NOW

I think my writing skills have improved from the beginning of the English class until now. I now know how to properly cite my sources from the MLA lessons. I also learned how important quotes are for helping you prove an idea you are trying to express. Now that I know how to document quotes the correct way, I am much more willing to use them in my papers. Also, I found out that you should restrict the numer of quotes you use, or the just shorten them, to avoid making your paper seem fluffed up with someone elses ideas.

I have an easier time organizing my thoughts before writing a paper, and staying on tract throughout the paper. I think the peer-editing helped me because during the class, I liked to make an outline of my paper, and listen to my classmates opinions of how to improve my paper. The suggestions were helpful to me when writing my final draft.

News...

I hardly ever watch the news, maybe once a week, if that. I usually get information from the internet or friends who read the newspaper, so my sources are not as reliable as they could be. I think the main reason I don’t like to watch the news is because it is boring and sometimes depressing. Also, people are sometimes persuaded into beliefs because of what they see on the news. My parents, who live in a nice neighborhood about an hour from Detroit, are terrified that something bad is going to happen to me, because of all the crime that is shown on the news. The news anchors and stations want high ratings, and they know that millions of people aren’t going to tune in for a breaking story on a new way to prepare chicken, so they report on only the crimes and drama, especially in cities, because that’s what people expect to see.

My sources aren’t very reliable, because I wait to hear about something from something else. But when does the news directly affect your life? Hardly ever. This might be immature or irresponsible or whatever, but I feel like if the stuff in the news is important for me to know, I’ll find out about it eventually.

Comic Book Movies

I really haven't seen many movies modeled off of comic books. The only two movies I can think of right now are Superman (the origional one I believe) and Fantastic Four (if that was ever a comic book!?!). I saw Superman when I was a child, so obviously I don't really remember anything, only that He can fly and that kryptonite kills him. Fantastic Four was alright, but I'm not even sure if it was ever a comic book, so I'm just going to talk about comic book movies in general.

Well first of all, I haven't seen many comic book movies because I don't enjoy that genre of movies. Comic books usually involve super powers, such as flying and magic, and these things don't appeal to me as interesting entertainment. I think this genre is extremely far-fetched and unrealistic. I enjoy movies that are interesting but realistic.

Most comic book movies seem to involve the traditional bad guy who is trying to kill the good guy (who usually has super powers), and the love interest who the good guy is trying to save or get to fall in love with him. At the end of the movie, the bad guy is killed and the love interest is saved by the super hero.

I Love New York is a popular TV show currently airing on VH1. The show is a spin-off of Flavor Flav's reality show, Flavor of Love. After loosing at love two seasons in a row on Flavor of Love, "New York" was offered her own show to "find love" out of twenty contestants competing to earn her affection. As if there were not enough drama in the house, New York's psychotic mother is present the entire show in order to aid New York in her decisions.

The show is extremely entertaining. The competitions that the boys are put through are funny and crazy. The tasks range from building New Yorks dog a doghouse, to boxing each other, to making New York's mom dinner. The drinking, fighting, and profanity make for interesting reality television. At the end of every episode, a guy is send home in an elimination ceremony. The ceremonys are very serious and tense, a huge change from the wacky attitudes of the people during the dates and challenges.

Although this show is very entertaining to watch, it is important to remember that "reality television" is not completely real. Shows hire writers to create scrips and write questions for the videotaped "confession room". These writers know that in order to gain and keep the support of viewers, there must be drama, controversy, and confrontation. These elements are what make good television and without them, the show would be boring.

The whole idea of finding your true love on a reality TV show is unlikely to begin with. Many people who are on reality TV are actors or singers, people who are first and foremost just looking for a way to get their face out there. The posibility that the guys participating in the show are 100% there to meet and get to know New York is very unrealistic.

Although reality shows such as I Love New York are not 100% "real", they can still be enjoyed by fans as a excellent form of entertainment.

The Fray- "How to Save a Life"

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
{Repeat the chorus four times}





Analysis:

I love this song because it is deep but easy to understand and relate to. The word choice is great, and the style of the singers emphasizes phrases such as "Try to slip past his defense, without granting innocence". This song can be interpretated many different ways, from loosing a friend through arguments and falling outs, to loosing a loved one through death. In "How to Save a Life", The Fray successfully employs writing techniques and universal ideas to rely the feeling to listeners.

The song begins with two individuals having a serious discussion. Listeners learn of a sense of separation between the two people because of the line "as he goes left and you stay right". I believe this line, along with the ones following ("between the lines of fear and blame, and you begin to wonder why you came") sets the tone for the entire song. The individuals described in this song are somewhat isolated and hold two extremely different views on what seems to be an extremely important issue.

The chorus brings up the issue of death where the artist states "And I would have stayed up with you all night, had I'de known how to save a life". The life in need of saving can apply to someone making harmful decisions that could ultimatly ruin their life. It could also literally describe a dying person. The word choice is also worth noting, the artist says the friend was lost "somewhere along in the bitterness". The word bitter has many connotations associated with it. Did he loose his friend somewhere along in life when everything was extremely harsh and unpleasent? Or is he using the word "bitter" to describe life as an unpleasent and corrupt place?

There is a slight religious element in the song when the artist states that he will "Pray to God he hears you". This is refering to the part where one of the people confront the other on his/her lifestyles and "Lay down a list of what is wrong". The artist is praying that the person on the wrong path will hear the other person confronting him and take into consideration the consequences of his/her actions. By mentioning God in the song, it furthers the desperation and hope that the artist is feeling toward the individual. Quite often, people pray about others when something severe is happening, either very good or very bad, not usually when there is a tiny problem. So by mentioning God, the listeners understand the severity of the situation.

This song can be interpreted so many different ways, and apply to so many different situations. Say, for example, this song is about a 10 year old girl pleading with her dad to quit smoking because he has been diagnosed with emphysema and she is afraid of loosing him. Another version of this song may involve a parent trying to get through to their child the dangers of being involved in a gang or using illegal drugs. I love this song because there are so many different interpretations as to the meaning of it, and because of the writing techniques used.


Work Cited:

"The Fray Lyrics."06 Feb 2007.< http://www.geocities.com/hip2ahop2/howtosavealife.txt>.

Radio Station- Blog #4

My favorite radio stations have got to be 95.5 and 102.7. While 102.7 focuses on the rap and R&B genres, 95.5 has a wider variety of music. I listened to channel 95.5 for an hour yesterday, and I heard pop, light rock, new rap, some old school rap, and a few R&B songs. Some of my personal favorites played included Hinder's "Lips of an Angel", Beyonce's "Irreplaceable", Ludacris and Mary J Blige's "Runaway Love", Mark Morrison's "Return of the Mack", Bow Wow's "Shorty Like Mine", and Kanye West's "Hey Mama".
I listen to this type of music because of the up-beat sound and content. I think that people who can relate to the content and issues brought up by the artists have the ability to futher appreciate the meaning behind the words. I also like channel 95.5 because I love to dance and go clubbing with my friends. They don't play country or heavy metal at the clubs! So sometimes people listen to certain genres of music because it correlates with a specific interest of hobby. I think another reason people lean towards a genre has to do with their upbringing. My grandpa wouldn't be caught dead listening to Tupac or Biggie Smalls. But I love them!
One last comment, the target audience for radio stations like 95.5 or 102.7 is definitly high schoolers (or even younger) to about 25. You can prove this by listening to the type of music played and the advertisements between songs. During the hour of listening I did, I heard about 5 club or bar advertisements. Not to say that individuals over 25 do not go to dance clubs/bars, but the majority of people who do are younger.

ElLe MaGaZiNe

The pop culture text I chose to write about is the June 2005 edition of the fashionable Elle magazine. This magazine is very popular with young women, fashion editors, and designer names. Along with photo spreads, advertisements, and articles, this magazine also includes diet plans, beauty advice, and surveys. It is easy to see why this magazine would appeal to so many women, and it is a seemingly healthy way for women to appreciate high class style, and escape from the mundane “real world” that they are accustomed to.

It’s interesting to look at why Elle gains support from readers who are mostly women. The men’s magazines often show sexy women on the covers of their magazines because sex sells. Could it be the same for women? Women would rather buy a fashion magazine with a beautiful model on the cover wearing designer clothing than one with an average Jane wearing JC Penny. Sex sells to both men and women, but for different reasons. Personally, I read these magazines to gain insight on hair, make-up, and fashion, but mostly to daydream about being able to afford the expensive clothing and high class lifestyles that these models and celebrities are able to experience.

The advertisements in Elle are centered on outrageously priced jewelry, expensive make-up and perfumes, hair care products, elegant clothing, and various products to make one look younger. The latter includes wrinkle reducing lotion, eye cream to eliminate dark circles, firming lotion for cellulite prone legs and buttocks, advanced razors to get a closer shave, and exfoliating lotions and scrubs to remove dead skin. These ads subtly introduce to women readers the idea that we must resort to numerous, pricey products in order to look and feel sexy. In other words, we, as women, are not good enough or sexy enough without extensive work on our external beauty. This idea is exemplified with the realization that every single page including an article on beauty, or a beautiful woman, is accompanied by an advertisement or brand name.

Although these ideas of commercial beauty may cause a controversial twist to the magazine, it is important to recognize the positive elements as well. A specific ad in the magazine, for a right hand diamond ring, states that “Your left hand sees red and thinks roses. Your right hand sees red and thinks wine. Your left hand says, “I love you.” Your right hand says, “I love me, too.”” This page of the magazine, although an advertisement, suggests the importance of being an independent, strong woman in today’s world. The right hand ring is representing the idea that a women does not need to wait and find a man to make her happy, although the idea of diamonds alone having the power to satisfy a woman’s needs is another popular, controversial stereotype.

I believe that Elle magazine, along with many fashion and pop culture magazines, are both demeaning and empowering to women. Readers must remember to take nearly everything with a grain of salt, and use the text more as an entertainment source than anything else.