Read Me Lipton

The American Presidential Election

This year’s American election has been one of the biggest elections I have ever seen. The fact that America now has its first African-American president without a doubt makes this election a part of history. I think this is actually the first American election that I have kept track of even
though I am not American.  I think in Obama’s case there is a lot of pressure riding on his shoulders. Thousands of people are relying on him to bring them hope while the other thousand are waiting for him to screw up. In my opinion, I think that Obama will make an excellent president and I do believe in him.

The American elections is probably one of the most publicized elections that I know of. As a Canadian, I find that I know more about the American elections than I know about the Canadian elections. I find that there are more commercials and advertisements (especially with celebrities) that urge Americans to register and vote. While the only notice I received about the Canadian elections regarding voting was an e-mail from the University urging me to vote and informing me where the voting stations were. So it’s pretty clear to see the reason why I know more about the American elections than I do about the Canadian elections and that reason is the media and publicity that the American elections bring worldwide.

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Culture Jamming

One campaign that interested me the most was the Mental Detox Week where people were encouraged to unplug their lives for seven days. This meant unplugging and turning off your television, laptop, iPod, PSP, XBox, etc. for an entire week. I know that in my life electronics and technology are very significant in my life. My laptop keeps me organized for school (and many, many other things), my cell phone keeps me in contact with other people (when I am not near my computer). While living on-campus I don’t really have easy access to a television so I can go weeks without watching it. However, this past week I have left my iPod at home and I have been going crazy without it!

I think in today’s society there are certain technologies that you can probably live without and certain things that will make your life more difficult without them. The internet has become a big part in today’s society and a lot of things rely on it. It’s become and easy and efficient way for communication and the distributing of data. I think that to go a week without ALL technology would be very difficult and definitely would change your life significantly.

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We Are At War

I don’t know much about war and I am not particularly interested in learning about it. I am personally against war where it can be avoided but at the same time I support those who are working to protect their country. I think that sometimes war is necessary when the other opposing country continues to fight back. However, I don’t think it is necessary to start a war just for the sake of power and control.

The cost of war is also very expansive and can cause a lot of damage to the economy of both opposing countries. The United States has been at war for a couple years now in Iraq and a lot of damage has resulted from it. Lives have been lost unnecessarily along with countless damage to buildings and people’s homes in Iraq, some who are innocent in the entire matter.

When I first heard about the war in Iraq, my initial response was that the United States was seeking revenge for 9/11. As the war raged on and still continues, I am beginning to lose insight on the whole thing and find myself questioning what they’re fighting about.

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Buy Nothing Day

A lot of the advertisements that you see everyday is for products which they are trying to convince you are products that you need. We become victims to advertising everyday whether it be through the newspaper, radio, television, internet, etc. Society has become so focused on materials that its almost impossible to avoid having a new product shoved in your face. I’m not going to deny the fact that I am too very oriented around materialistic values as most people are. And I am not going to say that we should be buying less and donating our money to charity. If everyone in the world decided they were going to drop all materialistic values and donate all their money to charity then the economy would without a doubt begin to drop. I probably think this way because of my high school economics teacher (who was also my marketing teacher). He told us that if a major company such as Ford decided to shut down and their entire company and instead donate all their money to charity, thousands of jobs would be lost. When thousands of people lose their jobs, they will most likely buy less due to their lack of income. Then those people selling their products will lose sales and most likely their salaries will have to decrease due to lack of sales in which even less people will be purchasing products. For example, take a look at the American economy which is slowly declining. More and more people are losing their jobs which seems to only make their economy decline further. One of my teachers favourite sayings in that class was “buying is good.”

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National Media Education Week

Media Education is very important especially in the eyes of children. In today’s society the media is all around us and we are exposed to it everyday. You would even be surprised at how much children are exposed to media as well. I think that media education is important in this case so that children may understand the messages and effects of media. It is important that children learn about media at an early age because the media industry increases every year. It helps answer the questions that anyone may have about the media that are not easily answered.

I participated in media education week by taking part in an online poll from the Media Education Project. The poll asked a number of questions that may be directed at both educators of media and learners. As a learner of media, the poll got me to ask a lot of questions and think about the media and education in my life as a student. I think that the media should be included in a student’s education because one of the important aspects of school is learning about the world around you and how to deal with it. Since the media is a big part of our world and society I believe that it is important for us students to be exposed to it as much as possible, even in the classroom.

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Media Hegemonies: Mapping Who Owns What?

One major media company that I have become aware of is Astral Media. While watching television or listening to the radio I always seem to run into Astral Media. Astral Media is a Canadian company which specializes in media such as television, radio, internet, and outdoor advertising. They own radio stations in across the country as well as television stations (ie. Family, Teletoon). Astral Media is also a leader in outdoor advertising such as billboards, murals, etc. They have about 8 000 outdoor advertisements spread across Ontario and Quebec.

Since Astral Media has so many different areas of media, it allows them to expand their profit and business. There are thousands of opportunities in a variety of media such as television and the internet. If Astral Media had focused on only one of these medias such as television, their market would be significantly smaller than if they expand and focus on radio, internet, and outdoor advertising.

In the world today the media is a significant part of our daily lives. When we drive to work we turn on the radio, on our way to work we drive by billboards and outdoor advertisements, and when we get home we will most likely want to relax in front of the television. Most companies rely on the media as a source of advertisement to get their products out whether it be through magazine ads, radio and television commercials, and/or online web advertisements. Since Astral Media specializes in most of these areas they have become one of Canada’s leading media corporations.

So we started this video in the summer after watching the original video and we dragged production all throughout the summer. Everywhere we went we brought my (Veronica) camera and shot on any location and used any object we could find. Finally it was the end of the summer and we still hadn't finished it. And finally we decided to just add in clips from the original Jonas Brothers video to complete ours. It actually turned out better than we were expecting and so now here is the final product!

Hip Hip Hooray!

The Vees.

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Net Neutrality

I believe that when it comes to the internet, anything can become a public interest. A single YouTube video that was meant to be private can be viewed by millions of people, and then it hits Perez Hilton and becomes a public interest. This is probably where the battle begins. The internet was initially intended for the distribution of information and communication. Maybe someone decides they want to create a search engine and believe that theirs is the best. But as an independent website, who can compete against Google, the number one search engine on the worldwide web. Competition between the big names on the internet and the little guys begins to arise when someone thinks they can create something better.

Public interest websites are places that are open to the public and anyone can access them, like Google, YouTube, or Wikipedia. These sites are intended for anyone to view. YouTube provides videos created from millions of people on almost any topic you can think of. However, there are also the private interest websites that focus on more personal ideas. Maybe someone decided to create their own personal website for their business. This website will be intended for specific people, mainly people that are interested in that particular business or idea.

I think that public interest and private interest with concerns to the internet can be two different things. But at the same time, the two will always be competing with one another to get the most hits on their website and more publicity.

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Advertising Image From A Magazine



I’m a little bit confused on whether or not this ad is trying to fight against global warming or promoting it. I’m guessing that Diesel is under the impression that global warming is inevitable and can’t be fixed because they are stating that their products are “Global Warming Ready.” So instead of fighting against global warming they are preparing for it. The ad is attempting to tell their consumers that when in the face of the floods and high temperatures of global warming, one can still look fashionable. The priority in the ad is the fact that the two models look great and sexy in their clothes while the world behind them is half underwater. But even Diesel has a solution for that problem too. They are suggesting that when it gets too hot, wear less clothing and drink more water, and when there is a flood sit on top of a roof or buy a boat.

There are many ads out there that promote against global warming and encourage us to find greener ways to live our life so that global warming may be prevented. However this is the first ad that I have come across that is teaching us how to go with the flow of global warming and just prepare for it. Although I’m not an environmental activist myself, I can’t decide whether this ad is a genius idea or a bad idea. With all the news and affects of global warming out there today, you sometimes wonder if its even possible to prevent it. Even with the rise of gas prices people are still on the road causing traffic. And although there are environmentally friendly cars such as a hybrid, some people aren’t willing to spend the money. It’s kind of ironic that people are willing to spend so much money each week on gas, but aren’t willing to spend the money on a hybrid and even save money on gas in the future. Scientists say that the affects of global warming can still be reversed, but out of all the billions of people out there how many of us are really trying? So maybe this ad is being realistic. And although I completely agree that we should still try to stop global warming, sometimes the best thing you can do is prepare for it.

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One Web Day

The fact that this blog is right now on the internet kind of shows how significant the internet is, especially in my life. The first thing I did when I moved into my dorm was hook up my computer and make sure the internet was working. To me the internet is my connection to the rest of the world and the easiest and cheapest way for me to keep in contact with my friends at home. Today the internet provides me with entertainment, communication, and endless supplies of information. I can learn anything I want on the internet from the weather in England to the perfect colour to paint your nails in the summer. The internet allows me to feel like I am in Italy in the comfort of my own home. However, as much as I enjoy seeing London while sitting in a chair wearing slippers and sipping tea in my dorm, nothing beats the real thing. Often people can forget the value of a book. More and more books are being uploaded online or on iTunes so that you can read (or listen) to them on your computer or mp3. But nothing can compare to the joy of reading an actual book while sitting on the beach, or finding a really, really old book that was published way before the internet. So, even though the internet can open doors to many other worlds, there are other and more exciting ways to view it than through a screen.

That said, you also have to remember that without the internet today life would probably be a whole lot different. Without internet there would be no e-mail and therefore the whole world would have to rely on snail mail. Offices and businesses rely on the internet as a form of communication and a way to transfer data from one person to the next which makes their job easier and more efficient. The internet is probably the fastest way to reach people and get your message out there. People used to rely on gossip magazines such as People and Us Weekly. Now we are finding that more and more people (including me) are looking into online gossip blogs such as Perez Hilton and Just Jared. Even Advertising agencies are looking more into web advertisement due to the billions of people who are online nowadays. This shows how significant the internet has become a part of our life whether or not we are aware of it.