#8: Media and Domestic Violence

Lately, domestic violence has been all over the media, specifically due to the issues surrounding the NFL.  Personally, I feel that the NFL has not taken appropriate response, especially concerning the Ray Rice issue.  Having seen the video, I think the general opinion of the NFL as an organization has gone down, because now to what lengths the NFL will go to cover things up for a star player.  I was very surprised that, so soon after the Ray Rice issue, the NFL would consent to let a 49ers player play after he too was charged with domestic violence.  I think that this really brings to the forefront the first principle of Media: that it all exists to make money.  The NFL seeks to make monetary gains, and knows that the game revolves around its stars.  Thus without the stars, they make less money.  Now we are seeing the NFL repeatedly make excuses to continue letting its players play, regardless of the ethics of its decision.  In short, I think that we often do not see the NFL for what it is, a corporation, and the media nightmare that has descended upon the league has revealed its motives and reasoning which have proven questionable at best.

#5: Kids and Money

I thought that this video truly highlights the difference between this generation and generations past.  The type of consumerism displayed by kids as young as twelve was reminiscent of a filthy rich business mogul, with the glaring difference being that the money is not theirs, nor within their parents' budget.  The first few minutes of the video were quite shocking to me, as it showed how little these kids seemed to know about money, and how out-of-whack their priorities were.  Honestly, most of these kids would rather buy a seventieth pair of shoes than let their own parents afford to live a comfortable life!  I was rather surprised by the social culture that everyone seemed to be treating as viable.  Every single one of those kids, whether they were richey-rich or extremely poor, mentioned something to the effect of: "You know that everyone is looking at you and judging how much your clothes are worth".  They are essentially living in a world where the idea of being rich is so desired that they have this need for random people to see them as wealthy, regardless of their actual situation in life.  As I see it, this is a social culture has never really been seen before, and will have implications if these kids continue their irrational spending into their own adult lives.

#6:Favourite Commercial and Why

While I am almost certain I will never own a Ford F 150 with or without eco-boost, I think this commercial, and the other similar ones, are some of the best out there. In my opinion, it is easily better than anything Chevrolet or Ram or whomever has ever put out.  The primary reason these commercials stand out to me is because they are different.  Almost all truck commercials are kind of the same, a bunch of shots of the truck driving through worksites covered in mud while a man with a deep voice rambles on about chrome.  The use of animation, coupled with the sarcastic and comical voice over make this commercial appealing.  Lastly, the point being made is hard to ignore.  The commercial blatantly tells viewers that this is the best truck in the world, and has been for over 30 years.  In short, the layout of the commercial makes it appealing and the dialogue hammers home the message.  

#4: Best Ads of 2013

I think the most effective ad of 2013 was the Smart ForTwo offroad ad.  In this case, the product was one that many people find unappealing, and society has clearly deemed to be wimpy or for the large part undesirable.  There is a large portion of the population who would not drive a Smart Car if you paid them.  Where many similar companies with glaring faults act as if those faults don't exist, the Smart company used there own shortcomings to highlight the fact that while comically small, the vehicle also outdoes every other car ever made in maneuverability and fuel consumption.  To viewers, it appears as though the Smart company owns its identity, and would rather insult themselves than pretend to be something they're not.  Meanwhile the ad also brilliantly highlights the positives about the product, without sounding unrealistic or cocky.  

#3: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

I support the ALS ice bucket challenge wholeheartedly.  While many people question the "purpose" of the challenge, I think it is quite clear: to raise money for ALS.  People often say that they shouldn't be using a gimmick like that to raise money, but without the ice bucket challenge, I guarantee that most people wouldn't know much, if anything, about the disease.  In short, I think that most of the protests against the ice bucket challenge  are just people looking for a reason to hate the mainstream.

#2: Favourite Media Personality

My favourite media personality at the moment, though he is neither a good role model nor "hip", would be Ozzy Osbourne.  Although it is clear many of his life choices were ummm.. the wrong ones, I have to admire someone who can laugh in the face of what are often outrageous accusations and protests against his music.  The best thing about him, in my opinion, is that he doesn't care at all what anybody, including the media itself, thinks about him.  He's had his fair share of bad press, and unless you count a lifetime of substance abuse, has had almost no reaction, and hasn't let it affect his music.

#1: Media is...

Media is our way of sharing things, many of which are trivial, on a larger scale than ever was possible.  It can have shocking repercussions if in the wrong hands but simultaneously can be an incredible mode of communication, and a viable form of entertainment.