tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2008:/media-anth//2 2008-02-25T02:19:50Z Fall Semester 2007 Movable Type 3.34 tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2008:/media-anth//2.319 2008-02-25T02:17:53Z 2008-02-25T02:19:50Z

Please Don’t Talk About Murder While I’m Eating…This is actually the name of a Ben Harper song from his album Both Sides of the Gun. I highly recommend this album if you like good politically infused listening. I feel this...

Susanna Please Don’t Talk About Murder While I’m Eating…This is actually the name of a Ben Harper song from his album Both Sides of the Gun. I highly recommend this album if you like good politically infused listening. I feel this way often, I’ll turn on the radio in the morning and all of a sudden I am in the Middle East surrounded by suicide bombers. Something about murder and food just doesn’t mix. I, like many people who were interviewed for Tachi’s essay Radio Texture, listen to the radio for, well, texture I suppose. There is something motivating about inviting the world into your kitchen as you are starting your day. But there is also something disconcerting about the fact that I can count on hearing about a suicide bombing incidence on NPR as surely as I can count on Garrison Keillor’s slowly drawled puns. If we want to talk about desensitization, let’s talk about the reports of violence in the Middle East. It just seems uncanny that literally everyday this is reported on. It leads me to wonder, do commentators feel that now that they have started reporting on it everyday they have to continue in a consistent manner? I have no issue with this. I just think about it often because I am affronted with it every day on NPR and not with reports of violence anywhere else. It almost leads me to a point of complacency with the situation. But this is precisely the crux of the issue. What are the effects of us expecting that this condition will continue in a steady capacity? Does this have an effect on the outcome of the situation? If reports of this violence come in a steady stream at the same time every day, won’t this embed the realities of the situation into a place in our subconscious that becomes more comfortable and less outraged? tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2008:/media-anth//2.318 2008-02-25T02:02:49Z 2008-02-25T02:14:13Z

A main insight that I have gained from this course is that media is highly subjective and to view it as anything else will create a deranged sense of reality. As we saw in “The Ad and the Ego”...

Susanna A main insight that I have gained from this course is that media is highly subjective and to view it as anything else will create a deranged sense of reality. As we saw in “The Ad and the Ego” advertisement is the “production of discontent.” The film relayed to us that “symbols and images have a power of persuasion that is undeniable.” And that advertisers understand the human search for meaning and use it to their own ends. However, this can be applied to all media beyond just ads for specific material items. How about The War on Terror? Every government transaction and public speech is an ad. Behind every public media there is an agenda. This may be for good or for evil; that is for the moral voice inside the individual to decide. But the important thing to realize and understand is that the world is boundless and full of possibilities that have not been broadcast by large corporations or “Paid for by Viewers Like You.” After returning from Brazil last summer, I became painfully aware of the confines within which we Americans live. We have become so attached to media. I don’t fully agree with McLuhen that the media is the message, but the confinement that media has brought to our perceptions about life’s possibilities does often echo the sentiments that come through those forms of media. It has created a future-based ideal. Once I am this, or once I have this, my life will be happy. Media is essentially a tool for communication. It should not be perceived as a reflection of reality. As we discussed at the beginning of the course, media are: technologies, tools for communication, social practices, a cultural system for the social construction of reality. It is as Buddha said (or so they say), "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2008:/media-anth//2.317 2008-02-25T01:57:20Z 2008-02-25T01:59:59Z

Pharmaceuticals In pondering overzealously prescribed pharmaceuticals it has made me see the powerful and often blinding role of collective conscience and media in our society. It has taken me a long time to come to the point where I realize...

Susanna Pharmaceuticals In pondering overzealously prescribed pharmaceuticals it has made me see the powerful and often blinding role of collective conscience and media in our society. It has taken me a long time to come to the point where I realize that the mainstream is just that: the largest stream of information. It is not the only way to go, and it is not correct just because the majority of people follow it. We have so much trust in the media to show us what we need to know. Ill? Great, there’s an ad “that might be right for you.” In my life I have had many experiences, both personally and pertaining to those close to me, with drugs. I am not talking about heroin or crack, although many pharmaceuticals should be in the same category. I am talking about anything from manufactured antibiotics, Paxil for anxiety, acne medications, you name it. I had to take a leave from school because a single course drug I took for a tropical illness half killed me. I wish I was exaggerating. Not a word was said to me by the doctor about the composition of this substance that would so harshly alter my life. And as I have looked into the medical community, into whose hands so many people put their lives, often in vain, I have found some disturbing information. I have uncovered blogs by people who are slowly dying from medications which were supposed to save their lives, sites that feature families who have lost a loved one because a drug reacted badly with their individual body chemistry, whole forums for people whose lives have been devastated by their trust in medications they knew nothing about. But one need not search so deeply to see evidence of the industry’s casualties. Heath Ledger’s recent tragic death was an accidental overdose of a mixture of medications to treat anxiety and insomnia,. Or what about the most recent shooting at Ohio State which left six dead and many wounded? These events have one thing in common: prescription drugs gone awry. A basic understanding that many people lack is that our bodies are like a chemistry project, anything you put into it will alter it and produce some change in chemistry. How the experiment will turn out is dependant on factors that no doctor will know in the minutes they give you in their office. I have recently begun reading the China Study, which is the most comprehensively researched document on the power of nutrition for healing. In the book, the author relays that behind heart disease and cancer, the medical community itself is the third leading cause of death in the US. Thousands upon thousands of people every year are killed by “miracle drugs” and unnecessary surgeries. What is at play here is that we have entrusted our very lives to a giant corporation that makes money off of our use of these drugs. Again, I wish I were exaggerating. The solution for health care is not better coverage or easier access to meds. And the solution to accidental overdose is not a multi-million dollar ad campaign about the dangers of drugs, which is the Bush Administration’s proposed solution. The solution is, at least in part, making some painfully obvious information commonplace in the minds of Americans. Information such as appropriate diet, exercise and human companionship does not, however, make money for anyone except maybe some local farmers. As Goethe says, “We are best at hiding those things which are in plain sight.” It is as I have relayed in many previous posts, if our country continues to declare a war on everything from Terror, to drugs, to cancer, health will not ensue. This is because what you focus on expands, and if we are in a “War on Cancer” we are not focused on health, but rather on the illness itself. Likewise, declaring a “War on Prescription Drugs” will not work until the things people are taking drugs for have a solution. Instead of bringing ourselves to a place of peace or a state of health, we, the collective unconscious, continue to focus on the struggle. And a fighter whose main focus is the struggle itself, will never be free. tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2008:/media-anth//2.316 2008-02-25T01:50:10Z 2008-02-25T01:50:24Z

It has only recently begun to disturb me that I have a type of complacency and aloofness about the war that we are currently in. And it has only really come to my attention because one of my best friends...

Susanna It has only recently begun to disturb me that I have a type of complacency and aloofness about the war that we are currently in. And it has only really come to my attention because one of my best friends wants to join the Army National Guard. How is it that we are in a war and it is something I never really have to think about? This relates to the issue of media control and government control of the media and the power of the image. Photographs can certainly lie, but the lack of photographs and images can also create the same effect of a lie in our minds. The lack of imagery coming out of Iraq is certainly a contributing factor to the pall of complacency that abounds with regard to the Iraq War. It is truly tragic that we don’t realize the full scope of just how much sway the media’s selection of stories and images has on out perception of the world. It is up to each of us individually to decide what is and is not important, but unfortunately it is not up to us which information is implanted in our consciousness for pondering in the first place. tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2008:/media-anth//2.315 2008-02-10T23:47:39Z 2008-02-10T23:48:10Z

While paying relatively close attention to the presidential race in the past months, it is evident what a large role the media has in shaping our perceptions of reality. It has also become evident how an in-person encounter can...

Susanna While paying relatively close attention to the presidential race in the past months, it is evident what a large role the media has in shaping our perceptions of reality. It has also become evident how an in-person encounter can be so powerful as compared with a media encounter. I’m a New Hampshire voter so I was “courted” by the candidates. Obama shook my hand. And it wasn’t like I had to stick my hand way out there. After 20 minutes of hand shaking, he came back to the corner where I was standing and said; “Oh I missed you guys the first time around.” So impressive! And he is quite handsome in real life. These are just not things that any type of media could ever impart. Charm aside, I voted for Edwards based on his solid policies. Anyway, I saw first hand how all of the hype and predictions of media actually shaped the outcome. The New Hampshire primary was just after Iowa. Obama won in Iowa and it was predicted almost unanimously by commentators that he would win in New Hampshire. All of this information swayed many voters that I spoke with to vote for Edwards because they knew he wouldn’t win and just wanted him to have the vote. And in the case of Clinton this was even more extreme. This is not to say that New Hampshire voters did not want Clinton. But based on the very confident predictions of media, many voters who might have been on the fence were swayed to vote for Clinton. It is this type of psychology that fascinates me. All of the hype actually creates an alternate reality. And in the end, when Obama may have been close to winning in New Hampshire had it not been for all of the heavy-handed commentary, Clinton won by a landslide. In this case the media becomes an interesting mechanism for not just reporting on events as they are, but for changing the actual outcome. tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2008:/media-anth//2.314 2008-02-10T21:01:58Z 2008-02-10T21:12:33Z

While doing research for the final essay on Net Neutrality I came across a story at the American Civil Liberties Union about racial profiling. Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi living in America, was wearing a t-shirt on which was written...

Susanna While doing research for the final essay on Net Neutrality I came across a story at the American Civil Liberties Union about racial profiling. Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi living in America, was wearing a t-shirt on which was written “we will not be silent” in Arabic and in English. He was prevented from going on the airplane because airline officials saw it as threatening. He was told that he would not be allowed on the plane if he were wearing this shirt. His ticket was then ripped up and his seat was moved to the back of the plane. This issue brings up an interesting point about the role of the media and about racial profiling. To give some credit to the airline workers and officials, since 9/11 issues concerning “security” and “safety” have become so distorted it is probably hard for them to know how they are supposed to act in such a situation. When you work in a place where a water bottle is considered threatening, who really can have a good grasp on reality? Never mind sharp objects, today a water bottle is the new tweezers. And when you are constantly affronted by the phrase “If you see something, say something” on every possible flat object or electric screen, this t-shirt would naturally be “something” about which to “say something.” So it all makes sense in such a confused climate that an Arabic man wearing such a t-shirt would warrant some alarm by airport-goers. But on the other hand, we must give credit to the Iraqi foreigner, Raed Jarrar, for giving us a fresh perspective on some important American fundamentals we seem to have forgotten in the storm of mixed messages we’ve been receiving lately in the form of safety precautions. Iraq is a country whose people are still fighting for individual rights. Naturally Mr. Jarrar, a newcomer to America, place of freedom of expression, has an appreciation and grasp of his rights that likely surpasses that of most Americans. He has filed suit against Jet Blue and the government for racial profiling and against the government for censoring his right to free speech. This issue comes down to free speech and the atmosphere that has been created as a measure of security that has made many afraid to express their views. As Mr. Jarrar said, “I think it’s important for the US that we fight to wear the T-shirt with the Arabic words on it, maybe by itself it doesn’t seem significant…But believe me the hugest disasters start by little, little, small steps like this. People give away their rights very slowly. Thinking that this is patriotic, thinking that you know what I will give away some of my rights because I love my country, I’ll give away some of my rights because I hate my enemies. I will give away more of my rights because I think its important for National Security and then you end up living in a country where you can’t talk, where you can’t breathe, where you can’t do anything.” Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ww13jYo6Y And American Civil Liberties Union tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.313 2007-12-13T21:54:47Z 2007-12-13T21:57:19Z

On my last blog- I just wanted to tell everyone that I really enjoyed having class with each and every one of you. I believe that this was a very important class, and people need to have media literacy. I...

Kristen On my last blog- I just wanted to tell everyone that I really enjoyed having class with each and every one of you. I believe that this was a very important class, and people need to have media literacy. I feel that we are often so manipulated by the media, that we need to know what they use and how they use it against us. I never knew about net neutrality before this class, and that is so incredibly important. I strongly believe that net neutrality has to be in existence because without it we are being censored. I really hope you all enjoyed the class too... It will be weird not watching youtube videos in class. However, a lot of the things we learned I have already passed on to my friends and family. Thank you Luis for teaching a class on this topic! tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.312 2007-12-13T21:37:43Z 2007-12-13T21:51:25Z

As I'm studying for my finals, and working on my papers I started thinking about our discussion of online classes and power points. My roommate is studying for his psych test with the power points the teacher posted on line....

Kristen As I'm studying for my finals, and working on my papers I started thinking about our discussion of online classes and power points. My roommate is studying for his psych test with the power points the teacher posted on line. He has attended only a quarter of the classes, because the power points are posted and there is no need to go to class if he could just read them in his room. I mentioned this point during our conversation that technology has hurt the education system. With the use of power points i truly believe class attendance decreases. The class I TAed for this semester had about 100 students in it, and since he put all the power points up he had an attendance policy of about 50 people. It seems that students really do not think its worth to go to hear a teacher read off the power point. Maybe we have to evaluate the use of power point, and maybe, just maybe.... the chalkboard is better. tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.311 2007-12-13T21:33:46Z 2007-12-13T21:37:38Z

Katherine and Nick's presentation was great, and I find the idea of a symphony of silence to be a wonderful idea. Since I have played the violin for 10 years I understand the concept of playing music and being part...

Kristen Katherine and Nick's presentation was great, and I find the idea of a symphony of silence to be a wonderful idea. Since I have played the violin for 10 years I understand the concept of playing music and being part of a larger production. In addition, I have been to many symphony's and know that sometimes you get so lost in the music that you really miss the point and the real meaning behind the music. I believe that the silence shows us that we do not necessarily need all the pomp and stance to make a point. Today people believe you need to be the loudest, grandest to make a statement, but sometimes that leads to your message getting lost in the process. Silence forces you to listen, and brings the point home. tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.310 2007-12-13T21:29:58Z 2007-12-13T21:33:39Z

Now that i'm posting 10 entries in a row, I thought I'd mention guitar hero. My roommates are OBSESSED with guitar hero in an unhealthy matter. Guitar hero is a daily part of their lives. I do not really understand...

Kristen Now that i'm posting 10 entries in a row, I thought I'd mention guitar hero. My roommates are OBSESSED with guitar hero in an unhealthy matter. Guitar hero is a daily part of their lives. I do not really understand the appeal of the game, but I do not mind watching them play. However, guitar hero is not only a game, it has its own soundtrack. My one roommate Travis downloaded the soundtrack and comes out and tells us " This is my favorite guitar hero song!" Yes, he has a favorite guitar hero song. I love that a company can make such a success out of the game, and i asked him why do you enjoy it, your not even playing a real guitar. Trav told me that when you are playing and seeing the buttons and moving your finger it really feels like you are playing a guitar. Then i asked him why doesn't he just learn to play a real guitar... and he said he didn't have the time. Essentially guitar hero gives people the satisfaction that they are musicians, when really they aren't. However, it is their reality. tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.309 2007-12-13T20:43:09Z 2007-12-13T20:46:46Z

In response to Luis' post... are we really surprised that the military and the government is editing websites like wikipedia? It sounds pretty distressing to us, however, isn't that what wikapedia is all about? People are suppose to read it...

Kristen In response to Luis' post... are we really surprised that the military and the government is editing websites like wikipedia? It sounds pretty distressing to us, however, isn't that what wikapedia is all about? People are suppose to read it and edit it to their knowledge. We are suppose to go and edit it ourselves. We have to decide what is the truth and what isn't. Furthermore, more and more people are realizing that wikipedia is not a good source of information, and shouldn't be taken for face value. Therefore, stop going to wikipedia, research stuff yourself, and figure out the truth then. I know that professors that refuse to acknowledge Wiki as a source, and it shouldn't be. Its great we can work together to edit something, but things get skewed in the process. Reject wikipedia, and lets get back to real sources, and real education. tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.308 2007-12-13T20:36:42Z 2007-12-13T20:41:27Z

So... I'm taking a History of Christmas class, with one of the countries "Christmas experts", Stephen Nissenbuam. I am currently finishing my paper on nothing other than Christmas presents and their depictions through advertisements. After spending hours in front of...

Kristen So... I'm taking a History of Christmas class, with one of the countries "Christmas experts", Stephen Nissenbuam. I am currently finishing my paper on nothing other than Christmas presents and their depictions through advertisements. After spending hours in front of a machine looking at microfilm, and staring at ads through computer bases, I have realized that even in 1820, Christmas advertisements were everywhere. While the gifts you could purchase were much less complex, they were advertise for people to see. As Christmas became a more industrialized and consumer holiday, advertisements changed with the holiday. Advertisers would attempt to sell anything for the holiday (for example: Buy your wife a fridge cause you're going to have to buy it eventually!) and the size of the advertisements increased. Instead of having 40-50 ads on a page, one Christmas ad would take up a 1/10 of the page. Now in 2007 ads are on the television, internet and take up full pages in magazines. The media has taken Christmas and ran with it. But its partially our fault, but we are now heavily drawn to holiday media, and love it. tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.307 2007-12-13T19:49:55Z 2007-12-13T20:08:25Z

2006 marked the 75th anniversary of the famous Coca-Cola Santa Claus. This kind, jolly man in a red suit was featured in Coca Cola ads since the 1920s. Coca-Cola representatives believe this image of Santa is what has shaped most...

Katherine 2006 marked the 75th anniversary of the famous Coca-Cola Santa Claus. This kind, jolly man in a red suit was featured in Coca Cola ads since the 1920s. Coca-Cola representatives believe this image of Santa is what has shaped most of the world's view of what Santa really looks like. Before this generic image of Santa Claus was brought out into the advertising world, there were extremely contrasting views on what this magical man looked like. The image of Santa ranged from big to small and fat to tall. Santa even appeared as an elf and looked a bit spooky. In the 1920's, Coca-Cola began featuring artist Haddon Sundblom's image of Santa during the Christmas season. At this time, many people thought of Coca-Cola as a drink only for warm weather. The company began a campaign to remind people that Coca-Cola was a great choice in any month. This began with the 1922 slogan, "Thirst Knows No Season", and showed a very happy Santa, sipping back an iced cold coke. I remember seeing Santa Claus on some coke cans my friend's family had recently bought at the store. Not being a huge fan of coke, I was surprised when I felt the urge to grab one. Maybe I wanted to feel closer to Santa, maybe I was just thirsty. Who knows. Another ad campaign that Coca-Cola put together in 1993 was called "Always Coca Cola" and featured the kind mother and child polar bears, running around in the magical world of the arctic, sipping their cokes. Again, this image of a freezing climate and snow was correlated with the need to drink a nice cold drink. How does this make sense? Do we as consumer ever think, hmmmm maybe a cold coke really wouldn't be a good idea right now, considering its 20 degrees outside...and remember how it rots your teeth and leaches your bones of calcium? If Santa and the polar bears are drinking it, then we all should be. Right? tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.306 2007-12-13T19:48:12Z 2007-12-13T19:53:33Z

The U.S. military has been caught editing sites like Wikipedia and Digg -- an issue that demonstrates both the dilemmas of "truthiness" (Colbert's on-target analysis of wiki sites -- that truth is easily manipulable -- as well as the power...

Luis Vivanco http://www.uvm.edu/~lvivanco here]]> tag:lvivanco.blog.uvm.edu,2007:/media-anth//2.305 2007-12-13T19:38:05Z 2007-12-13T19:49:49Z

I recently came upon a very funny youtube video that Andy Dick had cleverly put together about Bush's impeccable ways of speaking to America. This short video puts Andy Dick in the position of "Speech Writer" for President Bush. At...

Katherine I recently came upon a very funny youtube video that Andy Dick had cleverly put together about Bush's impeccable ways of speaking to America. This short video puts Andy Dick in the position of "Speech Writer" for President Bush. At the beginning of the video Bush is shown saying his incredible statements like, "Families is where our nation takes hope, wings take dream" and "If you don't stand for anything, you don't stand for anything". I just thought I would provide all of you with this interesting spin on presidential speeches AND also a friendly reminder of just how dumb our president is..just incase you forgot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_RSQSYgGB4