The Last Blog

- Had you ever used a blog before attending RTF 305? IF SO, WHAT WAS ITS FOCUS?
Nope. Before RTF 305 I never used a blog.

- What were the positive aspects of using the blogs in the course?
The blogs were a simple way to write about class material. Also, they felt more relevant in a class about media than say a paper.

- What difficulties did you encounter in using the blogs? (both technical and conceptual)
The blog prompts were almost predictable and boring to a point that doing the blogs seemed worthless. Like... I feel like I did the same prompt over TV a few times.

- If you had difficulties in using the blog, how were you able to overcome the difficulties you encountered?
I didn't really have technical diffulcities at all.

- What types of blog prompts were more or less interesting or difficult? (provide an example and rationale)
Honestly I wound't say any were that interesting. They just were something do to. All of them were kind of forced and tedious. I wish they were more creative.

- Would you recommend using a blog in future course, either in RTF 305 and other undergraduate courses at UT-Austin? (explain why..)
I wouldn't recommend against it necessarily. I think it is better than a paper.. but at the same time the prompts definitely need to improve. If the prompts could be more engaging then I feel this tool could be very useful.

- What would you suggest to change or improve the blogging experience in the future?
I would hope that over time prompts become more engaging. The blogs have a lot of potential and I feel that one day they will be a really interesting tool for writing and such. Also, there shouldn't be prompts that require watching a movie. I know that a lot of students simply didn't have time for that.

 "Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report". 


No more blogs! WOO! See you at review!

Something About the World and Globes and Disney and RTF and Brazil but not Really Brazil and TA Sessions

Globalization is a process of increasing interconnectedness among nations, cultures, and people. This process is accelerated by technological developments and is often carried through film.

Cultural imperialism reflects the imbalance in global power structure. Essentially, media flows more heavily from certain parts of the world, notably the US, to other parts. Hollywood corporate giants produce a great quantity of films that become international successes and therefore influence other countries.

A good example of this is Disney. Disney produces a huge number of animated films that are shipped across the globe for consumption by other countries. The Disney Pixar film Wall-E grossed an estimated $532 million worldwide. This is a huge amount of money going to a largely American film studio. In fact, most Disney films have become a standard for children across the world. The impact of this can be seen in Disney theme parks opening up in places like Japan and across Europe. Basically, globalization has allowed just one company to spread its ideas to a vast number of people. Maybe I’ll just happen to go to Tokyo Disney Sea… which isn’t under water… as the name might lead you to believe. Globalization and cultural imperialism has made Disney a worldwide phenomenon.

Something About Space and Cars and Advertising or Something

American luxury brand Lincoln has for many years been considered to be sub-par in term of what a luxury vehicle should be. However, its recent advertisements have helped to transform what the brand means.

This ad is powerful as it speaks to the modern luxury consumer quite effectively. It showcases the Lincoln vehicle as a sophisticated “spaceship” full of refinement and technology. The song in the background, Major Tom by Shiny Toy Guns, with its modern, spacey sounds, contributes effectively to the atmosphere presented in the thirty-second spot. The ad is especially powerful in that it gives a struggling brand an edgy new look. The flying lights are reminiscent of a young, hip, downtown scene, a demographic that Lincoln is clearly trying to attract now.

The advertising appeal of escape is often used to convey that the product will remove one from their otherwise dull and boring life. The appeal works by having the advertisement create an atmosphere that is inviting and, simply, better. In order to do this, the ad must have a target consumer, as every viewer’s desired escape will be different. Once this consumer demographic is decided, the ad must then effectively show a world that speaks to the human desire for self-improvement.

The Lincoln ad exemplifies the appeal of escape by creating the metaphor that the Lincoln MKZ is a spaceship ready to elevate one’s driving experience. The ad gives the impression that this Lincoln will be an escape from the mundane, everyday driving experience. This can be seen in the futuristic, otherworldly space in which this vehicle in the ad occupies. In addition, the lights flying all over the car adds to the futuristic escape that this car will bring. 3-2-1 Liftoff… escape from reality and into your nearest Lincoln dealer.


Space Car.