go on this link: https://soundcloud.com/amina-menace-mais-thaher/shakespeare-the-tempest
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
The relationship between language and power.
- The task is to analyze a quote or certain concept in one of the texts that were given to read.
- What really stuck with me was The Woman Warrior.
The Woman Warrior: Memoirs
of a Girlhood Among Ghost
As the memoir unfolds, Maxine uses a very exquisite and exact way to express herself, the words flowing along delicately. Although this may not directly relate to what is being asked to analyze, nevertheless, it very much influenced the way in which I perceived her story, and further instigated the content of what she wrote.
The memoir focuses on her school experience in America, in comparison to her Chinese school experience. She views American school, as she names it, as a rather miserable place for her, filled with endless silence.
The reason for that was her inability to communicate using the english language, as she described it as weak and limping, a frightened deer , ready to run off at any moment of possible danger. The power of language is exemplified by her experience in American school as it completely changes her as an individual. Eventhough she is unskilled in expressing herself to her full advantage in the english language, she still is a fully capable person. However, the teachers and classmates are not aware of her and her feelings as she and other chinese girls are mostly quiet and shy ; they go unnoticed. One can see how language can have a very dramatic effect, altering them as a person as well as how people with a different language and culture perceive them to be, which is often as primitive and lower class. Maxine wasnt familiar or prepared for the cultural differences that involve language, which she had to face, and it did have a negative and lasting effect on her in terms of how she views americans and their language. This is linked to the chinese being considered subaltern as theyre forced to learn the english language in order to effectively communicate.
Chinese school seemed like a different world, all in all. She noticed how her peers would morph back into their old, daring selves, talking back to teachers and running around recess having fistfights. She appears to be more of an observant person that prefers to stay in the shadows , regardless of language. It is very clear, however, that she identifies China school as a much loser and free-spirited place, where everyone spoke loudly, proudly and confidently in their mothertongue and felt safe. Their language is no longer a barrier between people, but rather an opportunity for them to unite. They could finally step out of their 'foreign kids shell' and embrace their true selves.
So through the two schools, very different environments have been established, although the initial idea (education) is identical. Language plays a deciding role in how people chose to express themselves, or rather, are forced to. In order to survive in America, Maxine must learn the english language. From several implications in the text one can assume that her parents are immigrants, thus having come to america for a better and more prosperous future. This in turn reflects on the power of the english language, and how it reaches over remote places, exerting its power.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Linguistic Imperialism
- Where do we see evidence of linguistic imperialism in the Anglophone world?
Liniguistic imperialism is defined as the infliction of a dominant language on speakers of a divergent language. One can assume that by doing so, the superior language actively promotes its power over the language that has been invaded.
The english language, for one, is described to be the most prominent example of linguistic imperialism, which can be backed up historically , where one can examine the effects of the english language taking over and thus eradicating entire cultures.
Linguistic Imperialism can be linked to a variety of sources, the following being the media which includes social networks and international news, education, colonalization and power which is exemplified through financial , economical and political aspects.
English linguistic imperialism is perhaps the most common case around the globe and can be identified in Pakistan.
Pakistan is a culturally wealthy country that consists of 6 major and over 57 smaller languages. Unfortunately all of those languages are dying out rather quickly (apart from punjabi), as the authoritative positions such as the government, media, education and corporate sector ( The part of the countries economic activity that works privately) - are all superior influences that eject power and control throughout the country, with different outlooks.
Their two main languages are Urdu and English, not surprisingly. Urdu is its national language and yet has plummetted to become 7.56 percent of the nations spoken language. This policy has resulted in the english language morphing into one of sophistication and supremacy. What strikes one as rather despondent is the fact that all the smaller "insignificant" languages have now become a symbol for lower status, being primitive and most drastically shame. Why have shame in your identity that has grown and blossomed over decades, just like its carriers, why neglect a very relevant part of your self? And most particularly why enforce its elimination?
Empowerment. Pakistan's aim is to modernize its population in terms of scientific and technological knolwedge and this incorporates the usage of the english language as they are then directly connected to to the outer populations of their country and thus empowered the state. The reality of this situation is that in order to be efficient and sucessful, pakistan has replaced english as their main language in the name of the futherment of their nation, economically and financially. Wether those choices, and to what extent they are being carried out , are worthy of support is debatable. However, to me, they have clearly crossed a line by attacking the countries very heart and soul.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
PAPER 1 ANALYSIS - Oxfam ; Food Crisis In Sahel
The article, "Food Crisis in Sahel" stems from the website "Oxfam", which is an international association of 17 organizations joining forces in more than 90 countries. As commonly seen, the article commences introductively, briefly summarizing the article. The institution presents itself as an ambitious hardworking team that "works to find practical and innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive." They claim to "save lives and help re-build livelihoods when crisis strikes." This information will be relevant throughout this analysis, as upon reading the article one recognizes a distinct pattern of laying out the present obstacles and providing constant applicable solutions in relation to Oxfams qualification to do so.
The target audience of "Food Crisis In Sahel" pertains to the western population , as suggested by evidence within the article wherein the author avoids personal reference of the affected places in need. Additionally there are no personal pronouns such as "We" or "Us" in relation to the affected countries mentioned. The purpose of this article serves to persuade, rather than to educate which is the initial interpretation after a quick skim over the text. However after repeated inquiry, the utmost part of the article centralizes its attention around the Oxfam charity and propagandizes its audience into supporting the charity. The tactic of exposing a conflict and granting a solution is the key usage of this article to galvanize the audience ; to stimulate a response. The first part of the article is based on factual information (logos) of the conflict which is concerned with prior mistakes of not acting on the problem on time, as well as an immediate suggestive solution: "By investing now in earlier and more cost-effective actions, vulnerable populations can be protected from the worst impacts of the coming crisis at a much lower cost than if we waited." Not only does it soothe the reader into thinking that everything is organized effectively ; the audience would feel more willing to co-operate and contribute financially , now that low costs are being mentioned. How low the costs are and how much less effort this event really requires , however, wasnt specified upon. In pursuit, "What Oxfam is doing" adopts the focal point of the article by listing all the work that they're gearing up to complete in detail and how that would aid those people in need. Anew , the audience's attention is jerked back into how Oxfam has the answer to all the problems displayed, while cunningly weaving in large numbers and including the consequences of their absence.
Moving on to Content and Theme, the article commences with facts and events that discuss the underlying causes of the crisis in Sahel. How the region of west and central africa appears to be dealing with a persistant issue of starvation that would cost a lot of lives , mentioning how it affected ten million people in 2010. As revealed prior, it provides a solution that is , not surprisingly, directly connected to Oxfams charity event. The next slice of the article specializes itself on the current situation in Sahel, including a variety of factual information that keeps track of how the economy has drastically altered in a five year time frame, as well as who is directly affected by the food crisis. The rest of the article continually talks in the future tense of what activities they are planning to carry out , while in comparison only having started a minority of them, such as pumping water with 1,300 women or sanitation programs. This evokes skepticism , as for an institution with such high aspirations, they have little to show for it.
The Theme of this article closely resembles the one of pretentious exigency. Right at the beginning the reader is bombared with urgent , stress arousing sentences or words, such as "should not", "likely to face a serious food crisis", or "needs to also tackle". Later on the use of effective words that strike the reader with the urge to aid them is exemplified, such as "serious problems", "dangerously low", "immediately". The reason for chosing "pretentious" to add to the theme of exigency is that Oxfam appears to merely provide factual information , conflict and answers but lacks in having carried out any of the big plans that they so promptly and explicitly shared.
The tone of the article illustrates the image of hard labour. Its story is decorated with a picture of people from Africa , riding on extremely overloaded donkeys, which further supports the tone. The eye catching headline of the article is a line quoted from the text, and aims to summarize the entire point of the article and engage the reader, by using stress induced words to make them feel obligated to participate. "The humanitarian response must tackle the underlying causes of crises like this to prevent them recurring." Effective word choice has been utilized, such as "humanitarian" which stands for a persons concern with, or seeking human welfare. Automatically one feels the need to be included. The fact that one could prevent the food crisis from recurring, as quoted, motivates the reader to be a part of preventing the vulnerable from going through that again. Conclusively, the headline sets the tone for the article.
The way the article is structured, strongly suggests its confidence and assurance in carrying out each and everyone of the tasks aimed for. This defines the mood of the text, in which the readers will have the expected impression of determination. Some intriguing sentences were: "Oxfam started to work closely with some of the poorest families mainly around the Gorgol and Brakhna regions and will be reaching 70,000 people this year." ,
"vulnerable populations can be protected". The underlined words are what set the line for Oxfam being able and willing to fill out those tasks with confidence. This creates a sense of security , which is needed in order to convince their audience of their capability, which in turn benefits them as they now have a supportive audience.
A rarity in many articles, but very strongly implemented in this one, Ethos, Pathos and Logos are all used to their full extent.
Ethos is known to be the credibility that defines the eloquence of a character and is used to persuade with morals, their reputation and beliefs. This is exemplified in the article by using words such as "Vulnerable population", "Humanitarian aid", "break the hunger cycle", "protect people", "children die from malnutrition". They all evoke beliefs on what is right and wrong , and honesty with ones self from the audience, as well as trust in Oxfam. The reader will feel capable of altering the food crisis in some way, inspired by the urgency of the text.
Oxfam attempts to make the reader feel personally responsible for the Food crisis, and uses structured sentences according to that. As an outcome, the first thing an active reader would do , is to search for a path to help in some way and Oxfam constantly reminding the reader of their purpose, would seem like the perfect and most effective choice to make. Using sentences such as : "While an early response to the coming crisis is crucial to protect people in 2012"- primarily getting their idea across using ethos, - " Oxfam has warned that preventing future crises would require action to address the root causes", - hence calling for action, as in help from the audience, once again bettering their image. -"In Burkina Faso, Oxfam is aiming to help 100,000 people access food, with cash for work activities, animal health and food programs for pastoralists communities, and assistance to refugees from Mali" This sentence has a lot of ethos in it ,which attacks the readers sense of morale by referring to how Oxfam is contributiong to this issue, which in turn might inflame guilt or a sense of responsiblity to do similar in the audience.
Pathos is a way to appeal to emotions by bringing out happiness or disdain in the reader. The second part of the article, "The situation in Sahel" and the last part of the article, "What Oxfam is doing" both include Pathos. In the second article, pathos and Logos ( The logic, facts , evidence and statements of a text) are effectively combined. By mentioning factual statements on what caused the food crisis, and precisely how that affects its population , there is a higher chance of appealing to the readers feelings , simultaneously assuring them that there is no exageration of any sorts involved. "Low rainfalls and water levels , poor harvests and lack of pasture , high food prices and a drop in remittances from migrants are all causing serious problems." Here one can identify the facts and effects of the food crisis. There is also talk about the production of certain foods having lessened, but prices risen in order to gain as much profit as possible, with the lack of supply. There are numbers of people from different parts of Africa and their rate of vulnerability being illustrated by those high numbers is yet another strategy of pathos in the text. For Logos, there are actual set numbers, estimations and locations as well as dates being mentioned which rounds up the article and consoles critical viewers that might question the legitimacy or authority of this article . It gives off the image that activities are being as good as fulfilled, since they've got it all mapped out. However, upon closer inspection one must notice the fact that, not once has the article stated a direct path for the audience to help those people in need. They are simply stating what is required to do in order to prevent the food crisis, but nowhere do they ask fo direct help or contribution. Yet, it is insinuated throughout the article, which gives the reader a chance to make a personal decision of wether they would help out or not. This is done unconcsiously, however , and enables the audience to feel like it is their own trail of thought, with the planned solution from Oxfam merely being a suggestion rather than a manipulated choice.
Nothing in the structure of this article stands out particularly or seems to have been planned out rigorously , though there are a few slight indications of hindsight thoughts. The picture at the top of the page suggests the effectiveness of the title and what the article is about as well as illustrating the text and giving visual thinkers more clarity and a feeling of engagement. A woman, looking strained is portrayed , riding on an overloaded donkey in a deserted area. Her and the people behind and around her all appear to be traveling somewhere, suggestively to a more fruitful location. This picture is relevant as it gives the article the needed profile to underline what the article says. As mentioned earlier, the quoted headline of the article serves to catch the readers attention and address them. Titles are given for certain sections of the article, labeling what the coming text is about and immeditetly informing the reader.
"Food Crisis in Sahel"(2011) has been analyzed from Oxfams website. Conclusively, Oxfam skillfully camouflaged their article into one of utmost urgency , with scholastic material, when in reality it superintended and manipulated the audience in order to receive supportive feedback. As the entire website engages in wordly political and environmental conflicts, the audience already has the intention to be an active member of society, therefore not a lot of strategy is required to persuade. We have now established a final analysis of this article and Oxfams website and its use of advertising techniques, ethos, pathos, logos as well as the conflict- solution technique.
Words: 1,947
The target audience of "Food Crisis In Sahel" pertains to the western population , as suggested by evidence within the article wherein the author avoids personal reference of the affected places in need. Additionally there are no personal pronouns such as "We" or "Us" in relation to the affected countries mentioned. The purpose of this article serves to persuade, rather than to educate which is the initial interpretation after a quick skim over the text. However after repeated inquiry, the utmost part of the article centralizes its attention around the Oxfam charity and propagandizes its audience into supporting the charity. The tactic of exposing a conflict and granting a solution is the key usage of this article to galvanize the audience ; to stimulate a response. The first part of the article is based on factual information (logos) of the conflict which is concerned with prior mistakes of not acting on the problem on time, as well as an immediate suggestive solution: "By investing now in earlier and more cost-effective actions, vulnerable populations can be protected from the worst impacts of the coming crisis at a much lower cost than if we waited." Not only does it soothe the reader into thinking that everything is organized effectively ; the audience would feel more willing to co-operate and contribute financially , now that low costs are being mentioned. How low the costs are and how much less effort this event really requires , however, wasnt specified upon. In pursuit, "What Oxfam is doing" adopts the focal point of the article by listing all the work that they're gearing up to complete in detail and how that would aid those people in need. Anew , the audience's attention is jerked back into how Oxfam has the answer to all the problems displayed, while cunningly weaving in large numbers and including the consequences of their absence.
Moving on to Content and Theme, the article commences with facts and events that discuss the underlying causes of the crisis in Sahel. How the region of west and central africa appears to be dealing with a persistant issue of starvation that would cost a lot of lives , mentioning how it affected ten million people in 2010. As revealed prior, it provides a solution that is , not surprisingly, directly connected to Oxfams charity event. The next slice of the article specializes itself on the current situation in Sahel, including a variety of factual information that keeps track of how the economy has drastically altered in a five year time frame, as well as who is directly affected by the food crisis. The rest of the article continually talks in the future tense of what activities they are planning to carry out , while in comparison only having started a minority of them, such as pumping water with 1,300 women or sanitation programs. This evokes skepticism , as for an institution with such high aspirations, they have little to show for it.
The Theme of this article closely resembles the one of pretentious exigency. Right at the beginning the reader is bombared with urgent , stress arousing sentences or words, such as "should not", "likely to face a serious food crisis", or "needs to also tackle". Later on the use of effective words that strike the reader with the urge to aid them is exemplified, such as "serious problems", "dangerously low", "immediately". The reason for chosing "pretentious" to add to the theme of exigency is that Oxfam appears to merely provide factual information , conflict and answers but lacks in having carried out any of the big plans that they so promptly and explicitly shared.
The tone of the article illustrates the image of hard labour. Its story is decorated with a picture of people from Africa , riding on extremely overloaded donkeys, which further supports the tone. The eye catching headline of the article is a line quoted from the text, and aims to summarize the entire point of the article and engage the reader, by using stress induced words to make them feel obligated to participate. "The humanitarian response must tackle the underlying causes of crises like this to prevent them recurring." Effective word choice has been utilized, such as "humanitarian" which stands for a persons concern with, or seeking human welfare. Automatically one feels the need to be included. The fact that one could prevent the food crisis from recurring, as quoted, motivates the reader to be a part of preventing the vulnerable from going through that again. Conclusively, the headline sets the tone for the article.
The way the article is structured, strongly suggests its confidence and assurance in carrying out each and everyone of the tasks aimed for. This defines the mood of the text, in which the readers will have the expected impression of determination. Some intriguing sentences were: "Oxfam started to work closely with some of the poorest families mainly around the Gorgol and Brakhna regions and will be reaching 70,000 people this year." ,
"vulnerable populations can be protected". The underlined words are what set the line for Oxfam being able and willing to fill out those tasks with confidence. This creates a sense of security , which is needed in order to convince their audience of their capability, which in turn benefits them as they now have a supportive audience.
A rarity in many articles, but very strongly implemented in this one, Ethos, Pathos and Logos are all used to their full extent.
Ethos is known to be the credibility that defines the eloquence of a character and is used to persuade with morals, their reputation and beliefs. This is exemplified in the article by using words such as "Vulnerable population", "Humanitarian aid", "break the hunger cycle", "protect people", "children die from malnutrition". They all evoke beliefs on what is right and wrong , and honesty with ones self from the audience, as well as trust in Oxfam. The reader will feel capable of altering the food crisis in some way, inspired by the urgency of the text.
Oxfam attempts to make the reader feel personally responsible for the Food crisis, and uses structured sentences according to that. As an outcome, the first thing an active reader would do , is to search for a path to help in some way and Oxfam constantly reminding the reader of their purpose, would seem like the perfect and most effective choice to make. Using sentences such as : "While an early response to the coming crisis is crucial to protect people in 2012"- primarily getting their idea across using ethos, - " Oxfam has warned that preventing future crises would require action to address the root causes", - hence calling for action, as in help from the audience, once again bettering their image. -"In Burkina Faso, Oxfam is aiming to help 100,000 people access food, with cash for work activities, animal health and food programs for pastoralists communities, and assistance to refugees from Mali" This sentence has a lot of ethos in it ,which attacks the readers sense of morale by referring to how Oxfam is contributiong to this issue, which in turn might inflame guilt or a sense of responsiblity to do similar in the audience.
Pathos is a way to appeal to emotions by bringing out happiness or disdain in the reader. The second part of the article, "The situation in Sahel" and the last part of the article, "What Oxfam is doing" both include Pathos. In the second article, pathos and Logos ( The logic, facts , evidence and statements of a text) are effectively combined. By mentioning factual statements on what caused the food crisis, and precisely how that affects its population , there is a higher chance of appealing to the readers feelings , simultaneously assuring them that there is no exageration of any sorts involved. "Low rainfalls and water levels , poor harvests and lack of pasture , high food prices and a drop in remittances from migrants are all causing serious problems." Here one can identify the facts and effects of the food crisis. There is also talk about the production of certain foods having lessened, but prices risen in order to gain as much profit as possible, with the lack of supply. There are numbers of people from different parts of Africa and their rate of vulnerability being illustrated by those high numbers is yet another strategy of pathos in the text. For Logos, there are actual set numbers, estimations and locations as well as dates being mentioned which rounds up the article and consoles critical viewers that might question the legitimacy or authority of this article . It gives off the image that activities are being as good as fulfilled, since they've got it all mapped out. However, upon closer inspection one must notice the fact that, not once has the article stated a direct path for the audience to help those people in need. They are simply stating what is required to do in order to prevent the food crisis, but nowhere do they ask fo direct help or contribution. Yet, it is insinuated throughout the article, which gives the reader a chance to make a personal decision of wether they would help out or not. This is done unconcsiously, however , and enables the audience to feel like it is their own trail of thought, with the planned solution from Oxfam merely being a suggestion rather than a manipulated choice.
Nothing in the structure of this article stands out particularly or seems to have been planned out rigorously , though there are a few slight indications of hindsight thoughts. The picture at the top of the page suggests the effectiveness of the title and what the article is about as well as illustrating the text and giving visual thinkers more clarity and a feeling of engagement. A woman, looking strained is portrayed , riding on an overloaded donkey in a deserted area. Her and the people behind and around her all appear to be traveling somewhere, suggestively to a more fruitful location. This picture is relevant as it gives the article the needed profile to underline what the article says. As mentioned earlier, the quoted headline of the article serves to catch the readers attention and address them. Titles are given for certain sections of the article, labeling what the coming text is about and immeditetly informing the reader.
"Food Crisis in Sahel"(2011) has been analyzed from Oxfams website. Conclusively, Oxfam skillfully camouflaged their article into one of utmost urgency , with scholastic material, when in reality it superintended and manipulated the audience in order to receive supportive feedback. As the entire website engages in wordly political and environmental conflicts, the audience already has the intention to be an active member of society, therefore not a lot of strategy is required to persuade. We have now established a final analysis of this article and Oxfams website and its use of advertising techniques, ethos, pathos, logos as well as the conflict- solution technique.
Words: 1,947
Saturday, December 20, 2014
NATIVE ADVERTISING
Native Ads, to me, are a formation of visual designs that blend in with the website in which they are integrated in. They tend to co-exist with the theme and content of the site , thus not appearing to be a forceful ad , but rather a relevant suggestion for a product or brand. They are designed to build trust and engage potential customers. It is an ad that can solely be bought and displayed on one platform ; facebook, twitter and tumblr being a few of them. As ads of the sort are known to be widely unsuccessful, the amount of them has drastically increased over time. The official statement of approval is hardly visible and neither are the logos or names of the brands. Reuter's Felix Salmon states that native content tends to aspire more to going viral and generally being shared more than sponsored content. Popular websites that collaborate with brands that are in demand dont solely do it for content to be be viewed by its audience ; the goal here is to get those ads as viral as possible.
A native advertisement I found : http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2012/08/10-wardrobe-essentials-every-woman-should-own/1
This website is commonly used amongst women , ranging from their teens all the way to their mid fifties. It provides its audiences with a variety of tips and tricks on how to get the newest makeup look for the season or , as in this one, finding 10 wardrobe essentials that, apparently, are a necessity for every modern fashion forward woman. As one reads the relatively short description located beside each picture, a pattern of appealing to potential customers with humor and relation to celebrities , which in turn creates social pressure , emerges. A few puns here and there, some big names thrown into the mix and positive encouragements for the clothing items are the key strategies used in this ad. "
One thing that stood out to me is that in every clothing items description, not only would they refer to a well known celebrity, but their names were links to more articles on what they wear and what makeup they apply. This is a portrayal of native advertising as they arent merely pointing out general clothes here, they are advertising celebrities products by subtly placing a link in their name and making sure that in the moment they're dressed in those clothes on the pictures , they're performing everyday activities that regular women can relate and connect with . Conclusively the product appeals to the target audience by steering them towards celebrity products and thus gaining more views on other articles ; increasing the demand for more items.
Also right after that, clicking through the gallery one is presented with a variety of those clothes from different brands and prices, appearing completely convenient and appropriate for the site. Theyre illustrated like a quick and efficient access to the product that they just convinced you of. In reality there really are no "10 wardrobe essentials every woman needs". There are no "must-haves" either. That is a statement structured out of the blue with its main goal being to grab the audiences attention and give them a sense of obligation towards those products. Throughout this gallery there is a constant advertising of different brands , but placed cunningly. As a reader of Glamour.com , upon coming across the clothes with different brands and prices presented, I wouldnt immediately conclude them to be native adverts of the sort. The native ads aren't pushy ; quite the contrary, they merely happen to be connected to this article and are helpful insights on getting to know the prices and their related products. However, they still have links that will lead the viewer to a new website with a different brand. Those images stick in the minds of the audience and although many might not bother to purchase them directly online, they're surely to be remembered next time you take a stroll around the mall !
Monday, December 15, 2014
GENERATION LIKE ANALYSIS
For this task I was required to reflect on a documentary we viewed in class , called "Generation Like"as well as answering one of various given questions to us.
Reflection
The video discussed the different significant effects that the attention and potential fame can have on social medias users. It went into detail on how the most regular people could get famous and be whisked away into the life of fame, simply by getting viral on one social network. Also the strategy of turning your consumers into producers which I found relevant as the tactics they used were explained on how producers of certain brands or products are more than happy to make their fans advertise for the product with miniscule awards that aren't tangible ; though they convince their consumers of the worth of those prizes. How getting "likes" on social networks influences the way the youth views and more importantly values itself was portrayed by addressing teenagers themselves where interesting discussions were held based on their opinions. How producers and celebrities use their fan base and consumers sympathy as a way to advertise products as well as collaborating amongst each other to pass on the fame was demonstrated. The video provided an insightful exhibition of all mentioned aspects.
2- Empowerment- a word you hear a lot when kids talk about social media. Does social media really empower people?
Depending on how those children interpret the meaning of "Empowerment" in relation to social media, the answer varies. Assuming that , as told in the video , the majority of them views public appreciation through the social media as empowerment ; I would have to disagree. Their idea of being empowered is distorted and narrowed down by the unrealistic perceptions that society has imposed on them. Getting a lot of likes for a selfie these days is what the youth regards as an achievement that empowers them, makes them superior to anyone whose likes are below that, or even the amount of positive comments. It inspires them to alter the way they prefer people to be conscious of them. Only sharing positive events of their lives or editing their status on the reality of their feelings on those activities is one way teenagers create a new flawless social profile. Those actions may seem of little consequence, however the impact it has on them gradually backfires as they become dependant on this specific kind of attention. They will go to any lengths in order to catch the viewers attention. Statuses become shorter and lighter ; so do their clothes. Negative attention can affect them haphazardly , as that is the only opinion available to them. This is a very critical point to consider as at this point of their lives teenagers are at the peak of their insecurities and at an all time low of self confidence, as options to chose from in terms of receiving positive feedback on their actions acks in depth and variety. Constantly exposing themselves to social networks, wether the feedback is positive or negative ; the mere action of it makes them vunerable and often raises or lowers expectations of themselves , away from balance. Often the initial message is changed to whatever is socially acceptable , which inflicts some kind of pressure on kids that feel obligated to abide by those invisible rules.
On another note, getting famous through the fame on social networks and acheiving not only a lot of committed fans but also earning money certainly can be seen as a form of empowerment. Having a lot of people emit similar positive opinions and being affected by your character wether it is genuine or not, is empowerment. It is a skill that ony a few are capable of and many take a lot of hard work to have that.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
POP CULTURE video analysis
For this task we were required to find a music video that proclaims a specific idea, a few of them being feminism or racism ; however it portrays the exact opposite in the video, with irrelevant content that does not match the idea that the singer/s initially intended to convey. The video has to be analyzed and criticized in terms of what the lyrics are stating and what or how the singer/s chose to portray themselves in the video.
I chose Michael Jackson's "Black or White" as my pop culture video analysis, although its not the newest song, it certainly is still a part of popculture and very familiar to the audience that grew up with Michaels rise to fame. Prior to reading my analysis, I suggest anyone not being familiar with the video to watch it carefully and pay attention to how Michael chose to portray himself and others around him as that will be the key aspect of my critical analysis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2AitTPI5U0
What caught my attention with this video is that firstly , the it goes precisely with the lyrics. however there is a constant irony inherent with michael jackson dancing along different cultures, seemingly adopting their traditional dances, thus trying to convey the message of appreciation of different races and cultures. However the majority was heavily stereotyped with the national clothes and the way they acted, such as the black people dancing , all being half naked with paint and roaming around the lion infested Africa with agressively painted faces, or the russians dancing in their costumes in the snow. Eventhough he says that it doesnt matter if youre black or white, there are still the very pushy stereotypes all over the video , that dont cover the majority of them and their interactions. Another thing that stood out to me was his history with race itself in relation to the video. It is very well known that Michael despised being part of the black race and as soon as he rose to fame, bleaching his skin beyond recognition and surgical constructions on his face to make him appear as white as possible pretty much spoke for themselves. He didnt want to be associated with blacks, in fact he sought out strictly white blonde women in order to have white children which he achieved in the end. So putting out a song like that , seems pretty ironic. Taking a look at a slice of his lyrics that took up a lot of the song "I Said If You're Thinkin' of being my baby it don't matter if you're black or white." The reality of it is very different. He clearly states that to him it doesnt matter what you look like, being his "baby", his girlfriend or wife will not be related to her color. "Im not going to spend my life being a color." also appeared very ironic to me as that is what the majority of his life revolved around. Color.
His entire song talks about racism, how he thinks it is an issue that shouldnt be one and that hes not afraid to accept any race regardless of color and step up for them. Perhaps this is not the most articulated way to carry out this task if one is not familiar with his issues around races, however it clearly stood out to me, especially how he chose to wear white on the top to always differentiate himself as much as possible and sort of keep on the "white image."
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