I never say the things I really want to. If I did, I'd have no friends. (Media Meditation #8)

The title of this post is a quote by Chelsea Handler, and a very misleading one at that. For anyone who has read her books, seen her perform stand-up, or watched her television show, they know that Chelsea rarely holds back.



Chelsea Handler is a great example of multiple media. She started out in stand-up, but after the success of her first book, My Horizontal Life, she got her own television show on E! Network called Chelsea Lately. Since then, she has published another book entitled Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea. She is a burgeoning media powerhouse, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

I love watching Chelsea Lately because of the fast pacing: topics are introduced, built up and torn down in rapid succession by the hilarious Chelsea and an assortment of (slightly less) witty panelists. They don’t hide their opinions, and their opinions tend to be incendiary and controversial.



Chelsea uses multiple persuasive techniques in every medium she enters. Her emphasis is on humor, which shines through with the perfectly worded phrase on a page or a particularly deadpan expression straight into the camera, but others are used in abundance. She uses bandwagon, straw man, testimonial, beautiful people, group dynamics, card stacking, timing, and name calling. She likes to use all these techniques to promote her own viewpoint on pop culture events and occurrences in her own life. Very little is the opposing side represented, but Chelsea uses her techniques so effectively that her audience won’t care.

Chelsea always has guests on her show, many of whom she skewers as mercilessly as she would behind their back. Occasionally, however, they can hold their own. For example, Jim Carrey met Chelsea tit for tat and even outpaced her at moments.



Chelsea Handler is a recognizable face that is shaping opinions on popular media. While there are people who are decidedly not fans of her carte blanche approach to insult, her popularity does not seem to be waning. For myself, I hope it continues to grow.

Saving People, Hunting Things: The Family Business (Media Meditation #7)

Supernatural is indisputably the best show on television (no, really, try to dispute it with me). Highly underrated and bursting with potential, this television program is currently in its fifth season on The CW. It follows the trials and tribulations of the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean, as they travel across the country in their ’67 Chevy Impala hunting the supernatural and saving the day.



Unfortunately, despite a thriving cult fan base, this series has struggled each season to maintain viewership and secure a renewal for each season. Ratings have lately been on an upswing, and healthy for a series on The CW, but on a competitive basis with other networks the ratings are low. In television, “an industry in which networks, producers, and distributors target, guarantee, and ‘sell’ viewers in blocks to advertisers” (pg. 176), ratings are extremely important. If advertising money gets pulled from Supernatural, the result may be cancellation.

However, it doesn’t seem likely to happen this season!

Supernatural is a great show that engages all three brains. The story is very complex and takes a lot of twists and turns, so the neocortex is used a lot. Also, the limbic brain is appealed to through classic ‘scary’ music that leads up to the frightening scenes in each episode. Also, the reptilian brain is continuously engaged by the action: guns, blood, running around, lots of adrenaline.



Production techniques are given much thought in this series. First, all the filming takes place in Canada, mostly in the Northwest Territories. This cuts down on cost. The show benefits from using the same writers and directors over and over, which gives continuity to the story and the characters. Also, lighting and camera angles are used to heighten the tension in the show and allude to the conflict.



In a show like this, where the premise is the supernatural—ghosts, angels, demons, ect.—there is a large amount of reality construction. The audience has to buy into the stories in order to enjoy the episodes. Whether you believe in the actual existence of these entities is unnecessary, this show only seeks to momentarily suspend your disbelief.

I connect with this show because of the emotional transfer and the humor. Their lifestyle, going across country to risk their lives, is very difficult. The characters are very sympathetic and heroic, which makes them easy to side with. Also, there are several episodes that are definitely lighter. The premise is comical, there's an extended joke throughout the episode, or they have to wear funny outfits!



I think this is the reason I keep watching this television show. I hope that it remains on air for a long time.

America’s Only Humor and Video Site, Since 1958 (Media Meditation #6)

Whenever I’m bored, I check out CRACKED.com. This website is a goldmine of useless information and funny articles and videos. I love visiting this site because there’s something new every day. I especially love their web series, Agents of Cracked, which stars my two favorite columnists/video makers from the site, Michael Swaim and Daniel O’Brien.

CRACKED has a few regular columnists, but it supports a personal shift by allowing readers to submit their own articles for publication and participate in contests. They focus on Photoshop contests, with such topics as The World of Tomorrow (If the Internet Disappeared Today).


Entry in this contest above.

This site thrives on the persuasive technique of humor. The goal of the entire site is to make people laugh with their absurd topics and clever writing. Of course, some are better than others, but a lot of the articles are stuffed with genuine historical content.

There is definitely a discursive shift occurring within this websites. Much of it is opinion-based and highly disputable (but I wouldn’t disagree with their assessment of Twilight).

I love that this website has a healthy combination of words and images. They have videos, but also lengthy articles to browse. The epistemological shift has reached a pleasant equilibrium on this site.

This is one of my favorite videos on this site. It's all about digg and the exposure gained by utilizing a media outlet like that:

Get Up and Dance, Don't Try and Fight It (Media Meditation #5)

The Jonas Brothers, consisting of Joe, Nick and Kevin, are one of the newer additions to the Disney empire. What began as a family band performing in their home state of New Jersey has drastically expanded over the last couple of years to include international tours, movies, and a television show.



The popularity of Jonas Brothers represents several shifts in out media culture. First, there is the epistemological shift. This group is very image oriented. They are highly exposed and make it a point to do interviews, televised performances and photo shoots to up their exposure.



Another shift is the economic shift, which goes hand in hand with the concept of ownership. Jonas Brothers have been hyper commercialized into lunch boxes, tee shirts, pencils, anything that their faces can be slapped on. This brings about the question of who owns the Jonas image and benefits from their popularity. The answer, for the most part, is the Disney Corporation, who for the past few decades has been a producer of young, family-friendly superstars.



An aesthetic shift is evident in the fact that Jonas Brothers are not just about music anymore. They’ve branched out into a Disney Channel Original Series, cleverly entitled Jonas.



People definitely take away individual meanings when it comes to the Jonas Brothers. The fans think they’re good looking and attractive. Parents think they’re a good influence, with their Christian background and wearing of promise rings.



Others, however, derail the Jonas Brothers. Many of the band’s opponents don’t believe them to be talented or special. These people tend to view Jonas Brothers unfavorably due to the influence of Disney hanging over them.

Jonas Brothers and Disney were lampooned in an episode of South Park, where the head of Disney was a sadistic Mickey Mouse and the Jonas Brothers were portrayed as slaves of the corporation.



For myself, I’ve invested a lot of time and money into the Jonas Brothers. My obsession with them has (thankfully) lessened, but I sincerely enjoy their music. It’s fun to listen to, and on my iPod where the music tended to be more serious and darker, it’s a refreshing change of pace.

A Real Page-Turner (Media Meditation #4)

I love a good book. I’ve been building up my library for several years. I have modern favorites and several classics. Unfortunately, books are expensive, and as a college student I can’t afford to keep expanding my collection. I also can’t afford a Kindle (not that I would want one anyways).



Thankfully, in my internet wanderings I’ve come across several online book sites. These sites offer the text of classic literature in many forms, whether downloadable PDF or simple onsite viewing.

These are ebooks, “digital books accessed on a Web site and read on a computer” (pg. 328).

Planet eBook

This site is great because it has 62 books to read and the ability to download them in PDF form. They don’t have the book you’re looking for? Then you can suggest a book they should add to their growing list.

You can subscribe to the site’s newsletter and follow their blog. You can also support the site on other media outlets: they have links for StumbleUpon, Facebook, Digg, and more.

Read Print

This site, of the three featured here, has the most extensive selection of online books—over 8,000 books available. While they don’t use a PDF format, they have a cool ‘reading mode’ that dims the rest of the page and makes focusing on words easier.

Read Print has a community on Facebook that sees a fair amount of traffic and also uses Twitter.

Digital Classics

I like this site because of the unique set-up. They site is designed to look like a real bookshelf, which adds an air of tangibility.

Digital Classics is run by Zinio and they have their own easy-to-use reader.


All of these sites represent a technological shift. Instead of paper, ink, and glue, the books are all presented over the internet. There is also a reverse epistemological shift. Now, instead of surfing YouTube for funny videos, you can read online!

There's also an interesting aspect of ownership involved with these sites. Technically, these works are part of the public domain now. The copyrights for these works have all expired, allowing them to be published online like this freely.

The accessibility of classic literature online is great because it allows neocortical exercise every day. Reading is a great workout for the highly developed sections of your brain.



I love that these books are available online, which is “reviving books that would otherwise go out of print” (pg. 329). These websites are a great resource, one that I hope more and more people begin to use.

Touchdown! (Media Meditation #3)

Advertising is big business. Yearly, companies shell out a pretty penny for advertising space in magazines, newspaper, web sites, and television. The price can vary for each medium. One with the steepest cost? The Super Bowl, with 30-second ads during the televised game running about $3 million.

Advertisements aired during the Super Bowl have a unique advantage. Some people (me), not very interested in the football aspect of the event, will tune in just to watch the commercials. This is an anomaly, when “citizens routinely complain about how many ads they are forced to endure, and they increasingly find ways to avoid them, like zipping through television ads with Tivo” (pg. 345). Super Bowl ads are known to be some of the most impressive and entertaining advertisements that successful corporations can produce.

Some of the advertisements are very funny and effective. There are websites that showcase Super Bowl ads. Here are some of mine from the past Super Bowl.



The purpose of this commercial is to communicate to the audience that America has changed a lot over the years, but hey, we still drink Pepsi, and that brings us all together. Isn’t that great?

I actually find myself buying into this commercial a lot. I remember seeing it the first time and thinking it was awesome. It played on all my emotions. My limbic brain connected immediately with the recognizable sound of Bob Dylan, and then got a jumpstart when Will.I.Am showed up. I also loved the nostalgia in this ad. The juxtaposition of images from the past and present resonate with the audience. It shows the progression of America throughout several decades.

Also, I caught a distinct technological shift. During one scene, around 0:20, they show a crowd of concert-goers lifting their lighters. Then they cut to a current crowd, holding up their cell phones. It’s quite a change.



This commercial works well with simple solutions. Castrol, in this commercial, is portrayed as a product that does all the work for you when it comes to your vehicle. In fact, it’s like having a whole gaggle of grease monkeys at your beck and call!

Mainly I love this commercial because I love monkeys and chimps, like many people in America. Castrol made a calculated use of warm fuzzies in this commercial, complete with an adorable kiss at the end. It’s the most obvious persuasive technique in the commercial, and no doubt the most effective.



If, at the end of this ad, you are left wondering ‘is that it?’ then yes, that is it. As I mentioned before, a 30-second ad ran a $3 million pricetag. This price is exorbitant to the average American, and who is Miller High Life targeting with this commercial? The average American.

An ad this short can be difficult to break down, but some techniques used are obvious. This ad uses plain folk very well. An average man delivers the enthusiastic ‘High Life!’ and appears to be a regular working joe. Also, this ad uses great timing. It’s so short that it’s nearly subliminal, and immediately catches attention. After it’s over, people wonder what just happened and think about it, instead of watching the next commercial.

Super Bowl ads can be some of the most entertaining and effective ads shown to the American public. They are highly engaging, and I for one can’t wait to see next year’s!

To Boldly Go (Media Meditation #2)

Yesterday, I went to FYE and purchased Star Trek on DVD. This was perhaps the most wonderful purchase I have ever made. I had reserved a copy ahead of time, and managed to get the limited edition with the steel cover. My edition also came with a digital copy so I can, as the insert says, “experience Star Trek anywhere in the galaxy!”



I was super excited about the digital copy that came included. This is part of a major convergence trend that has been appearing more and more in DVDs. It makes sense. Now, even DVDs are struggling to remain relevant and desirable. If a consumer is given the choice between purchasing a hard DVD or a digital copy from iTunes, more and more they will go to iTunes. It’s more convenient and easier to transport. A large DVD collection is great, but what’s the point if you can’t bring them all with you wherever you go? With a digital copy, you get the accessibility of uploading it to your iPod or other device and taking it with you.

I have to say that I am massively jealous of people who own Blu-Ray players. I want to begin buying Blu-Ray because “Hollywood pick[ed] Sony’s Blu-Ray discs as the successor to the standard DVD” (pg. 215), and also because the Blu-Ray edition of the movie is AWESOME. It comes with an interactive cover that allows you to access hidden features on your computer, another amazing example of an aesthetic shift.

Skip ahead to 3:50 to hear about the Blu Ray edition:


I love the production techniques used in this movie. J.J. Abrams directed the film, and used lens flares throughout to create very interesting effects. They used regular flashlights off screen to create this effect. It was so visually exciting to see these. It gave the impression of lights and stars glinting off all the interfaces aboard the Enterprise. If you want to know more about it, go to about 2:00 on the above video.



I loved the incorporation of Leonard Nimoy into the cast of this film. Nimoy played Spock in the Original Series of the show, the television show that started it all. It was very nostalgic to include this iconic figure in this newest addition to the Star Trek franchise. They discuss Mr. Nimoy at 2:45 in the video.


Leonard Nimoy as Spock in newest Star Trek film (left) and in the Original Series (right).

I have to say that what I love most about this movie is its ability to stimulate all parts of my brain. My reptilian brain goes crazy with every explosion and combat scene. The triumphant music pinpoints my limbic brain and gives me goose bumps. And that plot of this film, with emphasis on theories of time travel, black holes, and the vastness of space, lets me think with my neocortex.

I’ve cultivated a strong attachment to Star Trek ever since this film came out. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the effect it has had on me and the interest it has sparked for space and continued exploration. Some people say that they would go away to Hogwarts if they only could. For me, however, I would enlist in Starfleet in a heartbeat.



More information/resources:
Star Trek: The Original Series on Youtube
Star Trek Official Site
Memory Alpha: Collaborative Star Trek Reference Database