My life is constantly being mediated by technology: by my cell phone, my iPod, the radio and the internet. For my Media Autobiography a couple weeks ago, I chose to focus on the Internet because I believe that it is the one form of technology that impacts my life the most. So, for this blog post, I believe it is only natural for me to write about my laptop, because it is the form of technology that mediates my behaviour and my environment the most. I think the best way to demonstrate this is to take you through a typical day in my life:
I wake up to the sound of my alarm going off. I don’t actually own an alarm clock, because the one I had broke about a year ago. So I set an alarm on my laptop each morning and that wakes me up by playing one of the songs in my iTunes library. I then check my e-mail – both my personal e-mail, then my Guelph-Humber e-mail – which is usually accompanied by a quick Facebook check to see if anything new has been posted. Then I have a shower and start getting ready for school. Of course, I need to know what I should wear, so I go back online to check the weather. Then I get dressed and have breakfast. I also use the internet to monitor my diet, so I have to go back online and log whatever food I just ate.
So now I am ready to go to school, and I always bring my laptop with me. I use it to take notes in class because it is so much faster and easier than trying to write by hand. Plus, between taking notes, I can work on some other homework – or I can check back in with Facebook to see if any updates have been made. Then I go home, and I am sure to log on to MSN to chat with my friends. Of course, I check my e-mail again and maybe do a little online browsing for clothes. I also use my laptop to do my homework, whether I am writing or researching a project. Then it’s off to work for the evening and I have to leave my laptop at home just in case it were to get lost or stolen. Perhaps, if no one’s around, I will go up to the office on my break and use the desktop computer to check my e-mail again.
Then, when I get home from work, I’ll finish up whatever I was doing earlier and set my alarm for the next morning. Then I’ll put my laptop into sleep mode, and I’ll retire for the night... only to pick it up again in the morning and start all over again.
I don’t know exactly how many times a day I use my laptop, or for how long I use it, but we can see that it’s definitely a big number. My life is constantly being mediated by my laptop, both at school and at home. Even when I’m busy serving customers at the grocery store that I work at, I am still thinking about getting online and checking my e-mail to see if I’ve received anything new.
I think that my laptop is constantly mediating my life and, therefore, is playing a big part in shaping my life. I feel like I constantly need to be able to get on the internet, or access the functions that are on my laptop. I feel like I can’t really take notes in class without it because I write too slowly. I can’t really plan my outfits without checking the weather online to see what would be appropriate to wear.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Theory/Praxis
To me, media literacy means being aware of the media you see and hear, as well as the messages that the media is sending you. Being media literate means being able to read the messages that you are exposed to and decipher which ones are true, which ones apply to you and which ones you should believe or at least give more thought to.
When I apply the concept of media literacy to my own life, I want to say that I am extremely media literate and I am able to apply a great deal of critical thought to the messages that I see and hear every day. I want to believe that being a Media Studies student, and having successfully completed a Diploma program in Public Relations, I have learned enough about the media and the dissemination of messages that I am able to critically assess what I see and hear. The problem is that I can’t honestly say that I do this.
When I am looking at media – whether it is the internet, television, radio or some other form – I am able to assess it with a critical, media literate mind; however, I believe that I take the messages in blindly most of the time, as long as I am seeing or hearing a medium that I am used to. For example: When I am reading the Toronto Star, I tend to take the information provided to be true and accurate. I read the Star almost every day and I find that my own views and beliefs are usually in line with those of the paper. I think that I put so much trust and belief into the Star because I am presented with the same format and similar information on a daily basis. Yes, the stories do change from day to day, but they are still the same general topics and are still presented in the same format.
When I am presented with a medium that I do not have that same level of belief in, I tend to be more media literate. As I am surfing the web – a medium that I am aware can be fake, contrived, misleading and biased – I am much more sceptical about what I am seeing and the information I am receiving. The same can be said about television, which is a medium that is often put under scrutiny for the messages that it disseminates.
I realize that there are other forms of media – like billboards, magazines, posters, etc. – that I am exposed to every day; however, I tend not to notice these messages because I receive them on a more subconscious level, without really noticing that I am seeing or hearing them at all. We all receive so many messages each day that most of them are subconsciously received.
In terms of media literacy, I think that I am media literate but only at select times when I feel that the medium is not very credible to me. This brings to mind Marshall McLuhen’s famous statement: “The medium is the message.” I guess, to me, the medium is the message. Why else would I blindly trust certain mediums, believing that they are in line with my beliefs and views? The message that I am ultimately getting is that certain mediums are always credible, while others deserve scrutiny.
I believe that I am media literate at times when I have a reason to distrust the medium that I am presented with; however, I don’t think this is enough. As I am writing this blog post, I am thinking more and more about my media practices. Maybe I’m not as media literate as I would like to believe. Maybe I should be more aware of all the media that I am exposed to, in all mediums. I think that McLuhan was right in saying that the medium is the message, but I also believe that we shouldn’t blindly trust any medium. I think that I am capable of being media literate, and I do practice media literacy, but I should start to question all of the messages I receive from all mediums if I want to truly practice media literacy.
Decoding/Deconstructing Advertising
I have chosen to analyze a commercial featuring Gwen Stefani for her perfume, L. The commercial can be seen at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efotq1vsFFk.
I think that this commercial is very typical for a woman’s perfume ad. It barely even shows the actual perfume because it is focusing on the extravagant, sexy feeling and lifestyle that you can supposedly achieve by buying and wearing this perfume. I believe that this commercial is mostly about sex, and sex is what is almost always used to sell perfume. Let’s look at the different signifiers in this commercial, to speak in terms of semiotics, and then discuss what they signify.
The commercial opens with Stefani swimming in a pool of water – well, she’s not exactly swimming, but twisting and turning in the water. She then comes out of the water, all wet but still in full make-up and perfect wardrobe. Water, in my opinion, is a sign for sex. In many commercials, television shows and movies, we see people taking a shower, standing in a waterfall, or pouring water on themselves, and they are always supposed to look very sexy. I think there are many conclusions that can be drawn from this, such as the idea of a woman who is “wet” or a woman who needs a shower/bath because she is supposedly “dirty.” I must also mention the background voice of Stefani saying “I want you all over me.” My guess is that she is supposed to be talking about the perfume, but I think it is pretty easy to see the truth behind that line. How much more sexual could that message get?
The next part of the commercial shows Stefani standing in front of a gold wall. To me, this signifies money, and the rich, extravagant lifestyle that could be yours with this perfume. Gold is often used as the colour of money, or richness, so I believe that richness is what Stefani is also trying to sell with her perfume. This is also shown with the huge pool that Stefani is swimming in, as well as the extravagant house behind it.
We then see Stefani is a bright red bathing suit, as well as lying down with her head back, wearing bright red lipstick. To me, the colour red is another signifier for sex. Red has often been used to signify sexiness, as women often wear bright red clothing or accessories to assert their sexuality. Also, red is hot and passionate colour, which is another reason why it signifies sex to me. Plus, Stefani wearing bright red lipstick is a huge signifier for sex because it draws attention to her mouth, one of the biggest sexual signifiers that could be used.
Perfume commercials – like many commercials in general - are almost always trying to sell you the lifestyle that you can supposedly obtain by buying and wearing that product. Still, I don`t think this is the best way to sell the product. After watching this commercial, I have no idea how this perfume smells, where to buy it or how much it costs. The only reasons that I would even consider pursuing this product further are because it is made by Gwen Stefani, or because I want to be sexy and extravagant like the commercial shows. I think that commercials should be more about the product and less about the unobtainable lifestyle that I can presumable get if I buy that product.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efotq1vsFFk.
I think that this commercial is very typical for a woman’s perfume ad. It barely even shows the actual perfume because it is focusing on the extravagant, sexy feeling and lifestyle that you can supposedly achieve by buying and wearing this perfume. I believe that this commercial is mostly about sex, and sex is what is almost always used to sell perfume. Let’s look at the different signifiers in this commercial, to speak in terms of semiotics, and then discuss what they signify.
The commercial opens with Stefani swimming in a pool of water – well, she’s not exactly swimming, but twisting and turning in the water. She then comes out of the water, all wet but still in full make-up and perfect wardrobe. Water, in my opinion, is a sign for sex. In many commercials, television shows and movies, we see people taking a shower, standing in a waterfall, or pouring water on themselves, and they are always supposed to look very sexy. I think there are many conclusions that can be drawn from this, such as the idea of a woman who is “wet” or a woman who needs a shower/bath because she is supposedly “dirty.” I must also mention the background voice of Stefani saying “I want you all over me.” My guess is that she is supposed to be talking about the perfume, but I think it is pretty easy to see the truth behind that line. How much more sexual could that message get?
The next part of the commercial shows Stefani standing in front of a gold wall. To me, this signifies money, and the rich, extravagant lifestyle that could be yours with this perfume. Gold is often used as the colour of money, or richness, so I believe that richness is what Stefani is also trying to sell with her perfume. This is also shown with the huge pool that Stefani is swimming in, as well as the extravagant house behind it.
We then see Stefani is a bright red bathing suit, as well as lying down with her head back, wearing bright red lipstick. To me, the colour red is another signifier for sex. Red has often been used to signify sexiness, as women often wear bright red clothing or accessories to assert their sexuality. Also, red is hot and passionate colour, which is another reason why it signifies sex to me. Plus, Stefani wearing bright red lipstick is a huge signifier for sex because it draws attention to her mouth, one of the biggest sexual signifiers that could be used.
Perfume commercials – like many commercials in general - are almost always trying to sell you the lifestyle that you can supposedly obtain by buying and wearing that product. Still, I don`t think this is the best way to sell the product. After watching this commercial, I have no idea how this perfume smells, where to buy it or how much it costs. The only reasons that I would even consider pursuing this product further are because it is made by Gwen Stefani, or because I want to be sexy and extravagant like the commercial shows. I think that commercials should be more about the product and less about the unobtainable lifestyle that I can presumable get if I buy that product.
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