Everything is better if its FREE!

So, I look at various topics on wikipedia probably at least 5 times a day, often more. Right now, they are asking for donations by putting a bar at the top of the screen with names of donors along with an amount they donated and a testimonial of some sort.

After thinking, what? I do not want to pay money to wikipedia! I will not!

I then considered how much we expect our media to be free. We don't want to pay a dime for anything, even though someone had to put their time and effort into providing us with the things we receive. Pretty much everything on the internet is a given- free. facebook (there are always speculations that they will start charging, and everyone freaks out and makes 3 million groups about it), music (pandora charges if you listen more than 40 HOURS a month??!!!? OUTRAGE!), television (WHAT? Hulu is charging money next year?!!?? I will never be paying for that!).

So, why do we think that we shouldn't have to pay for anything? Or what do we consider worthy of our money?

Are they any problems with things being free?
Yes.
-Pornography- accessible, anonymous and affordable. Now more than ever, anyone can view pornography without anyone knowing (they don't have to shell out money for it, and they don't have to go to the store to buy it). This has caused more problems for relationships and families than I want to think about.

-Failing Music Industry- who wants to pay for music when they are many sites (most perfectly legal) that they can get it from for free?

-Promises to "NEVER pay for movies again" which I got when I googled it. This will probably never happen, and people get all mad when they have to pay a dollar to watch a good film. What about the millions of dollars put into that movie to make it so good?

-If something does cost money, people often ignore it. "I won't pay for that!" hulu, "elfyourself" (people ONLY ever make the free ones), people who do free trials of netflix and then cancel after 15 days of watching as many movies as they possibly could.

I am guilty of the obsession with FREE things, too. Just something to think about?

Media Portrayals of Alcohol

College students reported that positive drinking outcomes, like having fun, socializing, meeting new people and expressing oneself, are more common than negative outcomes (Murphy et al, 2006). Negative consequences often do not occur immediately, meaning that youth and young adults may not see the adverse effects of drinking until it is too late. Real life positive outcomes are typically defined as increases in social benefits, which is in line with media portrayals. The only instance in Gossip Girl that negative consequences were more prevalent than positive was when the character was drinking alone, meaning they had no chance of benefiting socially. If there are depictions of under age drinking, more negative consequences should be shown in order to prevent early onset of drinking, as well as dependence in later life. In addition, television producers may have the responsibility to depict events and activities, other than drinking, that can bring positive outcomes.

A fellow blogger asked the following questions:

I just recently started watching Gossip Girl . I'm just wondering, does anyone else find it weird that the main characters in this tv series are always at a bar drinking when they're supposed to be in high school? Does this say something about the integrity of NYC bars? Or does it put pressure on those high school viewers to drink?

To answer her, I think YES to both.

gleeeeeee my new favorite show!

Letter to the CW

I am a fan of Gossip Girl, and have been since Season 1. Part of the reason I enjoy the show is that the characters are a little rebellious, and get themselves into plenty of situations that I would never want to be in myself. But the fact that it is on television, and that these are characters rather than real people makes it fun to watch. However, the November 9th and November 16th episodes of Gossip Girl made me very uncomfortable. Both of the episodes featured major characters involved in a sexual threesome. The way it was portrayed made it seem like it was a “normal college experience”. While the second episode did portray problems that stemmed from their actions, it was never mentioned that the threesome wasn’t a good idea, only that they chose the wrong person to include. “The third person should be a stranger” was the response of several other characters.

Television is very influential in the lives of children, especially when it comes to decisions about sex. It has even been described as a "sexual super-peer" - meaning that television has the ability to intensify the peer-pressure teens are already feeling to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors, such as a threesome, which could be damaging to their physical and emotional well-being. When television portrays attractive, popular teenage characters as sexually active, it sends a powerful message to young viewers that they, too, should be sexually active and in fact, there might be something wrong with them if they aren't. Gossip Girl has portrayed this message on many occasions, but they rarely show the characters in bed in their underwear, kissing, like they did on the aforementioned episodes. Teens are aware that television influences their behavior. According to one survey, a third of youths 12 and older say the media encourages them to have sex by making it seem like "everybody does it." Many studies from past few years have revealed a strong correlation between exposure to adult media content in childhood and early onset of sexual activity among teens.

I ask that you take the time to think about the consequences you may be inflicting on the teens who watch Gossip Girl, as well as the other shows on your network. Not only the threesome, but other influential messages about sexual activity as well. Teens and young adults do look to the media for messages about sex, and they should see at least some good examples and not feel like they have to act like the characters portrayed on their show to be liked, or worse, loved.

Postcards from Buster: Lesbians

After hearing about this in class, it really struck a nerve. I decided to find what I could about the episode online. I have to say: I very strongly disagree with the decision to ban the episode from airing.
Points:
1. They never say the word "lesbian" or "homosexual" during the episode, nor do they depict any sexual content.
2. The fact that there are lesbians on the show is NOT the emphasis- the children are! Buster meets the children and comments, "That's a lot of moms!"; one girl mentions her "mom and stepmom," adding that she loves her stepmother very much, and no other comments are made about the couples.
3. Lesbians are in the world, in nearly every city that anyone's children could live in. Banning lesbians from being portrayed in a positive, clean way on children's television is not the same as banning sexual content or innapropriate language, or violence. For young children, the small comment made about the 2 moms will likely go over their head, and for those who do catch on and possibly ask their parents about it, well they are certainly going to notice 2 women or men holding hands in the mall or anywhere else public. Its time for these parents to address it and give their opinion.
I know some people would, but I would not ban my children from being friends with someone who had homosexual parents. It doesn't mean they will be going on about their sex life with the children. Do straight couples do that? No. Lesbians most likely aren't going to do that either. Why can't buster go visit his friends with lesbian parents? Because that is who the emphasis is on- the kids.
To further my frustration right now, BYU has blocked many of the articles on this episode.
I am sure many of you will disagree with me, so feel free to post comments, but remember to be nice! :)

Farmville Rap (youtube sensation?)

So, I mentioned this video in class when we talked about youtube. These kids made this rap, and now everyone around Helaman has seen it and knows them. I have to admit, I would feel pretty cool if it was me, too.

So, after I posted a video that I put on youtube. . . . My own shameless attempt to be cool. Not really, my co-workers and I were bored at work one day. No judging please! :)


And now "Boom Boom Pow" Toilet Scene

High School Musical! (3)

What attracts people to this movie?
1. Catchy music
2. Zac Efron
3. Coregraphed group dances
4. Romance
5. Wardrobe

IMDB/Celeb Infatuation

I use this site so often! I am kind of a celebrity stalker, so I have to know who the actors in the movies are and what other movies they have been in, and what movies they are working on. I don't know why celebrities are so fascinating to me, but they really are. A highlight of the past year was going to Sundance Film Festival, not to watch the films, but to look for/meet/talk to/take pictures of celebrities! When I saw them I was honestly so excited, because I watch so many movies and shows, and read so many magazine articles about them that I felt like I sort of knew them. Some of you will probably think I am pathetic for this, but I am going back to Sundance this year and I cannot wait. Also, I am going to meet Laurant and Caius from New Moon in 2 weeks! Yay! Thank you media for introducing me to all of these people that I will likely never meet. Thanks to the media for publicizing these people's lives for my enjoyment! (By the way, I saw some awesome, awesome people at Sundance last year).


Here is the list:
ROBIN WILLIAMS!

KRISTEN STEWART!

PETER GALLAGHER!

CHRIS ROCK!

EDWARD HERRMANN (GPA off GILMORE GIRLS!)

ALSO (but no pictures, sadly enough)

Liam Neeson

Jim Carey

Elijah Wood

Christian Thompson (from The Devil Wears Prada)

Sex in the Media

In Gossip Girl, the sexual messages portrayed were mostly how sex is a way to prove you care about someone, and to prove your relationship is legitimate. Two characters had been dating for 2 weeks, and it was decided they should have sex in order to be a “real” couple. I think the message here was have sex if you want your boyfriend or girlfriend to be committed to you. Another topic that came up was sexual experience. Some characters on the show were concerned they were not experienced enough and felt awkward having sex with other characters that were. I think this was sending a message that you should try to get a lot of sexual experience so that you won’t feel awkward with future partners.






On The Office, I only saw one sexual message in this past week’s episode.

I think that the message portrayed was that random sex can be funny. Also, that people are proud of having sex with several people, and sometimes even people they barely know, and that they will get attention for this kind of sexual activity.

In Glee this week, the sexual messages that were portrayed were that older people having sex was gross, and that having sex makes you happy, and if you aren’t having sex, you can’t be very happy. The characters were depressed when they weren’t in a relationship, and doubted their self-worth and qualities. I didn’t think this was a good message, because it made it seem like you could only be defined as popular, or even of worth, if you had a sexual partner that everyone else knew about, too.

New Moon!

The cast of New Moon is going to be at the Fashion Place Mall on November 14th! I am so excited. I actually think this will be a pretty good movie. Much better than Twilight, I am sure. Watch this trailer, and it will convince you as well!



I am going to the midnight showing and I cannot wait!

Favorite Movies

These are movies that I honestly can watch anytime. They are complete feel-good movies, because that it what I like. I hate being scared and I like dramas in small doses. Mostly I like to laugh and watch relationships evolve.



1. Titanic: A classic. Honestly, how could anyone not be touched by this movie? Even putting aside the love story, which is heartbreaking, just thinking about the actual people on the actual ship, and what they went through, what families went through makes me so grateful for the blessings in my life.


2. Where the Heart Is: "A pregnant 17-year-old rebuilds her life after being abandoned by her boyfriend at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma" Obviously, a great film! But really, I love it because she builds new relationships with a man, a great girlfriend, an older lady who becomes like a mother to her, and her child, all after a failed, horrible relationship. She bounced back, and I love to watch happy endings.






3. 13 Going on 30: Jenna realizes that everything she wanted when she was 13 came true when she was 30. Except that she isn't the kind of person she wanted to be. I love this movie, I think it has really good message, and they dance to Thriller in it, which is obviously fantastic!

Everything is amazing and Nobody's Happy!

Thanks, youtube!

Greg Rutter's Definitive List of The 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet Unless You're a Loser or Old or Something

(In No Particular Order)

01) Grape Stomp
02) Charlie Bit Me
03) Chocolate Rain
04) Dancing Baby
05) Post Secret
06) Charlie The Unicorn
07) Mentos and Diet Coke
08) Numa Numa
09) Peanut Butter Jelly Time
10) George Lucas In Love
11) You're The Man Now Dog
12) Yatta
13) Star Wars Kid
14) Bubb Rubb
15) The Flying Spaghetti Monster
16) Dramatic Chipmunk
17) Homestar Runner
18) GI Joe Pork Chop Sandwiches
19) Fail Blog
20) Skateboarding Dog
21) All Your Base Are Belong To Us
22) Winnebago Man
23) We Like The Moon
24) I Can Has Cheezburger
25) Barney Vs. Tupac
26) Shining
27) Cute Overload
28) Rick Roll
29) Lazy Sunday
30) David After The Dentist
31) Powerthirst
32) Christian The Lion
33) Bert and Ernie Rap
34) Lady Punch
35) Leprechaun in Alabama
36) Where The Hell Is Matt
37) Boom Goes The Dynamite
38) Breakdancing Baby
39) Drunk Jeff Goldblum
40) Scarlet Takes A Tumble
41) Susan Boyle
42) Gay Mount Everest
43) Afro Ninja
44) Cop Shoots Himself In Leg In Classroom
45) Tron Guy
46) "Leave Britney Alone"
47) Laughing Baby
48) I'm the Juggernaut Bitch
49) Exploding Whale
50) Take On Me The Literal Version
51) Bill O'Reilly Flips Out
52) Don't Tase Me Bro
53) The Landlord
54) Breakdancing Baby Kick
55) The Pet Penguin
56) Ms. South Carolina Answers A Question
57) I'm F*#king Matt Damon
58) Will It Blend
59) Spaghetti Cat
60) Tom Cruise Kills Oprah
61) Little Superstar
62) Chad Vader
63) Pretty Much Everywhere It's Going To Be Hot
64) I Like Turtles
65) Who Needs A Movie
66) Jake E. Lee Shreds
67) Hawaii Chair
68) Aussie Party
69) Hitler Plans Burning Man
70) Montgomery Flea Market
71) Look At The Horse
72) Asian Backstreet Boys
73) Leroy Jenkins
74) Pinky The Cat
75) Monkey Sniffs Finger
76) Sneezing Panda
77) Prison Inmates remake "Thriller"
78) Techno Viking
79) Ask A Ninja
80) Best Man Trips and Ruins Wedding
81) Best Wedding Toast Ever (Amy's Song)
82) Kitten Surprise (how to break up a cat fight)
83) Katana Sword Infomercial Goes Wrong
84) Matrix Ping Pong
85) La Pequena Prohibida
86) Angry German Kid (translated)
87) Evolution of Dance
88) Ok Go "Here It Goes Again"
89) Battle at Kruger (lions vs. buffalos vs. crocodiles)
90) Daft Hands
91) Human Beatbox
92) Most T-Shirts Worn At Once
93) Zero G Dog
94) Cuppy Cakes Song
95) George Washington
96) Scary Maze Prank
97) Gay Referee
98) Tranquilized Bear Hits Trampoline
99) Reporter Gets A Fly In The Mouth

Penelope

Yesterday I watched the movie Penelope. I recently got Netflix (!!!) and it was one of the movies you could watch on the website, so I decided to give it a try. It was so cute! I thought it was a wonderful example of media that has a great message and is entertaining for all ages. For those of you who have not seen it, its about a girl who is born with a pig nose and has to find "one of her own kind" to accept her before the curse will be broken and it will go away. In the end, she accepts herself (one of her "own kind") in order for the curse to be broken!
I think that is a wonderful message. I reccomend this movie as a good family and/or kids film, but I personally watched it by myself and still really enjoyed it!

The Office

DISCLAIMER: If you have not seen it, this will spoil the latest episode of The Office for you!!! :)

So, The Office.

I used to be anti-the office, and then I started secretly watching the past seasons on DVD. And I loved it so much! Its hilarious, and I feel like I can identify people I know in all of the characters. So, sixth season is the first season I have been watching as it is aired, and I actually don't think its even half as funny as the others. However, the latest episode was Jim & Pam's wedding and I was so excited! It was so cute, and I thought it was hilarious how they danced down the aisle to "Forever" just like the youtube video. The thing is, I didn't actually think that video was funny in real life, but having the media mock it was so hilarious. Weird how that works. Just how if Michael was in my real life, I would surely hate my life and absolutely never laugh when he did all of the stupid things he does. But again, when the show makes fun of the annoying habits people have, we laugh at them. A lot.
I am an RA, and we have to plan our activities around The Office. Otherwise no one will come. I just wonder how a show can have that much influence on so many people. Do we like seeing our lives made fun of? I think yes, yes we do.

Baby-Sitter's and Shopaholic's

My favorite book when I was young was the Baby-Sitter’s Club. A group of girls who are good friends but all have very different personalities, get together and form a club, which basically runs as a business. They set up opportunities for each other to baby-sit for many families in their neighborhood. Throughout the books, they experience family struggles, conflicts in their friendships and problems while baby-sitting, but in the end they always remain great friends. They are bonded because of their Baby-Sitter’s Club.

As for my favorite book now, I haven’t changed much in the fact that I can’t pick just one. My favorite is still a series, The Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. You may be familiar with Confessions of a Shopaholic, which was recently made into a movie. The main character of these books is a young women who has many problems, including but not limited to, her shopping addiction. She means well, but things often do not go as planned for her. Kinsella’s character, Rebecca Bloomwood, is a very positive and upbeat person who cares a great deal about those whom she is close to, but her debt issues lead to her lying and deceiving her family and friends because she doesn’t want them to think less of her. She makes plenty of mistakes throughout the books, but you can’t help but cheer her on because she is a lovable character with a great personality.

I love books that are a series because it means I don’t have to stop getting to know the characters after just one book. I get pretty attached to the characters, and want to know as much about them as possible. In the Baby-Sitter’s Club, I enjoyed the fact that they took the initiative to have a mini-business when they were so young. I personally tried to have clubs like this plenty of times when I was in elementary and middle school, none of which worked out for very long, if at all, so I was always so impressed that they had clients and were able to handle the work. Another part of the series that got me interested was the close group of friends that were represented. All of the girls who were in the Baby-Sitter’s Club were from different backgrounds, had different interests and skills and personalities that you wouldn’t expect to get along. But, of course, they did. Even if they had their disagreements or complications, these friends remained strong and that is the main thing that I loved about the books when I was young. When I was in 5th and 6th grade, I struggled a great deal with cliques developing between my friends. It seemed like there was always a conflict and I was always very upset about it. I truly believe that the Baby-Sitter’s Club made an impact on me to find friends that would stand by me through anything.

What Harry Potter Means to Me

My blog title is a quote from Arthur Weasley, a Harry Potter character. My picture is from a game of Quidditch I played with friends and family this summer. Thats right, Quidditch. The wizarding sport. This was right before I went to go see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince at Midnight the night it came out. I have read the first 4 HP books at least ten times, and the last 3 at least twice. Movies, same thing. I love Harry Potter, I love Hogwarts, I am obsessed with the wizarding world!

Harry Potter has become a part of my world. I feel like I know the characters. Lame? Maybe, but true. I can use words like Quidditch, Dementor, Muggle and Death Eater in my everyday conversations with (most) people and they know exactly what I am talking about. Is this a good thing? Maybe since its books, and reading is a good thing, this HP obsession is okay. But what about those people who have only watched the movies? Well, besides the fact that they aren't "true fans", is it okay for them to be so involved in watching and talking about and be attached to movie characters? Why is it that reading is educational but movies rarely are? And are books like HP considered educational, or just purely for entertainment?

Either way, I still really love Harry and his friends and I cannot wait for the seventh movie!!! HP for life!!

WATCH THIS!!!

Boohbah

This is probably the weirdest thing I have ever watched in my entire life. I was over at my aunt's house yesterday, and I mentioned Yo Gabba Gabba, which I had watched in class last week, and that got on the topic of Boohbah, which is even more bizarre! I didn't think that was possible. Are kids benefitting AT ALL from watching creepy weird shows like this? Sure, kids might like bright colors and weird music, but I don't see the point of this show. Baby Einstein beats this by a million miles.

From Wikipedia:
The Boohbahs are five furry, gumdrop-shaped creatures played by actors in full body costumes. Their thick, shimmery fur sparkles with tiny lights; their Kewpie doll style heads are hairless and feature big eyes with rows of lights for eyebrows. They do not speak, but instead make noises like squeaks, squeals, and clicks. The Boohbahs can retract their heads into their furry necks. Each Boohbah is a different color. They are:

Humbah (Yellow)
Zumbah (Purple)
Zing Zing Zingbah (Orange)
Jumbah (Blue)
Jingbah (Red)
The Boohbahs can fly; part of their routine is to assemble into a circle, holding hands like skydivers. Each then emits a different musical note as a flash of colored light (matching the Boohbah's color) is sent out from their heads to a central point.

Arthur

After talking about preschool programs in class, I was really set on the fact that I believe preschool and middle-age programs usually promote the develop of life skills/real world skills, whatever you want to call them :) I feel like I learned a lot in my elementary school years about simply being nice to people and making friends. One of the best examples of this that I can think of is my FAVORITE SHOW ever: Arthur. I LOVE THIS SHOW! Every episode had something in it that could apply to young kids. Every episode had a great take home message and taught me how to be a good person. PBS had a ton of other really great shows that I watched as well, like: Magic School Bus, Carmen San Diego, Zoom and Bill Nye the Science Guy. I probably watched a good 3 hours of these shows a day, and I still had plenty of time to do many other meaningful things. I always watched Arthur in the mornings with my entire family, and in the afternoons with my brother and sister. When we got done watching it, we read Arthur books and acted them out in our backyard. We weren't just staring blankly at the TV- we were engaged and encorporated a television program we loved into other aspects of our lives, in a beneficial way.

P.S. When Mr. Rogers was cartoonized and was on Arthur- BEST EPISODE EVER!

Killing Time Murders Opportunities

I have this quote pinned up behind my desk in my room in the hopes that it will remind me not to waste time. Thinking about this, I realized that 100% of "wasted time" is media use. It seems outrageous, but every single thing I do when I feel I have wasted time was something to do with the media. Movies, hulu, iTunes, facebook, magazines, etc. I realize that alot of media can be very good and worthwhile, but I feel that a lot of it out there is a waste of our time. Especially now that we can access media anytime and any place we want to, it can be a very dangerous procrastination tool. A lot of times it is mindless and pointless. I have decided to try to focus on media that is not a complete waste of time. Media that can benefit and enrich my life in some way, and not just watch or listen or read things just because they are available.

I can't be without the MEDIA!

I believe we are developing a kind of ADD in our culture. I can't live without the media. I can't just sit there and think. Even if I try to sit there, and just ponder, I always have to turn on some music, or read a book or magazine, or check my facebook, or pop in a movie. Its ridiculous! These days, we never have to be without media. When I walk to class, I listen to my iPod. Yesterday, I realized the battery was dead, and I was thinking, how I am going to manage going the entire day just me and my thoughts?!?! However, several things happened: I walked to class with another actual human being, which never happens, even though I probably see a ton of people I could walk with. They probably don't try to talk to me when they see I have my iPod in. Understandable. Also, I noticed things around me. Like trees and posters. I never see them. It was a good day. Today I had my iPod again, but when I saw someone I knew ahead of me, I turned it off and called their name to walk with them. :)

Glee

Today I watched the new show "Glee". I had heard some really good things about it- that it was unique and hilarious, and that I would love it. I did think it was hilarious, but it had quite a few sexual remarks. In part of the show, the students are trying to recruit more members to their Glee group (I can't remember exactly what they call it), and they decide the only way to get their peers' attention is to sing and dance to a song about sex. "Push It". While it may have been hilarious for the show, I think this actually brings up a true point. Is the only way we can get teens to watch or listen to something is by putting sex in it? Obviously there is sex in this show, and in so many others. Sex sells, and gets viewers, but can nothing else compete?