Class Reflection

I want to start by thanking you, Suzie, for teaching this course; it was a real eye-opener. Prior to this class, I had not been exposed to a lot of the issues with the media. Moreover, I had never truly critically analyzed my relationship with media (particularly advertising and commericals). This class has brought about a complete shift in the way I think about these kinds of things. Our class topics such as the role that television has in shaping society are matters that need more thorough examination. Additionally, the money-hungry crookedness of the people who are running the show was really astounding and worth knowing and discussing. I am very grateful that this class was being taught here at UVM. The way in which I look at commercials and interact with media is now completely different. I feel like I have uncovered a veil and am finally able to see through a lot of the B.S. that the media puts out.

It is often overwhelming to try to truly grasp and think critically about a lot of this stuff. Like, I would like to be out there and active on the front lines, but I am still a college kid and thereby bounded by busy work and limitations. Brooding about, let's call the "Ugliness of America," stresses me out and feels overly powerful and encompassing to the point that I want to run in a corner and forget about it. But, that won't help anything. Ed Abbey once said "sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul;" but yet, it often seems too difficult still.

I'm going to back up a little bit.. Since around the time when I began having realizations that the world isn't all so warm and fuzzy, life for me has completely changed. Since then, I've wanted to expose the hidden truths behind our country's way of living. I have since taken classes that are focused around what one might call counterculture, alternative thinking and awareness spreaders. I have also taken it upon myself to explore nature and to get in touch with it. I have truly thought deeply about the problems of the world and have been dissapointed and angered by the general lack of awareness. "Why aren't we doing anything about this?" I would think. If all of these facts are true, why don't we try to fix the problem? I became so passionate in environmentalism and alternatives to capitalism in a way that could only be so true and right.

The answer to me became clearer in a lot of ways during the course of this class. It seems as though we have all bought into this system because we are entranced and manipulated into it. People feel sentiment all of the time, but rarely move towards action, because it just seems so much easier to flip on the television and forget about it. In turn, corporate America tries its hardest to distract us from thinking about these glaring problems. They pump money into abhorrent Press Releases, they run subversive commercial designed to invoke feelings of self doubt and loneliness, they produce fake, camouflaged local news stories, they advertise in school, they target children, they flash, they jolt, they lie, manipulate and they tell the stories that shape culture. The large majority of America gains their knowledge (particularly when we watch television 5 hours a day. Did you hear about that? ), from media. And when almost all media is owned by 7 corporations that are geared towards profit margins and not towards public needs, there is no wonder why we don't hear about large-scale environmental degradation, negatives impacts of neo-colonialism, social inequity, a widening gap between the rich and poor, or other things of this nature. The answer is that these glaring truths threaten economic growth and the powers that be are trying their damn hardest to hide the ugly truth behind our so-called prosperous and free country.

I don't want to use this word because of its stigmatization, but it seems like its all a big conspiracy. We are all being tricked into putting faith in this system that is set up to fail. Kalle Lasn said it well in Culture Jam. Depression, drug abuse, and obesity are higher than they've ever been before as the growing juggernaut of corporate control infringes closer to controlling culture. Our country may best be marked by fast food and shopping malls, of our gluttonous consumption patterns, and corporate control. Our culture has been sold to us. People work long hours for little wages and spend their free time watching television, and their weekends shopping. The busy-ness of life exacerbates these issues because people need to work and make money, so there is little time to stop and think about the Ugliness of America. And we attain ephemeral, material happiness when we buy something new or watch a cool new television show. Collectively, however, the trends clearly show that as corporations have moved further into our lives, people become marginalized and overall less happy.

I am setting out from college to move into a field that is part of the solution to these problems.

Questions that Im still thinking (and will continue to think) about:
How can the owners of corporations sleep at night?
Why don't we something about this all?
What the best way to go about jamming AmericaTM culture

PSA Experience/Reflection

I enjoyed making my PSA. It went really smoothly and was relatively painless. Our group did a good job of meeting early to shoot and then coming together and editing. I think our end product was an effective public service announcement. I think that our message was clear and easy to pick up on. I also think that our juxtapostion between the dark, dreary "plugged in" scene and the lit bob marley music scenes was pulled off well. And the acting was phenomenal!

I think PSAs are super effective. If people watch so much television, than it is the best medium for reaching the most people. As Kalle Lasn has said, though, it is really difficult to get any kind of anti-consumption message out there; it simply isn't good for business, and all it is is a business. I really enjoyed doing this PSA; I may try to make my own in the future.

Activist Website

I chose the organic consumers association (OCA). The website provides extensive background information explaining the causes that they are fighting. IN addtion, it lists several websites and other resources such as novels to check out for further reading. As far as direct action, the non-profit has links to several online petitions, fighting battles against agribusiness, gmos, and other issues.

I am always skeptical of online activism by way of petition. I feel like the numbers are easier to juke. Like, somehow, someway, somebody could figure out how to sign 20 names on a petition. Or maybe some hacker could sign more. Who knows? I do think that because of this and because it isn't directly signed by people, online petitions aren't as effective as regular petitions. The internet is an amazing tool for exchanging ideas and information, but petition signings aren't its strength, in my opinion.

It does not feel as meaningful, becuase it is a mere click away. I feel like if I was on board with a group of people and we were talking about this stuff all of the time and interacting with possible other members, it would be more effective.

TSIGFY Chapter 9

The PR toolkit is large and diverse. No longer do PRs simply advertise, they utilize several other subversive, under-the-radar tactics. Monsanto published a fear mongering fiction novel about the terrifying life beyond pesticides. Companies fight environmental crisis management with "emotional appeals, scientific misinformation, front groups, extensive mailings to the media and opinion leaders, and the recruitment of doctors and scientists as 'objective' third-party defenders of agrochemicals." (124) They threaten, steal, buy off, lie, and its all just fine (as long as its boosting the economy.) They have even created Community Advisory Panels or CAPs. This technique camouflages company-paid representatives as community members. Perhaps the greatest endorsement a community could get.

PR campaigns shift blame onto individuals rather than systems or society as a whole. There is no talk about systemic issues because it threatens the GDP.

A name change can work wonders in public perception.

This is how evil these people are: "Here is our enemy--the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the Humane Society." Wow... I am speechless

Green products are becoming trademarked by large corporations. Big green groups soak up environmental money from Green philanthropists and small donors alike, while people voicing for real change get left behind. It is sad that we succumb to these corporate plots to greenwash us. It does give me hope though, that with a little more steam, change can really occur once you get the word out to people. It is just difficult to get the word out.

My question for this chapter would be: When did it become okay to be so goddamn corrupt? How can this fly? It's dismantling our country and these people are laughing their way to the bank. FUCK!

Deconstructing Ads

I chose to deconstruct Sun Chips' new ad campaign.

I first discovered this new ad campaign in a commerical on tv. It featured shots of piles of trash being cleaned up by people with Sun Chips bags. The message being that Sun Chips now has a biodegradeable bag. I was immediately skeptical. First of all, it seems that the commercial may incite people to litter the bag. ("it says its biodegradeable!") Also, the commercial seemed like the prototypical greenwash, where the company claims to be environmentally friendly when their products are in reality part of a industrial megamachine that is systematically devouring the natural world.

This advertisement is an extension of Sun Chips tv commericals. It shows a background of what looks like young people jumping off of a cliff into water. Front and in focus is an attractive, motherly woman smiling at her little Sun Chip. The caption says, "There ar emany ways to help save the planet. Harvest cheddar is one." This is an immediate red flag. Bottom line is that this advertisement is a marketing ploy, not a driver for social movement.

First of all, it is very vague. Help save the planet, how?

There is a hidden tradeoff here. I feel like people will be influenced to buy this product and think to themselves, "oh I did my part, I buy Sun Chips." This is a clear mistake. Sun Chips, like all other processed salty junk food, have hidden trade offs. Their corporation (Frito-Lay) is a large contributor and supporter of big agribusiness. Big agribusiness is arguably at the heart of all environmental issues, not to mention the social issues and health liabilities from eating junky processed foods.

My last thought is that it is the lesser of several evils. At least it is one step in the right direction. Sun Chips is after that niche market. So, I guess, if I am going to buy chips, I'll keep the biodegradeable Sun Chips bag in mind. But, the best thing to do for my health and the health of the planet is to support local, organic foods.

PSA reflection 2

Doing well! Today we shot footage at my house. I am acting. Not frustrated at all, though I think we could've used more outdoor shots. We aren't really assigning tasks to anyone, just doing it all together. It should be great!

Outside/Inside Reflection

I walked down to Centennial Woods to complete my outdoor observation experience. I walked only a little ways in and sat atop a dead log. The log was lying on a pillow of green moss. I sat and looked around. From my wooded perch, I could see a swamp down below, as well as a sunny open field. I decided to do a sensory meditation. I sat indian-style and cupped my hands on my lap. Focusing on breath, I tried to distill my mind from today's batch of stress and obligation. Thoughts slowly faded as I sat motionless, now beneath the log and on the moss. I shut my eyes and focused on what I could hear. I heard several songbird calls, a woodpecker, a crow, and a stream trickling below. The most conspicuous noise however, was that of the cars on East Ave. An Ambulance siren lasted for what seemed like an eternity before fading away, a person driving honks his horn, and a 747 jet flies overhead. I wish I could be further away, I thought. Next, I focused on smell. I could smell the freshly fallen pine needles, the cloud of plants being hit by the sun, and the comforting earthen smell of the woods. I flashbacked several times to hiking in Maine, the smell really triggers it above everything else. I then reopened my eyes and looked around to see the same place, but this time, it seemed more familiar, more comforting.

I began to think, as I often do, about how I benefit from spending time away from the hustle and bustle of life. I begin to feel the world around me. I feel not only the breeze, but the tree cover, the dirt beneath me, the stillness. Things slow down and I can begin to make sense of myself in this world. Thoughts that I have been suppressing or avoiding, are now being extrapolated and thought through. I feel one with the world around me. I relate to and revere the trees, the bugs, the dirt, the moss. ......

I sit down and watch tv. The Simpsons. Homer almost get hits by Marge and runs into the house only to find that the couch is floating in mid air. Da dada dada dadadadadadada (Simpsons Them Song). Boom! Commercial Break. Miller Lite. "Why don't you take your skirt off and order a Miller Lite" Monster Energy Drink Commerical. Enormous Man kicking buildings down after gulping a 5 oz. energy shot. Hyundai Warrantee "you can trust us" car commercial. Followed by Ford F-150, with some misogynist narrator trying to mimic the typical man's stream of consciousness... "The guys we cheated off of in high school are the ones who made this car. We're thinking about pizza theyre thinking about aerodynamics." Snap! back to the show. What a whirlwind of commercials! How can I even begin to think critically about any of this stuff when it is back to back to back. Jolts of buzzwords and lightflashes take ahold of my brain quicker than I can process things.

Watching television is easier than sitting outdoors. I think this may be due to the fact that we are brought up watching tv and sitting outdoors can be thought of as boring. What am I going to do sitting by myself for 30 minutes? That's crazy!

Being outside made it much easier to control the flow of information. Goes without saying i think.

Each experience taught me different things. I can say that I was MUCH happier and more at peace when sitting outdoors.

Television makes people stay inside. It also makes our minds less open to thinking outside of what is easy and comfortable. True knowledge can be found in books, in experience, in nature. Rarely do I watch something that makes me think deeply about myself, but I often have my deepest thoughts when outside, alone, comfortable, and at peace.

TSIGFY Chapter 8

Please read chapter 8 & chapter 9 (hard copy handed out in class) and share FIVE KEY OBSERVATIONS (concepts, personal stories, research) you learned about the PR industry in EACH chapter, and one question you have after finishing EACH chapter of the reading. (Be sure your questions begin with these three words on your blog post - "My question is...")

1. The PR industry systematically lies to the rest of society. They fabricate lies, tailoring it to what works best for the public opinion of the company, not for the benefit of society.

2. Several of the most talented journalists work for the enemy because it pays more. Rather than elucidating the truth, these wordsmiths amplify lies.

3. The environment is simply "a minor complexity to be worked through." It has no meaning to these people other than that it threatens their product.

4. The memes that PR companies put out truly work. People respond by saying, "oh, toxic sludge is not that bad, the biomass can be used for fertilizers" Simply changing the name of something relieves the "bad" connotations and therefore makes it more publicly acceptable.

5. Human and environmental health are often compromised for profit.

My question is a similar question that I continually struggle with. "Why do people, real people with real hearts and families and people they care about, sign on to work for something that perpetuates such evil? How can they sleep at night?

PSA Post 1

Ben Carlson
Paul Smith
Peter Mosely

The Concept of the PSA is to be about unplugging and taking back your day. It will feature someone sitting inside entranced by their tv, computer, and cell phones. Then, it will transform and show that person outside taking back their day.

Dear President Obama,

It was Edward Abbey who first said that, "growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of a cancer cell." Well, the cancer is growing. We all know our planet is dying, but nobody wants to talk about it. Why is that? It seems to me that we are blindly following a path that we know for certain will lead to collapse. It is certainly true that ideas like this that threaten growth and our standard of living and all of the comforts of modern America and that is a concern to many people. But what about our prolonged sustenance on this planet? Why can't we let these ideas flow through public airwaves and make a collective decision to change? Whats more important: our economy and standard of life, or, continual prosperity on this planet as we know it?

I propose that we radically rework and rethink the way we live on this planet. It seems to me that any reasonable truthful person would agree with this sentiment. It sucks, I know. That's why, I think, people are so afraid to entertain these thoughts in their head. That is why, I think, politicians routinely dodge these questions and place blind faith on the global economy. It would really be a drag to digress from our materialistic consumer culture and face facts. But isn't that the responsible thing to do? Why can't we at least have the discussion? All we are fed around us are messages that tell us to have faith in the markets, to keep buying 20 presents for our kids for Christmas, and to manage our unhappiness with Big Macs, new shoes, and Zoloft.

I think it would be beneficial to make airwaves more public. It is undemocratic and unAmerican to have private companies hold their own interests ahead of the collective consciousnesses of the people. Rather than having many voices, we have but one: consume. It is only logical, too, that these corporations hold their own private interests ahead of other needs. Corporations at their center do not have a heart, they do not breath the air, nor understand human needs. They are instead driven by greed, by capitalizing off of others' misfortunes, by the almighty dollar sign. These heartless fictitious things are controlling our government's policies, our nation's airwaves, and our personalities. Why can't we at least open this discussion up and talk candidly about it? Why can't commercials be challenged with more Public Service Announcements? By controlling the airwaves, we are submissive to 7 major companies and their prerogatives, rather than the voices of the people of America, and their concerns.

Freedom is a value that we as Americans trophy. It is our mantra, our way of life, our shining light. Freedom was achieved in 1776 when we signed the Declaration of Independence. Freedom from Britain! Freedom from overarching rule and private interests! We must take back freedom here in the United States. We must elicit the voice of the people. We must think of our responsibility to this world as leaders.

Change is what we all want. Sentiment without action is the bane of the human soul. Let's take back our country.

Thanks,
Peter Buckley

I enjoyed the segment, "A day in your life." It spoke to the disconnection between us (the consumers) and them (the corporate megamachine), and that because we are so estranged, the externalities that these companies produce largely go unseen and are below our collective radars. Americans will eat a Big Mac, and think of what they think are "American Values" and a certain comforting feeling will sweep over the consumer. It is almost as if corporations are copyrighting our most innate, visceral emotions (such as childhood comfort) and capitalizing off of them at our expense. Something that has really stuck with me from this class is that the stories, the feelings, the way we think , is no longer shaped by friends and close kin; rather, it is produced by the images we watch 5 hours a day on television, told through billboards that make us feel self conscious, and in turn, products like Coke and McDonalds bring about a certain "good" feeling. We are too zombified and desensitized from thinking abstractly about the environmental, social, and health implications that supporting these Multi-National Corporations' goods. Furthermore, the prevailing message being fed is to stop thinking about that stuff. The cultural opinion (shaped by MNCs) is that it is passe to talk about the way that these companies treat their workers, or the environmental destruction that they cause. In fact, it seems the most healthy working fixture in our economic model is a gluttonous, televsion-addicted zombie who puts all of his/her faith in material goods. The system is just pure evil.

I also found the segment discussing the differences between neo-classical economics and ecological economics provocative. It seems to me that these number-crunching economists are too far into their own worlds (where everything is numbers and growth is the only measure of global health) to be taken seriously at all. Since when is life all about numbers and dollars? Do these economists ever step outside of their office? Do they ever walk around cities and think, "hey I wish there were more green areas, that would make me happy." Or, are their jobs so specialized that they are taught not to think of anything besides growth and dollars. Ecological economics needs to move further into our policies. We need to assign value to shared public needs such as amounts of green space, or a healthy living, ecological world. I think anyone who is well-educated and is being intellectually true to themselves, wouldn't argue against ecological economics, because it starts with the place that we live, and from there assigns real values to real things that people really care about.

Page 95: "For an enormous number of poeple, the idea that they should set limits on themselves i unthinkable: 'Why should I cut back? This is my paycheck, this is my life."

This line struck a chord in me. It is so true that this a prevailing cultural attitude of Americans. Me, Me, Me. The land of the free and home of the brave. Drill, baby, drill. More more more!

This attitude is disgusting. It makes me ashamed to be a part of this country. It is the worst kind of ignorance: selfish ignorance. People are always quick to talk about their rights and freedoms as AMERICANS, but what about your duty or your civic responsibilities? We are playing into this terribly backwards system by letting massive consumer culture be our mantra. People need to start finding themselves. It is all too often that people ignore their concerns and conform to the norm. "Oh, who cares about your environmentalism, dude. Just shut up. The game is on."


I liked his portion about the roots of Culture jamming. I found the part when he sits and is forced to meditate for days with a Zen master really interesting. It is in these moments of hardship, when you have to test you will against the world, that realizations start to flow. America today is torturously comfortable. Things come too easy to us privileged folks. Unhappiness is rampant, but quick and easy "fixes" are right around the corner. "Oh, I'm feeling down today, let me remedy that with a McCafe double latte and have some "me" time" Breaking the easy routine, for me, was my first of many epiphanies that lead me on the path that I am on. Stepping outside of my comfort zone and going on long wilderness trips caused me to experience a different life, one devoid of quick fixes and easy-way-outs. I had to face my adversity and think deeply about how my life has come to be. This is why I am a strong advocate of outdoor education and its myriad benefits on the human soul, particularly the American soul which has been taken from us and resold as comfortable fixes.

I liked Lasn's ideas of altering the memes that pervade society. It is within the memes that people think that its okay to consume mindlessly and to continually take without reciprocating. These memes are terrifyingly destructive and must be changed. Memes stigmatize outlyers of consumer culture such as, "environmentalists are hippy tree-huggers," and feminists are "crazy stuck up bitches." It all needs to change. I think Lasn is right when he says that "cool" needs to become enmeshed with passion, truth, and intelligence, rather than apathy, ignorance, and consumption.

My question to Mr. Lasn would be: How can we gain more power and get the word out to more people, to actually create changes in memes? He outlines what he has tried to do, but it seems as if many of his attempts have been futile. If this is so strongly believed, why can't we begin convincing more people of it? Is it too hard to get through the media airwaves or too complex or are people simply not hearing it?

Culture Jam Part 1

Immediately after opening Lasn's book, I was hooked. Like many books we have read in this class, he speaks of the consumer culture that we have become imprisoned in, as well as the ways in which the prevalence of media in our lives has shaped our outlook on the rest of the world. I definitely had a few revelations, or wake up calls, while reading this book. TV and mass media really do frame the way we see the world in America.

Reading this book, I can't help but think to my own experiences with media throughout my life and how that has affected the person I am. It really has. Lasn does a great job discussing different scenarios that relate to his assertions. I like to think of myself as someone who is authentic, real, and mindful. But clearly, corporate America has nuzzled its way into my life. I look back on my life and what I thought was cool at the time, and it is pretty clear that it all was generated either directly or indirectly from watching television and being around media. In middle school in Rye, NY, you were cool if you had preppy Abercrombie and Fitch apparel, a backwards Yankee cap, and you could recite the latest South Park or silly Will Ferrell movie quotes. Nobody told me, but corporations shaped the prevailing views of what was cool at the time. I have moved far beyond this, since, a lot of which I attribute to spending time away from media and moving to VT, but it still is very much a part of me.

Before reading this book, I suspected that I had ADHD. Now I am sure of it. And, I think that all kids who grew up in my generation, doing the things that typical American kids do, have some sort of attention deficit problem. The noise, the jolts and the screens drift the mind into a trance, overtaking thoughts with buzzes, flashes, and quick attention-grabbers.

I feel like I have had many of these realizations that Lasn speaks of before reading this novel. I liked the quote, "Take stock of you life. Look around at what you drive, wear, eat, smoke, read. Are these things you?" I think I am my own entity and that my posessions, while by no means, define me, paint an accurate picture of me. I drive a shitty 91 Ford Escort Station Wagon, bought from my Uncle for $1. I cycle mostly between two pairs of pants (Carhartt double pocket work pants and Carhartt flannel lined pants) and where tee-shirts that I have been given from different jobs or bought at flee markets. I have a lot of outdoor gear, which are only practical products for getting away from thigns like television and consumer culture. I read a lot of classic fiction, environmental/sustainability lit, and field naturalist guides. I belong to a CSA and attend as many farmers' markets as possible. I drink Wolaver's, Rock Art, Switchback, and other good microbrews.

While I think that I have definitely made great strides to be unique and rebel from what media portrays as cool, there is still work to be done. I decided that being cool was not being Mr. High-on-my-horse football/lax jock around my Sophomore year of college. Since then, I have found whole new friends who share my environmental and social sentiments. Being cool is now being smart and aware and humble and compassionate. When I was younger, I would say that I wanted to make a lot of money when I grow up. Now, I would say that I want to be part of a revolution that changes the way we live in this world. Now, my job as an enlightened citizen of this country and planet is to spread the word. I think education really is the place to do this or perhaps writing or...I really like the idea of using media against the corporate machine. If people watch so much damn tv and listen to what it has to say all the time, they'd probably listen to a subvertisement or uncommerical. I am liking this book and will definitely reccommend it to others.

Ad Nauseum 3 & 4

This novel continues to be thought-provoking and insightful. The portion about advertising

in schools was perhaps the most disturbing and depressing chapter for me. Kids watch the same set of lengthened commercials every day in school. Advertising in classrooms?!?! As part of a typical school day?!?! This to me was a real WTF? moment. A lot of the children interviewed in this chapter thought that the commercials were public service announcements or short films, rather than ads, because they were shown in school. Kids read these commercials as if they were watching an educational film. Moreover, they are forced to listen and watch about Pepsi or Sprite during their school day. For the advertisers, this is ingenious. The Persuaders would love to creep into that niche; in fact I don't know how advertisers managed to do it. I guess that is what happens when schools are underfunded, they become corporately sponsored and are forced to show lengthy commercials about soft drinks or potato chips. Seriously, admen must see this as an incredible opportunity for brand loyalty and embedding corporations and messages of consumption into the minds of sixth graders. The schools and our educational system should be ashamed of themselves.

Im starting to believe that we are no longer free. When our kids have to watch commercials in school in order for that school to have the means to become educated, there are serious problems. The looming smog-filled cloud of corporate control and consumer culture is infesting more and more minds at still younger ages. What about our responsibility to upcoming generations?

Another interesting bit from the book was how DeBeer, through ingenious marketing, made everyone believe that the diamond ring was the ultimate statement of love. When a company can brand itself to an emotion, they have really made it big. Every man looking to propose to a woman, must empty their pockets for this rock, the ultimate symbol of forever. I thought this coincided largely with what The Persuaders movie laid out. Companies make it big when they have become a part of culture, which is exactly what DeBeer did.

The Merchants of Cool

1. Almost all of our media comes from 5 massive corporations.

2. Teens and popular culture are heavily targetted by advertising in through many different strategies of both gaining information and advertising in a cool way.

3. I now know why shows like Jackass and Tom Green were so popular, they appealed to the "Mook" character that teenage boys tend to admire.

4. I still don't understand why people watch pro wrestling, but I do know that many friends of mine were in love with it. The Mook thing, I guess.

5. Giant feedback loop? Are advertisers mirroring culture or dictating it? This film has illustrated that advertising and corporate schemes have had a major impact on culture.

Is Google Making Us Smarter?

1. Thesis: Google, along with many other technological tools that are becoming more prevalent, are advancing the evolution of our brains.

2. I can see where the author is coming from with a lot of his ideas about how Web 2.0 and other innovations in technology will effectively solve many present problems and evolve our world into a better place. I do think, however, that much of his ideas are simply conjecture, musings as to how the future will turn up. I think his opinion is clear, that technology will solve our problems and create a more highly attuned, collective augmentation of the human mind and society as a whole. While I appreciate a lot of his insight, I think that his ideas for solutions are short-sighted and narrow. For example, he talks about a technologically-induced attention deficit disorder that people develop from exposure to media and technology. His answer seems to be that those people should just take Adderall or Ritalin or the next frontier drugs that heightens cognitive thinking level to combat their ADD problem. This seems to me that we are solving problems with yet even greater problems. And this is exactly why I think his argument is flawed. By building up infrastructure and new technologies to solve present problems, we are avoiding some of the ultimate overlying issues. If we were to put all of our chickens into a basket and believe that technology is going to answer our problems and, even more, advance us into a new smarter, heightened civilization, what would we do with problems such as preserving biodiversity? Or, is that not part of his vision at all. Maybe I am beating a dead horse here, but where does environmentalism or sustainability fit into these arguments? Are we magically going to invent something that turns trash into compost? Pollution into clean air and water? Or industrial wastelands into rainforests?

Despite my skepticism, I do agree with a lot of what the author has to say. Although a lot of what he draws from is science fiction writers, he definite has some interesting and thought-provoking points. The computing power of machines is phenomenal and is constantly improving. We can now take patterns and trends and simulate future outputs like never before. We can also connect to each other more instantaneously than ever. There is more information that is shared every day on the internet and it opens up more voices and opinions, that in total create a greater shared accumulation of knowledge.

Media Memoir (finally!)

Growing up, I would say I had a somewhat typical involvement with media. I remember when we first got cable television and America Online 3.0, and how amazing and incredible it all seemed. . After school hours were now largely spent chatting and flirting with classmates on AOL Instant Messenger. From there, which was around 5th grade for me, my media and technology use has skyrocketed. I learned quickly how to use a lot of the media in my house and became probably more knowledgeable than my parents. Since that time, it seems as if media and technology has crept further into my life and has become universally the main means of researching, communicating, and interacting with the greater world.

Before we got cable, I remember hearing about Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon and how awesome all of the cartoons were and how they were on all of the time. I had been used to only getting my cartoon fix on Saturday mornings, watching X-men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons and Animaniacs. When the doors opened for more programs to watch, I remember being so excited. I quickly grew out of the cartoon phase; however, and began religiously following sports. Armed with Cable TV, I could watch Sportscenter at all hours of the day. After Cable TV, came Direct TV and than digital cable with On Demand and TiVo, all of which have continued to be a part of my life.

When we first got the internet, I was beside myself. Our Gateway 2000 was the most amazing machine I had ever seen. I could write in 50 different fonts (including Wingdings), play all sorts of cool games, and chat with friends on IM. I used it mostly at first for chatting, and became somewhat addicting to it. Everybody had to have screen name on AOL it seemed. I remember competing with my older brother and sister for internet time, along with my parents because the internet cable connected through our phone line. More and more it seemed to be the thing to do--to be on the web; but, as I've come to realize over time, it took away from a lot of other free time activities that I would otherwise be doing.

Moving on through high school, technology only became quicker, bigger, and more enhanced in pretty much every way. I remember the Napster Boom and the subsequent Kazaa and Limewire and Morpheus and all of the other file sharing programs that helped me steal music. That was fun while it lasted. Google and Ebay quickly became things to know and do on the internet. It was also memorable when internet switched from dial-up to cable modem, because everything was so much faster and more easily accessible. I remember learning how to search and sifting through webpages for research projects.

And then to college. Freshman year (2006), I opened a Facebook account because my older sister insisted that I HAD to. That blew up quickly. Also Youtube hit the mainstream that year and that was really phenomenal at the time. Soon, all school work seemed to be tied into media, there was WebCT, and now there is BlackBoard, there's e-mail, and blogger, and Twitter, and Google Docs, and Mapquest, and all sorts of new resources that I've grown up with and are now mainstays as bodies of information and programs of work. It really is amazing to look back on it all. Since college has began, I've had somewhat of a renaissance in the way that I obtain media and use it in my life. I read a lot more now, I watch less television, I still constantly use the internet (but I figure it is a must as a student), and try to spend much of my free time outdoors and away from it all. It is interesting that media and technology has subtly yet quickly become such a major force in my life and that realization is much of the reason of why I try to pursue alternative ways of educating and entertaining myself.

The movie largely reaffrimed much of my knowledge about how corporations operate. Their soul task is to create profit which is to be done by any means possible. Corporations have marginalized, enslaved, killed, stolen, annihilated, polluted, and manipulated, all in the name of the dollar. If someone or a group of people did this in the name of say, Allah, they would be considered terrorists; but, behind their bulletproof shield of being incorporated, these people are not only legitimate, but they are rewarded with being the richest people in the world. Well why doesn't our government step in? Our government? Since Reaganomics, our mantra has been "small government." It has largely allowed these corporations, these profit-sucking inhuman, immoral, juggernauts, to be able to run free, uninhibited by anything (well except for a few fines). I picture a giant monster trudging over a landscape and stepping on the livelihoods and cultures and natural resources of everything that our world is, squashing it, picking up money, and walking away whistling a tune and snapping its fingers.

I do not understand why there hasn't been more of an outcry in our country. We are largely apathetic and unphased by the news of awful atrocities that are occurring throughout the world. Many people dismiss it as liberal propaganda, trying to socialize the US and ruin our freedom! Media and its enhanced role in our lives has sustained our general malaise and apathy towards the problems the world, but also inhibitted our independent critical thinking skills. People watch so much television nowadays that their minds become hypnotized. Many people go through their day working long hours, with minimal wages, and eat Fast Food, drink a 6 pack, and watch TV. There is no time for critical thinking about abstract topics such as political theory and sustainability. We are certainly disconnected from many of the externalities that free trade helps create. Our apathy, as a result, is helping sustain and perpetuate free trade policies that are systematically ruining cultures of people, enslaving them into a system where they can never be anything but peasants, and destroying ecosystems on a grand scale. They are destroying the natural framework of our environment with hardly any repercussions; which in turn, encourage them to do so again, so long as it generates profit. These fat old white guys, sitting on their stacks of cash, are pointing their finger and dictating the way trade occurs.

It is all a sloppy mess of the way things are and I am not sure where or how we should go about changing things; all I know is that the way corporations operate is immoral, unjust, and unsustainable

Twitter (ctd.)

I have never used Twitter before, but have seen it become more and more of a part of culture. I guess I have never really considered its advantages; I've seen it instead as somewhat of an enslavement and obsession that I really don't need to be a part of. I like my life as it is, I guess, without the need for say, Ashton Kutcher's opinion on fashion. I can see its use professionally, in certain occupations, but in none of the ones that I am striving to have.

Class 5 catchup--Twitter

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

A) Twitter is creating new, exciting opportunities for people to communicate with each other; there is poignant value in connecting to people in real time.

B) I liked when Johnson told a story of a valuable experience that he has had that would not have been possible if it hadn’t been for Twitter. Their educational discussion was enriched not only by the active participants in the room, but with the general public. We now have a window into the universal living room of America and the world for that matter. We can reassure our thoughts and feelings with the entire Twittersphere when something happens in real time. We are no longer “shattered into a million isolation booths,” we can revel and react with fellow active Twitizens! And while many of the Tweets would be juvenile and irrelevant, inherently, as Johnson points out, there are some that are “moving, witty, observant, and subversive.” We can make a difference in 140 characters. I also agreed with the comparisons between Google searching and Tweets. It may be useful to find the top-hit of a given search query; however, it does not often present the most current, cutting-edge, or interesting information. You can send a question out to your 50 Twitter friends and get real, solid advice from the people you know and care about.

I found some things in the article skeptical or causing problem rather than creating solutions. The educational conference had an active and ongoing Tweet blog, which as I said earlier opens new opportunities and can bring more people’s ideas and opinions to the forefront. However, it can also detach members from the conversation at hand. It is completely distracting to look at a phone and Tweet while you are engaging in a heated, complex discussion about something such as education. I think attention would shift quickly from the in-room dialogue to the running on-screen Twitterworld. Why don’t we just sit around and Tweet all day instead of talking? I also was skeptical of the discussion about end-user innovation. While Twitter opens up new opportunities to interact in real time, it also detracts from many of the things in life that aren’t so completely hyperconnected. It can be obsessive and can drag people away from learning for themselves independently and shaping their own ideals.

Week 6 Blogging Catch-up

The Making of a Media Literate World:

I found this article to be a useful and provocative summary of media literacy, why it is absolutely essential to teach in schools, and ways to apply and teach it in classroom settings. Before finishing the article, I had a distinct feeling that this was written by a high school teacher. He outlines the issues of media today very systematically and even-handedly, and proceeds to give five ways that media literacy can become more engrained into the minds of young people. From taking this class, I was aware of a lot of the ideas that the author was relaying, but I thought that he particularly did a good job organizing and describing the ways in which media literacy can and should be implemented.

Something in particular that stuck out for me was when he talked about how media is retelling the “stories and values” of America today. No longer are our parents, community members, and role models in the driver’s seat; the massive conglomerates of media dictate what we should know and how we should feel about those things. This isn’t to say that media has overthrown parenting and the teaching of sound morals, but it is an inexorable truth that media has a large impact on culture. The values brought forth from media are often contradictory to that of which parents strive to enrich their children with. Rather than preaching “good” things such as: responsibility, independence, mindfulness, critical thinking, and self-confidence, media tends to sway people towards holding a reliance towards products, a poor self image, mindlessness, and above all that happiness is achieved through material consumption. Media promotes several of the seven deadly sins including gluttony, lust, greed, sloth, and envy. I am happy to see that education is catching up to the amassing juggernaut of media dominance and I hope to see media literacy taught in a more widespread and universal manner.

Killing Us Softly:

1. I found the idea of women portrayed as passive, vulnerable and silenced, as opposed to how men often appear violent and aggressive to be an interesting and disturbing truth in advertising. Women are told that power is unattractive and that their greatest assets are in their body and appearance. The trivialization and general nonchalance of society towards this issue is astounding. Both women and men are victims to advertising shaping culture; but as she so eloquently points out, the impetus for women revolves around their sexuality and appearance.

2. Advertising sells values, images, and concepts of love, sexuality, success, and normalcy. “It tells us who we are and who we should be.” For women, it tells us what beautiful is and that if you do not look like Michelle Pfeiffer, than you better try your damn hardest to get to be.

3. The part about how girls’ self-esteem plummets when they reach adolescence is truly sad and horrible. Right when they reach a certain age, they are expected to be sex symbols rather than whole people. This video reveals that we are stripped of our wholeness as people and expected to fit into small windows of what is “normal” in order to be happy and successful.

4. Models are so damn skinny. It is revolting how we prize our women to look like some of these emaciated, dismembered, and compartmentalized women. It is perpetuating a wretched societal complex that advertising is helping to carry out. Being that skinny cannot be comfortable or healthy in any way.

5. Men are victims as well, but not sexually as women are. Instead, we are fed thoughts that values such as sensitivity, empathy, and compassion are feminine and girly and that we should strive to be more aggressive, powerful and dominating. Media is turning people into parts of a whole, and is teaching people to be ashamed of their deemed masculine or feminine attributes.

The Persuaders

1. Advertising is best done when it can become a part of culture

2. Narrow-casting creates specific niches for consumers to relate to

3. Ads have begun to become integrated in movies and magazine articles.

4. Advertising attempts to hit our reptilian hot button, and attack our unconscious. Scary!

5. Cheese is dead in the USA

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first few chapters of Ad Nauseum. In many ways, it summarizes and expands a lot of what we have been talking about throughout the course of this class. If the book wasn't so horrifying and potentially disastrous, it could be very comical. Advertising has truly cemented itself as a significant part of culture and life. It is almost unavoidable. The Chapter, "Dying a Slow Brain Death" discusses this, and its harmful consumption-driving mentality that it perpetuates. Advertisers want to surround us with things to consume, so that it is unavoidable. This correlates with what the film The Persuaders highlights, which talks about the inner-workings of ad agencies and how they want to enclose us in a advertising and consumption culture. I feel that most people shrug off advertising as stupid, saying "well people are stupid, but it doesn't affect me." The more I think about it, the more I truly believe that it HAS to affect all of us, no matter how perceptive or oblivious one is to their consumer messages. Advertising feeds off of the notions that we think we are above it, when really the power is being shifted towards an ad and consumption culture. I was also reminded of Consuming Kids while reading the first few chapters. Kids that are brought up in this free-for-all world (which includes my generation) are the greatest victims to consumption culture and advertising. They don't ahve a choice; it is cemented in culture. It is sad :(

I also found the chapter "I'm with the Brand" and also "Disneymaniacs" both interesting and disturbing. This brand loyalty can really cloud the way people decide to consume. People, for example, can completely prefer Geico, simply because it is hipper and funnier in its advertising campaign than say, Allstate or StateFarm. Older folks might lean towards these companies which seem more responsible and wise in their ads. And Progressive might be for the type A internet-savvy people who connect more with their insurance. These companies hardly offer better rates or are better to deal with; in the end, they are corporations sucking on society's wallets for a good profit margin. Also, it seems crazy that people become so crazed about, for example, Ariel from The Little Mermaid. People are crazy.

Class #2: Brave New World?

To receive full credit, this blog assignment must be posted by Monday night, February 1st at midnight. If you post late, please email me your post directly at sdebross@uvm.edu as soon as you are able, and I'll give you partial credit.

Please read Clive Thompson's September 5, 2008 New York Times article "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy," and then, at this thread below, answer the following questions:

1. IYOW, identify the thesis of Thompson's article, in one sentence.

2. What does Thompson mean by the phrase "ambient awareness?" Explain, and provide 1 example from your own life.

3. Describe TWO observations Thompson makes with which you agree, and TWO observations Thompson makes with which you disagree. Be clear and specific.

1. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are recreating the way that people communicate with each other, and personal contact and connection is suffering as a result.

2. Ambient awareness is a phenomenon that Facebook and Twitter induce. People become aware of things peripherally via their Twitter and Facebook updates. No longer do they have to keep up with people; the information comes to them. Because of facebook update feeds and instant Twitter posts, people have access to a lot of people's daily routines, ideas, and musings. While it is certainly useful in the efficiency and ease of learning of others' updates, it detracts from tangible real contact. I have somewhat rebelled against being hyperconnected to friends on Facebook or religiously checking Twitter posts, but it does seep into culture and the world around me. People, I feel like, now almost expect others to join in updating statuses and whatnot, such that if someone were to not do that, they are seen as inactive and not "with it."

3. I agree with a lot of what the author has to say. His writing takes on a tone of forewarning, saying that we should probably pay more attention to how these networking sites devalue certain other aspects of life. I agree when Thompson questions whether having online "friends" is truly a mark of how popular or rich in friends you are. Most of my Facebook "friends" are acquaintances--people who I knew from high school or simply random people that I've met throughout the years. I have only friended true friends or family members; somehow Im not utterly fascinated with what Joe from summer camp in sixth grade is doing. It's just silly to me.

I also agree with what he says about becoming emotionally shallow when you are constantly checking and passing judgments based on Twitter or Facebook updates. It can cause people to jump to conclusions and interact things through a computer screen. This can definitely detract from real social conversation and connection. I don't even like looking at Facebook because I find myself making judgments of people off of snip-its or drunken photos; it really doesn't paint a picture of the depth of personality that people have.

I find it tough to disagree with persuasive articles that spread awareness of the impacts and possible dangers that social networking sites can birng. I think I agree with his overall message and appreciate the insight more so than anything. There are a few things, when taken out of context, are things that I disagree with, but his piece overall builds on his thesis, which I do agree with. Anyway, having said that, I disagree with when he says that Facebook and Twitter help know one's self better. It can for some create the illusion of expanding your personality and creating a page that expresses who you are, but when it comes down to it, people need to be able to physically interact to know where you stand. Also, I have spent a lot of time alone in the backcountry and have developed my character and presence far more so than in front of a computer screen. Overall, great read.

a. IYOW, identify the thesis of Hodgkinson's article, in one sentence.

b. Describe TWO observations the author makes about Facebook with which you agree, and TWO observations he makes about Facebook with which you disagree. Be clear and specific.

Facebook

A. Facebook is taking over the world and we should be more cautious as to who we are putting our money towards and be more mindful of how we truly connect and what truly makes us happy.

B. I agree that facebook has a way of creating this alternate reality of connection, one that is unbounded and in cyberspace. This separate internet community claims that they are connecting us to each other, when really they are marginalizing us and our way of socializing. We truly are social beings and we are putting all of this social energy into a webpage, rather than towards actually socializing with real people. I also agree and am somewhat frightened by the author talking about Facebook's privacy policy (or lack there of) and how it is a cesspool for advertisers and the CIA to "steal" our most personal information. The fact that ads are personalized towards our interests is also a scary thing to wrap my mind around.

For my environmental/media art piece, I chose to gather and arrange a seasonal bouquet. I have always thought of Valentine's Day as a media-driven holiday in which we (as consumers) feel pressure to buy things. Well, instead of buying a traditional bouquet that was grown in a greenhouse, I decided to make an arrangement out of things that are already around. I used holly, balsam, white pine, oak, marigolds, and other assorted perennials and tied it together with a nice flexible piece of birch bark, fastened with hemp fiber.

who is this guy?

Hey. My name is Peter Buckley. I live in Dorset, VT, but have moved several places since childhood. I grew up on the Jersey Shore, where my parents grew up and then moved to Rye, NY before coming to Vermont in high school. In the summers, I lead wilderness trips-backpacking, canoeing, sea kayaking, rock climbing etc. - some lasting up to a month. I really enjoy the outdoors and backpacking in particular, and have spent almost a year of my life in the backcountry. This past summer I interned on an organic farm and education center in Danby, VT. I am a senior here at UVM majoring in Environmental Studies and am in the process of writing my thesis- a long, arduous and stressful task that has been occupying much of my time this semester. My topic is designing a farm-to-school curriculum and putting into action at Orchard Elementary, a local school in South Burlington.

I, like many, enjoy the modern comforts of society, including our the internet and socializing networks. I am not much of a facebooker, but I've gotten to know its purpose, in that I can stay in touch with family members and distant friends without much effort. I do not like knowing absolutely everything about someone via their facebook page, but its a good spare time activity. Maybe it is due to my long stints outdoors, but I find a lot of value in getting out of civilization, ridding myself of technology and focusing only on myself and what is around me. Modern media is good though, it opens up communication channels that would otherwise be unexplored and has great potentials for making differences in peoples' lives, but it comes with added responsibility.

After graduation, I would like to go out west and lead wilderness trips and teach environmental ed. for awhile, before hopefully going back to grad school and becoming a teacher of sorts. Thanks for listening everyone and I am excited for the class