Video Games
I knew from the beginning that I would have a problem writing about video games and the gaming community. Honestly the only games I have played in the last couple of years would be Mario Party and Dance Dance Revolution (I know they’re kind of lame but I love them).
I just don’t get the obsession with video games, I have a lot of guy friends who spend hours playing games but it is just not for me. I really shouldn’t bash playing games because it is as important to some people as TV is to me, so I guess I should be more understanding.
The article that really kind of interested me this week was about online game playing. At first I thought that the entire mafia concept inside the world of game playing was just ridiculous but then I started to realize that they had kind of formed their own community full of power struggles, devaince and loyalty.
People form bonds both social and business and use these relationships to help benefit them in their game world, it is really a neat concept when you think about it. And I can actually see these kind of group roles and relationships being established by some of my friends.
You see a large number of them play Halo and they would all get online and have their ear pieces and could talk to each other while playing the game in their own home. They spent hours communicating with each other forming bonds and alliances that helped propel them through the game.
Although the novelty of this game wore off most of them still play online games (many times together) and use their newly formed relationships to their advantage. I guess when you think about it they have joined their own mini society they have created their own networks and they are interacting and socializing to some extent.
Here is a clip depicting the experiences and thoughts some gamers provided concerning the online gaming phenomenon.
No More Hiatus!
Ok this is going to be a rant but bear with me. I am just upset right now because both of my favourite shows The Office and ER have decided to take a bit of a hiatus. I am sure that all the Lost fans out there can sympathize with me because that show also took a very long break.
The thing is that ER took a break after two of my favourite characters got together and now I have to wait over a month to find out what happened. Now The Office on the other hand is that one show that I look forward to every Thursday but for the last couple of weeks I have been disappointed to realize that the show either wasn’t on or they were showing reruns.
Now I know that they can only shoot so many episodes per season but instead of having that giant break in between shows just end the season sooner. I just think that people would appreciate it if their shows were shown consistently , it makes things easier to follow and remember and it keeps the audiance interested.
Anyways I guess that I will just have to depend on Grey’s Anatomy to get me through this dry spell.
Last Class
I really enjoyed last class! First of all the presentation done by Tiffany Boulton was excellent, she covered a lot of material that I felt was both accurate and interesting. I really do believe that women of all ages have issues with their breasts which is usually a direct result of the images we see in the media.
Also although I was a little worried about the porn movie we were going to watch I though that it really brought up some great issues and dispelled some myths.
Even the grammer lesson at the end proved helpful in many ways and I will be sure to avoid split infinitives in my paper meaning that I will be sure to avoid the phrase “To Boldly Go…”.
I am hoping that the class tonight proves just as inspiring but since we are covering video games I am not really convinced.
Sexuality in the Media
After reading A Study of Joey and Chandler I was a little baffled as to what Paul wanted us to get out of this reading. Honestly I think that the entire article was ridiculous and I found that the author was looking for meaning in all the wrong places. So then I moved on to the next article which was the one about Smallville and once again I was disappointed.
Finally I came upon the Ross Horsley article and was once again inspired. I wasn’t at all surprised to read the comment that gay people are not being represented appropriately by media because most people controlling media output are not gay themselves or do not feel the need to accurately depict this culture.
I would agree with arguement to an extent however I think that things are begininning to change. I think that although there are still grossly exaggerated portrayals of the gay culture the media is now starting to correct these mistakes.
In the past couple of years TV shows such as Queer as Folk and Will and Grace have started showing gay people as being quite similar to their straight counterparts. They are relatable, funny, smart and in the end pretty much exactly like everybody else.
I think that through movies like Brokeback Mountain people are starting to realize that there is no single category to lump gay people into and now we are getting a much more multi-dimensional look into the world of gay people. I mean this was a pretty influential movie based on gay cowboys and niether man was portrayed as flamboyant or had any overly exaggerated gay characteristics.
I think that although there may still be much bias and prejudice in the media towards gay people great strides are being made to correct this wrong. And I really think that in the future the media might actually help reduce prejudice and hate and create a positive representation of gay culture. At least that is my hope.
Here is a little look at Brokeback Mountain the movie that caused a lot of controversy but in my opinion was a step in the right direction.
Another Adoption
Unless you haven’t seen a magazine in a while you are probably aware that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have once again added to their family. This time the couple travelled to Vietnam to adopt a three year old boy who they have renamed Pax.
Now I know there has been much controversy around the entire Brangelina relationship but personally I think that they are doing alot of good. They are bringing awareness to issues that need to be addressed and they are adopting children who need a home.
Some people say that their family is growing too big too quickly, I however disagree with this entirely I think that there are many children in the world who need shelter and love two things which Brad and Angelina seem to be providing.
Regardless of what you have previously thought about these two they seem to be raising a healthy and happy family and I think that is a true testement of a person. I think that overall they have really attempted to use their fame and fortune for good and hope they continue in their crusade to make the world a better place.
Dancing with the Stars an Abomination
I was flipping through the channels the other day and paused just long enough on I think Extra to see Joey Fatone dancing. I was kind of taken aback but then I realized that the next season of Dancing with the Stars had just begun.
I really don’t get it when I saw the ads for the first season of this show I started to laugh thinking how quickly it would be taken off the air. To my surprise and horror this piece of garbage is still on and still getting incredible ratings from what I hear.
I really just don’t get it I am a big fan of reality I love Big Brother and Do you Think you Can Dance? but Dancing with the Stars is just terrible. It’s hard to believe that people actually enjoy watching “celebrities” awkwardly trying to make it through a dance routine.
Portrayal of a Woman
I am so happy that Paul put the article All of Your Insecurities Wrapped Up in a Thirty Second Spot in the syllabus. After reading just the first paragraph I was aware that this was possibly the most important article I have read in the class to date.
I am so appalled by the sexist and condescending way women are portrayed in ads. I mean you can’t watch a series of commercials without stumbling upon a “perfect” woman being treated as nothing more than a sex symbol. The images are everywhere and it makes young and old women alike very conscious of their alleged shortcomings.
The truth is that sex does sell especially when it’s a hot brainless female in a low cut skirt and mini skirt. And because people are buying the products that these women are selling there will be no shortage of women being exploited by numerous aspects of the media.
What really bothers me about these women is like the Abby article says women are looking to these females as inspirations and are comparing themselves to an ideal that will be impossible for them to duplicate.
I am happy to say that some companies have recognized this abomination and have tried to depict real beauty in their ads in an attempt to rectify the self esteem issues they have created. In fact Dove has created this ad to show how impossible it would be to mimic or recreate some of the “beauty” found in the media.
Dove is making a bold statement with this ad and I think that it really helps females distinguish what is real and what is falsely created. I think that females of all ages can look at this depiction of “beauty” in the media and will realize that attaining this ideal look is extremely unrealistic.
Coming Soon: Casino Royale!
I am so excited I just saw an ad for Casino Royale which said that the DVD was going to be available on March 13! I have to say I had never seen a Bond movie before this one and I was pleasantly surprised by the flick.
If you have seen this movie you will know that Daniel Craig was amazing! He was so calm and collected while still showing a bit of vulnerability. I think he did such a good job!
Honestly the whole cast was fantastic! The bad guy (I have no idea how to spell his name) was really creepy especially with that crazy eye. Also the special effects and story line were incredibly well done. Overall this film was one of my favourites of this year.
So if you haven’t seen a good movie lately definately go out and rent Casino Royale on March 13.
One Big Happy Family
So I am sitting here watching TV and there is a show on about a family who has 15 kids. Now normally people would be astonished by this number but one of my closest friends is actually one of eleven. I am not kidding!
Now I have met all of the kids the majority of which have moved out of the house and started families of their own (the oldest is 35 and the youngest is 19) and they are all really great people who remain close with all of their siblings.
Coming from a house of three kids I cannot really imagine how different it would be to have that many people around all the time. I mean you wouldn’t have any space or privacy and having your own bedroom or bathroom would be out of the question.
I know my friend is super content with the amount of kids in her family and wouldn’t want it any other way, and for me having three girls in the house was more than enough. So I guess every family has their own opinion of how many kids are right for their lifestyle.
Musically Ignorant
I have to admit, I am really not a music person. I don’t really have any CD’s in fact almost all of the music in my iPod has been taken from my sister’s collection.
My younger sister is really the only thing keeping me up to date in the music world. In fact the only reason I had recognized the band Broken Social Scene in the Pitchfork article was because she made me listen to it in her car last weekend.
As I peruse through the article it becomes very obvious my sister is my “filter”. Like so many people who depend on the critiques provided by Pitchfork my musical choices are chosen for me by my musically inclined sibling.
My sister like this site, thrives on discovering new bands that few people have heard about. I mean she goes to any concert she hears about regardless of the genre and decides when she gets there if they are good or not. She is not a music snob and remains open to all new and old bands and their music styles.
I think that what makes Pitchfork a good website to consult is that it is a place where you can learn about music that you never would have encountered, I mean how many of us would have ever heard about the Toronto band Broken Social Scene.
So a couple of months ago my sister directed me to the band Ok Go (which I love) and I just wanted to show their videos because they are so different and so funny. Seriously you will get what I mean after you watch them, trust me!
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