Monday, October 23, 2006

Bang, bang, bang!

I have made a realization today. I have always tended to see issues in shades of gray rather than black and white. I have always tried to be an open-minded person. I like to believe there is never a right or wrong answer when it comes to controversies in society. After talking with my little brother Dan, I realized that the same goes for the effects of the media. The effects do not necessarily have to be negative. Many of them are, yes; however, they could also be positive.

I asked Dan was his favorite television show was and why. I was seeking to find something I could use to blame media for the youth’s increased interest in violence and their curiosity in the drug scene. Dan replied, “CSI is my favorite show. It teaches me that there is no such thing as an insignificant detail. Also, no matter what crime you commit, you will be caught. One episode that I was watching one day had a group of high school kids (teenagers) going around Vegas beating up people, mostly tourists, and killing two and severely injuring multiple more. It made me feel that the world is turning into a horrible place and that I need to be a better person to counteract that feeling.”

I wish that were that’s how it could be in every case, but I believe Dan is in the minority. So much is based on violence, crime, and drugs these days.

Here (http://www.worldandi.com/public/1994/july/mt2.cfm) is a really good article solely based on youth violence and the media. It is very in-depth and covers a lot of statistics and information. I suggest checking it out. Have your reading glasses handy, though. It is an intense amount of information all crammed on one page. I wish they had links to each of the sections rather than sticking it all together.

The part which peaked my interest had to be the statistics. The article included the calculations of how many crimes were committed by juveniles. Unfortunately, these numbers are rising. Could that be correlated with the increased number of violent video games, television shows, and movies?

All seriousness aside: I must quote Clueless, one of my favorite movies.

“So, OK, the Attorney General says there is too much violence on T.V. and that should stop. But even if you took out all the violent shows, you could still see the news. So, until mankind is peaceful enough not to have violence on the news, there's no point in taking it out of shows that need it for entertainment value. Thank you.” (http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/5342/Clueless2.htm)

So, yes, it would be ridiculous if we simply took all of the violence off of television. There would be an incredible lack of entertainment. But would it be possible to cut back on what the youth is viewing? Couldn’t we buckle down and make it harder for minors to see R-rated movies? What if we attempted to integrate more good into television shows and media, just like Dan had pointed out. If these kids could see what happens to these people after committing their acts of violence and harm, there’s a chance that they would think twice prior to attempting to mimic those actions.

I wondered exactly how much harm is caused to these teenagers’ minds and how it affects them. I vaguely remember learning about the developmental stages in my psychology class. I clearly remember that the adolescent years are very important and will shape them into the adults they will become. I did some searching, was reading through some things on the Surgeon General website, and came across an article revolving this topic.

“Adolescence is a time of tumultuous change and vulnerability, which can include an increase in the frequency and means of expression of violence and other risky behaviors.” (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/youthviolence/chapter3/sec1.html)

You know what I just thought of? I find it slightly humorous that the news channels will periodically cover this topic and explain how violence in the media is causing so much damage to adolescent minds, yet they will flip to the next segment which involves rapes, murders, or even movie reviews of the latest action-thriller featuring Bruce Willis taking out thirty people with machine guns. Practice what you preach, eh?

Posted by Erin at 1:50:00 AM

Friday, October 20, 2006

The Skinny on Body Image.

On my way home from my mother’s house tonight, I stopped at Walgreen’s to pick up a few things. As I approached the checkout line, I couldn’t help but glue my eyes to the headlines coating the tabloids. “Celebrity Diets Gone Wrong,” “Skin and Bones,” “She’s wasting away!” We’ve all seen them, undoubtedly. There is no way to avoid it -- Unless, of course, you are blind. Oh, but then you would hear about it on the news, radio, or the gossip from the chatty women at the hair salon.

I know it has been an issue for quite some time now. That woman from the Carpenters died from complications from bulimia, I believe. Yes, there is a paragraph here (http://www.something-fishy.org/memorial/memorial.php) that verifies that Karen Carpenter was one of the first publicized deaths relating to eating disorders. It’s a shame, it really is. She had so much going for her, as do all of these celebrities we see plastered on magazine covers. Forget celebrities, it’s a worldwide issue that is becoming increasingly common by the day, unfortunately.

If they have so much going for them and everything is so “perfect,” why would they do something like that to themselves? Out of all seriousness, can you really blame them? I feel that the message sent out these days is that thinness is everything. Forget being smart, forget being happy, forget being healthy. If you want to be liked, you must look like a runway model and be two pounds short of dying. Yes, because we all want to look like walking skeletons and barely pass for clothes hangers.

Take a look at the most-watched television shows, soap operas, even reality shows. Take a look at movies, magazines, and advertisements. The majority of the females are slim and slender and the males are fit and muscular. According to this (http://www.wonderquest.com/size-women-us.htm) website, that isn’t the average build for either sex. The average American woman stands about 5’3” and weighs 152 pounds while the average American male stands 5’9” and weighs 180.

While “Googling” for the average weight of males and females, I found a section of this (http://www.snac.ucla.edu/pages/Body_Image/Body_Image.htm) website which discusses the media’s role in developing poor body image. I found it creative that they converted the measurements of a Barbie and a GI Joe action figure to a human and explained how grotesquely deformed one would look if they were life-sized; however, I wish they had expanded on the media’s role on this issue.

This (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1590/is_7_55/ai_53461444) brief article, on the other hand, covers celebrities, the mass media, and eating disorders. I’m definitely not the only one seeing the connection here. The media has an incredible impact on teenagers, especially as far as body image goes.

So allow me to go back to those most-watched television shows, soap operas, reality shows, movies, magazines (and catalogs, for that matter), and advertisements. What do all of these have in common? Practically flawless people, am I right? One hardly ever sees overweight people in television shows or movies, and if there are, they are often the butt of jokes pertaining to his or her weight or looks. It makes me sick. The average person does not look like that! But if we are anything but, we may not be considered “good enough.” Screw that. But try explaining this to a teenager struggling for acceptance.

I speak so strongly on this issue because I have been there, done that. A few years ago, I had been diagnosed with an eating disorder and hospitalized after dropping to a mere eighty-six pounds. It’s a mental thing and I couldn’t see what I was doing to myself until it was too late. I would rather not put my whole experience out there. I am just thankful that I have recovered and still have the rest of my life to live. But because of that experience, I can honestly say that I know firsthand how serious of an issue this is becoming.

I had been seeing a psychiatrist for the duration of my treatment. I had the worst time trying to identify the root of my path to destruction. I had no luck and decided to discontinue my sessions. As I have had time to search back, I have come to the conclusion that it had been caused by several minor instances and low self-esteem. I was always comparing myself to the girls on television, the girls in movies, the celebrities that graced the covers of magazines (I couldn’t help but ignore the fact that they had been air-brushed). They were perfect and I wanted to be perfect.

I could write book on this subject and how I feel about it. Unfortunately, it would do no good. The media is too powerful to let one paper brick bring it down. But to wrap this up, I wanted to throw in this (http://www.caringonline.com/eatdis/people.htm) link. It’s a website with an extensive list of celebrities that have had some degree of an eating disorder. Crazy… Not only is the media causing harm to teenagers, top-name celebrities are feeling the effects, as well.

Just an added note: If you would like to gain more knowledge on anorexia or other forms of disordered eating, you should check out http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org. (The awareness week is coming up this February)

Posted by Erin at 12:57:00 AM

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Thank the MEDIA for smoking.

I would be lying if I said I have never touched cigarettes, and I would be a hypocrite if I took this time to preach about the dangers of smoking or damn every smoker to Hell. I will admit that I have been a smoker for a short period of time in my life; however, I was of legal age to purchase these products.

This was brought to my attention more than before after I rented a couple of movies over the weekend. One of which was Thank You for Smoking, a satire about a D.C. lobbyist for Big Tobacco. A pro-smoking movie? Aside from its comedic value, it served no purpose and could possibly do more damage than good. It was a prime example of what the media is promoting to our youth. During the movie, Nick Naylor, the main character, gets a bright idea to up the sales of tobacco products. Here is a clip from a review someone made:

"One of Nick’s early ideas is to encourage Hollywood producers to increase the amount of smoking in their movies. Though smoking does still crop up, as they correctly joke, most smokers on film are [criminals] or psychopaths. They want the Brangelinas and the Catherine Zeta Johannsons of Tinseltown lighting up, not the extras and villains. Anything else doesn’t send the right message that smoking is still cool." (http://no-lj-sandro.livejournal.com/11314.html)

While this could be an issue geared more toward tobacco companies, it still shows how much of an impact movies have on people, especially the youth of our nation. By a simple scene in a movie with the heroes or super-recognizable celebrities celebrating with a cigarette or cigar, it could quite possibly cause children to get the idea that smoking is, in fact, cool, acceptable at any age, and perhaps the cherry on the sundae.

I have already been sitting in my living room and have glanced out the window to find my little brothers, seven and eight years old, “smoking” with short sticks they had broken off the front tree and rehearsing lines from movies they had been watching. My jaw dropped and I could do nothing but shake my head in disbelief. Seven and eight. They have a decade of smoke-free years ahead of them before they could even legally purchase tobacco products! Where are they getting this from??

The only thing worse than practicing the cancer-ridden behavior is actually doing it. I see it so much, it is almost routine. I live across the street from a middle school so I witness the acts on a close to daily basis. Once they cross school boundaries, they reach into their pockets, their purses, or their backpacks. They shake out a cigarette from their half-empty packs, circle around a lighter, and begin to inhale and exhale minutes off of their lives.

I’m sure a couple of major factors are peer pressure and influence from smoking parents. However, there is no doubt in my mind that one of the top factors is the fact that these teenagers have gotten the impression of smoking as being “cool” at some point or another in their lives. Now where would they get a silly idea like that? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that there was some television show or movie that demonstrated the “cool and popular kids” smoking.

I cannot remember how many years ago this was, but I recall being in Ocean City with my younger cousin Jess. She and I picked up some fake cigarettes at a shop in the Gold Coast Mall. I can clearly remember her and I making up a scenario that we would act out while we were in our hotel room when our parents went out to get lunch. She sat in one bed as I reclined back on the other with an ashtray resting atop the nightstand wedged between the headboards.

Jess: “Okay, my name will be… Sarah. And, and, and… You can be…”
Me: “Uhmm.. Cassie?”
Jess: “Yeah, yeah! Alright, now we’ll pretend that we are in our own apartment and…”

Something incredibly ridiculous followed, I’m sure. My memory begins to get hazy as far as the conversation went, but we certainly spent a good twenty minutes acting out some dramatic scene like on television or a movie as we blew the white powder through the red foiled tip of our make-believe cancer sticks.

That was from when I was younger, but I'd imagine it becomes more common as the years go on. It seems as though bad habits and destructive behavior are beginning at earlier ages as generations pass. In twenty or thirty years, kindergartners will have smoke breaks instead of nap time, at this rate. Good grief!

Posted by Erin at 11:09:00 PM

Friday, October 13, 2006

Interviews.

Me: Be completely honest with me when you answer these questions. This is for a paper in English class and it won’t work if you’re not one hundred percent truthful, ok?
Kiersten: Ok.

Me: What’s your favorite TV show and why?
Kiersten: Full House, because they have real-life situations. It's very realistic.

Me: Who is your favorite actress or actor?
Kiersten: I'm not really sure. If I had to just pick one that I liked, it would be Amanda Bynes.

Me: If you saw Amanda smoking, would you be more tempted to try it?
Kiersten: No

Me: What kinds of stereotypes are in your school?
Kiersten: Preps, punks, goths, sluts.

Me: What makes them sluts?
Kiersten: The way they dress, the way they act, the things they do.

Me: Where did you learn about that term and the stuff they don’t teach you in health class?
Kiersten: My friends, mainly. But I have heard some things from movies.

Me: What do you think the “perfect” girl would look like?
Kiersten: Skinny, long hair, blue eyes...

Me: What do you think about the models you see on TV?
Kiersten: I wish I could be that skinny and look like that.

Me: What do you think when you see people in the movies you watch doing drugs or something illegal?
Kiersten: They are going to get caught and get in trouble.

Me: Does it make it any more acceptable since they’re doing it?
Kiersten: No.

I didn't really get the feedback or information that I was looking for. Over the weekend, I think I am going to interview someone randomly that is not related. I think that even though I told her to be honest, she didn't open up to me since I kind of put her on the spot.

EDIT: Interview with Danny, a 16-year-old boy.

Me: Be completely honest with me when you answer these questions. This is for a paper in English class and it won’t work if you’re not one hundred percent truthful, ok?
Danny:

Me: What’s your favorite TV show and why?
Danny: CSI is my favorite show. It teaches me that there is no such thing as an insignificant detail. Also, no matter what crime you commit, you will be caught. One episode that I was watching one day had a group of High School kids (teenagers) going around Vegas beating up people, mostly tourists, and killing two and severely injuring multiple more. It made me feel that the world is turning into a horrible place and that I need to be a better person to counter act that feeling.

Me: Who is your favorite actress or actor?
Danny: Bruce Willis.

Me: If you saw that person smoking, would you be more tempted to try it? Why or why not?
Danny: No, I am old enough to realize that just because one person does it, doesn’t mean that I have to do it.

Me: With that said, would you have been tempted to try it at a younger age?
Danny: Perhaps.

Me: What kinds of stereotypes are in your school?
Danny: Stoners, Sluts, Jocks, Punks, Preps, Smart People, and the Average People.

Me: What makes them sluts and stoners?
Danny: They sleep with a lot of people, midriff, underwear hanging out, and lots and lots of facial makeup. Baggy clothes, baggy pants, the way they talk is always so drawn out and low, they always talk about going to get high, and that’s all they ever seemed to want to do.

Me: Where did you learn about the term “slut” and the stuff they don’t teach you in health class?
Danny: Movies. Enough said. From American Pie to Stepmom, there is always something you can get out of movies.

Me: What do you think the “perfect” girl would look like?
Danny: Nice long hair, beautiful eyes, long legs, big chest, not a lot of piercings, no tattoos, semi-muscular body-type.

Me: What do you think about models?
Danny: Personally, I don’t like them. I think they are stuck-up because of the way they look. But I also look up to them because of what they go through to look the way they do.

Me: Do you feel that there are models that fit your idea of the “perfect girl”?
Danny: I think it is very possible.

Me: What do you think when you see people in the movies you watch doing drugs or something illegal?
Danny: First, I think that it’s not real… But then I think, “Wow, that person is really stupid.”

Me: Does it make it any more acceptable since they’re doing it in movies?
Danny: No, because it is just a movie. Same deal with the smoking.

Posted by Erin at 12:43:00 AM

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Links.

http://www.aap.org/family/mediaimpact.htm

http://www.convergenceculture.org/weblog/2006/09/slamming_media_effects.html

http://clarencekhoo.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-response-paper-like-ull-want-to.html

http://iplooshuffle.blogspot.com/2006/09/does-rap-put-teens-at-risk-study.html

http://www.thecardioblog.com/2006/07/08/teen-smoking-on-the-rise-again/

http://latentstate.blogspot.com/2006/10/think-of-children_10.html

http://thinking-christian.blogspot.com/2006/09/movie-review-thank-you-for-smoking.html

http://no-lj-sandro.livejournal.com/11314.html

http://www.gunguys.com/?p=1565

http://studyscrap.wordpress.com/2006/08/06/media-article/

Posted by Erin at 9:18:00 AM

Sunday, October 01, 2006

New Blog.

Woo! To each blogger their own.

I already had/have a LiveJournal, but I may begin to favor this site with experience.

LiveJournal was "the thing" a few years ago up until MySpace surfaced and gained immense popularity. I had three of them: One public, two private. I used to post nearly every day, sometimes more than once. However, my interest died out once I graduated high school. View it here if you are interested. Might I warn you: I lead a ~~very~~ extremely boring life. It probably doesn't make much sense, either.

So.. Hi, I'm Erin! :o)