FINAL ENTRY: TV vs. Netflix

“That show sounds good, I’ll Netflix it.” This is something I hear more and more now that Netflix streaming has boosted the company’s popularity to its current glory. Instead of finding TV shows on the actual television, people just go straight to Netflix. Some people, like me, have no other choice. One show that I used to watch on television all the time is the hospital-themed sitcom Scrubs. Netflix Instant has the entire series, all 8 seasons, streaming for free so I never have to watch it on television or buy the DVDs. My media-life has changed completely thanks to Netflix Instant. The existence of digital media like Netflix Instant is changing the landscape of American media all together.

Oh Netflix, I never knew watching TV could be so good. And easy. And cheap. Running with the Scrubs example, with this new way of watching TV I can watch Scrubs on my terms. I can watch whenever I want, whichever episode I want, and however many episodes I want. Not only that, but there are no commercials and I get to watch the full, uncut version of every episode. Even though before I started watching Scrubs on Netflix I had seen every episode multiple times, I managed to see scenes I had never seen before because they were cut on television, unbeknownst to me until now. All of this is at a fraction of the price it would cost to have the entire series on DVD or getting cable, if it even still airs anymore.

The format is also so much more preferable, because every episode is online and on the screen, making it easy to scroll through and find the one I want or watch multiple episodes. No more switching DVDs constantly trying to find a good episode. Or having to listen to excruciatingly annoying menu music... On Netflix I can preview any episode with ease. The only downside to Netflix streaming would be if you have a bad internet connection. Occasionally, my viewing has been interrupted by random reloading, but much less often than I would expect. All in all, I prefer watching Scrubs on Netflix streaming now, even though it is so different from the way I used to watch.

I know I'm not the only one who has become smitten with Netflix Instant. More people are making the migration from television to the internet, if not with Netflix then with Hulu or...illegitimate means. Obviously, this will cause a disturbance in the Force. What will advertisers do now that a huge amount of people who used to watch their commercials aren't anymore? And how much will this screw with Nielsen ratings? Not only that, but the audience themselves will change now that they have changed media. I felt like watching television kept me in touch with the world. More than just not watching the news, even by just watching commercials I had a better idea of what was going on around me and what people were doing or eating or buying for fun. Without TV I miss out on new movie trailers, funny commercials that can be laughed about with friends, or new products on the market. We're heading for a strange new media world out there. Get your popcorn out, it's going to be interesting.

Whatever, whatever, I do what I want

It's summer time. How do you decide to dress? Do you wear what's comfortable or do you let the media tell you what you should wear? This has been a societal problem in America for a long time and will continue to be a problem for a long time. Fashion is interesting and all, but when it takes away from comfort and mobility I think it goes too far. But people always want to "fit in" and in order to do that, they think they have to look to the media for answers. Their sources are interviews with fashion designers, reports of celebrity outfits, fashion blogs, etc. People will trust these media sources over anything, more than their own sense of what is comfortable or what the people around them may say.

I have never been into fashion, so it is hard for me to understand willingly shelling out hundreds of dollars for clothes or shoes that aren't even comfortable. I'm not saying everyone should wear pajamas everyday all day, but why torture yourself and your wallet in such a way? That is why I found this rant by Drew Magary on Deadspin so interesting: http://deadspin.com/5805887/ill-wear-shorts-if-i-goddamn-want-to Apparently, there are media sources out there that say that men should not wear shorts, even in the summer.

...Why not? The best thing I noticed about this issue is the comments on the rant did not even know this was an issue. Who thinks guys shouldn't wear shorts? Not only do the comments on this rant ask this question, but I asked around to my own peers and none had ever heard of this either. So it isn't the people around us who think this is bad, it is the media that is sending people this message. This isn't even peer pressure, it's media pressure that people see as peer pressure. Magary has the right idea by disregarding the media when it makes unreasonable demands to its consumers. It's hot, if you want to wear shorts, wear them, whether you are a man or a woman. Don't change your behaviors just because someone in the media told you to, only do it if it works for you. Magary is also right to put his side of the issue on the internet. Counteract media you disagree with with your own media. The more the merrier!

Insticts, They Have None

As we learned in class, it is important to have instincts and common sense when reading internet articles. Think of the source, the relevance to your life, the date, and in general, be critical of anything you find on the internet. It is important to always examine any article to find out if it is a reputable source. Sadly, many do not do that and instead find themselves chock full of misinformation through no one's fault but their own. Take this tumblr site for example: http://literallyunbelievable.tumblr.com/ The title of the site is "'Literally Unbelievable' Stories from The Onion as interpreted by Facebook" and as the title suggests, it is made up of screenshots of people's statuses and comments about The Onion on Facebook. All of these people mistakenly believe that The Onion is a real news source, instead of the parody it so clearly is, and respond angrily to these "outrageous" stories as if they were truly news.

Your goal in life as a digital media consumer should be to avoid being these people. They are a sight to be ridiculed for their ignorance and their lack of instincts and awareness. First of all, everyone should at least know of The Onion even if they have never read it personally. It is a famous enough newspaper that the name should at least ring a bell. And if it doesn't ring a bell, what does that tell you? If it is a legitimate news source, it is well known by all. The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc. The Onion, however? The name doesn't exactly ooze legitimacy. The name doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with news. That should be the first clue. Even though the tagline says "America's Finest News Source", that doesn't mean it is. Captions and taglines lie all the time, like now for instance. Keep a critical mind whenever you read any type of source.

Finally, the content itself should have tipped people off. If it sounds too ridiculous to be true, then it probably is. Do not take everything at face value. If something doesn't seem right, get a second opinion. Do some research. Before you start making a fool out of yourself making accusations at a fake news source.

Internet Influences 6/6: Internet and Anonymous Pride

This weekend, I attended Anime Central aka ACen, as I usually do this time of year. The definition from the website is as follows:

What is ACen?

Anime Central (ACen) is Chicago’s and the Midwest’s largest anime, manga and Japanese popular culture convention. The convention is currently held in Rosemont, IL, less than 30 minutes from downtown Chicago.

Since I've been going to DePaul, I've attended this event with the DePaul group called the Japanese Media Appreciation Club. Together, we enjoy sharing our love of all types of digital media, both foreign and domestic, in the extreme. For three days, we spend all our money on media merchandise, take pictures of or dress up in costumes, meet voice actors, directors, artists of all types of media, and just generally enjoy the company of similarly minded people, as I explained in my other convention post.

One thing I noticed at the convention this year was the overabundance of internet pride. Much of it from the website http://www.4chan.org. The most notable was the abundance of people wearing Guy Fawkes masks like the picture above. Not only were people wearing it, the convention itself was selling it, promoting the pride. These masks represent Anonymous, a group that came from an internet meme started on the website 4chan. 4chan defines Anonymous in its FAQ section on the website:

Who is "Anonymous"?
"Anonymous" is the name assigned to a poster who does not enter text in to the [Name] field. Anonymous is not a single person, but rather, represents the collective whole of 4chan. He is a god amongst men. Anonymous invented the moon, assassinated former President David Palmer, and is also harder than the hardest metal known to man: diamond. His power level is rumored to be over nine thousand. He currently resides with his auntie and uncle in a town called Bel-Air (however, he is West Philadelphia born and raised). He does not forgive.

Even this description, meant to answer a question for newcomers, is laden with memes from 4chan that would be unrecognizable to those unfamiliar with the site. This website can be a very exclusive place on the internet and is infamous for its cruel and unrelenting users.

Since the website 4chan was originally derived from a Japanese website called 2chan, it makes sense that many of the people at this Japanese anime convention know of it. Still, in the early days of anime conventions the event was more about the art of anime and manga and Japanese traditional culture instead of internet and general nerd culture. Once again the internet has changed the way we do things. Although this website is in fact connected to Japanese culture, I am not sure it is something that should be so proudly celebrated. I know and use this website myself, so it is not that I am completely against it. As an otaku or nerd, I realize this site has become a part of our culture. My problem is that anime conventions to me had always been a place where people can be free to be themselves and not feel judged for their interests that are often seen as abnormal by the masses. I had always thought of it as an event of acceptance, but now the event is promoting this extremely unaccepting and often hateful website. But there is no stopping the force of media and how it can change a culture.

Editing

I am currently taking an Editing 101 class, and I must say I am learning a lot. Editors really are the so-called "gatekeepers" of digital media or any media. They have the final decision on what we get to see. As Walter Murch, one of the most well-respected editors in the business, says in his book, In the Blink of an Eye, "Good editing makes a director look good. Great editing makes a film look like it wasn't directed at all." This shows that the editors have a lot of power and influence over a piece of work. And yet, we never really know who editors are. We know the directors, the writers, the actors, but never the editors. But these people arguably have the most important job of all.

No matter how creative or how great a vision an artist has, in this society if an artist wants to make any money or be involved in popular culture he or she will have to deal with editors. And editors can alter an artist's vision in a way they feel is fit for society to view. They decide what's appropriate for audiences, what should be cut and what should be left in. Even if the artist feels something is important and should be shown, it is not the artist's decision to make. So really, the editors are a huge part in what makes it to our screens and magazines, and therefore they are in charge of shaping both our culture and our way of thinking. Now that I know they hold this much power, I have much more respect for all editors. I also realize now that choosing the right editor is an extremely important task. This is the person who will be in charge of finalizing any and all of future media. I sure hope they are treated with proper reverence in the business world, because they are certainly lacking in notoriety in the pop culture world they helped create.

Cyberstalking

By now, most people have heard of cyberbullying, where a person is bullied over the internet, through email, social media sites, etc. This is a huge problem with teenagers, some of the victims going so far as to commit suicide from this type of bullying. Due to the suicides, cyberbullying has gained attention and legitmacy, there is even a book on sale called the Cyberbully Survival Guide geared toward parents so that they can recognize the signs and know if their child is a victim of cyberbullying. http://www.survivorsinaction.com/cyberbully_survival_guide.htm

However, I was just watching Good Morning America today and they had a small segment on cyberstalking. Not cyberbullying, cyberstalking. For some reason, I have never thought of this before. Unlike cyberbullying, this is a problem that affects adults as well, and from the testimonies I saw about it, both males and females. Cyberstalking is a serious problem that can be and should be reported to the police, but is often not reported since it does not seem like a serious issue to some. Even now, the internet is still not taken seriously as a form of communication or interaction. Of course, people use it everyday for communication, but people still believe this is a lower form of communication because it is impersonal. But as we have seen from cyberbullying, the consequences of internet interactions are very real.

Cyberstalking should also be considered a serious problem because it can easily lead to physical stalking. People give up so much personal information online these days that it is so easy for a cyberstalker to find a phone number or address and move off the internet and harass in person. I believe this issue should be made more public to promote more awareness on the importance of internet privacy. Social media sites especially will push for people to give up their privacy more and more and many people do not realize the problems this can cause. Cyberstalking is just one of the many problems that can come from over-sharing online. So please people, think twice before you give any of your personal information online!

Conventions

You know a piece of digital media has rocketed through your "Manifestation Baseline" when you plan on going to a convention. The type of convention I'm talking about is the type full of nerds in costumes, people paying tons of money for autographs and photographs of the actors of their favorite characters, the buying and selling of collectible merchandise, etc. I love going to conventions. When I was younger, the only type of convention I knew about was an anime convention, a convention dedicated to Japanese animation and the fanbase of Japanese animation in Chicago. But now I know there are more than just anime conventions. There are sci-fi conventions, comic conventions, television show conventions, I've been to all kinds at this point. What is the reason for going to and spending money at these types of places?

I realized that digital media can be an important and meaningful part of a person's life for some. There are people, myself included, who are escapists, meaning they use digital media as a means to "escape" or forget their ordinary lives and dream of a different one, if only for an hour or so. These people tend to really get involved with digital media, so much so that it will affect their behavior in real life, like going to conventions. Conventions are also great places to meet people with similar interests, as everyone there has a huge interest in common already. And it is a place where you do not have to be ashamed about having digital media break your manifestation baseline, because it obviously does for everyone there. Last, conventions are a place to buy merchandise relating to whichever digital media is represented there. Buying merchandise helps support the media but also helps the fans. Just carrying around a piece of your favorite media can have an affect on you. Maybe carrying around a pendant your hero wears will make you feel stronger, or maybe you love waking up to a poster of your favorite show every morning to motivate you.

Small things like this can have a big affect on people, so that's why I have a great appreciation for conventions that allow people affected deeply by digital media to have a place where they can relax and geek out to their heart's content.