In The End Of The Semester...

The final blog post. *sigh*

Before coming to this class, I didn't know what to expect. At first I thought I was going to get the usual glossary terms but instead I get a more in depth look at what real thoughts about images, appearances, and other things are. It was a real eye opener yet sometimes I too feel the same about the compare and contrast between images and reality. Overall it was a excellent class with an exceptional professor who knows it best. You also did your part as well Prof. Souzis, thanks.

- Vanessa R.

Ads, Opinions and Bernays

Well I read the final four readings of the semester, sorry about the lateness of the post. 

In "Engineering Of Consent" by Edward Bernays, he mainly talks about how to communicate with the public with the major issues we have today and how can a public relations person can do to make people aware of what that issue may be to them. Bernays describes a method to create campaigns to make people listen.

In another reading by Bernays "Promoting Lucky Strike Cigarettes to Women in the 1920's", he talks about his time with promoting Lucky Strike cigarettes to women since at that time it was considered a bad idea to women to smoke. The reason for that is because a woman's image would be a bad idea for her since it would look like she's a hussy. Together with Hill, both campaigned for women's rights to smoke in public and their "torches of freedom". In the end it was successful but then the question of the branding was not in sync with fashion. Bernays suggested the color green and then it became a sensation with now every women wearing green as a fashion.

In "Public Opinion and The Phantom Public" by Walter Lippmann, he talks about what people are thinking when looking at any advertisements and what goes through the public opinion. He also describes what the public does as one when in anger or any other feeling when talking about whatever campaign affects them.

Finally in the last reading we see what Prof. Ewen's visit to Bernays was like in "Visiting Edward Bernays" by Stuart Ewen. Ewen talk about his visit to Bernays' house and learns that public relations was about fashioning and projecting credible renditions of reality itself. He visited his house and was amazed at all the books that Bernays wrote over the years and became fascinated. They had a really long interview and it was full of surprises and both had a nice time. After the interview, he felt satisfied and strange happenings happen months after his interview. In the end, Bernays was sad about today's public relations and said that it lost its way.

The most interesting reading was the last reading with Ewen's meeting with Bernays. Who wouldn't want to meet a legend of any kind especially at 99 years old. The whole thing with images and reality to me I find true as well. 

The Outcome of Desire...

Really sorry for the late blogs.

Anyway, here's a brief summary of the chapters of 8, 9, 10, and the conclusion.

"Form Follows Value", "Form Follows Power", "Form Follows Waste" and "The Political Elements Of Style" by Stuart Ewen, talks about how advertising and people work together to create an image. Mainly it starts with a certain fashion when it then spreads to an idea of what life is supposed to be. Some feel like that the things they desire are the best to see and have. Things like skyscrapers are built because its modern and a better place to live. In the early 1900's, everyone wants what everyone else wants and then people faced the ultimate consequence when they feel that they lost all their money and faced depression. In the end, everything that was desired lay to waste and people have forgotten what was really important.

These chapters pretty much describes what people have gone through in the Great Depression and even now when all that matters now is being with the people you should be with the most. Everything else doesn't matter no matter what people think about materials because its simply a waste.

What I Hear...

Sorry for the lateness, I couldn't go to the last class because of a family emergency. Anyway here's my final blog post for Media 150.

"What I Hear..."

As I was walking from home to school, I could hear the usual sounds that make commuting common. The sounds I usually hear are cars horns from near and far. Some louder than others especially during morning traffic and evening traffic. The sounds of different types of engines from all types of cars. Most of the time I hear the sound of the wind blowing in my ear roughly along with the sound of the leaves coming from the tall trees. A very soothing sound to relax one's self to. Sometimes I hear small idle chitchat from people near and far talking about their own stories through the day or any other time. By the end of the day, all I hear is complete silence except for the sound of the wind and leaves.

- Vanessa R.