Generation Like Response - 3rd Response(empowered)

Society is so engrossed in pop culture and social media, they don't even realize they are being exploited by advertisers and content creator's. Youtube, a popular website that shares online videos about a variety of topics with millions of different content creators. Are these content creators(at least the popular ones) being exploited as a marketing tool, or are they benefiting from the uprise in fame?

Personally the content creators(Youtube Stars) are essentially being used by advertisers, but i disagree with them being exploited. As they are voluntarily being apart of this campaign or marketing tool, they want to participate. Do they want to promote the ad itself? Probably not. Most Youtubers clearly become corrupt with power and the money they earn. They only take up this advertising to essentially benefit themselves whilst unseemingly benefiting the advertisers at the same time. As a result their popularity increases and so does their income. After increasing popularity the amount of opportunities increase and increase chance to boost income. Many You-tubers take a path of which they can make either a film,song,movie or a combination of these things. Going "viral" as such is important to Youtubers as almost all of them rely on their Youtuber money and advertising to help them live their lives. Many of these stars are also trying to grind as much money as they can as they will most defintely be thinking about the future of Youtube and if it is just a phase. With all these opportunities Youtubers are being offered they are very much being empowered as opposed to exploited. The reasons above are clear reasons of how Advertising revolves around pop-culture and essentially social media. Whilst many might say Advertising manipulates pop culture through the use of social media are correct, but in this case Youtube Stars are being empowered to create their own form of pop-culture and make money revolve around them. If their content becomes viral and trendy that can be classified as pop culture and because of that advertisers need to adapt to their style in order to use them or their content to promote their product. The demographic of consumers of the content is also very important but if it is seemingly popular it most likely will be yet another opportunity. The content creators feed off  consumers(normal society) through use of social media and their form of pop culture. Advertising then leech of their pop culture and then promote their items through social media. In every case money is both being used and gained from this cycle. In my opinion Youtubers and Content creators and being both empowered to a point where they can classify and change pop - culture to their style of which advertisers must conform to if they want to achieve their goal.

We live in a crazy society with an ever so revolving cycle around the main goal for everyone involved. MONEY.

UNICEF AD - Analysis

The Unicef Tap program is an initiative by charity group and organization Unicef to create better lives for people who are in need. The predominant purpose being to persuade and encourage people to take part in this program that will undoubtedly save and help many lives. The social context of the ad is the clear slogan - "you don't have to be a celebrity to make a difference". Clearly reflecting todays society/culture of which millions of people disregard charity and donations as they assume that even if they did contribute they wouldn't make a difference as opposed to a wealthy celebrity. Using this context, they make the target audience middle class people with enough money to support themselves. This time they have altered the scenario to encourage people further, by doing this program on a mobile phone and no money needs to be donated. The tap water program is a mobile app of which makes users wait 5 minutes without touching their phone to make Unicef donate money from other sponsors.Quite obviously, they use a smart persuasive technique of making the audience(middle class joe's) empowered by not forcing them to donate but encouraging them to donate in a less economic straining way. Unicef highlights the slogan whilst not  branding celebrities to further persuade their target audience. 

To conclude, the core purpose of the ad is to ask people for help by  encouraging and persuading people to join and try the tap water program to help those in need.

The Pitch - McDonalds Fast Food Reflection

Natalie and I created an advertisement pitch for the popular fast food chain McDonalds. Our company name was Prestige Worldwide.


In the pitch, i used the appeal of both humor, and more specifically,the need for affiliation. We used appeal of humor as we knew we would be making a youtube video ad. With this in mind, a majority of our audience would be attracted to mockery and humor of which we consistently show in the video. We also thought because many people want to be included, they could explicitly see the appeal in the video. Sophisticated language was key in the presentation and more importantly, we kept expressing our gratitude for the opportunity as McDonalds then would recognize that this company really wants this job. We also kept both classic McDonalds elements(slogan+mascot) whilst creating and adapting our own slogan and rival mascot,  to create not only a more interesting ad, but a win-win situation.

We used King Burger( Burger King) as we knew it is very popular in the U.S and being McDonalds main competitor, it would very much increase our chances of getting hired if we degraded or mocked them in some format or way (context very much influenced this). We had a logo in mind, but unfortunately William was sick and could not bring it. Otherwise we used the McDonalds logo just to remind the company that they are in charge and of course used the slogan for added emphasis on the conclusion of the pitch.

I felt individually i didn't prepare for it very well, bearing in mind we only had 3 days, however i still don't think it can reflect my true potential because one member was not here and that I had no control over the powerpoint. Otherwise, i felt my speaking skills are great, i just need to avoid the stutters.

Speaking skills and preparation before hand are key to oral assessments and the FOA won't be very different. This was most definitely the most exciting activity to date, and i liked how we could practice these skills in a different format and register. Overall,  a very successful activity, that i could take both negative and positives from for my FOA.

Till next time!

Reflection of Todays Lesson - Introduction to Unit 2 "Adverinfotainment"

Hi everyone, long time no see.

Today we were introduced to the new topic/unit "Adverinfotainment" that is very much involved with the media and entertainment and more importantly how they affect us and the world.

From the lesson, i was very interested in the topic in general. I am seriously considering going into the media or some form of advertising and thought the activity(toward the end)was very interesting. Now more often than not, I am not generally interested in questions that involve more of a scientific or analytical mindset, but i truly was very curious about this topic. The questions posed to the group, really got me thinking hard. These questions we went over - We knew it was evident, but most of us don't stop and realize, this is happening now; and has been happening for quite a while now!

Now, one thing i really do like is how community and identity both fall into what we are doing in this unit. Whilst it might not be related directly, there are definitely some aspects of both units that we can use to help justify or explain a certain concept. For example during the lesson we went over a question that was something along the lines of "How we view what we are given by the media and how for each person is different"(you get the gist). We can quite clearly relate this to bias,background and very much identity and community, so it is evident that both units can interconnect with one another.


On a more general note, I enjoyed the lesson and look forward to this unit.

Let's hope it is kind to us!

Editors Letter - Twtr?It's majorly bad!

To the Editor,

I am responding to the article (‘Twtr?Its majorly bad!’) posted of March 24^th on the Mail Online.

The article is very well written but some of the points mentioned within have been exaggerated and very much generalized. I think that the title above could have been just a normal abbreviation (I understand Twitter is a social network of which brevity is pushed) but to generalize the whole app as being “majorly bad” and from my point of view you are underlining Twitter as the cause of of “Pupils eroding language”.

On another topic, I completely disagree with some of the article subheadings of which are majorly generalized. For example “Hitler was majorly bad' and 'Hamlet was mental' also written in work” does not necessarily mean that the whole grade or class writes these things. I think that this is very harsh and the article overall can be looked at as over exaggerated.

I and many others feel as Text speak to be great for kids. 80 % of texters are adults and use text speaks often. In order for people to abbreviate words they must know how to say and spell the world and therefore does not degrade language at all. I can agree that social and interactional factors are mainly negative but the fact is that language has had a positive impact due to text speak. The language is enriched and helps many of us understand language rather than misinterpret language. I strongly disagree with the article and teacher who suggests that it erodes pupil’s language and therefore bans it. Kids must also practice reading and writing. Text-speak is a form of both reading and writing and can vastly improve literacy- Grades have been proven to be better if they text or use text speak. I hope you understand the consequences of the article and how text speaks is better for an average pupil rather than than therestricted  standard use of language. Professor David Crystal is an expert of linguist and has had a supported theory that text speak does indeed improve literacy skills.

Kind regards.

Interview Between Rapper Hoodie Allen and The Source

An interview between “Hoodie Allen”(Steven Markowitz) and Hip Hop rap magazine The Source. (Fictional interview)

The Source: “So, before we start with questions about your music and passion, why Hoodie Allen?”

Hoodie: Allen:

” Well, Hoodie was my childhood nickname and when I first started making music I needed a catchy and easy name to remember, so I chose Hoodie. Secondly Allen was my other half in the music industry until we went separate ways so I decided to keep it in honor of how he helped me become what I am today. I also wanted my name to be similar to director Woody Allen!"

The Source: “Hoodie, your music around the world, has had an impact on people. I mean the fans love you, why do you think that?”

Hoodie Allen:

“ Well when I was growing up in Long Island, I had a tough life, and I always thought that if I ever become big, I will never give up or forget my fans. They got me here. I try to always communicate with the fans, and that’s one of the main reasons I don’t have a record label. It’s my music made by me, for the fans. I can never thank them enough, that’s why my music is free to everyone, unless they want to buy it off iTunes. I think most artists take their fans for granted, and I will never make that mistake.”

The Source: Hoodie, Where is your inspiration for your music? Where and how did growing up fuel your passion for music?”

Hoodie Allen:

“Most of my music is authentic from life experiences or issues worldwide. Songs such as “FIFA”(abbreviated for discriminatory purposes), newly released “Let it all work out” and my album  “All American” all have significant meaning. In my newest song, I talk about stress, time and money before graduating. All my inspiration I get is from myself, from my own experiences in the University of Pennsylvania. I also do have samples of music that I just think sound good, but my community that I lived in changed my life, so I try to discuss their problems to change theirs. My Album “All American” was named specifically that, to highlight the success America and specifically Long Island gave me, to show the benefit the freedom of America lay upon me, and lastly because a hometown restaurant was named the same thing.”

The Source: “One more question if you will. How has your community impacted from your music?”

Hoodie Allen:

“In Long Island, Plainview was where I lived. Most of the people knew me as the kid who wanted to write music, which got home every day from school and was trying t best to sound like a wannabe A-list Rapper. I grew up in a Jewish household and the communities and schools I went too were Jewish. Most of the people were discouraged about “Making it big” and very much struggled to keep their lives together.  It was hard and rightly so their mindset was fixed on, never pushing boundaries rather than going the distance. Once I released my first album, the people were so proud of me and I decided to do my last tour their because of how much the place and people meant to me. To be regarded as the “Long Island – Plainview sensation” is an honor and I know that everyone is proud of me and hopefully have been inspired by me.  My life has definitely not been easy, and I got where I am today the hard way. Dedication and support from my fans has helped me. I hope that my fans continue to find pleasure in my music, and understand that authenticity is the best record label.”

The Source: “Thank you Hoodie. It’s been a great pleasure interviewing and talking to you, thanks again for coming. We wish you luck on your future endeavors.”

Hoodie Allen: “If music be the food of love, play on. Thank you”






Sources:
http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2014/10/t10-hoodie-allen-interview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodie_Allen
http://nypost.com/2014/11/25/how-a-wharton-grad-google-exec-became-a-rap-sensation/


Hoodie Allen talks about his life in Social Media including Twitter and YouTube videos.
I personally know background knowledge about him myself as i have analyzed and listened to his albums and consider myself his biggest fan.

A Perception of Intelligence, How Language affects our Brain, and Bilingual Speakers.

Hi everyone, I found the readings we had for this blog very interesting and if you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading them! Interesting stuff!

The article “Yorkshire named top twang as Brummie brogue comes bottom” displays and explains results of an experiment in the U.K. The victims of the experiment were shown 3 different accents in the U.K and had to judge/rate the accent in terms of intelligence. Some of these trials were used with models and they rated the intelligence of the model from 1-10 based on their accent. The results are particularly surprising as the article explains that the Yorkshire accent to most people (based on the trials) is the most intelligent sounding accent, whilst the Brummie(Birmingham) accent came rock bottom. The article very much relates to many things we learnt in class such as code switching, power in language and diction. The stereotype the article focuses on, is that the Yorkshire accent “is rated as the most intelligent sounding,” whilst the people with the “distinctive Brummie accent were seen as stupid”. This very much addresses the stereotypes associated with language, diction and dialect (specifically focusing on a regional stereotype). The article also briefly touches on power in language and indirectly brings up the question; Who gets to decide what is right?  Normally the wealthy or just a majority of people which in this case, the majority of people (from the testing’s) found the Brummie accent less intelligent sounding when compared to two other accents and of course the clever Yorkshire accent. Of course the tests were probably just a minority of people but depending on who the people were and depending on their background, the results could have ultimately been very different.

The average intelligence ratings given by the study participants, out of 10, were: Yorkshire: 6.71; RP: 6.67; silence: 5.99; and Birmingham: 5.6.

You say up, I say Yesterday. Joan O’C Hamilton touches on a few points regarding how and if language shapes how we think as individuals and collectively. Regarding what we had done in class previously, we had asked 3 questions of which I thought related the most to this reading. Do you project the same identity in all the languages you speak? Which language would you choose to best express complex ideas or personal experiences? What language do you think in?  These three questions connect significantly to this reading. Highlighting the second question, Hamilton indicates that the language you learn or have when growing up has a great influence of personal experiences or memories. “Boroditsky’s research suggests, that the mechanics of using a language such as English…also tends to more vividly imprint that agent in the speakers memory”.(p.464) This brings up code switching and relates back to the bilingual poems we read and analyzed in class. For example, in one the poems the author remembers a memory in Spanish yet she writes in English (only code switching in a certain scenario, or to fill a conceptual gap). The reading continues to talk about bilingual speakers, cultural evolution (“linguistic relativity”),”relationships of time, space and gender”(p.466) , I however thought that code switching and ways of thinking were the most important and related the most to our class lessons.

In the excerpt Bilingual Mind: Understanding How the Brain Speaks Two Languages, Jeffrey Kluger explains the benefits of speaking/learning two languages, otherwise being bilingual. Kluger explains that a bilingual speaker can often respond quicker and are perceivably more intelligent. This allows bilingual people to code switch and develop a different “code for

language and gesturing”(p.126). He also highlights that relationship identities are often easier to create between bilingual people. Most of the excerpt relates to bilingual people and cognition, especially the affect of bilingual people on their kids. The article is more centered toward a psychology specified audience, but does incorporate some element of code switching and identities.

If you read until the end, I salute you! - Till next time.

Mother Tongue - Amy Tan - Preach

In Amy Tans writing "Mother Tongue", a variety of issues are touched upon that are directed upon non-native English speakers. The most prevalent one to me was the stereotypes that people are subjected to. The most common stereotype that many people address to today is the stereotype that all people with Asian ethnicity are very intelligent. This is mainly because of the assumptions from previous knowledge of others and also due to the fact that studies and work is increasingly more rigorous in Asia rather than other countries located elsewhere. This is seemingly wrong to assume. Over 60% of teachers worldwide base marks on ethnicity and “class” rather than quality of work reports Oxford University. If you can’t figure out the wrong in that, then you in fact are stereotypical. Children with names of African or Asian ethnicity were given 15% lower marks reports the Dailymail.

I can often relate to this myself. As I am from South Africa, an issue appeared before me one day whilst I was in mall. I went inside a shop called “Mr.Harveys Parts of Junk” to browse what was to offer. After I saw want I wanted I approached the cashier (who was white) and handed him the toy. He responded with, “20 rand. Only 20 rand. You like Paper (of which he did a gesture) or Plastic (of which he repeated slowly).” Now I can understand that maybe he was a bit deluded but he changed his dialogue after I responded. He didn’t expect me to have perfect English and hence why he spoke to me in broken English. A minority of Black people in South Africa cannot speak perfect English (in terms of punctuation etc.) and instead speak broken English or use hand gestures. The shopkeeper on previous assumptions and very much a stereotype thought I couldn’t speak English based on my skin color. Now similar to Tans issue with her mum and the stockbroker, I can say that it was the only time I had ever been treated that way.

Stereotypes are a common problem in todays society, and whilst I have never really been “stereotyped” I can still say it destroy someone.  I have colored skin and from South Africa yet I speak English as well as you would get in South Africa. Never make assumptions, unless you are studying economics.

Preach.




Sources

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2180585/Ethnic-minority-pupils-underachievement-tackled-blind-marking-bid-remove-teachers-prejudice.html

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/RR853.pdf