Dr Pepper TEN commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iuG1OpnHP8




This video is an advertisement for the Dr. Pepper 10 diet soda. The advertisement is basically showing some typical hollywood style action and adventure movie scenes, and a muscular man as the main character. Interestingly, the ads explicitly says that the drink, with only ten "manly" calories per can, is only for men but not women who enjoy romantic comedies instead of action movies as depicted in the ads.

So, who do you think is the target audience of this video? What do you think is the main idea behind this advertisement and how does it relates to the product itself? How do you think the video is illustrating different gender roles? Do you agree with it? Why or why not? Do you think the advertisement is successful in promoting their product? How does the feedbacks on the YouTube page tell about public reception on the advertisement? Do you think traditional perception of the different between genders need to be changed? If so, how should it be changed?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest---4/30 Blog Post

Okay guys, here is a video from the movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  (1975) starring Jack Nicholson as a character Randle McMurphy, who is a convicted criminal, who thought it would be better to convince people he was insane, so he could live a little better, more privileged life in an insane asylum as opposed to living in a prison. Little does he know when he arrives there, that the head nurse is controlling, and tells the patients how to do everything with their lives, and gives them very little freedom. Randle McMurphy is a rebel, and does everything to oppose these controlling standards. In this particular scene, Randle is "imagining" the World Series being played on the TV, because the patients are not allowed to watch it.


There are many questions that could be asked in this situation. How do you react to the video? What do you think Jack Nicholson's character is trying to prove? What does the fact the other patients get involved tell you? What does this video imply about imagination, hope, and freedom? Are there any hidden messages? Is Jack Nicholson's character justified in doing this, or is it out of line? Do you see any comic relief element in it? How does this character match up with some of Jack Nicholson's other film roles he has played? You are also free to express any other thoughts you might have.

Connecting to our class theme, what does this music in the background do in this context?


From Chris , Jeremy, Sam, and Youssef

North Korean Missile Launch

Link to Video

The recent North Korean missile launch has caused great controversy. The threat of them using long range nuclear missiles that can possibly reach the United States is higher than ever before. Neighboring countries are becoming more concerned about their behavior on this matter. In response to these actions, the United States has stopped their export of food to the North Koreans.

Who do you think the audience is? Do you think this poses a significant nuclear threat? Is there anything either the United States or neighboring countries can do about it? Is right to stop the food aid given to the North Koreans in response to this? Do you think that due to the failure of the missile launch that is causes less of a threat? What should we do if they do successfully test a second missile? Is forceful intervention needed to secure peace of the world? What is a good resolution to this situation?

Calories Burned Bracelet

So many new gadgets, nothing can be too crazy or “out there” in today’s society.  But what about a bracelet that counts every calorie you burn.  You heard it right… this calorie counting bracelet is Nike’s newest invention and you’ve heard it first from SourceFed!  Watch this 2 minute video and think of these questions…..

Who is the target audience and how do you know?  Is the video just reporting the facts, or is it somewhat biased?  How so?   How is humor incorporated in getting the point across?  Is this video successful in sharing the facts?  What does the video do to promote this band?  Do you think a band like this is necessary to wear?  Would you wear one?  What are the positive and negative effects this band could have on society?  Have people become too paranoid in health, has this gone too far?  How far do you think society will go to promote healthy living?  

The Funger Games

Here is this week's video.

Have you read The Hunger Games? Have you seen the movie The Hunger Games?  If you have not, The Hunger Games take place in a post-apocalypse world where 24 kids are taken from their homes each year and forced to kill each other. What is the moral of the story in The Hunger Games? Is it disturbing to you that The Hunger Games is so popular when it is about children killing each other?  Why is The Hunger Games so popular now?  Would this series of books have been as popular during our parents generation?  Would it even have been allowed in our parents generation?  Regarding the video,  name a few specific ways that the video pokes fun at the hunger games. Do you think Saturday night live is trying to use humor to say that the premise of The Hunger Games is strange and cruel? Is satire a good way of communicating an opinion to an audience?

Fighting Obesity in Schools

                  

 Who do you think should be working to prevent childhood obesity? Should it be the parents, the schools, the community, or a mixture of all three? When should healthy habits be taught? Who do you think the audience is in this video? Do you think childhood obesity is a big problem in America? Does this video put the blame on a certain group of people for Americans being obese? If so, who? Should the video have included statistics about childhood obesity? Can this idea of healthier eating habits be adopted in a larger context? What evidence does this video include to prove the method of healthy eating habits is being applied outside of school as well? Do you think other schools in America should adopt the same method of fighting childhood obesity?
 

Consumerism! The Musical (or - Blog Post #1)

What kinds of strategies does this video use to make its argument?  What sorts of genres does it draw on in the music and dancing?  How does it use satire to make a point?  What audience do you think this video is intended for?  If you look at the video on youtube, you can also see how the producers of the video present it (in the caption) - what does this tell you about their intentions for the video?  Is the video successful?  How has it been received?