GAME ON!!

This week in class, there's been quite a bit of discussion concerning roles that the media creates based on sex. The video that we watched this week concerning male imagery in the media was very eye opening. It was very interesting how much media played a role in creating the ideal image for males.
As an avid sports fan, I found it interesting how they mentioned that being disrespectful or acting macho toward your opponent was categorized as poor sportsmanship. Although I agree that sportsmanship should govern behavior in all facets of a game, I don't know if I agree with overall politeness being in the forefront. I don't consider intensity a negative aspect of sports. Every person that takes on an opponent trains tirelessly to be better than his competition.
I believe there should be a distinct difference between game time and normal time. Off the field, I appreciate the likes of a Mark McGwire that has the ability to show emotion, but I can guarantee that if Mr. McGwire was on first base and a runner was heading straight for him, he wouldn't graciously excuse himself and allow the opponent to run through.
The mentality to focus on the win comes at high costs, but character, in my opinion shouldn't be questioned when a player points at another player or does something that proves that at that moment he was the better man.
Don't go crazy replying that I'm a poor sport and that I lack sportsmanship. I don't like taunting or anything of the sort, but I love the emotion in a game. I love the oppurtunity to beat someone that has beaten me. I hate to lose, therefore when I play, I try my damndest not too. (At anyones expense.) And for the record, female athletes are way more intense!!!

Red, White and Blue Day!!

This past Tuesday, we officially welcomed a new era in our countries history. There was definitely a buzz everywhere. For my daughters elementary school, they had "Red, White, and Blue Day" to commemorate the election.

The kids were taught the importance of the day. Although it is exciting to be a part of history, especially in civil rights, there is still something to be appreciated when we keep things simple. Do we think maybe the media generates issues that we put into our minds? My daughter learned that Barrack Obama was our new President, not whether or not he was black or white. As exciting as the days events were, I couldn't quite get a feel for the media portrayal.

Somethings stood out to me that made me question media portrayal. When we watch all the pomp and circumstance, there was a lot of celebrities that performed for the President. Many of the acts were Rap and R&B artists. I wondered if the media used that genre because of the new President's preference, or to appeal to the obvious African-American audience.

I can't remember, so maybe I'm looking for input, but was there this much hype in previous inaugurations? Race aside, were previous inaugurations given the same exciting reporting that helped build the celebrations this year? What were we truly celebrating? The inauguration of a black man? or The inauguration of our new President? If both, which one was more important to you?

It might not be great...

Our media might not be all it's cracked up to be, but media as a whole is a lifeline for all of us. We can weigh the pro's and con's of the media, but are they really to blame or does that responsibility lie within ourselves? Too often we complain about the bias reporting of Fox news or the lack of Global awareness, but...do we ever think about how it is that we know that news is biased, or what Global issues don't receive proper time in coverage? My opinion is that we learn that through our own research through (you guessed it), the media. My point is, just because you hear it, doesn't mean you have to follow. I guess for myself, with that process of mentality, I don't care what is reported to me. If I plan to be an informed citizen or consumer, I should research for my self. We complain about what we don't know from the media, but yet we seldom attend city council or school district meetings. We seldom seek out information to be our own reporters. I guess I realize that there is a circle of life in the media world. The media provides bits of fact. We then search the media to find the "whole" truth. The rest of the truth tends to come from a bias resource that is on the other end of the first story. And behold the cycle continues. The media as we know it is far from a perfect product. The media does not exist in a vacuum, and therefore is suspect to different factors and elements. I definitely would be the last person to defend the media as wholesome and true, I just thought I'd point another side, devil's advocate if you will. I do believe the media is a watchdog, the problem is, that like any watchdog, they protect the house that owns him. The media is an endless tap, the problem is we tend to drink from the same faucet. Drink from another, you might like it better, or maybe it won't leave a bad taste in your mouth like the one you keep complaining about. Be informed, it's your responsibility, we can't trust them for everything.

testing testing

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