Privacy over Publicity

Jude Law was very upset after seeing pictures of himself and his young children in Hello! Magazine; he argued that it was a breach of privacy that they had posted the pictures of them on a beach in the Caribbean. Law and the magazine reached an agreement of paying £9,500 worth of damages as well as legal costs. The magazine also agreed to not publish any pictures of the actor’s children until they reach the age of eighteen and not to photograph Law and his children in places where “they have a reasonable expectation of privacy” including public or private beaches, sporting and school events, and public and private parks.  Many celebrities like JK Rowling, have also been involved with cases with their children being exposed to the public.

The paparazzi are standing outside a celebritie's home at night waiting for a picture.

Celebrities should have the right to privacy in many circumstances, including if they are at their home, a hotel, or a private residence. They should have the right to complete privacy while living in these residences. Magazines and the paparazzi need to know when to stop taking pictures and making up false stories just to stir up trouble. Many magazines and news organizations are dealing with a lot of law suits against libel or invasion of privacy for either exposing the celebrity or their children. Celebrities are people too and they should not be treated any different when in these certain situations. They deserve the same amount of privacy as we “the normal people” expect while also under these circumstances.

While having these certain privacy privileges, celebrities also need to know when to stop complaining. A major part of being a celebrity includes having your photo taken multiple times throughout the day whether you look good or not, being asked personal questions about relationships and family, and being followed whether you know it or not. Of course it is a lot to take in, but celebrities eventually get used to it and usually become more famous and talked about because of it.

In Jude Law’s case it wasn’t a picture of him he was concerned about, but one of his children. He was very upset that they were exposed to the world without even knowing about it, as any parent would be. I think Jude Law was in the right during this particular case; he was just trying to protect his children and Hello! Magazine did not ask for any consent from him or his children before posting the picture. It is not a requirement that magazines ask for consent, but it is always safer then not doing so and then being sued. In my opinion the agreement to not take pictures of the children until they are eighteen is a little too long. If the children want to have a place or job in the celebrity world they are going to have to have their picture taken. I say the children should make a decision on whether or not they want to have their picture taken at age sixteen; they are still young enough to just be starting out in the celebrity world, but old enough to make their own decisions.

Towson vs. Lehigh…What Got Me There

On Saturday, December 3^rd, I attended the Towson versus Lehigh playoff football game. It was the first time Towson had made the playoffs since 1986 and the whole school was so excited and pumped to see Towson kick some Lehigh butt! The date and time of the game had been shown for a week on the electronic monitor right in front of West Village, I and many other students passed by that monitor at least once or twice a day, never to forget the date and time of the important game. All of the students also got an e mail stating the event, date, and time from “Doc the Tiger” explaining that the first two thousand students would receive a free poster. On the day of the game while I was walking up to the stadium with my roommate I saw so many people; students, graduates, alumni, parent of students, and of course the enemy were all walking up to the stadium wearing either black and gold or brown and white clothing. They had thunder sticks, flags, signs, and many other things that had the team’s mascot or name on it. The outside of the stadium had signs and posters promoting the game as well as posters of the football team that were being handed out as the fans entered the stadium.

My roommate and I got a picture with Doc!

Once I was in the stadium I was taken away by how many people were there! I had been to almost every football game this year and there were never that many people. We pushed through Towson and Lehigh fans as we tried to find seats in the big mess. It took us at least fifteen minutes before we found seats; we were surrounded by Towson t shirts, blankets, signs, and even people who painted themselves the Towson colors. During the game the big screen was always on, either praising the football team’s accomplishments, showing different players from the team and Coach Ambrose, talking about Towson sports in general, and showing different sections of the stadium as the fans danced and showed off their spirit. The big screen is such a big distraction that it has at least one hundred or so people looking at it at all times. Reporters, camera men, and photographers surrounded the stadium; they were reporting and taping the game so that those who could not make the game still knew what was going on. They were above the fans in the stadium, on the field, and even in the VIP section of the stadium. Doc was also there in his football uniform, he was running around the stadium, cheering with the cheerleaders, and even visiting the fans and taking pictures with them. The football game was successfully promoted, but was it because of the Towson public relations staff or because of the fans themselves?

All of the attempts that influenced my behavior to attend the game were successfully done. I would have to say the electronic monitor in front of West Village and the e mail that was sent out were the most effective strategies because they warned the students in advance; students are very busy with school work and don’t always remember the specific dates and times of events. As I was on my way to the game the fans themselves influenced me to still go; their shirts, accessories, and excitement just made me more eager to attend. As I made it into the stadium I knew it was going to be an exciting game, whether we would win or lose. The stadium was packed, Towson logos and posters were everywhere, and the big screen was showing everything that was happening during the game. One specific public relations strategy that was used was convincing the students of the game’s legitimacy; the e mail included a write up of the history of Towson football and how the game was so important to the school as well as the students and fans.  The Towson versus Lehigh football game was the most important thing happening that day!

I believe the methods that were used to draw in viewers were very successful. They got the most people to attend a football game that year. I would have probably wanted to go even if I wasn’t a Towson or Lehigh student; the hype, excitement, and urgency that was presented made it a great game to go to!

Does Product Placement Work?

The movie John Tucker Must Die is a teenage comedy about four girls trying to get revenge on the most popular boy in school after breaking three of their hearts. It is filled with laughter and attitude while the four girls develop a plan to make the school jock a school joke. They humiliate him and break his heart by making him fall in love with the new girl in school who is actually one of their friends to show him what it feels like. The movie is based in a high school and one of the girls homes where many products are strategically placed to get the viewers attention. Some products were not as obvious as others but still made a point to be shown. The clothing brands that were shown were Holister, Victoria’s Secret, and Nike. The electronics consisted of Apple, Digital, and Dell. And lastly the choice of food brands was Diet Coke, Hershey, Jiff, and the workout powder Bulk Up.

At the beginning of the movie it was mostly all filmed in the high school where you saw all of the students wearing different styles of clothing and hand bags. While the four girls were in detention because of their brawl in gym class a very noticeable Holister brand is shown on one of the girl’s sweaters. The logo is very obvious while the viewer would have no idea of the brand names of the three other girls clothing. Hershey, Jiff, and Bulk Up were also three memorable products that stuck out. Hershey and Jiff were used when John Tucker had broken up with the three girls; the peanut butter and chocolate were eaten as comfort foods. The director used a very strategic tactic by just simply showing the labels and presenting them as foods girls should eat when they’re upset to make them feel better as they did for the girls in the movie. Bulk Up was used by John to tone his muscles; he used it during basketball practice so he would gain more muscle to impress all of the ladies. As for the next two products, someone would have to be blind or not pay attention to the movie at all to miss seeing them. Diet Coke and Nike were clearly displayed multiple times throughout the movie. Diet Coke was the choice of drink whenever the girls were at Kate’s house. It was shown three of four times while they were strategizing, indulging, and relaxing. The mom even asks if one of the girls would like a Diet Coke. As for Nike, the Kodiak basketball team is fully equipped wearing the logo on their sweatbands, workout clothes, shoes, and water bottles. The director did a very good job with the product placement of these two products, and the companies probably increased in their sales.

I think the producer and advertiser decided to promote these certain products because they all relate to teenagers and young adults; they are all products that they use or want.  The actors and actresses are seniors in high school and most of viewers are probably close in age. They are wearing the same brand of clothing, eating and drinking the same kinds of food, and are looking for or have computers. By showing certain situations where the actors use these products gives the viewers reasons to buy them. Every movie uses product placement to advertise multiple products, it’s just how well they are advertised in order to get the viewer’s attention.

Women are Humans, Not Objects

In our culture women are not seen as human but more as an object, a sex symbol. In almost every advertisement I see, it is of a woman posing seductively with more skin showing than clothing. The main attraction is her boobs, butt, or legs, and if it’s her face then it’s only her face that is shown.  Of course they are beautiful, sexy, and thin, but is that all that women consist of? As I was reading Teen Vogue magazine I came across many advertisements promoting clothes, perfume, and accessories. Of course all of them were women but it shocked me how provocative and sexual these advertisements are when they’re trying to sell products, not the women! It just shows how far companies have to go to get the attention of youth in today’s society.

The first advertisement I came across was of two women; tall, blonde, and skinny. They are promoting clothes for H&M, by wearing leather jackets and short skirts which both contain studs all over them. Their hair is blowing and they both have a pouty and sultry look on their face which is covered in makeup. The girl on the left has her arm hanging on the shoulder of the one on the right; she has her legs spread apart, a firm grip on a spiked purse, a sword on one of her bracelets, and a jaguar choker on her neck which could all show a sign of power and sex. The girl on right looks innocent but also sexy at the same time. She has a soft face but by pulling up her skirt to see her long legs she contradicts the innocence. This whole advertisement is shown in black and white to create a tough and sexier look.

As I kept flipping through the magazine I noticed an ad that was promoting sunglasses, and if I had asked a man what it was advertising he would probably have no idea because he would be so focused on the model herself. Guess also used the tactic of having a sexy woman laying down with her shirt wide open and tied up to see her bra and stomach. Her hair was blonde and flowing and one of her hands was gripping her skirt while the other was touching her lips. The fact that she is wearing a white shirt and has her hand up to her lips shows that she is portraying innocence; there is nothing innocent about this picture. And then after noticing all the model’s physical traits is when one would notice the brown pair of sunglasses she is wearing. Guess is clearly focused more on promoting sexiness than its accessories and clothing.

Every fashion magazine always has perfume samples which I smell, but what I noticed today which I had not noticed before is how sexual these advertisements can be too! The most sexual advertisement I found was for Fendi perfume. It is a black and white image that contains two women, one without clothes and the other in a black strapless dress who seem to be worshipping the perfume. The one in front has her head cocked back, mouth open, and is holding the perfume at her neck while the other has her eyes closed which makes her seem to be praying. Even though it may sound religious, it is definitely not; they take religion to a whole new level! The next perfume, SHOCK by Calvin Klein, is of course sexual, but not as vulgar. The main focus is a woman who is looking straight at the camera; she has on jeans and a strappy, black tank top. She is being held by a man who is kissing her cheek and surrounded by young men and women who seem to be at a party. The scene is chaotic and has neon flashing lights in the background which reminds me of ragger where everyone gets drunk and high. It looks like an advertisement that would promote alcohol more than perfume. The last ad is not sexual but still shows women as objects. It is just the head of a woman; she has red hair which is cut in a bob with bangs. The woman is looking straight at the camera with her dark red lips and bright blue eye, yes eye because the other one is being covered up by the perfume bottle. It is making the product a part of her face which shows that PRADA perfume is so great that your face doesn’t even matter. How degrading is that!?

All of these advertisements share the same qualities and even though they shame women, people are still continuing to buy the products. I guess the companies will keep using this strategy until the consumers stop buying, but they could do it with just a little more respect towards women.

Why Not Share…With Everyone!

My favorite magazine is Seventeen!  It is filled with different styles of clothes, beauty products, celebrity stories, personal stories from the readers, horoscopes, hairstyles, and much more! I am eighteen and in college and I love being able to flip through the pages and relate my life to a story about someone else’s college experience. Hearst Corporation owns this wonderful magazine as well as many other magazines, newspapers, television channels, radio stations, and more. In order for this amazing magazine to be in the hands of every young woman, Hearst Corporations should cross-promote it with one of its television channels like Lifetime Television.  Lifetime Television provides entertainment and informational content that celebrates, entertains, and supports women; it is the highest rated women’s network and has nearly 98 million household subscribers. It shows programs like Project Runway, Drop Dead Diva, and Project Accessories, all programs that Seventeen readers might watch or begin watching.

Seventeen can be promoted through commercials, on Lifetime’s website, and even featured in one of the shows. Since Seventeen promotes fashion and shows many of the clothes that are presented on the runway, it should be advertised during the commercials of Project Runway. The show is a competition for aspiring fashion designers; being a student who hopes to one day have a job in fashion, I watch the show to see what the designers come up with. Seventeen would get a lot of attention from these viewers if it provided a synopsis of what the magazine included. The commercial would have to include bright colors, the person who was being featured on the cover that month, a behind the scenes segment of a fashion photo shoot that would be included in the magazine, and also that ordinary women are featured in the magazine as well. It is very important to many readers, especially teenage girls and young women that they have something to relate to while reading. The main reason I read Seventeen is because I see teenage girls like myself modeling clothes I would wear and reading stories about relationships and dating that I’ve experienced; I would not be able to wear the same clothes a model would, and I probably would not be able to relate to a celebrity.

Seventeen could be posted along the bus in the show Drop Dead Diva

If commercials aren’t enough, the magazine could always be included in the shows. Drop Dead Diva could include the magazine anywhere, whether it was posted on the side of a bus driving by, at a newsstand where the character got her newspaper in the morning, or even sitting on the table at the character’s home. Just seeing the magazine for a minute or two can make a viewer think about it for the rest of the show. They might become curious and buy it just to see what it’s all about. I found out about the magazine through a friend, but I’m sure I would have found out about a lot sooner had it been on TV.

Hearst Corporation could make Seventeen worldwide if they really wanted to, using cross promotion with their universal magazines. There are plenty of options on how to make one product bigger using other products you already have. Young women around the world are dying to know the new fashion trends, dating advice, and even celebrity gossip in different areas of the world, especially the United States. Who knows, maybe Seventeen will one day become the most popular magazine in the world!

Killing Us Softly 4 Reaction

I learned and realized I am presented with advertisements throughout my day without even knowing it while writing my blog Am I Really Being Controlled by Mass Media, but what I didn’t realize was what kind of advertisements they were. I see women on advertisements all the time, but I never noticed any of the important points that Jean Kilbourne made throughout her presentation in her film, Killing Us Softly 4.

 

 

Her boobs have gotten bigger and her skin tone has a glow

The ads we see on billboards, in magazines, at bus stops, and pretty much everywhere can advertise pretty much anything and everything! We usually see beautiful skinny women modeling for clothing brands, their beautiful faces for makeup products, or maybe even a body part for shoes or an accessory; we admire them for their beauty and strive to look just like them. The truth is that this is not how the everyday woman looks! We are not that skinny, unless it’s by genetics, we do not have flawless skin, and we do not have perfect proportioned and sized boobs. It was a relief to hear that these “perfect women” aren’t even real! It showed an advertising company using different facial characteristics from four or five different women to make this “perfect woman.” Many women, including myself, buy so many different products to make ourselves look like these models when they don’t even look like that themselves. It showed that celebrities like Jessica Alba and Kiera Knightly were even editedbefore being put on the cover of a magazine, Jessica Alba being given a tinier waist and Kiera Knightly being given bigger boobs.

The film also pointed out that women’s bodies are constantly being turned into objects like a Budweiser bottle with legs, a video game controller coming out of a woman’s belly button, and one that was half car, half woman. Being dehumanized is the first step towards justifying violence and if these types of advertisements are still being released, it could cause young men to think of women as more of an object than a human. I always saw these kinds of ads but thought nothing of them, I never realized how hurtful they are to women and how degrading they can be.

You see slogans on advertisements all the time, but do you know what they really mean? Advertisements for cigarettes and clothes use slogans to make one want to be thinner and advertisements for food and alcohol use slogans that involve sexual connotations in order to sell their products. Using these slogans can make young girls develop eating disorders and anorexia, which is becoming more popular, and also make it seem that sex is ok at a young age since it’s on a food advertisement for Burger King. Advertising agencies are smart enough to make slogans that do not involve this kind of thinking and should want to for the sake of the many individuals that are suffering from them.

Nothing is wrong with wanting to be attractive and sexy, but the way ads are doing it is wrong. Advertising agencies are always coming up with new ways to promote their products, and they are definitely skilled enough to do it in a way that won’t hurt their consumers. They need have real women in advertisments looking exactly how they do in real life. Killing Me Softly 4 has definitely opened my eyes to issue of advertising and developing the perfect image, I can now look at a model on an advertisement and say “You’re not real!”

Facebook < Education

Social networking is much like “training wheels for life” Rosen told The Huffington Post; as I read this quote I had to stop and think, it never really hit me until now that social networking was taking over the world! As I read this article, I realized that all the information was true, I could relate to both the pros and cons being presented to me. I knew social networking was becoming more popular, but I didn’t realize it affected children at such a young age. What would it be like if I was 10 or 11 right now?

Facebook serves as a huge distraction towards school work!

The article states that social networking can make your child a fast learner, but is also associated with a host of psychological disorders. Kids post information and hope to receive “comments or likes”, which will then boost their confidence and help them become more comfortable and outgoing. It has also helped people to become more empathetic, if you engage in a lot of activity, then you are more likely to display “virtual empathy.” Once you have this “virtual empathy”, research suggests that it will then turn into empathy in the real world. Social networking can help kids become more sociable and friendly, but it can also have negative effects. It states that Facebook can help cause narcissism, anxiety and depression, and act as a big distraction. If a narcissistic person posts a status that fifteen people “like”, the problem will never be solved, it will eventually get worse.  In 2009, parents who reported their 4 to 8 year olds who engaged in many forms of media had said their children had psychological problems. The most known negative attribute to Facebook is of course its ability to distract. More kids are becoming distracted while studying and doing schoolwork which has lead to low grades and falling grade point averages. Facebook is young and growing and more social networking sites will begin to develop. Researchers are starting to investigate how people use these sites for good and bad.

Since Facebook and MySpace, the most popular social networking sites when I was younger, were so new, no one really knew how to work them.  It blows my mind that kids as young as seven years old have Facebook profiles. Social networking sites are becoming more popular and growing every day, whether its young kids joining or adults who feel out of loop. My mom just recently made a Facebook profile and I think she goes on it more than I do! It becomes so addicting that all you’re thinking about is making a new status or checking to see if anyone commented on your old status or “liked” your picture.

As for young children using social networking sites, I definitely think it’s a problem. Kids should not become friends through Facebook; they should become friends by playing outside and actually speaking to each other. Facebook can boost self confidence, but will it really work in the real world. You won’t be able to pretend that every person you talk to is a computer screen. I also strongly agree with how big of a distraction it is. I’m a college student and I still get distracted by Facebook, how is a kid going to develop good study skills and make it to college if Facebook is distracting them all the time. I think there should be an age limit put on Facebook and made sure that it is secure. We want the future generation to succeed, not fall behind because of Facebook.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/09/how-facebook-and-social-m_n_921905.html#s324842&title=Anxiety_And_Depression

” I’m Natalie Loux and This Is E! Online!”

Most of us don’t realize it, but we all have certain ways and different priorities that we use mass media for. They can be used for information, surveillance, interpretation, socialization, interactivity, or self-understanding; many different shows, newspapers, magazines, etc. are used to achieve these uses.

E! Online is the website that is used in relation to E! News.  E! Online is filled with old, current, and future information about the lives of A-list celebrities. It includes previous episodes, a sneak peak of what is coming up on the next show, and current stories and interviews of what is going on during the actual show on TV. The website is filled from top to bottom with bonus content, polls, top stories, E! Talkbox question, latest movie reviews, a photo gallery, and much more. My favorite section of the website is seeing all the photos of the celebrities on the red carpet, at parties, or just walking around town like normal people. The Halloween pictures should be fun to look at; I love to see all the creative costumes!

The layout and the many useful and easy functions of the page help the user to understand how to work the website and all that is on it. The background is a faded picture of Los Angeles, which enables the pictures of the cast to stand out. I wouldn’t want to miss seeing Ryan Seacrest’s face! The purple, blue, and white colors also compliment the colors of the picture, making it very neat and organized. The site has a table of contents in the top right corner to easily access any information without searching for it; it also includes an extra information center at the bottom of the page. The table of contents really helped me search the site and find all the information I was looking for, it is definitely helpful to any first time viewers. The time and days of the week that the show airs is presented in a big and bold white font at the top of the page that will catch anyone’s eye. The titles of all the content are in big, bold, white font as well, but also have a bright red box around it to make it more noticeable. Now we wouldn’t be able to call this a successful website without having social networking sites…would we? E! Online has a Twitter, Facebook, and Facebook “like” symbol under the time and days to make sure you are always following E! News. In fact, I actually just started following them on Twitter today because of it!

This is an example of the E! Online Website

This site serves the uses of information, decision making, socialization, entertainment, and self-understanding. It provides information about the fabulous lives of celebrities and their families and by providing this information, it helps us decide if we would be interested in the show and taking time out of our day to watch it. The website also provides socialization and by providing the social networking links; it gives its viewers a quick and easy way to socialize with the cast members as well as any other follower. For the entertainment use, it pretty much speaks for itself (E! = Entertainment). As for self-understanding, I think the whole website overall gives you a good understanding of what the show is about, it provides a lot of details, photos, links, etc.  It offers everything that a person would be looking for under the topic of E! News.  I found it so interesting to see the exact same news of what I was watching on TV already on the website and updated only a few minutes before I got on. One suggestion of mine would be to make a tab that contained all the information of the most previous episode so the viewers would be able to see anything they missed in depth; some people don’t have time or have forgotten to watch the show a particular day and may want a self-understanding of what happened. Overall, E! Online definitely keeps up with all the news and entertainment of the celebrity world to keep its viewers satisfied.

http://www.eonline.com/e/enews

Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Really?

My personal favorite was The Little Mermaid

The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and of course all the princess movies are what my childhood consisted of. Disney taught me life lessons, made me believe in magic, and showed me important concepts, like the meaning of family. As soon as a new movie was released, we would get it as soon as possible. I guess that explains why we have over a 100 Disney movies. What can I say, my family LOVES Disney!

These movies are important to American culture and are a big part of the 1980’s and 1990’s generation of children. They are based on images of innocence, magic, and fun! They made a spectacle of innocence. College students were interviewed and asked their thoughts on Disney; all they had to do was sing a song or quote a line from a movie and the reporter had found his answer. Disney wants its viewers to feel like anything can happen and that the world is a good place. Some people feel the need to critique Disney for this and many other reasons that are ridiculous.

Henry Giroux is one of these people; he feels Disney is sending out the wrong message to children. One example is that women are portrayed as helpless and are given a seductive and perfect image.  In Snow White, a woman is enjoying cleaning, cooking, and picking up after men. This shows that a woman’s job is providing for the men; that they don’t have any power over them. In The Little Mermaid, Ariel disobeys her father while trying to win the heart of a prince. She gives up her voice, only being able to win his heart with the use of her body and seductive expressions.  In Mulan and Beauty and the Beast, women are portrayed as intelligent and powerful. Mulan practically wins the war for her country, and Belle is always shown with a book in her hand and her enjoyment in reading. In the end of both of these movies, Mulan goes back to her family to become a “woman”, later to marry the general of the army, and Belle falls for the Beast who abused her in the beginning of the movie. Women are gradually getting stronger in the movies, but it seems there is always a need for the woman to be “rescued” or fall for the man at the end of all the movies.

Some of the critical points that are made are understandable, but personally, I think all of it is ridiculous. Most children to do not think this deep into the movies, and if they are, it’s not like they’re going to follow these concepts for the rest of their lives.  I know that I never thought it would be ok to let someone abuse me like the Beast did to Belle, as a matter of fact, I don’t even think I even understood what was really happening. I just liked the music, the funny and loveable characters, and the love story that every movie always ended with. Disney movies are supposed to be movies that little kids can enjoy, sing along to, and think that the world they live in is as happy as it is in the movies. Children should not have to grow up any faster than needed. Disney movies were a huge part of my childhood and I plan to do the same when I have kids of my own.  

Am I Really Being Controlled By Mass Media?

I am connected to media every single day, whether I like it or not. My IPhone is always with me, my computer is always at my desk, I have a TV, my IPod is always on my IHome, and I have tons of magazines and newspapers to choose from. These forms of mass media fill up my day, from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep.

On a regular day I wake up and get on my computer to check my e mail and Facebook, which I consistently do throughout the day. On my way to class I see many billboards, advertisements, and hear miscellaneous music from other students IPods.  After my two classes in the morning, I go home and watch TV, which is usually a reality show like Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Later on is homework, where I get on my school e mail and see advertisements for clubs and football games. When night time comes, it is always relaxing to watch TV, listen to music, or just browse the Internet. Without even realizing it, my day has been filled up with five or more different kinds of mass media. I didn’t even know this was possible!

I’ve noticed that after every twenty minutes or so, my “instinct” has become checking my phone. I don’t even know I’m doing it, and half of the time there is nothing to “check”. I guess I’m experiencing “phantom vibrations.” I never knew this could be possible, but sure enough I guess it is. I have my phone in my hand every hour of the day, so why not check it? This little device has taken over!

Mass media has presented itself as a way of life and there is no way of avoiding it, it helps people learn about what is going on in the world. It’s a wonderful tool to receive fast information and it is going to get increasingly more advanced. There is already a device that can tell us pretty much everything we need to know, but what will they be coming up with next!?