News, trust and “truthiness”

After reviewing many other blogs and examining all the different opinions on the topic, I determined that most students, including myself, believe that satirical news is just as reliable as traditional news. Many posts discussed culture jamming in terms of satirical news sources such as the Rick Mercer Report and the Daily Show. The concept of not crossing the line and only poking fun at topics that are appropriate was mentioned multiple times as well. Through this blog response, I will be discussing three entries that have share a similar opinion on the topic to that of my own.

The first blog post that I will review is Brandon’s. He wrote “for me, personally, I see these shows as a reliable and more entertaining way of acquiring important information that I would not otherwise find out about due to the news’ aforementioned dull and depressing nature” (http://bkennedy94.blogspot.ca/2013/11/is-fake-news-real-news.html). Although not everyone may agree with this, I personally feel the same way that Brandon does. When I watch mainstream news, which is rare, I find that I am bored and depressed. On the other hand, when I watch satirical news programs, I still receive the important information, however I am much more entertained and interested.

Next, I will be discussing Justin’s blog entry. Justin wrote “the problem with the fake news is that there’s only a certain amount of news you can joke about, some stories are just off limits, terrorism, war and death wont be talked about on these show” (http://justingmsblog.blogspot.ca/2013/11/is-fake-news-real-news.html). As I mentioned in my blog post, there are certain topics of the news that are not appropriate for poking fun. There are obvious lines that the creators of these media sources must ensure that they don’t cross, in order to make sure the audience is not offended, or there could be serious consequences. Justin mentioned topics such as terrorism, war and death but there are more topics I thought of including crimes such as robberies, kidnappings or murders and natural disasters like hurricanes or tsunamis. 

The last blog post that I will be reviewing is Allison’s. While I was writing my blog post and reflecting on the idea of satirical news sources, I never really thought about each source having a different demographic, a different audience. However, she stated, “despite the fact that the nightly news has a generally older audience, and SNL’s demographic are young adults…” (http://allisonsparham.wordpress.com/). This is so true. She used Saturday Night Live as the example and I know that myself and many of my friends who are similar in age would prefer to watch shows like SNL and The Rick Mercer Report in comparison to the boring, bland mainstream news. I would make an assumption that younger individuals would be more interested in satirical news, which would provide them with more entertainment, in comparison to older individuals who would be more attracted to the more proper, straight up news (but then again, that’s just my opinion).

After reading the textbook to learn about culture jamming and comparing my opinions to the ideas of my classmates showed me that there are different perspectives on whether or not satirical news would be considered “real news” or not. I do believe that there are no implications when using satirical news as a reliable source of receiving information on what is going on in the world. As long as the audience knows that this is not the most reliable source out there, that although you are receiving information about the news and that the main purpose is a source of comedic entertainment, there is no harm being done.

 

Is the Fake News the Real News?

The media is constantly looking for new ways to incorporate comedy within the entertainment industry. Culture jamming is one way that this can be done. In the Media and Society textbook, culture jamming is described as “a form of media activism that subverts and reworks the intended meaning of existing media texts, or parodies major corporations, public figures, and their media images” (O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, 213). One example of culture jamming would be certain television shows that create parodies and jokes based on the latest headline new stories. I do believe that it would be legitimate to suggest that satirical news reporting is a mainstream form of culture jamming.

Although many people find these shows as hysterical, others may feel that they are unnecessary and in fact not funny at all. Television shows such as The Daily Show and Rick Mercer Report still provides the audience with the current news stories, however, they portray the information in a way that is comical and more enjoyable. Personally, I would rather watch a satirical news reporting, which would give keep me updated on what I need to know around the world, yet still keep me laughing and intrigued. Viewer’s respond more positively if they are provided with jokes that they can relate to. It is essential that we, as the viewers, keep ourselves updated on what is going on in the world.

Although fake news is creating jokes based on the actual news stories, there are some topics, such as natural disasters, car accidents and crimes, which are not a joking matter. Producers run the risk of crossing the line with certain stories, which could result in offended viewers. There are also advertisements that have been spoofed which leads to companies who feel insulted, who can then take legal action. The textbook states, “there can be serious legal implications. Culture jammers can be sued for brand tarnishment, brand infringement, copyright violation, and even defamation” (O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, 224).

In the media, stories always get changed around. It’s like that game called Telephone – everyone tells the story differently; some people add in new information and some leave parts out. This information is useful to the public sphere because viewers are still being provided with the news, its just portrayed through a different, more jokingly way. This way, everyone can have his or her own opinion. Take the Rob Ford story for example. Although the news is providing everyone with rue information, many people twist the story and make jokes off what they’ve heard. People take pictures, add funny captions, make drug related jokes, and so on. Instead of leaving the audience bored, satirical news makes it more fun. 

Demonstrable demographics

I really enjoyed looking at other students chosen advertisements and their blog posts about them. I found that there were a variety of different advertisement topics that were chosen such as drinking, fast food/junk food and cosmetic products. After reading several different blogs I came to the conclusion that I agree with a majority of what my peers said in regards to their chosen advertisement. My ad was about what could be the results of drinking and driving. Being a student, like the girl in my advertisement, where drinking is seen as a norm, the ad was directed towards teenagers or young adults.

The first blog post I am going to discuss is also a drinking ad that is focused on partying teenagers. Jessica’s advertisement is a photo of a girl in her graduation gown, hanging lifeless through a broken picture frame, implying the results of a impaired driving accident. She states, “Personally, I found that the disturbing nature of this photograph is what caught my attention” (http://jessicaznaczko.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/cpcf-1f25-blog-entry-3-what-the-hail/). In comparison to my blog post, I also found that the shocking and upsetting photograph is what caught my attention and would catch the eye of many other people. The concept of using shock value to gain the attention of the audience is very strategic.

Next, I will be discussing an advertisement that is a little different in topic. Liam’s blog post, which is a Nike ad, tries to motivate its audience by stating how you need to earn your rest. He said, “it is also trying to motivate you by saying that, if you workout hard and use Nike products to do so, you too can be build like a refrigerator and have shoulder muscles the size of man-hole covers” (http://dunsey.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/what-the-hail/). I found this to be kind of funny, but very true. Society today portrays an image of men as being big and jacked. In one of my previous blogs, I examined the issue of media impacting females body image, however, I never really considered the medias affects on men’s body image. I think the company did a good job representing the norms as many males are working out in order to fit into the body image seen through media.

The last blog I will be focusing on was a post examining the product called No-No, by Kendra. She discussed the issue in media which views women as hairless and silky smooth skin. In today’s world, men are very turned off and disgusted by body hair. I definitely agree with Kendra’s opinion when she states, “I think “No-No” was successful in it attempts to represent norms, values, and beliefs because every girl knows girls want to hairless everywhere expect for their heads” (http://kendrajss.blogspot.ca/2013/11/what-hail-blog-entry-3.html). This company does a good job at attracting the desired audience, as there are many women that would be willing to try any products in order to achieve the look that is portrayed in society. Personally, I can relate to this advertisement, being a young woman, as I know that having body hair is seen as unhygienic.

It is important for companies to try to target a specific audience in order to attract attention and improve their business. There are many different strategies that a company can use to hail or interpellate its audience. I never really thought about the behind the scenes of an advertisement, but after this blog topic, I will definitely be thinking about it much more now whenever I encounter an ad.

 

 

1F25 Blog Post 3: What the Hail?

A majority of people drink or have drank alcohol before. Whether it’s while on vacation, at a party or celebrating an occasion, there are many situations where you will encounter drinking. Although many people enjoy drinking, there are many dangerous things that can occur from over drinking. In this advertisement, a teenage girl is laying upside down on her bed looking weak and ill. Faintly, you can see a picture of what looks like an operating room. The ad states, “don’t drink and drive.” This advertisement is showing the aftermath of a drunken car wreck. There are doctors and equipment operating on the girl. This image demonstrates what can occur if you have a night of too much drinking. It is convincing individuals who are consuming alcohol to drink wisely and to not overdo it. In the bottom right corner it says, “there is something worse than a hangover the following morning, regret.” This quote really stood out to me, as I know many teenagers who have done things that they have regretted in the morning, many drunk car accidents, after a night of heavy drinking. They used such a deep quote in order to scare the audience away from performing such actions.

There are two quotes in the textbook that relate to this advertisement. One states that “we live in a culture that stresses individuality, encourages us to believe that every person has unique qualities, and puts forward the view that we have control over who we are, what we do, and how others see us, but this view is questionable” (189). This can relate to a drunk driver. We live in a society where believe that we have control over our actions and ourselves. Therefore, we should be able to control ourselves from making such horrible decisions and instead making the right decisions. Another quote on page 190 says, “…actions are predetermined or subject to influences beyond our conscious control.” This quote is discussing how our actions can be influenced by other factors affecting the quality of the decisions we make. Again, this is stating that we have power over our decisions and should be avoiding these mistakes.

Although the person in the advertisement is a white female, I do not believe that it is focusing primarily on Caucasian girls. Although it has been proven that males can drink more and handle their alcohol better than females, it is still possible for regrets to happen to boys. I believe that this ad is focusing on either males or females, of any race, primarily around the teenager-young adult age. The audience is left to use their imagination to create the story behind such a terrible incident. With idea of drinking and driving is connected to a girl who is critical condition after a horrible intoxicated crash, it leaves the viewers thinking about what could have led up to this.

This advertisement is not trying to sell you a product, or try to convince you of something, it is simply just attempting to save the lives of you and many others. It is trying to pass on a helpful message. They want to demonstrate that although drinking may be enjoyable and a good time during the night, the morning can be the total opposite. Things happen that make individuals regret what happened, so think about if it’s really worth it. I do believe that this ad did a very good job using their strategic methods to represent partying and drinking, which is a norm in our society, especially with students. The girl in this ad looks like she would be about the age of a university student; therefore it helps portray the message. The targeted audience are the ones that the media is trying to connect with. Many students are interested in alcohol and partying, so when they see this ad, it will be something they are interested in and will be willing to try to understand. The idea behind this article was portrayed through a meaningful photo with a quote that will leave the audience thinking whether it really is worth it in the end.

O’Shaughnessy, Michael, and Jane Stadler. Media And Society. 5th ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2012. 179-191. Print.