A Farewell to Arms Article review

"We will have a cyber equivalent of Pearl Harbor at some point, and we do not want to wait for that wake-up call." 

This article is sort of totally scary as shit.  The fact that our nation and our nation's defense/security are COMPLETELY reliant on technology leaves us vulnerable and ironically, makes me feel very UNsafe.

The idea that situations like this could happen aren't out of the ordinary at all.  Considering the eventual downfall of our nations defense, backup plan after backup plan would have to be in place. What this all needs to boil down to, eventually, is that everyone should just grow the hell up and be friends. :] ....And only worry about threats from an Alien race or a zombie apocalypse.


http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.05/netizen.html

My Views on the Future

It's kind of hard to tell what will happen with technology in the future. My fantastical mind always likes to think it will turn out to be technology from show like Futurama or something, but the reality of that is probably far off.

I know when I was growing up that even things like Palm Pilots were amazing to me.  To have even been able to conceive feats of technology such as Apple products like the iPhone, the iPad and even the Macintosh home computer systems, would have been totally mind boggling.

I know that I'm happy with where technology is today, even if it has reduced some of the face to face interaction that I grew up on.  I feel that within a 10 year period, it isn't unlikely that the next big technological feat will come along

Online Comics

Online comics provide a newer and interesting take on the traditional paperback comics that we have all grown so fond of over the years.  But are they really comics? Should the be recognized as the kin of traditional graphic novels? Or should they be considered an entirely different medium?

I believe that they are still most definitely comics.  For me, what makes a comic are the transitions between panels and closure, as defined in Scott McCloud's book, "Understanding Comics".  Online comics, while providing more closure between frames with the help of motion pictures, are still a good bit of animation away from movies and cartoons.

In Scott McCloud's online comic "The Right Number", readers move through a comic by clicking an arrow.  In the center of each frame is a smaller version of the next frame.  In some instances, this inward motion actually aides in closure and transitions. An great example can be seen below:

Another aspect that really makes a comic a COMIC is frame usage.  In "The Right Number" there is minimal "traditional" frame usage (as in arrangement within the comic page), although it does still exist. In an online comic version of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, motion is used a bit more frequently (making it closer to a cartoon) but a heavy dose of frame usage and arrangement is added.

The addition of frames helps to remind readers that although there is some motion and moving pictures, the story they are reading is most DEFINITELY still a comic.

These factors give online comics the right to be considered, in my opinion, actual comics. They may be different from the traditional book version, but the same storytelling techniques and time transitions still exist in this newer, updated medium of comic book reading.

The Presence of Educational Outlets on the Internet

The presence of shows like “Reading Rainbow” and other educational materials on the Internet can be good as well as bad.

For the most part, this is a good thing. Access to educational materials through the internet are extraordinary as a resource for learning and education. My schooling and access to educational materials as a child came less from the Internet and more from physical materials like books or different mediums such as films or television. With the fast paced future that we live in, it is almost a given that educational materials make a necessary appearance over the internet.  They are moving in the correct direction. The future relies heavily on the usage of the Internet, therefore it is a necessity. We use it every day and there is an almost endless limit to what can be offered through this outlet.

There are foreseeable problems with this though. Along with the great opportunity that online learning provides, parents and educators must be cautious of the dangers of the internet.  Children are probably more prone and susceptible to falling into internet scams and traps. They are also EXTREMELY curious.  As soon as they learn how to use a search engine, I think it could be game over. Your computer could crash from a shit load of porn or other “free” downloads. This means that parents and educators must be aware of these problems and learn to supervise their young web surfers.

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Reading-Rainbow-Heads-Online-With-LeVar-Burton-Website-Kids-39406.html

Essex County Story Structure

Jeff Lemire’s Essex County presents a very unique, interlocking story between its three segments.  As each story unravels, so does its characters. Each of the story’s main characters are all interrelated with each other. Their background help to create an entire story of the history of these characters and how they all arrived in Essex County.

In the Book One: Tales From the Farm, we are introduced to Lester Papineau, a quiet young boy with a very active imagination.  As the story progresses, we find out that Lester’s mother died while he was young and that he lives with his Uncle.  He later ends up meeting a now retired, but once up and coming hockey player named Jimmy Lebeuf.  Due to an injury sustained to the head, Jimmy was forced to quit hockey and ended up suffering minor mental problems from it. Later, without the consent of Lester’s Uncle, Jimmy starts to spend time with Lester.

Book Two: Ghost Stories, tells the history of two hockey playing brothers, Lou and Vince Lebeuf. Eventually, Vince ends up marrying a woman named Beth Morgan. Unbeknownst to Vince, there is a strong emotional and sexual tension between Beth and Lou.  This tension eventually culminates into Lou and Beth conceiving Vince and Beth’s daughter, Mary.  Mary and her husband have a child named Jimmy Lebeuf, Vince and Lou’s promising hockey athlete grandson.

In Book Three, the stories collide and lock into place as we discover the origin of the nurse named Anne Byrne. She is caring for Lou as he is elderly and in need of daily assistance.  Anne’s grandmother, Sister Margaret Byrne was a nun who cared for orphans with a priest named Charles Gerrard.  Against the vows of celibacy they had taken, they conceived an illegitimate child, Anne Byrne’s mother. Amongst the children that Sister Margaret cared for, was one Lawrence Lebeuf, the father of Vince and Lou. 

One day the orphanage burned down and Sister Margaret and the orphans were forced into the wintery wilderness to find a new home.  During the fire, Charles Gerrard died while rescuing one of the children, Lawrence Lebeuf. Sister Margaret and the children wandered the wilderness until they came to a town in Essex County.

Towards the end of Book Three, we also find out the real father of Lester Papineau. His mother, who had died years before, was married to Jimmy Lebeuf. Jimmy is Lester’s real father, but as Lester’s mother, Claire Papineau, saw it on her death bed, Lester’s Uncle Kenny was more suited to care for Lester than Jimmy. Jimmy left Claire during their marriage. Lester was never told that Jimmy was his real father until the end of the book when Kenny decides to reveal it to him.

I feel that Lemire decided to create such a complex and intricate story in order to build suspense throughout the book as well as keep the reader’s interest. He succeeded in making one big story out of three separate ones.  While I had somewhat questioned the real story underneath the three separate stories, it all became clear by the end of Book Three when all the story’s paths join together.  This book was extremely entertaining to read and the connection of the stories intensified the reading pleasure. 

Tablets

Tablets are stupid. I don't own one. I don't intend to own one ever.

     I don't necessarily understand the fascination with tablets. It's like a big iPhone. I can still do most of the things that an iPad can on a device that fits in my pocket. If I have that, why would I ALSO want to have an iPad. I own a MacBookPro laptop and it services all of my Internet and basic computer needs. They most definitely are a fad. The only reason anybody wants one is because they don't have one. It isn't our future because it isn't replacing existing technologies; those that need no improvement.
     I honestly only use my laptop anymore to access school related sites or shop online for the convenience of a keyboard.  My iPhone has replaced my laptop for most of the other reasons I use the internet, particularly social networking.
     For some instances, I DO understand the need for a tablet. Theses instances mainly relate to children. I noticed that my younger cousins used tablets quite frequently for reading and gaming apps.  This is a use that is somewhat lost on my generation.  We tend to have to read physical copies of books and favor gaming consoles for our entertainment needs.
     As for this current generation of children who are disconnected from society due to an overload of technological advances, tablets provide a unique way for parents to keep their kids quiet and entertained for hours on end.
     Otherwise, I don't understand the need for an iPad or other tablet.  I'm not too sure what more they can provide that my iPhone or laptop doesn't already provide for me. If I want a big screen, I'll watch something on my laptop or my TV. If I want to socially network, I'll use my phone. Not a tablet.

Frame Usage for “Essex County Book Two: Ghost Stories” and “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns”

     Jeff Lemire's "Essex County" and Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" both have very unique structures with their frame usage. Both use a wide variety of different frames. As well, both possess an interesting and varied usage of transitions.

Jeff Lemire's "Ghost Stories"

Lemire's second installment, "Ghost Stories" is a story of recollection and memories of past events.  Many of the frames correlate with this mode of narration. The frames are somewhat standard of comics but are often interrupted to aid in the display of flashbacks and flashforwards.

Jeff Lemire's "Ghost Stories"

Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns"

     Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns", uses a very unique style for its framing.  Often times the standard format of framing is as per the example on the left. However oftentimes, the normal format of framing is interrupted by segments in which the frames resemble TV screens viewing the news. The example on the right displays how this format typically repeats throughout the novel.

Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns"

     While at times each novel has similar standard frame formatting, both novels use their own unique formats to help aid their narratives. "Ghost Stories" relays dissonant and dreamy sequences with its frame usage to tell a flashback/memory based story.  In "Dark Knight Returns", the story is very much based in chaos. The frame usage helps reflect the anarchy and tense conflict that the story is based on.

Annoying Technology: Touchless Bathrooms

The most annoying bit of technology that I found from the list would have to be touchless bathroom installments.

I work in the kitchen of a restaurant. For the workers’ “convenience”, all of the soap, sanitizer and paper towel dispensers are automatic, touchless devices. This would be great and help prevent cross contamination, amongst other things...IF THEY EVERY FUCKING WORKED!!

I can’t recall the numerous amounts of times that I have place my hand under a filled soap dispenser to was my hands and receive no soap. The same can be said for sanitizer and paper towel dispensers.  To make the situation even more frustrating, half the time the soap dispenses after you pull your hand away in anger. Many times the motion sensors are faulty at best.  This isn’t all necessarily at my job, but in bathrooms elsewhere as well.  Sinks and soap dispensers only occasionally work correctly for me.  There is always at least a minor portion of trial and error.

Another inconvenience of these contraptions is stocking. You have to press a billion buttons to get the damn things open and unwrap an equal number of things to refill soap or paper towels.  Far from convenient.  I would MUCH rather use paper towels on the old fashioned, no fucking improvement needed, paper towel roll. It’s almost like someone invented a simple dispensing mechanism for these things on purpose...

But surely enough, humans will be humans. Nothing is fast or convenient enough for us ever. The thirst cannot be quenched. We go out of our way to make intricate contraptions that either end up not working at all or proving to be more difficult to use than their predecessors.

Revealing Characters: Maus and Essex County

In the story of Maus, the character Vladek is a very charismatic and lively person.  His personality aids in revealing his character more in depth and at a quicker pace as the story progresses. Since the story is focused mainly on the character Vladek and his story, readers are able to learn more thoroughly about his character.  His background is almost forcefully learned by the nature of the story.  As he recollects his story of the Holocaust to his son Art, we learn about his past in depth and are given some foreground into the character he is in the present and will be in the near future.

Spiegleman's style provides lots of information within each page.  This leaves less questioning from the readers since they can understand exactly what is going on.

On the other hand, Jeff Lemire reveals the character Lester, from Essex County, very differently. Lester is a more enigmatic individual.  His character doesn't speak much when he actually does speak. This speaks volumes based on the style of Essex County.  Unlike Maus's small panels with lots of text, Lumire creates a story with large picture panels and very little dialouge within. Some pages are solely artwork. Very little information is gathered between pages. Given this style, each character is revealed very slowly.  Readers eventually learn some background on Lester, but they are still left questioning.

Computer Memory

The evolution of computer memory and memory storage devices, considerably revolutionized the way we use computers.  To think that in a span of about 20 years, we went from extremely expensive, one tons storage devices to easily affordable and compact flash drives and mp3 players, is nothing short of amazing.

I remember when the iPod first came out when I was a child. It was revolutionary and mind blowing.  To think that you would no longer have to carry around a bulky CD player (not to mention, most of them would skip if they weren't held perfectly still) and try to fit 20 of your favorite songs on one mix CD, was inconceivable to my 10 year old mind.

Devices such as these are taken for granted nowadays. A floppy disk nowadays would probably be recognized as trash and dead technology. Most computers don't even have a floppy drive anymore!  Even now as I'm glued to my iPhone and Twitter, I take for granted the revolutionary processes that allowed me to carry around such a miraculous device.

If 10 year old me knew that I would one day own an iPhone with 6,000 songs on it, plenty of fun games, and fast access to the Internet, he'd poop his pants.

Panel Transitions in Maus

In the graphic novel Maus, Art Spiegleman uses a wide range of panel transitions. As explained in Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud, there are 6 different types of panel to panel transitions commonly found in comics.

From what I have read in Maus, Spiegleman uses nearly ALL of these transitions (with the exception of Non-Sequitur).  On pages 62 and 63 alone, Spiegleman uses 4 different types of transitions. These pages are when Vladek is explaining a night when he had to go outside of his tent to pee and someone shot at him. Since the story is based around Vladek recollecting the events of his life during World War II, flashback transitions occur frequently. Page 62 starts with one of these panels, the Old Vladek, explaining an event.

This first transition is a Scene-to-Scene transition. In the next panel, Vladek recalls a conversation. Between the two panels we see an Action-to-Action transition, one that requires more closure from the reader. When Vladek is getting shot at, the Subject-to-Subject transition is seen from Vladek leaving the tent, urinating, then diving back under the tent. On the next page, after transitioning back to the Old Vladek with Scene-to-Scene again, a Moment-to-Moment transition is clearly seen in three consecutive panels with Vladek speaking to Art.

Art Spiegleman uses a wide variety of panel transitions in his novel. These help to keep the story more visually entertaining for the reader.  Since his story is based on flashback storytelling, Spiegleman almost has to use Scene-to-Scene transitions on about every other page.  Other than the frequent use of this transition, Spiegleman’s novel, Maus, uses an engaging and varied number of transitions throughout.

Social Networking: Facebook and Twitter

Facebook and Twitter are very powerful social media tools that help tremendously with connecting and networking with tons of people all over the world.  While they can sometimes (and oftentimes) become a delightful distraction from our work, overall they are the most powerful social and business networking tools available.

I use Facebook and Twitter for social reasons as well as networking and business related ventures. I find these to be an unbelievably useful facet for sharing and connection in my social life.  On the business and networking side, it is almost a necessity for my band.

Social media sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the way musicians connect with their fans.  Before this, world of mouth and print advertising were among the only ways to connect with fans.  You would find out about concerts this way. The only way to obtain music from bands would be directly from them or at music stores.  With the social networking sites available today, you can check out literally thousands of bands and even listen to their music before you go see them.

When I was in high school, I followed all of the bands I loved on Myspace. It was the easiest way to be informed about shows and tell other friends about shows. If you like a bands’ music, you can download it straight from their page.

On the networking aspect, My band can communicate with other bands, promoters and most importantly, fans.  By communicating through Facebook or Twitter with other bands and promoters, my band can play a lot more shows than if we were to simply communicate with people in person or on the phone.  This is where Facebook and Twitter become some of the most useful tools that we have as a band.

Without social networking tools, being a musician is an immensely difficult task.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2200880/A-THIRD-U-S-population-refrains-using-Facebook-Twitter.html

Samsung/Apple Work Conditions

Samsung and Apple’s working conditions aren’t the best in the world. There’s no getting around this.  But this doesn’t necessarily mean I would give up my iPhone for it and it doesn’t mean that we haven’t seen this before in America.

Many Americans have jobs with similar working conditions.  Standing for 12 hours a day is NOTHING for adults. That’s what most Americans in the food industry do every day.  I know I’m on my feet at least 9 straight hours most work days and I have pulled 12 hour shifts.  This is nothing to be shocked over at all. If you can’t stand up for that long, you’re a pansy.  It’s much better than seeing most Americans sitting around on their fat asses in a cubicle and contributing to an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle.

Secondly, overtime hours being forced are workers isn’t unheard of.  This definitely isn’t fair, but it happens to American workers as well. According to an issue of Game Informer, workers of the gaming company Rockstar Games have been put through similar overtime situations numerous times. During the rushes to finish games, the workers have been forced to work up to a 100 hours in a week. This trumps the 150 hours of overtime for Samsung workers. These harsh conditions have been repeatedly reported from the Rockstar Games.

Third is the issue of underage workers, there is no dodging the subject. Child labor is wrong and illegal. I don’t want to think that any child works a 12 hour shift to make me an iPhone that I take for granted. 

Finally, on the issues of employee suicides and deaths from Samsung.  If you kill yourself because you hate your job, why can’t you just quit?  No one is forcing you to work there. There are possible extenuating circumstances and I am not educated 100% on China’s labor laws, but I’m pretty sure they have a little more of a choice in occupation.

I have mixed feelings about Samsung and Apple’s labor issues.  Americans are put through similar working conditions in the States. If workers are unhappy where they work, they can just quit. This doesn’t mean we should hinder the advancement of technology because of the working conditions everyday Americans experience.

Samsung vs Apple

Don't get me wrong from the start, I'm an Apple user through and through. I own an iMac desktop, a MacBookPro laptop and an iPhone. They create superior products and I rarely have problems with my Apple stuff.  However Apple, don't you think you went a little too far?

It’s one thing to have your patents infringed upon, and to have several phones that almost EXACTLY resemble iPhones.  That was no bueno Samsung. But to claim that Samsung has caused Apple “irreparable damage” is completely stupid.  There is no way Apple can be taking that much of a hit from the other products.  Like I mentioned before, Apple creates superior products and they also apply to those products, great ideas.  Their products always appeal to even the most inexperienced of users.  As a rule of thumb, if you’re have trouble with an Apple product, you’re probably trying too hard.

My family recently got all new phones and there happened to be a great deal on a family plan for iPhones at our local sprint store (we basically were paid to get them, but that’s getting off track.) My parents, who are in their 50s are able to learn the nuances of their phones and discover new things every day. 

They are both very technically challenged individuals to say the least, so to provide them with an extremely advanced product that they actually have no problem using, is nothing short of a miracle (and salvation from an “Apple 101” headache for me).  I guarantee I would have trouble figuring out how to use one of the Samsung phones for at least a couple days, and that would be doubled or tripled for my parents. I would have to show them how to do everything

So what should Apple really have to worry about? Yes, their phones were basically cloned by another company. I do think this is screwed up, but isn’t emulation one of the sincerest forms of flattery?  Samsung sees how well an Apple product works and used similar id eas in theirs.

They did technically infringe on copyrights and patents but Apple should also have confidence in their product.  Chances are, there are bugs and problems with the other products and they will never truly be as unique and superior as an Apple product.  All in all, it’s about time Apple realizes that their products are emulated all the time. How many tablets are on the market now with similar Apple features after Apple released their iPad? A bajillion? Yeah that’s what I thought.



http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/25/editorial-engadget-on-the-apple-vs-samsung-ruling/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57501103-37/apple-targets-8-samsung-phones-for-sales-ban/

http://gizmodo.com/5938219/why-the-apple-v-samsung-ruling-may-not-hold-up

Received and Perceived

   The concept of the movement from what is Received by us and what is Perceived by us in Understanding Comics was very interesting. This concept helped to explain how as art moves from being photo realistic to a picture of a face that consists of two dots a line and a circle, we still perceive the image of the smiley face as a human face.  It also explains that with more detail and realism comes less imagination from the reader.  For example a detailed picture of a man doesn’t allow us to imagine it as ourselves or perceive the image as we would like to. It simply shows us a picture of a man how it is meant to be with less wiggle room for imagination.  A more ambiguous image of a stick figure however, can allow the reader to imagine the image as more than just a stick figure.  That stick figure can transform into almost any person or represent almost any person.
    While reading Maus, this concept can be applied to the artist’s choice to use animals for the characters.  The animals take on a very personified role rather than the role of actual animals.  They behave like humans instead of behaving as animals do. They wear clothing and speak with each other.  Spiegelman’s choice to use mice for the main characters is similar to the use of ambiguous stick figures.  We are able to interpret the characters as we see fit.  Mice obviously aren’t Jewish and didn’t get killed by a animal Hitler in the Holocaust.  They can’t do these things in real life but we perceive them as the humans who actually went through these parts of history.
    The openness to interpretation continues through other aspects such as setting and props in the story.  As I was reading the very Jew-y English dialect and accent spoken by Vladek, I couldn’t help but hear his voice in my head as Mel Brooks’ character voice Yogurt from Spaceballs (who speaks with a similar accent that I imagined).  Concepts such as these are just a few that make comics a very unique medium.

The Persuaders

     Some things that I found surprising in the documentary, The Persuaders, were the way words impact us on an emotional level.  A simple adjustment of wordplay can affect the way we feel about issues and how we are sold on products and ideas.  I was especially fascinated by Rapaille and Luntz.  Their ideas were brilliant and mind blowing.  It was surprising to me to realize how people have actually been affected by words in advertisements.  I especially enjoyed Rapaille's view that Americans see cheese as "dead".
   
     As well as seeing the effects of words, many have also witnessed Narrowcasting.  A few years ago, many of my friends and I realized our Myspace accounts became bombarded with eerily personalized advertisements everywhere.  When you suddenly start to see an advertisement that pertains only to you, it may make you feel uneasy and paranoid.  It was almost as if someone was lurking around you, watching you, and trying to find exactly what ads you wanted to see.  When you know that barely anyone on Myspace could care about an obscure band you listen to, you feel as though you're being monitored.  This fear quickly dissipates when you realize that you just listed 35 of your favorite bands and your page was merely scanned to see what you may like.
    
     Song's approach to promote their airline would be ineffective today.  Based solely on the way I would see their ads, I wouldn't have thought twice about what they were or whether they were a better airline than any of their competitors.  They were definitely different, however they leave too much room for audiences to ponder why they matter or what they even are. 
    
     For example, when the models walked the streets with TVs strapped to their chests, they were still amongst the clutter when girls holding cutouts for a beer ad where right beside them.  This somewhat eccentric approach to promote the name immediately became ineffective because some other product was already doing it, and at the same time no less.  Song achieved what it set out to change, which was to stand out from the clutter.  They also failed to convey what their product was about while the beer ads were obviously about beer.
    
     The thing I found that may have been the most ineffective was the mall kiosk/store.  Many may agree that they would simply ignore a place like this in a shopping mall had they not known or even cared to investigate what it is.  I feel many audiences don't want to investigate a product when it's approach is as vague as Song's was.  Their approach almost dooms them to be ignored.  When your company and product becomes ignored, you immediately become part of the clutter.  I feel many audiences don't want to investigate a product when it's approach is as vague as Song's was.

Super Bowl Commercials: Honda CR-V

   
     My favorite Super Bowl commercial this year is, by far, Honda's Commercial for the 2012 CR-V.  In this commerical, Matthew Broderick mirrors his character, Ferris, from one of my favorite movies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  Broderick goes to great lengths to fake sick so that he can have a fun day around town instead of another day of acting.  Throughout the commercial, Broderick quotes from the movie and recreates some of its famous scenes.  This is all accomplished while driving his new Honda CR-V (which is cleverly hinted to replace the Ferrari that Ferris drives in movie). 
     Not only does this commercial pay a hilarious homage to a classic movie, it also features Honda, the maker of my 2011 Accord (sweet).  On a side note, I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of my car. And if anything is apparent from this commercial, it's that Honda will not only go to lengths to make a quality vehicle, but also a quality advertisement.

Goffman: The Presentation of Self in Everday Life

     Goffman's ideas from The Codes Of Gender are supported several ways by his ideas from The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.  Every advertisement acts as an "actor" and everyone who views advertisements are like the "audience". The advertisements put on a show for the viewers and the way they are received is changed by manipulating the different concepts from The Presentation of Self.

     The models in advertisements can act in what Goffman refers to as Front Stage, Back Stage and Off Stage.  They have separate identities away from the advertisement.  The way they are portrayed doesn't necessarily represent the model as they act Back Stage or Off Stage.  This can be especially true when young girls are sexualized in advertisements.  They obviously don't go about their everyday lives dressed in slutty outfits.  This also sends wrong messages about body image to young girls.  Since the models are only "acting" the audience shouldn't receive the play as something to be imitated, but they turn that portrayal given by the models into their Off Stage performance.

     Another example of manipulating a concept from The Presentation of Self could be the Setting and Appearance.  The setting of an advertisement can affect the response it receives.  Since different settings will have different audiences, it can directly affect whether an ad will work or not.  An ad for Dolce & Gabbana wouldn't be very effective in a Field & Stream magazine.  Appearance ties into this as it can relate to where an ad is placed.  The models in advertisements may not always operate in the same classes they represent in an ad.  As well, ads that appeal to a higher social class may only be found in certain settings.  So the Dolce & Gabbana ad would probably feel more at home in Vogue.

     All of Goffman's concepts from The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life can be supported to advertisements and the concepts found in The Codes Of Gender. They help to explain the relationship between advertisements and the viewers of advertisements.  The concepts relate in order to help explain the effects advertisements have on viewers as well.



    

Women In Advertisements

     The ad I have chosen to analyze is an ad from Dolce & Gabbana.  This particular ad features 3 women.  Each of the women in the ad represent and display most of the concepts from both Killing Us Softly 4 and The Codes Of Gender.

     A similar concept from both videos is the sexualization of young women.  In this ad, the two women standing appear frail and slender with childlike facial features.  This concept is also supported with the colorful, small dresses that they are wearing.  A similar concept from the videos are the stances of the women. 
    
     As explained in both Killing Us Softly 4 and The Codes Of Gender, women in ads are often doing vulnerable or sexualized poses.  In this ad, the model in the chair is sitting in a manner that appears uncomfortable and as stated in The Codes Of Gender, not in a controlled or controlling position and becoming a product of her environment. In other words, she appears vulnerable and off kilter. They all use the position techniques shown in The Codes Of Gender.
     The other standing models demonstrate the knee, body, and head tilting.  The positions they are standing in are limp, hunched and delicate.  The center model's neck is also stretched and in a submissive position.  The hands of these models follow all the same rules from The Codes Of Gender as well.  They are limp and fragile. The model holding the bag on the right is holding it loosely and daintily unlike male models that hold things firmly and assertively. 
   
     Killing Us Softly 4 touches on the body sizes of models.  The three models in this advertisement are thin, slim and frail.  They aren't curvy or heavy.  These models help to portray the image of "ideal" body types that are explained in this video.    

     One concept that these models do not display has to do with their eyes.  Rather than staring off or appearing dazed and astray, all three models are staring straight at the viewer. The codes of gender explains how this is often shown with men in ads.  Though these women are glaring at the viewer, they are doing so in a manner that comes off as sexual.  If we focus on the model in the chair particularly, her eyes appear engaging in a sexual manner. All three models in this ad follow almost of the concepts shown from both videos.

Frith Analysis of Netflix Ad

     Using the Frith Analysis on the Netflix ad in my last blog, we can analyze the ad at the Surface Meanings, Intended Meanings, and Cultural Meanings.

     For the Surface meaning, viewers can see that all the movie characters are gathered in a meeting to be briefed by what appears to be a man in charge. They are in a business-like setting.

     For the Intended Meaning, Netflix is explaining some features of their website and their company that may attract the attention of potential customers (such as the ease of browsing the site and no late fees). The people sitting in the desks resemble characters from movies (like Pinocchio) and are meant to portray the vast amount of genres and range of titles available from Netflix.

     For the Cultural Meaning,  we also see that the characters resemble well known characters in movies.  When we see all the character from the movies, certain ones may stand out as favorites to us.  This makes us believe that Netflix has the movies we want (or maybe titles that children or other family members want).  Netflix appears to be very professional, reliable and efficient based on the business setting. They also appear this way because the movies are being told what to do. This can demonstrate the control and efficiency that are necessary to run a successful business.  By explaining how they are easy to use Netlfix is trying to appear better than their competition.  These features may be ones that potential customers feel are lacking from their current video rental store, thus making viewers more intrigued with Netflix and how it works.

Watch Instantly, Get Hooked Instantly

Netflix, by far, takes the win for my all time favorite ad campaign.  Not only do they have great commercials and ads, but their approach to advertising and even their logo are simple and concise.  I feel like advertisements should all have that goal; to get straight to the point.

After years of being disappointed with the service of video rental stores, Netflix was a refreshing take on rental videos.  Netflix offers a "no late fees" solution to the late fee problems associated with other video stores. Seeing one of Netflix's ads for the first time convinced my family to finally be rid of late fees and the poor selection of our local video stores. Why? In 30 seconds, Netflix will tell you exactly why you will never go to Blockbuster again. Plain and simple.



They didn't stop there.  During the big snow storm a few years back, I stumbled upon the instant play feature of Netflix that was then offered for free for existing Netflix customers.  This feature has had me using Netflix almost everyday for the past year.  Even though the instant play movie ads hadn't stuck out much to me before I started using the feature, the ads still have the same simple and straightforward approach.

This may all sound like I'm trying to convince everyone to switch to Netflix, and I am.  I started using it my freshman year of high school and I am now in my second year of college and I am still a customer.  Many free trials are offered, such as the "netflix.com/bacon" offer from EpicMealtime.  If you aren't already a customer, a free month trial wouldn't hurt.