POST 2 --ways of seeing/viewing

The male gaze is the idea under which women are viewed as social constructs, existing only to motivate and signify men. Women are viewed as objects, "a sight" according to John Berger. Under the male gaze, women are subjected to men; "To be born a woman has been to be born within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men." This ideas as discussed by Berger arose form the story of Adam and Eve in the garden, in which Eve was made subject to Adam after they sinned. With this idea, women aren't seen as relevant in themselves but as how they relate to men; their presence is only made valid by having men notice and appreciate them, and that according to Berger is key to success in their lives.
This view paints a woman as inferior, existing in a man's world and not one of her own. Everything she does is based on how she is viewed by men. Berger says" men watch women and women watch themselves being looked at"; because of this, a woman has to be careful of what she does and how she presents herself in the voyeuristic gaze of a male spectator, because that determines her significance and how she is treated. Hence, without a man noticing her, a woman would be invisible. as if she doesn't exist.
In contrast with this view is the oppositional gaze. The idea behind the oppositional gaze is one of resistance to "the dominant order of knowing and looking" based on phallocentrism. The oppositional gaze as discussed by Bell Hooks, is one in which women, having felt "devalued, objectified and dehumanized in this society" become aware of the power in looking. Thereby, they become equipped with the drive to look critically at media representations of women and refuse to accept the construction they been place in, hence not taking on "the phallocentric gaze of desire and possession."
The oppositional gaze is all about empowerment; finding self and building self esteem. Women who take on the oppositional gaze no longer sit back and remain content with how they are portrayed; rather, they move towards destroying the negative image of women that exist and choose to look at themselves and making that important rather than how others see them. It's about women building their own identity instead of having it defined for them. The oppositional gaze is about strength and self awareness; about changing the the statement "woman, without her man, is nothing" to "woman: without her, man is nothing."
Grasping a better understanding of these ideas, I see where they prove true and how they relate to me. I guess I could say I developed an oppositional gaze when I started college. Coming from an all girls' high school in Jamaica to this country to high school here is where I first really became aware of what would have been the male gaze after overhearing some boys in school making sexual derogatory remarks about a girl because of how she looked. Surrounded by this kind of judgment, I was in every sense of the word a victim to the male gaze; it definitely played on myself esteem. Now, however I have developed self love and respect; I choose to separate myself from girls out there who need male attention to validate them. I now have a strong sense of self, my purpose and where I fit in the world. I know that because we live in a very superficial society in which objectification is so prevalent, what I do will always somewhat be affected by how others see me, however, I rank how I see myself more important than how anyone else sees me, one of the main ideas behind the oppositional gaze.

Why am I here?

I work at a dental office on 48th street in midtown Manhattan. I design and maintain the websites for my office in addition to maintaining the office computer network. I decided to take film and media courses because it will greatly help me with some of my job responsibilities. Currently my websites look very amateurish and I would like to hopefully improve them by learning more about the technology behind them.
The internet is progressively moving towards video for most things. Web pages are rarely static anymore. Most sites contain flash animations or some sort of videos that advertises the site. I have noticed that from the few videos that I have posted on YouTube.com in the past, that they get more page views than regular static html pages on my websites. So my aim is to create professional looking videos mostly geared towards the dental/medical industry.
I am not a film/media major. I am currently undecided. My goal is to major in computer science but so far I have taken a grand total of 1 computer course in my time at hunter. (I’ve been here two years already)
I am highly curious about webpage design and video editing. I have experimented with editing in programs like adobe premier. I have found video editing to be relatively simple and not as complicated as it may really seem.

I am Sports

Unlike the typical assumption that would come from this, that I am just your typical jock that is not what i mean by this title at all. I am sports and this goes way behind the numbers and stats but extends to the freindships, contacts, trips and different encounters I have come across in life.

My media connection is through sports, that is where it begins but not even close to where it ends. My invovlement in sports has brought me just about everywhere I've been in the past 10 years, Las Vegas to New jersey, took me out of the suburbs and into the city everynight from 8th grade. Sports, basketball specifically, took me out of my house at a young age and expeditied my growth as a young man and forced me to grow into a man quicker. Sports even brought me to Hunter College. Currently I am a personal trainer in Astoria and am part of a three member team, Extreme Fitness Concepts. Fitness and health is a constant in our media daily and I am constantly networking and involving myself with people across the world.

I am involved and training for the crossfit games in 2011 and the media is ever present in the expansion of the games. From communicatiing with other trainers and competitors, to sharing videos and blogs on the internet, I never really sat back and examined the importance of the media in my life.

I don't know who I am

I am still confused as to who I am and I think the media may be the culprit. This barrage of images and ideas that are thrown at me every day from every angle, makes it such that I cannot even form an opinion anymore. My thoughts are not really my own, but are being shaped by everything around me.

I like certain movies only because I am told to see these movies by the media when there are many other movies that I might never get the chance to see because I was not influenced to view them or did not know they existed. I listen to music because it is popular and widely played when there is so much music out there that I will never get the chance to experience unless I try to venture out on my own instead of just listening to what's popular.

I have gone from being an accounting major to an English major to an Education major and now to a Media Studies major. I have dropped out of school only to return and then drop out again and then return again.

Subscriber to an 'Alternative Media'

I always knew I wasn't quite normal.

While the neighbourhood kids were outside shaping their masculinity with 'war games', I was inside playing my older brother's CD collection. I was surrounded by boys who collected action figures. I collected beanie babies. They all idolized baseball and basketball superstars and I was infatuated with Miss Piggy. I was a member of my own imaginary society in which there were no gender roles to conform to.

Commercials on the television showed boys playing with GI Joe and girls playing with Barbie. I had no interest - I wasn't big on Nickelodeon anyway. I always preferred the music channels (MTV, VH1 and Much Music) because the tunes were so unfamiliar to what I would hear around me in my suburban setting. I remember seeing No Doubt's video for 'Spiderwebs' and seeing Gwen Stefani thrusting her crotch towards the camera and not thinking anything suggestive, just... 'she rocks'. I watched MTV until all hours of the night trying to see that video, which had turned me on so much visually. One night a parental advisory warning came on the screen, the television stayed black, white fonted and silent for what seemed like an eternity and faded into a shot of people on an elevator staring with such intrigue and disgust - who knew these looks would become familiar to me.

The video was for a song by the band Garbage, entitled 'Queer' - who knew that this was what I actually was. Shot in black and white, with soft, sensual rock music soundtracking the visuals, and a seductive voice serenading the viewer. The video featured a camera following an attractive young woman singing these words to the unknown character - after an extreme makeover, the unknown one is revealed as a slender, offbeat-looking man who moves in a flamboyant manner - then the video colours in. The evoked feeling was one similar to 'Spiderwebs', but this one still felt extremely different, almost unsettling.

'Queer' was not a term in my vocabulary, nor did I ever hear it being used. There was no internet to find the definition for, and the word was absent from the children's dictionaries that I had in my house. Growing up in the suburbs of New York, it wasn't a commonly used word in the least. I didn't realize the metropolitan epicenter that I was out on the outskirts of contained the many possible definitions to the word.

When I reached my adolescence, I was granted entry into the city to see the live shows of the bands that were the soundtrack to my raising. The neighbourhoods that contained these musical gatherings were so magnificent in that they were so unusual and foreign to someone like myself, who was used to rows of houses with nearly identical layouts. One day before a show, I had some spare time before a show and I led myself to a bookstore that identified itself as 'radical'. The genres ranged from feminist theory to anarchist politics to sexual identity. I picked up a book whose title included the familiar (albeit undefined) 'queer' word in its title and consumed it. It was almost like a tall tale - all these sentences that I wouldn't read in newspapers, all these descriptions that I wouldn't see illustrated on the television - so unsettling.

I began submerging myself deeper into this literary underground and with each line I read, I felt an unusual connected feeling. I realized the culture that I was born into was that of a heteronormative society and that I wasn't "normal" because I didn't fit those standards - almost as if I was displaced when my residency was to be chosen. The word that I found so intriguing was actually a word I could be defined under.

To say that mainstream media didn't influence me is silly and I feel its impossible for anyone to say that commercial media didn't shape their lives somehow. While it did not influence me directly, it led me along to an alternative media source, which aided me in choosing an identity - one that is queer.

nsj

Quincy Who????

As I sit here trying to answer the question "Who I'm I", never did it occur to me that I really know who I am.. So again the question remains.... Who is Quincy???? Since I couldn't really answer that question I decided to conduct a simple experiment among my closest friends to find out who they think Quincy is.So I posed a simple question to 6 friends asking them to describe me as honestly as they can using the first letter of their names.. The letters at random ranged from R,K,B,C,A and S.... My friends whose identities I wont reveal not only surprised me with their responses but they in turn gave me answers to the question I was so afraid of answering. Below are the answers to my survey:

R-Remarkable
K-Keen
B-Beautiful
C-Corny
A-Articulate
S-Special

So again who I'm I, well in addition to who my friends think I am, I can also tell you that I am just an ordinary human being.Although at times I feel like I can do so much more with my life and in the world. If it were up to me I would coin myself the next super woman all because I feel like there is so much in this world that needs to be saved. I am very well known among my peers, colleagues and family members. I've now realized not only do i know who Quincy is but, I am trying to understand who I am better, in other to survive in this world....

My Future and Media

I am a music lover and trying to find new music relating to any kinds of media and study about them to become a great composer.

I cannot remember exactly when I started to download music, film, or TV show files. One thing I remember is that I was a heavy downloader when I decided to become a composer. As I was preparing to go to college, I took full advantage of free mp3 files. I was thankful for these free downloading files available because I was just a high school student at the time and could not afford to buy hundreds of music files I needed for my future study. Later on I found myself being frustrated when I could not find the file I was looking for. I was thinking the free file should obviously exist and be ready for me to download like it was prepaid.

Once I got into college, music companies were angry all over the news talking about free downloaders and called them stealers. Although I agreed and admit that free downloading is stealing, it did not stop me from downloading. But it became a shock to me on the fourth year of my college. I saw friends who were musicians and composers going out to the real world music business struggling to make money for what they have created.

Since then, I decided to become a protector of media. My future goal is to become a media lawyer who protects the rights of creators and prevent them being swindled by big media companies in order to sustain themselves artistically and to produce great works.

about Jing W

This is Jing, a container for soul; a garden for creativities; an engine for passion. Every day, I am thinking, talking, searching, fighting, dreaming…. I am a filmmaker. I am not and never become Woody Allen or Ingmar Bergman, or Quentin Tarantino. However, become a filmmaker is my fate. I will be myself all the way. " This is the statement for my "Jing's garden" blog. I was a former marketing planner in Beijing. I had grown up to be told to follow other's footsteps. I always do the right thing to please my family. Inside me I am fighting to find my own way. I just watch "Temple Grandin" this week. I was truly inspirited by her passion of finding her own talent. I came to this country 4 years ago. I was blown away in time squire. It is a paradise for advertising. It not only catches my eyes, but also catches my heart. America to me is not only means a new geography location. It's a country I can dream freely in the media world.

I am a very loyalty media customer. I have to have internet all the time. I can’t live without movies, books, and connection with others. As a filmmaker I am also create information to publish, and eager to jump in this creative field. For example, I have long tails. It's my Logo to express that I am an artist. There are a lot of ways to identify it. Historically, since I am from china. In Qing dynasty men all have long tail to show their pride. Artistically, It does add edge of me. It helps me built a great contract with my short hair. In media, It can be identified as a great icon for a filmmaker to express a memorable message on a self created media.

As a self-supported artist in New York, passion is my driven to keep everything running. Work with great organizes skill and clear goals. I am on a mission to built myself. However, Friends are very important in my life too. I would say: “Hug, with all the wonderful people you met.” I believe with all the wonderful people I meet on the way, I can make it all the way through.

I

My answer to the question "who do you think you are?" might have changed recently due to my pessimistic mood that I've been in. My answer now would be either an ant or a dust particle. Let me tell you why. I work at an ice cream store which is a part of a franchise with over 100 stores over the country. My fiancee babysits for a Canadian family of democrats whom the father SELLS AND BUYS corporations. So lets look at the scale. I am a manager at a store and I have a boss who owns the business. The business is a part of a 100 store franchise which is controlled by a corporation. In this corporation there are shareholders. And this guy is basically on top of everything. It is just scary to think about this. However I know for a fact that in reality, this pyramid doesn't really matter. Because I, as a person worth much more than that.

I am a man of ideas. I am a person of technology and art. I create beautiful things which makes people happy. Whether it's an ice cream cone or a short animation, it reflects my personality. It may not be the most beautiful things but it is mine, and that's what matters. I have learned this the hard way.

I'm from a far far away country but I didn't come to New York on a magic carpet. I always wanted to become a computer scientist because I didn't know what art was. When I found out what it was, I just couldn't let go and everything else just seemed very irrelevant to me. My medium of preference is digital, however, I like to experiment with classic mediums as well. I want to do many things but I feel like I have very little time to do anything. My life changed dramatically when I started using the internet. It is something that's very interesting for me and I am training myself to create website both for professional and personal reasons. I am all about improving myself and I'll keep creating things as long as I can.

Mad Men
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIVB2dem7ZU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWn1TFFgsxE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eteErs0GCBQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hh70Wb45uc&feature=related

Rachael Maddow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcd6dzasm7U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akR0OqynrMI

Documentary - Yemen
A Stranger in Her Own City
The bravest 13 year old girl in the world.
Directed by Khadija Al-Salami. Yemen. 2005
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAkPFZQA6EM

Who am I? Magazine helped me answer

It has been quite a journey getting to where I am now and acknowledging who I am. Through time I have learned that who I am can not compare to anyone but can be similar to others. I am a humorous, kind, fun, love filled Latina who is success driven. As I was searching my answer every night when I laid my head to rest, the disturbance of the loud hood in Washington Heights did not let me identify it on my own. I found the greatest intelligence in one piece of life saving literature, Seventeen Magazine. The boy advice columns, style and beauty tips, health reports, and real life stories of other teenagers were my heroes. Its comprehendible words, shocking facts, and amazing trends helped me build my confidence to be classy young lady with a great head on my shoulders.
My parents are both old school with very old traditions. They both migrated from El Salvador with the hopes of living the American dream. Many times I could not sit down and have a conversation with them because till this day they do not understand. Their childhood was completely different from mine. They were forced into labor work at very young ages which lead to the elimination of education. “We came to this country to work hard, and we’re working hard for you guys” my mother would always nag my older brother and I if she ever felt we did not appreciate my parents’ work. Many times this would be when my brother and I never opened up to them or did not let them in on our lives.
A great helping hand from a publicized piece of glossed sheets with a celebrity on the front cover lead to identify who I am. This piece of media became my bible every month. It was read consistently and never tossed away (I still have them in boxes). For this reason media has become a very important part of my life and it still is.

Media Circus

I would like to consider myself apart of the amazing 3 ring circus that is the media. As a media maker and media devourer. I find that media is crucial in not only my day to day routine, but how my mind has been shaped for the last 22 years. When i think of media, i usually see it as an attachment of me, as natural as my hair or the clothes on my body. On this September 11th memorial weekend, I am reminded on how much media I actively consume. From websites, blogs, news stations, newspapers, Twitter, Facebook and the radio, I am bombarded with information and messages in the first few hours of the day.

I cannot say that "I am media" because even as a media maker, I'm only a small fish in a vast galaxy.

Growing up I knew that writing was a strong passion of mine. Although I enjoy creative writing such as poetry and short stories, I’ve always wanted to be a journalist. Someone who can investigate and write about the things I enjoyed. Similar to Norman Mailer, John Hersey and Truman Capote, I wanted to write pieces about people who often don’t get the spotlight in the topic of my interest, Fashion. In stead of writing about big shots like Ralph Lauren, Marc Ecko and Tommy Hillfigure I wanted to write about the “little people,” the consumer, that are equally as important to their success but not as well known. As a 22-year-old English major my love for media is as inescapable as my love of fresh air. As media fuels all aspects of our lives, I have always wanted to be the person who tell the story of the things we hold dear to us as a society. Growing up in the 90’s with two older sisters I have gained a love of fashion and always wanted to dive deeper into telling the story of the people behind it. From tagging along with my sisters as a little boy to malls, and clothing stores to going to fashion week with my friends. I have always known that this love of Fashion. As shallow as it sounds, I love that we live in a material world. I love how fashion has been used to express people. Growing up in the nest of Urban City fashion in New York has helped me appreciate where style has come from and where it’s going. I plan to show the world “Fashion” through my eyes.

The Media made me do it.

I hate the "Media".

I hate it because it is great at what it does. It is pervasive. It is ubiquitous. And worst of all, it affects every single one of us, even those of us who think that it does is not. It affect everyone who has access to Media, be it books, television, the internet, posters, text messages or even smoke signals.

Before I began my foray into Media Studies, I wasn't as aware of the media mechanism as I am now. At this point, I can trace back the roots of several of my own personal traits. For instance, my cleverness can be attributed to two things: my genes and the Animaniacs. Everyone (give or take a few) in my family is sharp and witty. Maybe that's what drew me to the Animaniacs in the first place. But I know that from the time that I first heard Yakko say "Good night, everybody" after Beethoven told him that he was a pianist (obviously because it sounded like another non-children's show word), I was hooked. Since then, I've used comedy and sharpness more than I ever did.

Down to this day, I genuinely believe that many of us watch things and listen to things that we think do no affect us, but have a direct or indirect correlation to what we eventually think and do. For us to think that these things do not, is pure folly. If knowing something is not real is all it took not to be affected, then there would be no advertising industry. But billions are spent on this every year.

America's next top model is chauvinistic garbage, but women and men watch it all the time. Why? Mainstream music is pretty woeful, but people listen to it anyway. Why? Lady Gaga is the most popular artist right now. Why? Most rappers degrade women and minorities, but are extremely popular. Why? 80+% of the Media pumped to us on a daily basis are controlled by 12 companies. Why? Do we mold our media or did the media make us?

The Media is exceptional at what it does. It is perpetually and consistently molding our minds and conditioning us. We need to break the mold. We need to stop being the puppets of the commercial world. We need to produce things that do more than pander to base desires, but elevates our existence. And THAT is precisely why I chose to take Media Studies.

I hate the "Media".

Image taken from: http://www.angryshirts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=72

I wasn't always this afraid....

I am lucky enough to be a part of an amazing family. I am the oldest child of three. I have a younger sister and an even younger brother. My parents were born and raised in Haiti. They were actually neighbors growing up. My dad is my mom’s first and only boyfriend and they have been together since she was 16. They moved to New York together in the 70s. Now she owns her own business and he is the head of a program for NYC ACS. They laid an excellent foundation for us.

As the oldest I’ve always been the leader and protector – the strong one. My family’s constant support allowed me to take risks at an early age- I started my own business in high school; planning events for family and friends. Through word of mouth I built a decent clientele. I was fearless. I didn’t care that I had no official experience or capital for that matter. I just knew that this is what I wanted to do so I did it. I was 15 going on 30 and no one could tell me different. I looked the part and whenever something came up that I didn’t know – I just pretended like I did and when I got home I did the research to make sure I would be ready the next time.

Somewhere a long the way I lost that fire. Someone convinced me that if I really wanted to be taken seriously I needed to get some corporate experience. So I started working for hotels. I went from being my own boss to being a worker bee in cubicle land. The joy I used to get from organizing and planning great events was replaced by a great benefits package and retirement plan. Things haven’t been the same since.

The Lory that you see now desperately wants to get that fire back. I don’t want to be afraid to take a risk and go after my dream. Step 1 - quit my job and go back to school.

I Am A Warrior

Webster's definition of a warrior is a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics. I am not a politician or an athlete, but I am a woman who is inundated, everyday, with media images, words, and implications that I am less than; That I am just a sexual object, that my physical attributes and the clothes that I wear are what defines my worth and not my talents and strengths. So, everyday I remind myself that I am a warrior against these myths. I try to shift the paradigm of how I see myself, how this world sees women, and how my son sees women. I empower myself through self-inquiry, knowledge exploration, and awareness; Awareness of what images I encounter through media channels and whether or not they are true. Most times, they are not.

I feel called to use the powerful medium of media to empower women. I want to tell visual stories that remind women that they are profound and powerful. I have often fell into the trap of acting small, like the images I have been subjected to. I'm not just talking images and stories of a how a woman can run a boardroom or drive a truck, too. I'm mean images and stories about a woman's intrinsic worth: her spiritual value. No matter how she chooses to express her talents and strengths, she has equal worth simply because she exists. A woman should be judged only on her honest efforts and the content of her character.

Image by: http://media.photobucket.com/image/warrior%20women/des0nee/warrior_women-1.jpg?o=19

Who are you Hubert?

Who am I?

I am someone who's on a journey to find himself in this mayhem of a world we live in. In trying to narrow down a path I want to follow, I can't deny my love for travel. Seeing the world allows me to experience other cultures and, in turn, enrich my own. I am also an aspiring writer and hope to combine the two in efforts to express my views and help expose the imperfections that undeniably exist in this world.

I am an immigrant in this country and I consider myself a trans-nationalist. I grew up in Poland but followed my parents on a journey across the Atlantic at a rather young age. Having lived most of my life in the United States, I continue to maintain relationships with the homeland. For this reason, I sometimes struggle with where I truly fit in. I guess that's where the passion for travel stems from.

I express myself through writing and I hope to do so for a living. With all the existing media outlets, I want to somehow add my voice into the mix. Media is quite a phenomena and I can't resist it but don't we all in a way?

Who am I? (Post 1)

Who am I? More like who can't I be? I am a mountain of possibilities. I'd describe myself as versatile; having the ability to input myself into numerous different situations. I know that there is a time and a place for everything and some scenarios call for highly sophisticated presentation of oneself while others are more casual and relax. In an instance, I can adjust myself to suit any circumstance; example, in high school, a friend invited me to her girls scout meeting. On the way to the meeting, we were being out vibrant, out going, silly selves, childish I could say; but upon stepping into the door of the meeting, I became serious and well mannered and presented myself with utmost decency and maturity. My friend noticed my change and stated that I was "being fake", putting on a facade to make an impression. While it may have appeared so, having a mother, a father and an aunt as teachers taught me how to show etiquette and "act with class" in situations that demanded it; hence, for me to transform from one situation to another, it's not a pretense but rather an opportunity to showcase another side of me. So who am I? Well, in the eyes of my mother, given I neither have one signature hand writing or voice in which I constantly speak, I could come off as many things; call it having multiple personalities if you will. All I know is that I'm real; I am an individual and while what you see is what you get, you can never be sure what you're getting because you can't judge a book by its cover.

Again, Who am I? Here's a little: I am Sanya-Kay Johnson; a passionate, caring, hard working, fun, easy going girl. I enjoy singing, dancing and acting, most of which I do with the youths in my church. My dreams involve making a living helping and informing/entertaining people, whether that be through my psychology and/media; though I often times question my future, due to all the emotional hardships I've experienced. I occasionally suffer from anxiety/panic episodes, severe enough to have place me in the hospital twice while I was in high school. Through it all though, I have kept fighting, because no matter how hard the task, or how many obstacles, I am a determined fighter and I believe I have a purpose and that it is great!

My TV & Me

As I ponder the question, who do I think I am on a daily basis, in the morning as I sit on the porcelain queen, riding the train to work and before I go to bed at night, the one thing that seems to be true is that I am a walking intuitive and instinctive paradox. Although, I second guess myself and my abilities, I do pull through all my pessimism and achieve my menial but significant goals. I'm friendly but not very outgoing, private but open and honest, shy but sing loud in a band, very organize but my house is a wreck. I am also quite guilty of consuming large amounts of television. Actually, all visual arts and music gets a good hold on me but since I was a lil girl television has been there for me every single time I needed a fix, a partner in crime, my escapee prison mate.

Contributing to one of my downfalls especially when someone is trying to have a meaningful conversation with me,not advisable, this blue box of media has exposed me to so many diverse cultures, exquisite cuisines, the worlds beyond our skies. As a media consumer, one does have to be responsible in the choices one makes based on what you feed your mind with. I do indulge, however, on all of the sensationalism out there being offered but I choose to use the channels consciously and wisely because everything influences you in some way or another whether you want it to or not. If you are a cognitive human being driven feelings and emotions youare bound to be effected by what you come across in life.

1. I AM JON

Call me Jon. Jonathan? or should I say Mr. Alcontin? An image of who I am used to be blurry. When I was young this self image was camouflaged in a sea of possibilities. Until I stopped lying to myself.

The truth and honesty became one of the most important virtues I stand by. Each year I find my image ever clearer and growing. Possibilities no longer blurred my images, they became opportunities to grow into who I feel I am destined to be. The truth only made that image more clearer to me.

I am a male gamer and an artist. I am a lover of technology, but my heart will always belong to nature. I enjoy bringing an overwhelmingly large amount of positive energy to everything I do.

As a child I was inspired by the stories and creativity in video games, anime, and manga. There is a sense of heroism that called to me from experiencing this kind of media. Being raised in New York, I was immersed in many cultures from different countries within my community. My medium is currently graphite and ink, with which I am currently transitioning into art programs. Presently, I am enjoying my pursuit of being a game designer or concept artist. One of my goals is to take the worlds I create from my imagination and bring it to life in my art. I want to absorb as much culture from other countries. Learning at least seven languages is one of my lifetime goals. I feel as if it's through these influences, I will enrich the worlds of my imagination and create a much more vivid perspective of everything I create into my art.

I know who I am, who I will strive to grow to become. I want to become an EMPEROR of my former self, to never look back regretting but always pushing beyond who I am now.

I am the media around us

Post 1

From the moment that I start my day to the moment that I end it, media plays an important role in my daily life. From recieving news updates on my phone to video sharing on facebook, media has become an all encompassing part of my daily routine. I am constantly in contact with media, whether it be watching a show on TV, or on the internet, tweeting, or updating my status on facebook.
I never took the time to understand and realize the ample amounts of media that surrounds me daily, the media which shapes my views, my opinions, my likes, and dislikes. In my first semester at college I took an introductory media course. It opened my eyes to the media that I took for granted. I gained an appreciation for it, and learned that I too can create the very media that has so influenced myself.
By being in contact with media constantly it is easy to allow media to shape our views and persepctives. As I start and continue to learn about media I hope that my media creations go far beyond my latest tweet.
As a media consumer I am actively involved. However as a media maker I am only starting on the path of learning and creating. As I grow as a media maker I hope to able to create media that far reaches just my facebook freinds. I want to create documentaries and written media through which i can express my views and opinions and allow others to view them as well. In this day and age it is easy to be activeley involved with the media through the internet and other various mediums I want to fully take advantage of these ample opportunities. Asna Khan

image from : http://www.purplecoffee.co.uk/blog/2010/02/17/do-social-networks-shape-us-or-do-we-shape-them-social-networks-mean-business/

My Ode to the Media Me

Who am I?

I am first and foremost a woman and this has placed me at the top of the media consumer hierarchy. The marketing and adverting campaigns that are geared towards women by far outrank those for men. From beauty ads, to weight loss ads, to cleaning products to personal hygiene products, the list encompasses every aspect of a woman's life. The plethora of items that are shoved in my face from the time I tune into Channel One news in the morning to the commercials I view on TV before I go to bed at night, are all absorbed into my psychi and I have now become a willing participant in the media game.

While I sit here sipping on my grande mocha frappuccino, I want to say I do not buy into the hype, nor am I a victim to the shallow attempts by the media to rope me in by using my self esteem shortcomings. Yet, I would be deluding myself if I truly believed in the prior statement. No matter how much I want to turn up my nose and pretend I am above the influence of any attempt to allude to my sense of self, I really am not.

I have flaws like everyone else and in today's over commercialized, globalized society, I am a media whore. I do buy into the hype and I use products as comforting blankets to soothe my insecurities. I buy whatever is needed to make myself feel better, make myself look better, and yes at my age, to make myself fit in.

So, who am I?
Sitting at my laptop and in full view of the outfit I will be wearing to a cocktail party tonight; my brand new four inch pumps, and my off the shoulder ode to lady gaga dress, I have come to the conclusion of who I am. I am a willing victim in this ping pong match between the media and the consumer. I am a woman, I am a mother and this in turn makes me the ultimate target. As such, that in turn makes me the ultimate consumer.

I am ME (Post 1)

I’ve never really had a clear image of who I was as a person. I often wonder to myself, “Who am I?” Since I was little, I’ve always wanted to be an important person. Every kid must’ve had that same dream of becoming a doctor, but for me, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I gave up that dream since I thought it was too hard and there after, my future was just a blur to me.

I took a TV Productions class in high school and it helped me realize how many different types of media surrounded us. After that one class, I began to think about media differently. I realized that I was and still am a media consumer. I take part in watching videos, reading articles, and looking at ads everywhere. As I bring myself more into the media world, I realize how much I like it. My interest began when I practiced simple moviemaking, using Photoshop and basic music programs on the computer. I want to learn so much more about general media and understand all the possible aspects of it.

I am who I am. No one in the world can be who I am. Therefore, I must first define who I am in order for others to know who I am. I would like to identify myself according to what I’ve accomplished in life. Since I’ve only been interested in media and film recently, I can’t say I’ve achieved much but I’m sure I will get something done in the coming years.

Alexa: A Women of Many Faces

Alexa Perez
Post 1


Alexa: A Women of Many Faces


I am a mother first then everything else. I am a Latina mother of three amazing boys. I am also a humanitarian, educator, business women, student, sister, aunt, and a friend, a woman of many faces. I became a mother during my adolescent years and have traveled a long journey. In my journey I have faced many obstacles that have shaped me into who I am today. I was raised in the heart of Washington Heights in a time of turmoil which included drugs and violence. But I am proud and have no regrets about my upbringing.

The media is unavoidable and is found in every direction we see. As a media consumer I believe we are all victims. As a media consumer and being a mother my role is a tough one and my biggest challenge is to protect my children to a certain extent. Children are innocent little people that learn from their environment therefore any exposure from the media is crucial. The media plays a major role in every one's lives starting with our children. The messages being projected are the biggest influence to many of our decisions. I have done my best in trying to teach my children about the facts of life. The best way I have inserted this is by communication.

Image by: http://www.esf.org/index.php?id=4550

Always Pad Commercial- Mechanical Bull

I just couldn't believe that they went there, so I had to post this. Now perhaps some of you won't think anything of this but it just doesn't sit well with me, no pun intended. I don't understand how this favors women during their period! Nor does it make me want to ride out on my horse and buy this product. I get that it is an analogy of its super absorbent strength but there's just no way that any logical women would ever climb on top of a mechanical bull without a care in the world during her most uncomfortable time of the month. I mean what were these advertisers thinking?

Sure it's funny with the hoedown music and the pad itself is riding the bull, even showing its own point of view, stating it's no bull- clever. But I really think the advertisers didn't think this one through. They could have used something else like a dam built of Always pads or a sea aquarium window that has a leak and someone uses a pad to plug it up and the dolphins are happy that it saves the day. Both of these suggestions are testimonials to the pads strength and nothing about it oozes sexuality.

I just really feel they could have thought of something else that wouldn't remind me how men would enjoy watching a women ride a mechanical bull. I understand that I could be interpreting it completely wrong on some perspectives but when I see a mechanical bull I associate it with the movie, "Urban Cowboy," in which there's a scene when Debra Winger is slowly riding the bull in a sexually suggestive manner. I also think of a scene from the series "Sex and the City," where the character Miranda decides to let go of her inhibitions and rides the bull in the most orgasmic way while tearing off her blouse exposing her bra. Even the shape of the seat and its back and forth motions are very phallic and sexually suggestive.

I could be taking this way too seriously and to whole other level but I do love deconstructing! I hope this will entice others in class to comment so we can start a discussion. Let me know what you think...

I have been always interested in exploring different cultures. I moved to New York four years ago and ever since have been amazed by the diversity of the city. Exploring various visual mediums like film, video and photography helps me to get a better understanding of culture. Issues around identity, language and cultural change could be analyzed not only through text but also through films and photography. In my free time I like walking around the city and taking pictures of buildings or billboards that I find interesting in a certain way. Sometimes words are not enough to express myself. Thus, photography is helping me to tell a story and remember it. I mostly enjoy taking pictures of people. I find it compelling that a single shot can reveal so much of someone’s emotions. In front of the camera people tend to expose a different side of their personality. Each picture tells a certain story. However, the story that I see behind a certain picture might be different from the story that you see. That’s the beauty of photography; everyone is free to have its own interpretation of a picture. There are no written rules.

Theory of the living

As someone with minimal experience in the creation of media, in terms of making films or taking photographs, I've become an avid observer and interpreter of images. I seem to over analyze images and always seek a alternative meaning in each one of the them. Images are very significant to me because they can represent thousands of emotions. In acting, images are key because we associate images with characters, emotions and the environment.

I've always enjoyed acting and performing in public and demonstrating the different aspects of truth and fantasy found in the arts. As a parent, I can use my acting to enhance my child's creativity and imagination. Of course, he also contributes to my creativity because I have to constantly come up with different activities to do.

As a new parent, I have also realized that a child brings out the best in people, their innocence and energy resonates in the atmosphere and can make anyone laugh. I want to make sure that my baby boy always keeps his innocence intact and in order for that to happen I have to make sure that what he sees in media doesn't negatively affect him in the future.


I am a big media consumer, I love the film industry and I used to dream about being on a billboard on 42nd Street, when I was younger. Now my priorities have definitely changed and I have to be more of a critic than an admirer. Although media is beautiful, it is a form of communication that involves different opinions and views, so I may agree and disagree with the image I see. It's all in the interpretation. Acting definitely helps me comprehend images and think outside the box. My mind is constantly full of images I see and these images are helpful when I'm on stage or working in front of an audience. I can also use what I see in the media to teach my son about life and his environment. I'd like to be able to keep media for children as simple and unbiased as possible. It might be a difficult task, but, when you're a mother you have to protect your child's well being.

Who am I? (Post 1)

Who do I think I am? I am modern media. They are modern media. You are modern media. We are all modern media.

From the moment I wake up to the moment I shut my eyes at night, I am both a media consumer and media maker. On a typical day I use multiple platforms to obtain information and news. I watch national television shows while making my breakfast. I listen to the radio while sitting in traffic on the Tappan Zee Bridge. I read the newspaper during my train ride into Manhattan. I hear about events through word of mouth via my classmates, friends, family, and co-workers. If that isn't enough of an information overload, my cell phone also provides instant internet access to social media websites including (but certainly not limited to) Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Media is everywhere I look.

While I may be a media consumer, I also contribute to media creation. Whether I partake in news commentary, post a link on one of my social networking sites, tag content, upload a video, write an opinion, blog, or tweet about news (in 140 characters or less), I contribute to the relentless (and occasionally ruthless) media cycle. I'm guilty just as much as the next person.

While too much of something is never a good thing, it is essential to the success of my future career path. I plan on pursuing a career in Public Relations and will eventually open my own public relations firm. Public Relations a.k.a. "PR" concerns itself with maintaining public images of individuals, companies, and their products. The ability to not only stay updated but also create media is crucial to success in this competitive field. If I do not stay up to date, my competitors will have an advantage and I will be branded a media dinosaur and left to extinction.

It is remarkable how much easier it is to be a media consumer and media creator today in comparison to merely five years ago. As time progresses, I'm sure it will become even easier. A career in public relations will certainly be keeping me on my toes.

Pessimism Helps (Post No. 1)

Even though i wish that i was an optimistic person, by nature I'm a pessimistic individual. I always look at the worst case scenario to the outcomes of anything i plan to do. This characteristic is something that pushed me to work harder in school as well as draw my attention to photography and how important images are in our society.

I recently took a desktop publishing class and learned the history and development of printing. one thing that truly stood out is how important fonts are in posters and fliers. For example, 90% of all fonts in movie posters come from the Helvetica font. So with that piece of information we were assigned to make a movie poster which had to look somewhat real. Below is a picture of the poster I made. Everything is my work except the idea of attaching wings to the elephant, which was taken from a tutorial i saw. However, the reason i was pleased with the outcome is because how crucial the fonts are to the poster.

So who do I think I am regarding the Media? Of course I consider myself a consumer but learning the in and outs of media helps me to separate things based on their ability to benefit me. I can never say I can avoid the media because that's almost impossible, but I can at least become a smart consumer.

Welcome to Women and the Media

Hello all,

I look forward to spending the next semester engaged in great discussions, impressed with your projects and getting to know all of you. Welcome!

Prof. Cacoilo

Syllabus

Women and the Media Fall 2010
MEDIA384.00 Sec:001
Saturdays 2:10 – 5:00pm HN504
Film and Media Department - Hunter College
Professor Doris Caçoilo :: dcacoilo @ hunter.cuny.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
In this course students will be introduced to key issues and theoretical approaches in the study of women and media. The course will explore representations of women in media as well as researching the work of women in the industry. Students will research and analyze how the media creates and challenges stereotypes, ideas of difference including exclusionary representations of minorities and women. Readings, class discussions and projects will explore how media shapes our attitudes and identities. Long a focus and a concern in feminist scholarship, critique of the media is crucial in the discussion of representation of women in the media. The course will use a historic context of feminist media studies to interpret and analyze contemporary media examples. Students will read across various fields to interpret and critique images in various media: television, advertising, film and new media to explore women’s role and perception, women as audience and especially the importance of women as media makers.

COURSE OVERVIEW and EXPECTATIONS
This class is intended to help students develop the ability to create thoughtful and engaging projects and writing assignments. In addition to a rigorous reading schedule students are required to write various projects for the class blog and sustain continued research and writing throughout the course in addition to the scheduled projects.

Feedback from your classmates is a valuable resource for the improvement of your writing and your work. Critiques allow us to share our projects with others and express our intentions. The idea is to be able to understand the concept behind each work and to analyze the method of every student to determine whether they achieved their goals. Feedback from others gives us valuable information in order to keep making progress. For this reason, class participation is essential.

Class sessions will be divided into presentations, class discussion of the readings, and group critiques of projects. Presentations will address both theoretical and analytical issues related to women and media. Some class time will be dedicated to work on individual projects but it is the student’s responsibility to finish his/her work and present it on time. Students are responsible to be prepared for class, read all assignments on time and post all writing and projects to the web blog paying attention to technical and aesthetic presentation as well as thoughtful and well-developed content.

READINGS: Various weekly reading assignments will be posted for download or passed out in print in class. A full reading schedule will be distributed in class. Readings are due each week.

BLOG: You must consult the class blog daily to check for announcements, readings and to post your assignments. The blog is crucial to the course and your completion of the requirements. You MUST have access to the blog to complete assignments, get readings, post work and comment on students’ posts.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLETION OF THE COURSE:
Five writing assignments published to the blog as well as a class presentation and a final project will be developed during the semester. You must complete these in a professional manner and ON TIME.
No late work will be accepted for a full grade evaluation. If late work is accepted, it will be dropped a full letter grade. The assignments will be related to the issues discussed in class, allowing students to explore new technologies by researching and responding to various class discussions and readings. It is suggested to keep a process notebook to record ideas and phases of a project: research, brainstorming, development of the idea etc.

Critiques are important both for developing your own projects and in helping to form important skills in communication and in forming developed opinions and ideas. Participation in critiques and in class discussions will be very important in forming your grade.

--Attendance and grading policy:
Attendance is required. Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class, and will be considered when determining the final course grade.

More than three (3) absences will result in an 'F' (failure) for the class. No exceptions. This is standard policy across digital media courses. Class begins on time, so you must be punctual.
Lateness, leaving early or leaving class unexcused for an extended period of time will also be recorded. Two of these instances will count as one absence.
You are required to make up any and all work that is missed if you are absent. Notify the professor if you will be absent or e-mail asap. As work will not be accepted late, please contact the professor to hand in work on time!

--Grade policy:
All assignments must be finished and handed in on time to receive a passing grade for this course.

--Evaluation:
30% 5 blog posts
10% 1 presentation
40% final project
20% participation (Contributions to class, critiques and the blog + attendance + delicious links)


NOTE: BACK-UP your work frequently, even as you are working on the projects. Write and edit your posts locally before uploading them to the web. No excuses!

* If you have a disability which will affect your coursework, please notify the instructor within the first two weeks of class to ensure suitable arrangements and a comfortable working environment. Contact The Office for Students with Disabilities, Hunter East 1119 Phone (212) 772-4882 or 4891, TTY: (212) 650-3230.

* This is a list of numbers which you can use if there is an emergency or crisis situation on the Hunter campus or if you need assistance at other times.
Security -B125 West - 772 - 4444; During business hours: Medical Office - Room 307 North - 772 - 4800; Office of Student Services - 1119 East - 772 - 4882 4891 (crisis counseling available), The Women's Center - 801 East - 772 - 4931.

Hunter's Reading/Writing center is where students receive tutoring in reading and writing skills, critical reading, and the writing process. Students can apply for a weekly appointment with a tutor and/or use drop-in services during scheduled hours. Students may also attend workshops offered at the Center throughout the academic year. http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/

* Statement on Originality of the Work
All work completed for this course must be completed by the student enrolled in the course. All work for this course must be made in this course and not fulfilling the requirements of another prior or current course unless pre-approved by the instructor. Plagiarism is a very serious academic offense which will result in penalties ranging from reduction of class grade to failure in the course. Plagiarism occurs when the ideas, images, and words, published or unpublished, of others are presented as one's own without citing the original source. Plagiarism also occurs when the papers, research, or creative works of another person are presented as one's own work.

+ + +
All students need to be on the listserv FM-L to receive important departmental notices. Just email listserv@hunter.listserv.cuny.edu and leaving the subject line blank, write SUBSCRIBE fm-l (that's an "L" not a 1) in the body of message and you're set!

SCHEDULE
******PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND I WILL
INFORM YOU OF SPECIFICS AND CHANGES PERTAINING TO THIS SCHEDULE AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE if you ever have questions or concerns about the schedule, due dates, changes or anything else please e-mail me at dcacoilo @ gmail.com
Class meetings are also subject to surprise critique sessions. Students should always be prepared to present work in progress on any class meeting day whether or not it is announced on this schedule.

Students are required to read the appropriate readings for each class, complete all assignments on
time and tag 2 shared links weekly.

**NO CLASS ON SATURDAY 8/28
Week 1: Saturday 9/4 Introduction and discussion.
Week 2: Saturday 9/11 What is Culture? What is Media? Discussion session. Bring in media example for discussion Post 1 Due
**Week 3: Saturday 9/18 NO CLASS
Week 4: Saturday 9/25 Ways of viewing--the gaze Discussion and work session. Readings Due.
Week 5: Saturday 10/2 Women as Audience Soap Operas to Advertising. Discussion and work
session. Readings Due. Post 2 Due – Group Critique
Week 6: Saturday 10/9 Gender and Advertising Discussion and work session. Readings Due.
Week 7: Saturday 10/16 Body Image Discussion and work session. Readings Due. Final project topics due. Post 3 Due – Group Critique
Week 8: Saturday 10/23 News Media Discussion and work session. Readings Due. Final project proposals due.
Week 9: Saturday 10/30 News Media and Ownership Discussion and work session. Readings Due. Post 4 Due – Group Critique
Week 10: Saturday 11/6 Alternative Media -- response, identity and roles
Discussion and work session. Readings Due. Visit from Ingrid Dahl.
Week 11: Saturday 11/13 Women and Movies Discussion and work session. Readings Due. Draft bibliography for final projects due.
Week 12: Saturday 11/20 Independent, Documentary Film, Media Activism Discussion and work session. Post 5 Due – Group Critique
**Week 13: Saturday 11/27 Thanksgiving Weekend - NO CLASS
Week 14: Saturday 12/4 Art/New Media Discussion and work session. Readings Due. Final projects: critique of works in progress.

FINAL
Week 15: Saturday 12/11 Presentation of Final Projects + papers due. – Group Critique
Week 16: Saturday 12/18 Presentation of Final Projects + papers due. – Group Critique

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS:
*Weekly presentations:
Present the work of a media artist, activist or leader who has used media to further address
women’s issues, the lives of women and/or global awareness of women’s rights. A small group
of students will present each week. Presentations should be organized, clear and engaging
and should include a visual component in addition to a well prepared verbal presentation.
These should be 7-10 minutes. The topics should be relevant to the classwork and should spur
discussion within the classroom. Presentations must be posted to the blog. Every student will
present once throughout the semester.

*Posts 1-5.
Students must develop well written and researched responses to readings and discussions
in class. Each post will be specific to the topics covered in class at that time and will be
explained during class. Students are responsible to write and edit these posts as well as
illustrate them and successfully post them to the blog for discussion and critique in class.

*Shared links on Delicious
Students are required to bookmark 2 links per week and tag them with the class tag MEDP384.
These links will be shared with the class as well as create a resource list for the class. Links
must be relevant and add to the readings, projects and discussions in the class.

*Final Project
Based on the discussions and projects presented in class and on the blog please create a short
piece of media which focuses on a social issue and reframe the issue to specifically address
how this affects the lives of women and/or how women can be instrumental in solving or raising
awareness about this issue. Choose one of the following formats for your project.

1. Essay with embedded images.
2. Video- music, documentary, performance
3. Researched article or extensive slideshow with captions or narration (think NYTimes)
4. Magazine/Zine
5. Interactive Web Project/Site

The length and requirements for each project will be explained in depth to each student when
the project is introduced and discussed in class. The project will be completed in parts:

1. Proposal (1-2 pages) [Due Saturday 10/30]
2. Bibliography [Saturday 11/13]
3. Critique of work in progress [Saturday 12/4]
4. Presentation of final project [Saturday 12/11 or Saturday 12/18]

5 blog posts
1 presentation
final project
participation (Contributions to class, critiques and on the blog + attendance + delicious links)
These will all be weighed in determining your grade — (see basic course requirements-evaluation.)