28: Media Class in One Sentence

The media, while sometimes deeply inspiring, or exhilarating, or terrifying, is not so much created for us as it is to an intensely preconceived construct, whose objectives can always be traced back to money.

27: The Lessons of the Amanda Todd Story

There are just so many.  I think this really serves as a very real reflection of who we are becoming as a generation, and the ignorance that just runs absolutely rampant in the online world.  This story shows us how through the internet and almost nothing else, unimaginable damage can be done to a person, even, as this case showed, to the point of suicide.  Honestly, closely examining the layers to this story to me show shades of Lord of the Flies, in that there is a part of people that are just pure evil.  However, today's shipwreck is a life that has treated a person poorly, but now people don't even have to leave the comfort of their own homes to drive people to the point where they would take their own life.  I mean, there's nothing we can do about that as individuals except not become that person, but this story just goes so much deeper.  The amount of times it could have been turned around are just innumerable, and every single time the internet provided only mockery and harsh, harsh cruelty.  I suppose as a culture we could figure out where the line is, but in my opinion there are just too many idiots out there.  It's not that they weren't there before, just that now they can open photoshop and meme away until eventually their wave hits home.  While all of this is just unbelievably depressing, I think it's important that we realize the internet has many many layers, and has an extent of power over the psychology of this and future generations so vast, I don't think anyone can fully grasp it.

26: The Media and Freedom of Speech

As previously addressed in the Dixie Chicks/Ellen blog, the concept of Freedom of Speech has recently risen to a much talked-about thing in the past few weeks, in the wake of the attack on Charlie Hebdo.  As an individual, I would say a place a quite large value on freedom of speech as part of today's democratic society.  Now, with the tensions revolving around Islamic State, and the subsequent acts of violence with regards to topics such as this, light has been shed on the fact that speech is not quite so "free" in the minds of other governments and cultures.  Granted, the body behind this most recent of attacks is agreeably extreme in nature, but still I don't think many people often even really regard free speech as a right that isn't always so upheld, which is understandable given the society in which we live in the developed world.  Addressing the issue itself head-on, I would say that free speech, especially of the satirical or outspeaking nature, is incredibly important as a basic human right.  Again and again media events circle back to the point of offence, and how the reactions of different individuals differ when shown similar material.  The great thing about the right to free speech is that it kind of trumps all that, and although sometimes saying the wrong things can certainly end your career as a popular artist (just ask the Dixie Chicks), in no way should it be getting anyone, much less a group of people killed.

25: Final Exam Project

I am working with Karly and Maya for my final exam project, and our product is a Canadian-themed fragrance, which has both mens' and women's' versions: True North.  We are advertising True North from the patriotism angle, trying to play a sector of the market that hasn't necessarily been explicitly targeted before when it comes to fragrance.  The idea was to create the idea that this product somehow enhances your value as a Canadian, or, to better parallel the slogan, represent the country with a bold present and respect for the past.  Our motto is "live the legacy", which essentially represents the idea of our product as a nod to the past, but simultaneously seems to say that the use of the product will also enhance your life, and make you more like those noteworthy past Canadians.  Our product is supposed to come off as a rugged yet classy thing, which is suitable for almost anyone, if they're willing to pay the (very reasonable) price of 50 Canadian dollars.

22: Canadian Pop Culture

In my opinion, to look into the heart of Canadian pop culture, we needn't look further than Molson Canadian.  As a brand, they have masterfully pinned themselves as uniquely Canadian, and represent essentially everything we as a country represent.  Through their advertisements, they have painted themselves as a benevolent entity, who appreciates family as well as a need/want to let loose and have fun.  They have no shortages of promos or free offers, and somehow they always seem to be there when an important Canada-specific event transpires (for example, giving away tickets and jerseys to the World Juniors if you could score through a little hole in their big red beer fridge).  They stay with the times, creating hashtags for themselves, the most notable of which is also the most Canadian: #anythingforhockey.  Also, they put more time into making their commercials elaborate and back storied than any other brand I can think of.  I think this is somehow supposed to elicit a subconscious underlying Canadian appreciation for hard work.  These commercials also appeal to essentially anyone with a heart, for example the group of friends who travelled thousands of kilometres into the remote jungle to bring their old buddy beer and a TV to watch the World Juniors, or the man who flew his dad by helicopter out to play hockey on a mountaintop rink to show his appreciation for the support he gave him as a child.  Through great advertising techniques, I feel that Molson Canadian has solidified themselves as almost a symbol of Canadianism, and definitely sums up Canadian pop culture.

21: Language in 'The Osbournes'

This is another example of a choice which is clearly very personal which, due to the nature of public broadcasting, has forced regions, even countries to make some kind of all-concieving solution.  Of course that's a completely impossible task, and I suppose that's why shows air on more than one network, but I did find it interesting how again the Canadian cut of the same product was considerably more brash than that of the USA.  Granted, in America violence occurs just as much on television as french bread sticks, but the fact that American networks seem to be trigger-happy on the censorship button is somewhat surprising to me.  The show in its own right was about as profane as a program could really be, but in actually watching the show, one comes to realize that profanity is there merely for the sake of existing, becoming the 'thing' that entices viewers. Never is language in that show directed negatively towards any culture, group, individual, or otherwise.  In fact, the f word is most often used as an adjective describing inanimate objects, i.e. "pass the f@#** potatoes".  Compared to some racially charged themes apparent even in shows as seemingly innocent as The Simpsons, this kind of Language hits very low on my Scale of Offense.  To me, it seems like the states are acknowledging that certain words, regardless of their context, are offensive enough to the majority to be completely removed.  Canada on the other hand, seems to be taking the classic "and if it offends you, just don't expose yourself to it" view on things, which is definitely much more in line with my personal values.

#19: Ellen/the Dixie Chicks- Politics in the Realm of Entertainment

Personally, I take no objection to anyone, regardless of their perceived position or place in the media or everyday world, voicing their mind.  This concept has actually risen immensely after the shootings at Charlie Hebdo, but of course that's another matter entirely.  With regards to entertainers playing initiators of change, I'm all for it.  As entertainers these people have considerably more power than the average person in that anything they want can become instantly public and on peoples' minds (of course sometimes the reaction of the public is quite contrary to 'what they want', as in the case of the Dixie Chicks).  I feel that entertainers have a right to use this power as they feel, be it to initiate change, send a message, or take the Eminem road and do what you do for you and not worry about the public at all.  I definitely think that at each of the time periods in question (the pre-Iraq tension in the USA and the beginnings of non-htereosexual relationships in television), there was a need for outspokenness, and a need for change.  The fact that the choice to speak out on each of these issues considerably dampened the futures of both parties, Ellen in non-talkshow television, that is, I feel is merely a reflection on the willingness of our society to accept change, or lack thereof, and the closed-mindedness of the general populous towards people venturing away from what they've been stereotyped as being.