Royal Rumours

The royal couple, a dream come true or a tragedy in the making? It depends on whether you have been watching or reading the saga enfold. Not only a difference in media forms, but also in the story line.
Ever since the engagement, the television networks have been following this couple in a positive way. They have been keeping the rest of the world informed about the loving relationship these two people have. While on the other hand, magazine tabloid’s have been busy tearing up their past, present and future lives with unnecessary rumours and gossip.

If you were like me, and only watched the television broadcast of the Royal engagement and wedding ceremony, then you would have only heard the positive side of the festivities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gxvdRpQrAk&feature=related

They talk about the ring, her gorgeous dress, her hair, how lucky they were to have each other and how much they were in love. They didn’t once say a negative comment about either one of their past lives, or made up rumors about this couple or their families.

http://www.ivillage.com/kate-middleton-pregnant-star-magazine/1-a-340860

In an article written in ‘Star’ magazine, they wrote about Kate possibly being pregnant before the wedding and thus the rushed engagement and hurried wedding date. Rumours, rumours, rumours’, that’s all they want to spread. Are they trying to make the community turn on them, and doubt their relationship? Where do they get this information from? What is their goal when giving this couple such poor publicity?

On the other hand, one tabloid source has her infertile.

http://www.zimbio.com/Kate+Middleton/articles/Snwk-Jbxvi8/Touch+Weekly+Kate+Middleton+Can+t+Get+Pregnant

In this article, the ‘after plastic surgery’ picture of Kate Middleton doesn’t even look like her. If it is true, which I doubt, they should have chosen a picture that doesn’t look like her head has been pasted on to a random body. Nice try!

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/kate-middleton-plastic-surgery-shockers

Frankly, I would rather watch the positive aspects of their lives, even if it is exaggerated, rather than hear about her cross-dressing uncle, queer brother or her prostitute cousin. So be careful what you watch and especially what you read. Or as Ben Franklin once said, “ Believe none of what you hear, and half of what you see.”

Prom of your Dreams?

Its that time of year! Where the seiner classes gets to celebrate their four years of hard work. Its PROM! The high school event that everyone looks forward to, something to dress up for, something to get excited about!

But why does this event have such a big reputation?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YziwpXjY2o

In the media, prom is such a big deal. They make it seem like it will be the best night of your life. It is the event that is emphasized in every teen movie. When in reality, many people are just setting themselves up for a night of disappointment.

Before the actual night of prom, there is the preparation, which is probably the most stressful part. Finding a date, and the right dress are just some of the more important development steps you have to go through to get ready for ‘the best night of your life’. Also, the make-up, hair and nail appointments, limousine rides, and after party room will hike up the price of prom to the sky! These teenaged girls and guys (more particularly girls) spend hundreds of dollars for one night of your life! You don’t need to buy a $300 dress to have a good time.

What the media likes to say is that during your prom night, you will fall in love and have a happy life with that partner beyond high school and prom. You’ve finally pinned down that person of your dreams, that you thought you’d never get. At the end of the night you both become the Prom Queen and King, what an amazing night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpi4AJzWTCI

You don’t need to have all the over-the-top details to have a good time. A good time is made up of good friends, laughter and memorable stories. It’s not what you wore or how much you spent. When you look back at this day, its not the limo’s, hair, and make-up that will make you feel warm, it’s beyond that.

So go ahead, celebrate the achievements, friendships and what the future has in store, not those $700 Gucci shoes.

Have You Ever Had A Dream?...

Have you ever had a dream? A dream to of doing something positive in our world, a dream that would bring truth to teenagers struggling to dispel the many myths created by today’s media. Myths of what it means to be popular, successful, beautiful, thin…

I had this dream. It started with the love of media and film production. But the dream was bigger than just being a producer or director. I wanted to make a statement, I wanted to help people understand the truth and send positive message. My target, same as the media: teens. At the time of my dream, I was working as a volunteer behind the scenes at Rogers TV Mississauga. It was apparent to me, with all the variety of shows offered there was not one specific to teenagers. Thus, my dream began...

Don’t you love the shows that require your participation for it to succeed? Like voting for the winner on “So You Think You Can Dance” or “Canadian Idol”. You feel a sense of importance, you are involved in that show since you’ve created the outcome and have been asked to express your opinion. I began to envision a television talk show where teens wouldn’t just influence someone else life, but their own as well. These shows would have experts that would discuss the facts of current teen issues and deconstruct the media’s false messages.

Fast forward to May 2011, where I am currently co-host and co-community producer of a new live show on Roger’s TV called “Teen Talk”.

The first four shows had discussions around teen relationships, use of alcohol and marijuana, worry and anxiety and healthy eating. With the help of the teen input on the internet and through live calls the experts discussed myth’s in todays media. Since the show is live, teen viewers call in with their own questions or experiences towards that weeks topic shaping the show. As well, the week prior to each show teens can chat, share experiences and ask questions (via Facebook) that will be brought up on air. Now’s your chance to get involved in my dream, or start your own - you run the show! Call in, ask questions, give in your personal stories, let your fellow teens know the truth and how you feel! All teens are also invited to contribute to the topic of future shows. The show gives you a chance to benefit yourself. While teenaged viewers negotiate different meanings for each topic, this show drives to undo what the media has done by letting their audience know the truth and undoing the harmful lies. Trends blaze through our society like raging fire, fulfilling everyone’s urge to fit in. Products are bought and actions are taken usually because of the rage or fad. We have the chance to drive this in a positive direction. Let the dreams begin!

Teen Targets

Teens have been used as targets for many different produces from make-up to clothes, face wash to school supplies... Trying to bribe us with promises of love, happiness, confidence, beauty and popularity. Using these techniques to lure in teen buyers is bad enough, but when manufacturers deliberately use them on a product that has proven to cause harm or death, potentially shorten or take away the live of innocent teenagers, that’s criminal! Introducing the cigarette manufacturers.

Cigarette manufactures have been researching the fads and trends of today’s teens and using this information against us. Selling a product that could potentially shorten innocent lives; now thats just outrageous! They are using many different techniques to lure teenagers into buying their products that have a slim, glamourous and intriguing packing. They do whatever they can to appeal to the teenaged market.

Some cigarette companies add menthol to their cigarettes which decreases the smell on their clothing and breath, making it easier for teens to smoke without their parents getting suspicious. Unfortunately, adding menthol to tobacco causes the nicotine to get to the brain faster increasing the addictive potential of a cigarette. (The faster nicotine binds to the nicotine receptors in the brain, and releases dopamine, a hormone that makes you feel pleasure and satisfaction, the higher the potential for addiction.) Their manufacturing techniques make it easier for teens to cover their acts of smoking cigarettes.

Not only have they hidden the smell of cigarettes, they have also camouflaged the packaging.

Is it just coincidence that this package looks like and i-pod? Giving teens confidence that they can successfully hide their smoking will increase teen buyers. They have also made cigarette cases in the shape of mascara containers, chocolate bars, a deck of cards and designer Louis Vuitton clutches to help teens conceal their cigarettes from their parents and guardians. Pretty ingenious on their part!

Where as a regular pack of cigarettes contains 20 cigarettes for around $10, cigarette companies have created mini pack of 4 or 5 cigarettes. I suspect the reason for this is two - fold, again to target teens. Firstly, the small packaging is easy for teens to conceal and contains the perfect amount of cigarettes if they are only planning to smoke at a party or on the weekend with their friends. Secondly, the small packages are a low, affordable price of $3.00, which just happens to be the same price of a bag of chips and a can of pop. These people have thought of everything! Luckily, the government has rallied to stop advertising on the radio, television and magazines in Canada. It is also suing the British Tobacco Company for the health care costs due to the harmful effects of smoking.

Not only have they made cigarettes affordable, accessible and easy to hide from their parents, they have also made them more interesting, tasty and enjoyable by adding crazy flavours. Making the cigarettes have yummy and fun flavours like strawberry, bubblegum, chocolate, peanut butter and jelly, tropical passion and mint would make the smoke more pleasing to us teens instead of just the nauseating taste of cigarettes. They say they are not targeting teens, but when we look at how they have added the above elements into their products it makes that statement laughable. Of course they are targeting teenagers, they have thought of absolutely everything to reel us in!

Unfortunately, nicotine is the most addictive substance on the market. More addictive than marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol. Starting to smoke cigarettes before the age of 18 predicts a higher rate of addiction in the future. Since these ads are targeting teens, they will get them started young causing them a lifetime of negative health effects in the future, including cancers, lung disease (COPD), and heart disease.Trying to seduce you into buying a product that will harm you in the end is murder! Doing this to children is infanticide!

If It Sounds Too Good To Be True… It Probably Is

We have all seen these types of advertisements.

The ones that promise happiness, popularity, beauty, love and acceptance if you were to purchase and use their products.

People in advertising say that it’s better to be thin, have a life style of drinking, casual sex, and smoking…etc
Believe it or not, there are tones of ads that subconsciously play with your mind, focusing on what the advertisers think young men and women want.

Why do we let these commercials and ads form our view of society? What makes us want to be like these people in these advertisements?
While searching for general commercials that use this technique for buyers I came across this one ad for “Kraft Dinner.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Gr3cK_J9c

In this commercial, it shows a young man eating “Kraft Dinner BOLD” while working ate a gas station. After taking one bite, he becomes more daring and goes out to a sports car pretending that it is his. He starts to wash off the front of the car when a group of girls pull up in their car next to him. One of the girls walks up to him handing him her number saying that her has a “nice car.” After she’s walked away the owner of the car comes out of the gas station and hands him cash for washing his car. Who wouldn’t eat bowls of this mac and cheese to bring a little more luck into their life? Moral of this commercial; if you eat ‘Kraft Dinner’ all of the prettiest girls will want to come over with their numbers and you will gain some cash. In reality you will probably eating your “Kraft Dinner” alone.

If you are willing to buy a certain product to greater improve yourself, it doesn’t mean you are not happy with your current situation, but you want to bring a little more excitement into your life. Unfortunately, when eating “Kraft Dinner” for example, you won’t get a group of girls vying for your attention but end up feeling worse (and full.)
Don’t get your hopes up, these products won’t get you to suddenly walk in the spot light.

You are who you are, and no product can change that.

Below are some of the advertisements that have caught my eye, and I feel will further show these ideological messages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e04SjNGlfUo&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tWZB7OUSU

Taylor Vs. Talent

Look at this picture. Where do your eyes go first? Is it his glowing chocolate brown eyes, his perfectly placed 'messy' hair, that smooth, soft face or his chiseled, tan body? What more could you ask for in an actor?

His physical appearance is the reason for his casting as 'Jacob Black' in the overly popular movie 'Twilight'. Catherine Hardwicke, the "Twilight" director, chose Taylor Lautner for a reason. Since the target age group for the "Twilight" movie was 12 - 15 year old females, she used a young, attractive man to portray one of the main male characters and thus, reel in the viewers. This decision appeared to be a success based on the fact that the first "Twilight" movie in the series made over 7 million dollars in the first few nights of showing. Has our pop culture community seriously come down to this? Do we disregard lack of any talent what’s so ever for drop dead gorgeous looks? Unfortunately, even though Taylor Lautner may be attractive or a very kind person in real life, the reality is that he has weak acting skills. Like most of the popular actors and actresses of our time, he seems awkward on screen. Many new young actors and actresses appear stuck portraying a similar character, role after role. I hope that soon new actors will become famous because of their talent rather than their looks.

We are blinded by beauty. Lets try to see beyond that.