How Does Media And Propaganda Manipulate Culture?

12:00 Class
          
Persuasion is a powerful technique to get a person to do what you want. Media and Propaganda go hand in hand in persuading people to get them to believe something. Culture is the idea and beliefs of a society but some of these ideas and beliefs come from both media and propaganda. The clothes we wear to the way we do things, it’s all manipulated by the media.
           Commercials are used to advertise foods, clothing and other products for people. The media makes it all seem so tasty if it is food or so useful if it is some other type of product. Fast foods are advertised as being delicious however the audience is not told that most fast food places aren’t healthy for you. Propaganda makes style a big deal in society. The public is forced to think that certain brands of clothing and accessories would make you look and feel better of yourselves when it isn’t true. There are many people who are perfectly content buying any clothing and not the expensive brands. Celebrities on television also affect the decisions of people by making them want to look like a celebrity. The public tries to look their best by copying a celebrity’s hairstyle or their wardrobe which is sometimes a bad thing because they are trying to be someone they are not.
            Both violence in television and some genres of music talk about drugs, alcohol, and weapons which make young kids, who watch and listen to this, think that its okay to be violent and to us drugs or that they’ll be accepted and ‘cool’ if they did these things. Apart from media and propaganda influencing the entertainment department it also affects political issues such as when the time comes to vote for a new president.
            In the video the Science of Manipulation, an ad for the re-election of the President at the time, Ronald Reagan, was shown. It spoke about how America was a stronger, prouder and better under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. The video also gave examples on how people’s lives were better and that they now looked at the future with hope and confidence. It ended asking the audience why would we go back to the way things were before. This video is a good example of propaganda that says things the public wants to here. If the people watching wanted to continue living great they would vote for Ronald Reagan. So you see, media and propaganda both are used to influence our lives. This has been going on for a long time and probably won’t stop anytime soon.

How Does Media Shape Society?

12:00 Class

Any news topic that comes about doesn’t necessarily have to be true. Why? Because the media can sometimes exaggerate or not give all the facts about a piece of news. Most of the public believe everything that the media says because they are the reporters and supposedly they go research and find the real facts about an issue. Society accepts all the things the media tells them because there is no evidence that what they say isn’t true so whatever is in the news becomes a reality to us. We live by that reality which could be made up or real yet we take a chance and believe it. Reporters and journalists choose what will be shown to the public and sometimes hide really important information. People live believing something is the truth when it isn’t and when they do finally get the truth they don’t want to accept it. An example of this would be about what happens in some political issues around the world. The things we hear could be false because the media is trying to make people believe something that they believed. Journalists change their facts to get their point across to the public. Everyone has their own opinion and the media tries to manipulate it. Media is used to spread myths and other ideas that society lives by. Myths such as the world will end in the year 2012 or ideas like global warming is get worse and that it is a real problem that needs a solution. Maybe global warming is made up and if it is real maybe it is over exaggerated to get people to consume less electricity and to pollute less. Different television networks from different countries would broadcast news in their own way. If it was a political issue, each country might change some facts to make the other country look like the bad guy. Media is sometimes used to cover up for events that weren’t supposed to happen. Mistakes made by the government can be lied about to forever hide the truth so society doesn’t get angry at them and then rebel or oppose them. This probably happened already and we might never find out. People who hold positions in the government such as the mayors, governors or senators or even candidates can either be made to look as if he or she was a bad person or a good person depending on what journalists want you to think. If they like a particular candidate they might show more support for them and since they control what the public hears, this can change one’s opinion. Therefore it is necessary to be careful when dealing with what the media presents to us whether it is in the internet, radio or television and to be open minded in some issues. Even though media has its cons it still can be helpful because it can be used for other good things such as spreading awareness for health concerns such as the fact that cigarettes, alcohol and drugs have short and long term effects on the human body.

The Media Made Me Do It

12:00 Class

The Media Made Me Do It

 Media doesn’t really affect the things I buy as a consumer. Ads and commercials are seen in the internet, magazines, newspapers, and in television. I don’t really pay attention to commercials. I still like to know what products come out and their function but I rarely buy them just because of a commercial. The first thing I wonder when I see ads is if it is actually worth it buying their products. Sometimes products come out that do something and claim that it will make your life easier but in my opinion those are huge waste of money. Sometimes products come out that do something and claim that it will make your life easier but in my opinion those are huge waste of money. For example I recently saw a commercial for a product that makes cracking eggs easier. If you are good at cracking eggs open already or if you don’t mind getting a small fragment in your cooking then this product is a waste of money. Commercials such as these talk about all negative things that could happen and then they present the solution which is the product being advertised. The media sometimes uses elements that relate to the consumer to get them to but their item. Products such as Proactiv use celebrities to show that the acne cleaning product works. The consumer relates to them and are tempted to buy it. I myself wanted to buy when I was in high school however I was told by friends that used Proactiv that it didn’t work for them so I didn’t buy it. In commercials for Alcoholic beverages or cigarettes you usually see a group of people having a good time with beautiful women and the consumer sees this and wants the same thing so they buy it. Some products do catch my eye yet I still don’t buy them either because I know it is expensive or I’m comfortable with what I have. The only type of media I pay a lot of attention is the news. This sometimes does affect my opinion on things specifically on political issues. Apart from that I like to be informed of what is going on in the world.

Descriptive Essay Draft 2

12:00 Class

Nothing lasts forever and your life is constantly going changes. These changes can sometimes be so small that you don’t even think about it. Things such as changing your hairstyle. Your life can go from good to bad or from bad to good or anywhere in between. My point is things either change or end sometime whether you want it to or not. That’s just how life is. Some people are more fortunate than others and I believe it’s possible to overcome any obstacle in one’s life. I remember my entire family went through a change before but fortunately it wasn’t a bad one, it was just one I considered big before. If anything it helped us in a few ways.

                 Back in the end of the 1990’s and in the beginning of the 2000’s a lot of my relatives used to gather at my uncle’s apartment or very few times at my cousin’s house in Pennsylvania to celebrate Christmas. My uncle had an artificial Christmas tree every year. He would decorate it with colorful ornaments and he’d also hang different Christmas cards on it and then he’d placed it in the far left corner of his living room near the windows. There were also some other small decorations around his apartment like pictures of Santa Clauses.

                 When the guests came in they would put the presents they brought under the tree. The presents were in all sorts of wrapping paper from plain colored sheets to shiny colorful ones with snowmen or other Christmas related images. We would go to his home on Christmas Eve and then wait until it was midnight to open the presents and then my family would stay up all night celebrating. When I went entered his home I got a feeling as if all my problems were gone. Of course this is how I feel now but before, as a kid, all I thought about was what I’d get that year.

                  During those years many presents were given. Many expensive things were being given to each other. For the kids, things such as game systems or other toys that recently came out in stores were given. The adults didn’t get as much gifts as the kids but they still received stuff like clothing and beautiful dishware and fancy cups that shined brightly in the light. I guess it was all the money they had that made them buy so many things because in their old countries they never had much.

                    Me and the other young children opened their gifts first. We had big smiles on our faces as we ripped the wrappings apart under the window that showed the big snowflakes falling from the dark orange sky. When we were done we gave out the other gifts to the adults but some of them preferred to open their gifts in their own homes. My uncle played Christmas songs on his home stereo, which was a gift from my father, when the clock read 12:00am. The Christmas songs were only on in the moment when the gifts were being opened. After that the music changed to Latin sounds such as Salsa and Merengue that my relatives would dance to.

                  As the years went by the Christmases weren’t the same. Christmas became mainly only for the kids because the adults didn’t get any gifts. Every year there was less presents which were still great but less money was spent. Money was becoming a problem. Some financial problems were starting and some of my relatives including my father lost their jobs. My family never completed college so they didn’t have a secure career only common jobs. We still go to my uncle’s home but only the little kids get gifts. However nobody complained since we all understood the importance of money and what was more important was to be reunited as a family to celebrate the end of the year festivities.

                  Fortunately my relatives who lost their jobs got new ones and some even went to college. We learned to save money after being forced to however it was helpful in the long run. Even though the money issue got better, presents are still only given to the little kids. It sort of stayed like a tradition.

Descriptive Essay

Things change. That’s just how life is. You life can go from good to bad or from bad to good or somewhere in between. Some people are more fortunate than others financially and I believe the government plays a big part in how much a person earns in their jobs. I remember back at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of 21^st century that a lot of my family members used to gather at my uncle’s apartment or very few times at my cousin’s house in Pennsylvania to celebrate Christmas. My uncle had an artificial Christmas tree every year. He would decorate it with colorful ornaments and he’d also hang different Christmas cards on it and then he placed it in the corner of his living room near the windows. There were also some other small decorations around his apartment like pictures of Santa Clauses. When the guests came in they would put the presents they brought under the tree. The presents were in all sorts of wrapping paper from plain colored sheets to shiny colorful ones with snowmen or other Christmas related images. We would go to his home on Christmas Eve and then wait until it was midnight to open the presents and then my family would stay up all night partying. When you went in you got a warm feeling as if all your problems were gone. Of course this is how I feel now but before, as a kid, I just thought about what I’d get that year. At that time many presents were given. Expensive things were being given to each other. For the kids, things such as game systems or other toys that recently came out were given. The adults didn’t get as much gifts as the kids but they still received stuff like beautiful dishware to clothing. Me and the other young children opened their gifts first. We had big smiles on our faces as we ripped the wrappings apart under the window that showed the big snowflakes falling from the dark orange sky. When we were done we gave out the other gifts to the adults. Christmas songs were being played from the stereo when the gifts were being opened and after it was done the songs changed to Latin music such as Bachata and Salsa that my relatives would dance to. As the years went by the Christmases weren’t the same. Christmas became only for the kids because the adults didn’t get anything. Every year there was less presents which were still great but less money was spent. Money was becoming a problem. The recession problems were starting and some of my relatives including my father lost their jobs. My family never completed college so they didn’t have a secure career only common jobs. We still go to my uncle’s home but only the little kids get gifts. However nobody complained since we all understood the importance of money and what was more important was to be reunited as a family to celebrate the end of the year festivities. Fortunately my relatives who lost their jobs got new ones and some even went back to college. Even though the money issue got better, presents are still only given to the little kids. It sort of stayed like a tradition.

Free Write - Figurative Language

A time when I felt really disappointed was when I failed my driving test. I took a ten driving lesson course. I learned pretty quick and felt really confident before all the ten lessons were done but I continued to take them as to not waste my money and to improve my driving skills even more. On the road test day, I was excited like a little kid gets excited when he goes trick or treating for the first time. I had to wait a long time because other people in line were waiting their turn. As I was waiting, for some reason all that confidence I had went down the drain. I started to get nervous. My heart was pounding hard trying to get out of my chest. My right leg got numb and I got worried because it would be difficult to drive with a numb leg. However all that was for a while. I regained my confidence when it was my turn to do the road test. I think I got overconfident because I failed in the first thirty seconds. The first thing I had to do was drive straight and make a left turn into a four lane street. I started off at a kind of high speed and did a nice left turn but it was in the second lane and not in the first like it was supposed to be.  Immediately I was told I failed. The instructor’s tone was so plain but at the same time had an angry tone and it irritated me so much. All the anger I had awakened and started a silent rampage. It hurt being told I failed and that I needed more practice. I felt like hitting him but I knew that would get me in serious trouble. He told me that I had to turn back to the starting point. I did as he said but I did it recklessly, I was mad and I didn’t care how my other turns were or my stops or anything else seeing as I failed already. I was actually lucky that he didn’t prohibit me from ever getting a license. I really have no idea why I got so angry at a situation like this because it wasn’t a big deal. A couple months later I took the road test again and I got my license.

Show Don't Tell

Ever since we finished middle school and started high school me and my friends from middle school got separated. We went to the same high school and still saw each other however we weren’t in the same class and had a new group of friends. In our junior year we decided to catch up so we went to see the comedy movie “Role Models”. I went with Ricardo, Natalie, Brian and Carla whom I‘ve known since the sixth grade. We didn’t but any food in the theatre because we decided to go at a restaurant so we stayed hungry. You could hear Brian’s stomach constantly making noises and he couldn’t wait to go to the restaurant. He refused to eat the popcorn because he was on a diet but ate an apple we bought at a grocery store we passed. The restaurant was located in Roosevelt Avenue and was called “El Dorado.” The food served there was a mixture of Spanish and Chinese food. I have been going to that restaurant with my family for as long I can remember so I was very familiar with the place and the waiters. The restaurant is narrow in the entrance where there are tanks of lobsters and fish and as you go in, it gets wider into a square shaped room. The ceiling of the place was the color of the sky: a bright blue with white clouds. The decoration so n the walls gave it an Asian feel to the place. We sat down and ordered our food. It was a relieve to smell the food. On the table there was steak, chicken, fries and salad. We all started eating except Ricardo and me. He went to the bathroom in the back and I just waited because I didn‘t want to have to get up to let Ricardo in his seat after I got comfortable and started eating. While he was gone Brian who was a playful and immature person decided to put hot sauce in his steak. He called the waiter and ordered what was called the ‘the special hot sauce’. He wanted to put it on Ricardo’s steak but it would be noticeable so he mixed the salad dressing with the hot sauce and it looked like some foreign salad dressing. I was wondering what if he was allergic to the sauce but Carla he knew him better said that he has eaten it before and that he just doesn’t like spicy foods. Ricardo came back and started taking some salad and put on the hot sauce/salad dressing on his salad which was on a separate small dish. Brian couldn’t hold in his laughter to cover up for it he lied saying that he remembered something funny. The girls were smiling, waiting to see what would happen and I went to get a container of cold water. Fortunately, I didn’t miss Ricardo eating his salad and then immediately stop after the first bite. You could see the sweat drops sliding down his cheeks from his forehead. We all laughed including him. He started to turn pink and starting drinking the water quickly. The problem with the joke was that he mixed his food with the sauce and couldn’t eat it. Lucky for him I was eating the same thing and since I didn’t eat anything yet we switched plates. I, unlike Ricardo, enjoy spicy foods. That joke was cruel and even dangerous but it was still funny. Ever since that day every time I see hot sauce or go back to that restaurant I remember that day when Ricardo got his mouth burned by the hot sauce.

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Gender Expectations

 Gender norms go back a long way. Before men were seen as the ones who had to work and women had to stay home taking care of the children. Today the things that are expected of them are different than they were years back. They can get the same jobs as men and they also have the same rights as men. It was thought that men were superior to women however there are still people who think that women should obey everything a man says. You see in the news domestic disputes where a boyfriend or husband beat their girlfriend or wife. I personally witnessed a couple in my high school arguing and the guy ended up slapping his girlfriend and got taken away by a security guard. In a non violent way this happens with little kids.

           When I was younger and went to elementary school, there was always the occasional gender argument between the boys and the girls. Most boys used to think that all males were stronger, faster, smarter and basically just better at everything. I’ve seen some girls do it also however it wasn’t as often like the boys. For some reason I used to think that boys were smarter than girls. I was in either Kindergarten or the first grade when kids said things like that. It wasn’t said in an aggressive way but rather they argued playfully. For example when it was recess and a group of boys were playing the game “tag” and girls wanted to join in, the boys would say things like “girls can’t play because boys are faster. This would continue into little arguments and then races to see who is faster and they’d end up playing together without realizing it.

           I guess young kids get these thoughts from television or they learn it from someone or its part of nature and its just a phase in life. I noticed that today these things don’t happen anymore. My little brother for example when he started school he had friends of both genders. Of course there are always exceptions. My little cousin in second grade thinks that girls are weaker than boys. For example when he is playing a video game where you could choose from female or male characters he always picks the males. I ask him why and he tells me in a childish voice that its because girls are weaker than boys. He is starting to let that idea go and I’m glad because it was really annoying when it came to playing with others.