Zazoo Commercial

This commercial really stood out to me, because

it is not only funny, but so true. This is a

commercial from Europe and its so interesting

because I have never seen anything like this here.

All of our condom commercials, here in the US are

so stimulating, and advertise being "barely" there,

so you can still enjoy sex.

This commercial I believe is great for teens,

because it shows that those cute cuddly babies

will soon grow up, and then what? You have

situations like these, in the grocery store- a very

common place we all frequently visit.

No matter what race, age, class, or gender.

The message is very clear at the end,

and needs no additional advertisement,

because the little boy does such a great

job of showing what parenthood, can

REALLY be like or some days.

When the people were staring at him,

they camera takes him out of the picture,

and it feels as though they are staring at

you right through the TV/Computer.

The volume goes up during the tantrum

and you can really feel what its like

to be right in the middle of the situation.

Parenthood's not for everyone!

Band Aid Commercial

This has to be THE cutest commercial ever right??

So for this commercial, cuteness plays

a major part in marketing this video.

They pick the cutest two little kids, both with some

pronunciation issues and have them

singing this catchy jingle, is a sure fire way

to get something sold. It will not only catch the kids,

because they will be signing along

with these two adorable kids, but it will

catch adults with the AWWW factor.

I mean Band-Aids, I assume are the leading

brand in bandage sells, because I can't even

think of another brand off the top

of my head......ACE Bandages maybe?

So with this product, not only are you getting a

trusted band aid but ALSO it has antibiotics included

to help your children heal? What a

plus right? No extra peroxide or neosporin needed.

If it heals little kids, who scrape, and

cut themselves on a daily, I am sure it will help

my little paper cut at work.

The little boy in the commercial is all over the place,

in the tree, doing flips in the

background, falling over, scrapping his knee, simply

playing into the "typical" little boy

stereotype and you selling the idea that you will

need lots of "trusted" band aids for your

boys.

The song is so quick and catchy, that anyone can

have it in the head after the first or

second time hearing it and In between the song, the

lady explains its EFFECTIVE,

CONVENIENT, and TRUSTED, the three things

we need in this fast

paced day to day life of ours, and we are sold.

Reading Discussion: Teaching Youth Media

Reading/Discussion Form

Name: Ashley Thurmond

Date: 2/8/10

Article: Teaching Youth Media

Steven Goodman

Main Points:

· Children ages 8 and older view of average 6 hours a day in front of some sort of electronic media screen

· Children can easily learn the language of mass media, before even learning to read

· Programs or schools that do not address media in their curriculum are creating a disconnect between home life and school life

· Media usage contributes to young peoples evolving sense of identity, and community

· Especially for inner city youth- Technology and media should be used as a way to promote community change and the issues that surround them

Points for discussion: (likes, dislikes, questions, etc.)

The media clearly has an impact on what we choose to like and dislike whether consciously or unconsciously. I like how this article clearly demonstrates just how important it is to incorporate media into our curriculum. If not, we can easily lose not only interest but also numbers. Children as small as kindergarten know what the Gold M means without even knowing how to spell McDonalds. These popular media Symbols mean a whole lot to our youth, but to be able to critically look at these images and commercials is the important aspect. So, how do we do this without seeming “overly concerned”, or “reading to much into things”? Which is something I can clearly see my youth telling me now. My youth are very materialistic with a very low disposable income, and they equate what you have with your self worth, which is why I find critical literacy to be a very important component in our programs.

McDonald's Commercial

This commercial is obviously very cute, but I am not sure how I feel about it. The commercial opens

up with a middle/ upper class African American family sitting down to eat dinner. Then this very light

skinned child comes in, dressed in old school hip hop clothing with a big boom box on his shoulder

and his family looks at him in awe. They have no idea what has gotten in to him, but hop hop is surely the

hip thing to do!

I get the idea that its saying your family wont understand you if you like hip hop but, you are still cool,

and they will eventually come around in the end (like the father does, towards the end of the commercial).

This ad is clearly made to sell Happy Meals, but the camera stays on the apples the entire time. Almost like he is having

the time of his life, eating Apples, all while staying on beat with the Cha Cha slide. They also make sure to keep the camera

on the Milk as well, making sure to open up their consumer market to Healthy eating parents. They are hoping to sell the

image that McDonald's is actually not that bad and they have healthy options as well. So not only are parents being targeted but

kids will fall in love with the music and the little boy. Hip Hop is the new thing and it sells products like hot cakes, especially to

young people.

Sprite Commercial

At first glance I would say that I enjoyed this commercial. Who couldn't relate?

It's a hot summer day, hanging with friends and the basketball court and then they drink a sprite.

The sprite is so refreshing, the feeling is equivalent to jumping in the pool.

But in actuality is Sprite THAT refreshing? After working out, or playing basketball,

does someone really want to grab a Sprite or a bottle of water. Nothing about Sprite calls

my name on a hot day. I believe they are hoping that the consumer will get caught up in

the "feeling" of jumping in a pool when you are hot, or

playing with friends at the pool, to get away from the actual taste of Sprite.

The target group for this commercial is about high school/ college age people,

because we are the images shown in the commercial. That and we also have

the disposable income to purchase these products more often.

This age group is more likely to be at a basketball court, with friends, on a hot summer

day.

Also the camera is very low to ground, and very up close and personal on most scences.

Almost like we are either sitting beside them, or can feel their

dehydration right along with them. On one part, you can see the sweat dripping

from one guys nose, and you can tell how hot they actually are. It's ironic

how they want you to feel the refreshing feeling from water, but they are not

actually drinking water.

Welcome!

This is a blog I am creating for a Youth and Media Seminar I am taking at the University of Minnesota. Media consumes our society and has a strong cultural and social impact on the opinions of the public. Sometimes without us even knowing, our morals, and realities are determined by what we have consumed from the Media. This is especially true for youth who can easily be persuaded by the strong and influential messages that media outlets are able to sell.

The Objective of this seminar is to get students thinking about how a critical media literacy lens can be used to contemplate images of youth in media and to understand that not only are media messages constructed, but also most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.

The critique will be based on 5 key concepts and questions for us to deconstruct media images.

Concepts:
All media messages are constructed
Media messages are constructed using creative language with its own rules
Different people experience the same media messages differently
Media have embedded values and point of views
Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power

Questions Asked:
Who created this message?
What creative techniques are used to attract my attention
How might different people understand this message differently?
What values, lifestyles and point of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?
Why is this message being sent?

I hope you Enjoy!