Take for example the television which is up to date, the most powerful media tool. Why? It mass communicates to a large and heterogeneous group of people. It is the fastest piece of technology that reaches to millions of people simultaneously. Due to this fundamental fact, it is powerful enough to manipulate the consumer’s minds. Of course this view is debatable. According to some, we as viewers have equal power to switch off the TV at any time. However, we live in a technological world where man are beginning to become slaves to machines. So, how secured are we in our protective bubble? Can we really restrict and refrain ourselves from consuming media content?

There are a number of reasons as to why we simply cannot take our eyes away from the TV screen or the glossy magazines. First up is our need to be involve in the issues of the world. Educational institutions are major drivers in feeding this need. Instructors always encourage independent learning to build up our general knowledge. And where do kids get their knowledge from? The TV and the internet of course! Cultivation theory kicks in as kids experience double dose effects from what they see on TV. Or, they can even believe the synthetic reality created by the gatekeepers (editors or producers). Cases like how young boys tried jumping off a roof minutes after watching Superman are classic evidences.

The gatekeepers’ agenda also play a huge and influential role. Basically, each media producer has an agenda and that is to raise the importance of an issue in the public mind. This is done through repeated news coverage whereby the issue is being excessively telecast such that is primed into the audience’s mindset. The type of issue is another step that the gatekeeper has to consider. If it is unobtrusive then it would have a greater effect on public. Other than that, they would also have to consider other factors like tone and salience. For an issue to become extremely important in the public eyes, it must be persuasive in nature and the effects must link to the consumers. Therefore, with all these in mind, the gatekeepers have to carefully pick out certain topics and omit those they deem as useless. It is this process of selecting and disseminating that shudders me. How do we know that what they have selected is important enough. In reality, we could be experiencing what is called a powerful effects theory whereby we simply consume media content at face value and not questioning its credibility. Could global warming really be an issue right now or are we simply led to the fact that the earth is in trouble

Producers would also take note of the wonders of media determinism. Why? Because they realize that the medium itself is more important than the message. What we say is not as important as how we deliver it. I especially agree with this viewpoint because without the media carrying channels, it is definitely difficult to put across ideas. This is why the television is the most sought after media tool! The producers know the inevitable fact that humans make use of sensory as well as cognitive skills the most when interpreting a stimuli thus they utilize the mosaic logic. It requires us to fill in whatever dots they created in the TV screen. As such, the medium has the power to change the way we live and the experience the world.

Apart from all that, what is most alarming is that producers recognizes media hegemony. They have the ability to keep powerless group silenced. This is especially true for a society ruled by those who has economic and political power. The media represents the views of the powerful elite thus inculcating a dominant ideology among the masses in the process of disseminating the content. Singapore’s media control somewhat practices along those lines though not to that extreme.

Reasons stated above portrays the media in a negative light but it does has its revolutionary uses and that should not be taken lightly. However, the fact still remains, media is all powerful and we should really exercise certain restrictions on our consumption to ensure that we are still humans with the ability to think for ourselves as oppose to robots.

Lets try analyzing the 1st couple: Justin Timberlake & Cameron Diaz

After dating for 4 years, Justin said ‘bye bye bye’ to Cameron. Possible reasons? The fact that Cameron is 33 and Justin is 24 says pretty much about their breakup. The difference in the age is too huge thus there could be a communication breakdown. Both of them could be going through the process of de-escalation. Despite several rumors about Justin and Cameron’s infidelities (both of them denied), they still continued on with their relationship until January 11. Guess they cannot shake the pressure off from the tabloids. But each of them ended saying that they “have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another.” Judging from this statement, there might be some possibility that they may reconcile in the future. Who knows? Nevertheless, both of them seem to be coping just fine with Justin promoting his newest album. As for Cameron, she has her angels.

2nd couple: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

Were they even going out? Well, yes apparently. Given that not much people know about their relationship, it should be pretty secured. Eekkkk…wrong! They called it quits after 3 years of dating and secret wedding plans. Reason for their disengagement? Ryan and Rachel said it was due to their busy schedules. Using the strategy of justification, Ryan admitted that the legitimate reason as to why the relationship ended was because “(they) both went down swinging and decided to call it a draw.” It was reported that fans hated Ryan’s guts and even scolded him for letting go of such a great girl. Well, I’m not much of a Gosling fan but I would have to say this is definitely not a ‘Notebook’ ending!

3rd couple: Britney Spears & K-Fed

Who can forget Spears and her hungry for attention husband? After her series of funny funny marriages, Britney finally settled down with K-Fed. Of course, who would expect it to be a marital bliss? After a period of two years, they finally ended it with a bitter divorce. Why? I would say that Britney and her hubby has been in denial since day 1. I don’t think their marriage was a sacred one thus there were marital problems to begin with that builds up as they continue living with each other. Britney blames K-Fed for ditching his fatherly duties to pursue his rap career (which flopped, apparently) while K-Fed probably told Britney off for putting on too much pregnancy weight. Irregardless of the reasons, both individuals engaged in a strategy known as negative identity management. Their blaming each other is a classic illustration of how to utilize this strategy. Unable to stand each other, they filed for a divorce but what happens to their kids? Hopefully, Britney’s mom is able to juggle her time with her grandkids now that Britney’s kid sister is pregnant.

4th couple: Hilary Duff & Joel Madden

Hmm, what can I say about these two. One is a sweetie pie while the other is a rocker who is way beyond her age so obviously things did not work out well between these two. I guess Joel might have initiated the breakup when he realized that she is too much of a goody two shoes for him. He probably adopted the positive tone strategy; consoling to Hilary that she deserves someone better than a tattooed front man of a rock band.

Last but not least: Kate Moss & Pete Doherty

Both of them wanted to get hitched after being apart due to their drug scandals and going into rehab. However, a split second change in decision due to unknown reasons resulted in an ugly breakup. Kate decided to use the behavioral de-escalation and that is cutting all ties and avoiding Pete at all costs. She reportedly packed the rocker’s belongings in a trash bag and threw him out of their home in London. Maybe his current plight could be his new muse….

Well, there you have it, the celebrity breakups in 2006 as well as 2007. Celebrity or not, breakups are still breakups. We cry and moan about it, wait for days till its over then we get on with our lives.

Disclaimer: The strategies stated above are mainly for discussion sake, it should not in under any circumstances be used unless absolutely necessary.

Courtesy of those who do not watch the show(or have no intention), here is a synopsis provided by wikipedia.

“University freshman Sydney White has come to Southern Atlantic University to pledge her late mom’s once-dignified sorority. But, while surviving the pledging process wrought by evil campus witch mean-spirited sorority president Rachel Witchburn, Sydney finds out this version of sisterhood isn’t remotely what it’s cracked up to be. Banished to the Vortex, a soon to be demolished house on Greek Row, Sydney finds her rightful place with a band of seven very socially challenged guys. With the help of one lovestruck frat boy named Tyler Prince, she and the dorks campaign to take over student government. Fighting for the rights of misfits big and small, Sydney organizes her gang to revolutionize the system, once and for all.” – Wikipedia (a freshman’s beloved website)

As shown in other movies as well, a typical American college offers many groups of associations or commonly known as fraternities (a phenomenon absent in our local varsities). These segregations within the college mirror a high school groups of jocks, nerds and many others. Such divisions present in any institution are classic examples of group communication whereby the the basis of grouping lies within the individuals’ need for group synergy, cohesiveness, inclusion, control and affection. The show mainly focuses on two sororities; Kappa which belong to the high end of the social spectrum vs Vortex, the other extreme. The Kappas headed by a mean spirited Rachel Witchburn, is what we comm students come to know as groupthink. Typically, the members consists of ditzy and popular girls in the campus. With such similar personalities combined, the group gets too confident and begins to make decisions that they deem to be appropriate for the school. Unfortunately, they made a bad decision: To tear down an old frat house owned by the Vortex and build a summer house boasting of parties and what nots. The characteristics of the Kappa group also involve the tendency to to hold shared stereotypes- they believe that those who do not belong to a highly respected affiliation (like the Kappa) are basically dorks. The Vortex people are the ones suffering from this label for they are not accepted in any other groups, much less the Kappa.

Another reason why the Kappas uphold such an attribute is mainly due to the leader. Since she is a student body president who sets the rules and norms, she places pressure on dissenters. In other words, members dare not speak up rather, they are force to accept, otherwise they too will be part of the Vortex. The trailer below demonstrates bits of the groupthink symptoms present in the Kappas. See if you can spot it!

Contrastingly, the members of the Vortex displays opposite symptoms. Being socially ostracized because they do not belong to any group, they collectively rationalize and admit that they are dorks thus exhibiting signs of withdrawal.

In pursuit of changing their mindset, the main character Sydney White dares to step up to the elites. She portrays the devil’s advocate who shows the Kappas their flaws and that everyone has an inner dork side whether they realize it or not. With the help of other sororities and her faithful 7 dorks (members of the Vortex), she finally succeed in eliminating all kinds of social discrimination and also save the house that the Vortex are currently residing.

After watching the show, I did a bit of reflection. Personally, I think such organisations can be quite silly especially if their goal is to ostracize certain people that do not match their standards. Call me individualistic but sometimes its nice to be on your own; gives you new a perspective. So, the question still lingers- to be (in a group) or not to be? You decide!

Take Princess Hours for example.

In the first few episodes, you’ll see how the main characters Shin Chae-Kyeong and Lee Shin meet and eventually came to interact. As suggested by Knapp, this represents the beginning stage. Their coming together was actually initiated by Shin’s late grandfather who was actually an old acquaintance of Chae-Kyeong’s grandfather. Since they have to honor the old agreement as set up by their grandfathers, they end up marrying each other. As a married couple, they have to live together under the royal roof creating opportunities to bond and integrate. This proves to be hard for the young protagonists so naturally they went through experimentation of each other’s personality and quirks. Chae-Kyeong has it rough because being away from her family and coming to a strange place all of a sudden can be quite terrifying. Moreover, she has to learn the different traditions and customs befitting of a royal princess in a short period of time. This creates intensifying moments for the two of them as they learn more about each others shortcomings. Especially Shin who has to endure his wife’s mishaps more often than she. Chae-kyeong on the other hand has to endure his moodiness, unwillingness to join in any family activities and most importantly, his leftover feelings for his old sweetheart whom he initially have trouble forgetting. This stage proves to be quite crucial for both characters as they finally start to let go of their uncertainties. Through ups and downs, they then realized that they do like each other and so out with their secret lovey dovey feelings or “Sarang nayo-s…”. Soon after, they start to be physically and emotionally closer which earned many oohs and aahs of the audience (me especially, I simply cannot wait for the romance part).

The show also demonstrates the integrating stage which is the fourth part of Knapp’s Model. This is where Shin and Chae-Kyeong start to become an official unit as a couple much to the surprise of their friends and families. Who wouldn’t? They were at loggerheads beforehand with threatenings of a divorce. Fortunately, reconciliation and the growing accustomed of each other sees them through thus they are able to say; “We are a couple”. Lastly, the audience can see them bond even further as the love for each other deepens. This is shown through their re-marriage in a catholic church in Macau since they have not yet married for love. Also, the ending of the show strongly suggests that Chae-Kyeong could be pregnant which shows a high level of commitment between the two of them. A baby on the way could perhaps shoot the potential parents all the way to the interpersonal communication spectrum.

Baby or not, Princess Hours showed much promise especially for those who suffered the same fate and that is arranged marriage. Two strangers who are polar opposites could one day end up loving each other; now that is what I call a fairytale ending!

For example, I could use a classroom situation to explain the concept of a communication process. Theoretically, a communication process is the interaction between a sender and the receiver. The sender would encode a message and through a channel, the receiver would decode that same message. The sender is of course played by the lecturer, the receivers are students like me. The message would be explaining how the Mayans are sophisticated for their time. The lecturer would use the powerpoint slides as a medium to convey the intended message. Simply put, this is an example of a linear model. Of course, things are much more complicated than that therefore an interactive model was created.

With the new model, there are certain elements added to make it more profound. Back to the classroom example, the message might not get to the receiver due to the newly added elements like noise. The physical noise would come from other students who are not paying attention like their chattering and their laughter.  The psychological noise would come from the students’ state of mind. Were they really focused on the lecture or were they thinking of food? The other element is response that should come from the receiver. This could be in the form of non-verbal and verbal communication. As the lecturer speaks, do they acknowledge their understanding by nodding or by commenting?

However, this then creates a sense of sequential movement by the receiver and the sender which is not really the case in reality. This is why the transactional model is most appropriate in defining communication. Again, back to the classroom example, the lecturer and the students would always interact leading to a dynamic discussion. Lectures are never a one way communication but rather it is a process of simultaneous exchange. Lecturer talks, ask questions, invite people to come up and present while the students actively participates making both sides communicators.

Guess that is enough for communication models….now back to studying other chapters on communication for the mid terms.

Okay, let’s all go back to ancient times where the stone men have nothing better to do than to play Pictionary on the walls. Yes, those little figure drawings on the rocks can be classified as Graffiti because it is a type of deliberate inscribed marking. But let’s not go that far. The colorful world of Graffiti existed ever since ancient times especially in Classical Greece and the Roman Empire. The images below are what is left of monuments or wall relics done by people at that time.

This was found in ancient Greek City; Ephesus and according to the Greeks, this form of Graffiti is an advertisement of prostitution. The painting consists of a handprint, a heart-like shape, a footprint and a number. It is supposedly to indicate how many steps one would have to take to find a lover, with the handprint indicating payment. The one below shows a figure drawing of a politician done on walls of Pompeii in Rome. Interestingly, besides graffiti of political consigns there are also other kinds that depicts expressions of love, insults and also quotations from famous literary works.

Then there was the Second World War graffiti whereby the Nazis produced writings on wall as a medium for propagandas. The main intention was of course to spark off animosity towards the Jews and the dissidents. That’s not all; another use of Graffiti is to declare protests to the general public like how the German non-conformists publicize their hatred against Hitler in 1942 (The White Rose). And we thought Graffiti is just another illegal painting on the bare walls!

Now fast forward to today’s world, modern graffiti still have the same intentions (public declarations and etc.) as the ancient graffiti but with a twist: Glaringly bright colors, unique designs and a whole lotta funk! Just take a look at the Yankee streets, subways and not to mention the Harlem slums. Each work of art has its own personal touch like how these Graff artists sign off their masterpieces with their names or initials. They call it tags, and it becomes increasingly popular because that would make them known and somehow infamous! Due to the passion for spray paintings started by American pioneers, Graff mania went on to other continents like Europe. The Graff artists there make their statements by painting on the trains too because that’s how they get traffic (millions of people can see their artwork). Moreover, with the influence of hip-hop culture, European graffiti gets more creative and bolder as the American ones. Even Asia seem to have caught the Graff bug with so many Graffiti pieces on the walls. Graffiti is so phenomenal that it’s surprising how the Great Wall of China hasn’t been tampered with! What’s even more worth wondering is how these artists can create such massive paintings on the walls with just a mere spray can? Though now, they have resorted to other innovations like oil-based chalk, paints, stencils and many other things we never dream of using. It goes to show that these artists are just as passionate as all the other famous artists. It seems that they could express their feelings and other creative thoughts through paintings on walls. Graffiti to them is like a device to show off their skills and talents. It is the same concept as say…American Idol which is the most watched reality show ever to hit the telly as it showcases young singers belting off tunes at the top of their lungs. Competitive? Yes and in the Graff world, it’s the same thing. This is why some of the art scribblers are well known because their pieces are extraordinary! First top on the list is 3A crew, founded by Ges; a Graffiti writer. Their pieces are mostly abstract and wild on a toned down background so that their drawings stand out more. Another advocate of abstract art is Dzine. His work mainly revolves around superposition of pictures centralized on the walls and also textures. He’s more into designs and so his pieces are more definable unlike most Graffiti works.

Street art has gain popularity from every angle and now we even see designers joining in the fuss and buzz of Graffiti world. They are mainly designers from the clothing line and so instead of admiring it only on the surfaces, we see people WEARING Graffiti! Hats off to the designers for they have cleverly turned street art to street wear with the production of ‘Graffitified’ clothes! Now, not only the artists could declare but also society wearing them. For the designers, it is a new strategy to spice up the boring designs on clothes. Famous logos on plain colored t-shirts just don’t look great anymore but with the spunk of a little Graffiti, t-shirts look incredibly cool and fast gaining popularity among the younglings. T-shirts are the most affordable piece of clothing and they look good with everything; skirts, jeans, you name it! So, splashes of graffiti on the t-shirts make them even more worthwhile to get…well….more. The impact of Graffiti on t-shirt designing has taken over the E-world too. There are websites like Alphabetiks.com and skatesonhaight.com selling off ‘Graffitified clothes’. They even have a designing contest where Graff artists can showcase their talents and their reward is: To see their art on t-shirts!

Interestingly, there is another kind of design that is taking the fashion world by storm. Graphic art, it seemed to have also influenced t-shirt designers as well. Like Graffiti, it also depicts any sort of expressions that can be as bold and daring. Many of the t-shirts that we see today are graphically designed and they are sellable, at fast rates too. Besides, the webbies mentioned above, take a look-see at skinnymunster.com or threadless.com. The t-shirt designs and motifs are one of a kind and limited. Graffiti, graphic art….we are too spoilt for choice! But all in all, both forms of design seem to express a mutual view: Declaration against white walls!!! Or in the fashion world, white tees!

Of course, there are the scenes that would moved us girls to tears. One of which would be the ending where everything would come to light and hearts would be revealed. During such touching scenes, non-verbal communication plays a huge role in convincing the audience. I was particularly moved when Heigl hold her tears and emotions upon hearing how her sister was to get married to a guy she loved (or so she thought). There was also one point of time where she was so angry with Marsden for using her for his cover story but words could only say so much and so she used her piercing eyes and quavering mouth to convey that anger. The setting also contributed to the atmosphere of these emotion filled scenes. For example, there was the use of thunder and rain to portray outbursts feelings of passion. The use of songs like the slow number that slowly waltzed when the main characters embraced and kissed each other towards the end was also part of communicating the idea of romance to the audience.

All in all, 27 dresses was definitely a feel good movie that anyone (who has a general situation romantic comedy schema) would appreciate. Its vibrancy was not only played up by the actors but also by the busy and colorful background of Manhattan( I think) and not to forget the bridesmaid dresses that she has from those 27 weddings!

Here’s the trailer I’ve uploaded, enjoy!

However, I was drawn into its electromagnetic force yet again. This time round, I knew I could not escape for the box uses a different strategy to hook its users and that is broadcasting reality tv shows. These are definitely the best genre of shows currently on TV. Two of my favourites would have to be Amazing Race and Survivor as they would keep you at the very edge of your seat!

These reality tv shows are termed as such because they exudes realism, which is a feature that many of us appreciate. The shows’ high rates of viewers are in fact proofs to how we highly regard such a feature. Then again, how do they achieve this sense of realism? For one thing, the producers are smart enough to cast a bunch ordinary people like you and me. There are no red carpet stars like Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie, just a couple of regular hams with a desire to win. As such, the cast is able to win over the viewers (especially me) because the viewers in turn can relate to them.

Next, the nature of the show is very appealing to the viewers. Take Amazing Race for example. It is a race for a million dollars and all of them are rushing for time. Their actions as well as emotions are all real and this keeps the viewers glued to their seats as they do not want to miss any parts of the show. Personally, I love its volatility and its fast pace movement. The camera which follows their every moves also adds to this sense of hastiness and urgency. Due to the contestants’ inconsistency in actions, you can never guess who would win unless of course you searched the net for spoilers. Otherwise, you would have to watch till the very end. For Survivor, you can actually feel for them as they talked about the harsh living conditions. The games are equally challenging as well and you sometimes wonder how they can survived 30 gruelling days of not cleansing themselves properly, with no nourishment and then having to participate in physically demanding activities. Well, no pain no gain right?

In a way, the shows are actually communicating with us, the viewers. How exactly? Whether it is intentionally or not, the contestants are conveying messages through their bodily actions and conversations with one another. We in turn picked out these messages and familiarize ourselves with it. This is why, we tend to favour certain individuals that are in participating in the show. Consequently, we are hooked to the show because we want those individuals to win. When they actually did, we find ourselves sharing their happiness. This is just one of the many ways of responding to these reality tv shows. I for one would dare admit that I am a sucker for such shows which is why I am abandoning this entry for now to catch their reruns on AXN.

Having said that, I shall end with the most fitting quote I got from my com 101 class:

Enjoy the rest of my articles, adios!