Warner Brothers Inc.

When I think back and remember watching movies as a child, I can remember the WB logo appearing at the beginning of many films I watched. Warner Brothers was founded in 1923 by four brothers, Jack, Sam, Harry & Albert Warner. They have produced some of the most famous movies of all time, and are a hugely successful company. Not only does Warner Brothers produce movies, they also produce television shows, have their own television network, publish comic books, and much more. Warner Bothers are continually developing and gaining more and more power in the media industry.

In owning so many different branches of media companies, Warner Bothers demonstrates a prime example of cross ownership. They are continually upgrading and owning more companies trying to stay on top. By using hegemony and controlling many smaller corporations they gain more power. Ultimately resulting in more success and money for the company. Warner Brothers does a lot more than one may think.

Lawrence Lessig states “There has never been a time in our history when more of our “culture” was as “owned” as it is now” (Lessig 18). An average person may be unaware that Warner Brothers owns anything except their producing company they are best known for, but this works to their advantage. They can advertise using different forms of media they own, within their own company, without having to pay a cent.

We all know Warner Brothers is a huge company, but do we know how big they really are?

Works Cited

Lessig, Lawrence. Free Culture. New York: Penguin Books Ltd., 2004.

"Warner Brothers." Warner Brothers. 2009. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Web. 21 Nov 2009.

Net Neutrality

Net neutrality means no restrictions. Internet users are free to access anything on the Internet and use it as frequently as they please. Net Neutrality is being threatened. Big companies want to start charging users more for certain things and restrict how much we can see online. The Internet is huge, and presents us with so many opportunities. We can connect with old friends, get our name out there, purchase and sell items, express our opinions, support causes and organizations and so much more. With companies trying to put restrictions on what we can see and do online, people will not have these great opportunities like they do now.

Net neutrality allows anyone, no matter how wealthy or poor you are, to view all content on the Internet. Without net neutrality there will begin to be a divide between the different economic classes. Is this fair? Just because someone may be wealthier, only they will get to experience all the wonders of the Internet, but someone of lower class will not? Everyone should be able to experience the Internet at its finest, which is why net neutrality must stay.

Take photography for example, some of the most beautiful and intriguing photography does not follow any sort of rule or guidelines and that is what makes it interesting. “But though we could imagine this system of permission, it would be very hard to see how photography could have flourished as it did if the requirement for permission had been built into the rules that govern it” (Lessig 25) In Free Culture, Lawrence Lessig describes that if photography were to have requirements it would not be what it is today. This directly relates back to net neutrality. Putting restrictions on something so big can only decrease its overall use and value. The Internet should be left alone, and companies should not even attempt at charging more for it. The Internet connects us all, not just the wealthy.

“The Internet has made communication faster, it has lowered the cost of gathering data, and so on. These technical changes are not the focus of this book. They are important. They are not well understood. But they are the sort of thing that would simply go away if we all just switched the Internet off” (Lessig 7) Do we really want this to happen? Do we really want to see what it would be like to have the Internet just "switched off"? I do not think so. The Internet has proved to be a wonderful invention, connecting people around the globe. It can be used for such a large quantity of different things, and to put restrictions on it now would just be decreasing its full potential.

The Internet is our playground; we should all be able to use it as we please.

Works Cited

"The Cause." We Are The Web. 2006. wearetheweb.org, Web. 23 Nov 2009.

Lessig, Lawrence. Free Culture. New York: Penguin Books Ltd., 2004.

Media Literacy

In my generation, most people are media literate. Almost everyone in this day and age owns a computer, and if not at least has access to one. Not only that but absolutely everyone has a television set and radio. Being media literate usually goes hand in hand with being technologically literate. I myself am both of these. In my household whenever something goes wrong with a piece of technology my parents both come straight to me to fix it. This is not to say my parents are not smart, I do believe they could fix all the problems that arise as well I just have the ability to do it faster. This is because I have grown up surrounded by it. From when I started school until now I have been constantly exposed to computers, televisions, and radio.

I have never enjoyed reading. My entire life, everyone has been encouraging me to read (yes, it is probably the reason why I am such a poor writer, but that is besides the point) but I have never once truly enjoyed it. Whenever I read, I feel like it’s a chore. In having such a strong dislike for reading, this has made me more media literate. Just because I do not read does not mean I am ignorant. I may not read the newspaper, or the latest magazines, but I can still get all that information from another source and while doing multiple tasks. I have never been one to focus on a particular task I would rather be multi-tasking. Since I do not read the newspaper, I usually get my news by listening to the radio. This way on my drive to school everyday, I can find out what is happening in the world as well as get to where I am going. Would I be able to read a newspaper while driving? (Well it is possible, but it probably would not end too well.)

The media is all around us, why not take advantage of it and put it to good use?

Culture Jamming

When looking through the multitude of culture jamming pictures that come up on Google Images, this one in particular really stood out to me. Not only is this a real photograph of an actual Esso gas station, it is proving a good point. All culture jamming should make a statement and give people something to think about, not just be seen and then forgotten. This photograph in particular really demonstrates the world around us. North Americans spend tons and tons of money on gas every year; it is a staple for most households. Everyone needs to get places, and most people drive therefore they need gas. The oil industry has such control over the prices, and how much or little they provide us with. The gas prices have been increased drastically over the last few years and this picture shows that point. Gas is so expensive, and takes so much of our money every single day.

Camel cigarettes were the first brand of packaged cigarettes invented in 1913. Their brand used to be everywhere, displayed at sport events, on billboards, and a variety of television commercials. I think it is great they banned allowing cigarette companies from being able to advertise anywhere. There is no need to promote cancer, because that is basically what they were doing. This advertisement makes a big statement that would probably upset smokers but it is just telling the truth. This is something they should put on billboards instead of cigarettes. Culture jamming sometimes can be looked down upon because it is maligning big organizations but in this case I think it would gain approval. The statement “am I dead yet?” made up of parts of the word “Camel” presents a true statement about cigarettes. They can have horrible outcomes so why do people do it? Whoever made this add did an excellent job of getting there point across. This represents culture jamming at its finest.

MADD, but really quite sane.

“In 2008, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunk driving crashes involving a driver with an illegal BAC (.08 or greater). These deaths constitute 31.6 percent of the 37,261 total traffic fatalities in 2008. (Source:NHTSA, 2009)”

Over eleven thousand people died in 2008 because of drunk driving. This is absolutely appalling. I know that people die; there are many natural causes and accidents that cause death every year. And yes, it does need to be accepted everyone dies eventually. Does this mean that drunk driving should be a contributor? No. Is drunk driving a natural cause or accident? No. This is something that can be completely avoided. Innocent people die every year because of the stupid ignorant choice some people make. You may think you are not “that drunk” but you should not drive under any circumstances.

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) was incorporated in 1980 and their mission was “To aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to aid the families of such victims and to increase public awareness of the problem of drinking and drugged driving.” They later updated their mission to something a little simpler “The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking.” They wanted to incorporate preventing underage drinking in their mission in order to stop the problem before it starts.

One of the best things about MADD is their pure honesty. When I was in high school, every year we would have a presentation put on by MADD. This was very different than any other organizations presentations put on in the school. MADD does not sugar coat anything. They tell it like it is, they put everything out on the table, and it is extremely effective. Some of the videos we watched were of people who lost someone they loved in a drunk driving accident. There is one story that I will always remember, and has had a huge impact on my life. I personally know people who have driven drunk and this presentation put on by MADD gave them reason to stop. When you put it all in perspective, no matter how small of a distance you have to drive it is not worth risking a life, whether it is your own or a complete strangers.

Work Cited

"Mission Statement." MADD. 2009. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Web. 20 Nov 2009.

Participatory Culture, are you involved?

With the invention of websites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Flickr it is so simple to share things with others over the Internet and ultimately all over the world. Anyone and everyone can have a Facebook or Myspace page, and share pictures, thoughts, and feelings with others. Not only are these websites good for sharing photographs with family and friends, it can also be used as a way to get your voice out there. By posting notes on Facebook, or sharing your artwork, or displaying your photography, you can show the world your opinions and talents. Websites like Myspace and Facebook are a great way to get known as an artist. So many people are on social networking sites that you have an excellent chance of being noticed by at least some people who share your interests.

Not only can these websites be used for staying in touch with friends and family, and sharing your thoughts and opinions, consumers can also benefit. Since people share so much of their personal information on social networking sites, consumers can find out everything they need to know to get the attention of their audience. They can also conduct surveys, and advertise on the websites.

When it comes to Facebook and Myspace sometimes it may seem like a competition just to see how many so called “friends” you have. But are these people really friends? Would you really feel comfortable calling every single one of your 500 Facebook friends and asking them to meet with you to catch up over coffee? Highly doubtful. Personally, I believe this is quite ridiculous. For some people, it is very interesting to know what is happening in everyone else’s lives, but it can start to take away from your own. Spending so much time on social networking websites can really start to take away from your real life.

Participatory culture has its ups and downs just like anything else. For the most part, I believe if used effectively, social networking is a good thing. Facebook can allow you to keep in touch with friends and family from all over the world as well as share your pictures and thoughts with them. For consumers, it can allow them to gather information to market their products, and appeal to their target audience. Lastly, for musicians, artists, and photographers, they can show their work to the world and receive feedback for free. Whether you believe Facebook and Myspace are positive websites or not, you will be surrounded by it anyways, so why not embrace it?

Miley Cyrus is dead!? WHAT!?

When I think of “fake news” there is one specific incident that come to mind, Miley Cyrus’ apparent death. The rumor began on September 5^th, 2008 when Miley had reportedly gotten into a “fatal car accident” on the way to filming an episode of Hannah Montana. This rumor was created by an unknown source, on websites like wikipedia and digg.com. It truly amazes me the pleasure people get by making up terrible rumors like this and how insanely out of proportion they are blown. This truly is over the top. I mean think about all those young fans of hers who were crushed by this horrible lie, and that is all it was, a horrible lie. This is unnecessary. Things like this make me think maybe everyday people should not be allowed to make random postings all over the Internet. How would it make you feel waking up one morning and everyone thinks your dead?

Citizen journalism has its ups and down as does everything else. It gives people the chance to speak their mind and get the word out about news they believe is important. On the other hand, it can also mean people making up stories just so people will listen to what they have to say. I completely support citizen journalism I just wish people did not feel the need to lie or stretch the truth just to be recognized, it is not worth hurting innocent people.

Works Cited

Right Celebrity. Miley Cyrus Dead Rumor. 2008. Web. 11 Oct. 2009.