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