April Media Deconstruction

April Media Deconstruction

2012 Subaru WRX/STI Brochure

http://dbrochure.subaru.com/brochures/subaru.wrxsti.2012/index.html?utm_source=com&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=rab

I chose to do a deconstruction on the Subaru brochure because this is a car that I’m highly interested in buying in the future, and I really enjoy the engineering behind each and every car that Subaru develops. 

1. Who paid for the ad?  Subaru paid for the brochure and keeps it maintained on their website.  They are also willing to send out a printed brochure if one was to ask.

2.  Why does the company need to do the ad?  Subaru has the online and printed brochure available to help catch the eye of potential customers. 

3. What group is targeted by the ad?  The type of group that is targeted by this ad are people that are looking for a thrill in their everyday drive to work or school.  They are also targeting people that are interested in the engineering behind the vehicle and people that are looking for high quality vehicle that will easily last 200,000 miles.

7. What values are reinforced?  The values reinforced in this ad are that this car is made with high craftsmanship and that it will last awhile and, actually retain its value.

8. What techniques of persuasion are used? 

Association is used to give the idea that Subaru is linked with the love of driving and/or that your driving in a dream.

Celebrities are big in the interactive brochure.  The car itself is a celebrity and receives a lot of attention in rally and road races.  Plus famous rally racers tend to love the Subaru WRX STI for its amazing capabilities.  

Experts are in play in this brochure.  If there wasn’t any there wouldn’t be any explanations behind the engineering of the vehicle in the brochure.

Intensity is used to give the idea of an amazing all wheel drive system and a vehicle that will last longer than any other.

Plain folks give testimonies in the brochure to show how much fun they have with the vehicle and how impressed they are with the longevity of it. 

14.  Is the ad closer to reality or fantasy?  It’s closer to reality because the brochure is full of facts about the car and its real life experiences. 

March Media Deconstruction

March Media Deconstruction

http://runescape.com/

Runescape

 1. Who paid for the ad?   The developers of RuneScape pay for the website and keep it maintained.

2.  Why does the company need to do the ad?  They keep the website running for those that are interested in playing their game.  Its free but as time moves on one may be interested in becoming a member.

3. What group is targeted by the ad?  All age groups are targeted by this website that are interested in finding an MMO (massively multiplayer online) to play.

8. What techniques of persuasion are used? 
On the RuneScape website there are a few techniques being used to convince people to play the game and/or purchase a membership.  

Association is used to give the idea that the game is going to be fun to play and it'll be even more fun if one was to purchase a membership for the game.

Bandwagon is used also.  At the top of the webpage it shows how many people are currently online playing RuneScape. 

Another technique used on the website is Bribery.  They have many ads about becoming a member on the website.  If you become a member there will be three times the amount of content to explore, receive loyalty points for cool weapon auras, and the list goes on.

14.  Is it closer to reality or fantasy?  I would have to say that this is closer to fantasy than reality.  The game takes place in a fantasy world that is online.

16.  In what ways does this depict a lifestyle that is healthy and unhealthy?  This website depicts an unhealthy lifestyle for those that are captured by the game.  One can easily spend hundreds of hours playing this.

PBS

Quiz Yourself:  Share how you scored on the quiz - did anything surprise you?

You answered 5 out of 12 correctly. If you got 9 or more correct, you're well on your way to fully understanding youth and media in the 21st century. In fact, you should consider sharing your knowledge with others on your staff. If you got 6-8 answers correct, you're likely headed in the right direction, but you aren't quite there yet. These resources could help. Less than 6? Maybe you should be spending more time on this site! Here is a good place to start.

 Far as I'm concerned I can care less on which race/ethnicity is exposed more or less to media; the fact is that we all face it.  I really don't find a lot of these answers surprising because if I was to rate myself on some of the questions I would be the one multitasking, only reading print for 3 minutes a day, and have something going on while doing my homework.  Its just difficult to get the exact correct percentage but I guess I'm glad they only gave us four choices instead of choosing a number between 1 and 100. 

The Digital Media Landscape:  For each of the 4 sections in this area, share at least one link that you explored and what you learned.

 http://www.commoncraft.com/
 This link contains a bunch of simplistic videos that are easy to learn from.  I learned how to identify zombies and how I would take them out if I was to run into one.  Also I watched another video about investing money and learned a few different ways of making more money. 

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/
This link contains articles of commonsense.  One article I read was about setting up restrictions on the iPad at home. It was full of good information for parents and even teachers so they can restrict their children on what they can do on these powerful devices.   I found this highly interesting considering I got to borrow an iPad for a week. 

http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/
The description of this blog caught my interest right off the bat.  I definitely think it would help out if there is a lack of paper in the classroom and everything is done electronically.  There is actually an example of such a classroom here in Fairbanks.  Everything is done on iPads and the students can communicate with the teacher 24/7. 

http://www.guide2digitallearning.com/
This link is about incorporating technology into the classroom and it contains nifty little facts.  Kids today are tested more, they have more access to information, and overall exposed more.

PBS Resources:  Review one of the resources listed. Share your insights or connections.
http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/lesson/medialiteracy/index.html
First off, I loved watching Arthur when I was younger.  It’s definitely a cartoon that I approve of and wouldn’t have a problem showing in my classroom.  From watching the cartoon in the past I believe it does teach valuable lessons.  Since it’s a cartoon a majority of kids are willing to pay attention.

Integrating Digital Content and Tools: Review this list and share which suggestions intrigue you enough that you would like to try it with your own students one day.  Share the reasons for your choice.

I agree with #3 on the list.  I think it’s helpful to have help from other students especially for those that don’t have access at home.  When I was in school I hardly had any help at home for school work mainly because my mother didn’t know how to do most of it.

#12 on the list is an awesome choice of mine also.  I really like using Google earth and it’s an easy way to explore the world without having to pay outrageous amounts of money.

I would like to try number eleven on the list because I’m pretty sure that everybody in my classroom will have a cell phone when I start teaching.  Also I like feedback; it’s always nice to know what I can improve on and how I can make my class more interesting.

Chuck Norris WOW Media Deconstuction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arKpdxjHamI

1.  Who paid for the ad?  Blizzard Entertainment paid for the ad.

2.  Why does the company need to do the ad?  They need to do the add to interest more people in playing World of Warcraft.  Since Chuck Norris approves of the game more people should play it.

3. What group is targeted by the add?  I would have to say that martial artists are targeted by this add.  Come play World of Warcraft to kick some virtual tail.

8. What techniques of persuasion are used? 
Bandwagon is being used because Chuck Norris is playing WOW.
Bribery is used because at the end of the commercial  they say you can go to their website and play for free (for a little while anyways).
Humor is used with Chuck Norris allowing 10 million players to survive in WOW.

14.  Is it closer to reality or fantasy?  This commercial is closer to fantasy due to the WOW being in an online fantasy game.

15.  Does it use stereotypes?  Yes, this commercial does use stereotypes.  Chuck Norris is seen as a all knowing martial artist and people are alive due to his mercy.

16.  In what ways does this depict a lifestyle that is healthy and unhealthy?  It depicts an unhealthy lifestyle because people are easily addicted to WOW.  If there's an individual that isn't regulated they can end up playing the game for hours on end. 

Corvette Group Media Deconstruction

1. Who paid for the add?  Chevy paid for the add.

2. Why does the company need to do the add?  They need to promote the car and increase sales.

3. What group is targeted by the add?  People that have a wild side, midlife crisis, or still feel like a kid.

7. What value's are reinforced?  Materialism and status due to the owning of a cool set of wheels.

8.  What techniques of persuasion are used?  Warm & Fuzzy (the small kids), Nostalgia (kids having fun), and Bandwagon (all the cool people have one).

14. Is it closer to reality or fantasy?  Fantasy because the commercial is a dream with a couple of children driving cars that aren't all that jump able.  The item they do want is a reality.

17.  What would a counter add look like?  A counter add would be that a Ford Mustang or a Dodge Viper is better. 

Media Review

It seems like I spend about 2-3 hours a day interacting with media.  It seems like I spend most of my time with media on the weekends.  The day I would spend less are the days I have over 5 hours of classes.  I spend any time of the day with media whether it be in the morning, afternoon, or late at night.

When it comes to using media I mostly use digital.  I watch my TV shows/movies on Netlfix, contact people through email and Facebook, and usually use the web for research.  Every once in a while I'll pick up a magazine and read it, and when I'm driving around I tend to listen to the radio.

I usually use media for entertainment and to keep in contact with others.  Facebook for instance is a very good way to get in contact with me.  I use it to regulate my intramural hockey team, figure out what time soccer games are, plan events, and of course play words.  If I'm overwhelmed with homework I might go play a video game instead of doing homework. 

I do multi-task quite often while using media.  My laptop has a pretty decent screen size and I'm able to put two internet windows right next to each other.  If I get desperate I can hook up my TV for even more screen space and better sound quality for music.  Its nice to be able to multi-task especially when editing photos or videos, uploading them to Facebook, or just doing research for homework.

I didn't really learn much about my media use, I already knew that I'm around it a lot and that its easy to access now a days. In fact its kind of hard to get away from it. :/

Media Diary Part 2

January 31st, Tuesday

7a- woke up to my phone alarm, turned on the computer and checked email and facebook

8:20a- Left to go to fieldwork, watched the kids work on reading horizons using macbook airs

10:30a- I got back home and checked facebook and worked on a couple of essays

1:30p- I left for class, in class I used laptop to take notes.

 3:45p- Went to my old apartment to help roommates clean it; checked text messages and sent a few

4:45p- Got home checked facebook and worked application process some more

not too long ago- I made a blog and now I am currently writing this one

Later Tonight- I will be writing my Media Reflection and then going to bed.  Will most likely check Facebook again :p