Throughout the semester we were given numerous opportunities to write about various subjects. In particular, my personal favorite piece of writing had to be analysis blog three. We were given the opportunity to analyze a show and I analyzed Entourage. I enjoyed this because it forced me to actively view the show and the different connections it made from particular things the characters had mentioned. Also, along with this I felt that the song analysis blog has made me pay more attention to the lyrics of songs in which I had not done before.
Learning how to properly cite using MLA has forced me to use more credible sources in my papers. In the past, I would often use sources that I would just find on the internet which are not always appropriate. With this class I have begun to direct more of my research towards credible newspaper and journal articles. The powerpoint presentation also allowed me to work on my presentation/speech skills which I think is always important to practice.
Throughout the semester the class engaged in intellectual conversations about various subjects. I was looking forward to learning new things from my classmates at the beginning of the semester and I definitely feel that I got just that. Being a biology major I am not given many opportunities to actively write about what I am feeling and I think I received that in this class. Overall, English 1020 was an excellent class and helped improve my writing in various ways. Thank you Mrs. Welter for being a great professor.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Blog #9-McGowan
“The result has been that an increasingly authoritarian agenda has been sold to the American people by a massive, multi-tentacled media machine that has become, for all intents and purposes, a propaganda organ of the state. McGowan goes along with Eisenhower and discusses in his claim that the media is a powerful, influential advertising agent that is basically trying to take over the lives of American people.
McGowan mentions that “lying is an integral element of the business of government.” In this context it can be perpetuated that the media and the government work along with one another. The government (ex. Politicians) will favor a specific media source in a positive light that covers their positive side and that does not mention any of its lies or disinformation.
Another interesting point that McGowan brings up is how the media determines what the “issues” are. He discusses how the media portrays guns, rock/rap music, and video games are the ones to blame in youth violence and as a result school violence. However, it is noted that youth violence has actually declined. Since the media has created this issue we as a society begin to question whether adolescents should be exposed to these sorts of things. Media does not want to send the real message out that it is society as a whole to blame. It is considered to become too complicated that way when it is much simpler to blame pop culture.
McGowan mentions that “lying is an integral element of the business of government.” In this context it can be perpetuated that the media and the government work along with one another. The government (ex. Politicians) will favor a specific media source in a positive light that covers their positive side and that does not mention any of its lies or disinformation.
Another interesting point that McGowan brings up is how the media determines what the “issues” are. He discusses how the media portrays guns, rock/rap music, and video games are the ones to blame in youth violence and as a result school violence. However, it is noted that youth violence has actually declined. Since the media has created this issue we as a society begin to question whether adolescents should be exposed to these sorts of things. Media does not want to send the real message out that it is society as a whole to blame. It is considered to become too complicated that way when it is much simpler to blame pop culture.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Blog #8
I receive the most of my news from CBC news or MSN.ca. While checking my hotmail I usually read the highlights posted on MSN.ca right afterwards. I enjoy watching CBC news because it not only provides me with world events, but also events occurring throughout Canada.
MSN.ca (Canada) is Microsoft’s news wire and it is not only in the United States, but worldwide. I like this news source primarily because it is quick and has up to date events posted throughout the day. I evaluate the accuracy of this website in that I know it is going to have some nonsense stories because it is owned and operated by Microsoft. It will not necessarily display all the big events in a day, but will post particular stories that receive the most hits and which are most popular. This I feel is a marketing and money-making scheme for Microsoft to display mindless stories to get more people to click on them. For example, stories about Anna Nicole Smith’s death most likely provided them with a large endorsement since so many people were checking up on this particular issue/story.
CBC stands for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It provides the most important stories throughout the world along with the top Canadian headlines. I evaluate the accuracy of CBC in that it provides reliable and up to date information on a daily basis. I enjoy how they portray worldwide news because they often times describe Canada’s role in a particular issue. Since most American news channels do not provide any stories from Canada I love the CBC for providing up to date Canadian news about society and politics.
MSN.ca (Canada) is Microsoft’s news wire and it is not only in the United States, but worldwide. I like this news source primarily because it is quick and has up to date events posted throughout the day. I evaluate the accuracy of this website in that I know it is going to have some nonsense stories because it is owned and operated by Microsoft. It will not necessarily display all the big events in a day, but will post particular stories that receive the most hits and which are most popular. This I feel is a marketing and money-making scheme for Microsoft to display mindless stories to get more people to click on them. For example, stories about Anna Nicole Smith’s death most likely provided them with a large endorsement since so many people were checking up on this particular issue/story.
CBC stands for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It provides the most important stories throughout the world along with the top Canadian headlines. I evaluate the accuracy of CBC in that it provides reliable and up to date information on a daily basis. I enjoy how they portray worldwide news because they often times describe Canada’s role in a particular issue. Since most American news channels do not provide any stories from Canada I love the CBC for providing up to date Canadian news about society and politics.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Presentation Blog
Everyone in the class so far has done an excellent job in presenting their movies. Many of the movies I have not seen but with the information and claims provided I will be able to view them without a passive attitude.
Chris Abbas did a great job in comparing Coach Boone in “Remember the Titans” to the actor Denzel Washington. After viewing this great movie I can definitely agree with Chris, that Denzel is perhaps one of the greatest actor’s alive. He did a fantastic job in comparing how they both went through struggles to achieve their present positions and how they both are always ready to motivate others.
LaMeisha did a great job in her presentation about the movie “Not Another Teen Movie.” I really enjoyed her claim about the effects of comedy in today’s world. I definitely see this becoming a huge issue in society today because everyone is always ready to judge others and movies only enhance this thought.
I really enjoyed Ali’s presentation on “The Pursuit of Happiness.” I think anyone who has gone through or is going through any struggle will realize after watching this movie that with hard work and a positive attitude anything can happen.
Rudy also did a great job on the movie “The Departed.” I personally have not seen this movie but I have wanted to see it for awhile. The claims he discussed about betrayal in the movie has made me even more excited to see it because I will look for specific scenarios when I see it.
Chris Abbas did a great job in comparing Coach Boone in “Remember the Titans” to the actor Denzel Washington. After viewing this great movie I can definitely agree with Chris, that Denzel is perhaps one of the greatest actor’s alive. He did a fantastic job in comparing how they both went through struggles to achieve their present positions and how they both are always ready to motivate others.
LaMeisha did a great job in her presentation about the movie “Not Another Teen Movie.” I really enjoyed her claim about the effects of comedy in today’s world. I definitely see this becoming a huge issue in society today because everyone is always ready to judge others and movies only enhance this thought.
I really enjoyed Ali’s presentation on “The Pursuit of Happiness.” I think anyone who has gone through or is going through any struggle will realize after watching this movie that with hard work and a positive attitude anything can happen.
Rudy also did a great job on the movie “The Departed.” I personally have not seen this movie but I have wanted to see it for awhile. The claims he discussed about betrayal in the movie has made me even more excited to see it because I will look for specific scenarios when I see it.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Work Cited for Analysis Blog #3
Works Cited
“About the Show.” HBO. 3 March, 2007.
http://www.hbo.com/entourage/about/index.html
“Good Morning Saigon.” Entourage. HBO. Alluc.org. 21 August 2005. 3 March 2007.
http://www.alluc.org/alluc/tv-shows.html?action=getviewcategory&category/
_uid=942
“About the Show.” HBO. 3 March, 2007.
http://www.hbo.com/entourage/about/index.html
“Good Morning Saigon.” Entourage. HBO. Alluc.org. 21 August 2005. 3 March 2007.
http://www.alluc.org/alluc/tv-shows.html?action=getviewcategory&category/
_uid=942
Analysis Blog #3-Entourage
Currently airing in its third season HBO’s hit comedy series Entourage has become of one of the hottest shows on television today. It takes a look at the day-to-day life of a hot young actor Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) along with his elder brother and two best friends. They all come from the Queens, NY and successfully arise into the celebrity lifestyle in Hollywood, California (About the Show). Examining season 2 episode 20 we see that it incorporates vulgar language, the image of ‘money’ and particular forms of music which has allowed it to become one of the televisions hottest shows primarily directed towards men.
The young men of this show use very vulgar language when communicating with one another. For example, during an argument between Eric (Vince’s manager) and Aari (Vince’s agent) they communicate vulgar language to one another. In a particular instance Eric says to Aari “if you ever f****** sandbag me like that we are going to have a big f****** problem” (Good Morning Saigon).The above example portrays how men need to be seen as tough and strong when interacting with other male counterparts. There male ego enforces them to act in a particular way through the use of vulgar language in order not to appear weak. From a female stand-point it appears as though that young men in their twenties enjoy viewing this type of degradation because it reinforces them to feel tough and strong.
Along with vulgar language the image of ‘money’ has also become an important aspect in the success of this show. The four young men live in a large expensive house in Hollywood along with driving a Hummer and a Maserati. In this episode, their Maserati is stolen and the following day they go to pick it up. While waiting to pick up their 100,000 dollar car Vincent’s brother Drama makes a comment that “once a car has been stole it never runs the same again, its like a guy sleeping with your girl, he leaves his mark all over” (Good Morning Saigon). The writers portray this as a metaphor that an expensive car is like sleeping with a beautiful woman. Once another man sleeps with a man’s girlfriend she is tainted and he cannot sleep with her again. Hence, one also cannot drive the expensive car because it is tainted by the person who stole it. Relating an expensive car and a beautiful woman in this metaphor argues that most men who wish to be or are successful only care about those two notions. Consequently, it reinforces in a young man’s mind that the only way to be seen as truly masculine is if they have success of having a beautiful car and lady by their side.
While driving around in expensive cars the young men of this show primarily listen to rap music and as a result often draw attention to themselves. The four of them usually go everywhere together and they are depicted as bouncing their heads back and forth while listening to the rap music. Some men viewing this and who enjoy rap themselves see this as the way the rich and famous ‘like to ride’. After viewing this show they might be reinforced to believe that in order to draw attention to themselves, perhaps to pick up a girl, they should be listening to rap music as well.
Some may say that Entourage has become the new Sex and the City for men because of its ability to reinforce the male ego to believe that behaving tough and strong through vulgar language is the way to go. Having become a popular show it provides young men with images of how successful and masculine men should behave. As more young men work to become successful and flaunt their ego Entourage will continue to become one of hottest shows on television.
The young men of this show use very vulgar language when communicating with one another. For example, during an argument between Eric (Vince’s manager) and Aari (Vince’s agent) they communicate vulgar language to one another. In a particular instance Eric says to Aari “if you ever f****** sandbag me like that we are going to have a big f****** problem” (Good Morning Saigon).The above example portrays how men need to be seen as tough and strong when interacting with other male counterparts. There male ego enforces them to act in a particular way through the use of vulgar language in order not to appear weak. From a female stand-point it appears as though that young men in their twenties enjoy viewing this type of degradation because it reinforces them to feel tough and strong.
Along with vulgar language the image of ‘money’ has also become an important aspect in the success of this show. The four young men live in a large expensive house in Hollywood along with driving a Hummer and a Maserati. In this episode, their Maserati is stolen and the following day they go to pick it up. While waiting to pick up their 100,000 dollar car Vincent’s brother Drama makes a comment that “once a car has been stole it never runs the same again, its like a guy sleeping with your girl, he leaves his mark all over” (Good Morning Saigon). The writers portray this as a metaphor that an expensive car is like sleeping with a beautiful woman. Once another man sleeps with a man’s girlfriend she is tainted and he cannot sleep with her again. Hence, one also cannot drive the expensive car because it is tainted by the person who stole it. Relating an expensive car and a beautiful woman in this metaphor argues that most men who wish to be or are successful only care about those two notions. Consequently, it reinforces in a young man’s mind that the only way to be seen as truly masculine is if they have success of having a beautiful car and lady by their side.
While driving around in expensive cars the young men of this show primarily listen to rap music and as a result often draw attention to themselves. The four of them usually go everywhere together and they are depicted as bouncing their heads back and forth while listening to the rap music. Some men viewing this and who enjoy rap themselves see this as the way the rich and famous ‘like to ride’. After viewing this show they might be reinforced to believe that in order to draw attention to themselves, perhaps to pick up a girl, they should be listening to rap music as well.
Some may say that Entourage has become the new Sex and the City for men because of its ability to reinforce the male ego to believe that behaving tough and strong through vulgar language is the way to go. Having become a popular show it provides young men with images of how successful and masculine men should behave. As more young men work to become successful and flaunt their ego Entourage will continue to become one of hottest shows on television.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Television Show Blog
There are numerous sitcoms these days that everyone seems to love or hate. I personally do not watch too many television shows because I do not have that much time to keep up with them and I’d rather spend my time doing other things.
The only television show that I have kept up with watching over the last couple of years is The OC. In the last year and a half it went downhill simply because they ran out of good stories. When Marissa left the show last year it got slightly a bit better because she wasn’t the greatest actress. However, Fox has considered it to be a bad show and is cancelling it this week. I definitely do plan on watching the final episode primarily because I have been watching it for so long, I need to know how they end it.
Other than The OC, the only other television that I watch are shows that you can watch at random times without having to know what is going in the plot or repeats of older television shows. These shows primarily include Friends, King of Queens, American Idol, and The Young and the Restless. Y and R is a soap opera that I have been growing up watching for years. It is a great soap opera that I really only have to watch once every 2 weeks and I’ll still know what’s going on in the plot because soaps do not like to move very fast. Along with the above shows listed I enjoy watching the news, specifically CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Chanel). I love being informed about what is going on around me and the rest of the world.
The only television show that I have kept up with watching over the last couple of years is The OC. In the last year and a half it went downhill simply because they ran out of good stories. When Marissa left the show last year it got slightly a bit better because she wasn’t the greatest actress. However, Fox has considered it to be a bad show and is cancelling it this week. I definitely do plan on watching the final episode primarily because I have been watching it for so long, I need to know how they end it.
Other than The OC, the only other television that I watch are shows that you can watch at random times without having to know what is going in the plot or repeats of older television shows. These shows primarily include Friends, King of Queens, American Idol, and The Young and the Restless. Y and R is a soap opera that I have been growing up watching for years. It is a great soap opera that I really only have to watch once every 2 weeks and I’ll still know what’s going on in the plot because soaps do not like to move very fast. Along with the above shows listed I enjoy watching the news, specifically CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Chanel). I love being informed about what is going on around me and the rest of the world.
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