"The Parable of the Ring Around the Collar"

After looking through several magazines I found the advertisements for Calvin Klein Jeans to be the most unforgettable. I found several advertisements for Calvin Klein Jeans that all have the same motto, “sex sells.” The ads I viewed all showed girls and guys wearing nothing else but jeans. They were in positions that were excessively sexual and in very provocative poses. One of the advertisements had more than one couple in this position and a young man lying next to them. Why is Mr. Klein promoting this type of advertising as a way to sell jeans? How are these ads selling jeans? Are they trying to show that if you buy and wear Calvin Klein Jeans you will be young, good looking, and sexy. Why does it take skin to sell jeans?

I wanted to see more of Calvin Klein’s ads, so I viewed a web site that showed his advertisments for underwear, perfume, and jeans. I was surprised to read several negative comments posted after the ads. Several parents and young ladies commented on how they find these ads offensive and could not get over the fact that they appear in magazines that are read by many young people. I realized that young ladies and parents posted the comments, but there was no comments posted by young men! One father of two college aged girls said, “I am contemplating on dropping my daughter’s subscription if these type of ads continue to appear in this magazine.” He went on to say, “The ad encourages risky behavior. Teenage sex can lead to unwanted pregnancies, complications & tragedies. DO THE RIGHT THING AND REMOVE THE AD! Not worth is Mr. Klein.” I do not think that Mr. Klein will remove the ads because he knows that his ads do push the envelope when it comes to advertising with the use of children and young adults and see nothing wrong with this. I read about the history of his ads and was shocked to read that Mr. Klein’s ads have been known to have sexually evocative poses as a recurring theme, but the “must have” attitude of the consumer keeps the company profitable.

Why does the use of sex in advertisements sell the products, even though the product being sold does not have any connection to sex? The use of sexual imagery in advertising draws consumers in and has taught designers such as Calvin Klein that this type of imagery increased consumer interest and then their sales. As consumers we have the power to stop this use. If we do not buy these products, hopefully the designers will get the message. We need to teach designers and advertisers that they need to stop using sex to sell their products and display their products in an appropriate manner.

Thinking About: Deconstructing a Print Ad

The ad I choose to deconstruct is one selling the Dodge Caravan. This ad has the phrase “What Idiot Coined The Phrase Stay At Home Mom?” written on it. I understand what they are implying by this phrase, but why they had to use the word IDIOT! The advertisers are trying to say that if a mom owns a Dodge Caravan they do not have to stay at home with their kids, but they can be out of the home enjoying themselves. I think they are also saying that moms, not dads drive minivans. What about the fathers who stay at home with the children? I know several of my friends who had their dad at home with them while their mom worked. My father is a teacher so he stayed at home with my sister and I during the summer months while my mom worked. Can’t fathers buy a Dodge Caravan or even drive a minivan? This ad proves that society only thinks that women can be “stay at home moms,” drive minivans, and take care of the children.

The mom in this ad is a very attractive white woman who is wearing a little bit of make-up, is dressed in a well fitting black shirt, and has a calm look on her face. I also see this ad saying that a family is “perfect” with two kids, a boy and a girl of course. The children are well dressed and are enjoying eating ice cream. The daughter is sitting on her mom’s lap so I see this as her being younger than her brother and likes to be close to her. The mom and children are calm and it looks like the little boy is talking to the mom. The children are enjoying their ice cream and somehow they do not have any ice cream on their faces or on their clothes. I know when I eat ice cream, I always manage to get some on my face and sometimes on my clothes. Once again, this ad shows that a “perfect” family is one with a boy and a girl, a mom who does not work but stays at home with the children, and one needs to dress well even when eating ice cream.

Are the advertisers afraid to show the Dodge Caravan closer up because it might truly show how a mom uses a minivan. My mom had a minivan and no matter how hard she tried to keep it clean it was always dirty. When my sister and I were little, the inside had car seats, snacks, diaper bags, cups of juice, strollers, and toys. My mom was always prepared for any situation and always tried to keep us entertained while she drove. Our minivan was like our second home because we were in it quite often.

I do not understand how this ad would sell the Dodge Caravan. Don’t you think the emphasis should be on the Caravan and not on the mom and children? This shows how the advertiser used words to get attention. The minivan is off in the distant but because of the words being used, one is forced to think about how a minivan will help stay at home moms get out. I honestly didn’t think about the Dodge Caravan being featured in this ad but sat there reading the words and not liking the word “Idiot.”

Advertisements are trying to sell a product and are going to do it in the best way the advertisers know how. Usually this means focusing on what is most popular, or in the case of these ads what is the most well known. I think that these ads are good examples of how society plays a major role in the style and messages portrayed in ads.

Killing Us Softly

After I watched the video "Killing Us Softly," I looked at the clothes I have on and at the ones hanging in my closet. I do not see myself as being the type of woman who has to have brand names, expensive clothes, or every item that is advertised in magazines or on TV. I have been taught that as long as I look nice, my clothes fit well and are clean I am fine. I know there have been times when I have asked my parents for a certain brand of clothing and sometimes they would buy it for me. Now that I buy my own clothes I seek out the best bargains and spend my money wisely. I admit that I do enjoy looking “good” but there are other ways to do this without paying the high prices for designer clothing. Advertising helps me to see what is popular but does not influence me to run out and buy the objects being revealed. I am able to resist most items being advertised because my parents have taught me how.

I really enjoyed watching the video and I have to admit that it taught me to now look at advertising differently. Being a young woman, I do subscribe to several girl magazines that are filled with lots of advertisements for different types of products and clothes. These ads do show what advertisers want society to see as the “ideal” woman, one who is perfect in every way. But, as we look at these ads we have to remember that these models were created. Their flaws were edited out and fixed by a computer. Their pimples and even their winkles magically disappear. It is sad to see how these advertisements are portraying women as sex symbols, and are sending the wrong message to society. I believe that it is up to the individual to realize that these ads are only showing women who are thin, beautiful, and sexy looking, not the average women.

Advertisers are in the business of making money and they do not care about any messages they are portraying that hurt women. Their ads tell women how they should look, how they should dress, and most importantly they tell women that their physical appearance is all that matters. This is not true but unfortunately ads can plant this idea into the minds of women and can cause harmful results. It is necessary to sell products such as vacuum cleaners, toilet paper, or even cars using sexy women or sexy images?

I feel that it is never beneficial for women and girls to subscribe to this “ideal” image of female beauty, the image put forth by advertisers. This image can be self-destructive by causing women to develop devastating habits like eating disorders. Focusing on being the “perfect” and “ideal” woman is giving in to the advertisers. Women need to stand up for themselves and show advertisers that they are wrong. Women can show this by not buying their products; by letting the advertisers know that advertising in this way is cheap and demeaning. There is nothing wrong with looking healthy and youthful but does it have to be portrayed by using sex and sexy images.

Research Paper and Topic

The topic for my research paper is “The Negative Effects Television Violence Has On Children.” I will explain how the violence they are watching on television has effected their physical and mental development. My thesis is, “The violence and harmful media being watched on the television by children is robbing them of their time, activity, and creativity.”

Source #1
My first source is a web article explaining the invention and history of the television. I thought I should first start out by explaining who and how the television was originally invented to be a source of positive entertainment for the family.


Marcus, Laurence, and Stephen Hulse. "The Invention of Television: the Early Pioneers." Teletronic. 2007. 16 April 2010. http://www.teletronic.co.uk/pioneers.htm.


Source #2
My next source is a web article, which is explaining how television has become an addiction for children. This addiction is defined and the article talks about some of the harmful effects being seen in children. How they are acting out the violent acts they are watching. The article also explains ways on how to avoid letting children become addicted to the television.

Kubey, Robert and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. “Television Addiction – A Growing Problem.” All about Life Challenges, 2002-2010. 16 April 2010. http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/television-addiction.htm.

Source #3
My third source is a web article, which is explaining the negative effects of television violence have on children. This article contains statistics on how many hours of television children are watching and how their watching so many hours is affecting their health. It is an interesting article with useful information.

Boyse, Kyla. “Television and Children.” University of Michigan Health System, November 2009. 19 April 2010. http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm.

Source #4
My fourth source is a web article, which is explaining about studies and experiments about the negative effects the violence shown on television has on children. This source told about several studies and experiments, explaining the data that was documented.

“TV Violence.” The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Spring 2003. 18 April 2010.

The television was invented to bring a form of entertainment into the homes. People would now be able to see the actors and actresses perform in shows while sitting around as a family unit. Unfortunately, through the years violence has been incorporated into the TV shows. This violence being watched by children is affecting their health and behavior. Children are acting out the violent acts they are watching and are becoming “couch potatoes” who are spending numerous hours sitting down watching TV. Physical activity and creativity has become non-existent and their health is suffering because of this. The time children spend in front of the television and the violent and harmful programs they are watching needs to be monitored.

"The First Technological Revolution and Its Lessons"

The technological innovation of the cell phones is a technical achievement that has helped and benefited society in many ways. I feel that man uses cell phones every day as a way of communication and entertainment. The cell phone has brought and helps keep people together so that they can be connected to each other. Cell phones have benefited society although there are some who feel that they are useless. Before cell phones, people had to use public telephones if they were out and needed to call someone. Now it is possible to pull out your cell phone, dial a number, and be on your way to the land of communication. I do not think every man is totally enslaved by the technology of the cell phone, but some people would not know how to function without one. The cell phone can be seen as an organizer of needed information, can be used to manage economic transactions, and helps some navigate across the world. The cell phone brings people together if only through the phone lines.

When asked about a recent technological innovation, which has brought social changes, I would say the cell phone fits this description. The cell phone has changed the way people interact with each other. We no longer have to make it a point to visit with friends, instead we can pick up our cell phone and call them any time or when we are in any place. This technological innovation can be seen as a positive improvement or as bringing about negative issues. I enjoy keeping in touch with my friends at all hours of the day and night, but my parents do not agree with this. I sometimes find myself sitting in my room and talking or texting all day. My parents would like to see me out of my room enjoying the outdoors and interacting with my friends in other ways. Being social with my friends does occur as I am talking or texting over my cell phone, but I must admit that it can become boring. I do enjoy hanging out with my friends and seeing their faces while we are talking.

I feel that I am basically comfortable with technology. I am the one who my grandmother calls when she is having issues with the TV. I am always able to figure out what happened when she pushed all the buttons on the remote trying to fix it herself and then fix it the right way. When I got a new cell phone, I didn’t bother to read the book or ask questions at the store, I just sat down and tried to figure it out on my own. I did become frustrated when the phone would not do what I wanted it to do, so I admit I had to pull the book out of the bag and read it. Technology does not scare me; I am always willing to use it to my advantage and let it enhance my life in all positive ways. If someone takes the time to invent a new technological item why shouldn’t I take my time to use it?

Favorite American Vacation Destinations

Disneyland

I am fortunate to have visited Disneyland several times already and have just returned from a three-day trip there. I believe that Disneyland is still the “Happiest Place on Earth” where my “dreams really do come true.” I enjoyed watching this video and seeing how Disneyland has and has not changed. The atmosphere in the video is one of calmness; with everyone taking their time to make sure their visit is full of special memories. In the video the tourists are interacting with the band and having a great time. During my recent visit, I did see several bands performing around the park, but I did not see tourists dancing with them. I tried to enjoy my recent visit to the fullest, but it is hard to do when you have to stand in line for over an hour for a ride and you have people bumping into you as you are walking. I wonder if the lines for the rides were as long for the tourists in the video as they were for me. At times it is hard to believe that you are in the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but when you develop your pictures and see the smiles of those you went with, you forget the lines and the rude people.

The central layout of Disneyland has not changed but many rides are no longer there and new rides have been added. Main Street is still the central hub with bridges leading to each of five lands. Mickey’s Toontown is a new town in Disneyland, and California Adventure is a new addition to the vacation wonderland. Rides shown in the video such as The People Mover and the old Submarine Ride are no longer there. But rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Space Mountain, and the Tea Cups are still there in addition to many new ones. The rides at Disneyland have been given a face-lift and are continually being updated to make them current with the new Disney movies. For example, the old Submarine Ride is now Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage featuring the characters in the Finding Nemo movie.

Disneyland will always be the “Happiest Place on Earth” for me. I enjoy myself when I visit and I can’t wait to go again this summer with my cousins from England. It will be my cousin’s first visit, so I will get to enjoy this visit in a special way. I will see Disneyland through their eyes and let them lead me around the park.

The Roller Skate Craze

I found The Roller Skate Craze video to be short but funny. The well-dressed men, women, and the policeman were skating around doing various things. I laughed when I watched the people skating and then falling over each other. I wondered if this was suppose to happen for the film, or did they really fall. I have seen men and women skating, but never a policeman. I have been to the take out restaurant called Sonic where the people skate to your car to bring you your food. Fortunately, I never saw them fall over each other.