Sunday, May 3, 2009

Weekly Analysis 5

Since this week was about formulas I thought it fitting to talk about the formula used by the media. What I mean is, how they attract people into watching all these bad or potentially negative things. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be informed about what is going on in the world, because we should and as citizens of this country it is our right.

Have you noticed how in the last 6-8 months how much the news has changed and captivated us all at the same time? I mean every now and then they might have a good story or information but lately it's been a swarm of negativity.

It starts with the election, of course all the bad publicity comes out about the cadidates along with their good traits. Not only does info about the candidates come forward but how they are planning to "change" the country as well. When that fizzled out, all the buzz is about the economy and the state of the country. The Corporate bailouts, potential tax cuts, wall street. Then just as Obama's 100 days have passed, the Swine Flu occurs! "MEXICO CITY – The swine flu epidemic spread deeper into the United States, Europe and Latin America — and in Canada, back to pigs" (Anderson, Associated Press). I am not saying this isn't a serious matter and we shouldn't be informed but it would be nice to hear something good.

The formula is to keep the American people completely engaged in the news and it's working...a woman told me the other day she never used to watch the news but now she cannot turn it off! They want to keep them tuned in until they lose interest and then something else seems so important to tell us.

The only good thing I've heard on the news was about the British woman with the amazing voice! This is a good thing...it's always great to hear about someone with an amazing talent. I'd just like to hear more good things.

Anderson, J. (2009). New swine flu cases in Europe, US, Latin America. Associated Press. Retrieved May 3, 2009 from Yahoo News.

Assign 1-3 Journal Article Analysis

The article starts by talking about how moral standards have changed when it comes to movies and TV, what is allowed to be said and done and what isn’t. It also talks about how people today are discovering their own morals and setting their own values as opposed to following what we are taught in church, school and at home. This is true, the times have changed so much that what was once unacceptable in the subject of sex and sexuality is now the norm. In fact, it is unusual to watch a TV show or movie that doesn’t have some kind of sexual innuendo involved somewhere. It also expresses how our view of sex has changed; it went from being something that was never spoken about and something that was only accepted within a marriage to something we see everywhere, in movies, music, TV shows, music videos, and advertisements. And people have come to accept that it’s normal for people to be sexually active even if they aren’t married. It also talks about how Queer as Folk as introduced a whole new world of homosexual sexual activity.

It discussed how both shows presented the fact there is an absence of consideration of the partner in one’s sexual activity. It is definitely evident that people are more concerned today how they are perceived sexually. People are very selfish when it comes to sex and sexuality, only concerned with how they feel or perceive things to be. I like how it went through each stage Single or Married, Self-Care, Care for Others, and Honesty.

I personally do feel as though I am looked upon differently for being not only single but a single mother. Meaning, I am crushing some person’s moral compass that sex without marriage is wrong and having children out of wedlock is wrong and sinful. I realize that times have changed and there are a lot of single parents out in the world but there are still people out there that hold this to be true. I also like how the article pointed out that in both shows it seems like sexual freeness is viewed as a way of finding one’s self. It portrays that we should be proud to be who we are even if that means we are independent and choose not to conform to what society tells us to do.

In the world today, it is very common for young people to want to explore and become their own person before becoming a WE. More people are waiting to get married and have children until they have their education and careers set in motion. Women are having children into their forties today where it was looked at as strange decades ago.

I think the article did a good job at pointing out the differences and similarities not only between the two shows and their characters but to the world today. I have to wonder if we do live in a world where you are viewed differently for being single and if marriage is the ultimate goal or are we all just out to have fun? I think the point is that we have come to a point in society where people are making choices based on their own morals and values that may or may not have come from church, school, home or the popular culture of society. In fact, I think the changing of the popular culture in society has prompted people to start thinking and acting based on what and how they feel.

Cramer, J. M. (June 2007). Discourses of sexual morality in Sex and the City and Queer as Folk. Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 40, Issue 3, p.409-432.