Mehrnaz's+Media+Log

 MY MEDIA LOG Everyday the media is affecting us, shaping us in every possible way. Our values and the way we think all depend on the different shows, advertisements and songs we encounter on a daily basis and we've been exposed to so many different types of media since the start of our lives, we are so used to them.

1. The use of photoshop: The media has created the “perfect image” of a boy and girl. Appearance is linked to events, planting the idea that if an individual looks like “the perfect person” they will have all these good things happen to them.
 * My Experiences With the Media**

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This video is the perfect example of how big companies like Dove create an unrealistic person where in reality there is no person that looks like that. It’s all with the help of Photoshop. Everyone knows that Photoshop is a tool to create/edit pictures YET because we are so used to seeing celebrities and models looking so perfect in every picture and magazine we forget about their flaws, we forget about things like the use of Photoshop. I watch approximately 8 different shows through the year and I really do believe they have a great significance in shaping many things about me like…My Style. One of favorite shows is 90210. The show is set in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Every character on the show is rich with the perfect hair, perfect clothes mixed with the perfect amount of drama. On Tuesday September 27th 2011, while watching 90210 I found myself wanting to imitate the hair and styles of some of the characters. I am being exposed to various types of media every minute of every day and in media, appearance is everything. If we were to step back and take a look from the outside it’s easy to think that “I would never follow that” or simply “I’m not that shallow” but the reality of the situation is that media has engraved the picture perfect person in our minds that we go with it unconsciously. We follow the latest trends in hopes of becoming like the model on the cover, or the actress on the TV screen.

The documentary peep culture touched upon a very interesting point. The movie stated that people are not themselves when on camera. "Are we all trying to be something/someone different when the camera goes on?" yes. When the camera is rolling everyone is trying to become someone more interesting, more entertaining so that when they post the video on the social network such as YouTube, they would get higher views and ratings. In today's society everyone feels like ANYONE can become a celebrity. A lot of people want to put themselves out there but in my opinion it’s wrong to completely have people watching your every step! Privacy is being invaded and people don’t seem to mind. Why? Because they want to get the sensation of feeling like a "celebrity". One of the questions on the worksheet regarding the documentary was asking if we believe real relationships/friendships can happen online. I really don’t think so because like i mentioned earlier people are not truly themselves online, in person they can be completely different so how is it possible to create a real friendship online.
 * 2. "Peep Culture"**

This summer I remember watching the news and newsman was showing a clip of people getting hung from a bridge and what was more terrifying than the situation was that there were THOUSANDS of people standing under that bridge with their phones out videotaping the hanging. People have become so pathetic and are losing sight of what is entertaining and just plain wrong.

What is pop culture? Its everything. It’s everywhere. Just thinking about what pop culture really is, is overwhelming because its what we surround ourselves by. It’s what we wear; it’s what we listen to, its what we think we want. I might just be the 1 out of 300 girls who don’t own a pair of UGGS boots. When something comes out everyone gets it and it makes everyone look the same. That’s why i believe pop culture is shaping individuals and making them blend in. We need to limit ourselves to the use of certain pop things so that we can hold on to our uniqueness. Pop culture also links with marketing and an example of that would be; if I had an oversized shirt that i got for 10 bucks, and oversized shirts suddenly became "in" that same shirt would cost way more. Because pop culture has such a wide audience (making it "popular") Businesses base their sale on what is "in" and raise the price so that they make more money off of it.
 * 3. Pop Culture**



In the past Celebrity or the term "Star/Super Star" has been used to determine a famous singer/actor etc. However in today's society everyone feels like they can be a celebrity by uploading a video on YouTube and getting a lot of views or maybe making a twitter/tumblr account and gain thousands of followers. People are no longer becoming a celebrity by their talent but by their number of "views". Making it big on YouTube and getting a contract for being good is one thing but Rebecca Black is a perfect example of how people can literally get famous for being hated. Now off the top of my head I could probably think of some "famous" people that are known for being hated, people like: Hitler. Now at least he was a political figure and here we are with Miss Rebecca Black actually getting a contract because her number of views was outstanding and people kept watching her video and buying her song BECAUSE of how bad it was. So now she's famous, in today's society talent isn’t the "it factor" that makes one a celebrity. Justin Bieber's Ex girlfriend is famous! Why? because he tweeted once long ago about her when she was in the hospital and now every time she wants to trend a phrase it getting trending on twitter WORLDWIDE, meaning everyone across the globe are sitting at their computer tweeting about this girl, who now has to go out with a bodyguard because she's that famous. Today, our definition of celebrity has completely changed.
 * 4. Celebrity**

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5.Open Entry In my opinion the media form that has the most impact on people my age is social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. I don’t watch the news very often but it was through Facebook that i found out about the death of the POP king Michael Jackson, and it was through twitter that i found out about the death of one of the greatest men Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was there from the very beginning and he was truly one of the first who shaped the world we live in now, with our Ipods, Itouches and Iphones. My point is, these social network sites are replacing things like the news however not in a good way. By going on twitter I can find out what people are tweeting about worldwide but the things people "talk about" are not necessarily the things we should know about! It’s good to know the Selena Gomez has a 43 yr-old man wanting to kill her and she’s scared but it’s also very important to know that there is a hurricane warning for tomorrow night (as an example). In conclusion I think it’s still very important for people to stop relying SO MUCH on social networking site such as facebook and Twitter and balance that by watching the news or reading/being aware of the REAL situations going on around the world.