I was very interested when just minutes ago, sitting on my computer, I visited the Google website. I don't know if you've ever seen it, but it's actually pretty cool. On certain dates they change the logo to represent the holiday or event. So, as we all know, today is Abe Lincoln's 200th birthday. And upon opening google, I was shocked to find them celebrating Darwins birthday instead!!!
Now take a deap a breath and think before you punch a hole in that computer screen of yours. I know what you're thinking. "How could they commit such an atrocity?!?!" I mean, this isn't anyone's 200th birthday they're choosing to ignore. This is the guy on every penny I have.
And I have a lot of pennies.
So I began to think, "What does this tell me about what Google truly values?"
They apparently thought more people would be expecting to see some Darwin recognition today as opposed to remembering Abe.
They obviously weren't at New Trier today.
I guess, to put it plainly, the guys and girls at Google just don't have that same obsession with our 16th President that the social studies depatment does.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Army Commercials
As soon as we were given the assignment of finding something overly romanticized, I knew what I was going to criticize. It was something that I see regularly, and I wouldn't be surprised if I see it again before I go to sleep. I'm talking about those glamorous Army commercials trying to recruit kids to join any of the armed forces.
They usually all have some very dramatic music playing in the background, while showing how much joining the army will improve one's life, or how cool people look in the uniforms. They portray all soldiers as highly-respectable people living the "American Dream." They come from the working class, looking to serve their country. And then after a short time lapse, they come out of the army with families and great, successful careers. All of the soldiers are good-looking men or women who seem to be far away from any kind of combat. If these commercials showed any of the horrors of war, very few people would even consider signing up.
Becoming a servant of our country in any way is a great thing, but these commercials that I see almost daily overly romanticize the life one would lead after joining the army. First off, the advertisements completely neglect to tell the viewer the risk they would run joining the army, and the dangers that come with becoming a soldier. Currently, we are still in a war overseas. That war has produced thousands of American casualties. Death is a part of war, but when commercials like these over romanticize becoming a soldier, they make it something it is not.
They usually all have some very dramatic music playing in the background, while showing how much joining the army will improve one's life, or how cool people look in the uniforms. They portray all soldiers as highly-respectable people living the "American Dream." They come from the working class, looking to serve their country. And then after a short time lapse, they come out of the army with families and great, successful careers. All of the soldiers are good-looking men or women who seem to be far away from any kind of combat. If these commercials showed any of the horrors of war, very few people would even consider signing up.
Becoming a servant of our country in any way is a great thing, but these commercials that I see almost daily overly romanticize the life one would lead after joining the army. First off, the advertisements completely neglect to tell the viewer the risk they would run joining the army, and the dangers that come with becoming a soldier. Currently, we are still in a war overseas. That war has produced thousands of American casualties. Death is a part of war, but when commercials like these over romanticize becoming a soldier, they make it something it is not.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Superbowl
First off, I hope I don't offend any die-hard superbowl fans out there. But if there is anything more romanticized than the media frenzy surrounding one single football game, I would be highly amused (among other things).
I sat and watched what used to be a great display of sportsmanship and athleticism turned into product after product thrown at me in so many ways they begin to lose their uniqueness. The game itself seems to have become just another opportunity for crazy, out-of-the-box marketing schemes (which I guess must be working considering how much these companies pay per commercial).
Maybe I'm going crazy, but lately I've been a bit put off by the fact that many viewers watch the superbowl simply for the commercials. Now I've got to give some credit to these genius marketeers, who no longer have to break a sweat over getting their product's name out to the public. They have instead found a way to have potential customers flock by the millions to their T.V. and actually look forward to hearing what new kind of car they can't afford, or what new drinks still actually taste the same.
So I'm actually trying to speak for the football fan, and maybe there are still a few out there, who actually wants to watch an hour-long game in an hour and not feel the consequences of a nation overly romanticizing a single sporting event.
I sat and watched what used to be a great display of sportsmanship and athleticism turned into product after product thrown at me in so many ways they begin to lose their uniqueness. The game itself seems to have become just another opportunity for crazy, out-of-the-box marketing schemes (which I guess must be working considering how much these companies pay per commercial).
Maybe I'm going crazy, but lately I've been a bit put off by the fact that many viewers watch the superbowl simply for the commercials. Now I've got to give some credit to these genius marketeers, who no longer have to break a sweat over getting their product's name out to the public. They have instead found a way to have potential customers flock by the millions to their T.V. and actually look forward to hearing what new kind of car they can't afford, or what new drinks still actually taste the same.
So I'm actually trying to speak for the football fan, and maybe there are still a few out there, who actually wants to watch an hour-long game in an hour and not feel the consequences of a nation overly romanticizing a single sporting event.
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