20. INCEPTION

I watched the movie Inception directed by Christopher Nolan starring many A list actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe and Ellen Paige, those just being a few. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the protaganist Dom Cobb whom is a corporate spy and thief. His job is to secretly extract valuable commercial information from the unconcious mind of his targets while they are asleep and dreaming. He is offered a job that if completed successfully will allow him to have his old life back and see his kids. He is to do "inception;" plant an idea into a target's subconscious. While watching the movie it made my mind go on a crazy and complicated ride. It made me think the hardest I had ever had to think but that's what I loved about it. I loved the complicated and intricate storyline that made its viewers never stop thinking and processing. This relates to the key concept media construct reality because the movie makes you believe that what is happening could be real life, a dream or a figment of memory. It makes its viewers go on the same complicated mission the characters are on.

19. GIVE ME EVERYTHING TONIGHT - PITBULL FT NEYO, NAYER & AFROJACK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPo5wWmKEaI

I watched the music video for Give Me Everything (Tonight) by Pitbull featuring Neyo, Nayer and Afrojack. When I first heard the song on the radio it made me want to dance and it got me in a good mood. I then searched up the video and I noticed a couple of things. In the video and even song lyrics there is a lot of product placement. In the lyrics Pitbull says "Me not working hard? Yea right picture that with a kodak, Or better yet, go to times square take a picture of me with a kodak." There he promotes kodak camera's and the company itself. In the video at the ending there's a picture of him holding a kodak around a kodak frame. Also, Pitbull in the video is drinking vodka and they zoom up on a bunch of vodka bottles called "Voli." Lastly they show a Blackberry Playbook in which they are using. This relates to the key concept media construct reality because they are advertising products that consumers will want to buy because since they have it everyone else should. Also, in the lyrics they promote drinking excessively like it is a normal thing to do and having one night stands are normal too.

18. PC VS MAC SECURITY COMMERCIAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80sWifG40B0&playnext=1&list=PL93499424CEFCF444

Apple Inc has a campaign called "Get a Mac" where famous actor Justin Long (right) is a Mac and author and humorist John Hodgman (left) is the non-Mac PC. The certain commercial I had saw was when they were comparing the PC's highly defensive security to Mac's easy going security which is not as persistent as the PC's. All of the Get a Mac's camapaign commercials compare the differences between a PC and Mac and always ultimately persuade the viewer that a Mac is a better choice rather than a PC. This appeals to mainly users who do not own a Mac because it points out all of a PC's flaws and shows how a Mac is better. Being a PC owner it makes me want to switch to a Mac because it benefits me as a user much more than a PC. This relates to the key concept media construct reality because they created the commercial in a way to make viewers believe that choosing a Mac is the right choice and if you choose a PC you will have much difficulty with it.

17. THE ROYAL WEDDING : PRINCE WILLIAM & KATE MIDDLETON

This year on April 29, 2011 Prince William and Kate Middleton had their royal wedding. Prince William whom is the Duke of Cambridge is the second in line to the sixteen Commonwealth Realms which makes Kate Middleton Duchess of Cambridge and queen if Prince William ever gets crowned king. Their wedding was an event no one could miss out on whether you be the Queen of England or an ordinary person living anywhere in the world. The wedding aired on many stations so everyone could be a part of it. Kate's wedding dress was kept confidential both deisgn and designer until the day of their wedding. This wedding captured the media in every way popping up in magazines, news, etc. Kate has now become a fashionista and influences women around the world. This relates to the key concept media have social and political implications because their wedding impacted the world as they could be the future king and queen of England.

16. TRUE BLOOD

True Blood is a television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball and based on the novels The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charliane Harris. It stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. The show is set in Bon Temps, Louisiana where humans and vampires co-exist with one another. The show contains many controversial topics as does every SHOWTIME/HBO series does. The very first time I watched this series I instantly loved it because of the raw and unordinary storyline. The show is not afraid to show every side to it whether it be a dark, raw side or a light, clean side. There are no boundaries to this show and I think that is one of the main reasons I am a fan. This relates to the key concept media contain ideological and value messages because even though this show mainly shows the edgy perspective of things it always contains an important message. For example there is a homosexual character that goes through many events that are very controversial but he is a friend of many. Even the vampires of the show who are seen to be suave and sophisticated promote homosexuality.

15. FRIDAY - REBECCA BLACK

The song Friday by Rebecca Black has become one of the most viewed videos on YouTube recieving more than 160 million views. The 13 year old decided she wanted to pursue her musical "talent" so her mother paid $4000 for ARK Music to produce and write a song for her daughter. The video went viral in March and became the most talked about topic on Twitter, however, recieving only negative and hateful comments and is said to be "one of the worst songs ever." Even though she recieved a negative reaction she has become a viral star. The song Friday appeared on the show Glee because an episode was playing tribute to pop culture and love it or hate it the song is pop culture. This relates to the key concept media have social and political implications because her song worked in her favour even though she recieved negative reactions she still got enough fame to become famous. 

14. US OF TARA SEASON 3 EPISODE 1 & 2

United States of Tara is a television comedy-drama series on SHOWTIME which was created by Diablo Cody and stars Toni Collette whom is an amazing actress. It is about a woman named Tara Gregson a wife and mother of two children who was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. In other words she has multiple personalities. This show has become very popular because of all its controversial aspects to the show (homosexual characters, mentally unstable characters etc). In season 3 episodes 1 & 2 Tara's daughter Kate decides to go to Japan to teach english until the recent devastation that happened; the earthquake. After both episodes before the credits roll there is a note that says how you can donate to the Japan earthquake relief. The show brought light to its viewers the severity of the earthquake and promoted a relief fund that we can donate to. This relates to the key concept media have social and political implications because the show incorporated the devastation in Japan into the plot to show the viewers that Japan needs our help.

13. GIVE A WAY OUT - UNITED WAY COMMERCIAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGIFi94G8fE

United Way has a campaign called "Give a Way Out." A while back I had come across one of their commercials involving this campaign and it had really pulled at my heartstrings and I'm sure it made others feel the same way as I. In the commercial there is a homeless man sitting on the ground helpless and in bad shape. He rips his skin open and out comes a new him, all cleaned up and in a job uniform. At the end of the commercial it says "what you are really giving is a way out," meaning that all the donations go towards helping those in need get a better life. I think United Way's campaign is selfless and is a great way for us to help others. There campaign is directed to not only homeless people but youths who need help also. This relates to the key concept media have social and political implications because it is opening up society's eyes to see that people around us do need our help.



12. DRUGS NOT 4 ME COMMERCIAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5zDhngIzF0

While watching tv on the MTV channel I came across this commercial which is about a teenage girl who gets into drugs and eventually loses control of her life. Throughout the commercial there is no talking but a catchy song that goes "1,2 kicked out of school, 3,4 snort some more, 5,6 need my fix, 7,8 feels too late." While watching it I was disgusted after seeing how she looked after the drugs hit her and I also think it gives a good message. However, I feel adults target teens too often when it comes to drugs because they seem to think we are the only ones who do drugs and think most of us are heavily into it. This relates to the key concept media as a construction of reality because they make it seem like all teens are into drugs and they air it on a channel that mainly teenagers/young adults watch.

11. AXE ANGEL COMMERCIAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qskcmabLuQ

Axe cologne and body spray for men has recently come out with a new campaign and string of advertisements to endorse the new product Axe Excite. The logo for this certain product is "Even Angels Will Fall." When I first watched the commercial I was expecting it to be a Victoria's Secret ad until the ending when it had showed the actual axe product. The setting of the commercial is in Italy which I find quite elegant of a choice compared to other axe commercials which take place in North America. I really like the European feel they put in the commercial and I find it interesting how they chose a country whose religion is Catholicism since they incorporated angels into it, putting a religious dynamic to it. This relates to the key concept media construct reality because the commercial makes it seem so real when the angels fall having bystanders start praying in italian and even have tears in their eyes.

10. WAVIN' FLAG - K'NAAN

The song Wavin' Flag by K'Naan has become one of the most inspritational songs of 2010/2011. He released it in August 2009 and it quickly became a favourite for many. It was shortly after re-made by an ad hoc supergroup of Canadian artists credited as Young Artists For Haiti which became a charity single. It also was chosen as Coca-Cola's promotional anthem song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This song inspires many people to succeed whether they be struggling in Haiti or representing their country. This song is a symbol of hope for everyone and I believe K'Naan did an amazing job in making others realize that we are all one. This relates to the key concept the media contain ideological and value messages becasue the lyrics in the song inpire and bring hope to those in need; "when I get older, I will be stronger they'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag."

9. BRIDESMAIDS

I watched Bridesmaids starring Kristen Wiig, a fresh and new face amongst the comedic stars in Hollywood. It's about a girl named Annie and her experiences as maid of honour for her best friend Lilian. By the looks of the movie poster you instantly think chick flick. When I watched it tears were falling down not only from my face but also a male who was sitting beside me from laughter. This movie is not a chick flick in fact it is simply a human flick. This is by far the best comedy movie I have ever seen that will make anyone from any gender, race, religion etc die of laughter. The creators hit the nail on the head by creating the perfect comedy for everyone mature to enjoy. The acting was funny and enjoyable, not cheesy and annoying like other comedy movies. This relates to the key concept media have social and political implications because this movie made a breakthrough in society by finding a common ground for both males and females to agree on something they can laugh about.  

8. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

I watched this movie not knowing what to expect; all I had heard about it was that it was horrifying. The movie is shot in documentary form but not until after watching it did I find out it was a mockumentary. It is about a couple who live together, and Katie, the girlfriend is being followed by a demon and they both experience tremendous supernatural activity. The way the movie was put together made it seem so real because in the beginning it did not show any production companies and at the end there was no credits. They only credited the families of the deceased (the couple in the movie). After watching this movie, I could not sleep for days because thinking about it gave me the chills and had me really scared. This relates to the key concept media construct reality because the creator of the movie did not advertise this movie much as they had wanted the viewers to believe it was a real documentary. They constructed this movie so well that their original anticipation of only having a few screenings of the movie for one week turned out to be many viewings for multiple weeks after the great reviews.

7. THE HANGOVER PT 2

I watched the movie The Hangover Part II directed by Todd Phillips starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zack Galifiniakis and Justin Bartha. It is a comedy and is about 4 male friends who travel to Thailand for one of their weddings and go out the night before for his bachelor party. Instead of waking up cozily in their hotel room they find themselves in Bangkok without any recollection from the night before and are missing the bride's brother whom was with them the night before. Throughout watching this entire movie there was never a moment where I wasn't laughing and it reached the first movie's expectations. It kept me enetertained and really made me want to keep watching it. This relates to the key concept all media are construction beause the story line was made to lead up to different and unexpected events than that of the first movie.

6. TEEN MOM

On MTV I watched a reality show called Teen Mom. The show is about teenage girls raise their child that they had recently given birth to. Prior to watching this show I had watched 16 and Pregnant which had the same teenage girls except the show was following their pregnancy. Thinking about this show makes me wonder what society has really come to. Are we that ignorant and shameful to have made a show following  the lives of teen mothers? This relates to the key concept media construct reality because the show makes it seem like it is that easy for a teenager to raise a baby when really it isn't. The show sugar coats every situation making it seem like it's hard when it is actually much harder because unlike the teenage girls in this show who have sponsors (huggies, baby food companies), teen mothers out there don't have any of that.

5. TWITTER

Twitter is another very popular social networking website. It allows you to follow not only friends but even celebrities. Following means you are able to see what the person "tweets" (status updates). I am also a twitter user and I find it entertaining to see what people tweet about especially when people fight over twitter. Even celebrities tweet about personal events so it is like you know all about what is happening in their life. This relates to the key concept media have social and political implications because twitter is a way for people to get their voices and opinions heard especially if it becomes a trending topic all over the world. Twitter has become a source to get important things heard; most news stations have their own twitter profile too.



4. FACEBOOK

Facebook is the most popular social networking website out there. I myself am a facebook user and I think it is a great way to talk to and keep in touch with friends and family whether they live a street away or in another country. It allows you to know about one another. Facebook has made it easier for me to communicate with others. This relates to the key concept each medium has a unique aesthetic form because facebook is a unique tool of communication made easy for us to use from the comfort of our own homes or for that matter anywhere you are (facebook mobile, facebook app on ipad etc). Without facebook in my life, I feel it would be harder to get in touch with people. When I first became a facebook user it had completely changed my life; it was my new addiction to be on it almost 24/7. Now I still go on regularly but since that the craze of it is slowly fading so has my interest in it. 

3. BORN THIS WAY - LADY GAGA

The song Born This Way by Lady Gaga is her one of her newest hits for 2011. This song is quite controversial as it deals with controversial topics such as homosexuality, religion, colour etc. Though through her lyrics she strongly takes a stand and basically sings her heart out to let everyone know that whether they are gay, straight, transexual, coloured, white, jewish, muslim, christian etc they were born that way for a reason and they are perfectly normal the way they are. This relates to the key concept media contain ideological and value messages because Lady Gaga uses her song to relay important messages that she believes in and thinks that the world should always consider the point of view her song has. I personally think what Lady Gaga has done is amazing because she uses her fame not for herself but for people who are in need of understanding and motivation to be who they really are.

2. JERSEY SHORE

Jersey Shore is a hit reality television show on MTV. It is about 8 young Italian Americans by the names of Nicole (Snooki), Jenni (JWOWW), Sammi, Deena, Pauly, Ronni, Vinny & Mike whom live in a house together over the course of each summer. The show includes drama, partying, drinking, sexual content, minimum work and of course more drama. Through those components it has gotten so much publicity that it has become one of the most popular reality shows out there. I watch Jersey Shore purely for the entertainment the cast portrays through their stupidity. This relates to the key concept the media construct reality because since it is a "reality" show it appears that partying, the drama and drinking to get drunk EVERY day is normal when it really should be something you do once in a while after a long week of work and/or school. The show is giving off the wrong message to teenaers and young people (the majority of the population who watch it) therefore making them think that what they do is acceptable.



1. MCDONALD'S

When I think about McDonald's I instantly picture the golden "M" that is in every commercial, advertisement, store and merchandise. At the age of 3 I was first exposed to it while watching cartoons on the television. A commercial for a happy meal came on with children my age playing with the cool toys that came with the meal and playing in the play place after finishing their meal. All I could think was "man do I wish I could get cool toys and play in a big play place like those kids..." and evidently through the commercial McDonald's told me it was possible if I purchased a happy meal too. This relates to the key concept the media construct reality because through every McDonald's commercial, specifically the one I saw as a child, they make life look too put together and peachy when it isn't. Also, for parents they make it look like your child will sit there quietly and eat without any fit when that never happens in real life. As I have gotten older I realized that McDonalds is a) extremely unhealthy b) only there to try and sell you their products and c) give cheap toys in the happy meal.