Tea + Party= Bullshit (Meditation 4)

Image from http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/210904


"A loose definition of the Tea Party might be millions of pissed-off white people sent chasing after Mexicans on Medicaid by the banks that advertise on Fox and CNBC."

Over past few months I have been hearing a ton about the whole "Tea Party" issue and what it sounds like to me is a bunch of ignorant people getting together and making inaccurate statements about political topics, and blaming all their issues on the government. Now, I could be completely wrong in that statement, but this is the type of "reality" Matt Taibbi creates in his article "The Truth About The Tea Party", in the October 14th issue of Rolling Stone.

While reading the article you can almost feel how angry and annoyed Matt Taibbi is and I don't blame him. I mean, the people he talks to within the article are extremely contradictory. An example of this would be about three pages in when Taibbi refers to a conversation he had with an elderly couple it went like this:

""I'm anti-spending and anti-government," crows David as scooter-bound Janice looks on. "The welfare state is out of control."

"OK," I say. "And what do you do for a living?"

"Me?" he says proudly. "Oh, I'm a property appraiser. Have been my whole life."

I frown. "Are either of you on Medicare?"

Silence: Then Janice, a nice enough woman, it seems, slowly raises her hand offering a faint smile, as if to say, You got me!

"Let me get this straight," I say to David. "You've been picking up a check from the government for decades, as a tax assessor, and your wife is on Medicare. How can you complain about the welfare state?"

"Well," he says, "there's a lot of people on welfare who don't deserve it. Too many people living off the government."

"But, " I protest, "you live off the government. And have been your whole life!"

"Yeah," he says, "but I don't make very much.""

You get the idea. As I kept reading it suddenly became clear to me that I was only getting one side of this argument, Taibbi's. Which is fine, it's just I would like hear both sides of the story. I mean, Taibbi's all about stacking the cards the way he wants them so the Tea Party followers are the ones that look like complete incompetent idiots. "...They are all furious at the implication that race is a factor in their political views - despite the fact that they blame the financial crisis on poor black homeowners...."

Its amazing to me how subjective this article is. Taibbi just says how he feels, whether that means completely insulting these people or not. He obviously feels that they are all idiots, he certainly loves calling them names and insulting them harshly, my favorite example is at the beginning of page four, "...they're shockingly willing to believe that appalling horseshit fantasy about how white people in the age of Obama are some kind of oppressed minority. That my not be racism, but it is incredibly, earth-shatteringly stupid. "

Here is a very "subjective" youtube video about the Tea Party:

Image taken from examiner.com

This video really sums up everything the Tea Party followers believe, at least the uneducated followers. Now, when I say uneducated I don't mean that they are completely uneducated people, they are just not educated in this subject. Which, is why they are the perfect prey for news and media. But, the truth is they could find people to look stupid anywhere. Tea Party followers could do the same thing to us because believe it or not there are Republican and Democratic party followers who know less about the world and government than these people do. We, as people, tend to make the mistake of believing everything we hear, even if it is from an unreliable source, which then forms crazy party followers, who don't truly understand anything and then somehow come to the conclusion that the president is the new Hitler and, or, the Anti-Christ.

So, how do you fix this? I am not really sure, I guess it's unfixable, there will always be people who will talk without really knowing anything.

Magazine Analysis: Rolling Stone

Image taken from foliomag.com

Thesis:

Rolling Stone is a multimedia magazine that basis its content about music, movies, politics, and culture. It began in 1967 by Jann Wenner, who is still the editor.

Five Facts:

Rolling Stone features an article about "The Truth About The Tea Party"

Triune Brain:

Limbic: Rolling Stone has advertisement on, if not, every other page. They use pictures in their political cartoons, which make us laugh.

Neocortex: The magazine is in print and the articles are often about interesting political subjects that require you to use your neocortex.

8 Trends:

Epistemological Shift: Rolling Stone sometimes places images next to their articles making there a constant shift from word to image.

Technological Shift: The magazine is in print, but can also be found online.

Aesthetic Shift: Rolling Stone has its own website, twitter, facebook, and blogger making it a convergent media.

Discursive Shift: Rolling Stone is a subjective magazine, they are not afraid announce their own opinions.

7 Principles:

Production Techniques: The words used, images, cartoons, topics and videos (at their web site).



Own Meaning: They encourage readers to create their own meaning about the topics they discuss.

Emotional Transfer: Their is and emotional transfer with some of the politic topics talked about, such as the Tea Party.

29 Persuasive Techniques:

Humor: used often in cartoons or advertisement.

Beautiful People: Beautiful people are easy to find in the advertisement, but in some cases they have beautiful people in their article pictures as well.

Symbols: In the pictures/cartoons.

The Shark Vs. The Jewels (Meditation 3)

Image taken from fluid.pbworks.com & mawdizzle.com

As I sit here trying to find a way to being this blog, I listen to a plethora of James Taylor songs. I am not listening to them on my Ipod, but on an online website called Grooveshark. Grooveshark is an online music search engine, the "Google of music." Grooveshark allows users to search, stream, and upload music for free, which then can be played immediately or added to a playlist.

I have been toying around with Grooveshark for a few days, but I have occasionally switched to give its opponent, Pandora, a shot. Pandora is an automated music recommendation and Internet radio service created by the Music Genome Project. Users enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service responds by playing selections that are musically similar. Now, I have continually thought about which service is better and I have come up with an answer: It's neither.

Allow me to explain.

Yes, Grooveshark is easier to use and yes, the music is consistent. With Grooveshark you don't have to worry about hearing music you don't like, you can just listen to what you want, for as long as you want with no interruption. This is where Pandora hits its biggest flaw, there is advertisement every two or three songs. But, maybe this is because its the radio? Of course thats why! Pandora is an internet radio service, and just like any other radio station there are going to be commercials and advertisement. We seem to think just because Pandora and Grooveshark both play music that they are the same thing, when in reality they are not at all.

Grooveshark is a site designed for the user to do all the work and come up with their own playlist of songs they want to hear. While, Pandora is actually doing some work by trying to match and figure out which type of music you like to listen to. I understand why people do not like Pandora, but at least give it credit. I, for one, enjoy Grooveshark a lot more, but I think thats only because I do not necessarily like radio. I have nothing personally against Pandora, I actually think its a very interesting and creative idea. I just feel that this "feud" between Pandora and Grooveshark needs to end because in reality there really is no need for it.

Take a look at this very limbic James Taylor song,

and be sure to take in the beautiful pictures as well.

Halfway Home: A Midterm Reflection

image taken from wvs.topleftpixel.com

1. After studying 21st century media for eight week in this class, what have you learned?

So far I've learned quite a lot about media in general, like the fact that Google is indeed trying to take over the word. On top of this, I've also learned how to use the power tools, in which I can analyze media. Although, I feel the most important thing I've learned is how to blog. Blogging is a useful skill in today's rising technological world, and being able to have this skill is beneficial.

2. What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as a critical reader, a writer, and a thinker in this class so far?

I truly enjoy analyzing media. I enjoy knowing how media is trying to persuade me and I find it very interesting. Along with this, I feel like my online writing skills have improved and my writing has, in a way, become free. I am no longer constricted by what the teacher wants me to say, I can now say what I want to say.

3. What's one thing you would do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?

I would probably take your advise and tape the power tools to m eyelids. I have trouble remembering the seven principles.

4. What's one thing you would like me (Dr. W) to do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?

To be honest, I wouldn't change anything. I feel that everything we have done and discussed has been extremely beneficial.

5. Please comment on the usefulness of the power tools, our course blog, your personal blog, our in-class quizzes, our films, and our book as a learning tool.

Everything that we do is useful, the quizzes help make the power tools stick, the blogs are fun, but useful for the class. The films are interesting and even the book isn't so bad.

Here is a very interesting music video we watch in class:

Camp Champ Radio Spot: The Awesome Squad of Super Sexy Radio Voices

The Awesome Squad of Super Sexy Radio Voices

The Super Sexy Team Members:

Cameron Torres
Skyler Veselis
Jeffery MacLean
Alex Joch


Our Champ Camp Radio Spot:




The Super Sexy Script

Skyler- Are you tired of going to a boring school? Tired of being look down upon because you are not down with media? Well, my fellow students we are in a new age of digital media and without proper education we will be lost in this tidal wave of information.

Jeff- When most people think of Vermont they think of hippies, but that’s all UVM’s students. At Champlain College no one does drugs. This is why Champlain College is the school for you! Champlain is the best thing since the internet! If you come to Champlain College you could become a millionaire someday.

Alex (Performed by Cameron)- Besides, Champlain College is the place to be, at Champlain College you will meet the coolest people ever. Other colleges cannot compete. Champlain College is where all the cool kids go, and you want to be a cool kid right? UVM may drive a hard bargain, but Champlain College is focused on getting YOU an education.

Cameron- Sign up now and get your choice of our diverse and personalized dormitories! The solution is simple, come to Champlain College where education is easy and fun! Let Us Dare!