Concept #5- Values

Skyscraper by Demi Lovato is a song about strong will, courage and persistance. These are things in life that I personally cherish, respect and value. Everytime I listen to this song I feel like I am going to cry, I have been through things that just made me want to leave forever, but I got through them and now I live by the theory that I made it through this before, I can get through it again.
This song was made after Demi Lovato was going through depression and had extensive treatment for it; she wants to show people that it is not the end of the world even though it may feel like it sometimes. The qualities of strong will, courage and persistance can help anyone get through anything they experience and this is why I chose this song. It demonstrates the qualities of building yourself up when your down making you stronger then ever.

If I had this song when I felt like she did, I am sure it would have helped me get through things with a lot less regret because this shows that even her, in the eyes of the whole world, can work through her problems, so I know I can work through my own.

Strong will is demonstrated by her singing about how people can take everything away from her; but she will always come up stronger then ever "like a skyscraper," firmly on the ground. Courage is demonstrated by "Skyscraper" because for Lovato to sing, and express these feelings, it shows how she does not care what others think, she just values who she is today. Persistance is probably the overall message, you should never give up, things will get better, it is as simple as that.

To finish, my values are definitely the same as what the song shows, this song is inspirational and everyone can see it. She was down, but got back up again and now is stronger then ever. She was strong willed, courageous, and persistant and that is what I value in life.

Concept #4- Media has Commercial Implications

There is a lot of controversy over corporate sponsorship in schools. Where would you draw the line? Describe the kinds of sponsorship agreements you think would be acceptable. Which ones do you think would be exploitive?

I would be totally fine with sponsorship in my school. There are of course places that I believe should be restricted as to where advertisements could be put, but overall I think it could be a very good thing for the school.
I would draw the line when the companies try to put ads in classrooms. This is where we learn, where we have to focus and we have been taught all of our school lives to listen and pay attention. If there started to be ads on every wall, advertising products it could be distracting for students. Of course, we would not be looking at the ad all period, but even if it is a 5 second look it could add up. I know from experience that in class, I do get bored, and I read every single poster around, so I would be exposed to the ad enough.
I think agreements from food companies would be acceptable in the school because they could help with getting the cafeteria more options. On top of putting more options, the school could get money, it could benefit them in ways of getting new textbooks, or new sports jerseys for school teams. High school sports get pretty serious and if the company, Pepsi for example, said yes to donating money towards new jerseys in return for putting a logo on each shirt it would be a very good deal for the school to make.
I think companies for booze or cigarettes going into a school would be very exploitive and unacceptable. This would persuade students into making wrong choices and getting involved in things that they never thought they would be exposed to. Even if they are not affected in school, they may go home and really crave some alcohol. This could lead to very bad things, IE. DUI's and car crashes.
Sponsorship in schools could be a good thing but there are definitely limitations that should be put on. If there is anything that could be recognisably great for the school without a bad potential effect on student it is a worth while agreement, as long as it doesn't invade on the space where children need to focus and learn.

Concept #3-Audience Negotiates Media

When directors and producers bring in people to do a test screening it definitely means that we, as a society, are getting the movies that appeal to us and the ones that we like. The fact that the organisers are using random people helps prove that statement; if they chose people in a certain movie theatre one day, for example, their could be a bias because they would see that movie because it intrigues them, but when they choose people from a mall there could be people who enjoy all types of genres giving the producers a feel of what society would think as a whole.

The new movie Sherlock Holmes released in December 2011 was a movie that I think could have been more appealing if one change was made. I went to see this movie expecting a serious, intense movie, but they added in some humour which I feel took away from the overall atmosphere that I am sure others in the movie were also expecting. Overall a good movie, but if that change was made it could have been a great one.
In final, test screening is a very intelligent idea, for the creators of the movie, and the public. The makers can get a good idea as to if the movie is something that will do well, or will be a dud. The feedback can be crucial for them to see if the movie will be appreciated by every audience. If a movie is directed to a certain type of people it will not do as well but if it is directed to a wide variety it would do great, this is the kind of feedback they need. Test screening is good for society because it gives a select few of people the chance to represent the world in deciding what would make the movie a "must-see"

Concept #1- All Media are Constructions (Retouching)

Has photo retouching gone too far?

Absolutely it has gone too far. Since retouching has been introduced, people from all sorts of professions have discovered the capabilities that make it so appealing. Its quick, and can fix anything that is not publicity worthy. Those people who use it so often need to realize how it can affect and distort the vision of beauty in the eyes of society. Young girls especially can be affected by seeing photos in the media retouched like the girl on the left in the photo provided. They believe that this girl always looks like this, and that they have to warp themselves to fit this obscured vision of beauty. They need to be exposed to media that shows the model as a real person (right picture) because in reality, this model has pimples, and her eyes aren't as shiny as they make them out to be. This is in fact the truth for many models seen on billboards and in magazines everyday.

Since I started learning about how people in the profession do intense media construction to enhance photos and videos, I definitely look at things differently. I can't stop thinking about what the model actually looks like, and even if the photo is all really her/him. In class we looked at a picture of Jennifer Aniston where some of her body parts weren't even from present day. They photo shopped in one arm, some hair and more! This is outrageous! After looking at that, it really caused me to think in the critical way I am now.

To conclude my view, yes, photo retouching is being used too extensively, it distorts the way young teens, trying to find themselves, see beauty and how they are "supposed to look" and I will be looking at advertisements in a whole different way.