Periods 1 & 3: Blog #6

Due: 3-20-09

One inconspicuous way that advertisers try to convince (step 4: conviction) us to buy their product is by placing it in the TV shows and movies that we watch.

Every time that you see a name-brand product on TV or in the movies, you can safely assume that the company paid for that well-placed, subtle advertisement. The prime-time comedy 30 Rock goes so far as to mock their own need for this type of ad revenue, as can be seen in the embedded clip from the show's first season.

Scott Leith, of the The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, posed this thought in 2000:

At one time, it seemed positively unusual to spot real products in the movies. But along came 1982's "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and an accidental star: Reese's Pieces candy. That watershed event helped turn product placement into a business. ...

The question is how well placement works, especially in an age when much of the audience is downright cynical about advertising.

What do you think? Discuss product placement in TV shows and movies as an effective/ineffective means of advertising, especially to teenagers.

Merchants of Cool

Did you miss class on the 4th? You can make up the video by watching the first four sections of Merchants of Cool. Make sure that you picked up a copy of the worksheet!

Periods 1 & 3--Blog #5

Due: 3-13-09

We are discussing magazine ads and commercials in class, but not the ads found online....

As you spend time online--checking your email, looking at Facebook/MySpace, randomly surfing the web--observe the ads on various sites. What do you notice about the different types of ads? How do these differ from print/TV ads? How are they either more or less effective than the more traditional ads that we're analyzing in class. Blog about your observations!

Comment!

Due: 2-26-09

Read the blogs that your classmates have posted. Respond to their thoughts. Here are your criteria:

• Make sure that you are signed in to Blogger so that you get credit for your comment(s).
• You may respond to the thoughts of anyone whom I teach.
• Comments need to be academically focused and thoughtful.
• Media: You need to post at least one comment.
• Honors: You need to post at least two comments.

Blog #4

Due: 2-26-09

Select one of the following topics to blog about.

Option 1:How do the media images & stereotpyes of men & women impact how we view each other professionally (at school, at work, in politics, etc.)?

• Example: Mary Pipher commented that the fragmented images of women’s bodies in perfume ads decreased the likelihood of voting for a woman for president.

Option 2: Open the "Celeb vs Hero.ppt" file (located here) and complete the activity. Then, analyze the stereotypes represented by the media.

Blog # 3

Due: 2-11-09

Choose a current TV show that you watch. 

• Consider how the ten American Core Values are represented in this show. 
  
• Analyze what the show tells viewers they should value. 
  
• Explain how it does so.
  

Periods 2 & 6--Blog #2

Due: 2-3-09

Select one of the following topics to blog about.

Option 1: Watch this video about children and the media. Based on this video and our discussion of media saturation in class, share your thoughts about this issue.

Option 2: Read the Cultural Forum: Media Literacy as the Struggle for Power on pages 54-55 of your textbook. Visit and explore the Cultural Environment Movement's site. Based on these two sources, share your thoughts about this movement.