4th - Literate, illiterate, literate?

Yay for Olive green font colour!

Anyway, up we go, to the 4th topic blog assignment, only on Cultural Media Night blog!

"What is Media Literacy and why is it important for you as FCM students to have it?"

Well, let's look for the definition and meaning of Media Literacy now, shall we?


"Media literacy is the process of accessing, analyzing, evaluating and creating messages in a wide variety of media modes, genres and forms..."
-- (Courtesy to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_literacy)

"The process of understanding and using the mass media in an assertive and non-passive way. This includes an informed and critical understanding of the nature of the media, the techniques used by them and the impact of these techniques."
-- (Courtesy to www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teaching_backgrounders/media_literacy/glossary_media_literacy.cfm)

"the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce communication and information in a variety of forms and means."
-- (Courtesy to www.unesco.org/education/educprog/lwf/doc/portfolio/definitions.htm)


There you have it, the meanings/definitions of Media Literacy. Now, why is it important for us FCM students to possess it? Well, in order to be a great artist/designer, we need this skill in order to proceed into the industry : to attract potential customers to look at our works, to make them buy it. Once we mastered this skill, we'll be able to produce better artwork as we have better awareness, and we'll be able to understand the artwork from the customers/viewers' point of view and not just ours (the producer).

We need to know how to analyze and evaluate artworks, to critique it in a proper way, and not just do it just because we hate the artist/producer. We can also learn to enjoy artworks and look deeper into artworks/works/media, deeper than a typical viewer, who probably knows nothing about media ; those who only know how to criticize without giving any constructive comments - those who don't care how long, or how hard the artist/producer spent in order to create their masterpiece. Since we are going to graduate and be a creative multimedia person in the future, we need this to understand artists/producer, and learn from their mistakes and triumph/good skills in the future, and not go away blindly.



PERSONAL REFLECTION!

Weeee, media representation and culture stereotypes! As everyone said (and also I have mentioned in the MMLS discussion board), the culture stereotype is much more interesting because they remind myself of me, I used to watch movie and be a typical stereotype as well. (fffffffff mosquito bite HAHAHAH!) Interesting lecture, should do more of those kind of lectures!

3rd ; MAY I HAVE A BURGER AND SUM SANDWICHES??

Before you ask what's wrong with my title, have a look at this youtube video. (PS : It's a banned commercial that I enjoy laughing to.)



(Gotta thank Eddy for forcing me to watch banned commercials on youtube)

Anyway, 4th blog assignment is on Media stereotyping, and here's the question to discuss on about.


" Give a very short basic explanation of what media stereotype is? (Keep it short please!) From your personal experience, what other media stereotype (besides the example from the article) you have seen either on TV or in the movies? "

Link to the article we are to refer/read from


Er, now how do i put this in words...

Media stereotype, in my opinion, are stereotyping of people in either groups, or race, or religion, or skin/hair color, and even many more as people of certain attitude without thinking twice. Example, people who play computers = nerds, boys who play sports = jocks, mean girls who look pretty and has boys chasing their skirts = cheerleaders, etcetra etcetra. Come on, don't tell me you've never thought that way?

Well, as everyone know, one of the most popular stereotype group is of course, high school kids. (Too much High School Musical dissing eh, Charlene?)

Most students in high school are ALWAYS, ALWAYS separated into these classification. cheerleaders, goths, nerdy/outcasts, jocks. And the main character always has to be the nice, outstanding, unique character who is probably not in any labels of group.

Here's the interesting part : Most cheerleaders/mean girls/drama queens HAS to have conflict with the nice one, and the nice one will always prevail, or at least have a truce with the mean ones.

What do you see...? Cheerleaders with those b*tchy attitude, or sporty girls who look cool?

Cheerleaders must be mean, competitive, b*tchy, mean to other group of girls, especially the dorks, etc etc. I mean, come on, can't there be a like, a goth cheerleader for a change as the main character? Or maybe a totally different personality, like a girl who eats a lot but mantains her weight yet sleepy, but is a pretty cheerleader?

Goth. Oh God don't get me started on that.

Now, don't start nagging me on a vulgar photo... We're all over 18.

Goths are also stereotyped as people who are weird, likes to write emo poetries, smoke drugs and consume depression pills, and are also classified as people who cut themselves and had tried suicide at least once.

WEEEE I'M A GOTH AND I SUICIDE. HOW STEREOTYPING IS THAT?!

Also, people classify goths as outcasts sometimes, and doing small robberies from small shops. Actually, not all goth are suicidal and depressed. They're just dressing up the way they are and in the end, they're actually friendly people, like you and me.

The nerdy/dorky ones? Come ON! Always portraying them as bully tools for the cheerleaders and jocks? Not all nerdy/dorky people are fanatic, and stays in front of the computer 24-7. We FCMs do that all the time, but are we dorky? No. And most main characters start off as a nerd that is disliked by the "popular" gang, in the end prevailing as the winner.

Speaking of popular, why can't the nerds be the popular ones instead? I know nerds are popular in MMU.... Don't hit me.

Jocks are like the male version of cheerleaders. Hot, sporty, wanted by every single female living creature in the world, and of course a must -- A player. I know guys who are sporty and NOT hot. (SORRY GUYS LOL) A guy who plays sports must be a jock, what about a guy who is hot but does NOT play sports? Does it make him a jock as well?

Think about it.




PERSONAL REFLECTION ON CLASS!

Well, it was a holiday so there was no class? Well, personally I felt I've learnt more about media and how people view media, and some histories on it (HAHAH THE ALIENS-INVADE-EARTH TALK RADIO DRAMA! Can't get over that one.). Hopefully I'll get to put these knowledge to use. :)

2nd ; ALLLIIIEEEENS!

Today we'll use a pink font, yes?

Anyway, blog assignment 2 is about a comic strip, "Rumors, lies and innuendo spread far, wide, and fast on the Internet." taken from "Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture" by Stanley Baran, pg 324. We were asked to give our critical reflection and of course, personal reflection on class too.


So... Yeah. That's the comic strip. Honestly, it gave me a few giggle. Honestly, it's true you shouldn't believe everything the internet says, haven't parents been warning their kids about it these days?

So the question is...

"Do you often take what is on the Internet as truth without thinking much about it? If yes, why? If no, why? Discuss this in your own words."

Honestly, there's yes and no. Sometimes I admit I do ponder about the things said in the internet, so I can't really say I didn't think much about it when I first see it. Let's see...

Why yes? Some internet websites have been verified to be truth and I believe it. Examples : TheStarOnline.com (dude, that's the website for The Star newspaper.) and other newspaper online websites (MalaysiaKini etc), a very wee-bit information from Wikipedia and related TRUST-ABLE (when I say trust-able, I don't mean bullshits like Encyclopedia Dramatica, although it's fun to laugh at from time to time) encyclopedia-like websites, some magazines' websites, etc etc etc. You get the idea. They're originated from newspapers, magazines, and credit-able authors (because the Wikipedia moderators delete bullshits off the information page as soon as they see bullshits, thumbs up for them!). So that's why I said yes, because not everything on the internet are lies, as internet originated to provide information for its users in the first place, until the bad eggs came over to tarnish it.

Now for my other answer, why no? Well, like I said, bad eggs came over to tarnish it. Like Encyclopedia Dramatica for instance, and joke websites. Remember there were times when you get prank emails on fake newspaper bits? Yeah, that one. And most of all...

Would you believe everything this website says? I won't. If you do, I have bad news for you...

If you haven't heard of 4chan, then it's better to not even check it out. Seriously. it's the best examples for "don't believe the internet too much". Ugh, don't get me started on 4chan. It's the reason why so many weird parodies and internet chats were born, as well as... uh, so many things. You need to be a hardcore web stroller to understand.

So that's my answer, and of course my ponder-ation and critical reflections. I included examples, related it to the question, used correct/as far as I know good grammars, included examples and supporting details. Yes, so far, yes? Haha.




Well well now, personal reflection on class!

Well, I came to class a wee-bit too early, panicked and begged Vivian to come to class. I saw only Khai Wen and Xin Yi (is that how her name is spelled?) in class until the rest all swarmed in 1 group by 1 group.

Anyway, after that our lecturer started class about "Wars of the World" and how *cough*stupid*cough* the history of it was. It was the radio station's way of saying "Boo". NOW HOW LAME IS THAT? I wonder why they weren't sued...

And then there comes the effects that can be used on media, like the powerful effect used by the stupid radio station, some "hey, I've been through that!" effects, etc etc. It was cool learning those, I actually had a bit of fun learning it. The bad thing was, it started getting draggy.

In my very honest opinions, I'd rather the effects come with examples of how the effects can be used, preferably something incredibly interesting or funny to re-attract the class attention back, since there were so many people talking and Mr. Radzi Bedu got annoyed.

And HAHAHA SUMMARY GOT EXTENDED TO 2 WEEKS, good thing I finished mine early so I can start doing DF. Oh God, don't get me started on how angry/annoyed/relieved I was to hear DF assessment being pushed a week back Anyway that was it for this week's cultural media night's update. Do come back for more if you want to catch up.

Ta.

1st ; Social Medias are delicious like ice cream. :B

First topic on blog assignment!

Ice cream = Social Media. Very very creative. The video reminds me of a phone commercial as well, using papers to describe the video. :'D What's that again... Maxis or Celcom?

First there's only newspaper and TV. People only get information scoops (get the pun? >D) through there. Then the internet comes and butt in, giving people the opportunity to voice out and create their own media as well. Then some people's media got popular, example : xiaxue, kennysia, Kevjumba etc etc. You get the idea. Then there were so many things to read/watch, so much that the newbies (a term for people who are new to stuffs) got confused on what to watch, like - What is popular? What is interesting to them? And what is HOT? Then someone decided to put up a brilliant plan -- using ratings and comments to let viewers rate/comment so the media maker can produce better ones by listening to what viewers want!

How does it affect me + lives around me? Better media to view, of course! More entertainment! More nice blogs to read, more youtube videos to watch, more artworks to enjoy. To rate is to let people know how good the media is, to comment is to improve on it or to listen to what people had to say about your media (ice cream). It's actually more convenient, unlike newspapers and TVs who seldom listen to viewer's comments. The media in the world is improving due to this better service. It's better to listen to viewer's opinion than to go all-out on your own + no one being happy with your media.

About personal reflection, on class eh? There were slideshows, as usual. I missed 2 classes consecutively though, so I couldn't say anything.