To receive full credit, these blog assignments must be posted by SUNDAY night, April 11th at midnight. If you post late, please email me your post directly at sdebross@uvm.edu as soon as you are able, and I'll give you partial credit.
1. Toxic Sludge is Good For You, Chapter 12 (hard copy handed out in class)
This final chapter opens with a quote from Australian scholar Alex Covey, "Taking the Risk out of Democracy". He is quoted again later on pages 202-203, defining the terms 'propaganda' and 'education', and relating these both to democracy. After finishing the chapter, reflect on the opening quote and the idea of democracy. What does 'democracy' mean to you? What have you learned about public relations and other media related topics as they pertain to democracy? How do we as concerned citizens exercise our democratic rights within a capitalist economic system? Share your vision of a just and truly democratic country. Where is the hope? What is your role in making this a reality?
2. Observation Experiment
Go outside for 30 minutes, find a single spot to sit or stand, and write down everything you observe. (No cell phones, iPods, etc!) Next, watch a 30 minute TV program and write down everything you observe as you watch. Compare the two experiences. Was one easier than the other? Which afforded you more control over the flow of information? What did each experience teach you about the world, life, valuable skills and information, other people, yourself? What are the implications? What does this say about knowledge? What does the experience tell us about ourselves and the world we inhabit? (Note: You do not need to blog everything you saw outside or on TV; a brief summary or any specific items that support your reflections and ideas are all that is needed!)3. PSA Group Blog Post #2
Where are you in your work? Do you feel good about your progress so far, or are you frustrated? How well is your group working together? Has your concept changed since your initial brainstorming? What is each team member responsible for? What specific tasks will be accomplished by our next class? REMINDER: Be flexible, communicate with each other, and have fun!
Hi everybody,
ReplyDeleteI just read this article which I believe all of you will find interesting.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100409/us_time/08599197858900
It is a TIME article about a study done about paying children for good grades and behavior at schools. There were mixed results to the study and some people seemed very supportive and others were completely opposed. I personally believe this is in the wrong direction and thanks to our media driven society money is what kids want. I believe bribes are probably necessary but wouldn't extra recess or extended lunch be a healthier and more effective bribe? Just curious, because I found this article to be kind of disturbing.
Trevor
Toxic Sludge is Good for You, Chapter 12:
ReplyDeleteThe opening quote does a good job of explaining PR and our fight against it. The PR industry is doing everything they can to keep people believing and away from grassroots ideas, yet at the same time there are those grassroots ideas. By reading this chapter I got a good understanding of democracy wasn’t really government, but was truly the people. Democracy to me means I cast my vote and hope the government does the rest, however over the last few years my view has changed. I believe that democracy is becoming less of the government because of how well controlled it is, but more of our freedom of speech and actions. Only through our free speech and how we behave are we casting our votes.
I learned that PR is working hard to control our views and decide what is shown to the people. People are not allowed to make their own opinions, their opinions are made for them by what is shown around them. PR hates democracy because there is never a cut and dry path, while at the same time they work hard to make that path. As seen with the Clorox article at the end they really plan out how to avoid and deal with other paths.
Exercising our rights as concerned citizens is more difficult than one would think in our democratic system. The mainstream environmental movement isn’t super effective and what are more effective as said was grassroots movements. These are more effective because often then people have no choice, they must fight for something because they are immediately dealing with the problems. Life shouldn’t have to be a desperate fight, but turning it into one is how a war is won.
My vision of a truly democratic system is one where greed does not exist. Greedy companies and people have created the terror we have today. I believe society needs to change and put more value on health and honesty, and by creating a society like that companies would be ashamed when they release a harmful product or do something unjust. I do have hope in a surprising location called the world wide web. I believe the internet is a great and crucial way to reach many people, very fast, and to organize quickly. I believe my role in helping this out will be to spread the message of what companies are doing, email my friends and tell them stuff I am currently reading or learning. By spreading the word to one person there is a chance they will spread it to others, and that is where change and hope is found.
Observation Experiment:
ReplyDeleteOutside:
I went out to Centennial Woods and sat there for about half and hour.
-There is a slight chill breeze, but the air is fresh and clean.
-It is very relaxing here, but I still can hear the hum of cars in the distance.
-Listening to the birds is quite fascinating, there seem to be about three different bird calls.
-I sadly cannot identify the birds I hear, but I can identify the trees around me. I wonder how many children, teens, and adults can today?
-I miss my childhood, where I would go outside and search for bugs and collect them in jars.
-The sun is more valuable here, it has more purpose. The sun is so beautiful shining in between branches and eventually landing on the ground.
-My head is clear of many thoughts.
-The trees are quite big and took many years to grow and develop.
-Chipmunks are really adorable.
TV:
I watched an episode of Chuck on Hulu on my roommates huge computer monitor.
-Starts with a dull commercial. Do I really care about Dove soap? I don’t think I am going to buy it anyway.
-Load and to the point, but catchy and explains all the twists of the last episode. I should feel bored because I already know what happened, however I find this catchy.
-Very fast paced. Each character is a little over the top, especially with emotions.
-These emotions keep me glued to the screen.
-During commercials all I think about is what is going to happen next.
-I also feel neutral to these commercials, they are about basic dull products.
-Guns and fight sequences seem easy and as though they are fun and without much blood, pain, or gore.
-After the fight scene everything is happy and good.
I thought it was much easier to sit outside and it was also a lot more relaxing. I enjoyed the sun as well as the fresh air. I don’t know, when I am watching TV I often just feel stuck in a corner and I do not have much control over my own thoughts because all I am thinking about is the show. I believe sitting outside made me really think about a time without TV, when people would go outside and play in the woods and with each other. It is so much easier now for parents and children to just sit in front of a TV, and once you start a TV show you often don’t want to finish it because it is interesting and addicting and is all you think about. TV is partly what is producing our current society, we see messages on it everyday and try to seek those messages, but I think our lack of movement and physical activity is almost worse. When I watch TV I feel so lazy, I feel okay about it when at the gym because I am moving and mostly studying notes, but from time to time I will glance at the TV. I realized that a lot of our knowledge is not about trees or birds, but about who plays who in what TV show. I often find myself out of place when people talk about movies, because I haven’t seen a lot of them and nor are they a priority to me. I believe the TV has made and created a society where the outdoors do not matter. I know a kid that never leaves his room except for class and to eat and I wonder how he does it. How can he be happy? In his free time he watches TV shows on Hulu. In all honesty he lives in one room for most of his time here and I believe a lot of our society are becoming one room people.
Toxic Sludge
ReplyDeleteWhat does democracy mean to me? Democracy would be a place without PR as we have come to use it in this country. If we were to have true democracy in this country, we would have less of this PR crap and more of this education stuff (education as it was defined in this chapter). A single view wouldn’t be imposed on us all the time so there wouldn’t be any “mass culture,” instead there would be many people with very varying opinions that were well informed. There would be a richer culture if we were to have a real democracy, but it would be richer in discussion, education and opinion vs. richer in the pockets of PR representatives. I feel like after reading everything on toxic sludge I have realized that a lot of our “well informed” people that make up our “democracy” are just people that have been varying amounts of PR and are basing their opinions on this. I personally have been trying to figure out how I’m going to be well informed without subjecting myself to all the PR out there, I know I’ll find a way though. I feel like we have to combat this capitalist country one person at a time, for example I’ve started telling my friends and family about the PR on the news so that they are more aware and I’ve got some good responses. I think the key as a little person is to take charge of your personal life and the people you come in contact with, bring education to as many people as you meet and hope that they do the same. Also, you could write to your local news companies and ask them to stop doing PR and start writing their own stuff (who knows what will happen). It’s the little things that count. I have hope for myself and the people I know and I’m sure everything will change, I just know I won’t be around for it and that is okay. I think a bunch of NIMBY’s should run the country and everything would be just fine, but until that day I’ll just try to convert everyone I know to one.
LIFE IN THE WOODS
ReplyDeleteAt first I really wanted to leave. Seriously. I parked myself on a rock by a stream in the woods and felt really lonely. I just wanted to talk to someone, at one point in the first five minutes I was on the verge of tears. However, something happened. I laid down on some leaves and dirt right in the sunshine and felt more comforted than I have in a long time. Screw you tempurpedic bed, the mountain floor was more forming to my body and more comforting to my soul than you’ll ever be. I felt like a small child as I inhaled the dirt smell and was reminded of playing in the woods as a five year old. At one point I had a craving to listen to Pink Floyd and go back and get my blanket and stay outside all day. I closed my eyes and soaked in all the smells and feelings of being cradled by leaves and it was the most peace I’ve felt in a long time. When it was time to go I was saddened, by the end of the half hour all I wanted to do was camp outside for the rest of the day and night. I grew really attached to my little area and didn’t want to return to life. All in all I was really happy to do it and I think I’m going to make it a part of my week until school ends; I need that kind of peacefulness in my life every so often.
LIFE IN THE TELEVISION
I have not watched television without doing something else at the same time in so long. I chose to watch half an hour of MTV for it something that I never watch. The entire time I was watching it I felt so absent of thought. I ended up watching a full 15 minutes of commercial during the half an hour and the commercials all felt like PR. There was even a commercial put on by the Dow Chemical Company that was advocating clean water!!! I felt so forced to watch the television as if I didn’t have control over what was going into my mind. I felt literally dumb because of the fact that I couldn’t think of anything. When I was in the woods I had all these thoughts coming into my head about various things that I was contemplating but when I was watching television it was if I had not thoughts, I was just consuming. I never want to feel like that again. It was a rather disturbing experience - in fact I’m cutting television out of my life for a little while as a result of it. After I was done with the half hour I literally had to lay in the dark with nothing on to try to gain some sense of brain (it was kind of like watching television put me into shock). I laid in the dark trying to hear no noise, and then ended up taking a 4 hour nap. I don’t think I’ll ever watch MTV again.
1. Toxic Sludge is Good For You, Chapter 12
ReplyDeleteThe opening quote shows how corporations and PR has a hold on so much and how we don’t really have a choice in regards with it being there. Democracy is us having complete control and say in what we want, but this isn’t seen now and it takes so much for us to get what we want in this world because of PR. Now more than ever it is harder to express our views and rights within the world we live in now. It seems that our country is just so set on everything that is going on around us, and that we are in such a routine within our corporations and it doesn’t want to change anytime soon. Regarding environmental concerns, the government and corporations don’t want to have to hear everything we have to say and how we all think the world is just full of crap and everything going on in the world is bad. But if we just think that way, nothing will ever happen, so that’s why we all need to try our hardest and speak to the right people and corporations over and over again so we can get our points across and people become educated. My view of truly democratic country would be one that peoples views get across, corporations didn’t have control, places like McDonalds and Wal-Mart don’t exist, and no such thing as advertisements. Those things just have this negative hold on our country, which leads us to be angry, and frustrated at the world we live in. People’s votes would be heard, and people would listen to things people have to say, and power wouldn’t really exist amongst corporations or within social classes. Surprisingly, I do believe there is hope. I believe that if we just keep doing what we are doing as environmental studies students we will one day have an impact on the world. Every little step counts, and I think that if we all just have that mindset, we can make the changes we are all hoping and waiting for. I believe my role is just to continue what I have been doing. Be a conscious consumer, not eat meat, and tell people my views whenever possible, and just keep believing. Its just a matter of time and motivation of people, an d I do believe we can see this change during our lifetimes.
2. Observation Experiment
ReplyDeleteWhile doing this experiment, I found the results that I was expecting. On Saturday I went with my roommate to New Haven, VT and I sat outside while she was talking to a barns manager. I found a quiet place to sit, and the only thing that really distracted me was a cat. I sat there petting this cat (which I am extremely allergic to, and am now sneezing every 2 minutes) and just thought about things I had to do, things I have to do this summer, and the other normal everyday thoughts that I have. Whenever I watch TV or a movie, I have to be doing something else. It is nearly impossible for me to sit a just watch a movie and have all my attention focused on just that. I need to be drawing, making bracelets, or something else that can keep my hands busy. Seeing I wasn’t able to do any of that during these 30 minutes, I was getting very antsy. While watching TV, I just sat there and stared at the screen, and found myself losing attention very quickly. This whole experience connected to that whole we are giving ourselves ADD because of all the links we can be doing, and it just reminded me of how I cant sit still while watching TV, and how I have to be doing something else. But there are some people in this world that would just be so much happier watching television all day for hours, and wont even bother to step outside. I remember recess in middle school and loving the chance to be outside, but it seems that now less and less kids are going out, and I remember by 8th grade, everyone chose to sit inside and just talk instead of going outside and sitting out there. We can only hope this will change by encouraging more kids to go outside and play instead of sitting in front of a TV watching shows or playing videogames. But sadly this is the world that we are living in right now, and it is almost hard to remember what life was like when I was 5 years old and technology and media weren’t surrounding my everywhere.
Toxic Sludge Ch. 12:
ReplyDeleteA democratic system is fair and just and recognizes different voices in all communities. The last few years I have questioned the usefulness of Democracy in the United States. There is no doubt that the engine of corporate America is running on all cylinders with only profit in mind. This has debilitating effects on this vision of democracy. Accepting that the profit motive of business encompasses many people, democracy has a different meaning to me. In a true democracy everyone is on an equal playing field. Despite this, democracy in this country still has a meaning to me because one person still counts as one vote no matter one’s gender, race, or affluence. It is hard to stay true to the one equals one ideal because of propaganda and corporate lobbying, How many of our politicians are bought off by companies? Also the reading suggests that Public Relations campaigns have completely clouded the truth to what is a true democracy and who is looking out for the health of the public.
As corporations are using capitalism to gain power and wealth, the people can use it just as well to take it back. Every time people purchase a product they are voting. Buying hormone-free milk is a choice, and if enough of these choices are made everyday companies will have to change their policy to make money. Greenwashing is not an option when the public is educated enough to deconstruct the PR. Grassroots and NIMBY organizations; derisive label or not, are leading the charge informing the public about the truths of corporate injustice. I completely agree with the quote about the difference between propaganda and education, it fits the narrative well. There is hope in Tylczak’s efforts and grassroots organizations for sure but stimulating this progress is the democratic ideal that everyone can participate and one vote still counts the same.
Observation Experiment
ReplyDeleteThis has been a rare weekend where I was not able to get out for a run, bike, or hike so I was not able to observe in a secluded wilderness location. I chose my 30 minutes away from the world to be on Church St, sitting down with some friends and ‘people watching’. I observed that it was a beautiful day out, and my overall feelings were ones of relaxation and content. I sat in the sun and did not want to move or feel the need to say anything. I observed all different kinds of people, the usual variety on Church St. In the afternoon. High schoolers going to the mall, college kids with their parents, street musicians, and older couples shopping. There was quite a relaxing atmosphere even though this was an urban environment.
My 30 minutes watching television were extremely different. I was sitting down with my girlfriend flipping through the channels, and the entire time I felt anxious, annoyed, and happy that I never watch TV. I was disgusted with every single advertisement, I had to tell my girlfriend every little technique that was used to try and sell a certain product. The conversation turned to the obnoxious world of marketing and environmental atrocity and I was immediately sad. I usually do not mind discussing such things but I was trying to relax and watch some TV. Tiger Woods’ commercial with the voice of his deceased father put me over the edge, I just started laughing because I knew exactly what Nike was thinking when they put this add up. This says I am educated about corporate responsibility and environmental issues but I think for any person TV has to have a negative impact on their brain. Compared to 30 minutes on Church St. This was a completely different scenario.
PSA:
Our group, which plans to produce a visual of being ‘unplugged’ has some good ideas. We have created a storyboard and planned ahead for set selections and actors. We have lots of ideas whether or not they all get into the video might be doubtful. With a little more planning we should be set to shoot soon.
The Lovely Woods:
ReplyDeleteWe walked along the paved path that would lead us to the woods. The sun was out and the wind was running silently around us. We talked about all of the things we had to do, and did this past week. We had just had a lab practical exam that we had both done really well on. Unfortunately that small triumph was easily masked by the realization that in the coming weeks until school ends, practically every week is full of exams, not to mention finals…Our minds raced out loud. Cars passed. The hum of society could still be heard in the open air, and in our thoughts.
Finally we reached the point where the paved path continues on and a path created by the treading of many feet veered off to the right. Right at the opening of the path was a large mud puddle. I suppose I could have made my way around it. That was my first thought…But the little kid in me won, I took off my shoes, rolled up my jeans and casually strolled through the warm muddy water…I have to admit, it was great. I kept my shoes off as we walked further down the path. Barefoot is so much more interesting than wearing shoes. It’s like adding a sixth sense to your repertoire of physical sensation and observation. Every new texture on the ground is a change of scenery for an alternative aspect of your body other than your eyes. As we progressed down the path, our conversation slowed, as did our thoughts. The mud was cool in the shade and warm in the sun. I started to notice the birds more and more and the cars less and less. I could hear the wind more clearly instead of just feeling it. My lungs were wide-awake. My sickness that I had felt earlier seemed to be leaving me with each step.
We came to a spot on the path that crossed a stream. We then proceeded to step off the path and head a little ways away down closer to the stream and farther from the path. I felt like a little kid again. I stepped out onto a rock in the stream, and gingerly proceeded to step into the icy water. The water, although very cold, and quite a shock to the system, was smooth and easily passed around the obstruction my legs had caused in its predetermined path to who knows where. I crossed the stream just for the sake of it. Three bugs on the other side of the stream were playing some form of tag as I arrived on the other side. They didn’t notice my presence and kept on with their daily activities. I stood for a while and then traversed back to the other side of the stream. Once on the other side, I spotted a tree that had made its final resting place lying across the stream. I climbed up onto the tree and out over the river, the water just out of reach of my hands when I let my arms hang. I placed all my trust in this tree. Without it, I’d be bathing in some mighty cold water. I laid there perfectly still and just listened. The sun poked though the branches and small buds on the trees and danced playfully on those leaves laid to rest on the forest floor. A small pine tree sprouted up from a dead looking mass of trees and sticks that had laid claim to one corner of the stream. I first noticed the dead mass of branches. Then I noticed the small pine tree. I then noticed how the lively little pine tree made the whole structure look more alive and less dead. Life gives life to death…if that makes any sense. Then I realized that no matter how dead the mass of branches were, it would still always appear more alive than any man made product, regardless of what it was. A thin silky string of spider’s web connected the small pine tree to another tree outside the stream. I followed the web with my eyes. The web led to the tree. I followed the tree up to one of the ....
.....branches and noticed a small birds nest. The branch continued out over the stream. There were about three leaves on the branch that had not fallen off. They looked quite out of place amongst the small buds. A strong gust of wind blew causing me to hold on to the tree I was laying on just a little tighter. The wind knocked one of the leaves off. It then fell silently into the river. I stared at the water and followed the leaf until it passed around to where I could no longer see the stream. I noticed that the roots of the tree that let go of the leaf extended out into the water. It was a complete cycle of interconnectedness. I continued to stare at the water. The sun transformed into a cascade of diamonds when as it hit the moving stream. It was mesmerizing. My mind had stopped racing. Thoughts would come into my head, linger for a while and then casually leave to allow contemplative space for the next thought. I felt very at peace in an awake and oddly alert sort of way. It was nice. I closed my eyes for a little while and just listened. Its quite amazing what you can hear when you close your eyes and concentrate. Birds, water, wind, leaves, some other small and unidentifiable creature, your own quiet and rhythmic breathing. My head was resting on my arms, which were crossed and resting on the tree beneath me. I could feel the pulse in my wrist against the tree. I wondered if the tree could feel it too. There was some moss growing on the underside of the tree. I felt it with my hand and noticed the nice contrast where the soft moss met the rough tree bark. I focused my eyes on the whole scene before me and enjoyed it. I looked inward to my thoughts and tried to distinguish between the thoughts, colors, and feelings in my head. The air smelled crisp and clean. I filled my starving lungs with it.
ReplyDeleteThe time came for us to return back and complete the television portion of the assignment. I climbed unwillingly off the tree and back onto the mixture of leaves and moss beside the water. I felt an unusual sense of accomplishment and motivation even though I had just spent half an hour lying on a tree branch. We walked back down the same path, my feet giggled at the feeling of the mixture of warm and cool mud. When we reached the end of the path I walked straight into the mud puddle and stood there for a little while. The mud was now very warm, almost bathtub like, as it had been sitting in the sun observing life and collecting heat for the past half hour. I then walked slowly out of the mud puddle and onto the course pavement. I walked a little ways and looked back to notice my fading footprints coming from the muddy path. I felt good, and alive, and not sick anymore. We walked back. I still noticed the birds, and then wind, and the sun, but the sound of cars passing was unfortunately added in to the natural soundtrack of the surrounding world. We walked up to our dorm, and I couldn’t help but notice how dead the building looked compared to the trees, and grass and sticks.
The Boob-Tube:
We sat down and prepared ourselves for an unfortunate uninterrupted thirty minutes of TV watching. The power button on the clicker was pressed and as that tell tale ping of the TV-turning-on-noise entered my ears I thought about how silly the concept of the clicker was. Its not like we are twenty feet away and half to walk a long distance to turn it on. And that was the last thought that entered my head for the next thirty minutes.
We watched a half our of the show America’s Best Dance Crew. Man, was it pointless. On top of watching more commercials in the thirty minutes than actual show, I literally gained nothing from watching it. .....
.... One could argue that it actually made me dumber. My mind was frighteningly blank. It was like my thoughts had run and hid as soon as the lights of the TV had appeared on the screen. No matter how I tried, I could not entice them out of hiding. My mind would not have it. My eyes didn’t want to blink and my mind didn’t want to think. I was in a weird pseudo-coma like state with my eyes open and my body functioning internally, but I was just not there. I sat there and watched a bunch of people be active and in shape and perform all types of crazy dance moves and flips as I sat there, sedentary…mind and body. It sucked. In and amongst all of the really lame and stupidity-inducing commercials was one for a run to support clean water for the world. It started by telling you how many hospital beds are full due to diseases stemming from a lack of clean water. It then proceeded to tell you about the run taking place to confront this problem and encouraging you, the tv wacher to take part. Then, in the last scene of the commercial the man’s voice said sponsored by Dow. And in very light gray font, the kind that is weirdly thin and thus difficult to read, underneath the logo for the run for clean water, were the words” Sponsored by the Dow Chemical Company.”….Really now? The Dow chemical company is sponsoring a run for clean water…that they are making dirty anyway? Does this make any sense? I think not…You see the commercial and its like, oh well there is a glimmer of hope somewhere. People want to clean up the water for the world that all these companies are destroying. Then the end of the commercial arrives and you see that one of those same companies that is dirt-ifying the world is sponsoring this whole “clean water” movement. Well, way to make the whole thing completely illegitimate and all for not. Dow is going to keep doing what its doing under the guise of “oh we’re environmental, we supported the run for clean water, and gave a menial amount of money that literally wont make a dent in the overall issue, but we’re going to claim we’re saving the environment anyway and people are going to give us a good environmental reputation and believe us because we have some really great PR that is top notch when it comes to blatant lying.” Great. That’s just perfect…Way to go Dow, way to go. But other than that commercial, nothing I watched elicited any kind of emotion out of me other than inescapable, ball and chain, boredom. I kept checking the time to see how much longer I had to sit there and slowly waste away. When I do watch TV, I don’t really sit there and dedicate all of my attention to it. I’m doing other things, getting my laundry, answering email, organizing whatever. I never really dedicate myself to the television. To be honest, it was hard. I didn’t like it. And after we turned it off, I didn’t feel like I wanted to do anything. I just wanted to sit and literally do nothing. My stuffy nose was back and I kind of felt a little agitated for no reason, and just plain lazy. It was not pleasant. Conclusion: I much prefer the woods, hands down, no questions asked, any day of the week, any moment in time, just say the word, I’m there.
ReplyDeleteToxic Sludge Is Good For You: Chapter 12
I really love the opening quote. Its so true, unfortunate, but true. It should be that this centuries three great politically important developments are the growth of pure democracy, the return of power to the people and the growth of a richer culture and better society as a result of this power shift. The quote on page 202-203 (“He defines propaganda…any conclusion but one.”) is also great. At this present moment, our system of democracy needs a hell of a lot more education than propaganda. ......
This whole PR propaganda thing is completely going against the very fibers of democracy. Whatever happened to of the people, by the people, for the people? When did this whole of the corporation, by the corporation, for the profit crap become okay? In the ideal world, democracy is the system of government where those people being governed and affected by the system are the ones doing the governing. The people are the driving force for all actions, not the profit. And when I say people I mean the fleshy, multi-cellular, eukaryotic organisms who have opposable thumbs and mammary glands and fall under the category of homo sapiens. Not the corporations.
ReplyDeleteDemocracy should have values that stem from the ideas of the individuals. Ideas should not be prepackaged and fed to the individuals. None of this top-down crap. People should “..take an active role in shaping their futures and running their government instead of letting it run them.” I have learned that there is some good PR. But the good PR does not even come close to the canceling out the bad PR and its effects. Media and PR, although they can be used for good, seem to have crossed the line in certain places. Media and PR should never become so influential and engrained in our society that our values and culture start being defined by it. And all this business of “…managers are legally obliged to ignore community welfare…if those needs interfere with profitability” is just very backwards and not okay. The people come first, not the prospect of profit. And until companies learn the value of the real human life, they should not be allowed to operate. As concerned citizens, we must exercise those rights we have as defined by our much previous definition of democracy. We must not stand for any PR/Media bogus that is thrown at us. We must speak the truth and call out the companies in their times of wrong and demand that the correct action be taken. Also, the citizens must somehow find a way to take back what is rightfully theirs in regards to democratic rights, powers, ideals, and values. All of this will take time, but I do believe it is a fight worth fighting. The hope for all of this lies in the hearts of the people not satisfied with just accepting what is sneakily spoon-fed to them. It lies with those people who are shorted by this system and can accurately see the flaws it has. It is up to the people to bring to light for all of society the injustices and issues that surround this whole phenomenon. I have not really discovered my role in making this a reality, but I will continue to search for where I fit in this whole thing. For the moment I will continue to act on the opportunities that arise, such as writing letters to companies and activities of the like. (PS. Neither American Eagle or Abercrombie and Fitch has replied to me yet. I have sent American Eagle my letter eleven times, from different emails and modes of communication, and still nothing. I feel like I might be on their list of people to just straight up avoid. ☺ )
Toxic Sludge Is Good For You: Chapter 12
ReplyDeleteDemocracy is defined as “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation.” I feel this definition is precisely my idea of democracy, and while it may appear that we have this in the U.S. we actually do not.
Yes, the people have the power to vote but there is so much control and influence over our thoughts that I wonder if it is really us voting anymore? The chapter opens with the quote “The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy.”
This chapter discusses the idea of propaganda and from reading the definition it is clear that propaganda is a significant and invasive part of our everyday lives. If we are constantly bombarded with information specifically designed to alter our views and opinions how can we even distinguish which views are our own and which have been affected by propaganda.
The more troubling question is why is all this propaganda necessary? We must be skeptical of the fact that billions of dollars are spent on PR. If a corporation was to act in the interests of its consumers there would be no need to invest in such large amounts of PR. It scares me to consider what is actually going on behind the disguise designed by the PR professionals.
Immediately after defining propaganda the author discusses education. He writes that the purpose of education is to “encourage critical enquiry and to open minds to arguments for and against any particular conclusion, rather than close them to the possibility of any conclusion but one.” I believe education is the ONLY way to reach the true democracy we all dream of, a government in which all voices are heard and respected equally.
Observation Experiment:
ReplyDeleteFor my observation experiment I went down to the waterfront and lay in the grass. I could feel the sun shining on my legs, breeze blowing through my hair and could hear laughter literally everywhere. I observed numerous children, pets, and parents’ enjoying the beautiful weather and the abundance of energy was everywhere.
Although it was not a quite space I found myself incredibly relaxed. As I lay in the sun I found myself dozing off numerous times simply smelling the grass and listening to the happiness around me. I ended up staying there for about an hour an a half, reluctant to head back to reality.
I watched a half hour of golf this morning. The commercials were long, and boring. I sat in my living room silently staring at the box in front of me. I could hear our fridge humming, a bum pushing bottles down the street and some people outside complaining. As I sat there I thought about my time down by the waterfront. Here in front of the television there is no true happiness. There is no laughter or interactions, there is no cool breeze through my hair and the warmth is coming from our obnoxiously loud space heater.
For me watching television is incredibly boring. My thoughts almost disappeared as I stared forward. When I was outside I had so much on my mind but here I literally can think of nothing else. I feel that people get stuck inside in front of the television. We forget how amazing it is to be outside and enjoying real life.
Toxic Sludge
ReplyDeleteDemocracy for me means the freedom and the power to voice beliefs, concerns, and out right objections. Democracy can also be used as a protective blanket which should nurture us, as democratic followers, in our endeavors. However the comfort and easy I had originally felt with democracy has slowly dissipated. Maybe this was due to the two elections prior to this one and the corruption that ensued, or maybe it is just an outcome of being further educated.
Unfortunately what I have uncovered during these formative years has lead me to become skeptical of democracy. Politicians can be bought and sold, and with that democracy can be bought and sold. Corporations now have more power then the politicians who were elected into office to uphold democracy. News from Washington D.C. seems to be filtered through PR firms before it even hits our households. Democracy is being filtered. Democracy is for sale.
However this corrupted democracy is only the pen and paper democracy. What still may remain untainted is individual democracy. We as individuals have the right to choose what we alone can buy, consume, and believe. We have NIMBY power, and that has not yet been taken from us. I, as a democratic being can choose not to buy poisoned foods, watch T.V., or broadcast logos all over my body. I alone can tell my small community to watch out for the deadly grasp of corporate consumerism. I alone can revolt against what corporations want me to be, and by doing so F*%^ up the system just a little bit.
This is where the hope for the future lies. No longer in the pen and paper government run democracy but in each of us as independent minds. Regretfully many people wont pick up arms and join this revolution because many people will remain plugged into the corporate system. This will become a struggle of survival of the fittest, and I pledge to be one of the fittest. Corporations will have no control over my life and my democracy.
Watching TV has become almost unbearable. The only thing I ever watch is LOST, and now I watch it a day later on-line so I can skip some of the commercials. When the blasted thing is on it just emits such terrible energy. So I would say that the 30 minutes with the TV was easier, but more painful that my experience outdoors. Now as for the flow of information I would have to say that both were equally as hard. I have a tough time decompressing my mind when I am outdoors unless I am doing physical labor. To just sit and observe makes my mind wander, which doesn't really happen when the TV is on. In fact I don't really think at all.
ReplyDeleteCommercials make absolutely no sense anymore, or maybe that is because I don't watch enough TV? In all honesty I mostly spent the entire 30 minutes flipping through channels because nothing really interested me. I'm not gonna lie. It was horrific. Being outdoors on the other hand I was able to watch the always comical backyard squirrels strategizing how to get more food. This for me is much more interesting than some crappy television sitcom with a laugh track. Also while outside I was able to closely examine all of the new signs of spring. It is plain to see where my biased lies. Mother nature is my keeper.
30 Minutes outdoors:
ReplyDeleteLast week, I woke up early to catch up on reading before one of my classes. I ended up having some time to spare, and it was one of the first really warm beautiful days this spring. I walked to the Main Green on UVM campus and sat on a bench. There was still dew on the grass, and very few people were really out and about quite yet. I sat quietly and noticed that, after just a few minutes, small animals emerged from the trees and bushes to have breakfast. I watched several grey squirrels and countless sea gulls and other birds as they scratched and pecked the soft ground for bugs and seeds. I was comforted by the presence of some animals. I closed my eyes and began a mindful meditation. As I sat still, eyes closed, I noted the sounds of cars driving past, birds chirping, and the wind blowing from Lake Champlain. I find it really calming and grounding to meditate whenever a good opportunity presents itself. It is definitely easiest for me when I am outside. I think that a lot of information was conveyed to me as I sat outdoors. I observed a daily routine that the smaller urban wildlife go through each morning, I acknowledged that there were many people driving past my University, presumably on their way to work, and arguably most importantly: I had some time to decompress.
30 Minutes of TV-Friends episode:
It is 8:45pm on Sunday evening, and I am about to watch TV for thirty minutes and observe how I feel, as compared to my feelings when outdoors for thirty minutes. I spent almost my entire weekend outside because it was so beautiful, and so I am just now beginning to do my homework assignments. So at this point, as I sit down at my desk, about to play an episode of Friends on DVD, I feel a bit anxious. It seems as though I always feel a bit guilty when I watch a movie or TV show because I know that I should be spending my time more efficiently. This time at least I am making observations for a class, but still…
Since I was watching a TV show on DVD, there were no commercials and I had seen this particular episode before. When I first began to watch, I was completely aware of the fact that I was limited to 30 minutes and felt like maybe I would end up not wanting to turn it off. Although it is pleasant to be lazy and sit here starring at a screen, I was anxious the whole time. I fidgeted and texted throughout the episode. I feel like maybe a lot of people feel this way when in front of a screen. There is an urge to get up and do something else, but at the same time you’re glued.
The show itself is about a group of six likeable people in their mid twenties to early thirties whom spend all of their time together living in New York City. This episode in particular was all about two of the characters, Monica and Chandler, who were engaged and trying to write their wedding vows. All of the characters were reminiscing about how the couple got together, and so there was a lot of romance and ‘warm fuzzies’. Of course, all of the characters are attractive, have decent livelihoods, and end up happy in the end. Each character represents personality traits that we could all identify in people whom we know. Overall, I think that Friends portrays what people that age would hope their lives are like, and the problems which people deal with alongside their friends as they go from fresh college graduate to ‘real world’ adult. There is a definite emphasis on romance, and the need to have a lasting relationship. Monica in particular is obsessed with getting married and having children, which may say a little something about the American society, or even humanity itself.
Group PSA Project:
ReplyDeleteMy PSA group (Morgan, Nate and Zack) will be meeting tomorrow at 1pm in the Bailey Howe Library to get the ball rolling. I have been doing some background research on the issue and coming up with some ideas to present to my group members tomorrow. I looked at the webpage for NORML that you emailed to us. It was really interesting. There are a lot of videos and news clips in the site that could be useful, along with a map that categorizes the laws regarding marijuana in every state of the USA. It seems that marijuana is decriminalized in about 12 states so far, which is pretty impressive. I have also noticed a lot of articles about the issue in local media over the past month or so. I thought it might be interesting to incorporate local news headlines. Your suggestion about not using humor as a focus of our PSA for this issue makes sense. I think my group and I will have to think about whom we are targeting. Aside from our classmates, who will see our message? If the majority of viewers are peers, it might be effective to use light hearted humor to get their attention, then provide resources to mobilize/get active toward changing marijuana laws.
Overall, I am a bit frustrated and stressed, not because of this class project in particular, but because I have 5 group projects due in the next three weeks. Two of these projects involve making a video, and I have no experience with media production whatsoever. It is also difficult to arrange times to meet with groups when everyone’s schedules are different. I hope that my group decides to make good use of out class time over the next two weeks.
In my mind, democracy is supposed to be a means of government in which every citizen has an equal voice in decision making. This is the beautiful picture that was painted for me during my elementary and high school education. Until about a month ago, I wasn’t told that corporations have constitutional personhood, or that news channels are owned by big businesses and can lie and make up stories. I feel as though democracy has been severely immobilized in the United States, and I don’t think that we really have the kind of ‘freedom’ that radical patriots carry on about. It has been made increasingly clear to me that we are all treated as mere consumers. Nearly everything we are exposed to is intended to persuade us to buy things. Individuality is emphasized and made to seem fashionable, and yet most of us are basically the same. Public relations corporations seem to have their hands in everything. It is completely unclear what I can and cannot believe to be fact.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to exercise your rights as a concerned citizen in a capitalist system is to engage in civil disobedience and grassroots activism in order to catalyze positive change. When the majority of people are blindly being guided by corporations and a corrupt government…that’s when you know you’re in the USA. People need to create an outcry, and many of us are doing so. It is essential to live more simply, purchase less junk, watch less TV, and become more connected with your community. Public education is really important, as well. I think that if more people knew what was involved in producing the goods they consume, well, they wouldn’t consume those things. Although I am confused about that, because I know a lot of people who just don’t care about social, environmental and animals rights issues that much. I am wondering if the utter dysfunction of our democratic system has left people aware of their apparent powerlessness, and caused them to be apathetic? Or has an overdose of violent TV and games left us desensitized?
My vision of a true democracy is a bit of a utopian, idealist society. First of all, I would hope that corporations as we know them would not be allowed to exist. Companies would not have constitutional personhood, and would be taxed appropriately based on how rich they became. My ideal society would not be capitalist. Free, local food would be given to people when they went to the polls to vote. Education would be more equal and accessible to all people. Inner city schools would be given more access to funding so that those children would at least have the opportunity to get into a better socio-economic situation. Hopefully, racism wouldn’t still be such an issue in the first place, and minorities wouldn’t be so concentrated in slums. Animal rights would be taken much more seriously because, rather than corporations having so many rights under the constitution, animals would actually have some rights. For this reason, exploitation such as commercial hunting, factory farming, zoos, animal testing, rodeos, and puppy/kitten mills would be completely illegal. Genetically engineered organism would undergo more testing for safety, animals could not be genetically modified, and no life from could be patented. Monsanto would be shut down, George Bush would be in jail, less federal money would be invested in killing people and more would be invested to rehabilitate returning soldiers. I could rant on and on (obviously) about my visions, but the point is that these changes would make for a more just, equal society. The gap between rich and poor would be more narrow, and this country would be less vicious and more compassionate toward all.
In my mind, democracy is supposed to be a means of government in which every citizen has an equal voice in decision making. This is the beautiful picture that was painted for me during my elementary and high school education. Until about a month ago, I wasn’t told that corporations have constitutional personhood, or that news channels are owned by big businesses and can lie and make up stories. I feel as though democracy has been severely immobilized in the United States, and I don’t think that we really have the kind of ‘freedom’ that radical patriots carry on about. It has been made increasingly clear to me that we are all treated as mere consumers. Nearly everything we are exposed to is intended to persuade us to buy things. Individuality is emphasized and made to seem fashionable, and yet most of us are basically the same. Public relations corporations seem to have their hands in everything. It is completely unclear what I can and cannot believe to be fact.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to exercise your rights as a concerned citizen in a capitalist system is to engage in civil disobedience and grassroots activism in order to catalyze positive change. When the majority of people are blindly being guided by corporations and a corrupt government…that’s when you know you’re in the USA. People need to create an outcry, and many of us are doing so. It is essential to live more simply, purchase less junk, watch less TV, and become more connected with your community. Public education is really important, as well. I think that if more people knew what was involved in producing the goods they consume, well, they wouldn’t consume those things. Although I am confused about that, because I know a lot of people who just don’t care about social, environmental and animals rights issues that much. I am wondering if the utter dysfunction of our democratic system has left people aware of their apparent powerlessness, and caused them to be apathetic? Or has an overdose of violent TV and games left us desensitized?
My vision of a true democracy is a bit of a utopian, idealist society. First of all, I would hope that corporations as we know them would not be allowed to exist. Companies would not have constitutional personhood, and would be taxed appropriately based on how rich they became. My ideal society would not be capitalist. Free, local food would be given to people when they went to the polls to vote. Education would be more equal and accessible to all people. Inner city schools would be given more access to funding so that those children would at least have the opportunity to get into a better socio-economic situation. Hopefully, racism wouldn’t still be such an issue in the first place, and minorities wouldn’t be so concentrated in slums. Animal rights would be taken much more seriously because, rather than corporations having so many rights under the constitution, animals would actually have some rights. For this reason, exploitation such as commercial hunting, factory farming, zoos, animal testing, rodeos, and puppy/kitten mills would be completely illegal. Genetically engineered organism would undergo more testing for safety, animals could not be genetically modified, and no life from could be patented. Monsanto would be shut down, George Bush would be in jail, less federal money would be invested in killing people and more would be invested to rehabilitate returning soldiers. I could rant on and on (obviously) about my visions, but the point is that these changes would make for a more just, equal society. The gap between rich and poor would be more narrow, and this country would be less vicious and more compassionate toward all.
I feel that the crisis of democracy in this country has fundamental and unbreakable connections to the yawning divide between the rich and the poor. We actually have two systems of governance in this country. The first is democracy and it is the more iconic of the two. Democracy attempts to give everyone an equal say in the affairs that pertain to them. The second system of governance is that of money. Money is many things to us, it's power, it's time, but it's best articulated as a source of supreme motivation, and as expected the uneven distribution of wealth belies an uneven distribution of power. Corporations have been cursed into entities that by law can't be concerned with anything but maximizing profits. Even the CEOs and board members have to fall in line with this rule or they are accused of misleading the shareholders and often are deposed from their thrones. However, there is good news. In this country we have free will, choice. We can choose to patronize some and ignore others. The fall of democracy was preceded by an increased faith in the dollar over people. My vision for a true and just democratic society first requires that people care. We need to banish the idea that one person can't make a difference. It's true that most people can't do much, but what we can do is tell others. Next, we need to collectively realize that the importance of any material object is determined solely by how much we invest in it. A hundred-dollar bill is only worth that much because we all agree on it. In my vision for a just democracy we will have to rein in capitalism and realize that in our current system, unrestricted growth in a finite system, capitalism is essentially cancer. The NIMBY-ers are an excellent start towards realizing that the lofty dreams of individuals aren't are unattainable as we first thought.
ReplyDelete2.After observing the outside world and comparing it to the televised one a number of stark physical differences are apparent, but just as interesting to me is my own number of psychological differences while in two contrasting mental environments. Looking at THE screen versus out A screen the first noticeable difference is the level of activity. On the screen I notice much more movement, while outside there is some calm. I was reminded of culture jam when watching commercials on the TV. They seem to jump around a lot and every time the screen shifted from show to advertisements the volume jumped about ten notches, I always turned it down almost immediately. The show I was watching was about animals so I was getting some natural stimulation, but what I noticed was the presence of the camera. The camera frames what you're viewing and separates you from it. In fact, as I thought about it, the people on TV, the programs, are like a sort of composite person. Especially after working from behind the lens it's interesting to note how the auteur can shape reality, the sights and sounds, when they appear and where and the speed of it all. It's like Alex Carey's education and propaganda argument. In a way, a large number of television programs are, by his definition, propaganda. Writers and producers set up certain characters to be relate-able and others to be despised based on how they want the viewer to feel and react. Now, I'm not saying all forms of film and television, video recordings, are bad. But what we should remember when watching them is that someone designed that programme to elicit specific responses at specific moments in specific ways, we can always hope though, that they're on our side.