Post 40: Final COMM 300 Blog

Well people it is the end of the semester, we are in the final week of classes, and this Blogging for Cmm 300 will now come to an end. It was an interesting class and I enjoyed reading, seeing, and discussing the different angles and aspects of different minorities within the United States and their struggles, triumphs, and continuos battles for proper representation. As a slight change of things I wish to post my final paper in my folklore class. I do this mainly because it is very Czech culture centric which brings a different light to traditions and holidays that we may not normally experience; which is partially what this class enjoyed discussing. To the Comm 300 class I wish you good luck and to Professor Bjorn thank you for the journey and understanding of cultural minorities! Happy Holidays everyone and good luck with your endeavors!

Michael Mullen Jr



Traditions, Festivals, and Holidays of the Czech Republic

There are many cultures that I am fascinated with but none has touched me in a way more profoundly than the culture and country of the Czech Republic. My girlfriend being born and raised within this country, she has told me over the near two year length of our relationship, of the different traditions, holidays, and foods of her homeland and how much they mean to her. Having a new fascination for the country that I am sure I will be visiting in the not too distant future, I decided to compose this paper in honor and recognition of the Czech Republic and the new found intrigue surrounding it. Their country is nestled in the “heart of Europe” surrounded by the countries of Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria. The country was more than likely founded around the 5’th Century A.D. by Slavic tribes that settled themselves in the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. This is the heart and soul from which small tribes gave birth to a country of rich history, classic European diversity, and a well known traditions, festivals, foods, and beer. But it was not without its struggles to achieve the status in which it has today.

Brief Czech Historical Summary

We now know that in the 5’th century the Slavic tribes settled themselves within the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. So what had happened since then that has developed their country into what it is today? Well the Czechs founded the kingdom of Bohemia and the Premyslide dynasty, which ruled Bohemia and Moravia from the 10th to the 16th century. One of the Bohemian kings, Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, made Prague an imperial capital and a center of Latin scholarship. The Hussite movement founded by Jan Hus (1369?–1415) linked the Slavs to the Reformation and revived Czech nationalism, previously under German domination. A Hapsburg, Ferdinand I, ascended the throne in 1526, however the Czechs rebelled in 1618, precipitating the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Defeated in 1620, they were ruled for the next 300 years as part of the Austrian empire under full occupation. Full independence from the Hapsburgs was not achieved until the end of World War I, following the collapse of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

A union of the Czech lands and Slovakia was proclaimed in Prague on Nov. 14, 1918, and the Czech nation became one of the two component parts of the newly formed Czechoslovakian state. In March 1939, German troops occupied Czechoslovakia, and Czech Bohemia and Moravia became German protectorates for the duration of World War II. The former government returned in April 1945 when the war ended and the country's pre-1938 boundaries were restored. When elections were held in 1946, Communists became the dominant political party and gained control of the Czechoslovakian government in 1948. Thereafter, the former democracy was turned into a Soviet-style state.

Nearly 42 years of Communist rule ended with the nearly bloodless “velvet revolution” in 1989. Václav Havel, a leading playwright and dissident, was elected president of Czechoslovakia in 1989. Havel, imprisoned twice by the Communist regime and his plays banned, became an international symbol for human rights, democracy, and peaceful dissent. The return of democratic political reform saw a strong Slovak nationalist movement emerge by the end of 1991, which sought independence for Slovakia. When the general elections of June 1992 failed to resolve the continuing coexistence of the two republics within the federation, Czech and Slovak political leaders agreed to separate their states into two fully independent nations. On Jan. 1, 1993, the Czechoslovakian federation was dissolved and two separate independent countries were established—the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in March 1999.

President Václav Havel left office in Feb. 2003, after 13 years as president. Over the years, Havel lost some of his immense popularity with the Czechs, who became disenchanted with his failings as a political leader. But internationally Havel has remained a massive figure of moral authority and courage. In March, Václav Klaus became the Czech Republic's second president. A conservative economist, he and Havel often clashed. In May 2004, the Czech Republic joined the EU. After an inconclusive election in June 2006, the political deadlock was broken in August, with rightist Mirek Topolánek appointed prime minister. His government resigned in October, after losing a no-confidence vote. He formed another government in January 2007. A year later, Topolánek's government narrowly survived another no-confidence vote. While the Czech Republic held a six-month rotating term as President of the EU, the government collapsed and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek resigned after his center-right government lost a parliamentary vote of confidence in March 2009. (infoplease.com, 2009)

The Aftermath

It is clear that the Czech Republic has had its times of troubles and struggles. It is a peaceful country, with a loving and tight-knit family structure, and non-violent tendencies which is why, I believe, it was a country ripe with prospect to conquer and occupy. Much of its history has been under the influence of ruling countries, political Communism, and the iron fists of Europe’s warring past. However I maintain that through the intense struggles these people had to endure, the family traditions became extremely important to them and their identities. So much so, that even today these traditions are passed on and practiced within the many village communities located throughout the country. While Western Culture has prevailed in making a permanent residence within the capital city of Prague, suggesting a slight movement away from the old traditions, it seems clear that the old traditions are still extremely relevant and practiced with passion and remembrance.
There is also an extremely strong presence of the Czech culture located in Chicago, IL of the United States where many of these traditions and festivals are celebrated in America. So much so that one of the best governors Chicago ever had was the Czech citizen Anton Cermak who is forever hailed by the local Czech community as a strong, good, and moral leader who has become immortalized in everything from museums to streets bearing his name. However it is the traditions that I would like to begin to focus on and hope to shed some light on them to honor Czech Republic and its culture. This paper will be focused on only a handful of major holidays and festivals, but will hopefully inspire others to look into this truly rich culture.

A Traditional Czech Christmas

The Czech Christmas season begins with Advent four weeks before the 25th. St. Nicholas, who visits each village on the 6th accompanied by an angel and devil to symbolize the opposition between good and evil, provides another sign of Christmas' approach. The Christmas season is traditionally a time for fortune telling in the Czech Republic. On December 4th, St. Barbara's Day, people cut branches from cherry or morrello trees. They are placed in a warm corner in the hopes that they will bloom by Christmas Eve, a sign that the family will enjoy good fortune in the coming year. The shapes seen inside apple cores or those created by pouring hot lead into water were also thought to prophesize the major events of the next year. The three days from the 24th to the 26th are a time of family closeness and religious reflection for many Christians in the Czech Republic.

Those without close family members are often invited to join their neighbors in their celebrations, provided that no table has an odd number seated around it, as odd numbers on Christmas Eve are thought to bring bad luck. Nativity scenes in all sizes from miniature to larger than life models are set up in churches and in homes. In contrast to the more somber celebrations of Christmas, New Year's Eve festivities are extremely animated. Some people throw rowdy parties and others some have more gentle gatherings in restaurants, but almost everyone spends the evening of Silvester, December 31st, with friends celebrating the close of the holiday season. The typical food enjoyed on Christmas day would be a hearty thick soup often made of fish, a fried fish which is typically a carp, a traditional Christmas potato salad, with the entire meal garnished with many different kinds of sweet biscuits that was prepared in the days before-hand, and finished with a traditional hot apple strudel for dessert. (Holiday Traditions: Czech Republic, 2009)

Traditional Czech Easter

Easter in Czech Republic is known by the traditional name of 'Velikonoce'. Easter celebration in the country is a collage of colorful traditions and folk customs, dating back to pre-Christian times. Most of the traditions indigenous to the country are largely observed in villages and small towns. With the passing time, they have lost the symbolism and are now performed mainly for fun. Nonetheless, Easter is one of the prominent festivals in Czech Republic and calls for full fledged celebrations

In Czech Republic, the traditional name for Easter Monday is 'Whipping Monday', because on this day, the village boys symbolically 'whip' girls on the legs and buttocks. Young, live 'pussy willow' twigs are thought to bring a health and youth to anyone who is whipped with them. This braided homemade whip is called the 'Easter pomlázka'. While whipping the girl, the boy would recite an Easter carol or poem, usually asking for an egg or two. The girl would reward the boy with a painted egg or candy then offered a snack or drink (typically beer or wine) and tie a ribbon around his pomlázka. This tradition is still followed in many parts of Czech Republic.

Decoration of Easter eggs is one of the popular traditions associated with the celebration of the festival in Czech Republic. Hand-painted or decorated eggs (kraslice) are the most recognizable symbol of Easter in all of Europe. Different materials including bee's wax, straw, watercolors, onion peels, stickers are used to decorate the eggs. As a part of the traditions, young girls decorate Easter eggs to give them as presents to boys, on Easter Monday. Easter Sunday (Nedele velikonocní) is a day of preparations for Easter Monday. While the girls are occupied with painting, coloring and decorating eggs, boys prepare their pomlázkas. A nationwide Easter egg contest is held in Prague and other Czech cities around Easter time.

On Easter, people in Czech Republic eat delicious sweet delicacies that are prepared especially for the festival. Usually, traditional Czech Republic recipes are made for the ceremonious occasion. Czechs eat a type of coffee bread called 'Babovka'. 'Mazanec' is another special Easter food, which is a yeast-raised cake filled with almonds, raisins and citron. A cross is cut into the top of the cake, just before it goes into the oven. Easter gingerbread, Easter Ram Cake, Judas Cake, 'God’s Mercy' (a type of doughnut sprinkled with sugar) are some more of the traditional sweet snacks served on Easter Sunday. (iloveindia.com, 2009)

The End of Winter, and the Burning of Witches

April 30 is "pálení čarodějnic" ("burning of the witches") or "čarodějnice" in the Czech Republic Czechs gather to build a bonfire and prepare an effigy of the witch that kept winter around so long. Czechs used to believe that the power of witches would weaken as the weather got warmer. So they thought that if they made something that looked like a witch and burned it, they could finally get rid of the cold weather. First, they tie two large sticks together to form a cross. Then they stuff old shirts, pants and socks with straw and place a pointed hat on the top of the stack. The witch is tied to a broomstick and set aside until darkness falls. When the fire is roaring, people roast sausages on sticks, strum guitars, and sing their favorite songs. Everyone looks forward to nightfall, when they will face the spirits of the witches. As soon as it's dark, the effigy of the witch is brought out and held up for all to see. Then, with a heave of the arm, it is thrown on top of the bonfire. As the witch burns, so does the last of winter's chill. (Chudoba, 2009)

Name Day Celebration

Ever feel like a birthday is not enough? Want more reasons to celebrate your existence on this wonderful word? Well why no discover over 365 Czech names that are part of the Czech calendar! In the Czech Republic, every day of the year is someone's name day ("svátek" or "jmeniny" in Czech - the latter is more formal). It is a reason to celebrate, wish the person a Happy Name Day, and buy a little present, like flowers and a box of chocolates. However always remember to never give anyone an even number of flowers! Such bouquets are used at funerals. The number should be an odd number such as 1, 3, 5, etc. The typical food eaten when more formally celebrated is any type of prepared chicken, rolls, and vegetables (primarily potatoes) along with beer or wine. (Czech Name Days, 2009)


Conclusion

It is amazing to me that despite being worlds apart, the traditions celebrated in the Czech Republic have striking similarities between them and ours in the United States. However to them the holidays typically take on a different form unique to their culture and heritage. In this day and age it is encouraging to see unique traditions to help celebrate the diversity and differences that make each of our country’s unique and special to our hearts. This uniqueness is only amplified since I am involved in a relationship with someone of this culture and I owe her my respect and gratitude for teaching me the folk customs of her homeland, bringing Czech a little closer to me and injecting her culture into my own family. I hope that this paper has given the reader a small taste to the treasures that await within the Czech Republic and encourages them to explore the cultural uniqueness within.

Post 39: The Ebook Experience

Having recently purchased an Amazon Kindle (and loving it might I add) I found a very interesting article about "ebooks" in general and how they could change the future of literacy. The link to the article is below with my response to it after.

http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200206/ebook0602001.html

This is a very interesting article since it is something that I have been thinking about for a long time with my own personal interest. I have been debating for a long time whether or not to pick up my own copy of an Amazon Kindle due to the extremely attractive ideas of owning an Ebook machine. There is something luring about owning a machine that can let me store many books onto it, the portability, adjustable easy-to-read fonts, built in dictionary for words that are not understood for instantaneous understanding, the durability of the “book” never having to face breaking bindings or folding pages, they have wi-fi support, automatically download popular daily newspapers, it is back lit, and can read to me in an auditable voice what the book says if I am driving or otherwise distracted from physically holding the device. All of these things are only going to vastly improve as time goes on but this calls into question, What about paperback books?
Sam Kleinman, the writer for this article, clearly thins that while the overwhelmingly cool features of an Ebook device are certainly alluring; they are still no match for a physical paper-made book in your hands for several reasons. As his article states books are “long from extinct”. First and foremost, a paper-made book is still the most widely and easily accessible source of information in the entire world. From libraries, to coffee shops, to book stores, no matter where you go magazines, books, and newspapers are still the traditional and easily accessible formats of reading. Secondly, no matter how technologically advanced we become, not everyone will be on the same page (if you will pardon the pun) as everyone else. With Ebooks you need to know how to transfer files, how to store them properly, and how to back them up. Not to mention know how to use the device itself. This automatically cuts a chunk of the population from easily enjoying the Ebook experience where as all they need it literacy to pick up and enjoy a good book. Another noticeable mention is that books are collector’s items. There is still a sense of pride for those who own first editions/first copies of books and they are still greatly valued. For another there is no comparison (in his eyes) for ink printed text on a page versus the digital text on a screen. He feels no matter how many improvements are made to the devices there is something that stands out better with ink and paper than on text on screen.
So where many people may fear that the Ebook may completely eliminate the paper-made reading experiences from our daily lives, there are many who feel exactly the opposite. Ebook technology is new, it’s not widely accessible, and it will take a very long time for it to establish itself as a dominant source of reading that super cedes over paper-made reading. However the future remains bright for Ebooks, as it continues to get more and more popular. It is no doubt of mine that it will become a challenge for paper-made reading in the distant future, but for now books and magazines can find comfort on their bookshelves knowing that they are still the #1 source of information and enjoyment accessible by the entire world.

Post 38: The Skype Movement and Future of Communication

I read a very interesting article about Skype the other day. I provided a link below so that people can reference it and know what I am talking about.

http://share.skype.com/sites/business/2009/05/the_future_of_business_communi.html


I am a huge user and advocate for Skype. I can look (and listen) in pride and happiness as my girlfriend, who came from and grew up in the Czech Republic, can talk and see her parents for free using this program. With the world of communication shrinking and the Global Village becoming a reality years ago (thanks to Internet) we are finding many ways to communicate cheaper and easier than ever before. One such ways is through the program Skype. It allows you to not only quickly make a voice call with better quality than that of a telephone, but it also grants you to see each other via the use of webcams, as well as granting you the ability to transfer files, play games, etc all at the same time for FREE! That last word is one of the biggest reasons why this program has been sought after for years and why, despite some legal hiccups here and there, it has come out on top as one of the best ways to communicate; and average consumers are not the only people to have recognized this. It is becoming much more relevant in businesses as well.
Stefan Öberg makes this case in his article Skype for Business where an increasing number of business owners and employees use the Skype program on a regular basis and the numbers don’t lie. 95% of businesses say they are saving money, 80% say they are seeing increased productivity, 70% say they are using it while traveling for business and 62% say they communicate better with customers using it. These numbers are only expected to grow as time goes on and it’s not without wonder: it’s a free, clean, small, powerful communication tool widely accessible with anyone with internet, a computer, and a simple headset (or webcam if you want video).
Its my personal opinion that in time, the preferred way of communicating over the internet will not be typing but by voice/picture communication. It’s already happening with the ability to attach voice messages, pictures, or video in emails. Even popular programs such as AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, and ICQ are trying to directly compete with Skype by offering their services with voice and video. With so much interest on these programs and the voice/video services (especially being free) we may start to see a crumbling of the telephone industry and if they are not careful and do not embrace the internet as a source of communication that they can benefit from they may find themselves in the same situation as the newspapers are facing these days. It’s only a matter of time, and popularity…

Post 37: COMPLETED!!!!!!!

It is done!! I have finally completed my final research paper for COMM 300 with a week to spare! I know I have to catch up with my blogging but this is certainly a moment to celebrate (for me at least). This was the most in depth paper I had to accomplish for the semester, and while it was a struggle to make some points, I think in the end I have succeeded in doing so. Its also a good time to reflect on all that we (my schoolmates and I) have accomplished over the duration of the semester. It feels weird that all of us are working so hard and constantly posting but I have never even seen these peoples faces (except for a couple that I know from other classes). As I pat myself on the back for completing this "monster" of a paper, I would also like to start extending my appreciation to those in the class that actually took the time to engage in excellent conversation/discussion boarding, witty remarks, and open-minded revelations. It was YOU that made this class worth while (and of course Bjorn!). Thank you everyone and good luck in the final stretch.

WE ARE ALMOST DONE!!!

Post 36: Woods is deforested

Its official ladies and gentleman. The most lovable, agreeable, professional golfer (and quite possibly sports celeb to grace the television) is not as perfect as the media made him out to be. Tiger Woods has apparently been caught in having an affair behind his wife’s back for some time. Dare I say it that he is human after all?? The sad truth of the matter is that the media makes celebrities to be much grander than the “average people” of the country. Their lives are exemplified as perfect. We all know from just reading the daily tabloids that celebrities are anything but perfect, but their social status gives them a air of perfection that preaches how they are above the status quo in a society. So as it turns out; Tiger Woods is merely a human being who made a very poor choice and if going to have to deal with the consequences of his actions. I have no doubts in my mind this will follow him for a long time and damage his career in some way. But let this be a lesson to people who blindly follow the media as if it were a truth-telling Bible of sorts: the media paints a wonderful picture of the positives, but it also paints a destructive picture of the negatives. Who would have thought the media was its own self-serving “yin & yang”?

Post 35: The Death of Tradional Media?

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/09/commerical-radio-is-dead-why-cbs-radios-k-rock-format-switch-in-new-york-wont-make-a-bit-of-difference-in-fight-against-technological-irrelevance/

This was a very interesting article about the drastic changes that CBS’ band of radio station going to replace the old NYC K-Rock radio station with their own station in efforts to attract the younger generation. In the article senior vice president of CBS Radio division stated that “… CBS Radio offers something for everyone in the market-including young adults who are using the radio to discover today’s most popular music.” However there is a fundamental flaw in this type of reasoning as the article continues to talk about, and that all centers on the use of the Internet. It seems that not only young adults are getting their music information and “fixes” from the internet sources (Pandora, iTunes, YouTube, and BitTorrents) but adults and seniors are catching on to the methods as well. This raises the question of if Radio has already started the dangerous slope downward into oblivion. Will internet-fueled programs be the future of radio communications? It certainly appears to be heading in that direction, and radio isn’t the only victim in the fall out. Television, news, communication, and archiving all seem to have been affected greatly by the Internet. However as the article expresses, its not so much the Internet being the CAUSE of the destabilization of these emdia sources but the lack of EMBRACING the internet as a fundamental delivery system. K-Rock, after losing its biggest selling show The Howard Stern Show, quickly started to decline. Several offers were made to them to merge with Satellite or Internet Radio programs but their flat our denial earned them a one way ticket of cancelation with the birth of CBS’ Radio station taking its place. However CBS has also stated it will not focus its efforts on Internet rather; try to give people an alternative method of listening to music without having to rely on the internet. I have a feeling however, that any who don’t embrace the internet are doomed to failure. Ignorance isn’t always bliss it turns out…

Convergance of media IS happening.

Post 34: Thanksgiving in another Country?

Today was a very nice day of family, friends, and my loved one with us. My family Thanksgivings are typically loaded with insurmountable amounts of food (all prepared by my dad who happens to be the best chef I have every experienced thus far), lots of beer or wine, and a loud excitable family who seems to get all the louder as we retell stories for the millionth time that never seem to grow old. It’s a great time, and it has been even better since my girlfriend has joined in the festivities. Along with my girlfriend comes a very nice, refreshing, and interesting outlook on her culture and traditions since she is from the Czech Republic. One of the topics of conversation turned to her, her country, and if she had anything similar to Thanksgiving there. While there wasn’t anything precisely like our country’s Thanksgiving (given its extremely unique history), her own history was interesting to listen to. These were traditions and holidays I had heard before from her but I love to watch her talk about her country and the way things are there. One such holiday they celebrate is the freedom her country won from Communism exactly 20 years ago this November. They also celebrate famous people from their history that had become martyrs which is always interesting to hear about (in my opinion). So on this Thanksgiving I would like to give a special “thank you” to my girlfriend Katerina for providing my family with not only your wonderful company, but the experiences and stories of your country bringing your culture to my home! I look forward to many more culturally diverse injections into my family as time goes on!

Post 33: Confidence and Focus

Something interesting happened to me today that I didn’t expect. I was chatting up with a friend of mine who also happens to be an author (who just released her first book “Pieces”, her name is Julia Dudek, and it is really good!) I was explaining to her what the final paper for this class was all about and the analysis I had gathered. We suddenly launched ourselves into a conversation about the show LOST and how she never thought of how stereotypes were used in that show before! It kind of gave me a burst of energy and confidence in my topic since I have not found any other articles directly involving what I am writing about. Its not every day you get a compliment from an author which made me feel good. So I feel I am on the right track (at least according to someone other than myself) on my paper topic. Now if only I can squeeze out a rough draft by the end of the week like my professor wants. Errrrrm… I am not so sure haha.

Post 32: Giving Thanks as best as I can

This is just a small post to wish everyone who might care or not even know abut this post a very Happy Thanksgiving.

I know that not all cultures or families have ties to this holiday. Many families are broken or close. Many cultures do not recognize this holiday since it is an American one. But I would like to think that this is a day where we as human beings can at least try to see passed the differences and understand one universal truth: we have each other and in the end we all come from the same beginnings no matter what your belief of that beginning is. So to each of my fellow man I would like to extend my deepest appreciation for their kindness, resolve to right the wrongs of our differences, and to sincerely wish thanks upon all whom would receive it with open arms and ears.

2009 has been an interesting ride and the set for 2010 is almost in its final stages. Let’s face it TOGETHER and not apart.

Now go eat something will ya? It’s custom to eat, drink and be merry!

Post 31: Christmas before Halloween

Tis the season!

For consumerism that is. This is just a small rant I have had since I noticed the first of the Walmart pre-order commercials I have been seeing on television the past month. It’s amazing to me how quickly things are going downhill in terms of less emotional ties with the holidays and more materialistic greed replacing them. I know I sound old when I say this but it’s so true… but when I was younger I remember even the commercials (despite being consumerist in nature) had a feeling of warmth and family togetherness that the commercials these days don’t have. And its hard to argue that we are drastically shifting into a consumerist society when we start seeing Christmas shopping commercials on television before Halloween even takes place (thank you Walmart for showing NOW shame in your advertising!!!). I am just sick of the lack of emotion, the encouragement to not spend time with family and friends, and putting meaning behind how much dollars you spend rather than the quality of the gift being presented.

Anyways this is just a small rant that has been festering in me for a while and just had to purge it from my gut before I vomited haha
Merry Frickin Christmas…

Post 30: The future of Movies... Avatar

Ladies and Gentleman… the future of movies is here. James Cameron’s Avatar is upon us.

Director James Cameron (director of Terminator 2, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic) has finally perfected a style of movie that has been tried many times over the past decade or more. The filming of a movie that utilizes nothing but computer graphics but making you believe that it is completely real. Click this link to see the trailer and remind yourself throughout the film that every shot is 100% computer generated.

http://www.avatarmovie.com/

By the way this is also shot in a new 3D technology making it more realistic while wearing special glasses that claims to give you an extra depth of reality no seen in previous 3D films.

It was first tried by Sony Pictures when they created the movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. It was a technological feat that had never been done before. Over time CG animation in movies has become the norm, becoming more refined, detailed, and an intricate tool to tell stories that otherwise may not have been possible.
Avatar uses a new type 3D scanning technology that allows him to capture the human body in the exact detail that is visible by the eye. The scanning technology is so detailed it is said that it can capture detail on a microscopic level. This alongside new motion capture methods and voice acting, movies may never be the same again. Who’s to say an actor cannot be scanned and stored into a database and used again? People who loved The Dark Knight are mourned by the loss of Heath Ledger. But in a time where 3D scanning is so detailed that they can keep that actor’s scan on file and input him into movies long after they have passed on or even aged to the point of unsuccessfully continuing the story, we might have been able to see The Joker return in future Batman films.

I just thought this was a very cool technological leap forward with so much potential and possibilities for enhancing our cinematic experience that I wanted to write something about it. I hope you all enjoyed the preview! Maybe I will see you in the theaters on Dec 18!

Post 29: The New Moon Approaches

It is November 12’th and that means one thing for millions of people worldwide: only eight more days until the release of the Twlight Saga’s: New Moon. Being a fan of the series and the movies I am quite excited as well and yes, I have even pre-purchased tickets for myself and friends to go see it opening weekend. But there is something that is REALLY starting to bug me about this and I feel like it happened to the harry Potter books/movies. It is the fact that the media is SATURATED with characters, products, make up lines, fashions, etc directly linked to the movie. It is simply amazing to me how a fad can swiftly turn into a franchise of epic proportions. Even the author, who wrote the first book from a dream she had and wanted to flush out the details, never dreamed that it would take on the size of the monster it has become. I think in a way it’s sad that to guarantee a measure of success one has to sell their idea in mass quantities to anyone who is willing to promote it via products or services.

Oh well... in the end I only care about one thing: That Stephanie Meyer hasn’t sold herself out and tries to remain faithful to her books when making these big screen adaptations. The rest of the commercial media nonsense is easily forgotten for me.

Post 28: Digital Shooting

I am going to take a minor break from regular television and movie media for a moment and comment on something that has been a spark of debate in a different area of media and entertainment that I think is worth looking at: gaming. I want to say right off the get-go that this post contains spoilers so if you intend on playing the Modern Warfare 2, DO NOT READ ON!!!!!!!!

**SPOILER ALERT!!!**

It’s fact that gaming is number three In grossing large amounts of entertainment money which is only trumped by music and film. So that being said, games are becoming a deep part in our cultural upbringing and part of society. This is grounds for the topic I wanted to raise. I am sure most of you who follow games like I do have at least heard of the big game that has been released called Modern Warfare 2, part of the epic Call of Duty series. However there is heavy controversy about Modern Warfare 2 that has taken most people by surprise… and Activison (the publishing and producing company putting the game out) even put a warning on the screen allowing you to skip the part that is in question. Essentially it shows a very graphic presentation of a group of terrorists going into an airport and opening fire on innocent people, killing many of them, and your character that you play IS one of them. However you do realize that this character is working for the CIA or FBI (I honestly forget which organization) and is undercover. He is forced to make a choice: not go through with this and blow his cover destroying all the work he has worked for, or go through with the plot and kill innocents to keep his cover.

Needless to say this is a very touchy subject, especially with the wounds still raw from the Texas shooting situation we are all facing on a daily basis via the news. I just thought it interesting that a game, which is made clearly for entertainment purposes, is coming under such attack. I think people are starting to realize that gaming is no longer the “pong” days… but it is quite literally digital entertainment. Some would argue that the plots and stories rival that of books, television, and movies and the gaming projects are quickly becoming increasingly more expensive to make due to how much exposure they get. Just something to ponder about.

Post 27: Texas

I think a topic on everyone’s mind right now is the shooting that took place in Texas on the Army Base. It seems to be getting coverage on every new station, several times a day with more and new information. It obvious that this is a horrible tragedy that took place, with the loss of 13 lives and over 30 people wounded. But there is damage that goes beyond the immediate that we as Americans can see and that is the tarnishing of the Islamic culture. The shooting was of that culture and Muslim religion, and before he started shooting he shouted out to God and opened fire. This has been played over and over again and I think it isn’t hard to see what will happen because of it: fear. Fear of terrorists, fear of Muslims, fear of the Islamic nation… fear fear fear. It’s something that our country does very well to help control it without any regard to the nations, religions of people involved. I think this is one of the most damaging aspects of our news media in America: its constant reporting on the negative and portrayal of people that instills fear into the hearts of the viewers so that hate, stereotypes, and persecution come rooted within us. Granted I understand that what happened was horrible and there is no excuse for it but this constant referral to terrorism and the Muslim religion is just damaging relations between us and the Muslim world.

Everyone just go to the Good News Network at http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ and get a dose of goodness in the world.

Post 26: Lifetime Televison

So its sad to say that I am exposed a lot to Lifetime Television Network during my working on Saturday. My co-worker watches it on a rather regular basis (ALL day!!) and I feel I have seen a lot of it enough (whether I like it or not) to make a few comments and reflections about it.

First off I would like to openly say I love women, their rights, their opinions, and their ACCURATE and fair representation just like any other occupant in this world. With that being said let the trashing of Lifetime begin...

HOW could women be proud of this network?? Its supposed to be a network dedicated to women by women to help give them a voice on television and create a niche for themselves in male-owned media conglomerates. What we are treated two are substandard acting, horrific plots, and worst of all the continued reduction of women's representation through the use of stereotypes. Granted there are strong female leads (typically just one amongst a supporting lack-luster cast) but women are consistently portrayed as emotional, erratic, not very intelligent, abused, cheaters, liars, and reliant on not their own self power but the yearning of having to have a male (or female) lover to have any kind of grounds to stand on for themselves.

My personal opinion is that Lifetime portrays women as victims more than anything. I know that they have been mistreated, silenced, and given little right in the past. But times are changing, rights are being recognized, and values are understood. In fact two months ago I saw a broadcast of news Channel 7 about how women now own more than half of the jobs in America making them the job leaders in our country! In my opinion Lifetime doesn't support women in the way that they are hoping, but rather returns back to stereotypes that their image has been built on damaging their representation even more.

Post 25: Abstract

Here is the abstract I worked on in regards to my final paper. I am not sure if this is worth studying in the eyes of other people but I think it raises interesting questions about stereotypes with an interesting way to study it through the television show LOST. Anyways here is the final draft of the abstract... too shy to post it in class discussion boards haha. Enjoy

Stereotypes: Laying Dormant Until Unleashed

Michael G. Mullen Jr. (Professor Bjorn Ingvoldstad), Department of Communications, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Are you someone who knows that stereotypes are wrong and yet see them take place within society, despite being taught that they are wrong? Are those stereotypes lying dormant until properly motivated? The sad truth and belief of this study is that stereotypes are in fact alive and festering in the hearts of individuals. The implications of such a belief is that while high ranking officials and general opinion says stereotypes have a negative influence, they still exist, and surface when motivated enough. There are many examples of this in action but I have chosen to study primarily film, more specifically television, and even more specifically the television show LOST. Within LOST is a complicated story-telling technique heavily relying on flash-backs and flash-forwards to fill in the gaps of missing information for the viewer. This is crucial to the show’s mysterious build of character development. As the shows unfold, however, certain culture’s representative characters are targeted. The information given leads the viewer to assume about the specific characters, often bringing out assumptions about that characters race, culture, religion, and political association. Since stereotypes are often created and thrive within people who have no base knowledge of the targeted individual’s culture, they are left to draw their own conclusions, often including stereotypical views when given no other information to draw better conclusions. This observational study would be done, selecting keys episodes from the first two seasons of LOST, watching them while taking detailed notes, and cross referencing forum posts on the LOST boards as well as fan sites and written articles to gather general reactions to missing informational gaps leading to stereotypical assumptions. The targeted characters of study will be Jin and Sun (Asian representatives), Sayid (Middle-Eastern representative), Michael and Rose (African representatives), and James/Sawyer (southern Caucasian representative). The significance of this project would not only bring to light that stereotypes still exist strongly in people who otherwise may not have exhibited them, but to also show how these types of damaging generalizations are used within television (for good or bad). If we gain a better understanding of the root of stereotypes, it would provide information critical in the absolute reduction and destruction of their negative influence which plagues not just our country but the world.

Post 24: Halloween

Its strange how a holiday like this can bring people together...

I read an article stating that Halloween is the second largest holiday that people spend money in aside from Christmas. Valentines Day comes in third... So I consider Halloween (although fun) another "Halmark Holiday" made for consumerism and economy. Especially for the rich cultural history that was the creation of Halloween.

Well I am not that far off from the truth (in my opinion) about Halloween being consumer-driven but I am not the only one that sees it for its other values: friends, family, fellowship, and maybe a few drinks here and there haha. This is a simple and personal reflection of my time spent in Boston with friends on Halloween night and it was such a good time. There still exists a certain magic in any given Holiday whether it be Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day, Thanksgiving, etc... and even though corporations and conglomerates try to dictate how to enjoy something in todays society, the meaning is ultimately decided by the individual. Its just a nice reminder to me that no commercials can take away meaning from good friends, a wonderful girlfriend, and a setting for a great time!

Post 23: 40,000 Troops

Today is something a little different for my Blog. I had wanted to post this for a few days now but I hadn't had the chance due to a lot of other school papers/projects I have been keeping up with so I don't fall behind. Sorry Mr. Blog... you got neglected this week. However I have this interesting link to the Daily Show that deals with several topics, but more importantly it focuses on Obama's pressure to come to a decision whether or not to send 40,000 troops to Afghanistan. This is catching a lot of public attention from the media and even political leaders. Even Dick Cheney took his shots at Obama, which is absurd considering his administration got us into this mess to begin with. Anyways due to Obama taking his time with making his decision a lot of people are targeting him on his inability to decide... as if signing a possible death sentence to 40,000 more American's wasn't enough on his plate along with an economic crisis and the world all hating our country. But I will let you all make your own decisions, and if anything, I hope this is an entertaining media clip for you!

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/253711/tue-october-27-2009-steven-levitt

Post 22: Ideas of Paper # 8

Well it’s the end of the week and it’s time for another blog post. It has directly to do with the response we had to type our weekly paper about. The question presented to us was:

"Of the various sites of Chicano struggle for media access, the one I would guess you are most familiar with is the college / university setting. This week, in 1-2 pages, I'd like you to consider what colleges in general, and what Bridgewater State College in particular (and the Dept. of Communication Studies even more so, and you and me EVEN MORE SO) should be doing to increase minority media access and cultural diversity. What is to be done? Be concrete as you can!"

My response to that (which could be applied to any college in my opinion, Bridgewater State College included) was that exposure can be increased for ALL cultures in the following formats: Internet, television, and theatre/drama.

Without going into the details of the paper (which would make this Blog two pages long and I have so few followers as it is, and I don't want to scare them away) I will simply break down what I observed with each.

Internet:
-Create different portals of each culture that ties in with that campus' database, or even external databases that deal directly with that particular culture (Chicano specifically since that is what we are focusing on right now). That way the searching for history, traditions, myths, legends, stories, discussions, etc can be easily found, accessed, and more importantly LEARNED. I would also like to think that these links would have a place on the main College's Library page to make it more well known and easier to access.

Television:
Essentially it was my idea that most colleges have a local broadcasting channel or creates shows for local town programming. I think it would be very interesting to have a representative of each culture's community have a weekly or daily roundtable discussion about relative topics of the day that would involve history, traditions, and stereotypes and how they overcome those stereotypes. I feel this would be highly educational and beneficial to not only the round table members to learn about each other but for real debates and issues to be brought out and discussed that relates to modern struggles of that culture.

Theatre/Drama:
Imagine the Chicano student body presenting their version of I am Joaquin as a drama piece with their own versions of images and music being displayed for a modern crowd. I think that would be fantastic and a great opportunity to help the rest of us understand the struggle of the Chicano community. But why stop there? This movement could do all sorts of Chicano based history, myths, legends, and cultural stories dealing with their society to help further understanding. Another thing about theatre that seems to be an advantage over other media forms is that it is a form of artistic expression and has the chance to be a bit more edgy in its message and presentation. That coupled with controversial material almost always created a “buzz” about the production giving it more of an audience and a real chance to spread a message if well constructed.

Well these were my papers ideas. I hope that my fellow classmates were able to come up with some interesting ones as well. If anyone wants to discuss theirs on this Blog post please be my guest! I think it’s just another way of exposure and brings about good discussion.

Post 21: Obama the "Black Hitler"??

My friend sent me an interesting article via email about Obama and how his entire administration (more specifically him) has been met with nothing but racism and hate. The article was written by Philip Weiss on 9/28/09 titled “The Obama Crazies and Why They are Not Going Away” published in The New York Magazine. I had always known that Obama faced racism from the moment he decided to run for office, but I suppose what has bothered me most about it was how racially charged a lot of people were willing to take the arguments against Obama. From technical analysis of his campaign to blatant racism, Obama has had a very tough year.

But I am glad that this article goes into depth about the issue of race and how it has plagued Obama’s campaign ever since he took up the mantle of running for Presidency. I would like to think that he got elected not for his color but for his message. Granted he has made some choices that I don’t 100% agree with but he is doing the best that he can with the amount of disaster that was placed before him after the previous administration. He has given the country hope and has been doing the best that he can to deliver on his promises.

He doesn’t deserve this racist backlash, and I am grateful that a widely known magazine had the guts to publish an article shining the spotlight on those would tear Obama down for his color.

Well done Philip Weiss!