ILtL: S1

Introductions: Learning to Look
Session One

I discovered that Media is...
...a means of communication
...a marketing tool
...a source of entertainment and information
...an industry
...is dissected through vectors of message.

It is essentially a message sent from a sender to a receiver wrapped in a code. My job as a media student is to read between the lines and deliberate on the purpose, motives, and benefits of this message.

I am doing this course because...
...media has become ubiquitous,
...media is a massive fiduciary commodity
...the media lessens individuality – it creates an autonomic society e.g. LOSE 5 LBS IN 5 MINUTES!!
...it provides lively debate
...media incites a moral panic e.g. SWINE!!!
...media sways the political tide e.g. Roger Ailes’ campaign for George Bush against Michael Dukakis
...the media cannot be trusted e.g. ‘IT’S A BOY’ (Heather Mills’ daughter)/ Michael Jackson’s death

The media is an avenue for escapism; by investing in other people’s lives we are less concerned with our own. What is more important to me? Giving good customer service or the fate of Ben Linus? All media is a thin disguise for adverts. The ubiquitous media is saturated with commercials, subliminal, liminal, and super-liminal. In magazines, every second page is an advert. There’s product placement in the films I watch. Television is interrupted regularly for commercial breaks. If I want to download pictures of Emma Watson, I have to navigate my way through several pop ups and get linked away to PartyPoker and endure 10 agonising seconds for the advert to leave before getting the good stuff. The message is: SPEND SPEND SPEND. A redundant message because the internet, magazines, films, and TV require me to spend money before allowing me to enjoy them. Why do I enjoy them, anyway? Because Emma Watson is fit? Because you are expected, if not required, to have a view on who should win The X Factor? Are we all being lobotomised?

My personal target for this term is to update this blog. My action plan is to not beat around the bush and Just Do It. Just a little time the morning after a session to revisit my notes and publish them here. We’ll see ;)