COMM 229: Christmas music

I know this doesn't exactly tie to the chapter we read this week on globalization, but I just realized that you can make a connection between Christmas music and media studies, whether it is consumerism, industry, or perhaps globalization if you really think about it.

I would like to start off by saying they started playing the Christmas music on the radio pretty early this year. They started last week and it was not even Thanksgiving yet! I'm talking about a particular radio station in Boston (105.7 WROR). However, now that I have been listening to the radio station the past couple days, I can't stop listening. There is something about Christmas music that just makes me very happy and very excited. Maybe it's the fact that Christmas is coming up, that could be it. I also think it doesn't really feel like the holiday season is approaching; I generally always feel like this every year. It just seems so surreal that Christmas is once again upon us. There is just something special about Christmas music I think. It has this magic appeal to it. I think it's special because we only hear it once a year, so when we hear it, we can't do anything but feel happy. That's how I feel at least.

Now, I think you can definitely connect Christmas music to media studies. I think it can be tied to globalization because we hear different music that is from different cultures, and we hear music that touches on different aspects of the holiday. It allows us to broaden our horizons on music so we can learn new songs and have an open mind about Christmas music as a whole. It can most definitely be tied to consumers..I mean, that's a no brainer. I'm sure one of the reasons we hear Christmas music so early on the radio now is because they are reminding us that that start of the holiday season is fast approaching and it is encouraging people to get ready to do their shopping. I personally try to stay away from the fact that Christmas is becoming or already is a predominantly consumer and economic holiday, and more center on the family aspect of it, and being able to see all my family. That is my favorite part. It makes Christmas that much more special for me.

WWF/WWE

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a geek. I used to be a big fan of professional wrestling; I used to religiously watch it every week and was glued to the TV set as these men (and sometimes women) would fight until they could not fight any longer. It looked so REAL, but of course, that was the point. Even after I realized everything was fake including the plots which were storylines, I was still glued to that TV. I couldn't stop watching because it was extremely entertaining. It was always known as the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) then later became known as the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). Professional reigned supreme when it was known as the WWF and it was known as the Attitude Era. That was the best days of wrestling for me at least. My friends and I grew up watching wrestling and we all had our favorite wrestlers and the ones we despised. My favorite and still is to this day is The Rock (Dwayne Johnson). He was not only a great wrestler, he knew how to make the fans go nuts. He was the best on the microphone. His talk smack was the stuff of legend. He was just hilarious, and maybe someday if he ever came back to the world of wrestling, I would possibly watch it again. With that said, I really don't watch much wrestling anymore. It's became a giant soap opera, and the storylines are just terrible. John Cena is the champ...blah blah blah. Been there done that. It gets annoying when the same guys hold the championship, besides The Undertaker because he's just one of a kind. I could probably go on for hours talking about wrestling and my days of watching it, but I don't want to go on too long. My mom used to hate it when my brother and I watched wrestling. She was always against it, and didn't allow us to watch it for the longest time.

I still watch clips of wrestling, but only on YouTube, and I generally watch clips that are from when I used to watch wrestling. When The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and wrestlers like that reigned supreme. Man do I miss those days...

COMM 229: Documentary and Reality TV

I don't watch much reality television. I don't find it amusing; I do not think it's entertaining because I think it's just too skewed and it's not actually real. I also view it as something that is completely farfetched; the people on reality television are way over the top and overly dramatic. I think it's cheap and everything is pitched and edited. All the storylines in reality television are made up ahead of time to get ratings and to add dramatic effect for the viewers. The producers are behind the scenes making sure that their show has the best possible outcome. I'm sure many producers already know who is going to win, or they make the person know who they should pick to boost ratings. Reality television is extremely fabricated, and I don't enjoy it at all.

Most documentaries are pretty enjoyable in my opinion. I usually enjoy watching them. However, it also depends on what documentary it is and what subject it is focused on. Any movie done by Michael Moore I will watch; not because I believe everything he says, but his movies are at least entertaining and worth to watch. I would rather watch something like that, than a documentary that is going to put me to sleep.

The Monopoly movie plot

First, before you start scratching your heads at the title of my blog, I want to assure you all that yes, they are making a movie based on the famous board game known only as Monopoly. I'm sure some of you are wondering how in the world they could make a feasible plot that could entertain millions of people. Well, I have the answer for you. My homepage that pops up when I bring up the internet is a website called www.joblo.com. Don't worry, it's not a pornographic website if any of you are thinking that. It's actually a website that is dedicated to movies of all sorts and is basically a daily online magazine that lists headlines of movie news about movies been greenlit, actors or actresses choosing roles, and pretty much anything that you could think of that is movie related. However, back to the topic at hand. I read the supposed plot for the Monopoly movie, and it's quite out there if you don't mind me saying. It's so out there that it seems that the screenwriter who wrote it had to be on something while he wrote this. I really don't want to spoil anything for you, I'd rather just post the link here and allow you to read it so you can gather your thoughts and maybe post a comment on what you think? Let me just say that that the writer's inspiration came from Alice in Wonderland (I know, right?) and it's crazy, but it actually seems feasible and seems it could actually work. Welcome to Monopoly City everyone.

Without further adieu here is the link: http://www.joblo.com/the-monopoly-plot

Have fun feasting on this!

COMM 229: Production

I just read this week's chapter which focused on production and the different aspects involved with the field. All I should say to start would be wow! I mean, I knew production at least involved pre-production, production/filming, post-production, but there is so many things that are in all those categories that it is crazy! In the fields, you would have researchers, design teams like set and art design), producers, directors, editors, you name it you got it. There is so many little things that go along with production whether it is radio, television, print, or film. Obviously, many people think of movies when they hear the word producer, but there is a producer in all four of those categories, and each one does their own little thing to make sure the product gets out into the public. I think it's fascinating that there are so many things that are involved with production, but I also am not surprised because it takes a lot of work and a lot of effort to get that product out. It allows a lot of jobs throughout the fields which is great for the economy and for anyone needing a job that is pertained to the field of work they are involved with.

Comm 229: Shattered Glass

For my Comm 229 class this week, we had to watch the movie, Shattered Glass. I thought it was a great movie, and I felt the acting was decent (most of the time when I was watching Hayden Christensen I just saw him as Anakin Skywalker; especially the scenes where he whined a lot). However, his acting was still good. He did a good job at appearing innocent and somewhat fragile with a different state of mind. I've heard and I'm one of the few that will say that I do a lot of thinking while I'm in the shower. After watching the movie, I felt that the scene where the class is applauding him then suddenly disappeared was extremely important. Then while in the shower, I realized why it was such an important and pivotal scene. During the scene, we are watching Stephen thank his teacher and thank the classmates as they are applauding him after giving his speech. He then looks back at the classroom, almost as if the camera was now his eyes and the class is empty, signifying that, the whole time it was all in his head. I then realized it was so important because when we see Stephen earlier in the movie, he's in a hotel room and some guys are partying hard and another scene he's at a conference for hackers. The point I'm trying to make is that he may have been there, but all the people around him did not exist; they were all in his head, and he pictured things happening around him. He sat there alone, scribbling made up notes as he played scenarios through his head. It really was a masterful job, to do that and to do that to such great lengths. It was a great movie, but the greatest part of all was definitely the ending.

Halo 1 (The Video Game)

I have to say, that I miss the original Halo: Combat Evolved. It was a great game, and it was one of the best games for it's time, when it came out. Then all the money it made, it sparked two more games, and now the new expansion Halo 3: ODST. But, I think the original Halo was by far the best game. I have an Xbox 36o, and luckily the first Halo is compatible with the console, so I think I will soon be buying a copy of the game and I can not wait. I felt that the levels were much better and the guns were better as well. Especially the pistol, my favorite gun of the game. It was such a powerful gun; you could easily win a match with just using that gun. It was a great game, and I can not wait until I get my hands on it again.