Militainment, Inc. - News or Entertainment? Final Blog! Woo-hoo!

THESIS:

Our culture has become not only obsessed, but numb to fact that we no longer view war as a terrible last resort event, but as an entertainment.




FACTS:

-War is staged for our consumption in the media.

-The Pentagon has funded music videos that demonstrate “patriotism”.

-The idea of war as a spectacle has become so natural to our culture.

-The news has dehumanized war, we aren’t seeing the innocent people that are dying.

-George H.W. Bush banned press access of caskets of soldiers.

-In 2006, 85% of US soldiers thought they were in Iraq in direct response to 9/11.

TRIUNE BRAIN:

Neocortex: We need to criticize and be aware that we are always being bombarded with the war in Iraq, yet the way it is broadcasted to us isn’t being questioned.

Limbic: The war is being viewed with a backdrop of a sunset, war is being romanticized.



Reptilian: Seeing bombs off in the distance exploding.

EIGHT TRENDS:

-Epistemological Shift:
Images dominate our view on war, but are they the images that we need to see in order to really understand war? No.

-Aesthetic Shift:
News and the war has become entertainment to our culture. We have military ads that are projecting the same thing as reality TV shows about being in the military.

-Political Shift:
We only know what our government wants us to know. There are people who are being killed for a cause that the US is supporting, when the US people don’t even know what they are behind.




SEVEN PRINCIPLES:

-What “reality” does this film create?
This film seems to create an actual reality, rather than the romanticized and dehumanized war that we are subject to everyday in media.

-What do you observe about this media upon reflection?
Yes, this film may be biased, but it does a great job reflecting what our news, TV programs, movies, and just about all other forms of media does with the idea of war in order to make it easier to swallow.

-What emotions does this media tap?
This film made me angry that our government is able to warp the war so much that our society really is brainwashed when it comes to what war really is.

-What kinds of value messages does this media promote?
We should be skeptical about where we get our information, especially on war.

PERSUASION:

-Group Dynamics:
Using “We” instead of “Military”.

-Big Lie
Fabricating and embellishing the Jessica Lynch story.

-Fear/Defensive Nationalism
“We” need to fight terror.
There are weapons of mass destruction.
Making Hussein seem to be the worst enemy.

-Humor
Faux news reporters such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert create humor while criticizing the war and politics.

-Symbols
Country music stars boosting soldier morale with music about supporting the war, and being allowed to shoot music videos on bases.



-Rhetorical Question
Fox news reporter asking, “Doesn’t TV run the world?” Sadly, it does for many.

Sustain Champlain Video: Audeamus You Wasteful Muggles!

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT MOMENT IN MAKING THIS VIDEO?

Finding time to actually work on shooting the video. I don't know if it was because it was the end of the semester or what, but finding time to meet was hard, and when we did shoot the video, it was just a random day.


OTHER THAN FINISHING IT, WHAT WAS THE MOST REWARDING MOMENT IN MAKING THIS VIDEO?

Using a video camera again...I haven't done that is a looooong time.

DISCUSS 3 SPECIFIC LESSONS YOU LEARNED ABOUT FILM PRODUCTION AND/OR "GROUP PROCESS" IN MAKING THIS VIDEO.

-There are ALWAYS technical difficulties.

-Even if it is supposed to be a fun project, it's still stressful at the end of the semester.

-Love your friends that will wear a Snuggie while jumping around and waving a cat toy that is supposed to look like a wand...thanks, Craig.


DISCUSS 3 SPECIFIC THINGS YOU LEARNED ABOUT CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE AND/OR THE "SUSTAIN CHAMPLAIN" PROJECT THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW BEFORE COMPLETING THIS PROJECT.

-Champlain uses low flow shower heads.

-Champlain will be installing energy efficient washers in the dorms...woo hoo!

-Sustain Champlain has it's own YouTube playlist. We are so hip here at Camp Champ.

Media Mediation #4: "I Eat Success for Breakfast...with Skim Milk."

Sometimes it's necessary to drink some beers and throw on the world's most epic film ever to grace our presence: Heavyweights AKA Fat Camp.



Not only is this Disney's most glorious film (The Mighty Ducks is up there too), but it has to be one of Ben Stiller's best roles.

HEAVY ON THE MIND:

REPTILIAN: Fight or Flight when it comes to the whack job Tony Perkis.

LIMBIC: The soundtrack to this movie is FLAWLESS. The music fits into the scenes perfectly, my personal favorite You Sexy Thang by Hot Chocolate, which is playing at the Camp dance...YES.



NEOCORTEX: This is obviously a Disney film, but there are so many underlying jokes that I would have never picked up on as a child.
Tony Perkis: "Tonight's lecture: Liposuction, option or obsession?"


EIGHT SHIFTS:

TECHNOLOGICAL SHIFT:
I couldn't find this movie in any stores, so I went to Amazon and bought it for a couple of bucks.

DISCURSIVE SHIFT:
Back in the 90's Disney was actually putting out movies (besides animation, I can't knock them) that were hilarious for kids, not about kids trying to be grown up by the time they are 12.

PERSONAL SHIFT:
Stop reading this blog about this movie and YouTube it!

SEVEN PRINCIPLES:

OWNERSHIP:
This film was made by Disney, but not the same Disney that is taking over the world today.

VALUE MESSAGES:
This movie is trying to be funny when it comes weight problems and extremes when it comes to exercise and food. In the end though, the campers do recognize that healthy choices are important.

PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES:
The film is shot so that it really does feel as though it is at a real camp.

INDIVIDUAL MEANING:
This has got to be one of my favorite movies of all time, it still makes me crack up even after the millionth time watching it.


PERSUASION:

SYMBOLS:
The best symbol in this movie is from the Perkis System T-Shirt. The front has a symbol to look like Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man and the back says "I'm Perkisizing". SO GOOD.



HUMOR:
This entire movie is based on humor. I love watching anything that will make me laugh so I have put Today's Big Thing on my RSS feeder so I can giggle everyday.

PLAIN FOLKS:
All of the guys in the film are supposed to be just plain folks who are a little chunky.

GROUP DYNAMICS:
It's either you are with the campers or not. The campers make a group in order to stop Tony Perkis and take the camp back.




We love Heavyweights, do you?

Media Meditation #3: Tyra Banks Is A Wild Animal, & I Love It

Anyone who uses the terms "booty toochin" and "smize" (smiling with your eyes) can be my best friend, AKA Tyra Banks. Tyra is a crazy/fierce/wild woman, and I never want her to stop. Watching her is similar to viewing a train wreck (a beautiful train wreck), you cringe, but you know you just have to continue to watch.

We just can't get rid of Tyra, she's on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TV (two shows)...


AND YES, SHE DOES SING! (Caution: Do not watch unless you are ready to 1. Become addicted to Tyra and her crazy ways, and 2. Shake your groove thang)



Although Tyra does many things besides modeling, I'm going to focus on her hit/addicting show America's Next Top Model (ANTM).



I'VE GOT TYRA ON THE BRAIN:

REPTILIAN: Let's be honest here, T. Banks is gorgeous and if you don't agree, than you are a liar.

LIMBIC: The opening scene is just crazy, and honestly, makes me want to fast forward sometimes, and sing along other times.



NEOCORTEX: I guess the hardest part of understanding this show is the idea of "Tyra Mail", a clue that is sent to the girls before there next photo shoot.


EIGHT SHIFTS:

EPISTEMOLOGICAL SHIFT:
The entire show is based on getting that one image in order to stay in the modeling showdown.

CULTURAL SHIFT:
Just from having this one show, Tyra has been able to turn it into a money making cow, she now has a daytime talk show on top of ANTM, all because her ratings are huge.

TECHNOLOGICAL SHIFT:
I don't have cable, so I watch ANTM through The CW's Website when I'm bored.

PERSONAL SHIFT:
I'm surprised that America doesn't have their opinion voiced when it comes to choosing America's next top model, similar to other reality TV shows that are supposed to represent the states.


SEVEN PRINCIPLES:

OWNERSHIP:
Tyra's Production company, Bankable Productions owns and produces ANTM, which gives Tyra free creative rein on the show.

PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES:
Every episode is produced in the same manner: the girls that are going to be in the bottom two off are put into the spotlight, there is a modeling challenge, a photo shoot, and then the models meet with the judges to see who goes home. Throw in some drama about who ate who's granola bars or dumped cans of Red Bull down the sink, and you have ANTM - VOILA!



REALLY?! I can't stop watching ANTM. Ever.

INDIVIDUAL MEANING:
I know it's ridiculous, but I really do love this show, and I will shout it from the roof tops. I realize that it isn't reality at all, but I don't care. This show is perfect to put on when you just don't want to think and just be entertained by what could possibly come out of Ms. Banks mouth.

"REALITY" CONSTRUCTION/TRADE-OFFS:
This is not reality at all, it's a mindless reality TV show that is put into place to entertain short girls, like me, who want to watch tall girls work the camera.


PERSUASION:

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS:
"You wanna be on top?"
This is the basis of the whole show; of course they wanna be on top, they are competing to be America's next top model!

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE:
We have Tyra, a household full of skinny beautiful models, and a photographer judge who is dreamy, and has an accent, and people think TT Banks doesn't know what she is doing.



This photo has to be a joke.

REPETITION:
Tyra ALWAYS says the same thing at the end of the episode when she is about to knock a bitch out of the competition, the layout is exactly the same for EVERY episode,

STRENGTH:
Tyra is continuously alluding to the fact that she is a strong woman AKA Fierce, which she is using as a leadership position to take charge with the contestants of ANTM.





SHE'S CRAZZZZY



STAY FIERCE AND KEEP SMIZING