Perceptions

So ever since we first discussed what we could do for our poster project in school I have been looking at TV in a different light. One of the options we discussed was the possibility of coding for the perception that television presents about males and fathers. So as this was at the back of my mind I started to notice how often fathers are portrayed as being kind of slow and so I started as a mini experiment to flip through channel and to see what shows I noticed this in. A few of the shows that I saw that were probably the worst are George Lopez, King of the Hill, the Simpsons, even shows such as Full House, and many commercials do the same. The thought that I had was that in today’s world there is no way that producers could get away with doing this the other way around in such an obvious manner putting the mothers in this role. As this was running through my mind I also started to realize that television does the same thing to many authority figures and the one I noticed most often were police men, I specify men because while it does happen I see more men played in this role than women. Shows like Psych are a prime example of this.

Modern Media

Oh Netflix. . . what can I say I am one of the many who have fallen for the modern convenience that is Netflix. It is quite amazing to me how just a few years ago I had not even heard of Netflix but now I couldn’t imagine not having it at my disposal. Between Netflix and Redbox stores such as Blockbusters and Hollywood Video are almost extinct. Personally I am not at all saddened by this at its end the Hollywood Video near my home in southern CA had definitely gone downhill with customer service and it renting system so that after years of being subscribing members my family mostly cut all ties with the store; seems dramatic yes but also true. Through Netflix I have been able to accesses television shows from around the world and from times gone by with relative ease. Just recently I was able to watch some episodes of an Australian show called The Elephant Princess; a cute fantasy show for teen about a sixteen year old girl named Alex who finds out that she is the heir to a magical kingdom called Manjipor. I think this is a fun system that you can accesses through all sorts of devices from a computer to a TV, to a phone. Makes me wonder what's next. . .  J

American Idol

So I don't know if everyone knows this or not but American Idol started its eleventh season this week. Now I must admit that I go through cycles of not really being interested in the show and really enjoying it but I still wonder why it is so popular. As I was thinking about it I thought of a couple of reasons; one it allows people to live vicariously, perhaps thinking well if their dreams can come true so could mine, and two it is part of human nature to find humor in the failings and blunders of others. It is not a nice thought but if you look at all kinds of entertainment it is a true one. Also I found it interesting that we have so many shows that follow the premise of following your dream; American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The X Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, The Voice, and I’m sure there are many more out there in the states let alone the world. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that but I found it interesting.

Ratings

So as I was watching TV and I saw a preview for the new Underworld movie and it started me thinking about the rating system. Who decides what a movie is rated? Well i decided to look it up online and on the Motion Picture Association of America website I found that the people who decide what a movie is rated by parents. "Ratings are assigned by an independent board of parents with no past affiliation to the movie business. Their job is to rate each film as they believe a majority of American parents would rate it, considering relevant themes and content." I thought this was interesting because as someone who would someday like to become a parent it is nice to know that other parent are the one deciding what a movie is rated. There are also cites such as www.kidsinmind.com can help parents know the reasons behind the rating so that parents can make an informed decision about what they want their kids as well as themselves exposed to.

G- General Audiences

All ages admitted

(1968–present)

PG- Parental Guidance Suggested

Some material may not be suitable for children

(1978–present; between 1972 and 1977, the word "children" instead read "pre-teenagers.")

PG-13- Parents Strongly Cautioned

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13

(1984–present)

R- Restricted

Under 17 not admitted without parent or adult guardian

(1970–present; during 1968 and 1969, the designated age was 16)

NC-17- No One 17 and Under Admitted

(1996–present; between 1990 and 1996, the wording was "No Children Under 17 Admitted")

If a film is not submitted for rating, the label NR (Not Rated) or UR (Unrated) is often used. Many older films have the label NR or UR, but merely because a film is labeled NR or UR does not always mean that it is suitable for children.

In the Ring

So today I went to the dollar theater and saw Real Steel, it was awesome. I thought the concept of the movie was really cool. One comment made in the movie really stuck with me. At one point when they are in the scrap yard looking for extra parts and they see an old head and Charlie explains to Max that the reason it looks so different than what they see in the fights then was because when the robot fighting first started they wanted them to look as close to human as they could but that had changed. This made me think how often do we miss big changes or jumps because they sneak up on us in small increments?

Favorite TV Show

My all-time favorite TV show is Doctor Who, a BBC show which began airing on SYFY as well in 2005, about a Time Lord who travels through time and space on adventures. The reason that this show is my favorite is because I feel that it take me through all my emotions and is very engaging. It is super funny and lifts me up when I am down or just need a relief from the day. It also has well developed characters and it is very easy to get invested in the storyline and the characters which brings it to life for me. This show is also a favorite of most of my family and it has become a bonding agent for us. We watch it together if possible and if not we usually call each other immediately after to talk about what had happened. Doctor Who is very complicated and it really engages the mind, making you think about things and really pay attention to what is going on, it just makes me smile. J

My Family

From the left; Chelsey (Me), Zachary, Ian, Mandy, Timmy, Kirsti, Kassie, Sydnee, Jesse