Hyperbolizing Lies

Celebrity star Katie Holmes filed a $50 million libel lawsuit against Star Magazine in 2011 for publishing a picture of her looking disorderly and implying that she was a drug addict which was, according to Holmes, a false claim. In the end Katie Holmes won the lawsuit and Star Magazine published on the cover of one of their issues and in an article an apology to Katie Holmes stating that they did not mean to indicate that she was a drug addict.

Also, Star magazine donated money to Dizzy Feet Foundation on Katie Holmes behalf. The reasoning behind the judge’s decision was not published and neither were any financial gains from Katie Holmes winning the lawsuit.

As far as the result of the lawsuit I can see both Katie Holmes side and Star magazine’s side. I can understand that Katie Holmes would be upset over a headline that suggests she might be a drug addict. Having headlines as such could slowly begin to ruin her image and thus her career which is why I understand her reasoning for filing a suit against the magazine.

On the other hand, I don’t see how the magazine is completely at fault. I understand that they should not post things that do not have a reliable source or if they unsure if it is true. Yet, a lot of gossip magazines post things that could only be a rumor and they say that what they are talking about is a rumor. Magazines and newspapers are supposed to inform people on things that are true as well as things that could be true, but they must have some kind of reason or evidence to them.

I think that the judge made the correct choice because headlines claiming that Katie Holmes is a drug addict can really destroy her positive image which is something that she had to work for throughout her career and something like that shouldn’t be held against her if there is no truth to it. Also, I think it was good that Star Magazine donated money to an organization because it preserves their image a little bit as well and people benefit from the money donated.

Restoring Image

I’ve noticed the negative publicity that has surrounded Kristen Stewart since a few months back when she was involved in a cheating scandal with Rupert Sanders. Pictures flooded the internet of Twilight’s Kristen Stewart kissing Rupert Sanders and while they both received a lot of backlash it seems that Kristen Stewart has received a lot more negative publicity since then, and is still getting some now.

One of the reasons this kiss between Kristen Stewart and Rupert Sanders was such a huge deal was because Kristen Stewart cheated on her boyfriend Robert Pattinson and because Rupert Sanders cheated on his wife with whom he has two kids with

It’s certainly important to try and clean up her image otherwise she will lose supporters and less people will go watch the movies that she’s in. Also, it’s important that she’s not known as the girl that cheated on Robert Pattinson. One of the best things to do is to have her apologize for her actions and try to rectify them, which she has done.

As a Public Relations professional I would make sure to put out a press release about her apology to make it more formal, and hopefully get people to stop seeing her as the bad person since she was not the only one involved in this situation. Also, I would schedule a conference or talk show appearance in which Kristen Stewart talks briefly about the occurrence, and then doesn’t mention it again as a way to leave it in the past.

Something else that I could do is to have her support a campaign or organization that is important and has a positive image. For example, she could work with Girls for a Change organization to try and show her support and give girls a positive image as well because she would be showing that women can be independent and strong, something she has to be after everyone found out about her scandal. Also, since she is getting a lot of media attention it would help people support this organization.

The best strategies to use with the negative publicity that she has received are a special event with the organization, and the pseudo event which would be the conference or appearance on a talk show. Each of these strategies abide by the Public Relations Society of America’s ethical code because the information given in the press release is based on facts, and an apology was made as a way for the public to know that Kristen Stewart acknowledges her mistake. There would be no lying on behalf of Kristen Stewart or on the press release given to the media.

There are many ways that these strategies could backfire and give Kristen Stewart even more negative publicity. For example, during the interview the interviewer could ask several questions that could make Kristen Stewart look worse than before. If an interviewer were to ask “Why did you cheat?” Kristen Stewart would have to be prepared to answer as honestly as possible without making her look bad.

Also, an issue with the Girls for a Change event could backfire if not enough media show up to the event or if not enough people from the public are aware of the event. The press release could also be taken negatively if the press decides not to run it or to change a few things about it when posting it online or in a magazine.

Perfectly Placing Products

I recently watched The Social Network, the film about the founding of Facebook and the many issues that Mark Zuckerberg had to deal with being sued by Co-Founder Eduardo Saverin and two brothers who claimed that Zuckerberg stole their idea and made the website under a different name.

For the purpose of not confusing anyone I’m going to use the names of the characters the actors are playing and not the actors themselves.

I thought this was a really great film to watch when thinking about product placement. I figured that since it’s about Facebook so Facebook will be everywhere, what other products will be used? Why some and not others?

I don’t think I’ve ever watched a movie so closely, what the people were holding, what stores were surrounding them and whether the names of products were visible. I was actually surprised by how much I found. There were some products that I think were there just coincidentally but there were a few products that I could tell were placed on purpose.

One of the items that I noticed twice was Mountain Dew cans. At the beginning of the film Mark Zuckerberg opens the refrigerator in his room to get a beer, and a Mountain Dew can is clearly visible. There are other drinks that you can see like a Red Bull and Pepsi but they are only slightly visible. The second time I saw a Mountain Dew can while Mark Zuckerberg is talking to his lawyer and Eduardo Saverin’s lawyers.

As far as the beer that Zuckerberg gets out of the refrigerator there is no brand name shown or visible in the shot where it would be easy to see the name, and the camera is out of focus, just enough so that the name can’t be seen. The same thing happens with all of the other beers that are shown in film, which I found interesting. Zuckerberg’s friends have a different brand of beer but their names are also not visible throughout the film.

I think that the Mountain Dew was certainly a product that was placed in the film on purpose. What are the chances that when someone opens the refrigerator the only real visible item is the Mountain Dew? I mean, it’s more visible than what Zuckerberg actually gets out of the refrigerator. That should definitely tell you that it’s there on purpose.

Another item that I believe was placed on purpose is Zuckerberg’s laptop brand. At first when he opens it you can clearly see that it says HP. Now, at first I thought that it was just a coincidence until I realized that a few other laptops that were seen throughout the movie don’t show what kind of brand it is. When the new staff of Facebook is sitting at their computers working, there was not one single part of the scene in which you could tell what brand of computer or laptop they were using.

Lastly, a product that I think was placed on purpose was the Adidas sandals that Mark Zuckerberg wears a few times. In one scene it starts where the first thing you see are Zuckerberg’s sandals as he’s sitting, the Adidas name clearly visible. There’s another scene in which Zuckerberg is walking up the stairs and once again you see that he’s wearing his Adidas sandals before the camera moves up to show his face.

I think that the most noticeable product was actually the Adidas sandals because both times that they were shown the scene started by showing the sandals, making the viewer aware of them. They were clearly in the scene and there’s no way you could miss it if you were watching the movie.

The other two items might be missed if you’re not paying close attention like I was, in fact I missed the second time the Mountain Dew showed up and had to go back and watch that part again because I thought I saw it but wasn’t sure. The laptop, well I don’t think is easy to miss, but since it only appears once I think that it’s easier to forget, unlike the Adidas sandals which were presented as an introduction of the scene.

I think the products were probably chosen because the company probably was one of the sponsors for the film and that was what they wanted. Maybe they chose a specific product because it’s something that’s already popular but want to get more people to be encouraged to buy it. It could also be that the product needs more coverage because not many people know about it or not many people are buying it for whatever reason, so you put it in a movie and place it in the right way and people might check it out.

It was interesting to watch a film not simply for its content or entertainment value but for the products that are strategically placed. I liked that I had to stop the movie at times and think about why an item was put where it was, and wonder if other people would notice it if they weren’t looking for it like I was.

Unwinding Terror

A book that I’ve read before that has made a significant difference in my life is Unwind by Neal Shusterman. I read this science fiction book when I was in High School as part of my book club, and I absolutely loved it. We discussed many things as we read the book and many more after we had finished. 

The book follows three kids between the ages of thirteen and eighteen who must be unwound. Being unwound meant that you would have your body parts harvested or frozen for later use. The book is really eye opening as to how our government could easily go to the extents that occur in the story. There’s also a really great review of the book by The New York Times, you should go check it out and make your own assumptions about it.

The reason this book made such an impact in my life is that I find myself complaining about things a lot, but what I realized through this book is that there are people who actually have a reason to complain about because their lives are in danger. I know this book isn’t based on a real events but the truth is that it could happen. What happens when people can’t fully agree on some controversial topic like abortion? Things like the events that occur in this book.

I read about these three teenagers who were struggling to stay alive when the government and/or their families wanted them gone. It’s odd to think about the fact that if your parents wanted you gone because they couldn’t take care of you anymore, or because you rebelled that it would actually be legal for you to die. All of that simply due to the fact that you would help others.

When I discussed this book with my friends the one thing that stood out for all of us was how twisted, and repulsive the idea of being unwound sounded. Your parents would be the ones to consent you being unwound and I know that I would not want to live in world where the people you trust the most are the ones that can ultimately take your life away. The book made me appreciate my parents a lot more because even though being unwound isn’t an option in real life I know that my parents aren’t that distorted in their minds to have me unwound.

Also, it made me think a lot about our society. I often stop and think about the media and how today it is negatively impacting teenagers. I think about how differently young kids are growing up today and I simply think, ‘This is the twisted society we live in today.’ Yet, after reading this book I was able to appreciate the world I live in just a little more because at least we have not gone made and made being unwound a possibility. I give credit to our society for that because even though teenagers are getting pregnant at a younger age, teenagers are dropping out of school, and violence seems more common there is still that part of our society that is human enough to know that something like being unwound isn’t a possibility.

I think that was one of the whole points of this book. To open my eyes and make me realize that while today’s society has changed a lot in a negative way there is still hope because our society has not gone completely mad. The book made me appreciate my own life because I have control of it once I’m born; there is no one else that can say ‘I can’t take care of you so you’re going to die.’ I have the freedom and in Unwind those young kids didn’t and the worst part is that once you get to know the characters you realize that they are just like you and me. They are regular kids going about their life, except their lives must end.

After reading this book I found myself reading more science fiction than before because a lot of those types of books have some kind of possibility to them. They portray the world we live in, but in the worst possible way. This only makes me appreciate the world we live in and my parents, friends and anyone I know just a little more than before. Science fiction books open my eyes to the many possibilities that are out there for our world and they make me picture what my life would be like if I lived in the world the story portrays. What I’ve learned is that I would not make it in those worlds because they are completely crazy and absurd.

When I finished Unwind I found myself looking at the world differently and being immensely grateful that our society is still a lot better than those described in the book because I live in a place where freedom does exist.

The book is actually going to be a movie and there is an unofficial fan made trailer that gives you an idea of what events occur in the book. Crazy, isn’t it?

Artificial Expectations

After watching Killing Us Softly 4 I had a lot of thoughts running through my mind.

I already had an idea of the kinds of images and messages that advertisements were sending to women and men everywhere, but I was still surprised by a lot of what I saw In this film.

One of the most striking parts was when Cindy Crawford said “I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford.” This was such a strong message because it shows that all those pictures in advertisements are changed so much that the actual person does not look like that.

The message that is being sent to young girls today is that how you look is what matters. If you open a magazine you’ll see images of women who are perfect, which gives young girls this idea that they have to look the same way as the person in the magazine, but the woman that doesn’t really look like that.

Something I did find surprising was that in the film they mention how sometimes pictures are constructed using one woman’s head and another’s body. If they can’t find someone that has a perfect face and body, then why would they want to display it as if they did find a woman like that? What kind of message is that sending to girls everywhere? It’s just not right. The women in advertisements should be real and there should not be drastic editing done to pictures.

As mentioned in the film, advertisements show ideal female beauty which is why they should be real. I don’t think it’s right that woman everywhere think that the ideal female beauty means being perfect because no one, not even the women in those ads, is perfect.

One of the worst things is that not only are women trying to fulfill the expectations created by advertisements, but men expect women to look like that which adds more pressure to women. It influences how men feel or view women because men expect these beautiful, perfect women who don’t even exist.

This film was really great because it showed a lot of things about advertisements that I had never really thought about or noticed. I think it’s important for women to know what happens backstage when advertisements are being made. They need to be aware that the women on advertisements are not real, that the expectations that they create are not real. 

There is too much emphasis on physical perfection for women and I don’t think that it’s right for advertisements to be doing this. They should be aware that these advertisements can cause women to starve themselves or even die because they are trying to fit society’s expectations of what a woman should look like and that is just wrong.

What I want to know is why our society would put so much pressure on women?

Why is it so obsessed with perfection?

And why is it even allowed?

Reality Disrupted The Disney Illusion

I’ve talked about Disney before and I’m back because I just can’t quit Disney!

Truthfully I love Disney; I’m just surprised by all of the hidden messages implemented in their movies, and into the subconscious minds of the innocent children that will one day run our world.

When I was in high school I got my first dose of the “real” Disney and I could not believe what I saw. My teacher showed us certain parts of Aladdin and told us to look at it from a specific point of view, whether it is a feministic, a psychological, or a sociological approach.

I did just that, and I was left speechless. There is so much that is in Disney movies, and so many ideals about society that are being expressed that I never noted.

So let’s think about a few Disney movies, what do The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Cars all have in common? Think about it for a moment; consider each character, their actions and the plot of the movie itself. 

Let’s dig a little deeper, how are the female characters represented in each of these movies?

In The Little Mermaid, Ariel is viewed as this beautiful mermaid who has everything she could ask for-except love. Love is certainly something that shows up in many if not all Disney movies. But, let’s get back to the female characters shall we?

There’s also Belle from Beauty and Beast and she’s this sweet, and beautiful princess.

How about Nala, in the Lion King? While she is a lioness, her characteristics show that she, like Disney princesses, is pretty and carries herself the way women should.

If you pay attention when watching these movies you can tell that Jasmine and Sally also have the same characteristics of being beautiful. This gives kids the message that you have to be beautiful the way these Disney Princesses and characters are in order for you to find the one thing they all seem to find, which as I mentioned before is love.

Love seems to be an essential in Disney movies. I can’t remember ever watching a Disney movie that didn’t end with two characters finding love, or having a happily ever after. Which, now that I think about it has lead to think and expect a happily ever after in my own life. It’s not like Disney does this on purpose, but I’m sure many people have this idea that eventually they’re going to find someone to love and then everything will be perfect. That they’ll live happily ever after just like in the movies.

I love Disney movies because they give me this hope. By the end of each movie the good people always get what they want or an alternative happy ending which is something that I’ve learned doesn’t always happen. But, watching Disney as a kid I didn’t understand that these movies and their characters were not based on reality.

When you hear the word “Princess,” what do you think about?

Perhaps you picture an old lady with her hair all crazy, rotten teeth and a tiara? I highly doubt it. You probably picture a young and beautiful woman who is beyond perfection in every aspect. You picture a Disney princess.

Why exactly is that? Where did we learn that a Princess should be that way?

I can tell you that I learned it from Disney. They were the ones that first showed me what a princess or even just a woman was supposed to act like. Sure, I had my mom around and I saw other people and how they acted but I was so fascinated by the Disney characters that my mind was blocked from seeing my mom or other women in the same category as the Disney characters.

I know that I got a lot of my expectations from Disney films. 

My expectation about happy endings is one, how women are supposed to act is another, how they are supposed to dress and carry themselves, and that they’re supposed to be at home cooking or cleaning. I got all of this from Disney movies and I didn’t even know it at the time. I think that as a kid you don’t notice these things but the more you are exposed to them the more an idea about something starts to build.

I certainly think that Disney had a big influence on my life and even though I didn’t realize it at the time, it taught me a lot about society, our American society. I learned how our society views males and females, what their roles in a home are supposed to be and much more.

There are so many themes in Disney that I couldn’t even begin to cover them all like The Disney Princess Syndrome.

The truth is that Disney movies tell so much about our culture that I’m sure that if someone from a different culture were to sit down and analyze it they’d be able to tell so much about our culture, values and society.

These are some of the things that they would be able to tell about our culture because everything from the way we view women, to the way our country’s social aspects run are represented in Disney movies.

Also, here is a video called “After Ever After” about what happened to Disney princesses after their happily ever after.

Changing Interactions

I recently read an article that really interested me.

It was written by Rich Maggiani and talked about how social media has changed the way people communicate today, from the baby boomers to what they call the “Generation Y”.  This article mentioned how the forms of communication have changed over the years. People used to communicate by mail, personally, or home telephones while today the most common forms of communication are by text, IM, Email, cell phones, or through social networks.

It is mentioned that there are certain ‘rules’ in social media that help people interact effectively because now people want to express their opinions, be listened to, and find common interests with others. Social media is a way for people to interact with others, which is exactly what these rules consist of. They are guidelines for interacting with people on Facebook or Twitter. 

The five C’s mentioned in the article are the ways in which the rules are met. The Five C’s are conversation, contribution, collaboration, connection, and community. Maggiani then talks about how each of the five has helped communication between people.

According to Rich Maggiani ‘conversation’ is important because it allows everyone to talk to each other. Instead of having one person talking it’s a whole full conversation where one person says something and another responds. Contribution refers to the encouragement for people to react or give feedback on just about anything. Collaboration means the availability for you to receive information through social media. Connection would be having access to the internet for anything that you need, and community would be the union of people based on common interests.

Also, Maggiani talks about the three generations that are experiencing social media, specifically at work. There are the Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y all of which had different upbringings. The Baby Boomers grew up with the television that was black and white, home telephones, newspapers, mail and many other things that today are fading away, this generation is said to have the most problems with all of the emerging social media.

Generation X is not fully explained but is the generation in between the Baby Boomers and Generation Y. Lastly, Generation Y is the current teenagers who have privilege of growing up with cell phones, texting, email and internet. Since this generation grew up with social media they have no problem saying what they feel and putting it on the internet, as it is now common.

Generation Y is communicating more and more through social media and less through other forms, but Rich Maggiani points out that this new form of communication has simply brought people closer together and helped people interact more and more.

I agree that social media has helped people have better communication but only over the internet. I think that person to person communication is slowly getting worse. Of course social media also really does help out companies so that they can get feedback from their customers on what they like and dislike.

Of course, all of the media that is available today has negative effects. People might feel like they’re closer to those who are far because they can talk to them easily, but in reality it’s not the same as talking to someone directly. What’s going to happen ten years from now? Are people even going to bother speaking to each other or will they simply text each other for everything? While no one really knows it seems that social media is leading us that way.

In fact in this article called Social networking may have negative effects they mention that the more people use social media the lonelier they are because they are simply using social media to speak to others instead of going to them directly.  I certainly agree that social media has helped people be more united and find other people who share the same interests as them. What I don’t agree with is the amount of time people are spending on social media.

It worries me that today’s kids won’t know what it’s like to play outside in the sun because they will be inside playing video games with friends, on Facebook, or on other sites that promote communication among people through technology.

Whichever way you look at it Social Media has a good side and a bad side. It all really depends on your perspective on it. Whether you grew up with it or not and whether you understand it influences your views on it.

Future Fears Fulfilled

The world would be a crazy place to live.

The need to speak with someone directly would not to exist and the only communication that would occur would be through a computer or phone.

People wouldn’t even need to go to the store in order to buy clothes, thus minimizing the interaction between people even more. Did you ever considering having to print clothes?

If you can’t use a computer then you would not have a job. You would be expected to truly understand how the internet, computer and many programs work because they would be the basis for work. The world would be consumed by technology and people would be obsessed with improving previous inventions to make everything more efficient.

More companies like Netflix would thrive and things like DVD’s would fade into the past.

Everything would be online and I mean everything. Books, newspapers, and magazines would only be available online.

My life would be very different. I wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone on the street because they would all be empty. A lot of people would cease to go outside, choosing to stay inside instead.  If I were to try and talk to someone on the street they would look at me as if I’m the one that’s crazy.

I would do almost everything from my house, but would have no real interaction with other people. I would be trapped in a world where technology is more important than humans. Work would be hectic and difficult because every month there would be some new program to learn about.

Have you ever watched the movie Surrogates?

That’s what life might be like.

Instead of talking with other people we would use computers, or like in the movie robots. They would talk for us, deliver our messages to other people and push humans towards isolation.

Communication among people would deteriorate but people’s writing would improve and become a vital aspect of life. Many careers that were at the bottom of the hierarchy of jobs would rise to the top since they would require the use of technology.

This is how life could be affected by the very same technology we crave today.

 

Blissful Perfection

2035.

It’s the middle of the night and your phone starts to ring. Sleepily you touch the button that is on the wall and your friend appears on the wall in front of your bed. You see odd things in the background and you ask, “Where are you?”

“Camping, you have to see something hold on,” they whisper as the camera shifts and you see a deer quietly eating not too far away.                                   

That is how life will be in the future. No restrictions on signal and good video quality everywhere. You won’t need to have a computer or phone in front of you so that you can video chat with a friend. At the touch of a button a screen will appear to show you whatever you need. Maybe you need the directions to that new boutique that everyone’s been talking about, so you click your mirror and the GPS pops up. You type in the address and it gives you the best route to get there then sends it to the built in GPS on your car for when it’s time to leave.

My meetings at work will no longer be in person and instead they’ll all be through video chat. Work life will be a lot differently since I’ll have all of the information from that last meeting on my phone. In fact, everything will be at the touch of your hand. You can get information on anything by touching a screen or through the media which will be available easily.

No more waiting for your computer to load a web page and definitely no more annoying “Error” messages.  The world will revolve around technology and nothing more.

It’ll be hard to stay up to date with all the new advancements but it’ll be easy for me to grasp the new technologies and my life will my simpler. Things will get done faster and I’ll get a chance to relax after work. It’ll be a life that I will really love because I love technology and everyday I’m amazed by how much it’s advanced.

I could meet with by boss or other people from work right from my house. I’ll be able to talk to my clients that are in Japan as if we were sitting in the same room. while I’m at work I’ll be able to see what my friends see as they go backpacking through Europe. I’ll start speaking and the computer will type what I am saying, making it easier for me to have press releases ready to upload online since everything will be done over the internet.

My world will be simpler because everything will be faster. I won’t waste my time because technology will provide me with some way to make everything I do faster.

Close your eyes and image it all. It surely seems like the perfect place to live because daily hassles have been made into simple and easy tasks.

This is what it might look like, realistic and possible isn’t it?

Disney Exposed

Disney is a part of most American kid’s childhood as it was also a part of mine. While I knew that Disney had its flaws I didn’t truly grasp that Disney expresses a lot of ideas that might not be that great for young children.

I really used to think that Disney was simply for entertainment but after watching Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney, Childhood & Corporate Power I realize how wrong I was. Disney does more than entertain kids for a little while.  There are so many themes and ideas that expressed in Disney that I had never noticed before but seemed obvious after watching this film.

In class, we talked about how in Beauty and the Beast, Beast is pretty mean to Belle yet she still ends up falling in love with him at the end of the film. Immediately I thought about something that a lot of people tell kids when they’re younger and I wondered if maybe that was where they got it from. I’ve heard parents tell young girls “If he’s mean to you, it means he likes you.” Based on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast that saying is true because Belle and the Beast do end up liking each other, but what does that tell young girls and boys? That being mean is the way to show that you care and in reality that is not true.

There was so much in the film that I don’t even know what to talk about but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned after watching the film is that Disney has a huge influence and plays a key role in the lives of kids. I don’t think that the ideas shown in Disney films or shows are meant to tell kids directly what to do, how to act, how to dress, etc. but I do think that the messages unconsciously enter kids minds and affect their thinking.

I noticed that the scenarios and character expectations in Disney films and shows do not correlate with reality very much, if at all. In majority of the films that I’ve seen I can remember perfect girls with perfect hair, perfect manners, perfect clothes, etc. No one is perfect yet girls are getting the message that perfect is beautiful and right. Also, The girls in films are always in some kind of trouble and are portrayed as damsels in distress who need a man in order to get through the issue at hand.What does that teach young girls?

Now, don’t get me wrong I love Disney but sometimes you have to put your emotions aside and really look into what kids are learning from Disney and decide whether they’re simply being molded to be a member of society or who they want to be.

Also, here is a video that shows some of the many messages that Disney indirectly sends to our future generations.