Monkey See

“In one of the earliest studies of this issue, children many decades ago reported that most of their information about people from different nationalities came from their parents and television, with TV becoming increasingly important as the child grew older (Lambert & Klineberg, 1967)” (Harris 65).

TV is replacing real life observation when dealing with people unlike ourselves. Different races, genders, economic classes etc. are portrayed repetitively on television and in movies. There are a number of stock characters on television, stereotypes of women vs. men, white v. black, straight vs. gay, or child vs. adult. However there aren’t these perfect boxes in reality, as everyone is a unique individual with a different story that may or may not match up to a predetermined list of character traits based on television’s pseudo-reality. In neighborhoods where there is little diversity, children will learn to base their knowledge about other cultures off of media information. This ignorance creates problems later when sheltered children become prejudiced adults.

For example, women are often portrayed as imperialistically inferior, and they use seduction and deception for purposes of self-promotion. They are also often seen as overly emotional and catering to men both in the workplace and at home. This subliminally tells women that they are supposed to use sex and not intellect to gain respect and power. Men are often portrayed as insensitive or blundering, and out of touch with their emotional side. They are also seen as dominant both in the workplace and at home. This subliminally tells men that they are not allowed to have feelings, or that they are required to be in control of everything.

Media Motives

“What draws different people to consume different types of media may be a critical issue” (38).

Why does a small child turn on Saturday morning cartoons while his father reads the local paper and his mother reads a romance novel? Different people gravitate towards different types of media, and answering “Why?” is a big piece of understanding the effects that this media has on the human brain.

One thing that influences the motives for media is the target audience and intended use of the media. For example, a child will probably like a television show that is intended to entertain a youth demographic more than he or she will like a show that is intended to educate a college demographic. The target audience and intent of a certain piece of media may also partially rely on stereotypes or profiling. Society defines roles for certain genders, races, social classes, ages, and other demographics, and these roles play into the types of media we gravitate towards. For example, a grown man will probably like an news article that pertains to his college football team more than a magazine article pertaining to his wife’s favorite fashion designer.

Harris also mentions the parasocial connections that consumers feel with media figures, be they a news anchorwoman or a comic book character. Even though these figures are fictional, or at least, not physically available in person, consumers feel a great deal of emotional attachment and empathy to them. When fictional characters or idolized celebrities die, overcome a hardship, or undergo a traumatic experience, consumers and followers feel the burden and loss as if the character or figure had been a close friend or family member. This sort of relationship with physically or emotionally unavailable is a phenomenon that spurs many people to watch television, read books, or follow celebrities. If these pseudo-relationships take the form of real-life relationships, then it explains why certain demographics (of age, race, economic status, level of education, gender, etc.) gravitate towards different types of media, because they relate most to characters and figures of similar demographics.

Form and Flowers

Yesterday we had a speaker talk to us about the visual elements of composition. We discussed the basics of form, such as lines and shape, as well as design, such as color and harmony. We also viewed many examples of art, by artists ranging from O’Keefe to Hopper to Van Gogh, studying the focal points and the compositions of each painting.

We also talked about framing each subject with variance, by using rectangular, triangular, and circular frames to study the same subject of a sunflower. The same sunflower made various different images based on the framing, lighting and position of reference (e.g. in a vase, lying on a table, etc). Our homework assignment was to compose an image of a sunflower, using mixed media (watercolors, pencils, and watercolor paper).

In terms of media, the visual layout of a logo, blog, or website must also have these aesthetic elements. Focal points in a logo or on a banner help draw the user to the central message of a site, and the color scheme also enhances user satisfaction.

In television or films, the visual composition of each frame is important for the exposition of the plot. Bird’s-eye view, panning, and montage sequences are all perspectives that videographers use as tools in telling their stories.

Special Effects

We had another speaker to discuss the medium of film, both its history and impact on the American culture. Since its creation, the art of cinema has been integral in entertaining and education the American public.

Film began as an experiment with projections and images, and has grown into a highly influential media that opens up discussion about social, political, and cultural issues, all while being accessible to a range of viewers. Film studios previously had production codes that dictated the studios to be politically correct. Now, movies and TV shows cross many borders and be politically incorrect, to expose problems in society. Criticisms of cultures and social customs come in the form of a feature-length motion picture, and somehow viewers can neutralize their strong opinions, because the films that make people think don’t focus on philosophical verbiage but instead, on the human condition, regardless of political viewpoints.

Most notably, war films have played an important role in the course of American history. These exemplify the ability of cinema to make statements about controversies, as war always has its fair share of supporters and condemners. Instead of focusing on the principles or the reasons for the war, war films, or anti-war films, tend to instead focus on the ambiguity of the causes, and the certainty of experiences. Every soldier, no matter what side he is fighting on, is trapped in a terrifying and trying situation. Audiences, whether or not they approve of the war, feels compassion and sympathy for the harsh reality of war life.

The Digital Divide

Today we had a speaker talk to us about the digital divide that is sweeping the globe. We are still divided between the haves and the have-nots, but the chasm is no longer created by the stock market, but instead technology. This problem is not only prevalent in our own country, but across the world.

How many times a day do we log into our WordPresses and Facebooks? Are you constantly refreshing your phone browser for new messages and IMs? Does your phone even have a web browser on it? Do you even have a phone? These little things that seem like daily habits and devices for us are novelties or even unknown to many parts of the world. The truth is, only a small fraction of the population has any access to the Internet at all, and that may not even be cable or broadband access.

We probably don’t think about this, as citizens with access, but some people have to walk to the local library, or Internet café just to check their email. Some families, or even whole communities don’t have cell phones, and they have trouble reaching one another in emergencies or remote locations. Whole countries have sections that are left behind in the wake of this digital revolution, and they don’t have basic capabilities to survive, in terms of water, shelter, health care or education, much less the resources to maintain a proper footing in the stream of digital media.

Even within economically stable communities, physical or mental handicaps hinder the abilities of people to fully access digital media. Digital natives are comfortable with adapting to almost any form of new media that arises, but digital immigrants have difficulties learning new concepts and keeping up with the ever-changing nature of new media phenoms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Also, mental impairments stop some from physically operating technology such as digital cameras, smartphones, webcams, etc.

How do we close this gap? Do we solve other problems of genocide and world hunger before we move onto privileges like blogging and Skype? What does the world look like if everyone had equal access? What would happen then?

Film Feedback

Novmber  4,2010

Today we viewed the first segment of the film The Night That Panicked America, a film set on the night that War of the Worlds aired on public radio. It dramatized not only the making of the broadcast but also the reaction of the American public to said broadcast.

The pieces about the making of the broadcast helped put faces to voices, especially in terms of facial expressions and reactions. The amount of effort put into the sound effects made it very clear how important they were to the program. The use of everyday sounds, such as a jar or a piece of paper, instantly become Watching the informality with which the program was pulled together right before air time juxtaposes nicely with the suspense of the story that the actors are reading.

The American public that is portrayed is fairly diverse. Not only do the different families come from different parts of the country, but they each have different social classes and economic situations, and most importantly, a wide variety of conflicts. Each family is dealing with home life, such as prejudice or parental pressure, and of course the looming World War II, and Hitler’s Final Solution. These various conflicts are all indicative of the tumultuous time period into which War of the Worlds descended.

November 11, 2010

We have now viewed the second segment of the video, and we are discussing the causes for the reactions to the radio broadcast War of the Worlds.

Because of the various social and economic backgrounds that the characters come from, the gullible nature of human beings must play a significant role in the reaction of the American public. Imagination also plays a significant role, as shown in the case of the children and the younger audience members. Americans tend to grasp at minor pieces of sensational information, no matter how outlandish or ridiculous, especially when there is a threat to our civilization. Especially in a time period fraught with threats of Nazis and total destruction, the added suggestion of an unknown force rendering Americans totally helpless sent the public into a frenzy of anxiety and panic.

The sound effects, especially background voices and movement adds to the reality of the show. The same few actors used accents and music and noises to convey a more complicated version of the scene. The use of everyday sounds like paper, footsteps, and background voices suddenly became a aural backdrop for a tense and realistic Martian landing. Humans involuntarily react to certain noises and sounds, and by harnessing those reactions, the Columbia Broadcasting System manipulated minds.

War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds was a radio broadcast, based on H.G. Wells’s novel of the same name, meant in the spirit of Halloween. In the broadcast, Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air dramatized a fictional Martian sighting and proceeded to question humanity and science.

The broadcast proved successful for a variety of reasons. Sound effects, music and different voices for different characters all contributed to the authenticity of the story. On the flip side to that, the silences and the lack of recognizable noise also contributed to the suspense and anxiety that the audience felt. The repetition of facts and certain characters made the story easier to follow, and as an audience member, it was also easier to keep all the facts and opinions straight. The fear, confusion, and desperation evident in many of the narrators’ voices also added a layer of truth to the show.

One thing that gave the story even more credibility was the fact that the story itself was set up like a radio broadcast, and it was told over the medium in which it was portraying, giving it an extra boost into reality. The radio element also left more room for the audience to create their own images of the event. Though the story was clearly fictional and slightly dated, I was still able to personally conjure images in my head.

 

Storytelling Speaker

Last Friday we had another guest speaker come to discuss the art of storytelling. Not only did he tell us some of his own personal stories, but in doing so, he revealed to us the elements of any good story.

One element in the story is conflict or tension. Stories are always about something going wrong. There may be different circumstances based on character choices, setting, time period, etc. but stories always have an arc that is centered around a problem. Every good story also has an overarching theme that encompasses the greater community outside the characters in the story. These themes tend to be more abstract, dealing with concepts like curiosity or fear more than concrete elements like mirrors and doors. Of course, using symbolism to link these physical objects to abstract themes is another trick that storytellers use.

After stories are created, they must be told or else they are no longer stories but just memories. There are also pieces involved in the way a story is shared, either orally, as is thought traditional, or some other way. These pieces include sounds, dialects, voices, tone, hand gestures or other visual stimuli, and most of all, suspense. The ways that a story sounds and looks are beneficial to the audience because these elements create a cohesive picture in each audience member’s mind of what the scene looks like and sounds like. Different voices for different characters, music, and sound effects for actions without words are all part of creating that reality. Suspense is, of course, the driving factor of any story. We always want to know what happens next, for if we didn’t, the story would be over.

Though there are many stories that have been created and passed down, they all share in their purposes. As our speaker said, stories are gifts to the audience. Stories serve to teach in an entertaining fashion. Stories pass down ancient wisdom and guide younger generations through new experiences. Stories are invitations to the audience to join the storyteller on a journey, through to a different time and a different place.