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.

Internet Influences 4/? NSFW

This blog has already established that we are on the internet for an inordinate amount of time. Possibly an unhealthy amount. But I still always thought of the internet as something you use in your free time, even at school is iffy. But I see people on their laptops during classes, checking their emails and Facebook and whatnot. And depending on the class it may not matter, also, the students are the ones paying for the class so they can choose how to spend that time however they like. But, at work? A friend of mine asked the other day for suggestions of "work-safe" sites she can scroll through while at work.

What? Work-safe? And then I remembered another related acronym: NSFW or Not Safe For Work. So there seems to be a whole culture of people who surf the net while at work, and need warnings on whether a site is appropriate or not in case a supervisor comes walking by and sees. In theory, the best work-safe activity is not going on the internet, but I suppose nowadays the cubicle type jobs or receptionists jobs are not stimulating enough for workers anymore, so these workers have created an acronym for themselves that will help them have fun at their job while being safe. Pictures that may be inappropriate for work will have a simple NSFW warning for these workers to stay away. Or perhaps you are just the squeamish type in general, regardless of if you are at work or not you may decide not to risk it. The internet can be a dangerous and disgusting place, so I for one and grateful for the existence this warning. Whenever there is a service needed on the internet, even one as simple as this, it will be created by its users.

In any case, are there any suggestions for my friend here? What are your favorite "work-safe" sites? News sites, web comics, etc. Do you even go on the internet during work? Is using the internet for non-related business at work appropriate, even when there is nothing going on at work?

Thor

I love it when media is transformed into movies. Comic book into movies, novels into movies, television shows into movies. Movies remade into NEW movies! Lucky for me it happens almost constantly in this day and age. Though I think it says something about the movie industry that almost all movies are based on something else. There are not a lot of original movies these days. Perhaps digital media is draining all of our creativity away? Or perhaps the movie industry realizes their audience is full of people like me who don't need creativity and will gladly pay for movie versions of old stories. Why bother taking a risk on a creative idea when everyone knows that movies like Thor and Captain America will kill at the box office? Always best to go with the sure thing.

Anyway, this blog entry's focus will be on the comic-book-turned-movie Thor. From a popular media point of view, it was a brilliant movie. We start with a very attractive and muscular male lead. And then add Natalie Portman, an extremely popular choice lately, to the point that she is losing the ability to NOT be Natalie Portman. She is saturating the market at this point and it may end up hurting her art as an actress (though it is not hurting her bank account...). It is hard for audiences to see past her fame to the characters she plays. Especially given the very one-dimensional character she was given in Thor. But another key to a successful movie translated from other media is to dumb down the story and characters as much as possible to make it accessible to as many viewers as possible. Thor did indeed have flat characters and a cliche storyline, as well as editing problems. It's understandable when one has to condense such a long running series into a 2-hour movie to have some editing problems. Everything seems to happen so fast, like speed reading through the story.

That's why these types of movies are perfect for the attention deficit youth of today. They don't have time to check out an entire series. Two hours is the limit and it doesn't matter how poorly the movie is put together sometimes, as long as the effects are amazing. The final and most important element to putting together a blockbuster, especially one translated from other media, is the special effects. The fans of the story want to be able to see everything they imagined from the story to be on the big screen, no matter how fantastical. And in order to attract audience members unfamiliar to the original work to read/see the original, they need to be wow'd.

So there you have it, the key to successful blockbuster movies based off a different media. The more people love it, the more that will be made. We already have Captain America coming up, I wonder how that will be?

~Royal Wedding~

Did you watch the Royal Wedding? Man, aren't you sick of hearing about the Royal Wedding? What did you think of the Royal Wedding?

Is this what you've been hearing from friends and co-workers lately? The internet is no different from the real world. No matter where you go, there's no escape. The television was full of coverage of the wedding, and every internet news site or blog was all over it as well. How did another country's major event become our big event? Thanks to social media and digital media in general, another country's news and events can spread to our country like wildfire. Even the fact that the ceremony itself took place at around 3am for us, this did not deter people. If it is possible to watch it, then people are going to watch. Just so they can say that they did.

Digital media has the ability to make us all more worldly. We can witness events around the world live on television or streaming on our computers, or watch it later on Youtube or read about it on various websites, whichever appeals to you more. There is so many choices that international affairs can appeal to anyone!

And of course, big events such as these always inevitably lead to internet shenaningans. While I was searching through article after article of the Royal Wedding, I happened upon this fun one: http://mashable.com/2011/04/30/frowning-flower-girl/ Ah internet, I can always trust you to focus on the smallest, most unimportant part of an event and make them hilarious. Long live Frowning Flower Girl!

What is Digital Media?

So, I came to this blog at a loss of what to write. What kind of digital media should I write about? What IS considered "digital media"? I subsequently took a break and started chatting with a friend online. The person sent me this article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/us-turkey-police-idUSTRE73Q56I20110427 which I found entertaining enough. I decided I would try to do my blog entry on this article, but was at a loss as to how. An international story, not at all related to technology, what is there to discuss digital media wise? That's when I took another look at the article and it hit me: I am reading this article on the internet. I received this article through an instant-messaging service. Honestly, is there a day that goes by that does not involve digital media?

What struck me most about this article is how many ways a person can share it and how easy it is to do so. I think of myself as fairly knowledgeable of the internet but I still thought it was a little overwhelming. This website gives the users a myriad of ways of sharing this article, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, or just plain Email or Print. Now, I don't even really know what Digg is, something about counting readers? Of the other three, I was rather surprised to see LinkedIn paired with Facebook and Twitter. I have a Facebook, Twitter, and a LinkedIn profile, but I always thought LinkedIn was a bit more professional than the other two, not a place you shared articles and such. But perhaps if they are business related articles? It made me rethink the importance of sharing media over social networking sites. Even sharing on LinkedIn is important? Could sharing an article help a person get a job? Something to think about.

I also couldn't help but recall my last blog entry while reading this. The article is almost engulfed by side-bars, appealing to our attention-deficit society. Click on the link and look to see what I mean. Ads, options to share, related news articles, requests to log in, Most Popular list, related videos, comments and more!! It's overwhelming! There is even a section called Social Stream where you can see who has linked this article elsewhere on the internet, mostly through Twitter. Why would anyone need to know who's sending what to who? This is a confusing, public world we live in.

Now I know if I am ever at a loss in discussing Digital Media Literacy, I only need to open my eyes.

ATTENTION!

I'm definitely blaming digital media for my inability to just FOCUS. The sheer amount of possibilities it gives is mind boggling. And the scary thing is, my mind has somehow gotten used to this, to the point where I need it all the time, to the point where I HAVE to multitask. It's not even enough to just watch TV anymore, I'm usually on my laptop on the internet WHILE watching TV! Even when I'm out doing something, hanging out with friends, I have that urge to check my email or see something online. It's horrible. In this modern age, digital media has delivered so much information overload that it has now become the norm to be overloaded. If I'm not overloaded on digital media, I feel like I am wasting time or doing something wrong.

How often are you online everyday? The answer for me is definitely more often that I'd like. Sometimes I would like to think I could break this habit. Surely there are people out there who don't have the internet and they live perfectly healthy lives! Possibly healthier even! Why can't that be me? And then I realize just how much our lives are dependent on the internet. Even now, I have to be on the internet just to complete this assignment!! And once I get on, I have no will-power to keep myself from checking email, watching Youtube videos or any number of internet activities. People, including myself, are certainly developing an addiction to the internet, and I fear how far this addiction can go. Possibly soon there will be rehab centers for internet users. I wouldn't be surprised, hell I'll check myself in.

Internet Influences 3/? Online journals

Why is it that we now want everyone to know everything going on in our lives? Facebook, Twitter, even this blogger site is because we want as many people as possible to know our thoughts and activities. When did that start happening? I like to think of myself as a private person, but how can I say that when I have a Facebook? However, in comparison to many of my peers, I AM a private person because I don't write a status every single day or tweet whenever I do or see anything remotely interesting. This blatant sharing of personal information has become so popular thanks to the internet and social media websites and I don't know if I like it or not. Sure, I think Facebook is a great way of keeping in touch with acquaintances or making friends or networking. But it can easily become addicting and ties into our self-esteem more than it should. People try to gauge how "social" or "popular" they are based on the number of Facebook friends they have, no matter how shallow the connection. I fear that the younger generation will rely too heavily on these sites and fail to make meaningful relationships.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Saying that, I also see the positive side to online interactions. I am apart of a site called Livejournal, which is basically a site for people to keep their online journals, much like Blogger.com. I don't know much about Blogger.com and perhaps it also has this feature, but the aspect of Livejournal I most appreciate is the addition of communities. Along with creating a personal journal, it is possible to create a "community" which is set up like a journal, and other people can interact and post on this community using their own journals as identification. Some of the unique aspects of Livejournal is that there are thousands of communities on the site but they are all connected due to a certain language and a certain type of user. It is a place where people can comfortable share their interests and their fandoms with others. I mention this site because I see many positive interactions and friendships created. Livejournal communities have even contributed to charities, currently there is a community called help_japan: that has already raised almost $50,000 by auctioning off art and services by their users for their users. A similar community was created for the disaster in Haiti, among other international crises.

So in short, I'm rather conflicted about these social media sites. In some instances, prevent people from making deep, real-life connections. At the same time there are other sites that can have very positive influences on people and even society. It's all a matter of how you use them.

Advertising Strategies

Finding the right advertising strategy is obviously an important part of running any successful business. Beyond logos, companies may have to create billboard designs, a clever magazine ad or a compelling commercial, among other options. In this entry I'd like to focus on the importance of finding the right spokesperson for one's product by using a piece of digital media from another country.

The Japanese company Nintendo is known world-wide as one of the three main superpowers in the video game world. So for them, marketing is no longer a huge issue because they already have a huge fanbase wanting to buy their products. Still, every company wants to expand and Nintendo is no different. I was quite impressed with Nintendo's new choice in spokesperson for their products in Japan.

Arashi, pictured here, is an insanely popular boy band in Japan, known for their huge body of extremely loyal fangirls. Most video game companies know that their main market is largely male and they naturally create advertising campaigns geared toward them. However, Nintendo decided to go a different route. Confident that males would buy their products regardless, they decided to target a completely different audience: pre-teen to teenage girls. It started out with two Arashi members playing a new Mario game. The ads quickly became a huge success as fangirls jumped at the chance to support their idols and play the same games that they play. Nintendo began using this boy band to advertise all of their major new products and watched the raise in sales.

Eventually, Nintendo got to the point where they could release ads like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJSRdrJg4WU Basically, these are a series of 15 second ads, showing each member's reaction to playing the 3DS. Again, Nintendo knew what they needed and what they didn't need. Why bother spending money and time making a complicated commercial? The hype the 3DS had created already ensured that the video game community was aware of the 3DS and didn't need a commercial telling them to buy it. Arashi fangirls may not know about the 3DS, but all they really need is to see the members of the band in a commercial using it and they are sold. No need to get fancy, Arashi's presence does all the work for Nintendo. It's a case of work smart not hard and Nintendo has definitely learned how to work smart in Japan.

Internet Influences 2/? - Memes: I'mma let you finish...

Internet memes can be created from any number of things and if they are good enough they can be surprisingly long lasting. And even if they don't last forever on the internet, they can last in our hearts and minds right? Okay maybe not, but they're good for some laughs. Let's take a meme created from a current event. In 2009, Kanye West caused a media uproar by interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Music Video Awards: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z8gCZ7zpsQ

Of course, the internet (I speak of the internet as those people who never seem to leave the internet) jumped on this story and used it to create hilarious photoshopped images, as they are wont to do:

The more people made them, the more ridiculous they became. The sheer amount of them that I was able to find surprised me. The image board 4chan, infamous for the sheer depravity that can often be found on its countless pages of discussions, is often the culprit for the creation of these types of image-heavy memes. Someone creates a picture about a current event, posts it onto 4chan or any site, people see it and like it, and then everyone else tries to make their own version. Creating a successful meme I imagine can give a person a boost in self-esteem, even being a part of it makes you feel like you are popular for a moment, even if it is just on the internet and no one knows your true identity. You know something you created has entertained people and it makes you feel good. I believe this is the basis for most internet memes. It's similar to being an artist or performer, except there is no chance of ever getting money out of internet memes. In a way that makes it a purer form of digital media, no corporations are involved just a person on the internet, like you, created something funny and wanted to share it.

And the more fluent a person is in memes and media in general, the better chance a person has of creating content that people on the internet will enjoy. It is almost like a status symbol, showing off knowledge of the internet to make yourself look cooler. I am always impressed by the amount of time and effort people must put into creating some of these memes, and the cleverness involved in them. However, if they are created or used on 4chan, the potential for them to become horribly offensive high. Even for this little meme poking fun at Kanye I found some offensive, black humor type versions that I could not repost. With the anonymity that the internet gives, people will not hold back in the least, so you have to be careful where you surf.

Internet Influences 1/?

Do you ever find yourself wanting to "Like" statements in real life? Or want to say things like "lol" "irl"? This is a clear sign you are on the internet too much. Don't worry, it can happen to the best of us. The average young person these days spends inordinate amounts of time on the internet, whether it be Facebook or Youtube or any kind of internet website or forum. I know my friends and I are guilty of the same, often slipping famous internet memes into conversation whenever possible.

Is this a bad thing? In some cases yes. Overuse of the internet can cause health problems such as obesity and have a negative effect on a person's sleep habits to name just a few. There is also the possibility of negatively affect a person's ability to use proper grammar. I can imagine if today's young people grow up using the internet often, internet speak can have a serious impact on a young student's ability to properly use their own language in an academic setting. But if used responsibly, the internet can be an extremely fun, and intellectually stimulating multicultural place. I love seeing the brilliance inherent in these extremely popular memes and how people use them and often eventually mold them into new evolutions. I find it exciting to see how people twist their language into something new and fun on the internet. For me, I know I'm on the internet too much, but I just can't bring myself to look away.

What Should I Do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BZAP4JvdOg

Here is a piece of digital media that weaves together a variety of forms of media that are all interconnecting. So before you watch this clip, you need a certain amount of media knowledge. Remember the whole LeBron James story that was so huge in summer of 2010? From my viewpoint in Chicago, tensions were high when he finally decided against joining the Bulls. Or the "Summer of Bron" as this article refers to it as: http://www.aolnews.com/2010/10/25/lebrons-nike-ad-asks-what-should-i-do/ which also includes the subsequent ad campaign Nike created to go along with the story. Then there was the BP spill the same summer when BP aired ads to apologize: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKcrDaiGE2s&feature=related

And here is where South Park comes in. Anyone who watches South Park knows they are famous for their satire on current events, especially in recent years. In the same episode from Season 14 entitled "The Coon vs. The Coon and Friends," South Park parodies both of these commercial ads. First there is the Nike parody http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clb_GMavg-o&feature=related and then the parody of the BP ads: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWaP58rzn6w&feature=related

And then we come back to the first clip of this post. Some clever person managed to interweave both of these paraodies from South Park with the actual Nike ad and uploaded it onto Youtube. So let's take stock of all the digital media we have here: first the original news stories, Nike and BP making ads from these news stories, South Park taking these ads and recreating them in their television show, and then finally some media consumer taking everything and uploading it to Youtube. And if you miss just one piece you can very easily get lost. The reason I chose this example is because I experienced this lost feeling when I watched this episode of South Park. While I had read about the news stories, I didn't have a television that summer so I had never seen the commercial. So when a friend showed me the South Park episode we had to stop and go on Youtube to find the original commercials. I find it amazing how interdependent digital media has become and I love exploring it.

Logo Success

What makes a logo recognizable? The best kind of logo is one that can be recognized without text, giving it the potential to be recognized worldwide and transcend language barriers. It is usually an eventual transition to textless that logos go through once they become popular enough. Though I don't remember myself, I'm sure there was once a time when no one would instantly recognize the golden arches as "McDonald's." Now Starbucks has gone the way of textless logos, expanding the siren and cutting off the surrounding text. Many try to have a logo that at least partially describes the name. Taco Bell has a purple bell, Firefox has a fox made of fire, and Nike (even though it may not be common) has the swoosh, which is supposed to represent the wings of the goddess Nike. But given that not everyone does realize where the swoosh came from, that means that it is not always important to have the logo describe the name. The Blackberry logo isn't a black berry, it's just a bunch of shapes but everyone still knows that when they see those shapes it means they are looking at something that involves a Blackberry. So how do they manage it?

I invite you to answer this because I certainly couldn't tell you. It's a matter of having a simple design and the ability to get it out there as much as possible. The Blackberry was successful because there are a lot of functions on the Blackberry that you can use in many places, so people see that "Blackberry compatible" symbol everywhere and it gets ingrained in people. How would you design a successful logo?

First Post

When you look hard enough, there are so many symbols and signs that permeate our consciousness through digital media. I used to spend a lot of time watching the television, and the one thing I noticed that was growing at an alarming rate was product placement. This is when a TV show or movie will subtly (or sometimes not so subtly) advertise a certain product because they are getting funding from that company or business. You might see a character driving a getaway car in an action movie and suddenly the camera zooms in on the Honda logo on the car. Or perhaps a character whips out his or her phone and the camera zooms in enough for the audience to see that it is an iPhone. I believe this shows just how much of a consumer culture we have become in America. Now companies are even invading the stories within our movies and television shows to coax us into buying their products. It really doesn't take much either. Just a flash of a logo or a mention of a name by a character is enough to plant the seed of desire in the audience's mind. It really is astounding how much power a simple symbol can have.

Sometimes a show will actually make a parody version of a popular symbol to show the audience what product they want to mention but don't have the permission to vote. I noticed one show in particular, a children's show entitled "iCarly" using what they called "Pear" products with pear logos on them. When you see these products it is obvious they are meant to be "Apple" products by the way the products are designed and the way they look on the show. The Pear logo looks as close to the Apple logo as possible, and the laptops and phones the characters use are the models and designs of the actual "Apple" product. It is funny that some companies are so huge and their designs are so distinctive in popular culture that people will recognize their product no matter what, even if it is a parody.