The Fabricated Reality

For this post, I decided to bark this topic by availing varieties of many of videos and my personal dogma based on the existing knowledge from my readings. My decision to add fewer elucidations than videos is because they are so eloquent and dripping with actuality.

These videos are very self explanatory, and as a result of all of these actions, we get our existing reality. Our reality is not only fabricated but an intentionally misleaded. The mass media continue to provide us with stories, images, and whopping rationalization that shape how we make sense of the role we assume in our families, our workplaces, our society. These stories and images don't come from Pluto:our deepest aspirations and anxieties are carefully, relentlessly reserched. Then they're repackaged and sold back to us as something we can get simply by watching or buying....The news, sitcomes, or ads are not reflections of the world; they are very careful, deliberate constructions. Where the Girls Are Introduction Page 15

PROVOCATEUR by ANTHONY J. CORTESE

Images of Women and Minorities in Advertising

Now men (and women) may be bodybuilding to pro-duce a strong physical image or give the illusion of invincibility in hopes of being less vulnerable to random acts of violence. A strong physical image may compensate for a lack of economic security and control over one’s work. (This is discussed in greater detail in chapter 5. In other words, a physically powerful look validates masculine identity and provides a dominating image for safety and protection. The increased popularity of bodybuilding has been associated with male insecurity (Klein 1993). There is an interesting parallel between the anorexic waif look in female sand the muscular and athletic look in males. At the extreme of both is obsessive-com-pulsive behavior, which is believed to be due to a chemical imbalance in individuals. In addition to this biological chemical imbalance, cultural, gender, and sub cultural forces guide and shape individuals as part of the processes of socialization and acculturation. In females, obsessive-compulsive behavior may result in anorexia nervosa, in which girls and women starve themselves in an attempt to reach unrealistic cultural standards of feminine beauty. Similarly, in obsessive-compulsive men we may see a condition called muscle dysmorphia.

Bodybuilding may be men’s reaction to compensate for an increase in women’s economic, political, and social power. It is the intimidation factor. If men can no longer dominate women economically, politically, and socially, they are developing their bodies to be even bigger and stronger than women’s.

 As much as I respect the Black Eye Peas as talented artists and creators, the more I study in this class the more I realize that they are just another piece of the Media jigsaw puzzle. In just this one music video, it has a ranging variety of products, outfits, and hidden, subliminal messages that makes this video a commercial. It’s very sad to observe that such talented and quirky artists are just materialistic and commercial. And they send these damaged messages to their followers.

Companies are endeavoring a new strategy to sell, as if settling the damage in our society, which the Media actually perpetrated. The improvement the mass media is making is a bit incompetent, but a start. I take that this is all just another one of their selling chaimanes, but now their message is: “We understand you, everyone is going through this. Buy our soap and you’ll feel better. We’re one of you, ‘average and normal, or not’”. But at the end of the day, you’re still another naive consumer who “must buy”.

 This particular advertisement is trying to send a positive enforcement toward viewers, but instead, it advertises a mixed message “as clear as day” sexism. Between two evils, you'll favor the one that hurts you less. It might not be perfect, but it’s less harmful, and a step forward to the right direction.

 Christina Aguilera is a true artist, she literally has been raised under Media, and as a result she had many philological issues. All of the younger consumers feel distressed with all the varied mixed messages, but Christina Aguilera’s case is abominable, Feeling Media pressure more deeply and painfully than an average young teen, she expressed her pain felt feelings in her songs. This is an exceptional message toward a younger audience from a media Icon. She used her chance to express herself.

Celebrities in Media seem to be involved more and more. And they use the same advertisement principle to spread an Iconic message figure to get consumer’s attention; especially younger people. Hopefully, this strategy is at its beginning, and will eventually spread.

I would like to finish with two of my favorite advertisement video clips. Both of them are educational, and they both send the “right” messages. We need to experience ads like these to change our modern society all over the world, and in all generations.

Translation from Russian:
Child Voice:“Why do I drink?” “Because it’s cool,” “To have a drink, and right away you’ll feel sure of yourself, more mature, as an adult.
Voice over: “Would you like to become an adult quicker? But witch one?”
The sign on the screen: “Decide today of what you will be tomorrow”. “Don’t drink.”