Maxim vs. Cosmo

What was in these magazines was ridiculous, both didn't have much substance at all! Cosmo is horrible, I did enjoy making fun of it and pretending what is says is truly helpful but for the poor people who actually live their lives by what they take from these magazines is sad. I feel bad for the generation that grows up feeling they have to be a size 0 and where this or that, do this or that to your partner, be this and that cause "cosmo" is saying so. It's all fake, a way to suck people in. Maxim wasn't as trashy as I thought it would be, it does portray women a bit more as naturally beautiful. Though it would never display someone who was natural in the way society has refused to accept curves, blemished skin, natural everyday bodies. Just horrible... but I love magazines, the ones with art inside rather than bullshit.

Ch. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

3. Was all about sound recording. Probably the fastest way people retain information is by heard words and sounds. By being able to record sound and broadcast it the radio became huge part of the media as well as music. Later on certain things we're banned because people were afraid of the bad influence it could have, but it became one of our biggest assets. Music was then brought to peoples home at their own use with audiotapes, then CD's and now MP3 players. Ownership of the music and how its distributed became an issue which leads to a downfall in the industries sales, but now more music is shared and a performer should work harder in concerts which is true art of music!

The radio was the biggest leading media until the TV, but before this came the telegraph. People actually took in sounds known as "morse code" because of curiosity and drive to know more. Now people have to much to listen too they don't care and would watch anything to give their brain a break. The TV is an amazing asset to knowledge, providing quick news, but it also has a lot of downfalls to its new reality era, though I learned a lot and enjoyed TV's influence in the 60's to the 90's with MTV and coverage on news. Though radio is the hardest to escape for anyone who owns a car, but most people use it to listen to music and others are interested in the news. Whose to say what they broadcast is accurate but the same person speaking over the radio is the same person whose on TV, or writing for the paper?

At first TV was sent through radio waves and anyone with an antenna could watch TV. Now it's expensive, only owned by those who want to pay, and unavailable to the public. Then those who do have it use it for sports or TV shows, nothing truly education besides entertainment, which is sad people can no longer entertain themselves.

Film has a huge influence on society, and always has. At times what was put in theaters could be controlled, and if someone were to create a film like the day after tomorrow it could create a bad affect on society but if put in the right hands someone could influence more positively. It's a huge art as well as a message to society, to those who chose to see it and how someone views it is up to them.

1, 8, 9, 10

Interesting Chapters on how the Media came into play! How Obama's election had a lot of help from the Media, and its change on broadcasting Political policies. Newspapers and Magazines have come a long way, most magazines now target an "ideal" of americans than before like cosmo. Books have become much more popular with media as well now every book can become a movie, and the movies get people to read the books. For example if you never read where the wild things are... you should or would at least want to for the movie! The chapters are telling me how the media came into effect as it was developed, how it's affecting us now and how it could ruin our future. That if put into the wrong power it could be treated as a weapon, but also helps inform the public like the civil rights movement.

When criticizing the media we also must criticize those who make it and those who are influenced by it. It talks about less people enjoy fine art because TV, top 40 music, brainless ads everywhere we go but society has eaten it up and those are the people who mass produce it. We have to be smarter, have more reality in suburbia than urban New York. People are bored with their lives and live off whats put in front of them rather then opening their minds but how do we do that when the media is controlled. Even without cable I know about the top shows, it's not like I look it up on the internet, I'm exposed to it living my everyday life, but how many people know about what OBama is doing in the office? Thankfully there's youtube. I thought about the newspapers we read in class during chapter 8, how the post was louder and less intellectual and the Times still had a classical newspaper look with a mature typography and probably better written articles, although they did have more ad's then articles, showing how even those who say they bring the "NEWS" they fall into the game of the advertising aspect of the media. I blame the media of magazines for women's "gender roles" and insecurities because the lies, and pointless information they provide for their viewers. I love the aspect of magazine that their visual, colorful and a huge expression for artist such like me who want their photo's seen. I hope the magazine era goes into a new session where those who have one give it more importance and art.