College Finals Week: Final Papers

With the final week of classes already upon us, endless study sessions seem to be on repeat, sleep seems to have gone completely M.I.A, and papers seem to popping up like the pimples on our faces.  Starbucks and Monster energy drinks seems to be ubiquitous where ever one turns on campus.  As a full-time undergraduate social science student, who is taking a full plate of 5 classes, the hair pulling has already started, and the dark circles under my eyes are only getting bigger from the sleepless nights spent in front of the computer screen typing and chipping away at the endless 8-10 page final papers.

As a part of the modern media systems course which I am currently taking for example, I was given the final paper assignment of writing a 8-10 page analytical paper on a particular aspect of a selected medium.  I have chosen to television as my medium of choice for which my paper will be centered on, and the type of analysis that I have chose to do my paper on is that of the format of television programming. 

Prime-time television is a very unique programming feature of television.  From the large selection of national and international prime-time programs, I have chosen Grey's Anatomy as the prim-time programming that I will view and analyze contextually.  Grey's Anatomy has currently been airing for 10 seasons already, and each weeks never fails to draw a sizable audience.  The American-made medical drama is not like that of many other medical dramas, as its success is lays within it's unique feature of being able draw in, and pull at the heart-strings of audience members from different backgrounds.  Series creature Shonda Rhines is able to create a niche drama with a very culturally diverse cast, yet is also able sell the drama to wide array of audience members.  I hope to be able to analyze the drama and derive the reason behind the wide success of the series.  I want to find the reason for which is driving audience members to not only say "oh wow this was a great drama," but "oh wow that drama talked about...and that was really amazing." I look forward to learning more about the wide success of the series, but will of course have my handy chose of overly-caffeinate beverage by my side as to keep me awake after dying from my other projects. 

Guest Speaker: John Fink

Television, like any media industry, is a constantly changing medium.  It is not easy to survive and make it within the industry.  But those who end up staying, and making a living within the industry, do learn some tricks about the industry that can be seen through the manner in which they present themselves.

Broadcast television mogul John Fink, who is the current general manager of KFVE, came recently and spoke to a group of college students at Hawaii Pacific University under the pretense of sharing knowledge about his experience within the industry, as well on the changing medium as a whole.  Fink arrived at the class to speech dressed quite casually.  Though a Caucasian male, he adorned a fairly worn-in Aloha shirt with dark colored slacks.  The attire denote the history he has had with the island and the local culture. 
Fink's appearances and presentation was very professional.  As he spoke to the students in a very professional manner.  Fink did not have any elaborate accessories, and could have by any standards passed as a Kama' aina (local)  by any standards.  Throughout the speech he gave to students he would intermittently include in very subtle smiles.  Fink appeared very professional, and was, to say the very least, camera ready at any moment. 

The Hegemonic Process in Television Entertainment: Thought's on Todd Gitlin's Prime Time Ideology

Giltin shines an interesting light on the television broadcast industry in his essay Prime Time Ideology:The Hegemonic Process in Television Entertainment.  The essay is within itself very insightful in its examination of the structure of television.  Gitlin points our specific aspects of the television industry that work to support and  maintain the hegemony in the industry.

Does one ever wonder about the particular format in which television is presented?  Why shows are completed and formatted to a specific duration, or why they are scheduled for specific time slots? One of the first hegemonic aspects of television is its format.  As Gitlin explains it, the particular way in which programming is formatted promotes an assembly-line type of a commercial and production process and environment.  It makes producing segments easier, as the assembly-line production formula makes it easy for companies to hire writers to "write for standardized, static characters than for characters who develop."

Commercials are a major part of what we know as present day television.  Gitlin's breakdown of the commercial aspect of television as both a market shaping vehicle within the medium, as well as a psychologically altering tool.  Gitlin was very clever in shinning a light on how commercials in television not only work to maintain and shape markets, but they also indirectly make us think of ourselves as consumers and not citizens.  Reflecting upon my own television viewing alone, I was able to notice that when viewing television, I do often put myself in the shoes of being a consumer when I view certain commercials that come on-air. 

The simple solution aspect of television that Gitlin points to is also very integrating.  As we, the audience, do continually tune in each week to different episodes of certain series which start off with certain problems, and somehow end, within the allotted time slot, with a "solution."  Gitlin is very clever in pointing out this hegemonic aspect of television that we all tune into, and have become so accustomed to living with.  Though cynical in many ways, Gitlin makes very powerful points about the television medium and it's hegemonic workings.  The essay is an interesting read for anyone looking to take a better look at the television medium and its effects on audience members. 

Global Crime: A Global Sensation, or Global Scare?

Crime, the irresistible sensation that spreads that wild fire on both the screen, and off the screen, has the power to capture and take hold of minds all over the world.  Crime dramas such as CSI, Cracked, and Criminal Minds have not only entertained and reached audiences throughout the world, but have also stirred up a fury of interest in the category.  At any time of the day, one will surely be able to turn on their television set and be able to find at least one crime drama airing on a channel. 

Though I truly enjoy the thrill and adventure of crime dramas such as CSI Miami and Criminal Minds, I am not one who will keep up to date and follow every twist and turn within series' plot.  What attracts me most to crime dramas, as well as what I feel attracts most people to crime dramas is the excitement and fast-paced story plot of the series.  Comedies and sci-fi television for example are great forms of entertainment, but often times one must keep up with the background plot of the series to truly appreciate and be entertained by the series.  With crime dramas however, one can simply tune into an episode of the series, and without too much background information into the storyline of each character, be entertained and excited by the drama.

Though the crimes within crime drams may not be real, the scenarios, which they depict, are very real. The global international crime culture, which has been populated to society, is a very real phenomenon that affects the lives of billions around the world.  It is easy for one to simply be fascinated by the crime and action that is depicted within primetime drama series, but the circumstances and instances, which they depict, are very real.  The Chinese Triad for example is a very real organization that participates in illegal activities such as drug dealing, prostitution, kidnapping, and extortion on a daily basis. 

The entirety of the global criminal economy is a truly scary phenomenon that has only gained momentum, and become more ubiquitous thanks to the globalization of the 21^st century society.  The daily lives of each and every one of us has been touched by the hand of the global criminal economy, as the illegal criminal industry liquidates and moves its funds though legal markets within society.  

The fact that the global criminal economy comes into such close proximity of each and everyone of us on a daily basis is a truly scary fact.  Many of us like to only think of the thrill and excitement within crime industry, as depicted in our favorite crime dramas.  But the truth is that organized crime is a very real occurrence in society that hurts millions, and that makes its way into our daily lives whether we are consciously aware of it or not.

Newton Minow: Vast Wasteland Speech

The complexity and problems of television are not unlike those that plague other mediums of the 21st century.  On May 9, 1961 Newton Minow, the chairman of the Federal Communication Commission, tried to address and motivate movers of the broadcast industry to fix and improve the medium.  Minow was critical of the television medium in his 1961 speech at the National Association of Broadcasters conference.   He called the television medium a wasteland that was not properly catering to the real needs of the general public. 

Minow's speech was indeed impressive, as he was able to point out the flaws of the television medium in such a way, as to try to motivate those within the industry to work to change the medium.  Within Minow's speech, he does not simply sit those working within the television industry down for a scolding, he points out problems yes, but more than that, he provides input about how the medium could be better.  Minow advocates throughout his speech for example for better educational programming for children.  He points to how the home, school, church, and now television, influence to a great degree the lives of children.  Children he says now spend as much time in front of the television as they do in school.  What this means Minow says is that television embodies a great ability to influence and shape the minds of these children who will one day lead and contribute to society. 

He challenges those powerful individuals within the industry to sit for one whole day in front of the television, and watch their own programming.  He asks them to not have any other materials that could work as distractions from the programming.  Through his challenge he is able to point out and assert his point about how the television medium has turned into a wasteland; as the majority of programming is no better than waste.  Minow says that because those working in the television broadcast industry are making money and earning a living from this "public airway," they have a responsibility to improve and make the medium benefit the public as best they can.

Minow's speech is motivational, and the points he makes in his speech are still problems that plague the television broadcast industry of today.  Though individuals may not be spending as much time sitting in front of televisions watching traditional broadcast television, individuals are still watching television programming to a great extent on other devices.  Advertising dollars and ratings still affect the types of programming that viewers are shown.  And although PBS does try incorporate and include more more educational programs into the broadcast industry, a lot of the television programming of today is still the wasteland that Minow described almost 50 years ago. 

I'm a creative, romantic, foodie, millennial,...but most important of all-I'm a FAAAAAAN!

Fans of all sorts are present everywhere we turn.  There are fans of television shows, fans of movies, fans of books, and of course fans of video games.  According to Wikipedia a person who is "enthusiastically devoted to something, such as a band, a sports team or entertainer."  Secretly, whether we are willing to admit it to ourselves in the light of day, or only in the shadows of night, we are all fans of something.

My poison of choice is ASIAN DRAMAS! From Secret Garden to On Call 36, I get excited and follow all of the latest Asian dramas.  I try my best to make it a weekly chore that I go onto various Asian web forums and get the latest on current Asian dramas that are playing.  I mostly watch Hong Kong dramas, and can spend hours on end during the weekends watching dramas.  I also love finding out the latest news on the celebrities of the shows.  I will be first to find out if a drama star is getting married, fired from a gig, or secretly starting an underground relationship. 

As Asian dramas are created slightly different from American dramas, they usually are aired on networks for the duration of only one season.  It is rare that a second season of a drama will be picked up a network.  A lot of times new dramas are created that are slight spin-offs of the themes of previous dramas, but they rarely continue with the plot.

The largest media network conglomerate in Hong Kong is TVB.   TVB produces and broadcast all of their original dramas on through their various stations, and their dramas are all filmed at TVB city.  A dream of mines is to visit TVB city and see the different sets that films are created at.  I wold love to see some of the old-age sets where timed dramas are filmed.  Asian dramas are my LOVE and ADDICTION.  I am a die hard fan, and cannot resist keeping up with the latest news on the dramas or the stars. 

Kink: A Kinky Yet Deep Film on the Porn Industry

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The WEB

The web is not today what it was yesterday, and isn't today what it will be tomorrow. Web 2.0 is very distinctly different from it's predecessor-Web 1.0.  For one thing Web 2.0 is growing at such a fast rate that it is known as Web squared.

Now that the Web 2.0 has become a sort of network that is a platform, and web applications are getting better as more people use them. There are more users and sensors online that are feeding more applications and platforms. As a result of this more opportunities are created for developers to take on real life problems.  The Web has thus grown exponentially, and Web 2.0 is known as being "squared."

People now on Web 2.0 have what is known as a information shadow.  Because applications on Web 2.0 get better as more people use them, they relay on "crowdsourcing" (the concept that a large group of individuals can create a collective work that has a value greater than any one individual participant) to build their applications.  This information that is obtained from individuals become what is known as an "information shadow."  It is the unique information that is obtained from from the information that web users post while online.  

With all this data about users out there being used and managed by various applications, one can only wonder what will happen if certain application were to be hacked and the data were to fall into the wrong hands.  The applications of Web 2.0 have so much collective intelligence data about users that do not necessarily get deleted, and are simply out there on the platform.  This data is information on people, and could very well be dangerous if dropped into the wrong hands.  We must now be aware that this possibility and risk is present. 

Revolution

What is a revolution? Is it a simple change that happens? Or a shift in ways we do things? To many it is truly hard to contemplate what a true revolution encompasses.  However, in our current society, we have actually gone through three technological revolutions already.  In Manuel Castells' The Rise of Network Society, he depicts for audience members these three revolutions, and explains how evolutions, essentially those in the information technology realm are characterized by their pervasiveness.  That is, these revolutions are characterized most by their ability to make their way into various domains of human activity and then become the fabric by which such activity is conducted. 

In the current information revolution that we are in today, and similar to what we had previously witnessed in the two prior industrial revolutions that occurred in the world, there was what Castells' calls a set of macro-inventions that set off the development of other smaller micro-inventions.  These developments and inventions changed the workings of society.  Castells' The Rise of Network Society, he explains that "processes of production and distribution, created a flurry of new products, and shifted decisively the location of wealth and power in a planet that became suddenly within the reach of those countries and elites able to master the new technological systems."

Revolutions are a very unique aspect of human life.  As they can happen at any time upon, and onto any given society, they are a force to be reckoned with.  They alter dynamics of various aspects of human life.  We, as a society as a whole, have gone through three such revolutions, and have come out a change whole. 

Blast From The Past: Magnum PI

The 80s were indeed a time of its own.  A lot was happening both on a local, national, and international scale.  The disco era was coming to an end and open sexual relations were a constant theme of behind the time.  The contemporary detective drama Magnum P.I. was at first what seemed to be simple detective drama set on the beautiful island of O'ahu.  The series, which was a Universal Studios production that was aired on CBS from 1980-1988,  embodied and continued a lot of the discourse that was happening at the time. 

As a millennial myself, Magnum P.I. was created before my time, and had completed it's original run well before my conception.  Upon first viewing the drama, I was shocked to a certain extent by the contrast and well as some of the similarities that Magnum P.I. had to some of the contemporary detective dramas of 2013.  I noticed that Magnum P.I., similar to many other detective dramas incorporated the voice inside of the head aspect of detective dramas.  I was surprised to a certain extent by this detective series theme was present and implemented into dramas even at that time.  In the pilot episode of Magnum P.I. "Don't Eat The Snow In Hawaii" Magnum was constantly talking to himself, and going through different scenarios in his head as he came upon new clues in the murder case of lieutenant Dan Cook.

Magnum P.I. contrasted a lot to some of the contemporary detective dramas of 2013 because of much of the underlying 80s discourse that was incorporated in the drama.  Themes of the 80s that can be found in the drama include the open use of drugs, and sex.  As the drama was filmed on the heels of the disco era, and AIDs was yet to be discovered, a constant theme in the series was that of enjoying the pleasures of life, free of responsibility and worry.  In the pilot episode of the series the women in particular at the estate which Magnum lives on are constantly in revealing clothing, and seeming trying to provide Magnum to have a sexual encounter with them.

Magnum P.I. is truly a detective drama of its own time.  Though embodying much of the similar themes one would expect to see in a detective drama, it also contains within itself a flair from the 80s.  Much of the open indulgence into pleasure, that was a theme of the 80s is seen in the drama.

The ME Project

There can be a lot of things that one can say to introduce themselves to someone.  An introduction can usually begin with the exchange of names and nicknames.  Then one can say where they're from, the places they've gone to, and the destinations they would like to headed for. 

To start off as a little introduction for myself, I am a first-generation Chinese-American who was born and raised here on the island of O'ahu, in the beautiful state of Hawaii, and in the wonderful country of the United States.  I am a big foodie, and especially love frozen yogurt, sweets and desserts, as well as COFFEE!  I am a somewhat of a caffeine addict, and simply don't feel right without my daily caffeine fix.  I am a big Instagramer, and love to post about my food adventures on my Instagram account-@angelala808.  Living in Hawaii, with its diverse population, means that the next food adventure for your taste buds could just be right around the corner. 

I have lived here in Honolulu, Hawaii my whole
life, and it is true that sometimes it does get old, but whenever I can I love to sneak away to a foreign country and indulge and submerse myself in a totally different culture.  The last foreign adventure I was on was actually to Vietnam and Thailand. 

Currently I am in my third year of college at Hawaii Pacific University, majoring advertising/ public relations with a minor in multimedia.  I am very passionate about public relations, and am currently the HPU PRSSA chapter president.  I hope to one day be able to work in the public relations department of a broadcast media outlet.  Upon graduation however I do hope to be able to travel to a foreign and exotic place once again before I begin my professional career.  I truly love discovering new places, and things and love meeting cool and exciting new people on the way!

Digital Media: Our True Friends or Secret Time Eaters?

Life in the 21st century is a buzz with everyone hocked to some sort of digital media as they go about their daily lives.  A walk down through downtown Honolulu, and one is bound to find almost every person attuned to some type of digital media.  For the older generation it may be as simple as the Apple I-Pod, while the more tech-savvy millennials walk around fitted with the newest Samsung Galaxy S4.  We have in many cases made media our closest friends, but could certain media be simply a waste of time?

Digital Media: The Best Friend

As a millennial myself, my personal favorite type of media to use is of course digital media.   I carry my smartphone with me everywhere I go, and it is always within a 10 feet radius of my physical being.  Digital media is my best friend, and my personal favorite type of media because information can simultaneously obtained by users as it is published by creators.  Digital media also allows for an enormous amount of varied information to be presented to users.

 Digital Media: The Secret Time Eater

As much as digital media can make ones life easier, and bring new information almost instantaneously to one's finger tip, it also secretly works to chip away, and eat at one's time.  With the wide array that digital allows users to access, one can easily become distracted with the information being presented and offered.  Your intention may be for example to use digital media to look up information for a project, but just as easily as you find this information, you can become engrossed for hours on end in on what's trending on your Facebook feed. 

For all that digital media has to offer to its users, it also takes away something in return.  To truly be an intimate friend with digital media, one also allow it to become his or her secret time eater.