In the age that we live in, computers have taken hold of the job market. What used to be done by hand is now done by programming. The jobs that used to be in abundance are now rapidly falling to the computer. When the world we live in is changing, we must either learn to adapt or fall behind and get passed by.

In his book A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink, the issues of how we are to overcome the computers is brought to light. He examines the problem and brings possible solutions to the table. The main questions he addresses are as follows; Can a computer do it faster?, Is what I'm offering in demand in an age of abundance?, Can someone overseas do it cheaper? Depending on the answers to these questions will depend greatly on whether or not you will be able to succeed in this computer driven economy. This is where his idea of the "Conceptual Age" comes in to play. The mind is not something that can be outsourced, nor can it be replaced by a computer. True its ability to compute and come up with facts may far exceed that of the human mind. But can it dream? Can it create? Not yet they can't. In this way, we are able to exploit the loophole computers have and thrive.

Pink presents several ways in which we are able to do this. He outlines six essential senses that we need in order to be successful. First is Design. He says that we need to be able to create something that not only functions but also has the ability to engage the user in an experience unlike one they've had before. I believe that is one of the reasons why the ipod has become so popular. It does the same thing that a CD or mp3 player does, but people buy it for the experience and interface it has. Second is Story. This is one of the more important senses. By telling a story and creating conflict instead of just presenting an argument, we are able to relate experiences the user is intimately familiar with and are able to identify in order to bring them closer to your product. Thus giving you an edge over the competition. Third is Symphony. By using this sense and bringing unique invention to the table, we are able to capture the public's attention and curiosity. Again I present the ipod. Even though it does the same thing other devices do, it does them in a unique way and captures our attention. It can play songs from many different albums, just like other devices, but by adding the "cover flow" feature, it grabs our attention and makes it much more interesting.  Fourth is Empathy. I believe that this is another of the more important senses. By presenting the user with emotional connections and feelings instead of straight logic, it makes the product more human and thus more accessible. If we present something without the empathetic sense, no matter how well it has been created, it will seem distant and cold. Fifth is Play. This is my personal favorite. By bringing the lighthearted aspect to the product, you make it fun to use instead of just necessary. You want people to say "I get to use this product" rather than "I have to use this product." And last but not least is Meaning. Without meaning, what do you have? Nothing. If we don't give meaning to a product, what's the point? Without meaning, a thing just exists but has no value. You want your product to have value not only to yourself but to others. These six essential senses are what Pink says will bring success in this day and age.

I personally believe that I am well prepared for this age. My entire life has been spent without a television in the house. Many people would view this as unfortunate, but I see it as an advantage. You see, when all the other kids wanted the latest gadget on TV, I was satisfied with a GI Joe action figure or a new pair of shoes. Since I had the simple toys, I had to create the environment they existed in with my imagination. While others were sitting around watching cartoons, I was creating my own. Since I was never exposed to the vast majority of entertainment out there, I was forced to entertain myself. Now I didn't go completely without entertainment, I still got to se movies and watch some TV at relatives houses. Also, I have become quite the avid movie viewer. I am fascinated by all the concepts and skills that are put together in order to create a film. With this type of background, I feel that I am more than prepared to function in this age.

Computers may be taking over the world, but humans are still the ultimate in creativity and imagination. They will never be unwanted and will always be in demand. The world is constantly demanding new and improved ways to entertain and bedazzle them. So through my background and current schooling I believe that I will be prepared to function and flourish in this conceptual age.

Women in Advertising

As many of us know, women are objectified in advertising. I don't think this is a new phenomenon or that the people in society are unaware of that fact. The truth is that it is everywhere. The difference is that now we are really starting to get a sense of what this means and how we are really portraying these women in a male dominated society. 

Be a tiger an wear stripes

In this ad we can see almost every behavior used in advertising to depict male and female. It is also quite disturbing if you really take a look at what this ad is saying. It is an advertisement for dress shirts with stripes. As the caption says to hold that tiger it is referring to the woman in the ad. However, the woman is not depicted in an animalistic state at all, aside from the fact she's in stripes and in a cage. Through the analysis presented by Sut Jhally we can see what is really going on with this woman. First of all she is in a seated position and holding her legs. From this we can see that she is not being depicted as a strong and wild tigress, but as a defenseless and vulnerable kitten. She is also looking off to the side in nowhere in particular which seems to make her look distracted and unaware instead of a wary and cunning jungle cat. Her head is also slightly canted and her torso has also been contorted somewhat which further promotes the fact that she is vulnerable and submissive. Also, I feel like the fact that she is without shoes further implies that she is weak and unprepared. 

If we take a look at the man we also see the traditional stereotypes associated with him as well. He is seated which is not typical but his legs are crossed and his back is an an extreme upright position which signifies that he is still in control of the situation. He is also looking directly back at the viewer which demonstrates a sense of wariness and knowledge. Also, his hand is gripping the top of the cage in a firm grasp to show his power over the woman whereas she is merely lightly clasping her hands around her knees. 

Even our flag is objectified

The most obvious depiction of man's domination over women is the fact that the woman is in an iron cage and the man is sitting on top of it. You couldn't get a better image for that purpose. You can also see that there is a giant padlock which is just sitting there and not really holding anything down which shows that the man himself is enough to contain this "tiger". One more thing that shows how man is valued more than the woman is the caption itself. Notice how the second word "tiger" is capitalized whereas the first is not. Many would not notice something that seems so trivial but we subconsciously put more value on a word that is capitalized than one that is not. 

Overall this ad is the epitome of objectivity of men and women in advertising. To think that all these messages are being communicated simply to get you to buy a striped dress shirt is quite astounding. As the caption below the ad states, "you'll have those kittens seeing stars - and stripes - forever" it even makes the connection that by purchasing and wearing these shirts, you will even make your country proud by being patriotic. 

A Look At Education

The purpose of this entry is to take a look at the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Liberal Education America's Promise (LEAP) in order to assess their similarities and differences. I will attempt to reveal the benefits and downfalls equally and fairly for each of these educational entities.

First we will look at the NCLB. What is it really? What the NCLB aimed to do is target school districts with low income families and provide federal funds to help improve their education. In order to receive and keep these federal funds however, the schools had to prove that the students were indeed learning and bettering their education.

This seems like a simple and helpful system. The fact of the matter is that it is a helpful system and should work in principle. Think about it, through this program, schools should be able to get better books, more computers, and better resources to further educate a child and give it the chance to succeed and get out of their low income situation and create a better life for themselves. It sounds so good and should work. These are the benefits of the NCLB and they look like they are flawless.

There are several major problems however. First of all, the testing standards that the schools must meet in order to obtain and keep the federal funds are quite strict and very high. Where we run into an issue is that these testing standards are so high that it becomes next to impossible for the students to meet them. Especially if they're currently in a low income area and don't have the resources to learn the material required for the test. This gives rise to another problem. When the students aren't performing as well as they should be, this puts stress on the teachers to make them perform better. The teachers have a couple choices in this situation. They can work their tales off and do everything in their power to make do with the resources they are provided and try to get their students to reach the goal, or they can make it seem like their students are meeting it. There have been several instances where the teacher has taken the students tests and changed the answers themselves in order to make it seem like the students are performing as well as they should when they have truthfully fallen short of the mark. My aunt is a vice principal in the Mineral County of West Virginia school district and has confirmed this for me. Another problem is that the NCLB requires the teachers to be "highly qualified". Now this statement in and of itself does not sound like a problem because we would all want our children to be taught by people that know what they're talking about. The problem comes in again with what standard a "highly qualified" individual must meet. The standards are so high that it is becoming increasingly difficult for any teacher to measure up to the standard. Some teachers teach more than one subject in a school because the school has no other option since they can't find specifically qualified teachers in the subject. Chemistry teachers are one primary example. Teachers are required to have a bachelors degree in their field as well as all licenses and certifications required and be able to demonstrate their knowledge of that subject. It is ridiculously difficult to find someone with a bachelor degree in chemistry to teach high school science. These are just a couple of the problems with NCLB. As you can see with these problems, when a teacher changes the students scores in order to keep the funding, the child is not really receiving a very good education. On the other end, with the high standards expected of teachers, it is getting increasingly difficult for schools to get funding in the first place because the teachers can't possibly measure up. So as you can see, the problems with NCLB far outweigh the benefits.

Now let's take a look at LEAP and what it strives to accomplish. This teaching philosophy has gotten increasing use and support in the university and even some primary education levels. The idea is to provide a liberal or very well rounded education to the individual and not just a narrow training.

This sounds like a good idea and it is in concept as well as in practice. It is actually the philosophy used here on Shepherd University. Through this system, a student will be able to not only pick the field of study they wish to pursue, but they will also receive education in other fields as well. This is a gerat way for students to get a feel of the world around them and allows them to get a taste of what else is out there for them. Through this system I have seen a student be set on one field of study and through a single class they took and enjoyed, completely change their major and be all the happier for it. This actually happened to me in my college experience. I was going for a pharmacy degree but through several liberal arts classes I was required to take, I ended up completely switching my major and becoming a mass communications major which is why I am currently writing this blog. I am personally grateful for this system and highly recommend it's use across the board.

However, there is one issue I have with this system. It requires that you take courses that you have no interest in whatsoever. For instance, as stated before I am a mass communications major and switched to this and plan on sticking with, therefore I have no desire or need for taking a physical education course. I understand that the purpose of this course is to help college students develop a healthy lifestyle but I am currently in shape and go to the gym regularly so the need for me to spend my time and my money in order to take this course just so i can further my education in my field of study is upsetting. I probably had the worst case scenario. The professor of the course was well into his 70's and would lose his train of thought halfway into a sentence and begin to ramble. His grading was sporadic and the course was confusing to say the least. needless to say I was highly upset that I had to spend money and time in the class in order to further my education.

As you can see, both of these entities are trying to improve the education of students everywhere. They succeed in some areas while failing in others. They are trying to achieve the same goal but going about it in a different way. As with all government or even just human policies, nothing is perfect, but we will continue to strive toward that mark.

What Is Media Literacy?

illustrates how we are stuck and trapped by media

What is media literacy really? When you look at the word you could just take it at it's suface meaning and asume one of several things. Is it the ability to read and interpret different forms of communication? Is it the ability to understand what a film is trying to communicate to the audience? Is it the ability of a person simply to know what media is?

The answer is yes to all these questions but it is also so much more. There are many facets to media literacy and would be difficult to describe in full detail every facet there is. So we must take a broader look at the subject and try to break it down into components that are easy to digest and understand.

There are many schools of thought on how to bring media literacy to the discussion table. Some believe that it is simply the ability to be aware of the media forces that surround us on an every day level. Others can see far deeper into the matter and bring out facets that have very little connection with the world around us. The fact of the matter is that no matter what school of thought you choose to follow, every one of them as got some grain of truth in what they are trying to say.

Media literacy is hard to define. So what I will attempt to do is simply bring up some broad points and observations about media literacy without going into tremendous detail about them. As stated before there are many ways to define it and even more ways to study it so a broad analysis is the best way to approach it.

One definition of media literacy is stated as being the ability to process and analyze the information presented to us everyday in entertainment, informative, and capital outlets. The basis is to try and ask questions and think critically about the media that is presented to us. We have the capability to go deeper into the advertisements and entertainment that we see everyday. Whether or not we do so is where media literacy comes into play.

There are several different ways that we can analyze these media outlets. Certainly we must take them into consideration because each way of looking at them will yield a different conclusion while looking at the exact same thing. One site has taken on the challenge of informing the world about media literacy in order to prepare us for living in a world where we are bombarded daily with media. The Center for Media Literacy has a very basic but very important way of educating on the topic. They have a four step process to understanding the media; Awareness, Analysis, Reflection, Action. This basically means to identify the information, analyze what it means, think of how it relates to you, and do what you deem best about this information.

These are all very critical ways of looking at media literacy and they are extensive. However, these are ways to view it from an academic and very scholarly view point. What about our culture and everyday level? How does it relate to me?

Well we can take that into consideration as well. When we are watching a movie or surfing the internet, try not to just be a sponge and soak up every drop of information highway road kill. Take a second and actually think about what is being put in front of your eyes. If we actually take the time to SEE what we're LOOKING at, we would discover that the world has got a lot more out there for us then just what our eyes are telling us.

Many of the things that are presented to us in the media don't even register on a conscious level. They are worked into our sleeping minds and our planted there and influence our thoughts and actions without us even knowing about it. This is where the everyday part comes in. We can't just sit there and let whatever the world wants to throw at us seep into our minds. We should regulate it and actually scrutinize what we allow ourselves to think about. Without the conscious thought about the media, we would all just become zombies and do whatever the talking heads tell us to do.

Media Studies can be a very scholarly and academic pursuit, but it should also be a personal issue for all of us. Without the media we wouldn't be the society we are today. Without media studies, we would all just be what society told us to be without exercising our free will.

Frithsquatch

Eating Jack Link's beef jerky will make you as legendary as sasquatch

When looking at a messin with sasquatch ad, one might notice several things about it and interpret it to be any number of different things from comedic to informative. Using the Frith Analysis, we are able to take a deeper look into what these things might be and what the advertiser is trying to communicate to us.

First of all would be the surface meaning or the quick glance analysis. When looking at the ad you will simply notice a sasquatch figure holding a bag of Jack Link's beef jerky while standing in the woods.

From the advertiser's intended meaning we have to take a slightly different approach. In the ad we see that this sasquatch is a wild and mythical creature and yet he is holding a bag of Jack Link's beef jerky. From this we can deduce that the advertiser is trying to get you to see that this product is as wild and mythical as sasquatch himself. The upside is that you can get your hands on this product and experience the wildness first hand.

Wildness of sasquatch is captured in this image

Finally we can look at the ad from an ideological and cultural point of view. From the television ads we can see that the guys that are eating the Jack Link's jerky are wild and fearless for picking on sasquatch who has been a symbol of campfire horror stories for years. We associate sasquatch with fables and legends and when we see this legendary creature being humiliated by men eating Jack Link's jerky, we associate their tenacity and bravado with the jerky. Conversely we are being shown that by getting this product, we will be brave, wild, and fearless.

The only problem is that by the end of the ad, sasquatch always has his revenge on his antagonists. However, in the mindsets of so many Americans, that still will not deter us from wanting to seek out this legendary creature and pop a paper bag behind his ear or making him smack himself in the face with shaving cream.

Favorite Ad Campaign

Sasquatch with his prize

My favorite ad campaign has to be that of the Jack Links messin with Sasquatch ads. The success of putting a mythical creature into an ad campaign without having it come off as being cartoonish is amazing to me.

Though the sasquatch in the ads almost looks like a deformed Chewbacca, the overall look is pretty hilarious. Big Foot has been depicted several different ways in the past. From the super scary to the extremely comical. Trying to find a balance between the two that actually works must have been a challenge but they pulled it off rather well.

Jack Links got one of there biggest breaks from their partnership with the world poker series as a sponsor. Through this partnership, Jack Links got a lot recognition. From there they launched into a massive ad campaign and from there came the messin with sasquatch angle.

The ads are great and pretty funny. However, I don't quite get the connection between beef jerky and Big Foot. The only relationship I can see is that maybe Big Foot enjoys the meat and is a carnivore but they don't really portray him as being a predatory type. The specifics of the ads are lost on me but the overall effect is still pretty amusing.

Jack Links ads may not make perfect sense but their beef jerky is still delicious. I usually don't get it though because no matter how delicious they are, they are ridiculously expensive and I usually just get the generic brand. But don't tell sasquatch that.