Evan+Lavines+Journal+Entries

Journal 1 - Personal experience with media

As I was watching commercials during a television program there was one that stuck out from all the rest. As it opened with a fighting scene with numerous robots I became instantly intrigued. Although you did not know what the commercial was for I was already interested. 12 seconds into the commercial the product finally makes its first appearance. It's a Kia car driving through this apocalyptic fight. Suddenly all the robots attention including my own, is shifted form this amazing fight scene to a bright lime green car. At this moment hamsters appear in front of the car and yell out 'Party Rock' as they remain in tableau. They begin dancing intensely with loud mainstream music playing in the background. After 5 seconds of them dancing, the robots decide to join in on the dance. The can has now disappeared from the commercial and doesn’t come back for another 20 seconds. This dance scene has robots doing flips, shooting lasers and acrobatic dance moves. There is even a light show for part of the commercial. All these actions do get my attention but what is the underline meaning to it all? I believe that at the very beginning when the car first stops the fight that it is suggesting that this Kia car will immediately interest you just as it did for the robots. It's implying that this car will take you out of the old routine and change your life. The hamsters resemble being caged and trapped. In other words Kia is saying that people feel trapped in other types of cars. However in this commercial the hamsters are free moving, happy and even dancing. I believe that Kia is trying to get across that their new car is different, unique and free from the world. Overall i think that this commercial sends strong messages that are very well portrayed as well as hard to see if one is not focusing on specific aspects.

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Peep Culture



I believe that peep culture is something that changes ones behavior and personality. I don't enjoy exploiting myself but from this film I have learned that others have opposing ideals. Some people enjoy the attention they can get from others. However, I feel that exploiting yourself for others to watch is not necessary and pointless. No one should have the ability to see what you are always doing, this is violating peoples privacy. On the other hand, these explorations can give one a sense of being famous and 'well know'. this sensation that one receives as more people view there private lives, does give me an understanding as to why someone would let others see their everyday lifestyle. Most people do want to become famous and well known. Even at a lower level (high school) students want to be the most popular and well know person. They want to have the most friends in the school. Although there is this feeling of pleasure, I still don't think it is purposeful. i believe that these explorations are a waist of ones time. There are many ways to be well known and it can be done through good purposeful actions. What difference does it make if 1000 people like a picture of you or a movie of yourself doing something wild. In the long run it doesn't make an impact on your life. I disagree with the fact that everyone broadcasts themselves just to be a celebrity. My opinion is that people want their names to last forever. They want to make a mark in the world, so that their lives aren't insignificant. In the film Peep Culture Hal talks about how we have now began to see suffering as an entertaining event rather than a terrifying action. This statement had me thinking for quite some time as I started to wonder whether it was actually true or not. I personally feel that people have become entertained by the fact of others suffering from something. I wanted to do a test, so I went onto you tube and typed in 'man gets' the list was almost all of an action of suffering. Here is a video that I had randomly found after playing around on you tube. What happens is horrible but yet there is no sympathy for the person media type="youtube" key="jPEETDfvzvA" height="377" width="496" align="center"

P O P  C U LT u R E

Pop Culture is everything that is around us that is either in style, popular or just in use by everyone. We can be aware of pop culture or just  have it surround us without any explanation. There is virtually no way to get around pop culture as it is what makes up our lives. We are emerged in it and are unable to escape. I believe that the biggest and most powerful piece of pop culture is technology. It has effected us in every way and will only surround us more and more each day. There is no way to escape the technology that we are engulfed in nor is there a purposeful reason too. We have all began to become totally dependent on features of technology and we will never be able to fully escape it. Our level of communication has drastically changed to the point where we are unable to communicate unless we have some type of electronic device. Styles that have been used for centuries such as letters have began to vanish. The only mail that we receive to day is either junk mail or bills that are needed to be payed. The rest of communication is through email, or phones. But even phones are beginning to become out of use. The land lines are being used less and cellphones are now taking the lead. Text messaging is the new style of communication and face to face communication has began to die. Is this feature of pop culture helping us with our lives? Pop culture makes you believe that every aspect of it is positive but I feel that it's slowly destroying our old style of life. We are having to adapt to this new style, which is fine for me. But for older generations that aren't used to it suffer. They don't grasp the concept of technology as they weren't brought up into it. Over all, I believe that pop culture does have some good aspects to it but it also has some negative outcomes. It's you who chooses to let pop culture take over your life and effect your everyday routine.

Celebrity DRAMA There is always new gossip in the world of celebrities. It is our choice whether we will listen to it or not. I personally do not follow celebrities at all as the subject has little importance to my life. I see gossip as something that is pointless and rude. It's not only invasive but it can also be made up of lies. For this journal entry I had to do a bit of research before I was fully able to discuss a topic on which I knew nothing about. After only a few minutes of searching the web for some celebrity gossip I was able to come across a juicy piece of information. The story goes like this: Ashton Kutcher, an actor from one of my favorite shows 'That 70's Show' has been with his wife, Demi Moore for six years. A day before their six wedding anniversary, Kutcher was spotted in San Diego with out his wife. Supposedly they have been having marital issues. Suddenly a new girl steps into the picture, Sara Leal. Leal claims to have not only slept with Kutcher but also taken a naked hot tub with him on the night before his anniversary. She says that he made all the moves including the first kiss and the removing of his towel in his private bedroom after the hot tub. Moreover, Leal states that he was not safe during their intimate time together later that night. This talk from Leal has created a huge disturbance in his marriage and there is now rumor of a divorce going on.

To me, this doesn't seem to be the only rumor going around. I believe most of this gossip is either incorrectly stated or words have been mixed around. Furthermore, I do not believe that Leal is telling the full truth as there is no one else to approve the facts she has said. Does all this gossip make my life any different? Learning about this gossip today has made no change in my life. I have not gained or lost anything from reading this story. On the other hand, the three people involved in the story have lost all their privacy. All their details and person information has been exposed to the entire world, unfortunately not by choice. This piece of gossip will probably destroy Kutcher and Moores marriage and acting careers. They will both suffer from embarrassment and humiliation for a long period of time. In my eyes, gossip is nothing but a nightmare coming true. Which ever side of the story you are on, I believe that there is no good outcome. I feel that all celebrities should have their privacy and be able to keep such emotional problems to themselves.