More than a Fad: In Response to Blog Communities by Media Hype

Web Blogging is a fad. Some would argue this is true or just speculate around the issue lending to educational jounrals or other studies. However, I personally believe that web blogs whether politcal in scope or not cannot be easily dismissed as a passing fad. One must look at the nature of the blog. In respect to journalists using a web blog as a means of reciveing feedback, being unbias, and providing a sense of liberated media to the viewer this is true. Yet the web blog is something more than simply that, it is a new means of expression. In conventional media such as the television and radio there is no means to interact with the sender. However, in terms of the internet which conveyed through web blogs it allows the user to express his/her thoughts/beliefs/ideas to the publisher. In this light the web blog empowers the user as he/she can easily be a publisher of their thoughts as the original publisher of the blog. This inherently ties in to the fact that we all believe that we have the right to freedom of speech. Therefore how can one simply see web blogging as a passing fad. It is in its form a way of personal expression. Any invidual with computer access as well as the interent can create their own personal blog filled with their opinions - completely unregulated. In a world where there are millions of people and where one's significance is so trivial when looking at the world, web blogs provide a sense of expression unseen before. The audience is potentially the world, your opinion as insignificant as it may seem is viewed by anyone, people of different cultures, religions, politcal perspective, and etc. Simply put the web blog is the 21st century new form of freedom of speech. Therefore, marking it as a passing fad is not just, who would in their right mind want to give up such a freedom?

Identity Construction: The Learning Experience

The Learning Experience David Haapalehto, Ryan Klesc, Erin Pereira

Everyone is probably familiar with the highly successful game The Sims. The simple premise places you in control of one or more virtual people (“Sims”) who have virtual needs and wants you must satisfy. The game is modeled after real life; Sims can have jobs, love affairs, marriages and children.

Identity creation begins with creating one or more Sims.
You select their name, skin color, personality traits, hair color/style, eye color, body type and facial structure. You can select from the default “skins” or download new ones created by a thriving online community that numbers in the thousands.

But it doesn’t stop there – your Sims’ identity evolves as the game progresses. They move into a house, start relationships, get jobs. In other words, they lead a virtual life. You are mostly in control of your Sims’ lives – you can make them successful (monetarily, emotionally, physically), or decide to kill them all in a kitchen fire.




You can play the game on a superficial level for entertainment or use it as an outlet for self-expression or experimentation. Dedicated fans create custom furniture, custom skins, custom fashion and more. Some fans get quite involved with identity play – for example, check out www.spicysims.com, where you download erotic fashions and gear for your Sims, and even experiment with cross-dressing Sims.


(This is an Example of a cross-dressing Sim)


The Sims represent identity creation in many ways. The idea of creating an entire person from scratch to represent you, act as your emissary in a virtual world (when meeting other Sims online), show your affinity to cultural group (by downloading a custom Skin), shows the diversity of the players and the ways to use the program. Identity can be both who you are as a Sim and how you use the program.



With Sims, your identity is your choice.


Here are a few Sim community sites:
Sims2Sisters http://sims2sisters.sme.sk
SpicySims http://spicysims.com
7deadlysims http://www.7deadlysims.com

Official Sim Site:
Maxis site http://maxis.com/

Questions:
1. What other games support extensive identity creation? Have you played them? Do you have a story?

2. How much does your created Sims say about the player? The game can be played superficially or seriously: is it wish-fulfillment/fantasy or fun?

3. As technology develops it allows for a more realistic immersive environment. However, it is not reality. Are there problems with blurring virtual and the real?


Image References

The Sims Banner- Maxis
http://www.vitasims.com/lotr.htm

Star Wars Skin- Han Solo
http://www.yodamac.homestead.com/SimsCity.html

Lord of the Rings
http://www.vitasims.com/lotr.htm

Man In Drag- Sim
http://spicysims.com/DownloadsClothing.cfm?DownloadCategoryID=4

The Learning Experence

The Learning Experience









Group Members: David Haapalehto, Ryan Klesc, Erin Pereira
CCT300H5 F
Group Project Proposal
Thursday October 20, 2005


1) Problem description:
The general idea we are working with is media’s influence on the creation and maintenance of identity. Before media, identity was based on factors like family, immediate surroundings and government. Now identity has become malleable and fluid; a national discourse created a “pop culture” for everyone to interact with, but mostly react to. Media is a catalyst to identity formation.

Clearly, there’s no real doubt that media has a powerful influence on society, identity formation being a key function – obese (literally) amounts of media theory wouldn’t exist if this wasn’t the case. We probably wouldn’t be taking a program called Communication, Culture and Information Technology.

On a personal level, media strongly influences our own sense of identity and others’. We react to “pop culture”, but “pop culture” itself is a smokescreen of self-referencing identity with no grounding in the real world – prominent media figures both in politics and entertainment are ‘created’.

We’re interested in breaking down contrived icons as well as turning the critical lens on ourselves. Our focus is on the construction of identity.

It’s not so much a problem as it is a primary existential concern. The media tells us its “pop culture” icons are real, but they are just a careful construction. (I.e. George Bush, pop stars). It’s analogous Fox News packaging “entertainment” as News, and creating the idea of an infotainment genre. Like a “simulated artificial flavor” passed off as the “real thing”.

2) Key determining forces:
The forces are not only limited to television, radio, newspapers, and the mass media, but also the promotion of its propaganda in everyday life – we all participate in creating and maintaining the false identities of others. “Why do we attend to the things which we attend?” – Harold Innis

3) Applied analysis:
Our goal is promote awareness of this process and reflect upon how it has influenced is. This identity creation paves the way for things like “corporate identity” and “branding” (in a Naomi Klein sense). Why is it so important to have an iPod as opposed to a different MP3 player? A Nintendo Entertainment System over a Sega Genesis? A mohawk instead of a crew cut? Are their reasons behind our personal preferences?

We don’t want to get caught in the trap of ignoring theories of media influence. The final project would take into consideration the varied media influence theories. It wouldn’t just be limited to one theory but show examples of the different theories: “hypodermic needle”, “multi-step flow”, “selective processes”, “social learning theory”, “cultivation theory”, “priming” and “catharsis”.

Catharsis is an interesting one, because it assumes that we have internalized the need to consume – that the very consumption of media satisfies some primal urge.

4) Project format:
Interactive Narrative
We were thinking of creating a narrative users would interact with by creating their own image. As the narrative progresses, loops, and jumps around, the created identity changes – it becomes postmodern in a never-ending stream of references. A concrete manifestation of this idea would be an RPG-style game after the style of Kingdom of Loathing. Using pop culture and issues to create satire or parody that exposes our assumptions about the process of identity creation. The user-created character evolves and its identity becomes intertwined with the media and its reality. The idea to do it in a game is exciting – it keeps the person interested in the analysis and also provides them a voice. Due to certain time constraints creating a working game will not be possible so we have decided to create a “mock-up” which will showcase what we foresee the game becoming. The project will then be displayed on a website showing all aspects of the game but lacking a final, working structure.

5) Research plan:
Our research will involve different theories of media influence and identity creation (see section 3). We will also be looking into media icons and how they relate to media identity theory, in search of a synthesis of these materials.
Here are some links we found initially:
http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,7273-850-36658,00.html
The above is a 26 Sept 2005 study from Ball State University, whose findings detail the excessive overuse of media devices.
http://theoryhead.com/gender/interview1.htm
Theory Head is a conversation between David Gauntlett and Kirsten Pullen about gender identity in the media.
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/klh9802.html
“Media Use in Identity Construction” is Katherine Hamley’s paper on how music can help construct an identity, especially in youths.
http://info.wlu.ca/~wwwpress/jrls/cjc/BackIssues/16.1/goldman.html
From the Canadian Journal of Communications, come a work by Goldmen and Emke specifically about the construction of the Canadian identity.

6) Provisional timeline and work breakdown:
Because our initial idea is going to be a game or game-like interface, we will have to have our research and ideas created ahead of time, at least two to three weeks before the final project is due. In addition, the basic aspects of the game can be created, such as the “look-and-feel”, as well as the mechanics and if there is any database aspect to it. The design of the game should take about a month – that estimate takes into account other classes, personal life, or any minor unforeseen circumstances. Group work will be broken down based on the group members’ skills. Content will be a collaborative effort, while research and technical aspects of the website will be handled by those who have a predilection for it.

"Group of Four" Project Proposal

Group of Four members

Minal Pithia

Nabila Mohammed

Priti Shah

Sarah Khokhar

Gender Representations in Advertisements
We are looking to identify and analyze the difference in the ways that men and women, and more specifically masculinity and femininity, are represented within print advertisements appearing in magazines. Since a great deal of money is invested in such advertisements, we have decided to critically analyze gender representations in print media. This will be targeted towards the impact of such advertisements on today’s youth culture, and more specifically teenagers. The advertisements that will be studied will include those which target these specific niche audiences. In order to analyze said advertisements, we must first identify what criteria they must abide by—in other words, these ads are not arbitrary, they must have an identifiable youth target market. We will be analyzing 10 advertisements for the purpose of comparing and contrasting: 4 ads targeted towards women, 4 ads targeted towards men, and 2 ads targeting both audiences. Each individual will analyze 2 ads. The group will analyze the remaining 2 ads.
In order to carry out this task, we will use various critical theories to expose the inner-workings of what the advertisements are attempting to convey to their audiences. As well, we intend to focus on their psychological and cultural impacts they have on the target market audiences. The interest in this topic stems from the ubiquitous nature of advertisements.

Cultural and Social Forces
In order to identify the cultural and social forces at work, we will look at certain theories presented by different theorists and applications. We decided to look at feminist theory, which states that gender is socially constructed. In addition, since gender is viewed differently throughout different cultures, the construction of meaning depends on the beliefs and ideologies around those particular cultures. This construction of meaning takes place through semiotics as noted by several theorists (Marcel Danesi, Roland Barthes, and Saussure).
Media is responsible for constructing and reinforcing dominant ideologies (Michel Foucault, Antonio Gramsci, Walter Benjamin, David Gauntlett, Kirsten Pullen, Louis Althusser, Julia Kristeva), and from this, culture reproduces these ideas of socially acceptable norms. Since media is influencing the target audience (youth and teenagers), they come to believe the dominant ideologies and ideals that advertisers present within their ads. Theorists such as Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman can support this idea.

Political and Economical Forces
There are several questions that we can explore regarding this topic and the political and economical forces at work. Some of these include the question of regulation. Are advertisements regulated? What are the government-imposed regulations? If there are regulations, can they be viewed as harsh, or not harsh enough? Also, since the youth, and specifically teenagers, are the target audience in this case, and the ones with the most buying power, they tend to become easy targets for advertisers and media producers. Known advertising strategies include need recognition, sexuality, sensation, and the use of reference groups (aspiration). Why do advertising companies get paid so much to make ads? There are many reasons for this, including the benefits to the consumers (i.e. the company paying for the advertisement) and gaining a competitive advantage. We will include a few case studies in order to illustrate how companies are successful in targeting an audience.

Applied Analysis
There are many alternatives to the advertisements available today. One of the better alternatives would be to use people that appear within advertisements who accurately reflect the general population. An example of this could be the Dove campaign on beauty (though this does have its faults within it, as can be explored using different theories). Another approach that could be seen as an alternative would be culture jamming (Naomi Klein). An example of this would be Adbusters, or the Billboard Liberation Front. Such groups (or subcultures) are devoted to exposing the ideologies behind advertisements and bring to the surface the different forces at work. Also, regulation comes into play; some ads must have the fine print, in order to avoid lawsuits.

Project Format
Our goal is to present the project using the format of a magazine. This will critically look at the issues discussed above, as well as counter the dominant ideologies that the advertisements convey. The basis for this format is to create something people would generally look at, but also to point out flaws in the medium that we are studying. This will promote critical awareness for the topics discussed above.
The magazine will include the ads along with critical analyses of the ads, similar to the “complementary copy” but in a more counteractive version. We will use typical magazine formats, including our own “Tips: How to be critical thinkers” and “Quiz: What stereotype are you?” We will also incorporate a puzzles page with a word search and a jumble. We hope to include “Letters to the Editor—Subverted edition.” Lastly, we will include several folded blank pages with single words on them which create a sentence when placed together.
Technically, we will be using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop to format and stylize our project.

Research Plan – Sources Consulted
There are several sources that have already been consulted and many more that will be consulted with regards to this topic. Within these, there are theories that we can use to explore and apply to the advertisements that we are analyzing. Some of these sources include:
Practices of Looking – Lisa Sturken and Nancy Cartwright
Critical Theory and The Construction of Identity – Fuery and Fuery
Web.Studies – Kirsten Pullen and David Gauntlett
Understanding Media Semiotics – Marcel Danesi
Journal of Sport and Social Issues – The Politics of Women’s Body Images and Practices: Foucault, the panopticon, and Shape magazine — Margaret C. Duncan
Men and Masculinities—Masculinity and Monstrosity – Klaus Rieser
Various articles from The New Media Reader
Mediascapes: New patterns in Canadian communication – Paul Attallah and Leslie Shade
Sex, Lies, and Advertising—Gloria Steinem
As well as several other articles online and in print.

Provisional Timeline and Work Breakdown:
Goal: To complete the project by Week 12.

Timeline:
Week 8: Each of us will have chosen an advertisement, and have related it to
certain theories and theorists.
Week 9-10: Group will meet for the beginning of the creative collaboration.
Week 11-12: Revisions, editing and final print of magazine.

Division of Responsibilities:
Each group member will be responsible for critiquing 2 advertisements and incorporating theory. We also thought it appropriate to incorporate a mini magazine structure, with editors, publisher, and journalists. In order to make our magazine seamless in terms of writing, we will be focusing on voice and language, which will be edited by our hypothetical editor.

Welcome to CCIT 300 - Lab 2

Welcome to the Lab 2 blog for Critical Analysis of Media, a course in Communication, Culture and Information Technology, a joint program offered by University of Toronto-Mississauga and Sheridan College.

This course is designed to provide students the opportunity to engage issues of critical analysis of media, framed here as analyzing media forms within larger social, economic, cultural, environmental and political contexts.

This collaboratively written, student-led blog encourages discussion and debate among students on issues pertaining to the course. For the next few weeks, student groups will summarize and analyze texts of their own choosing and facilitate discussion and debate. Students will also shortly be posting their plans for group projects in critical analysis.

If you're reading this from outside CCIT 300, welcome. You are invited to participate in the discussion and share ideas of interest with students here. We simply ask that your participation remain civil - we reserve the right to edit or eliminate comments that are not constructive or overtly hostile.