Your video distractions of the day

I love the site boingboing. They find the cool stuff so I can bring it to class.


and here is another one...all from one day..

Cut #999 Part II

Here is an excerpt from a clever post by Ragen Chastain.  She carefully cites every media barb she expereiences in one day of media exposure. 

Here are the top-sheet results:
• Messages stating that it is impossible to be healthy at my weight: 217
• Messages stating that my weight makes me unattractive: 123
• Messages stating that I am lazy and don't exercise/don't exercise enough, lack will power, or am not "in control": 311
• Messages stating that I need to reach a specific BMI to be healthy: 36
• Messages stating that I am a drain on the health care system: 116
• Messages stating that I have poor eating habits: 84
• Messages suggesting that I should be "repulsed by my weight" [used those words specifically]: 19
• Messages calling me a derisive name: 152
• Messages saying something positive about people with large bodies: 3
• Messages that specifically shouted down those 3 positive comments: 231 (these are included in the categories above so they are not added into the total below)
Let's review:
• Total messages about my body: 1061
• Total negative messages: 1058 Total positive messages: 3
• About 353 negative message for each positive message.
If we extrapolate, I have been receiving:
• 7406 negative messages about my body each week
• 31,740 negative messages about my body each month
• 386,170 negative messages about my body each year
Now it's audience participation time…
Do you think that hearing 386,170 negative messages about my body makes me more likely to:
a. appreciate my body in a way that makes me want to take good care of it
b. become a silent monk living in the mountains with no technology
c. hate myself and feel like a failure who doesn't deserve to be treated well by myself or others
d. b. and c., but not a.

Should we be surpised that such anxiety is showing up in earlier ages as well? 

Cut #999

Here is a preview of Kanye West's new video Monster.

Objectification = Check
Male Dominance/ Female Passivity = Check
Violence/ Torture of Women = Check
Ugh...

Magic of Airbrush

Check out these airbrush sites that burn some illusions...

1. Girl Power Retouch
2. Greg Apodaca’s Digital Archive
3. iWANEX Studio- Professional Retouching- Click on Portfolio.
4. Photoshop Disasters
5. Photoshop of Horrors

Have fun with Romance Novel Yourself: Presented by mediaBOOM

60 Minutes Facebook Profile 2010

For those of you researching Web 2.0 or Facebook, check out this recent 60 Minutes Profile:

Gender Survey for Fall 2010

We are looking for some genuine feedback about gender in the context of Casting and Fate from our discussions of George Gerbner's theories. Please be sincere as you respond in the following gender survey.
Ladies
Gents
Results on Wednesday!

The Bechdel Test

The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies

Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction

From The New York Times article.

Green Lantern and Vertical Integration

So this is the big week for the first trailer for The Green Lantern, the next comic hero franchise that Time Warner is hoping to launch as is open up its comic book catalogue from its DC Comics holding. It just so happens that this week also finds Ryan Reynolds to be People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive 2010". Follow the integration from People magazine to be under Time which is under Time Warner that also owns...yes Warner Brothers Studio that is releasing Green Lantern. Shrewd move t-dubs.

Great Pre-Advertising for Captain Jack Sequel

This is a clever way to raise interest in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Kilian Martin- A Skate Regeneration

Amazing...

Political Advertising Deconstructed E.C.

From The Daily Bail

Can you find a real ad that resembles this satire?  Send to me me so I can post it!  Get that E.C.!


vs.

Something for your BRAINZ!!!!!

Why not take a class on Zombies from the University of Alabama?

Play at iUniv.tv

Rhetoric from Movies

1. Wall Street

Malice

Network

Do the Propaganda!

How trained is your eye?  Can you sniff out poor reasoning?  Can you hear the dog whistle appeals embedded in careful word choice?  Detecting modes of political propaganda is a skill that requires you to be aware of every possible front of persuasion.  This project is your visual guide to counter-act political persuasion.
Your source material for analysis can only come from current candidate websites, supporter websites, and newspaper editorials.  You will scour through various propaganda and expose both the visual and written persuasion. A photograph may be so loaded that you comment upon several of its characteristics. Each observation must be unique from each.  For example an observation that explains how the flag is a transfer device for patriotism can not be used twice.  There is plenty to find!

1. Photobombs- Through political photography, find examples of how the candidate is targeting specific political themes (5) (job creation, education, security, etc).  You must also comment upon the visual strategies that help persuade for the candidate (camera angle, lighting, positioning, obvious "photoshopping".
2.  Persuaders -VALS (3) Basic Appeals (3) Branding techniques of building community (3)
3. Propaganda in you eye and ear - Propaganda Techniques(4)/Rhetorical Devices-(4)

For the A!    Proper identification of logical fallacies and explanation of faulty reasoning (3).  Hint: Discussion boards are radioactive platinum for this!

Tribune Election Center     Illinois Senate Alexi Giannoulias  Mark Kirk 
                                         Illinois Governor- Bill Brady   Pat Quinn
                                         14th District-        Bill Foster   Randy Hultgren

Fierce Senate races- Christine O'Donnell vs. Chris Coons  Delaware
                                Joe Miller vs. Scott McAdams vs. Lisa Murkowski Alaska
                                Rand Paul vs. Jack Conway
                              

Votesmart for more candidates if you wish!

Publishing Options/ Format Requirements
Perhaps the easiest way to archive your visual evidence will be to use the "print screen option" and paste the image directly into a power-point/ word document.  From there you can follow the example I provided in the class group folder.

For the A!
I like this option bunches.  Voicethread is a great way to hear your analysis.  Check out this example.

Great Eye from Natalie C in 4/6

Natalie found a aesthetic similarity between a recent Driod 2 Commercial



Another Droid Commercial  and another

and a Sprite Commercial featuring Drake

but wait...they did this in Pakistan too.

but are they not really just biting off Tony Stark suiting up to be Iron Man?

Read Between The Lines

For today, we will unpack the debate strategy between our Illinois politicians by examining their word choice.  To do this, we will use some useful technology to illustrate this emotional framing of language.    
A)    Click on the transcript of the Kirk vs. Giannoulias Debate  October 19, 2010. 
B)    Open up a second window in the internet browser.  Go to Wordle. Copy the text of your candidate's responses only and paste the responses into the dialogue box.  (A) Mark Kirk (B) Alexi Giannoulias
C)  Click the go button in order to create your wordle.  Click layout and select horizontal to see better.  You may also hit the randomize button to get a different design.
D)  Take a moment to find patterns in the word choice from this debate.  Try to group words into three themes (ex. safety...) If you want to know the exact number of times the word shows up in the debate, you can use the Word Frequency Counter to see the word by word breakdown. 



Turn in response to me by the end of the hour-
1)  Each candidate had a clear strategy for the evening.  Based only on your observations of the frequency of words floated in the wordle, what did the candidate want the audience to feel about the other candidate (specific negative associations)?  What did they want the audience to know about themselves (positive associations)?  Use specific evidence to convince.
2)  Assume your inferences are correct,  which candidate is activating a stronger emotional reaction?  Explain why you see this to be true.

Political Rhetoric, Explained - Steven Pinker

The Merchants of Cool- Extra credit Review

The Frontline Documentary The Merchants of Cool is a classic survey of the aggressive advertising methods directing at teens.  Watch the Merchants of Cool.  Describe where you see unique brands and media products (TV shows, films) that currently have captured "cool".  Be sure to include specific examples from the film in your response.

Branded Surveys!

Help out a classmate and take one of our Branded Surveys!
4/6                                      9th                                     10th
Vans                                  Starbucks                          Under Armour
WEGO Wear                    Nike Fashion                     Monster
DC Shoes                         American Eagle                  Coke
Apple                                 Red Bull                              Chipotle
Pink                                        Pink                                      Starbucks
Nike Athletic                         Wiz Kalifa                             Snuggies
Hot Topic                            Vans                                             iPod
Pac Sun                               Coach                                                  Facebook
                                            Apple                                           McDonalds
                                            Abercrombie and Fitch               Sony
                                                                                             Nike 1
                                                                                              Nike 2
                                                                                             

Extreme Carrots?

In order to energize sales of their product, a group of baby carrot farmers pulled millions of dollars to create this ad campaign. Here are some of the youtube commercials:



NPR Story

Google Survey Tutorials for Branded Project

Google Survey -Set Up
Google Survey- How to Share
Google Survey-Review Results

Facebook- Blogging Heads-Zuckerberg: Non-Evil Non-Genius?

Great Dialogue between two authors discussing if Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates can be called visionaries.  From the opinion article  Zuckerberg: Non-Evil Non-Genius?

Advertising reading list for October 4-8- 2010

1. 
   

   Even a 3-Year-Old Understands the Power of Advertising

2. 
   

   Marketers can (literally) read your mind

3. 
   

   Disney Expert Uses Science to Draw Boy Viewers

4. 
   

   Brain-Manipulation Machines Raise Ethical Questions

5. 
   

   Teen Marketing: Apple's the Master

6. 
   

   Brand Loyalty an Expression of Self-Worth, Just Like Religion

7. 
   

   Is the Ad a Success? The Brain Waves Tell All 

8. 
   

   Disney Invites 'Goths' to the Party

9. 
   

   New Study Puts Faith in Brands

10. 
    

    The 'Buyology' Behind The Way We Shop

11. Looking to a Sneaker For a Band’s Big Break

12. Why a Baby's Laugh Will Make You Buy

Youtube Doubler Commercial Mashups

Fanta vs. Nair from Hadama in 4/6

E.C. Ads using Web 2.0

Develop an original ad using Animoto or xtranormal or movie poster with Big Blue Labs. 
Animoto Tutorial Be sure to apply the VALS techniques and the basic appeal into your ad. Send to to me!

xtranormal tutorial

Extra Credit for Youtube Doubler Mash-Up

Option #1- Create a mash-up using YouTube Doubler.  Here is my example using two commercials that are using very similar visual themes. 
Sick Commercial vs. U.S. Savings Bonds ad with Rube Goldberg device by VJ Mr. T | YouTube Doubler | Mashup Helper
A) Create a mashup using the doubler.  Send me the e-mail through the site.
B)  Write a paragraph discussing the similarities of the ads. It would be most impressive to read about your impressions with how they are targeting 'basic needs" as well within the ad.  You can't get E.C. without your writing.
C)  Send me the link on e-mail with your paragraph.
     Limit 3...

U.S. Cellular vs. Deathcab for Cutie

U.S. Cellular 

VS.
Deathcab for Cutie- I Will Possess Your Heart

Where Good Ideas Come From, 4 minute version

Remember our reading from Don't Kill your Television?  Here is a great lecture from author Steven Johnson.

Ad & The Ego- Back Channel Viewing Notes

Social Media Experiment-  As we view the documentary Ad and The Ego, we will take notes using a chat room.  Here are the ground rules:
4/6
9th Hour
10th Hour

1. Sign in your full name.
2. DO-Type thoughtful observations, questions, connections, and challenges.
3. DO- post a link to evidence that validates a speaker's point.
4. DO NOT- type anything that will distract our viewing of this documentary.  Consider this a participation grade for the day.   

Games Theory- A middle school is using video games to help teach its students.

From NY Times article Learning by Playing

Creative Ads= Youtube playlist #1

Alma

Alma from Rodrigo Blaas on Vimeo.

A Man Like Putin-

PBS Program Music without Borders has a great piece on Putin's Propaganda.

From the report:

It's winter in Russia. At night, Muscovites crowd the clubs and request their karaoke favorite, "A Man Like Putin." I want a man like Putin, who's full of strength. I want a man like Putin, who doesn't drink. I want a man like Putin, who won't make me sad.

The techno-pop tune by the duo Singing Together first appeared mysteriously in 2002 and quickly topped the charts in Russia. It went on to become a Putin theme song, still played at his rallies. Catchy and ironic, this was a new kind of propaganda song. Reporter Alexis Bloom arrives in Moscow to investigate the making of the song, and how it was used in Putin's rise to power.
She meets the songwriter, Alexander Yelin, in a rehearsal studio with his all-girl heavy metal band. Yelin says he wrote "A Man Like Putin" on a $300 bet to see if he could create a hit. "All I needed was the right message," he says. "What can a girl sing about? She can't sing that Putin is great. That would be stupid and it wouldn't be funny. But she can sing that everything around her sucks, and she needs a man like Putin."
Yelin enlists his old friend, producer Nikolai Gastello, who was working in the Kremlin as head of the press department for the Russian federal courts. They recruit singer Yana Daneiko and dancer Irina Kozlova, who say Putin is not only their chosen leader, but also their ideal man. Once they find a Putin impersonator, Anatoly Gorbunov, to portray their president, the stage is set to create their music video.
Not all Russians find the song amusing. Sergei Buntman, the founder of Echo of Moscow Radio and an outspoken Putin critic, says the song plays into Putin's control of the media. "There's no TV station broadcasting to the whole country, where something serious might be said about politics," he says. "In this country there is no alternative thought."

'Gaming can change the world'- Jane McGonigal TED Speech

Free climbing a tower higher than the Empire State Building

Gulp!!!! From Boing Boing

Uganda: A Little Goes a Long Way

Uganda: A Little Goes a Long Way This is another powerful clip that shows how the web can bridge the gap to real world solutions. 

Chris Anderson: How web video powers global innovation

Juicy links for your research

I squirrel away interesting articles on my delicious social bookmarking page.  Here is the page for all web 2.0 related articles.