MEDIA leads to Brainwashing and Limitations

I knew different forms of media consumed majority of my time, but I was unaware of how much of my time was actually put into consuming media every day. I wasn’t aware of how lost I would be without it. Media for me isn’t just away for me to feel connected to my surroundings; but it has turned into the center of my life.

I wake up to the sound of my alarm that is programmed on my cellular device. I use my phone as not only a communication device; but as a planner/ organizer and alarm clock as well. My cellular device alarm is the indication of the beginning of my day and the timer set on my television represents my ending.

As I observed the many different forms of Media I found it very interesting how ads are always incorporated no matter what. Today I was listening to my favorite station on Pandora and I realized approximately after four songs a commercial would pop up and even if a commercial wasn’t up it was a click on me ad at the bottom of every song. I also realized that on television most shows are really only fifteen minutes long .Because the other time is divided amongst commercials.

For example while watching the BET television series called “The Game” approximately twelve to sixteen commercials was aired in one episode. (http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html)

Another thing that surprised me about how much media I consume is how although I consume many different forms of media from television to print they all focus on one thing and that is Reality or Celebrity lives. Before this exercise I did not realize how obsessed I was with reality TV and celebrity private lives and/ or gossip. Over these last couple of days I realized that I check mediatakeout.com almost four times a day starting at 11:00 am .I also realized that even after checking one website I’ll go on another  or Google whatever celebrities had the juiciest stories. Another thing I realized is how majority of our television shows are based on scripted and non-scripted realities from “Keeping Up With the Kardashian’s” to “Ru Paul Drag Race”.

This observation made me realize how media has made me so addicted to following celebrities every move. This also made me realize how much it makes us idolize others’ (those with talents and without). Studying how much media I consume made me understand how the entertainment industry has changed tremendously, and how media tends to set forth the guidelines for how we live.

In conclusion, although these habits may be entertaining to us .These habits are making it bad for our learning about the world .I say this because media sets forth a limitation .The majority of  songs played ,television shows aired ,and stories posted are set out to abide by the stereotypical guidelines ,and because of this things that may not be beneficial or interesting to the majority goes without being seen or heard, and just thinking about it makes me think that media is out to brainwash me and my peers …Scary!