One Last Hope is scene from the Disney movie Hercules. This Disney movie is a favourite among many, but has specific stereotypes and implications about masculinity.
Everyone knows Disney's iterpretation of the story of Hercules. A newborn God to Zeus is stolen by Hades' minions Pain and Panic who turn Hercules into a demigod. Hercules then grows up on Earth with god-like strength, and has to become a hero on Earth to return home to Mount Olympus. To become this "hero" Hercules seeks out Philoctetes who taught all the greats everything they knew. One last hope shows Hercules' transformation from a scrawny boy, to a manly, muscular, "hero".
The real Greek myth of Hercules is similar, but not the same as Disney's interpretation. In the real story, Hercules is a demigod, who is very strong, but to offset his strength, he is rather unintelligent. With his strength, came an ego, which bruised easily, and a large appetite for food, wine, and women.
If you put the two stories together, we have the media's construction of what masculinity is. The "tough guise".
Similar to the Dove commercial, and the idea the public doesn't want to look at "ugly" or unattractive people, the media has made it so people think when they see men in the media, if they aren't strong, tough- showing the "tough guise"- they are weak, not real men.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Key Concept #5: Media Ideological and Value Messages
Above is the song "In Da Club" by rapper 50 Cent. This is one of those popular songs everyone knows. It is like a "standard" in pop/rap music. To me, I really don't think that's a good thing. Everything about this from the song, to the album name, to the music video is giving off wrong value messages.
I think there are three components to the message of this song. The first is, the name of the album this song is on is called "Get Rich, or Die Tryin'" Already this is implying that if you're not rich, you're going to be unhappy. So, we should all become rich, or we won't be happy, won't have a good life, so we should work until we become rich. This message is all over the media- television shows, music, movies, all types of media. This also goes back to media concepts number one and two that this idea is constructed.
The second component is of course the song.The song itself, just completely throws away any kind of values that are learned. Not saying listeners throw those values away, but 50 Cent makes it sound okay to do so. The essence of the song if having a good time: going out and mindlessly getting drunk, doing drugs, and having sex. The line "I got the X if you're into taking drugs, I'm into havin' sex, I ain't into makin' love" says a few things in itself about the whole song. There's the drug use occurring with the "X" , and then there's the disrespectful use of women. This one line sums up the whole song of living "the good life". Partying without a care in the world. The complete opposite of what is reality and what parents want to instill in their children.
The third component is the music video. 50 Cent is being showed in some kind of surgery to enhance him, and then the rest of the video is flashing between him in a club surrounded by women, and working out. The main reason for working out should be for health reasons, but here it is used for vanity reasons. Another step towards that "good life".
The song overall, how constructed media is, and how the values within the constructed media are completely mixed up, and wrong.
I think there are three components to the message of this song. The first is, the name of the album this song is on is called "Get Rich, or Die Tryin'" Already this is implying that if you're not rich, you're going to be unhappy. So, we should all become rich, or we won't be happy, won't have a good life, so we should work until we become rich. This message is all over the media- television shows, music, movies, all types of media. This also goes back to media concepts number one and two that this idea is constructed.
The second component is of course the song.The song itself, just completely throws away any kind of values that are learned. Not saying listeners throw those values away, but 50 Cent makes it sound okay to do so. The essence of the song if having a good time: going out and mindlessly getting drunk, doing drugs, and having sex. The line "I got the X if you're into taking drugs, I'm into havin' sex, I ain't into makin' love" says a few things in itself about the whole song. There's the drug use occurring with the "X" , and then there's the disrespectful use of women. This one line sums up the whole song of living "the good life". Partying without a care in the world. The complete opposite of what is reality and what parents want to instill in their children.
The third component is the music video. 50 Cent is being showed in some kind of surgery to enhance him, and then the rest of the video is flashing between him in a club surrounded by women, and working out. The main reason for working out should be for health reasons, but here it is used for vanity reasons. Another step towards that "good life".
The song overall, how constructed media is, and how the values within the constructed media are completely mixed up, and wrong.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Key Concept #4- Media gave Commercial Implications
To me, I don't think corporate sponsorship has a place in schools. Yes, it gives school substantial monetary benefit, but why does a school need Pepsi, or Coca Cola stamped in a its hallways? I agree with the students that protested saying they were pawns of a big business.
Corporate sponsorship wouldn't such a bad thing if they didn't come with a catch. They're beneficial because in order to get the schools to agree, they "sweeten the deal" offering money, and other perks such as equipment for classrooms and contests. I think corporate sponsorship is good for those reasons, they keep students interested their school community, keeps learning up to date and innovative, and gives schools a little more money for the things they may need. But in return the schools have to sell the company's products, advertise that they have a big name company sponsoring them. School is an educational institution, not a television commercial, and it should stay that way.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Friday February 10th: Does the idea of test screening mean that we, as audience are getting the kinds of movies we want to see? Embed a video clip or trailer of a movie you did not enjoy. Explain what you would have changed if you could have been part of the test screening audience.
Yes, I would say test screening gives us the kind of movies we want to see, or at least the idea tries very hard too. Test screening is having an audience view the movie before it is released, so film makers can see if it has the effect they want the film to have. The most effective way to do this would be to do a screen test with it's targeted audience. If the desired reaction occurs from the audience, film makers have succeed in their job, if not, they regroup and make changes. By doing this, the public is getting movies they would like to see, (generally, this is putting aside the fact that not everyone likes every movie, even if they think from commercials and previews they might enjoy it.)
The movie "Four Christmases" with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn is a movie that I really did not enjoy. To me, this movie shouldn't even exist. It's too much like the 2004 Christmas comedy "Christmas with the Kranks". The plots are similar, but "Four Christmases" did not succeed as a Christmas movie, or a comedy. So, to me, the whole project of the movie should have been rethought. At Christmas, people usually don't run away from their loved ones, they want to be with them. So, I think that's a personal thing, not liking the story, but still, if it was going to become something, it should have been seriously rethought.
Given the movie obviously materialized, I would have changed the pairing of the main characters. Both Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn are good actors, but they're not good together. To me, they didn't have on screen chemistry- they just didn't mesh well as an on screen couple.
I also feel, this shouldn't have had a Christmas theme. It may have been funnier if it hadn't been Christmas related. Having a raunchy, humorous movie at Christmas doesn't fit the category of Christmas movies to me.
All around, it was just an unfortunate movie.
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