The Day Music Died

1) Throughout the article, “The day the music died,” by Andrew Keen he describes
several consequences that are potential outcomes of “Web 2.0.” He ultimately
thinks that these consequences are going to have a negative impact on our
society. He says that an Atlantic Monthly writer Marshall Poe said that, “The
Internet is a huge moral hazard for people in general and it is a huge economic
hazard for the serious providers of content. “Keen then goes on to further
describe some of the situations that are hazardous. One of the things he talks
about is digital piracy and the fast growing trend of free movie downloads which
are destroying revenues from box-office films and DVD sales. People are able to
obtain bootleg copies of new releases which enable them to remain in their homes
instead of going out to the movies and buying tickets. Also, many movies are
available online which becomes extremely convenient as well. This new trend has
causes many major production companies such as Disney and Warner Brothers to cut
the number of films they produce and lay off hundreds of jobs due to the lack of
revenue they have been receiving the last few years. This also carries over to
movie stores such as Blockbuster, who are also feeling the effect of this new
development. Online options such as Netflix have become so successful and are
obviously a huge threat to Blockbusters and many local video stores that can no
longer compete. I agree with Keen to an extent on this one because movie sales
and these movie stores are important, especially to production companies and
their workers that are feeling the effects. It is not fair to them that their
hard earned work is being exposed on the Internet for free, yet at the same time
I do not think people will feel strongly enough to stop downloading or watching
bootleg movies and instead get in their car, go to the nearest theatre or store
and spend more money on tickets or the movie, when they can just remain in their
homes and save.
Another institution that is on the decline is traditional newspapers and
magazines. Newspapers across the U.S. are feeling the effects of the Internet
more each day as sales are dropping quickly. Many people have stopped purchasing
subscriptions and the daily paper when they can easily go online and access
their news and for free. This also has a major effect on advertising. Again,
jobs are being lost and this time on a much larger scale. Keen uses the example
of Craigslist, and explains that they require only 22 workers to keep the
website running. This has had a huge impact on the classifieds in newspapers and
the workers who are employed there. I also agree with Keen as he goes on to
explain that the, “Web 2.0 economy is not creating jobs to replace those it
destroys.” This ultimately creates a huge problem for the economy as jobs are
just disappearing with the new inventions of the Internet. While I agree with his arguments, I also think that there is no way to put a stop to this. Newspapers have always been a huge industry but people like reading their news online better and I think that the future holds little hope for newspapers and their employees.
Another institution that Keen sees as threatened are bookstores across America. The article reports that the New York Times has figured that 2,500 independent bookstores have already gone out of business since 1990, and I see that number increasing within the next few years. While many bookstores are going out of business, Amazon.com is experiencing a steady increase in profits. Consumers will no longer be able to have that relationship with their local bookstore they once had and will rather be forced to purchase books off of the Internet. As said in the article, people enjoy going to bookstores and speaking with others, asking the workers what books are new or good and forming real relationships with these people as opposed to shopping online which merely shows you other books you may be interested in based on the one you are purchasing. Amazon.com has also released their new product, the Kindle an e-book reader, which enables you to download full books and read them on this handheld device. While I think it may take a while for bookstores to close down and for people to get used to reading books from a device, it may be the future for books.

2) After speaking about some of these grave consequences that will arise as a result of the Web 2.0, Keen compares this to Sir Thomas Moore’s novel Utopia and in particular a quote, “sheep are devouring men,” which back then referred to the laws that banned the peasantry from the fields and ultimately created an underclass. Keen says today it is like the computers are consuming journalists and it is having the same effect, leaving them without jobs and without income. I think that Keen is trying to say that the majority is being hurt by the advances of the web, while a very lucky few are making the money. He is saying that the journalists who write for newspapers are losing their jobs, careers and passion in an instant and the people who created Google, and YouTube are making millions and not really doing much for it. The big problem is that in losing these jobs, there are no replacement jobs available for them.

Growing Up Online

The documentary, Growing Up Online, is extremely interesting to watch, especially since most of us grew up while the Internet was growing up as well. The Internet can be a great resource and has many advantages. It can be a place where kids go to escape from their parents; they can even create a new identity in their own private world. They can chat with friends or meet new people all in the privacy of their own home. Unfortunately, the Internet also creates problems, as shown in the video. While sometimes the Internet can create a safe place for kids to go to talk to friends, it can also lead to tragedy. Another issue is that parents often don’t know how to deal with their children using the Internet. Even though I think that the video was informative, there were also some problems with it as well.
Despite growing up using computers and the internet, I wasn’t using it nearly as young as some as the kids in the video were, probably because it used to tie up the phone line. Today, kids are starting to use the Internet at a much younger age. My 6 year old cousin actually asked me for my screen name and then showed me how she went onto her Webkins page, with no help from anyone else. It’s scary to see how big a part the Internet has today in kids lives. Since they are learning how to use it at such a young age, the problems also begin a lot earlier and most parents don’t know what goes on or what their kids are even doing. I’m sure some parents think it’s great that instead of worrying what their kids are doing if they go out, they know that they are safe in their rooms. Many parents as shown in the video don’t realize the numerous dangers such as sexual predators, cyber-bullying and even websites for people with eating disorders to feel at home. I think that it is important that parents teach kids how to use the internet safely, and explain to them that it is still important to act responsible. It is horrible to think about Ryan, the boy in the video who committed suicide because of the bullying he was encountering at school and online. I also think that they should educate kids about the internet in school and teach them how to use it for the right reasons.
A big issue for parents is that they didn’t grow up having this resource like we did, so it is hard for them to understand their kids when talking about the internet. Another problem is that many parents don’t know how to use computers well enough to see what goes on either. I think it is a good idea for parents to sit down with their kids and make sure that they are comfortable with talking to them about things, which I know is a lot easier to say than to actually do. The girl in the video was tired of not fitting in at school and simply wanted an outlet. She created her MySpace page. In the end, Autumn Edow’s parents accepted her and I think that created a better relationship between her and her parents.
Another thing to think about is the Internet and advertising. Online companies are often able to personalize ads just like they do according to shows on television. Different sites hold different ads and they pick which people visit sites more often. Companies usually find a target audience to which they aim to appeal to and find sites according to that data which could be based on age or gender. These social networking sites are great places to target teen audiences and many companies are realizing this.
It is clear that the Internet is becoming a main part of growing up today and it’s only going to get worse. However, I think that if parents and schools teach kid’s how to use the Internet responsibly at a young age, it can decrease some of the serious issues talked about in the video.

Growing Up Online

The documentary, Growing Up Online, is extremely interesting to watch, especially since most of us grew up while the Internet was growing up as well. The Internet can be a great resource and has many advantages. It can be a place where kids go to escape from their parents; they can even create a new identity in their own private world. They can chat with friends or meet new people all in the privacy of their own home. Unfortunately, the Internet also creates problems, as shown in the video. While sometimes the Internet can create a safe place for kids to go to talk to friends, it can also lead to tragedy. Another issue is that parents often don’t know how to deal with their children using the Internet. Even though I think that the video was informative, there were also some problems with it as well.
Despite growing up using computers and the internet, I wasn’t using it nearly as young as some as the kids in the video were, probably because it used to tie up the phone line. Today, kids are starting to use the Internet at a much younger age. My 6 year old cousin actually asked me for my screen name and then showed me how she went onto her Webkins page, with no help from anyone else. It’s scary to see how big a part the Internet has today in kids lives. Since they are learning how to use it at such a young age, the problems also begin a lot earlier and most parents don’t know what goes on or what their kids are even doing. I’m sure some parents think it’s great that instead of worrying what their kids are doing if they go out, they know that they are safe in their rooms. Many parents as shown in the video don’t realize the numerous dangers such as sexual predators, cyber-bullying and even websites for people with eating disorders to feel at home. I think that it is important that parents teach kids how to use the internet safely, and explain to them that it is still important to act responsible. It is horrible to think about Ryan, the boy in the video who committed suicide because of the bullying he was encountering at school and online. I also think that they should educate kids about the internet in school and teach them how to use it for the right reasons.
A big issue for parents is that they didn’t grow up having this resource like we did, so it is hard for them to understand their kids when talking about the internet. Another problem is that many parents don’t know how to use computers well enough to see what goes on either. I think it is a good idea for parents to sit down with their kids and make sure that they are comfortable with talking to them about things, which I know is a lot easier to say than to actually do. The girl in the video was tired of not fitting in at school and simply wanted an outlet. She created her MySpace page. In the end, Autumn Edow’s parents accepted her and I think that created a better relationship between her and her parents.
Another thing to think about is the Internet and advertising. Online companies are often able to personalize ads just like they do according to shows on television. Different sites hold different ads and they pick which people visit sites more often. Companies usually find a target audience to which they aim to appeal to and find sites according to that data which could be based on age or gender. These social networking sites are great places to target teen audiences and many companies are realizing this.
It is clear that the Internet is becoming a main part of growing up today and it’s only going to get worse. However, I think that if parents and schools teach kid’s how to use the Internet responsibly at a young age, it can decrease some of the serious issues talked about in the video.

The Persuaders

1) I think that we are headed into a time where advertising and persuasion by companies is becoming much more personalized. Advertising companies are trying harder to create this emotional and spiritual bond with the consumer that will enable them to get through to consumers like never before. They want to create and maintain this meaningful system that will allow for them to personalize advertisements. I think that in the future this is just going to get worse. Companies are targeting by demographics and then going further into these groups to create groups based on very distinct details. There are companies which collect data about consumers to give to companies that break people down into groups based on certain things. They are trying to create a lifestyle, and in doing so they must learn as much about peoples likes and dislikes as possible. Due to the success they are having, I think that these techniques will continue. People are continuing to come up with new ways to reach the consumers, such as using different words and colors, and even as far as trying to decode unconscious behaviors. I think that some techniques are taking it too far already but I know that it is probably only going to get worse.


2) I think that as a human in general, not just as an American there is certain things that make us susceptible to some messages. Companies try to use advertising to create this emotional bond with a consumer and just like people like to feel loved by friends and family, it is not different with the products they consume and many companies realize this. Consumers want to feel this emotional and spiritual bond and most of the time once they do; they become loyal to that brand. As Americans, I think we are more likely to be susceptible, as everyone wants the best products out there or they want to be like a certain movie star or singer. We are constantly searching for the new Ipod, car or computer. If companies are able to reach out on that emotional level, consumers relate and want that service or product. The main idea here is that they portray it as you need this product to be happy and without it, well you’re nothing. You have to see this movie or get this product, and most of the time, Americans do. We are seeking an identity in buying or joining a brand. People buy things and with that product expect to be something. It is all about connecting to consumers on this emotional level that creates brand loyalty. In the video they talked about Song Airline and how they tried to create a lifestyle, not just another airline. They wanted people to not just fly on Song airline but to actually be Song, whatever that may mean. They tried to create this bond with consumers so they felt as if they belonged with them. A lot of the time this is the goal; to create this identity associated with certain brands. The American Express campaign is situated towards everyone’s individual lifestyle, whether you’re a business man, or a stay at home mom, a teacher or an engineer; this card is for you. It is creating this lifestyle that can appeal to everyone, yet somehow bring them all together. As far as political advertising, it can grab people just like advertisements for products. They can trick you into believing something that really isn’t true and get you to buy into this “identity.” I think that we have come to be so accustomed to these advertising techniques that we may not even realize them, and with the political ad’s it can mean a lot more than buying a certain laundry detergent.

3) The common elements in the persuasion/selling strategies of advertising and marketing are this emotional and spiritual bond. They are trying to reach people on a different and much deeper level then before. They want you to associate a lifestyle with the brand, not just a product. These brands create a great amount of loyalty that gets to a certain place within consumers and remains there. Some say that the decisions we make are based on certain unconscious behaviors and we really do not decide. Marketers are trying to go as far as decoding these behaviors. Some are testing how language affects consumers and what words can be more effective. The video also talked about creating a love mark, something infused with mystery and loyalty that has some kind of iconic place for the consumer. I think that consumers need to just step back and look at ads from a surface level at first. Since the ads are trying to get at us on an emotional level, we need to just disconnect for a second and examine the product, not the whole emotional/spiritual bond associated with it.

What are your opinions on the tactics and techniques of the marketing media who are targeting teenagers? Have they gone too far?

While it is possible to argue that the tactics and techniques of the marketers who are targeting teens have gone to far, it is also possible to argue that it is ultimately up to for the individual to decide how far you will let them persuade you. Since the biggest market segment is teens, marketers have to find an effective way to get inside their minds and figure out ways to really connect and what better way then to enter their homes. In regards to all of the different techniques, this one may go a little too far. To enter into someones home and look at all of their possessions and clothes and ask them personal questions; may fall under an invasion of privacy. I also think that these made up characters, the "mook" and the "midriff" are a little extreme. By using these characters, they are portraying that they majority of teens can be compared to this "mook." A male who is rude and angry and likes to act immature, while the "midriff" is this sexy, mature girl. Marketers say that this is a feedback loop, in which they retrieve information and then create shows and music based on wants and needs of the teenagers. It can also be thought of that the marketers are actually the ones creating the music and shows to ensure teens will continue to follow the craze.
However, how far is too far. With all of these shows and music pushing sex and other negatives towards teens, when is it enough. While I think that marketers have gone a little too far in some of their tactics, it is their jobs. They are supposed to get involved and no matter what it takes, find out what is the new "cool" thing, or what can become the next best thing and find a way to market it. Their job is to find out all of this information in order to make money. Can anyone expect them to stop or tone it down? I think it is important for the teens to know when enough is enough. They should be able to look and not be completely persuaded by some of these tactics and realize that not everyone is going to fall under the "mook" or "midriff" stereotypes.
I think that focus groups are a good way for marketers to find out information from the source and they usually pay the participants as well. I think they people taking pictures of you or entering your homes is crossing the line and taking things a little too far. It is almost like teens are animals and they are studying them in every way possible. The media has become the window for teens to find out what the next "cool" thing is going to be, and when they can't afford it or they don't fit that look, it often becomes difficult for them.

Bitmap vs.Vector Quiz

How do media professionals know the audience?

There are a few ways in which media professionals are able to gauge their audience's interest and response to their media. While much feedback can come from ratings, sales figures and e-mails from viewers, there are other ways that media professionals get to know their audience. One way to do so is Hall's encoding and decoding model. In his model it says that in order to understand we must look at the production and reception of media messages. His model focuses more on the communicative exchange within economic, historical, and cultural contexts. So to really find out why a media message would work or fail, you would examine the way in which the message was made and then how the members of the audience decoded it. He says that the audience has the option to either accept, adapt or reject the message. He then goes on to explain that there are four main codes that are used by media professionals and audiences;dominant code, professional code, negotiated code and the oppositional code. The dominant code, or hegemonic refers to when a member interprets a message in the context with the preferred meaning. The professional code, for example, is the way in which professionals code meaning within their messages. The negotiated code can best be explained as the member may accept certain pieces of a message, however based on their own experiences and knowledge ultimately reject the full intended meaning. The oppositional code is when the member just rejects the entire message all together.
Another way in which media professionals know their audiences is through the research of media professionals in terms of constraints, and work practices. In this approach, one is focused more on the agency of media professionals and tries to discover how the organization can have effects on the media. Also included, researchers can almost work backwards, starting with the finished result and tracing that back to what may have formed and created it. Some of the constraints to what might have formed the media is ownership of the organization, laws and regulations and advertising from sponsors.
Production research is basically aimed at the production and the professionals. There are four main theories that are concerned with this approach. The first is the political economy approach which deals with how the production is effected by powerful politics and the economy in general. The second is the critical theory where professionals engage in production in accordance to the ruling class. The third is the liberal perspective, where it says that professionals are not acting in accordance to the ruling class and they do now have to. The last is the feminist perspective, where it focuses on how females have coped with working in an industry which was predominately male.

Money as Debt $

I thought this video was an extremely creative way to simplify the banking system and teach people about the problems we are now having with this system. Before watching the video I had some knowledge about the bank system and how money was created but always found it confusing. The video broke it down in simple terms and used images to reinforce the key points. I also found the quotes interesting because it showed that people have known about this issue for years. It is not as if someone just realized the problems we were going to come into if we continued using this system. The speakers of these quotes were also not everyday people, they were important people with positions in the banking world or the government, even former presidents of the United States.
This video taught me that our system is actually based on money that is not actually in existence and consequently increasing the debt in our country. It is scary to think that this has been going on for so long and I have never been taught about this in school. Like the video mentioned, this is a topic that is not frequently talked about even though it is of huge importance. One of the most important things that I got out of this video is that this system is unsustainable and is eventually going to cause tremendous problems; more so then it already has. The graphics used in the video were a great addition to make this problem so easy to understand. In the end, different alternatives were spoken about, such as using gold again or even silver. If we were to switch the system I think it will be one of the most difficult tasks ever brought forward and would require ridiculous backing. I think that this is the case with anything though and once people are used to doing something, it is very hard to change. Overall, I got a lot out of this video and it was very effective between the images used and the quotes, it was a strong presentation.

Media Conglomeration Animation

For the media conglomeration animation project, I chose to use Sony. Sony is comprised of a few different business operations including, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Ericsson, Sony Computer Entertainment, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. The frame shown above is comprised of some of their logos for those business operations, as well as some of their products they have produced. The animation I created starts with Sony, and then adds on each of these branches. Next, products they have created such as PlayStation, laptops, PSP, digital cameras and camcorders rapidly appear on the screen. Then some of the artists that belong to their record labels are shown. These artists are extremely popular and include names such as Leona Lewis, Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, Gavin DeGraw and Jennifer Hudson. The last frame is simply the Sony logo. I did this to show that Sony owns all of the logos and products that were shown, from PlayStation to record labels, they are a media conglomerate that controls a good deal of the mainstream media. As these media conglomerates begin to gain control over the production, distribution, marketing and sales of the media they become more and more powerful. As a result the ownership of mainstream media is decreasing and ending up in the hands of a few powerful conglomerates.

Magazine Cover

For the magazine re-do project I found this image of George Bush and Al Gore from the 2000 election. The image put their two faces together in front of the White House. I thought it would be interesting to change this and put the faces of Obama and McCain together instead. While the 2000 election was said to be the craziest ever, I think this one may have won that debate. I also changed the original headline and made it a point to say that Election day is only 21 days away. While I know many people are aligned with their political parties, I also think that many people are still unsure and there really is not much more time. I also added other pictures of the candidates on each shoulder, each with respective signs from their campaign. Overall, I think that this election is probably one of the most controversial and interesting of them all and with election day approaching rapidly, it's only going to get more crazy.

Blog Quiz-Media Globalization

1) The first main feature of media globalization that I think effects us on a global level is, the globalization of media content has resulted in a greater amount of homogenization and standardization in certain media products produced and distributed by the global media industries. Basically, as a result of the media globalization that is occurring, places that would normally not be as in touch with the world are. Since more places are connected then usual, when a product is marketed, everyone sees it. This means that someone in India can see the same McDonald's commercial as someone in the United States resulting in the fact that now they both want to eat McDonald's. There is little difference in their wants which leads us to this "homogenization and standardization." Another possibility is a singer, who was based primarily in Ireland, songs are leaked onto the Internet. Before you know it she has listeners in 20 different countries and there are 100,000 fans from all over the world who want to hear this same singer. Globalization is creating a "sameness" among many cultures from all over the world. The always available Internet enables this constant connection with people from all over the place and starts this homogenization process. Also, because it is so readily available their is no time for each country to try to make it their own, instead this person, or product becomes the same one that is known in every other country.
2) The next feature that I think effects us on a global level is, the uneven flow of information and communication products within the global system and the different levels of access that global citizens have to global networks of communication. I think this feature is extremely important. Growing up at this time in the United States has proved to be full of technology, communication products and easy access to this networks of communication. For example, right now there are about 20 students in the room, each with their own computers, all connected to the Internet. I think we take for granted what we have and may not realize that it is not like this all over the world. While most of us have access to the Internet whenever we please, and constant flow of information and news, some do not have this opportunity. There are other places in the world that do not have this level of access to these global networks. While we are so used to up to date, constantly changing news and information, many places are still using old media techniques, such as the television and radio. To them, that may not be old media like it is to us. We can compare this to McLuhan's idea of the global village, where he says that anyone can participate. However, this idea may not really hold true, as in some areas of the world they do not have this access to the global world like we do. We can describe these areas as information-poor, and the areas that have this ability to participate in the global village, information-rich, like the book does.
3) The last feature that I think can effect us on the global level is, media globalization is inextricably linked with the promotion of the ideology of consumerism and is therefore bound up with the capitalist project. This is saying that this whole globalization process is being pushed by capitalism. This feature is based on the idea that many of the large,wealthy, powerful conglomerates are using globalization to promote consumerism. The companies are able to do this by pushing the idea of the "ideal life." They use television, commercials, and advertising in general to accomplish this. For example, the axe commercials often show a normal man, but then he uses axe and the girls are unable to stay away from him. They refer to this as the "axe effect." There are many other instances where advertising uses these opportunities to promote this "lifestyle."

While some of these features can be a positive, there are also concerns and worries that are forming. In the global society approach, they explain how this global village is becoming a huge part of how we are informed on many issues that effect the world. Many are using the global village to raise consciousness on different topics effecting us, such as global warming. While this can be a great way to do this, the concerns that arise are the fact that only the information-rich are able to have access to this and not the information-poor. It is also being said that no one is using this global village to show people about third world poverty. This is a problem also because people in third world countries do not have access like we do, so while our stories are flying around in seconds, their stories and issues remain in the dark.
Another issue concerning media globalization is in the world system approach. In this approach the world is broken up into different parts; core, semi-peripheral, and peripheral societies. It is argued that the parts needed to run the global village in the core societies are all being manufactured in the semi and peripheral societies who do not even have access to this village yet are making these parts. I do think that this is unfair to those societies.
Another concern is the issue of this homogenization occurring in the world. Many cultures are unable to stop this phenomenon. Cultures and societies that used to be extremely different, are beginning to become one in the same based on the easy access to this global village. This is obviously an issue as we all come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs which I think is eventually going to cause a problem.

Globalization Remix

For the globalization remix, I chose all Blackberry products. Recently, I have noticed that a lot of people have Blackberry devices opposed to before when I only noticed people using them for work. Now, many of my friends have them and I think they are becoming a trend. The Blackberry's have access to the web and e-mail which I think appeals to many people. They are able to communicate and check their e-mail wherever they are and whenever they feel like it. They have full keyboards that make it easier for users to type. They have Blackberry messenger as well, which is an instant messaging system for Blackberry users only. Also, people can now log on to Facebook wherever they are, and they can be used as GPS systems in the car. I think that because many celebrity's are using them that they are also gaining more and more popularity. There are also all these colorful cases that are meant to protect the device, but I think it's becoming more of a fashion trend. Now, they are designing new models that are smaller and better fit consumers needs which includes creating the pink Blackberry Pearl to appeal to different markets. Blackberry's are taking over and connecting the global community more each day and I do not think that this trend is going to end anytime soon.

Media Globalization

The example I chose is the television cartoon "Family Guy," which is similar to the Simpson's. The show is based on the Griffin family household, which includes Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie and the dog Brian. While at first glance they may seem like a normal family, this is hardly the case. Peter, the father is not the smartest and often getting himself and the entire family into trouble. Lois, his wife comes from a wealthy New York family. Meg and Chris, their teenage kids, get made fun of a lot and Brian is a talking dog who drinks martinis. The funniest character in my point of view is Stewie, the youngest child, who is always forming a plot for world domination. His one liners or statements are basically ignored by the family. The show in general always takes things to the extreme while being crude and indecent and involving the dysfunctional Griffins. Many issues and events that are occurring in the world are brought up nonchalantly or in a context in which we would not usually think about them.
The makers of the show are definitely not afraid to include exactly what they are thinking in each episode and are almost always politically incorrect. Shows have been known to include issues such as gay marriage and binge drinking. Like the Simpson's, Family Guy has branched out to DVD's, clothing, bobble-heads, posters, games, action figures and even movies. I remember a few years ago when everyone was quoting the show and talking about it but I never really had taken the time to watch it. It was almost a "Family Guy" craze where everyone became obsessed with the show at once. I think that because the show lacks morals it's a place where anything goes and people enjoy that escape. Also from reading several blogs about Family Guy, people from around the world are beginning to call the Simpson's "too old." People from around the world watch Family Guy, and they have to wait up to 6 months for it to air in the United States before it gets to them.

U2 Questions Applied to Colbie Caillat

Colbie Caillat is a 22 year old singer/songwriter who is probably most known for her song, "Bubbly." All of her songs are light, warm and have a easy feel to them. Colbie writes her songs and also plays the acoustic guitar.

What differences, if any, emerge between female and male fans?
-I think that there probably is a difference between male and female fans of Colbie Caillat. As a girl, her lyrics and beautiful voice first caught my attention. I like to listen to her music when I'm relaxing or just hanging out. A guy on the other hand might want to see what she looks like or if shes pretty. Also I think that girls may be able to relate to her music and lyrics. Although her song, "Bubbly" was played on many radio stations and I saw male and females both enjoying it.

What other kinds of demographic factors such as age, class or ethnicity shape her fan base?
-I don't think that people of a specific age would be more inclined to listen to Colbie. I've heard people my age listen and people my parents age that like listening to her music. I think parents with young kids would not mind them listening to her either, especially compared to other artists these days. Most of her songs are about love so I don't think that belonging to a specific class or people of different race would listen to her music more than others. Many, can probably relate to her lyrics and the the things she sings about.

According to McLuhan's idea of the "Medium is the Message," I chose the television as the medium. Next, I chose television commercials for the "content" of this medium. I specifically picked an image from the i Phone commercial. The commercials showed how the phone worked and its features.The last image shows the mediums "message." In this specific example, it would be the increasing sales that have resulted from the i Phone commercials.