Tpeithman's Weblog

“Mean Girls”

tpeithman — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:48:18 +0000

This week, I was asked by my professor to select a text and analyze how a type of person is portrayed in the media. I chose to analyze the 2004 film “Mean Girls.” I am qualifying my analysis in the way that Bonnie Dow (1996) qualified her arguments in the book “Prime-Time Feminism: Television, Media Culture, and the Women’s movement Since 1970.” This means that: I am not stating that my view is the only or best way to interpret the text, I am not making a claim about the way that others will interpret the text, and I am inviting people to reconsider their own evaluations of the text in light of my arguments about “Mean Girls.”

In my opinion, “Mean Girls” sends negative messages to young girls in high school because it sends a message that in order to be popular, girls must be exclusive and catty. The film portrays high school girls who are physically attractive and wealthy who belong to a group called the “Plastics.” These girls are negative portrayals of how a girl in high school is perceived. This portrayal escalates the idea that only the beautiful, and rich girls are well known. This sends the message that in order for a girl in high school to be admired and respected, that she must lower her standards and be someone else. The film associates these two aspects with arrogant, mean behavior.

The film portrays high school girls as catty, young women who only care about popularity. It shows high school life as a hierarchy of falsely labeled individuals. For example, the main character Cady is a new student who finds the first few weeks of high school difficult to find a specific group to fit in with. She is judged and critiqued by different groups that portray extremes of social groups in high school. These girls (who she is being judged by) are bullies who are arrogant and beautiful. However, in today’s society, mean girls come in many different disguises and are not just characterized by one type of person or how they look. The movie discredits this idea and portrays “popular girls” as part of a clique that is difficult to become a part of and has one “queen bee” who is the meanest of them all. Some viewers might point out that the film is for pure entertainment and mock; however, this film sets a negative image of American girls in a high school. It also sends out the message that every girl strives to be “popular” and well liked by her fellow peers.

At the end of the film one might say that the “Plastics” are torn apart and are no longer a part of the high school hierarchy; however, the only way that they were torn apart was through gossip and backstabbing, which is two aspects to being mean. In my opinion, Mean Girls portrays the average high school girl as longing for acceptance in a jungle-like environment. The idea of popularity is based on being exclusive and acting catty.

References

Dow, B. Prime-time feminism: Television, media culture, and the women’s movement since 1970. Philadelphia: University Press.

Messick, Jill Sobel (Producer) & Waters, Mark (Director). (2004). Mean Girls [Motion Picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

Censorship in China

tpeithman — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:06:06 +0000

My assignment this week in my Mass Media and Society class is to write about an example of attempted censorship. I chose to look more closely into the events of the Olympics in China this summer. China is known as a communist country in which the government controls a majority of the media that the people have access to. In this case, many reporters were upset with the way that the Chinese government did not allow access to “sensitive” websites especially those that mention human rights violations that is associated with “Free Tibet.” Free Tibet is a campaign in which many people are working towards an end to the Chinese occupation in Tibet and that the human rights of Tibetans be respected. The idea of censorship of websites that outline a violation of human rights is unjust towards the Chinese people. Because of this censorship, many citizens of the Republic of China are oblivious when it comes to their government and the means as to how their government seems to be gaining control of Tibet and also the oppression that the Tibetan people are experiencing as a result of the Chinese occupation in their homeland. During the Olympics, this summer, there were many protests in and around Beijing in order to Free Tibet. In many of these cases, reporters were often not allowed by the Chinese police to film or report on any of these happenings. The main goal of the Chinese was to prevent their own people from knowing the truth behind all of the protests.

I feel that the Chinese people should have a right to access these cites not only to inform themselves but also to gain understanding as to why and how Tibetan people are suffering. Also, because the Tibetan culture and Chinese culture seem to have so much history with one another, that one would think that they would want to help one another out. The discovery of the reasons why Tibetans are suffering will cause upheaval within China among the people and its government. A result of this may be a social revolution but I think that it is a much needed one by the Chinese people because not only are their harmless neighbors (the Tibetans) suffering from this, so are the Chinese people themselves because their government is withholding information that would make them more politically and globally aware which is almost impossible in this case because of the communist government that rules over China.

Statins Lead to a Decrease in Heart Attack and Stroke

tpeithman — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:28:42 +0000

My assignment this week in my Mass Media and Society class was to find an article in an online mainstream newspaper and pick a story from either the health or science section and analyze it. I chose the Los Angeles Times and I ran across an article by Thomas H. Maugh II titled “Healthy People Benefit from Statins Too.”

This story focused on statins, which is a prescribed drug that is given to people with high cholesterol. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, and according to the article, statins can reduce the risks of heart attacks and strokes for those with normal levels of cholesterol. The story also stated that statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the country. According to the article, 18,000 people with normal cholesterol used the drug, and it lowered the overall risk of death by heart disease by 20 percent. This story also focused on a specific drug called rosuvastatin, which according to Maugh, funded the research. Being that this story was funded by the company that produces the drug, is difficult to decipher if the information is entirely credible. Because the company funded the study, it is easier for the company to leave out valuable information like side effects which were not mentioned at all in this article by the company who conducted that specific study. In the last study presented in the article, the reporter did mention that the primary side effect in a trial by Dr. Paul Ridker of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston showed the primary side effect of rosuvastatin was a slight increase in newly diagnosed diabetes in those taking the drug.

The article also included the limitations of the study which presented the article as a good example of custodian of fact role. One of the limitations presented was the cost of using the drug. According to the article, the statin would cost the US healthcare system $9 billion a year. Another report from Dr. Mark Hlatky of Stanford University showed that due to the high cost of Crestor (rosuvastatin) 120 people would have to take the drugs for two years to prevent one heart attack, stroke or death. The drug does not take immediate effect, which was another limitation that the reporter made the reader aware of.

This article easily appeals to the public because not only does it present a drug that would lead to a decrease in deaths (caused by heart attack and stroke), but it also pertains to a wide variety of people with normal cholesterol as well as those who are already struggling with high cholesterol. The article addressed my main concerns as to how the drug works and why it would be so effective for those with normal levels of cholesterol. I also found that being informed about the limitations of the drug also made the information seem more credible. Other factors that made the article seem credible were the references it made towards multiple studies conducted by doctors in that field. Being informed by professionals helps the audience to make informed decisions about their personal health. Based on what I read, the story didn’t seek to sensationalize the new finding of the effect of the drug, but rather it sought to inform the public and give hope to many who are concerned about the avoidance of serious issues like heart attack and stroke.

Whitegoldiswhitegold.com ?

tpeithman — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:25:07 +0000

My assignment this week in Mass Media and Society, was to explore an online branded community and describe and share my opinions about it. I chose to soak in the mind boggling crap that www.whitegoldiswhitegold.com had to offer. And frankly, I believe that they didn’t have much to offer for stimulating my brain intellectually. Instead, I believe that it further made me realize how much useless information and applications that have become readily available through the use of the internet. I first launched the website by clicking on an electric guitar and amplifier picture. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect upon entering the website. I then had an opportunity to play an interactive game that involved taking pictures of a model dressed in 80’s type clothing almost like a joke to me. Before entering the site, I also did not know that they were trying to promote a product, which in this case was milk. They also had various music videos singing about milk but had no obvious references to milk in the filming. The filming was obviously some sort of parody to music videos made in the 80’s.

I think that in order for whitegoldiswhitegold.com to attract viewers to the site, they use pop culture to conceal their underlying message of drinking milk. However, I feel that endorsing the product like this, isn’t very effective for me because it just made me even more confused as to what they were trying to promote or sell. I think that young children would enjoy a site such as this more than I would. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that this was very creative and entertaining, but I feel that being a college student, and trying to balance school and a social life, I would find it difficult to make time to utilize applications such as these to entertain myself. Not only is time an issue when using these products, I feel that if I were to watch these on a daily basis, it would be a waste for all the valuable space in my brain to absorb.

I also feel that sites like these don’t effectively better society, but rather it just adds to all the useless ideas that the world spends more time on instead of trying to better the society. On the other hand, I do believe that this website is trying to promote the consuming of milk in today’s young generation, which is a start to changing the society for good, but I still believe that it isn’t effective but rather it’s just another escapist game to divert what’s really trying to be said through the use of a parody.

Agression, Violence, and Wrestling (2nd Graded Blog Post)

tpeithman — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:50:42 +0000

In my Mass Media and Society class, my assignment this week was to find at least three academic journal articles, describe them, cite and research about media effects, and reflect upon them. The medium that I chose to take a closer look at is WWF (World Wrestling Federation) and how television shows like this, affect the general populace and most importantly, children.

Based on my secondary research, I do believe that WWF increases violence in society. According to McLellan (2002), the violence shown in WWF television broadcast displays content such as fighting, sexually explicit gestures, violent behaviors, and vulgar language. All of these aspects is significantly associated with an increased use of cigarettes, weapon carrying, alcohol and drugs. Also I found from my secondary research from Worth (2008), that having a television in a child’s bedroom puts children at higher risk to being exposed to violent television shows like WWF and rated “R” moves as well.

This finding is relevant to WWF because this makes WWF more accessible for young children to see violence. Being that these factors increase violent gestures, McLellan (2002) also says that because children lack the literacy and cognitive skills, it is often difficult for children to distinguish between fantasy and reality when obviously it is a “staged fantasy”. According to Taborini (2008), there is an abundance of verbal aggression found in wrestling. I also found from this secondary research that in these professional wrestling shows, there is excessive swearing and attacks on the person.

Now, readers may argue that WWF is just a fantasy and that it isn’t reality, but the fact that WWF uses real people, and puts them in a setting where the interactions, and the audience is real, often makes it difficult for children to tell the difference between mere entertainment or reality. Also, because wrestling is a sport it is not taken lightly like a normal television broadcast would be but children are put in a position where they see this, and they think that it is acceptable to act in this way. Many people would argue that to protect children from such shows, just don’t allow them to see them, but with the increase in technology nowadays, it is often difficult to monitor everything that their children watch.

These findings about the negative associations with television shows like WFF, are important because a majority of what children watch can shape the way they think, react to certain situations, and also the way they interact and communicate with others in society. I feel that exposure to such shows can be damaging to many of the young and innocent minds of children. Professional wrestling promotes violence and vulgar language that leads to negative effects in society. Overall, I think the viewing of professional wrestling shows like WWF are best when avoided by young children.

Worth, Keliah A. (2008). Exposure of US Adolescents to Extremely Violent Movies. Pediatrics, 122(2), 306-332.

McLellan, Faith. (2002). Do Violent Movies Make Violent Children ? Lancet, 359 (9305), 502.

Tamborini, Ron. (2008). Talking Smack: Verbal Aggression in Professional Wrestling. Communication Studies, 59(3), 242-258.

Alternative vs. Mainstream

tpeithman — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:15:23 +0000

This week in my Mass Media and Society class, I was asked to watch alternative media and compare it with mainstream media. I first started watching an alternative news station called Democracy Now! for one hour a day for three days and compared it with my viewing of MSNBC for the same amount of time. I found that between the two there were different aspects to each source. The goal and approach of each source interpreted the news differently. In the alternative media source, the stories that were covered dealt with in depth analysis’s of each segment that was aired.A story in Democracy Now! that was aired, had commentary from experts in the field of the economy straight from an official who served under the Reagan administration and the reporters were interviewing him on his knowledge of the economy of the past, present, and future. For example, in Democracy Now!, it offered stories that dealt with politics, the economy, and the government. This alternative media source seemed to challenge the ideas that were aired in each story, instead of trying to justify the ideas presented.

Also, unlike most mainstream media, Democracy Now! had one idea in mind instead of many. While watching MSNBC, I found that there was a broad range of stories but not one particular subject that MSNBC tried to focus on like Democracy Now! did. In Democracy Now!, they focused a majority of the news segment on the economy and the Bush administration. It seemed as if MSNBC just gave out information while Democracy Now!, offered the information as well as their opinion concerning the issue at hand. The alternative media source set a goal, whereas, the mainstream source looked to give the general public an overview of the daily top stories. For example, stories like a missing boy, the fluctuating price gas, and who’s winning in polls each day with the election is what MSNBC offered to the viewer. On the other hand, Democracy Now! offered stories that stuck to one general idea and many of them dealt with the economic housing crisis that Americans are affected by.

It seemed to me that Democracy Now! tried to give the audience a different approach as to the way that people view the news, and also made the audience think critically about the issues that exist in the world with numerous opinions being voiced. And this is why I think that the word “alternative” came into use because of the mainstream media trying to fit a mold of the types of stories that are aired. Although, I must say that the mainstream media was much easier for me to comprehend in comparison to the alternative news media due to the ideas that were being introduced. Overall, both sources offered me valuable information but each with a different approach.

Media Roles (First Graded Blog)

tpeithman — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:14:18 +0000

This week, in my Mass Media and Society class, I was asked to monitor three days worth of election coverage from one media source. I was asked by my professor to use the book “The Press Effect” by Kathleen Hall and Paul Waldman to look for the roles that the media fulfilled based on this book. I have used Toulmin’s model for my argument. I believe that MSNBC gave viewers a broad range in news coverage of the election over the past three days, however I believe that some of the subjects lacked information when fulfilling its purpose. After watching the news coverage, an hour a day for three days, I found that the majority of the stories dealt with issues of “press as psychologist” and “press as custodian of fact”. According to the book “The Press Effect” by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Waldman, “press as custodian of fact” informs the general public about facts of the issue or matter and “press as psychologist” is when the press depicts the candidates on the basis of their character.

Three of the stories that I watched out of the news segments for an hour each day dealt with “press as psychologists”. They examined McCain and Obama along the campaign trail and showed footage of candidates speaking highly and defending their opponent.

One that was aired was one entitled “Praising John McCain” portrayed Barrack Obama defending the character of John McCain. Also, there was another segment in which footage was shown of McCain campaigning and many of the audience members speaking ill of Obama. Reacting to this, McCain defended his opponent and reassured the character of Obama. This was a different approach because according to MSNBC, beforehand, McCain didn’t care to defend the character of his opponent, but as the election day comes close, I saw a change in his character. In this particular situation, the press examined and attempted to reflect the personality of each candidate.

Another prominent role was “press as custodian of fact” when examining the vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. In this top news story the issue of “Troopergate” was brought up. This focused on how the Alaskan senator had used her power and legislation to settle a personal score that violated “ethics rules”. For me, data like this can often favor one candidate especially in cases where the comprehension of the ideas presented in this news segment were not clear to most of the general public. Statements like that can very easily be misinterpreted and often lead to biased opinions. I also feel that due to the reporters not fulfilling their jobs to inform the public about terms, and filling in the needed information, is also biased because the report lacks valuable information that the public has on making their decision for the next presidential candidate. In using this tactic, the press can easily manipulate the decision of many valuable votes.

However, because I only watched this news segment for an hour each day for three days, it is possible that I have a limited view of the stories that MSNBC aired through the days of October 11^th to October 13^th.

I feel by watching this particular news segment, “press as a custodian of fact” played an important role in my decision for the next president. When being informed about politics and the election, the press should make it an effort to define particular terms and policies that are not always easy for me to comprehend.