Week 8 Blog Post

Celebrities & the Rise of Instagram

When social media innovator Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion, it made news around the globe. Not only do a multitude of celebrities from around the world constantly use and promote the application called Instagram, but 150 million people have follow in their footsteps. Instagram is an application that launched on the Apple iPhone in October 2010 and has now become one of the most popular applications, mainly due to the ability of users to see into the real lives of their favourite celebrities. It allows a user to upload a picture, choose a specific filter and share with their friends onto their Twitter or Facebook pages. It has recently introduced a new version of the application which allows you to share videos, which has been used quite frequently by many celebrities.

According to David Marshall, the ‘best way to understand this proliferation of the public presentation of the self is through the term specular, a two-way mirror of projection on to the screen and the circulation of and interaction with those images and texts into the wider world’ (Marshall, 2010). David Marshall is stating that celebrities may have two persona; their public and private identities. This is clearly true when we see how a celebrity promotes themselves on the internet. It must be hard for celebrities to act as their true selves when they are so conscientious of how they will be portrayed and if they are being shown in the best light.

Kim Kardashian recently used Instagram to show the world the first picture of her child with Kanye West, which received 1.5 million likes and went viral on the internet only seconds after it was posted. Miranda Kerr uses her Instagram to upload pictures of her beauty routine and subsequently promote her organic skin care line, Kora. Paris Hilton has used Instagram to promote her new album and also shows off her fabulous lifestyle, where she travels, parties and sees her celebrity friends. This is quite different to Miranda Kerr’s photographs, which are usually of her son, Flynn, or her favourite inspiration quotes or pictures of nature. Both celebrities have very different public personas, however it can be questioned as to whether they are similar in their private lives?

Rihanna is an example of a celebrity who does not hide her true self on the internet. She constantly publishes raunchy pictures and provocative images on her Instagram, including her in a bikini and drinking alcohol. It is therefore questionable whether celebrities are being truthful on Instagram or whether their personas are merely an improved representation of themselves in order to gain popularity. 

Week 7 Blog Post

Interactivity and Social Media

iii.In the reading this week, Joost Raessens examines the participatory media cultures of computer games with attention to the concepts of multimediality, virtuality, interactivity, connectivity. With regards to (at least) one of these concepts give an account of a non-game participatory media culture that you are familiar with (social media, mobile phone, blogs, etc). Remember to draw on further research on these concepts to expand your analysis.

In Raessen’s article ‘Participation’, three domains of participation are explored in relation to the cultural production of computer games and their participatory media cultures. Raessens examines the participatory media cultures of computer games with attention to the concepts of multimediality, virtuality, interactivity and connectivity. A non-game participatory media culture that I am personally familiar with is using my mobile phone.

Mobile phones allow interactivity between you and the entire world. On a ‘smartphone’, such as an iPhone or Samsung, you can interact with your family and friends across the world, as well as access the internet and interact with anyone. The opportunities are endless! I use IMessage to connect with my family and friends via text message and can speak with them at any time of the day regardless of where I am. I also use Facebook to connect with friends from highschool and family and friends who live overseas. If I want to talk to someone who is overseas, I am able to quickly open the Skype application and I can see their face and hear their voice with one click of a button, regardless of their location. I also use Intagram and can follow what my friends are up to and I can share with others what I am doing in my everyday life. This has created a kind of immediate interactivity, as I have constant access to my mobile phone as which allows me to connect with my family and friends at any time.

I recently had a friend travel around Europe for 2 months, and without social media, we would have never spoken. We were able to speak everyday via Skype and Facebook chat and I was able to see their happenings via Instagram, which made me feel as if I was a part of their journey. Without social media, I would not be able to interact with as many people as I do and enjoy using my iPhone to interact with my friends and family every day.

Week 6 Blog Post

The Rise of Blogging and Employment

Growing interest in the examination of the patterns of interaction and content creation in which social media users engage in has increased since the rise of social media (Bruns et al., 2011). Within the past decade, various websites have been created to give everyday people a chance to become a blogger and there is an endless list of the topics which are being written about, one being employment. One example is a young female who started a fashion blog named ‘Tuula Vintage’, where her friend took photographs of her wearing outfits that she has styled herself. This has led her to many opportunities, as she now promotes herself on many different forms of social media and has received praise from designers, as well as styling jobs, modelling contracts and gets to attends New York fashion week.

However, when employees use blogs to speak badly about someone in your workplace or vent about a horrible day at work, it can be harmful to their career. The article by Richards and Kosmala draws on blogging as the empirical space for exploring the cynicism of employees towards their work place (Richards & Kosmala, 2013).  Work blogging was first discussed in management and organisation studies in relation to employment law, and debates have been focused on attempts to consider whether these practices should be seen as reasonable and potentially protected form of employee expression (Richards & Kosmala, 2013).

According to Schoneboom (2007), work blogs may constitute a ‘counter-hegemonic force to that of the employer’s ideology’ and do so by creating parodies of work in addition to the anonymity afforded by such communication technologies (Richards & Kosmala, 2013). Richards (2008) argues that work blogging should be ‘viewed as an expanding forum for self-organised employee resistance and misbehaviour, rejecting a reductive view of blogging platforms as forums for Cyber-waffle’ (Richards & Kosmala, 2013). In my opinion, both of these arguments are valid, as blogs may disagree with the ideologies of their employers and can vent their frustrations anonymously in order to protect themselves. I also believe that blogs should not be a ‘forum for Cyber-waffle’, as that seems unprofessional and may lead to your dismissal should it be taken too far.

Personally, I believe bloggers should use their blogs to gain popularity and exposure in the workplace, rather than speaking poorly about their current workplace. This can easily be discussed with a family member or a friend and does not need to be placed onto the internet, as this can create unnecessary dramas.

Sources:

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=tuula+vintage&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=6rJEUsrrJIa_kgXEzoHwBg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=899&dpr=1#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=ZhCz-G5RvvAESM%3A%3BHKUrOoxsggw4_M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.maurieandeve.com%252FBlog%252520P%252FOctober%2525202012%252FIMG_0807.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.maurieandeve.com%252F_blog%252FMaurie_and_Eve%252Fpost%252FThe_Look_Tuula%252F%3B850%3B1275

Week 5 Blog Post

How Are You a 'Prosumer?'

How are you a prosumer? In regards to Ritzer's model of presumption, consider how you produce and consume your own identity: as a student, as an employee, as a fan, etc.

It is believed that the earlier forms of producer and consumer capitalism have always been characterised by ‘prosumption’ (Ritzer, 2009). Prosumption involves a combination of production and consumption, rather than solely focusing on either of these two concepts (Jurgenson & Ritzer, 2010). Recent changes to the social behaviour of society have given the notion of prosumption even greater centrality, especially those associated with the internet and websites, such as Facebook, Youtube and Twitter (Jurgenson & Ritzer, 2010). 

Society is dominated by excessive consumption and therefore drives the need for the production of merchandise. Author of ‘The Third Wave,’ Alvin Toffler, argues that contemporary society is moving away from the abnormal separation of production and consumption towards a ‘third wave’ which signals the rise of the ‘prosumer’ (Toffler, 1980). Literature on this topic has significantly expanded, and authors Tapscott and Williams see the prosumer as a part of a new ‘wikinomic’ model where businesses put their consumers to work (Tapscott & Williams, 2006).

According to Foucauldian and neo-Marxian theories, presumption means companies are granting new freedoms to consumer and argue that it accommodates consumers’ needs for recognition, freedom and agency (Zwick et al., 2008). Personally, I believe I have experienced this within my everyday life on many occasions. For example, each time I purchase groceries, I use the self-serve checkout counter and scan my own food, place it into bags and pay for the items myself. I have also used electronic kiosks at airports to check in to my flights and use ATM machines each time I need to withdraw money on the go. This has given me a greater sense of freedom and I am able to essentially serve myself in each instance.

There is also a wide range of less material examples of presumption which transpires online through the use of Web 2.0. and is crucial to the development of the means of prosumption (Jurgenson & Ritzer, 2010). I use Facebook and other social networking websites in order to create a personal profile and interact with friends and different communities. I have also used YouTube to watch various television shows, celebrity interviews and tutorials. Websites like Wikipedia ask users to create and edit posts, which can be updated and commented on by various people. Prosumption has therefore facilitated the production of my online identity and is a huge part of my everyday life.

Sources:

Jurgenson, N. and Ritzer, G. (2009) ‘Efficiency, Effectiveness and Web 2.0.’, in S. Kleinman (ed.) The Culture of Efficiency, pp 51-67. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.

Jurgenson, N. and Ritzer, G. (2010) ‘Production, Consumption, Prosumption: The nature of capitalism in the age of the digital ‘prosumer’’, Journal of Consumer Culture

Ritzer, G. (2009) ‘Correcting an Historical Error’, keynote address at the Conference on Prosumption, Frankfurt, Germany, March.

Toffler, A. (1980) The Third Wave. New York: William Morrow.

Tapscott, D. and Williams, A.D. (2006) Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. New York: Portfolio.

Zwick et al., (2008) ‘Putting Consumers to Work: Co-Creation and New Marketing Govern-mentality’, Journal of Consumer Culture 8:163-96.

Week 4 Blog Post

The Devaluation of Illegal File-Sharing

As technology advances at a rapid pace, the law must deliver innovative concepts to deal with its exploitation. When the internet launched, it generated an entire range of new crimes, such as piracy and illegal file-sharing which can be committed online. In 2009, the RAND Corporation released a report titled ‘Film, Piracy, Organised Crime and Terrorism’ (Treverton et al., 2009), implying that with one simple click of ‘download now’, one will be seen as a dishonourable criminal who can be compared to the likes of a terrorist. However, there is a split within the industry itself, where some artists support file-sharing and others oppose it, which questions whether file-sharing truly is a crime (Martin et al., 2010).

In order to persuade the audience and convey a certain message in relation to piracy and file-sharing, the media uses methods which focus upon inhibiting outrage. These methods involve covering up the action, devaluing the target, reinterpreting the events by lying, minimising, blaming and framing, the use of official channels to give a perceived appearance of justice and intimidating people involved (Martin et al., 2010). An interesting method which powerful perpetrators will often employ is the devaluation of their target with the use of derogatory labels, discrediting information or setting them up in compromising situations (Martin et al., 2010). In response to this, targets may use validation in order to overcome perceived injustices (Martin et al., 2010).

Devaluation can be very persuasive and influential when used in the media. This is exceptionally true in the case of piracy and illegal file-sharing. As one can see, the images that correspond with illegal file-sharing are shocking, scary and intimidating. They instil fear within the viewer and portray an image of evil criminals who have no sense of morals or values. Jack Valenti, former president of the MPAA, is known for his ability to equate the struggle against file-sharing and piracy to a ‘terrorist war’ (Logie, 2003). There are many stereotypes which have been associated with illegal file-sharers and they all involve demeaning and downgrading connotations. 

The tactics which have been used within the media in relation to piracy are effective and frightening. Personally, when I watch a movie and view an advertisement which aims at prohibiting piracy, I feel scared and anxious. The advertisements begin with criminals committing various crimes, such as stealing a car or a handbag, which are then associated with the theft of movies and music. It automatically places illegal file-sharers in a category of sinful people or within the stereotype of criminals. By creating a connection between criminals and illegal file-sharers, the media is demonstrating that every person who partakes in this activity has the propensity to rob a bank or steal a vehicle.

In response to these attacks, targeted parties may exercise ‘validation’ in order to maintain their credibility. This involves raising the status of the person involved (Martin et al., 2010). File-sharing participants are validated when they are given faces or show their true intentions and their personal details (Martin et al., 2010). This allows them to be seen behaving like normal human beings rather than criminals and are often perceived as rather different from a stereotypical criminal (Martin et al., 2010). Artists have openly supported file-sharing and have used it to promote their music, such as 50 Cent, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and The Smashing Pumpkins (Martin et al., 2010). This tactic challenges the industry’s attempt to devalue file-sharers as it demonstrates support from well-respected musicians within the industry (Martin et al., 2010). 

In addition to the theft of music and film, replica designer handbags and jewellery are also being condemned within the media. When logging into my Facebook homepage, I am bombarded with advertisements suggesting that I buy a designer handbag in their online store with an eighty per cent discount. It perplexes me as to how anybody would believe that a five-thousand dollar bag could legitimately go on sale for around two-hundred dollars. There are hundreds of online stores who promise that your designer item will arrive within the original packaging and a certificate of authentication. However, it is just as easy to replicate a certificate as it is to replicate a handbag. Despite the police presence on the streets, these illegal vendors are selling their stolen designs online in order to make it more accessible. The picture below displays two Louis Vuitton wallets. One is fake and one is real, but is it truly easy to guess which one costs forty dollars and which one costs seven-hundred and seventy five?

The first wallet pictured is the fake one and is made out of cheap, replica leather as opposed to the bottom, which has been created out of Louis Vuitton’s signature monogram canvas. While the quality may be different, they look undeniably similar and the resemblance is uncanny. This demonstrates the simple task of replicating designer brands, which is similar to the ability that people have to access illegal downloading websites, such as ‘The Pirate Bay.’ 

In response to these crimes, Manhattan Councilwoman, Margaret Chin, is aiming to inflict harsher penalties on the trade of counterfeit items. She has proposed a Bill with greater consequences and harsher fines which seeks to further criminalise the theft of design. However, with the internet so easily accessible these days, it may be quite difficult to regulate every online store selling imitation designer items, just as it would be to completely end illegal file-sharing and piracy. The media therefore must use additional methods, such as devaluation, in order to prevent people from committing crimes involving piracy and participating in illegal file-sharing. 

Sources:

John Logie, 2003. “A copyright cold war? The polarized rhetoric of the peer–to–peer debates,” First Monday, volume 8, number 7, at http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1064/984, accessed 8 November 2010.
Martin, B, Moore, C and Salter, C. (2010) ‘Sharing music files: tactics of a challenge to the industry’, First Monday, vol. 15, no. 12
Gregory F. Treverton, Carl Matthies, Karla J. Cunningham, Jeremiah Goulka, Greg Ridgeway and Anny Wong, 2009. Film piracy, organized crime, and terrorism. Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation.



Images: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?client=firefox-a&hs=tuC&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1280&bih=920&tbm=isch&tbnid=yC6Qb9TOU07ewM:&imgrefurl=http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001042.htm&docid=ES-K64VBuyOkpM&imgurl=http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/h/hacker.jpg&w=200&h=141&ei=qKYNUv2_B8rbkQWC0ICgBQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:47,s:0,i:228&iact=rc&page=3&tbnh=112&tbnw=160&start=47&ndsp=26&tx=116&ty=54

 http://www.google.com.au/imgres?client=firefox-a&hs=tuC&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1280&bih=920&tbm=isch&tbnid=0deh7LHicWOxuM:&imgrefurl=http://paganwriting.wordpress.com/author/paganwoman/&docid=8H2xWwYlZrMgsM&imgurl=http://paganwriting.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/filesharing.jpg&w=366&h=275&ei=qKYNUv2_B8rbkQWC0ICgBQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=186&tbnw=259&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=408&ty=222

Louis Vuitton image source: http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CF4QFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nydailynews.com%2Fnew-york%2Ffeeling-believing-fake-handbags-article-1.1373364&ei=SqsNUvLGG4KPkwW2goDIBQ&usg=AFQjCNG7v5QVV0lTLy11WeYpxzmmpXhtOA&sig2=OrBaC4tnXGFzc-_IYbK_oQ&bvm=bv.50768961,d.dGI

Week 3 Blog Post

The Global Influence of American Pop Culture

Which art movement, media genre, type or style has influenced your life and changed the way you view the world or cultures other than your own? How and why?

According to Jan Nederveen Pieterse, globalisation is being shaped by technological change (Nederveen Pieterse, 2004, pg. 9). Globalisation encourages the media and social movements to cross the boundaries between nations and goes together with regionalisation (Nederveen Pieterse, 2004, pg. 8). Globalisation is not only driven by major corporations, international institutions and governments but also by social forces, such as consumers and social movements (Nederveen Pieterse, 2004, pg. 10).  Globalisation, however, does not refer to symmetric or equal international relations (Nederveen Pieterse, 2004, pg. 13). This is evident in the notion that ‘the West’ controls the flows of globalisation.

“In most places, global time still ticks to the clock of CNN, and we may do well to recognise the extent to which the Anglo-American media continue to provide for many people, the constitutive horizons of what has been called the ‘Global Familiar of our times” (Morley, 2006, pg. 41).  The world has subsequently become ‘Americanised’ through cultural dominance, assuming there is a one way flow of information from the West to the rest of the world. There is an asymmetrical flow from the United States of America to the rest of the world, whereby many countries and different cultures are extremely interested in their lifestyle and culture.

It is obvious that most of the films and television shows we see in Australia have been produced by Americans and set in famous cities, such as New York and Los Angeles. Since I have been young, most of my interests in television and film have stemmed from America. From Barbie, to the Powerpuff Girls, to, more recently, my love for Gossip Girl and Friends, everything I have enjoyed on television has come from America. The strong interest I have in American culture has transpired from the images I have seen on television. As a matter of fact, there are currently several reality television shows which are all based in Beverly Hills and New York, such as ‘the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’, ‘Beverly Hills Nannies’ and ‘Million Dollar Homes Los Angeles.’

The cast of the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'

I recently returned from a holiday in America where I visited New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. I had heard the saying ‘the whole world meets in Times Square’ before I had left, but I never knew to what extent this would be true. There were a vast amount of tourists I came across during my time there from many countries and different cultures all over the world. It was quite evident to me that the entire world is fascinated with America and has a desire to travel there. The United States remains the main source of non-European feature films and is also involved in co-productions with the European ‘big five’, France Germany, Italy, Span and the United Kingdom. Most commercial channels in the European Union take up 83.5 per cent of programs from non-European sources, which further demonstrates their captivation with Western culture.

During my travels to Europe in 2011, I found that everywhere I went, the English language was spoken at a remarkably high level. When I questioned people about their familiarity with our language, they expressed that they had learnt most of their English whilst watching their favourite television shows. Many foreign inhabitants knew the latest box-office films and everyone expressed their interest in travelling to New York and Los Angeles one day. When I visited my family in Italy, I turned on the television to find the ‘Twilight Saga’ playing and many, many more films which were available in English and Italian. All of my cousin’s friends were attracted to American actors, recording artists and television personalities. It surprised me how well they knew American celebrities and how interested they were in travelling to America one day.

It is evident that the media is responsible for the influx of American culture into countries all over the world. According to Nederveen Pieterse, what matters is not technology, but the way it is harnessed by economic, political and social forces (Nederveen Pieterse, 2004, pg. 10). Many countries and cultures have welcomed Americanisation and accepted it into their everyday lives. 

Source: Nederveen Pieterse, J, 2004, 'Globalisation: Consensus and Controversies', Globalisation and Culture: Global Melange, Rowan & Littlefield, Lanham, MD., pp. 7-21.

Photograph Source: www.neontommy.com

Week 2 Blog Post

  The Globalisation of Italian Cuisine

Conduct a brief interview with a member of your family and discuss one of the flows or scapes of globalisation that has changed or affected their lives in some way.

The entire notion behind the concept of globalisation is its ability to connect people and enable them to reach beyond their own place (Rantanen, 2005, pg. 12). The consideration of the role of the media and communications is therefore highly important for the concept of globalisation (Rantanen, 2005, pg. 17). The entire world is enhanced by media and communications due to its ability to encourage worldwide social relations. According to Rantanen, globalisation is a process where worldwide economic, political and cultural social relations have become increasingly mediated across space and time (Rantanen, 2005, pg. 8). This means that media and communications have helped to create new kinds of interaction and have facilitated in the development of globalisation.

In order to gain some insight into how globalisation affects people in their everyday lives, I conducted an interview with my mother and questioned her perception of the media and globalisation. I asked her several general questions, such as ‘how do you think globalisation of the media has directly affected your life?’ I also examined what she defined ‘globalisation’ and ‘the media’ as and how they intertwine with each other in order to determine her perception of the media in relation to globalisation. To conclude my interview, I asked my mother about her experience with the media in relation to accessing worldwide information and how this has helped in her everyday life.

The main aspect of my mother’s life which has been influenced by globalisation is her culture. This is an example of how ‘cultural flows’ help to communicate cultural practices around the world and how traditions and skills move across national boundaries. My mother’s parents migrated from Italy before she was born in order to start a new life in Australia. Even though they had moved countries, there were many traditions and cultural values which they brought along with them. A main characteristic which directly affects my mother is her culinary skills and her appreciation of food. My grandmother has taught my mother hundreds of recipes which she incorporates into her life daily. These recipes have been passed on from generation to generation, and due to my mother’s interest in Italian food, she constantly accesses the internet in order to search for different recipes and new methods of cooking. The ability to access this information has inspired her and enriched her love for Italian cuisine.

The interest in Italian cuisine has also translated into many facets of the media. There are currently several television shows that feature Italian chefs preparing meals all over Italy in new and exciting ways. Many internationally recognised chefs, such as the United Kingdom’s Nigella Lawson, cook many different variations of traditional Italian meals that have been altered for this day and age. These well-known chefs also allow their viewers access to websites with detailed information on each recipe and tips for perfecting their culinary skills. There is a strong sense of global community, where professional chefs from all over the world can share their passion for cooking with their viewers.

“Although everybody lives a local life, phenomenal worlds are for the most part truly global” (Rantanen, 2005, pg. 10). The world of cooking has been enhanced by globalisation and has developed with new technology and progressed to create an innovative means of accessing new information. The improved access to new material has heightened my mother’s love for cooking and enabled her to progress in her daily life as well.


Source: Rantanen, T 2005, ‘Theorizing media and globalization’, Media and globalization 2005, Sage Publications, London, pp. 1-18

Introduction to Globalisation & the Media

My name is Lauren Barci and I am a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Arts student at Deakin University. I am currently in my penultimate year of my degree and wish to pursue a career as a solicitor within the commercial law sector of the legal industry.

My majors within my Bachelor of Arts are 'Politics' and 'Media and Communication', therefore this subject is interesting, as it combines aspects from both disciplines.

I will utilise this blog as a tool to examine the role which the media and communication industries play in relation to globalisation. I will be investigating theories and ideas which are relevant to the media and globalisation and will be exploring the connection between these two concepts.