See a Burger - Want a Burger

We were talking about advertising today in class, and it got me thinking about ads that may have directly or indirectly influenced me. In the midst of my pondering, I was reminded of a time a few friends and I were watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Now, this is a movie, so there obviously weren't any commercials. However, what I'm about to describe, I think, is a direct result of our "media conditioning." Now, I'm sure part of it has to do with the fact that those of us participating in this theatrical event were all starving college students, but isn't that the type of thing advertisements prey on? Anyway, if you've never seen the movie, at one point toward the beginning, big, fat, juicy burgers begin falling from the sky.

Someone in the room mentioned they were hungry, and how a burger sounded really good. There were mumbles of agreement throughout the small crowd. After a slight pause, I mentioned jokingly that we could pause the movie and go to Wendy's. While I really was joking, I silently hoped it would actually happen. The idea caused several jumbled responses of "sarcastic" agreement. There was another pause, then someone said something like, "...you know...we really could, if anyone was really interested..." This caused a silly conversation that resulted in us pausing the movie, running around to grab our coats, keys, and wallets, hop into a car and make our way to Wendy's to fulfill our new found, shared craving for burgers.

Ok, so Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is no Wendy's commercial, but it most certainly had the same effect. I also know, that, at least recently, there have been more Wendy's commercials than those for Burger King. These two places are almost exactly the same distance from where we were. Also, the Burger King commercials I *have* seen, have been kind of, well...creepy. Another reason I'm sure I suggested Wendy's over Burger King, is that the most recent ad I've seen for Burger King was actually quite offensive and sexually explicit. SO...the moral of the story is: Whether we like it or not, we've been conditioned to notice and react to "good" advertising. As my professor's family jokes, "don't get sucked in!" I'm not saying advertising is bad, it's actually an important part of our economy. However, I *am* saying that we should learn to pay closer attention to manipulation that can potentially turn us into suckers. Do your own research on the products that have caught your eye due to advertising. Just as I mentioned in the Photoshop post, don't blindly believe everything you see on tv or otherwise.

Remember, it's the little things in life!
Lindsey

To be, or Not to be...Photoshopped??

As a photographer, I absolutely LOVE Photoshop. At the same time however, I know it has a pretty bad reputation. In a lot (I'm pretty sure it's safe to say "most") of today's media, Photoshop is used to deceive us "normal" people into thinking we're not good enough. I actually saw a fake ad for a facial cream called Photoshop; it made me laugh :) While I found this funny, I also saw the truth in it. Sometimes I think we need to go back and read some of the Classic satires, such as Jonathan Swift, to really get today's society to realize how ridiculous much of our media has become. I'm extremely grateful to have the guidance of modern-day prophets and apostles! I can't remember which of the Brethren said this (and I'm paraphrasing), but I think that, esPECially in today's world, we need to keep in mind "that if it sounds [and/or looks] too good to be true, then it probably is!" Let's leave Photoshop to the photographers out there for artistic purposes, not deception, shall we? ;)

Remember, it's the little things in life!
Lindsey

Games, Games, Games!

So, let's be honest: Most of us spend a bit more time on our social networks than we'd like to admit...but guess what! Marketing companies know our secret!! If the ad we're forced to look at isn't about food, a movie, or a specific page, it's for some new time-wasting, addictive game. These games aren't just connected to the actual social network you're on either, they've gotten clever and have branched out. Something I've been noticing recently, is that the game-makers out there seem to have run out of new and clever ideas. Most of the "new" games being advertised all look so similar! These new games end up being some form of bejeweled, bubble blast, tetris, memory, scrabble, or where's waldo. Think about it...many of these basic games are just being "vamped up" and camouflaged by new "adventures," colors, characters, and/or plot-lines. In the end though, they're all the same! They know these types of games are addictive, and the more players there are, the more money they get. It's depressing to think about... Money being the root for the lack of creativity out there isn't just part of gaming either. I feel like we're beginning to lose many important parts of our culture due to greed and laziness. We're always looking for the "next big thing," but aren't willing to create it ourselves anymore. Now, I'm not saying games are evil, don't get me wrong; I LOVE games of all sorts! I just feel like those of us just getting in to or are about to enter the general workforce need to keep this issue in mind. Let's keep creativity, innovation, and just plain ol' fun in our culture, yes?

Remember, it's the little things in life!
Lindz

The fb Status

Yay! My very first blog post! I've never really been the blog type, but it just so happens I supposed to use one for a class I'm taking this semester. At least twice a week, I'll be posting some form of media (on a blog, ironic much? lol) along with some thoughts and impressions about it. Today's post is regarding fb statuses in general.

I was browsing along earlier today and saw several completely different types of posts. A couple of examples (paraphrased) that really stuck out to me were, "I can change the world." and a lengthy and annoyed post about public breast feeding. While I agreed with what both posts were saying, I found it really interesting just how drastically different they were. Yes, they're two completely different people, but the reason I thought this was so interesting was mostly due to the things and ways people as a whole use fb. For many, it's just a literal update of what they're doing, others pertain to religion, politics (both usually backed by extreme passion), what someone just made/ate for dinner, who someone's been spending time with, and (but most certainly not limited to) one of my favorites, the completely random and humorous.

Something I feel like people need to be more careful about though, is keeping in mind what they're intending to portray and what will actually be portrayed as interpreted by others. There's nothing like a face to face, in person conversation. Anything communicated in text (not just fb or social networks) can always, and will, be interpreted and read differently than what was actually meant. The art of communication is being lost in our world today, and I feel that that's a big problem. Miss-communication is often the root of conflict. So, I guess my point is, talk more meaningfully, write/post less importantly. People are more important than "likes" and number of "friends."

Remember, it's the little things in life!
Lindz