The Stinky Cheese Man

By "Stinky Cheese Man" I really mean Walter Lippmann. I actually do not think he is that bad, but everytime we talk about him that is what I think of. That's all.

Lippmann, to me, has a strange solution for the success of media. He is frustrated that those in power control the media because he feels as if those who rule it are tainted by affiliation with a government or corporate organization. However, one solution he poses is to have a small group of people who are unbiased to anything rule the media. This is a paradox and basically is the same exact thing as he is trying to abolish. Oh, Lippmann, I do not see what you are trying to say! As part of the answer he says that we as media consumers must participate in media, contribute and go beyond our own interests so we learn more and are not jaded by another's view.

I think that the internet, online news sights and blogs are the answer to this. There is never going to be a small group of people who are not influenced by the government or another large company, so let's just get that idea of the way. So many people are online all the time, as Mike said during the Research Symposium, there is a new meaning to 9-5. With this said, media consumers browse tons of sights everyday. And then there are blogs! This is exactly what Lippmann wanted, he wanted us to participate and contribute to the media. Not all of us can be reporters or journalists, so this is the best solution, in my opinion. I also feel that this fits right along with us making documentaries. We choose (many of us) to go beyond or own pictures and comfort zone and get out there and interviewing. I think Lippmann would see us and be proud, but because he's so uptight sounding, he would not act like it - Whatever...

Peace Through Jewish Eyes

This documentary is a small tribute to a Jewish couple whom we interviewed and spent time with. They opened our eyes to how they live and some philosophies on life. As college students, we need to understand that there still is a struggle for anti-semitism, and we have the ability to change our actions. This film educates and challenges.

There is no better way to adverstise for our documentary than by presenting our poster! This sums it up to our target audience. In the meantime, I can give my own personal view - come see this movie! Our participants are wonderful and everyone will learn something by watching this. Although we just have the rough cut done, that on it's own is fantastic. Once everything is refined and perfected we are going to have a powerful mini-documentary.

Shalom!

That means 'peace' in Jewish. I learned this during our morning of filming. We had a wonderful time, actually. I didn't feel like we were filming at all, more like we were talking and learning.
As of now, we are in the process of transferring our film to a hard-drive where we can watch it and get an idea of what we need to do next for our rough-cut.
We are all very eager to begin editing (even me and I don't really know much about what I am doing!)

I <3 Grey's...

This is my favorite TV show, in fact, this is about the only hour of television I watch all week long. I get all worked up about, plan around it and talk about it with my Mom the next day. So now you know it all.

Since I have been reading the New York Times, I can keep up with the Neilson rating every Wednesday when they are reported in the "Life" section of the paper. Normally this would not interest me, but I pay attention due to Grey's Anatomy.

This week the ratings are a bit lower than the past week (I believe that is due to the fact that last week was a re-run). It still rates second for it's viewing slot, 9:00 on Thursday. CSI takes the cake for first place, and I have to say that CSI is tough competition. From week to week, the amount of viewers is very constant. We Grey's fans are hardcore.

If Grey's were moved to a different day, I think it would uphold very high ratings. I say this because it has changed times from season to season already and it only became more popular. Although, it would be important to keep the 8-11 time range. Most of the viewers are people work all day. Having the show at 9 is a great time because most everyone is assured to be off work and ready to relax.

Experiencing Pictures that are not in my Head

My primetime viewing experience (since I normally do not sit down and watch TV for 3 hours) involved, of course, Grey’s Anatomy. The shows which surround it are Ugly Betty and October Road. These shows are all very current – the characters are portrayed in settings that look as if I could be there with them. Although I am not familiar with the layout of a hospital, the doctors are showed relaxing at a bar, or cooking in their kitchen. I know about these places, I can almost relate! Ugly Betty, to me, is not as relatable. Although Betty is appealing to a wider audience of viewers than say, the desperate housewives, I cannot relate to her lifestyle. However, it is cute to watch and think of what it would be like to be hip in the fashion realm and wear cool clothes. I mean, I can still daydream. October Road…well I don’t particularly care for this show, so I didn’t spend that much time watching it. It seems a little too hokey and drawn out for me. Although the setting is a middle-class neighborhood – it does not show a lifestyle that is too far out of reach for many people.

Although the shows I watched have characters that I can relate to and take place in towns that I can envision, I do not think I can relate to all the events they experience. Of course primetime television is extremely dramatized; this is the part that does not fit with my life. The plot line of Grey’s Anatomy is very involved. If one of my roommates misses a week or two, I usually spend more time catching them up then I would telling them how my day was. I just do not have as much drama in my life. I also get to be in on the major surgeries that occur. In real life, there is no way I would be near an operating table when someone is coming off of bypass. (Now I really know what that means, I didn’t before Grey’s)

Certainly this creates a sense of hyper reality. This hyper reality is even stronger when I watch the show with my roommates because we get into it, talk about it during the commercials, decide which characters we like and which ones are acting like jerks. We make judgments on people and pull for other characters. It is like real life sometimes! When I student-taught I saw how large this hyper reality can become. On Friday morning, many of the teachers and aides would gather and talk about the episode of Grey’s that was aired the night before – just like it was real!

There is a factor of hyper reality, but I do not feel as if the shows I watched are creating pictures in my head that are totally bogus and monitored by gatekeepers. If I stayed interested enough in TV to watch the 11 o’clock news I am sure that I would feel differently.

I would like to comment on Joshua’s article. I like what he says. Being involved in school and in the lives of young children has really opened my eyes to what children learn from TV. In one school the things they learned were not positive. These children loved to watch MTV and they certainly learned more about Beyonce and Shakira than I could ever teach them. Because they were unmonitored at home, they had free choice over what to watch. Giving fourth graders this choice will not always lead to a positive television pick. It will lead them to a hyper reality which will then influence them to try and dress a certain way, say certain things or treat people differently.

Agree with your imagination!

I would like to recommend to everyone the film "Big Fish". This film was directed by Tim Burton in 2003, it was originally a book.
Will is one of the main characters. He goes to visit his father, who is dying and with whom he hasn't spoken with for several years. One the reasons for not speaking to him is because Will is easily irritated by the stories his father tells, which sound fictitious. During his visit home, Will sits with his father as urged by his mother and wife. During this time, he listens to the same stories he has heard all his life. However, during this visit, he begins to open up his mind to imagination and open up his heart to his father. Through flashbacks and memories we are able to piece together the wonderful life that Will's father has lived. There is a terrific sense of love and loyalty to family as the film progresses.
This film in entertaining and it leaves the audience in wonder. Many times I was not sure if what I was seeing was real or a structure of imagination. I enjoy watching this film over, it is humorous and emotional every time. Tim Burton really displays his creativity in the making of this film; the settings of the memories are all different and the lighting and filming techniques accentuate these facts.
This film is a great one to watch with your family because it rings true with young and old. It reminds us to appreciate those we love and not to take life too seriously.

Moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other.

"Crash", a film directed by Paul Haggis was chosen as the movie of the year and recieved 3 Oscars. This is a movie worth seeing, not only because it recieved Oscar recognition, but because it tackels issues of race and discrimination in a way that is very real to our world today. "Crash" is a flilm that anyone can watch, it worked especially well in our class because we had discussion. Even when the film is not presented in a classroom setting I feel that it will still promote discussion. I have watched this with my parents and friends and on both occasions discussion arose. Watching "Crash" could be the first time some individuals think about race relations and really start to talk about them.

The biggest and most obvious theme of the intertwined stories is that of race. There is hatred and racism alive in movie and we see that displayed in many of the characters. The movie begins with many snippits of stories, and as we watch we discover how everyone connects to one another. To be introduced to these characters, watch this trailer! It gives me goosebumps when the connections are made, it is an "Ah-ha" moment. This theme can be stated by this annoyomous scholar:

All of us are one. When you inflict suffering on others, you are
bringing suffering on yourself. When you weaken others, you are
weakening yourself, weakening the whole nation.

This is so obvious in "Crash" when an individual tries to mentally or physically hurt another. They really do not make themselves feel better, in fact they feel worse and negatively affect their neighbor. This happens until the individual crashes - literally or figuratively. This crash can be a revelation for them to turn around or start acting differently. This same theme can also be stated differently;

What goes around, comes back around.

This is a truism that we have all heard for years and recently it has been recieving more attention because of Justin Timberlake's poetic musicianship.

This movie attacks social issues head-on, which is one reason to watch it. There are other reasons as well, though. The soundtrack is amazing. The entire atmosphere of the film is dramatized and sobered through instrumental music which was composed specifically for "Crash". The only songs with vocals come at the end when the stories of the characters with whom we now identify are being concluded. To me, this adds a lot of power and emotion to the end of the film; we are listening to the vocals and left to think on our own about the truth we have just seen presented on film. "Crash" stars many big names actors and actresses, and it is worth it, because the acting is fantastic. The actors take on their roles and you often forget that you have seen these individuals in other films or in Hollywood.

To rate this film, I will use a crash-test rating, to go along with the title, "Crash". In Consumer Reports, cars are rated using circles. A red circle is highly recommended, a half-red circle is acceptable, a half-back circle is okay, and a black circle is not recommended. I would give "Crash" a red circle because I would suggest to anyone that they watch this movie. Especially when viewed with others, this film can increase our understanding of the world. It also gets a red circle because of how well Paul Haggis directed the film, the cast and the soundtrack - as a package, just like the Toyota Camry (one of the highest ranked cars in Consumer Reports) it rates high in every aspect!