SLC!!!

I'm so excited. I'm going to the temple tonight to look at the lights on the trees! .I'm so glad that they do that every year. Its a super fun tradition that I've done since moving to Utah and it is awesome. I am grateful for the efforts the church makes to make Temple Square an awesome place to be.

FRIENDS

I have long since been a fan of the popular television show, Friends. However, I am watching it this very moment and I just cannot handle the frequent reference to sex. SO ANNOYING! Yeah, it's funny, and yeah, I could probably quote every episode in all 10 seasons, but....it gets annoying at times.

naked.

Sooooo I saw The Time Traveler's Wife last week with some girlfriends, and I was shocked at the amount of nudity in that movie! The bad thing was, it wasn't even applicable to the story at all. I really think they could have made the movie without the nudity and it would have exactly the same except minus a butt or two here or there. Other than that though, I have to admit that I didn't really like it all that much to be honest.

sexual content assignment

Watch three programs on TV that you normally watch during the week. DO NOT change your media habits for this assignment! Just watch what you normally watch. While watching answer the following questions. Also, post your thoughts on this experience on your blog (counts for blogging that week)
1. What programs did you choose?
Friends Season 4
Friends Season 7
Friends Season 10

2. How much sex is in the programs? Keep a running tally for each program and write it below.
Friends Season 4 9 references to sexual content
Friends Season 7 15 references to sexual content
Friends Season 10 4

3. What sexual messages are portrayed in each of the three programs?

Friends Season 4 sexual innuendos such as referring to a woman’s underclothes, reproductive system. Multiple references to sexual intercourse and childbirth in a negative way. Homosexual connotations, reference to inappropriate touching of a female’s body. In general, every reference to sex was explicitly stated, and had a negative connotation.

Friends Season 7 actual displays of sexual intercourse, reference to male and female reproductive system, objectification of women, demeaning women, frequent references to sexual intercourse. Homosexual connotations are also frequent.

Friends Season 10references to pornographic material and sexual intercourse.

AFV

Ok America's Funniest Home Videos is way ghetto but seriously awesome. I have been watching it a lot lately and it never gets old. I know it's sad that in about 85% of the videos someone gets hurt, but there are some serious gems on this show. Also, have you ever noticed that the people in the studio audience are always laughing so hard? Like SO hard. I think they have signs that say "laugh until you die" or "pee your pants". However, I think I could make it on that show, because I really laugh so hard every time I watch it. I laugh harder than the people I watch it with, too, and I mean A LOT harder. For some reason there is something about home videos that make me really, really happy.


ALSO: was the new host of this show (I think his name is Marc Summers) the host of Legends of The Hidden Temple?

CONFERENCE!

Wasn't it so great to watch conference last week? We really are blessed that through the media the church is able to reach every facet of the world. I love it!

Book Assignment

As a child, my favorite book was Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. The story goes through a series of things in a room that a bunny sees. The text has a very pleasing rhyming notion, saying things like, “Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight light, and the red balloon…” The pictures in the story were simple and I could easily identify the moon, clock, bunny, socks, and so on. There was not too much going on, and it was very simple and easy to understand, even as a child. I feel like this book really covered the areas that infants learn that we discussed in class. My mother was involved when reading to me, creating the “dance” of synchrony between parent and child. There was joint attention because children are often very demanding of parents when sitting on their lap and reading with them, they ask “what’s that” and ask to turn pages. The book also has repetition with the bunny saying goodnight to everything it sees.

blog post 10/05/09

So yesterday I spent 7 hours straight in the library. I knew I was going to be in there for a long time, and the one and only requirement I had was that I study somewhere in the building that I had cell phone service. It is really important to me that I can be “connected” to the outside world when studying in the depths of the library. However, my phone did not ring once. I got a few text messages, but honestly I was bothered that no one missed me. With the recent dependence on technology (namely, cell phones) I think the definition of “missed me” has really changed. Just because no one called to check in doesn’t mean that I need to be a baby and cry about it (I didn’t really cry, FYI). But if I were in college 10 years ago I wonder if I would be able to get more done because I would not be checking my Facebook every twenty minutes and moping because my cell phone was not vibrating. What do these technological privileges do to out self-esteem? That would be interesting to look at.

My name is Kaitlin McAlister, and I'm a TV-aholic.

So, my roommates and I have not had television in our apartment for a whole year now. We still have a TV, but don't get any channels so we have to watch any shows that we want at our friend's place. It has been a good and bad experience because I definitely don't need TV as much as I used to, but sometimes I'll be eating my cereal in the morning and I'll have an INTENSE craving to watch music videos or Seinfield. Really, it doesn't even matter what the TV is, I think I had just become so accustomed to having background noise that I really miss it sometimes. I also noticed that every time I would go to someone's house and they did have channels, especially if they had a luxury such as satellite or tivo, I would honestly just want to sit in front of their TV and do nothing. Sad, I know! So what I'm getting at here is that TV is an ADDICTION. Seriously.

untitled

I have come to the realization that everything I know about sex I learned from the media. That might seem a little bit strange, and weird to admit on the internet, but it's true. Also, it's sad! I know that my blog recently has been taking a very negative take on the media but I cannot help but notice the influence it has in my life, especially since taking this class.

Facebook.

Alright, I knew I was going to eventually post a blog about Facebook, but to be honest I'm surprised that I'm giving in so early in the semester. Last Tuesday, I get a call from my mom and she asked if I could help her set up her Facebook page. I was a little hesitant, but I agreed. Both of my parents are on Facebook now, and it's nice for them because they get to see what I'm up to and stuff...I have a good relationship with both of my parents so I don't mind if they "check up" on my Facebook page every once in a while, but I could see if you did not have a good relationship with your parents how it would feel like an invasion of privacy at times. However, if you're willing to show the entire world of the internet pictures of you at the lake but don't want your parents to see them, thats a little twisted. I don't know. Also, my grandma keeps getting e-mails from her 90 year old brother requesting that she get a Facebook and add him as a friend! It's crazy, and I wonder how it's changing the dating scene as well....just a few things to think about. PEACE!

Boys and Girls

So last week Christina's (I think it was hers...) post really got me thinking about gender differences in the media. Yesterday my boyfriend and I were watching TV and I had the remote first, so naturally I decided we watch America's Next Top Model. They were critiquing pictures of the models riding horses...without their tops on and their hair was covering up their chests. It was horrible! It really makes you feel bad about yourself and just get into that superficial mode. So, I gave the remote to my boyfriend and what does he choose? Some Ultimate Fighting reality show on Spike. I was actually interested at first but then they had the fight and it was also horrible! These guys fight until someone gets knocked out or until the bell rings I'm pretty sure. Blood EVERYWHERE. I had to stop watching and felt really sick to my stomach because I'm such a weakling. But seriously, those are some extreme gender differences and I think we are probably all a lot more innately androngynous then we think but the media definitely contributes to how our genders are socialized to be. Thoughts?

PS: Commercials when we watched ANTM were for venus razors and neutrogena facewash. When we watched UFC the commercials were for beer and cars.

Media I've been exposed to this week...9/7-9/13

First of all, for those members of my family looking at this blog you're probably wondering what's up. I'm in a media class and we are required to write twice a week on the media we were exposed to, was it good or bad, how can we apply the theories learned in class to what we saw; etc. Just thought I'd educate everyone before divulging on this exciting topic! Why is it exciting, you may ask? Because this week my roommates and I watched the well-known romance, "The Notebook" and were exposed to some seriously risque love scenes (actually, we fast-forwarded through 99.9% of the the bad parts in the movie but just happened to accidentally stop it at a really awkward part for a split-second). I have come to the conclusion that this is one of those movies you just have to be in the mood for. If you're having a rough day, and just need to escape from reality and live vicariously through other people, this one works. However, if you're not in that kind of mood it's kind of a joke. Needless to say, I laughed through the whole thing. But had you caught me on one of my more sentimental days, I think it could have elicited a tear or two. THE END.