Journal Entry #3

Social Learning has an immeasurable impact on our society. The way that concepts and topics and issues are presented in a movie or TV show can either dilute or inflate their importance. For example, does the way a young girl wears her hair in middle school really have any true importance? Well, if Hannah Montana cares, then of course it matters. If a character on a popular show cheats on a test and it ends up not being a big deal, if the character gets a slap on the wrist or explains somehow that the cheating was necessary, then kids watching that will think that cheating is not really that big of a deal. Characters that are looked up to in TV and cinema have a huge impact on people - children and adults alike.

I started watching Sex and the City when I was in the eighth grade. My parents really have never cared what I watch, regardless of rating, so I've been watching material with adult content since a pretty young age. As a blanket statement, I love Sex and the City. I think it's hilarious, witty, charming, and is empowering. That being said, it's not exactly the most realistic portrayal of life at times. Namely, Samantha Jones. Samantha is very strong, catty, and extremely promiscuous. She treats having sex like taking a shower; it's something she needs to every other day, if not daily. And a good portion of the show's comedy comes from Samantha's experiences - I would have the show no other way. However, her treatment of something that can result in some serious consequences puts it in a very casual light. An impressionable teenager or even an adult who isn't thinking things through watching this show could easily say, "Hey, I want to be like Samantha!" Because she's cool and strong and together. But media portrayals of the "real world" and the real world are two very different things sometimes.

There is one particular episode of Sex and the City that sticks out in my mind. I believe it was when Miranda first learned she was pregnant and she didn't know whether she wanted to have the baby. Samantha says something along the lines of, "Well, I've had two abortions already." Regardless of a person's stance on the abortion debate, it's something that should not be taken lightly whatsoever. And the way that Samantha delivers that line makes it seem like having an abortion is like buying a pair of Jimmy Choos. TV shows that present serious issues without delving into the actual consequences of the situation for comedic reasons leave out huge chunks of important information for the viewer.

So, now that I've completely ripped one of my favorite shows apart, here's something a little more lighthearted:

Second Blog Post

Framing is a fairly basic concept that deals with how the media portrays things for the public eye. The framer chooses what the public sees, who they see, and how they see it. For example, a documentary maker could very easily frame a documentary on the fashion industry, portraying the industry as a fun and exciting thing to be apart of and how interesting fashion in itself is. That documentary maker, through her framing, could very easily leave out how bad people are potentially treated, how models starve themselves for a job, etc. But to the public's eye, the fashion industry rocks because of how she framed it.

I found a commercial that was recently produced for the New York State Department of Health's new campaign for breastfeeding (http://bit.ly/a0YYJn). Is it just me, or is does this commercial give you the heebie jeebies when you watch it? The framers of this commercial combine a money-saver (don't have to buy formula if you breastfeed) and a weight-loss technique. Who wouldn't want to do that? Maybe someone who shouldn't be breastfeeding. Maybe someone who shouldn't be going on a crash diet right after they've given birth. But to a young woman who has just given birth and is ready to lose the baby weight, this seems like the perfect option.

First Blog Post

I got my first taste of film culture at this past year's SXSW. I actually snuck into the world premiere of Cyrus, and, yes, Edward Norton was sitting three rows in front of me. Watching the absolute brilliance of the movie, how simplistic and funny and heartwarming and real it was, made me wake up to something that had been stewing in the back of my mind for a while. I started to think about movies, and how I felt about movies. And I realized that reality in itself disappoints me so much that somehow, someway, I wanted to work with and in movies for, well, ever.

So here I am. A sophomore in college, an ex-Theatre and Dance major, hoping to find some meaning to this need of mine. I'm hoping for the best.

As for a blog, I'm a big fan of a feminist (run for the hills, I know) blog called Jezebel. It's actually just a bunch of really sarcastic women (and sometimes men) getting together and commenting on really hilarious and occasionally serious topics in the news. Check it out: http://jezebel.com.