Buy Nothing Day!

Tuition, entertainment, groceries, clothing, accessories, and Christmas gifts- as this list grows on so does the bill that covers it. Fear not wallets and emptying bank accounts, for next Friday, November 27th (North America), and Saturday November 28th (internationally) is the celebration of Buy Nothing Day.

In a consumer driven society, even the thought of abstaining from spending can give one a case of culture shock. And if you’re thinking, sure, one day avoiding the shops is within my reach, think again. Buy Nothing Day includes anything and everything that requires the spending of money. Yes, this means that , “...[They] want you to not only stop buying for 24 hours, but to shut off your lights, televisions and other nonessential appliances. We want you to park your car, turn off your phones and log off of your computer for the day” (Buy Nothing Day).

In fact, the effect of us in the consumer world is not much different from media guru Marshal McLuhan’s theory of, “Narcissus narcosis, a syndrome whereby man remains as unaware of the psychic and social effects of his new technology as a fish of the water it swims in” (Playboy). We as a society have become unaware not only of the enormity of the role consuming plays in our daily lives, but of what effects our consumption has in the bigger spectrum.

The purpose of Buy Nothing Day helps us to disentangle ourselves from our environment of consumption in order to recognize it for all that it is. It shows that we really can break from our societal norms and use that opportunity to, “Take just one small step toward a more just and sustainable future” (Buy Nothing Day). Simply participating in Buy Nothing Day would help prevent your bank account from diminishing during a time of excess purchasing with the rise of Christmas hours and feeling of obligation to purchase the best products for loved ones, while also helping us by preventing us from using up irreplaceable natural resources.

So what are you waiting for? Mark your calendars and prepare to lock your credit cards away, for Buy Nothing Day is well on its way!

Work Cited

"Buy Nothing Day: Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters." Adbusters Culturejammer
Headquarters: Journal of the mental environment. Web.

Playboy. "The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan." Playboy. Web.

Help Save the Internet!

Warning! The internet as we know it is at risk! There is need for the protection of net neutrality under the law, that is, “the idea that broadband operators shouldn't be allowed to block or degrade Internet content and services--or charge content providers an extra fee for speedier delivery or more favourable placement” (Broache).

In order to understand the severity of what net neutrality could mean to our way of life, is to look at the impact that the current free use of the internet has on us.

How integrated is the internet in our lives? Well according to a study done in 2009 titled, "Consumer Behaviour Online: A 2009 Deep Dive," shows that overall time spent on the Internet has remained at 12 hours per week (Dara). Twelve hours a week is a significant amount of time to be spending on the internet.

During these hours spent on the internet, we are currently enabled to use all websites on an equal level playing field with every other internet user in spite of their wealth or status. However, if net neutrality is not protected, corporations that act as internet service providers will be able to act as a gatekeeper of the internet.

The freedom of the internet is important for the blooming of culture. Already, restrictions such as copyright have become a culture lock, a way to prevent the average citizen from building upon past works to create something new and inspiring.

Being allowed to play gatekeeper would mean that companies such as Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, and Time Warner Cable could potentially control what you do online. As US President Barrack Obama has stated, “... I think [internet gatekeepers] destroys one of the best things about the Internet--which is that there is this incredible equality there" (Broache). This equality would disappear without protected net neutrality, with those corporations using their ownership over connection devices to do things such as being free to charge access fees for internet sites or for faster services. They would also be able to control what sites you browse on the internet by leading you to specific websites they own shares in and by making competing websites unbearably slow to load. The same could occur with bandwidth, by controlling your downloading capacity with threats of cutting off connection or slowing down your internet browser considerably.

If these types of control from corporations began to happen in our material lives, charging and restricting our actions within our community and at large, there would be uproar. However, there is law in place to prevent that from happening. If we currently have free access to our internet, then how come our digital life is not similarly protected? The rights to freedom of internet use should be no different, especially as society has been transitioned from an industrial age; to an increasingly more information based society that stems from connection to the digital world of internet access. We would be taking a step back in progress, moving from a rewrite culture to a read only culture locked down and controlled by major industries.

Are you ready to let this big part of your life become restricted and manipulated? In order to prevent this, get involved with your Government, and make your voice heard. Protect worldwide equality from falling into the hands of corporate control, contact your government today, or visit: http://www.savetheinternet.com/


Work Cited

Broache, Anne. "Obama pledges Net neutrality laws if elected president: News Blog - CNET News." Technology News- CNET News. Web.

Kerr, Dara. "Overall time spent online remains static:Digital Media - CNET News."Technology News–CNET News. Web.

Fake News: Real Prospects

Rick Mercer Report, the Daily Show, the Onion, SNL, The Colbert Report, these are all names within the media realm that are likely to sound familiar. In fact, theses names belong to fake news corporations who may have reached greater popularity than standardized media corporations such as the Toronto Star.

However, this popularity has broader prospects than just a good laugh. With the arrival of the 21st Century has come a bombardment of technology competing for the attention of the general population. With this change there is a need for the media to adapt in order to continue to reach its audience effectively. University of Guelph PhD student and Guelph-Humber media studies instructor Ian Reilly specializes in this kind of fake news, with the impression that, “... fake news captures the Zeitgeist of contemporary culture” (Reilly in Hunt). If this is true, then fake news just might be that necessary tool of breaching the information barrier in this transition of society.

Fake news often uses humour and parody to bring to light a much more serious topic. While it appears on the surface to be more about entertainment than news, Reilly points out that, “Without a strong baseline of information, you’re not going to get the joke, and nothing’s worse than not being in on the joke” (Reilly in Hunt). In this sense, in order to enjoy the consumption of fake news, there needs to be knowledge of the real news stories that are out, and this means there is an incentive to be aware of current issues.

So deep down, are real news and fake news really that different? Sure, one is based on fact, but as Reilly explains, “[Fake news] can be regarded as a form of investigative journalism because fake news is very much invested in the process of digging up and recontextualizing information” (Reilly in Hunt). It seems to stand that at the basis of everything, they both serve the same purpose of creating awareness about current issues and politics, and that awareness is what is key to keeping a society informed and active in their own world.

Work Cited:

Bona Hunt, Lori. "Features: At Guelph." University of Guelph. Web.

R-I-N-G! R-I-N-G!

That’s the telephone again! Surprise, surprise, it’s another organization asking for donations. Some questions that I raise in my mind when I get such calls are: Is this worthy cause important enough for me to devote my time to? Do I believe in this cause strong enough to advocate it to others to do the same and help out?

Sure, deep down a lot of people want to be that superhero that can save the day, but the reality of the matter is that you are only one person and there are countless organizations that all believe that there cause is the one deserving your time and money.

The only problem is finding the cause that is right for you. Once you find that cause it is easier to feed it, not because it is necessarily more deserving than the other ones out there, but because it appeals to something that you find has a relevance to you or in what you stand for.

As for me, I’m still finding my cause, and you know what, that’s perfectly okay. While it might be easier to just pounce on the first activist project that comes your way in order to lessen your guilt of not helping out, it is more rewarding to find the cause, or organization that you are really passionate for in assisting.

You can try and find that cause by testing out various organizations until you discover which one clicks with you. Currently, I decided to test the activist pool by dipping my feet into a couple of school organized activist projects, including Amnesty International, Artists for Outreach, and the Clean Train Coalition. I selected these for my participation in, based on my interests. Amnesty International appeals to my interest in helping those who struggle under political distress with the goal to “...build a world where all people live in dignity, security and freedom” (Amnesty International Canada).

As for the Clean Train Students Coalition, whose slogan runs, “Transit for a Healthy City” (Clean Train Coalition), I have the opportunity to act upon my interest in protecting the environment through their vision for a more environmentally and health friendly neighbourhood in Toronto, by exploring and using alternative energy sources, such as electrically run trains.

Artists for Outreach on the other hand appeals to my love of the arts, giving the opportunity to, “provide an outlet for students-mostly in media and the arts- to gain experience in their area of study or interests while helping the community” (Artists for Outreach). This activist project appeals to me as an university student looking to help society, and at the same time meet others with similar interests in the arts.

Where these choices will go, I do not know. What I do know is the importance of finding a true cause that fits you.

Work Cited

"Amnesty International Canada :About AI Canada What we are." Amnesty International Canada. Web.

"Clean Train Coalition : Transit for a Healthy City". Clean Train Coalition. Web .

"Clubs & Associations - Artists for Outreach (North campus)." Humber Life. Web.

Culture Jamming: Consumer Culture Exposed

In a society bombarded with consumerism, it gets to a point where it becomes easy to forget to question what’s being targeted at us. However, there are people who remain at an unease by the direction society has accepted a corporate run world. In order to point out these overlooked problems, comes the mechanism of culture jamming whereby, “...a variety of interesting communication strategies... play with the branded images and icons of consumer culture to make consumers aware of surrounding problems and diverse cultural experiences that warrant their attention” (Culture Jamming).

Culture jamming is effective in that it uses the original advertisements of corporations to alter it to reveal something about it or a statement on society. This use of familiar iconic and branded imagery attracts more attention to targeted audiences, being those who are exposed and use that consumer culture.

One example of the culture jamming is this altered image of an Esso sign at the entrance to a large station near the Germany-Luxembourg border in Wasserbillig (Beentjes).

This particular case of culture jamming easily transformed the sign to a deeper revelation with the addition of two red lines through the S’s in Esso to resemble the dollar sign. Here culture jamming is used to make a statement about gas companies’ value of the dollar over all else. This photo appeared in an article on the Greenpeace International website, an organization whose mission statement is that, “...[It] is an independent, campaigning organization which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to force the solutions which are essential to a green and peaceful future.” (Green Peace Mission Statement). Green Peace would showcase this culture jamming because they feel that the oil franchise uses natural resources remorselessly and adjusts its pricing not so that it is fair for its consumers, but so that it creates the largest net income.

Culture jamming is just another method of expression to make a concern heard by the broader public. Though not in the best interests of the corporations its targeting, it brings to light an important awareness that not everything that surrounds us and is marketed to us is healthy for our own interests or that of the world we live in.

And for those of us who have their own objections they want heard because they are simply ,culture jamming is both a cheap and easy way to bring that point into the public’s collective consciousness.

Work Cited
"Culture Jamming." UW Departments Web Server. Web.

"Greenpeace Mission Statement." Greenpeace Canada. Web.

Beentjes, Bass. "Exxon still funding Climate Change Deniers”. Greenpeace International. Web.

Media Literacy: Are We Passing the Test?

If you are the type of person who starts every morning with a cup of Joe and a morning newspaper, or sometimes tunes into the television or radio, you have acquired to some degree a level of media literacy.

Media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day by using critical thinking skills to question what lies behind media productions —the motives, the money, the values and the ownership— and to be aware of how these factors influence content (Tallim).

The first step in developing media literacy is to make one’s self aware of what media content your consuming on a daily basis. If you become aware that you are on the receiving end of the media, you can start to evaluate the deeper prospects of what is being presented.

This is important because in our world of multi-tasking, commercialism, globalization and interactivity, media education isn't about having the right answers—it's about asking the right questions (Tallim). If we make ourselves aware of media literacy, we can condition ourselves to start inquiring these questions about what we are consuming, and in doing so make ourselves a more informed member of society.

So next time you encounter media in your daily routines, take a step back and think about who produces the media we experience—and for what purpose? Who profits? Who loses? And who decides? (Thoman).

Develop your media literacy so that you may see the truth in the media and make informed decisions yourself, rather than letting them make it for you.

Work Cited

McChesney, Robert. "The Global Media Giants We are the World." EXTRA! (1997): n. pag. Web.

Tallim, Jane. "What is Media Literacy?"Media Awareness Network. Web.

Thoman, Elizabeth. "The 3 Stages of Media Literacy?" Media Awareness Network. Web.

Participatory Culture : Me, Myself, and

Outside of the marketing world lies a culture where people themselves contribute to it instead of playing the role of a mere consumer. One such participatory culture that is sweeping the globe that I have become an integral participant in is none other than the Facebook network.

At point value Facebook looks to be a simple networking site that provides the ability to share pictures and personal information with others at your own discretion. Although Facebook is used by man as simply a way to creep into people’s lives, the network provides so much more opportunity for productive participation.

From what I’ve seen, Facebook can be a very useful participatory mechanism. Everything on facebook involves participation of the people involved. It is a collection of people who network with each other through their personal page, and who participate in a number of groups and networks, all at the discretion of the individual.

To set up a profile, you are given a blank slate in which to complete a promotion of yourself. Everything from pictures, to quizzes and filling out the basic and personal information, packages a person’s personality and sells it to its audience. Facebook gives the freedom to post notes on personal opinions which can bring about debates, it facilitates the sharing of organizations and events that can be created by any individual and opinion for the public to use. Most importantly it is an expense free way to do so.

At any moment I could log onto my facebook account and choose to share a video feed of my favourite artist, start a group for the awareness of poverty in my community, and post an album of my latest photography work. No matter what I decide to do I can be sure of one thing, I am partaking in a participatory culture in which I am met with various avenues to circulate my ideas and broadcast myself.

The Ecology of the Media: The Impact of the Telephone

Let’s say hypothetically it’s a Friday night and you decide to chat up your new love interest, however your version of chat up might very well be different than one a decade back. You text him,“Hey! Whats up?” to which he replies “Not much..” or something along those lines. Such instantaneous messaging has become second nature to teenagers of western culture, that it is frequently forgotten how new of a development it really is. In order to appreciate the phone, we must take a glance back into the past, and I mean further back than those bulky cell phones we now like to deny we or our parents once owned and deemed as ‘cool’.

Back in March 10, 1876 Alexander Bell was patented for his invention of the telephone. The telephone succeeded the telegraph as the first invention that elapsed the time needed to communicate. Before their invention, people would need to resort to using postal services to deliver and receive messages to people abroad. Their source of news and information would come from a community announcer, newspaper, or simply from word of mouth. This however, was not sufficient to communicate across greater distances. The telephone provided easy communication without the land barrier, or lengthy delivery time that resulted from the physical delivery of mail. People could now pick up a telephone and instantly be able to talk to someone a few communities away, which ultimately resulted in the heightened ability to spread ideas and knowledge abroad. Bell collaborated with two other men, Gardiner Hubbard and Thomas Sander’s to create the Bell Telephone Company. From this initial company, a franchise was born that continues to boom to this day.

However, we have since come a long way from the first transmitted phone call, “Mr. Watson --come here-- I want to see you.”(Alfred). Since the initial products from the bell telephone company came out, society has seen a large shift in trend when it comes to the use of technology and its role within society, a shift that can be observed throughout a lifespan. This has led to the technology of the cable-telephone becoming obsolete with the rise in popularity of the personal cellular device. What makes the cell phone in higher demand than the traditional telephone is its convenience in both its size and non-restrictive range of telephone service. With cell phones now including an increasing number of functions, it is making other utilities less in demand.
As media guru Marshall McLuhan would point out, the phone has become an extension of our own body, the ear. According to McLuhan, technological innovations are extensions of human abilities and senses that alter the sensory balance. It could be said that the telephone gave a sensory balance of the ear to the eye that had been dominating since the invention of the phonetic alphabet (Playboy). However with the continuous advancement in the cellular field more and more of these bodily extensions are controlled by the “phone”.

It seems to be as if we are moving towards a single object that contains all information, the ultimate piece of technology. I admit I am already finding it difficult to distinguish between technologies as devices such as the iPod touch include features of virtual games, camera, wireless internet, mp3 player etc. The phone has changed from being an amplification of the ear to the amplification of the eye. With such a change in purpose it almost seems unethical to call it a cell phone anymore.

Work Cited

Alfred, Randy. "March 10, 1876: 'Mr. Watson, Come Here ... '." (2008): .

Playboy. "The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan." Playboy Magagzine (1969): .

Mapping who owns what:

Disney's Vast Kingdom

Chances are if you say the name Disney, you are likely to see recognition in other’s faces as they smile and think about cartoons and Hannah Montanna. What many Mickey Mouse loving fans don’t realize is that those are only a fraction of what the company either owns or holds shares in. In fact, Disney is among the top global media giants, coming to a close second behind Time Warner in sales (McChesney). Disney has ownership in fields of film, broadcast television, cable television, radio, music, publishing, magazines, parks and resorts, and retail; i.e. ESPN, A&E, US Weekly, Walt Disney and Hollywood Records, or ABC network and radio to name a few.

From the morning news to every teeny-boppers heart throb, Disney has the world in its grasp. So what does this mean? Whether it be Disney or any other large major media company, there is a right to be concerned. By allowing such corporations to expand their ownership in sales, we are also allowing them to expand their influence over our media. In a democratic society, what freedom of choice do we really have when our different sources can all be traced back to a handful of corporations? By segmenting power to a few, we lose that freedom of the ability to choose for ourself. Just think about how easy it is to coy people into loving a new Disney film when the toy companies, the radio station and the news all have shares in the corporation!

The last thing we need is a dictator rule of the media, even if it is run under the name of Disney.

Work Cited

McChesney, Robert. "The Global Media Giants We are the World." EXTRA! (1997): n. pag. Web. 13 Oct 2009. .

Decoding/Deconstructing Advertising

Whatever modesty was left in the commercial world, it is not far-fetched to suggest it be thrown on the endangered species list. In a world connected through the mass media by television, radio and internet, the competition for businesses is on. There is no longer the local burger diner as an only option for food, there is rather Wendys, McDonalds, Burger King, Harveys, Dennys- and these are only a fraction of the big chains. Substitute a burger for shoes, clothing, toys, you name it, you can see there might be a problem. What I’m trying to say is that when there are so many options for the average consumer, there is a growth in competition between corporations and private business for their attention. The only way to mark their prominence and generate a satisfiable income is through the tool of commercialism. One way to stand out that has been gaining momentum is the lack of subtlety in advertising. The shock factor seems to be a big hit. Take this one for example:



Nothing subtle about it at all! Sex is a common marketing tool, but really does such innuendo need to be used for a big fast-food franchise to earn a couple of bucks? Burger King, which also advertises themselves as a family-oriented restaurant with kids menus, and sport the icon of a friendly and caricatured King, released this particular advertisement to promote a sandwich product. Though this ad in particular was only publicized in Singapore before flooding out into the World Wide Web, the implications are great. Sexual innuendo rules this advertisement. If the woman with the bright red sex doll lips parted for the sub sandwich leaking ‘mayonnaise’ isn’t explicit enough, it is accompanied by a banner reading “IT’LL BLOW YOUR MIND AWAY”. Wait there’s more; the sandwich wears the name the Super Seven Incher, which according to the description can “Fill your desire for something long, juicy ...”Doesn’t leave much for the imagination now, does it? Even though there is a lack of a certain male appendage to make the advertisement the equivalent to pornography, the metonym is clear as the sandwich is clearly implying the presence of the penis. As advertisements go, this one seems to one that could cause trouble with its portrayal of oral sex to promote a product, an act that could be seen as misogynistic.

Although there is no doubt that the advertisement is a good attention grabber with its in-your-face sexuality, after seeing this do people really think “Yum there’s a tasty burger?” If the only reaction is amusement, arousal, or simply a mother wanting to shelter her children from corruption in a home schooled environment, then the advertisement is a dud. However, if the product is consumed at the same rate as the advertisement is the centre of the gossip, then the tactic might have some credit to it.

The question that then arises is whether or not the shock factor is allowed to be used so fervently in advertising? One thing to keep in mind is the likelihood that if advertising continues on this explicit trend, then corporations will need to out shock the other in order to remain recognized. In this sense it’s scary to think what we will see next, perhaps Ronald McDonald gone dominatrix? There quite possible could be many more mind blowing advertisements to come.

Understanding the Mass Media

Mass media simply put is exactly what it looks like, media that communicates to the masses. Mass media includes the likes of the television, radio, newspaper and internet which all act as a medium to deliver information to a large scope of people. However, this vague description is only the denotation of the term, and in order to truly appreciate and understand the mass media, the term must be evaluated further than its mere description.

In order to understand the implication of media as communication that reaches the masses, it is important to accompany the description of the mass media with further interpretation. The connotation of the mass media does just that. So what then is the interpretation of the mass media? What I can derive from the mass media is that communication to the masses allows for the transfer of information across distances not possible without the technology of today. I see a community that has stretched its limits to the many corners of the earth through mass media such as the internet, allowing people for the first time to feel a sense of community with the rest of the world. Mass media communicates to the mass population of people, but it is ultimately up to the people to interpret the information they receive and what impact it will have on their lives. In saying this, the mass media is the facilitator for information to reach the masses. This important in itself, but it’s what the masses will do with this information they now all possess, that is truly profound. Mass media is a tool with the power to facilitate change and global growth; and at the same time can promote hatred and tension.

See now, you would not grasp the importance of the mass media had I left you with a simple, “Mass media can be defined as media that communicates to the masses”, would you?

To blog or not to blog- if there was a 21st century Hamlet this might be a plausible question. But for the moment lets just pretend that Hamlet is in the 21st century, and this time around instead of contemplating the very much universal questioning over what it means to live, he is now questioning the writing of his own blog. When questioning the writing of this supposed blog, Hamlet, being the negative person he is, would probably begin by looking heavily into the cons of blog writing. He may touch on the fact that to write a blog is to risk getting oneself into trouble with the law for slander and that in that sense blog writing limits the freedom of expression. He might also point out that even when you do write, if you have nothing worth writing about aside from what you had for breakfast, that it is just a bunch of nonsense. –This is where I would interrupt.

Though probably not to the same extent as Hamlet would have, I have myself contemplated for some time the creation of my own blog. Similar questions clouded my mind, and I decided that until I had discovered a truly worthy reason to write about, I would abstain from joining the growing blogger population. Thank God for my introduction into academic blogging. Now as I begin my academic blog, I know I will be provided with topics that are deliberately mind evoking and worthy of writing. I can now express to the rest of world meaningfulness that goes a step beyond my savoury cup of coffee. And the best part, this global outlet was only a few clicks away from existence. I was dumbstruck the moment I realized how easy it was to activate an account on Blogger: create a username and password, pick a template and then jazz it up with select style colours and fonts. In a matter of minutes, presto! My own blog!

So this is a wake up call to all of you modern day pessimistic Hamlets and other civilians who get intimidated - or simply pissed off- by blogs by the likes of Perez Hilton. Just remember that a blog you make is a blog you own. However, keep in mind that although you alone have the power to decide what to write, after you “send” that information, it is now the world’s to use. Intimidating- slightly- but the scale of how far a blog can potentially reach, well that’s the whole beauty of it.