Papa…Papa..Paparazzi

After a car crash in Beverly Hills, Nicole Richie reaches her breaking point putting the blame on the paparazzi. She told the courts she fears for both her and her infant children’s lives.

Her request for a three-year restraining order against two photographers, Eduardo Arrivabene and Ivon Emilio Melo Miguel, was granted by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, Carol Boas Goodson. The men agreed to stay 50 yards away from Nicole Ritchie and her family.

Richie claims the paparazzi have trespassed on her property, invading both her family’s privacy and safety.

Miguel apologized on the stand and told Richie he would no longer take her pictures if she didn’t want him to. Both Richie and her husband, Joel Madden, agreed that they did not want their photos taken by Miguel or Arrivabene.

Goodson expressed her concerned about inhibiting Arrivabene and Miguel’s First Amendment rights, however because both men agreed to abide by the restrictions of the restraining order, her worries faded and the ruling became final.

I agree with the ruling made by Judge Goodson. Not only do the paparazzi put their own lives at risk when pursuing a “car chase” to get that million dollar photo, but they are putting the celebrity and civilians lives at risk as well.

Although the first Amendment protects the paparazzi, it does not give them the right to be reckless; the rules of the road must still be followed.

I do believe that celebrities must pay the price of fame by putting up with the paparazzi and having their photos taken, but I also think there should be a limit to the paparazzies liberties.

When they overstep their boundaries and invade a persons’ space, there needs to be a consequence. The first Amendment protects freedom of speech and press, but that should not allow the press to take pictures of celebrities in their homes or be within touching distance of them that make the celebrities feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

I think all paparazzi should keep a 50 yard distance from those they are following, and where they can take pictures should be limited to public places; not in or around the homes of the celebrities.

Link to Nicole Richie’s car crash

EXTRA CREDIT POST: The Double Edge Sword

The Double Edge Sword

Advertising today has truly taken on a whole new meaning in the 2000 era. It is truly invasive in every aspect of the word. It’s on TV, it’s on the internet, it’s on our cell phones, it’s where we shop, it’s on billboards, it’s in our movies…it’s everywhere.

And advertisers are changing and learning how to advertise more successfully…how’s that you ask? Through our children.

My mass communication class watched a film called “Consuming Kids”; and mind blowing doesn’t even begin to describe the movie.

Advertising have discovered that targeting kids is one of the most successful ways to sell their products, and the sooner they do this, the more likely they’ll have the child wrapped around their fingers for life.

I’ve said this time and time again, but every time I’m still surprised when I see how truly numb we are to advertising and it’s effect on us.

There is a scene in the film where two little girls are being followed around a grocery store. One little girl grabs a box of cheese crackers with Scooby Doo pictured on the front. The little girl picks up the box and says she love’s it and wants to buy it. The man asks her if she’s ever had those crackers before and she says no, however she knows they are good and wants them.

The realization that advertisers have come to in targeting children is amazing but very devious. No wonder children bring in millions for advertisers. It doesn’t matter what the product is, just make sure it’s plastered with a beloved character and it will sell.

Another thing I saw and really bothered me was learning about the observing of children throughout their daily lives…even in the bathroom.

Advertisers are going to the extremes to sell their products; so much so that I believe it’s an invasion of privacy.

So my question is: where in the heck are the parents?

Advertisers can only succeed if we let them. Children are not the breadwinners; they don’t have jobs and make money, so it is up to the parents to purchase the products that their children want but don’t need.

If parents can learn to say no, buy only what their children need and not desire, then advertisers might be forced to take find a new strategy, and hopefully one that isn’t so invasive and in some instances, not morally wrong.

I’m glad I’m taking this class. It’s opened my eyes to the dishonesty of the industry and I’ll make sure when I become a parent I don’t fall into the trap of these “clever” advertising scandals.

Oprah Makes an Oops!

Oprah Winfrey Makes an Oops…Again

There isn’t a person on this earth who doesn’t know the name Oprah. She’s idolized, admired, and worshipped by many which in turn empowers’ her. She’s been called a king maker, and anyone who goes on her show with business aspirations has a huge chance of a future of achievement.

Oprah’s made people like Dr. Phil huge successors, and her promotions have what we now call the “Oprah effect”.

This is where:
- The talk show host recommends a product, like a book.
- It becomes a best seller
- Book clubs form
- Online book discussions emerge
- Communities build

Oprah’s human like the rest of us, but unfortunately her mistakes are witnessed around the world and she must be extremely careful to avoid negative publicity…but this is not always an easy thing to do.

Oprah promoted New Age leader James Arthur Ray on her show a number of times, and unfortunately this has come back to haunt her.

James Arthur Ray is a professional writer and speaker, with his newest hit book, New Age, creating media frenzy. He’s been interviewed and talked about on CNN, Fox, and Entertainment Tonight, so of course Oprah got involved.

After becoming an overnight star, on October 8th, 2009, Ray charged up to $10,000 per person to participate in a retreat which included fasting for 36 hours during a “vision quest” exercise and was left alone in the Arizona desert with sleeping bags to rest for the night. The next day consisted of a sweat lodge that turned deadly.

James Shore and Kirby Brown died in the sweat lodge. Eighteen others were hospitalized after suffering burns, dehydration, breathing problems, kidney failure or elevated body temperatures. Liz Neuman, another attendee, died October 17 after being comatose for a week, according to wikipedia.com

As Oprah’s Public Relations Agent, there are several things I would advise her to do to reverse the negative publicity.

1. There needs to be a show dedicated to this horrible incident. Oprah should first publicly apologize for sponsoring a man and product that lead to the death of 3 people and injuries of several others.

2. Oprah can explain that they never meant for this to happen, and that she hopes her viewers can understand that they had no idea James Ray would be so irresponsible and had no way of foreseeing that.

3. On the show, Oprah and her staff should explain how they plan to avoid making this same mistake and that they will investigate people thoroughly people supporting them on the show.

4. Oprah should do something for the families of the victims that died and were injured. She can invite the families to be guest on her show and also present them with gifts of apologies. Oprah’s staff should investigate each family and find out what each family could really use that will change their lives for the better.

5. Via letter or phone call, Oprah’s company should offer to fund the funeral and burial/tombstones or cremation/urns for those that passed.

As Oprah’s PR Agent, I also need to predict how our campaign could backfire.

1. Oprah’s apology could not be taken seriously. People could assume it is purely just a campaign to help her image.

2. People could take Oprah’s excuse as pathetic and inexcusable.

3. People may not believe in Oprah and her staff’s ability to avoid making the same mistake, particularly because she’s interviewed and supported people in the past that proved to be false.

4. People and the viewers may think it is inappropriate for Oprah to give gifts to the families affected by this tragedy.

5. The families may find it too soon or pushy of Oprah and her staff to offer to pay for the funerals, burials, cremations and/or urns.
However, in saying all of that, as long as Oprah and her staff abide by the PRSA Code of Ethics, she should feel no backlash from the public or press.

Her campaign should:
• Be accurate and truthful.
• Avoid conflicts of interests.
• Work to strengthen the public’s trust in the profession.
• Protect confidential and private information of the families unless the staff is given permission.
• Work to strengthen the public’s trust in the profession.
• Be honest and accurate in all communications.
• Reveal sponsors for represented causes and interests.
• Act in the best interest of clients or employers.
• Disclose financial interests in a client’s organization.
• Safeguard the confidences and privacy rights of clients and employees.
• Avoid conflicts between personal and professional interests.
• Decline representation of clients requiring actions contrary to the Code.
• Accurately define what public relations activities can accomplish.
• Report all ethical violations to the appropriate authority.

My campaign does abide by all of these rules, so Oprah’s negative publicity should be a thing of the past!

Oprah Controversy Link

Oprah helps James Ray become popular

Camouflage advertising

Good Luck Chuck is a film starring Jessica Alba and Dane Cook. It’s about the “luckiest” guy on earth. Cook’s character, Charlie Logan, is a good luck charm and women are guaranteed to find true love after sleeping with him. But, what seems to be any mans dream turns bad for Charlie when he meets Alba’s character, Cam. Chuck will do anything to break the curse so he can get the heart of Cam before she falls in love with another man.

Product placement; we see this form of advertising all the time and don’t even know it. We’ve become numb to the gross amounts of invasive advertising that takes up our daily lives. As I watched this film, I paid attention to all the different products shown in this film and found 6 including:
- Toyota
- “Perfectmatch.com” like match.com
- Mountain Dew
- Fritos
- Pepsi
- American Airlines

I was surprised at the seemingly small amount of product placement in this film assuming this would be a movie with tons of what I like to call, “camouflage advertising”, however I’m sure I missed some.

The 6 products all have an equal chance at being noticed and remembered by the audience. They were not subtly put into the scene, but instead stood out like a “sore thumb”. The Pepsi add was shot at a distance but took up so much space on the bus stop board it was hard to miss.

Dane Cook is shot chugging an unmistakable Mountain Dew, and there is a Frito bag ever so smartly placed facing the camera in another scene. Alba’s character drives a Toyota Prius which makes sense for her character who loves Penguins and working with animals, thus probably cares about helping the environment. Then there’s the end of the film where Cook’s character rushes to the airport and we see several smartly displayed American Airline logos.

I don’t know that the audience will leave the film thinking about the products, but they definitely won’t be missed during the film. I don’t know that I would have really remembered any of the products had I not been looking for them and wrote them down.

I think cars are the easiest products to remember in a film, especially if they play a large role in the movie in that we see them in more than one seen, but others are much more difficult to retain since product placement is not the premise of the movie.

We all know that advertising is headed in a new direction. With TV changing so that more and more people are choosing to buy programs that allow them to avoid commercials when watching their shows, businesses have had to come up with different ways to advertise their products to the masses.

Product placement in "Fantastic Four"

The products in this film were used for a number of reasons, starting with funding. I’d assume that Mountain Dew, Pepsi and Fritos view film as a way to advertise to the masses, and the film producers see this as a way to help fund their budget.

Advertisers want you, the viewer, to think like this: “You’re sitting down watching the film, and man that Pepsi looks really refreshing, or those Fritos look tasty!” It’s the company’s way of telling your subconscious that you want to drink or eat their product, and better yet, if Dane Cook is drinking it, then you should too! It’s a win-win for businesses and producers.

On top of being able to advertise to a large audience, certain companies are able to not only advertise their products but choose to do so in a way that they feel represents’ their company. For example the Toyota Prius goes well with Alba’s earth loving character.

It was smart of the film producers to ask Toyota to help fund their project because it’s a good fit for the car company and a better chance at getting funding for the film.

So…if you haven’t paid attention to product placement, keep your eyes open during your next movie experience, I promise you’ll be amazed!

Product Placement Link

MAUS

It was my first year in college and I was browsing through the school store with my list of books I needed to purchase for my classes. I was enrolled to take an advanced English class and two of the books I needed to purchase were titled Maus I and Maus II, written by Art Spiegelman. When I found the books I was shocked to see that they were comics. I thought to myself, “what kind of class is this?” shrugged my shoulders, and went about my business with the books in hand.

Maus was one of the last books we read that semester, so until then it was collecting dust in my room. When my professor announced it was time to read Maus, I didn’t know what to think of the book and wasn’t sure if I was excited or dreading the next couple of months, but after reading the first few pages, I was captivated; I could barely stop myself from reading the entire book in one night.

Maus is an autobiography told using the comic form. Spiegelman tells the story of his fathers fight to survive the Holocaust as a Polish Jew. Each type of person is represented by different animals; all the Jews are mice, the Germans are cats, the Poles are pigs, the Americans are dogs, and the French are frogs.

I know from description alone the book sounds silly or childish, however it’s anything but that. The books encompass many different levels of emotion and meaning, and trust me when I say you’ll need a tissue box near by.

Born and raised in Europe, I learned about the Holocaust in school at an early age. History isn’t something I always find interesting, but World War II has always fascinated me. My family traveled to the museum of Anne Franks hiding house, and I saw some of the awful concentration camps where the Nazi’s kept their prisoners, including Auschwitz. Being able to actually see where all the horror took place made reading the book a much more personal experience for me. It felt real, sending shivers down my spine and tears down my cheeks.

The book is a lot like a film. You become very attached to the little mouse on the page and you want so badly for him to survive. You find yourself becoming truly immersed in the pages and before you know it you’ve finished the first book and are on to the next.

My class had several discussions on the book, and though I can’t remember most of them, I know many of the discussions got pretty heated. I took many of the comments personally, as if I was a Jewish Holocaust survivor, and was quick to defend any comment I found offensive.

We also discussed Art’s relationship with his father, Vladek, and Vladek’s character. Ironically he is now a penny-pinching, mean, racist old man. Some of our discussions were very similar to what Things That Mean A Lot address: “Art realizes that in many ways his father resembles the stereotype of the “miser old Jew”, and having to portray him as such worries him. Many of these are, of course, unanswerable questions. To which extent did the overwhelming experience of the Holocaust turn his father into who he is today? What can be traced back to it, and what can’t? What can you expect from someone who went through something as overwhelming as that? What can you demand? And how much can you forgive and tolerate? How do you even begin to make sense of something like this?”

This book had a huge impact on me. Not only does it add to my knowledge about the Holocaust, but more importantly it made the facts meaningful. Tragedies are often hard to truly comprehend until you put a face and a story behind it. Vladek’s story got to my core, like the story of Anne Frank, and the ones I learned about in Auschwitz.

I don’t know why I am so fascinated by World War II; after all it was a terrible time. I guess I am overwhelmed with the idea that such evil could take place during a time that was not so long ago. Because we do not live in it, we often forget that torture and extreme hatred still exists. This book helped open my eyes, especially after the discussions we had in class.

I am ashamed to say I am not an avid book reader. I hate using the excuse, I’m to busy, but that’s often what I say. However, if I do get the chance to pick up a book and read, I always try to pick stories based on true events. I want to be open-minded, not sheltered by the fortunate life I have. I’d like to film a documentary, and maybe someday I can help others less fortunate then myself.

Links:
ThingsThatMeanALot

Once Upon a Time in a Blogger’s Land…

Once Upon a Time in a Bloggers Land…

As I child, I couldn’t get enough of the Disney films. I’d sit my little toddler bottom down on the sofa and become immersed in the world of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White, to name a few. Not only did the songs captivate me, but it was also the world the characters lived in and the beauty of the female leads. When playing with my friends, we’d pick characters and pretend to be princesses, and if we were lucky enough to get our parents to buy us the outfits, we practically felt like we were the princesses.

I can remember falling asleep to the soundtracks of all my favorite Disney movies, which is probably why I still know all the words to this day, and then I’d dream of Prince Eric coming to my rescue from the evil Ursula. I knew then I’d marry a handsome prince one day, and I craved for it.

Let’s look at some common Disney themes:
-Friendship is important
-Family is important
-Good conquers evil
-Women are always beautiful
-Villains are often ugly
-The women needs rescuing
-The women is waiting for her prince charming
-The women’s role is to find her prince charming, marry and bare children

What we don’t see often if at all:
-Leading characters that are not Caucasian
-Gay relationships
-Women heroes

Now that it’s 2009 and I look back at the films I grew up watching, I don’t think Disney is any kind of negative for children. Most of their films truly do have a good message. Although many of their themes may be outdated, that’s all they really are, outdated, and that’s no ones fault but time itself. Disney should be credited for evolving with time. Their story structures are changing, which brings me to my first point.

I took a screen writing class and the first thing you learn is story structure. You need a lead character or hero, someone who is likeable and in that, they should also be attractive because an audience wants a likeable and attractive character. You also need a villain, without a villain you don’t have a conflict. You need a conflict, without one there’s no reason for the audience to invest any time into your story, and in that conflict you often have someone who needs saving, traditionally a young lady. So you have your attractive hero, you have your conflict, and you have your villain.

Disney follows this traditional story structure in their films not because they are sexist or unoriginal, but because that is how you tell a basic and good story. With time the hero’s have changed, and the stories are evolving to keep up with the beliefs and ideals of today. Take Mulan for example. This is a story about a young girl who went against societies norms. She is everything women activists stand for and Disney exemplifies that in their film.

Disney is also making a film to be released this year called The Princess and the Frog. According to IMDB, it’s “a fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Jazz Age.” I believe this will be the first Disney film where the lead woman is African American. Although some may argue that she is black with Caucasian characteristics, I would argue back that even Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty have unrealistic Caucasian characteristics; they might as well be Barbie.

Still, we are seeing a change in Disney films. As time changes and racism diminishes, I believe we will see more and more African American lead characters and other ethnicities as well. We are already seeing the role of women change in these films, so there’s no limitation to what Disney might do in the movies to come.

My life is no Disney story, but I think you come to realize that as you age and we’re able to distinguish the differences between our realities to the fantasy we once dreamed of when we were younger. I’m not upset about it and I won’t be suing Disney for their false “promises.” I loved growing up with Disney films and I’ll be sure to have all the films for my kids. As a film major, I’ve learned that film is used as an escape from the reality we are living, often during hard times like a depression, and the audience, old or young, wants this for the most part.

I have not been hurt or traumatized by the roles women play in the early Disney films, and I think children are too young to truly understand those meanings anyway, especially as society differs in the reality today. I know my friends who grew up watching these films feel the same way, and my parents do too. Sure film does in some way influence us when we are younger, but we are also and more greatly so I believe, influenced by our parents, our home, our culture, our society, our teachers, and our friends, so much so in fact that the Disney films truly bare no weight when included with everything else.

Additional Links:
Blogs on controversy over Disney films

Question(s) of the day!

Question(s) of the day: Hello my fellow bloggers! So, here are some interesting questions my professor of mass communication posed for me:
- How are sites like Facebook impacting the communication style of your generation, the Millennials?
- How are these social networking sites impacting the classroom and/or the workplace?
- How are sites, like YouTube and Twitter, impacting the professions of journalism, advertising or public relations?

I researched a couple of different articles to find the answers to the questions above, and I found them quite interesting.
Other Articles:
Myspace & Facebook article
Millenial Generation
Twitter Journalism
Journalism for the 21st century

To begin with, the internet is moving away from “information retrieval” to user generated content (UGC). For those of you unfamiliar with the term user generated content, think of traditional producers, however, in this instance the internet is allowing everyone to act as their own producer, regardless of their education or networks. Examples of user generate content include wikis, blogs, and social networking sites like facebook, myspace and mypage.

Millennials are now able to interact on a minute-to-minute basis. WE can create our own profiles, share our opinions about current events, talk about our lives, and share our photos with our friends. We do not write letters or talk for hours on our phones anymore, now it is all about communicating through our social networking technologies, and we ca not get enough of it.

On facebook today, there are over eight million students, 94% of which are undergraduates. The average student has about 145 friends from the school they attend and 127 friends listed as “other”. There are approximately 297,000 faculty/staff members on facebook. The social networking sites pose new obstacles for schools and colleges.

Electronic mentoring is becoming increasingly popular and students communicate with their professors almost entirely on these social networking sites when outside the classroom. Students feel those faculty members who have a facebook are more approachable and view the instructor and the class in a more positive light. Students also feel more connected to their school when the institution has its own social networking site.
(These numbers provided by www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?objectid=A7F0F1CC-92E6)

Media convergence has changed the direction of classic journalism as we know it. Multimedia storytelling is transforming journalism into a mix of video, audio, and print. Twitter is now the source we go to for breaking news of major events and acts as a tracking device for our most adored celebrities. It is one of the most popular micro-blogging sources out there today with over 32 million accounts.

Journalists are looking to Youtube to share their stories with the world in a new and creative way. Even those without degrees are sharing their stories and finding the journalist within. Although finding trustworthy sources has become an issue on these new sites, bloggers and vloggers are making sure to question supposed “facts” so that we may have a better idea of what is accurate news and what is not.

Analyzing the articles:

I thought the articles were incredibly interesting and educating. We take for granted how technology has changed the way we see and interact with the world. It is hard to imagine that just 8 years ago I did not own a cell phone or feel the need to have one. Now, I would go absolutely insane if I did not have my phone attached to my hip. The social networking sites are truly changing the way we learn at school, get our news, and communicate with our teachers, friends, and family.

I do not think I can watch television without some kind of twitter or facebook reference; it is in the newspapers, on the radio, and even in movies. Imagining what our world will be like five or ten years from now is truly a mystery. Technology is changing so rapidly, keeping the world and people thousand of miles apart connected, while face-to-face interactions and romantic love letters seem to be a thing of the past.

Surf’s Up at Dexter Beach

Hello world and welcome to my most recent blog! Today I was given the task to watch a television program that advertises a website dedicated to the show. During the show, I explored the website and I will be discussing in my blog what the site serves. So, hop on my internet surf board express and enjoy the ride!

One of my all time favorite television shows is Dexter, a Showtime television drama series that airs every Sunday at 9PM. The show follows a serial killer who works for the Miami Metro Police Department as a blood splatter analyst. However there is a twist, Dexter, played by Michael C. Hall, only kills murders that somehow slip through the laws’ fingertips.

Dexter’s main page is on the Showtime website. When the page opens, you can hear the Dexter score which puts me in the mood to put in one of my Dexter DVDs. There are several pictures of the main cast on the different pages and a Dexter-like atmosphere with blood splatter designs for lettering. The choices that an internet surfer has to choose from include Latest Clips, Episode Guide, Cast and Character, Special Features, Video Channels, TV Daily Schedules, Series Information and the Showtime Store. Along with those options, there are also advertisements for the new Dexter game, extended scenes and exclusive interviews, special offers and “Change the Baby” where you can surprise your friends with a killer expression on a baby’s face.

On the right hand side of the home page site, there is a link called Discuss and Connect where you can “Become a Fan” by joining the Dexter Facebook. You can also join the Dexter Wiki group where you can contribute what you know about Dexter, get alerts and e-mails for Dexter reminders and updates, and finally take part in the Showtime Dexter Talk on the Showtime message board.

As you can see, there is a lot to do on this website. It is extremely entertaining and with all the different activities and communities on the site, I found myself surfing the pages for a good hour or two. The website is also quite informative, especially for those interested in the cast, information about the show, and upcoming episodes. It is also inviting to participants. As described above, there are all kinds of links that allow Dexter fans to talk about the show and share their knowledge with others.

Incorporating what I’ve learned:
From observation alone, there are a couple of key terms envoked by the site which we have learned about in class. The first is cross-production. If a product is successful then a company can make profits from turning the product into a slew of other products. Because Dexter has become such a big hit, they are now selling jewelry, shirts, and mugs to name a few. Not only are they able to make money on the show, but now they are making money on by-products.
Dexter has its own wiki site. From class, we have learned wiki is the Hawaiian term for quick and deals with open source software where everyone can access the site and anyone can change it, like Wikipedia for example. Dexter Wiki allows users to go on and share what they know about the show with the internet world.

Things I would change about the site:
I would like for the Dexter site to have its own isolated page. Although I thought the site was quite good, it was sometimes difficult to navigate and I would find myself on other Showtime pages that did not deal with Dexter. If Showtime could create a link that is solely about the Dexter TV show I think it would really enhance the site and help keep surfers focused on the page without getting lost on other sites. I really enjoyed the special features and cast information on the site because it is something I am always interested in; this was probably my favorite feature on the site!

If you have not already, go check out the site on Showtime, and definitely watch the TV show, it is awesome!
Dexter web site
Dexter Wiki

TRUE LIFE…I’M A MEDIA ADDICT!

True Life…I’m a Media Addict!

The development of new technology and media convergence is growing faster than you can say “blackberry”, and it is near impossible to avoid in our lives today. Like the oxygen we need to survive, many of us feel the same about our cell phones, computers, iPods and the like.

Hi, my name is Caitlin and I am a Towson University Student that has been given the task to go out and record my media experiences for two consecutive days, and then for the following two days, must avoid the media at all costs. I can’t text my friends, I can’t check my Facebook…I don’t know that I will make it.

Day one and two:
Day one and two were easy yet mind blowing. I wouldn’t define myself as a media junkie, but I’m dancing nervously near the line. My cell phone is never off. When I go to bed at night, I plug it in its charger, keep it on ring, and place it literally right next to my head. I mean, God forbid someone has to text or call me at 3am and my phone is not within reach and on. I wake up to my cell phone alarm, a tune I have come to truly dislike, and I check my phone for any missed calls or text messages. Need I remind you a couple sentences ago I mentioned my cell phone stays on ring and is place right next to my head at night, but unfortunately, it has become a nervous habit of mine to doubt my faithful ears and double check my phone.

In the process of getting ready for school, I’m strong enough to keep my TV turned off and I don’t dress to the rhythm of todays hit songs. Actually, I won’t lie, I am too lazy to turn anything on because I am usually still half asleep, but when passing my sisters room I can hear her music and usually be-bop around to that. I have recovered from feeling the need to check my Facebook and Myspace first thing in the morning. I can remember those days; it felt like what I would believe to be a smoker going through withdrawals. I would start to get nervous and anxious and my computer just would not load fast enough. But luckily now it is just my phone I can not seem to part with, mostly because it does not need to load and is truly instantaneous.

On my way to school I listen to the radio and am bombarded with easily over 50 media type advertisements from both the radio and billboards. Here’s the kicker, it is about a 15 minute drive to school. But if you have ever driven down York Road it’s like Media City, you can’t blink without missing an ad. This shocked me. I could not believe how numb I have become to all the Media. It is so apart of my daily life that I don’t even notice it anymore, and I do not know that it is because I am able to filter it out or that it has become apart of life’s scenic views, regardless, it is all around.

The media does not stop on York Road. Towson is trudging closely behind with all kinds of Media. There are computers in about every room and most, if not all of my professors go to the internet at one point of their lecture. These first two days I was near panic. How am I supposed to avoid media if it is everywhere?

On my way home from school I was again embraced by the many media ad’s so brilliantly smirking at me as I drove through York Road, and to top off the drive, right as I was coming around the corner to my apartment building, I saw an ad for Padonia Village, my apartment complex…need I say more?

Of course the first thing I do once I get home everyday is turn on my computer, check e-mail and Facebook, and surf the net. It is here where I get my “news,” and my computer is the primary reason for homework taking longer than it needs to. I even keep my laptop on when I’m watching TV or movies. I almost always end up googling actors or other miscellaneous things I see on TV so it is important to me that my computer is on and ready and it is one of the last things I turn off before I go to bed at night.

Day three and four; the withdrawals:

Days three and four were anything but easy. My day began when my cell phone alarm went off. I reached for my phone but reminded myself of the task I must perform for the next two days. My hand shook. Suddenly to figures popped up on either side of my shoulder, one dressed in all white and the other dressed in red. The one in white told me to be strong, and the one in red told me to quit being a woos and grab the phone. Time felt like an eternity. I picked up my phone, removed the charger and stuck it immediately in my bag. Beads of sweat rolled off my forehead and I ran to the shower. Upon exiting the shower I could hear my sister’s music enticing me towards her room. But I marched myself into my room, shut the door and prepared for school. As I was dressing I could hear my phone calling to me, and thankfully it did not go off because I do not know what I would have done had it rung.

On my way to school I kept the radio off. This was only difficult to do when I was stuck at a traffic light, which on York Road is about every half mile. But I conversed with my sister and found myself serenading those around me. The billboard ads are near impossible to avoid unless I own blindfolds and since this particular morning I happened to be at the wheel, I thought it best to keep my eyes open and just concentrate on the cars ahead of me. Of course most of those had bumper stickers so ding, strike one for Cait.

Upon rolling into the parking lot at Towson, flyers seemed to jump out at me from every direction. Some for the football game, others for clubs, I felt like a walking flyer magnet. People everywhere were on their phones only reminding me of mine that sat within reach of my hungry texting fingers. It wasn’t even 9:30 in the morning and I felt like a recovering drug attic. As I walked out of my last class for the day, I felt my phone vibrate. I so badly yearned to know who it was. I must admit temptation got the best of me and I looked. It was my boyfriend. How could I not respond? So I did, as well as remind him of my assignment…it was a bitter sweet goodbye.

I had work immediately after school and took the highway. This was a nice break from the “Media City” which I normally take home as there were no billboard ads in site. It was not until I entered Falls Road that ads began popping up. I kept the radio off and eyes fixed on the road. The animal hospital I work at has unfortunately three TVs. I do not work directly in front or around the TV so I did my best to avoid it, but my trusty ears could not help but hear what it played and of course the people around me discussed the topics that were brought up on the television and involved me in their conversation.

That night I traveled to Annapolis to spend the weekend with my boyfriend. Had I returned to my apartment for the night, I do not know that I could have kept my laptop off. It is almost like a ritual for me. I come home, I turn my laptop on. The ride to Annapolis was an incredibly long, boring, and tedious 45 minute drive. It was dark, so if there were any ads to be seen, I missed them. The radio was off leaving me, myself and I to entertain me. When I finally reached my boyfriends house, he of course had the TV on. It was nearing midnight so I headed for bed and dreamt of the radio, television and unlimited text.

The following morning I slept in as late as possible. When I finally woke up, I made an agreement to myself to stay in the house for the day. Because I was with my boyfriend, I will embarrassingly admit it was much easier to ignore my phone. We ate breakfast, I showered, and did homework including some reading on editing film and law and regulation. It was not until all that was finished that my media anti-exposure became difficult again. My boyfriend and I looked at each other and wondered simultaneously, “What next?” Normally we’d opt to watch a film or TV show, but I looked pleadingly into his eyes and instead we played cards, chatted about absolutely nothing and played with our little rescue kitten, Dexter.

A recovering addict:

This experience taught me a lot more than I initially thought it would. I do not think we realize how much media we consume in our daily lives. Media is apart of us now, some feel even to survive, where just a decade ago or maybe even less, it was a mere luxury instead of a necessity. The first two days of this experiment was of course easy but eye opening. I did not pay attention to how much media I alone consume. Even now as I write this blog I casually go to my Facebook checking for updates and texts my friends on my phone. Although I personally dislike most ads, I wonder if I am influenced by them or not. I would like to believe I am not, but I have a strange feeling that I probably am.

Media is indeed ubiquitous and pervasive, and it’s sad to admit, I do not have a problem with that because I enjoy and feel a need for it. I can not imagine going back to my freshman year in high school when I didn’t have a cell phone. I am surprised at how much I text. I would say that I am text messaging on my phone about 75% of my day. My phone is a huge part of my life. If I was not so busy with school and work, I would probably be on my computer more, but I believe my computer takes up at least 50% of my day. These are all media’s I feel I need however, and it is indeed a way of staying up-to-date in today’s world, and I believe we will only grow more dependent on these in future years.

Although it was an interesting experience trying not to expose myself to media, it is not an experience I would volunteer for again. I could most certainly do without the billboards and ads, but I really enjoy using my phone and computer and think they serve an important purpose in our society. Should people maybe learn to enjoy life’s simple pleasures and not be so attached to the hip with media? Definitely. But I would never want to all together do without.

ADDICTION VIDEOS:
addiction clip
internet addiction

Hello world!

Hello all  my fellow MCOM class members!