ITS OVER!

Well, Media Unit 6 is finally complete. Here are the 6 people I responded to:
- Daniel (Daniel's Media Arts) Arturi Section 1: Taxing Pop
- John (This Is Media) Arturi Section 2: Reality vs. Non-Reality
- Kendra (One For The Media) Arturi Secton 2: Video Games are Video Games
- Liam D'souza Arturi Section 2: Two Different Angles, One Big Company
- Lester (It's Lesterampa) Arturi Section 1: Ads of the past- Did they really say that?
- Rowena (conquer the media) Arturi Section 2: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.

I enjoyed this unit, and I found the blogs quite interesting. Here's hoping I get to do this again next year :)

- Victor

P.S. This is a Buick Grand National GNX, one of the best cars EVER!

Taxing Pop: Will The Country Lose Weight?

My sixth and final Media Arts Blog Post is about putting a tax on pop and coming up with scare campaigns to turn people away from unhealthy food. In my opinion, I think scare campaigns are the best way to get a message across. For example, this video was made in Wales to discourage texting while driving:

Obviously, this video was met negative criticism, but the message is quite clear. Scare campaigns work because they make people realize just how dangerous or unhealthy something is, and the consequences if you do it.

While this add affects millions of people across the globe, it does not affect me. I took the initiative to give up pop, and I have not had a single can since August 2009. I myself have noticed myself that I have greater energy then I used to, so it benefits me in two ways; I feel better, and I save money!

As many studies have shown, obesity is a growing problem, especially in the US. People are eating fast food, takeout, and frozen dinners, which just make them gain more weight than regular food. When I first watched the video, I was slightly disgusted, but after getting all the way through, I realized that it was a great idea. What better way to turn people off from pop then to show them what they are actually drinking. It may cause pop companies to lose some money, but there are many other beverages they could produce that aren't filled with salt.

If the tax on pop and other salty foods and drinks came into effect in Canada, I would think twice about purchasing these products. They aren't necessary for humans to live, and we could certainly do without the extra calories. I believe others would also follow suit, since today more people want to save money. The state of New York is taking a large initiative, and I believe the rest of America should do the same.

It's Photoshopped

For my fifth Media Arts Blog post, I will be discussing using Photoshop to manipulate photos in the media. I myself do not read many magazines where this is a factor, but I have seen some of the things Photoshop can do to ordinary people. You can change people's hair colour, their height, their facial definitions, and the list goes on. In my opinion, this is not necessary. It is the inner beauty that truly counts when it comes to people. Photoshopped images gone bad should simply not be tolerated, because it is the inner beauty that counts. However, I'm not totally opposed to using Photoshop as an editing tool.

We all know that Photoshop is one of the most powerful photo editing suites on the planet. It has been used for many years to alter the looks of many people. Of course, it was inevitable that someone would use this software to push a picture past the line of reality. Many people followed suit, and eventually, most of the images in magazines had been altered by Photoshop to look "too good." Personally, I am not against the use of Photoshop. It is understandable when you need to touch something up in a picture (I have done it a few times myself), but when you go over the edge and shave 25 pounds off someone, it is just unreal, and it should not be tolerated.

Because of this Photoshop controversy, people have started doing photo shoots without makeup or the assistance of Photoshop, or just using ordinary people in photo shoots. I believe that this is a great idea, because it is making a statement about the misuse of Photoshop and it shows people's true beauty. I think that this trend may not grow very quickly, but It will eventually catch on, and before we know it, most of the pictures in magazines will NOT be Photoshopped.

Overall, I think Photoshop is a great photo editing tool, when it is not misused, and it should be used in the future, but only for minor tweaks. An area where Photoshop is useful and is not disrespectful is landscapes, cityscapes, or any other pictures of inanimate objects. This is where I do not mind if they use Photoshop's tools to the fullest, since it is not changing a person's appearance. However, fashion media constantly abuses Photoshop, and it's use should be toned down.

Video Games: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

For my fourth Media Arts blog post, I will be talking about video games and their impact on society. Video games have evolved over the past three decades, and they are constantly growing in popularity. However, they are bringing controversy, due to the fact that some children seem practically GLUED to the consoles. They just don't want to put the video games down, and its beginning to worry parents. Despite the evolution of video games to what they are today, I believe that they are currently more detrimental rather than beneficial. However, some of today's technologies are beginning to show a better future for video games.

One of the most popular new consoles is the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo has always been a trendsetter in the video game work, with things like the NES, Mario, the Nintendo DS (a touch screen portable console), and now, the Nintendo Wii. The Wii is different from most consoles because it encourages players to use hand motions to play the game. For example, if you are throwing a Frisbee, you have to mimic throwing a Frisbee with the controller in your hand. This gets gamers up off the couch and it makes them move in order to achieve results in the game. However, there are still not enough games where movement is required, and the movement that IS required is very minimal. This is where Microsoft comes in. Microsoft is working on a new technology for their Xbox 360, where a camera is positioned on top of the TV screen, and the player must move his or her entire body to play the game. This is a great example of video games that are more good than bad, because the player is actually exercising and moving.

This technology is still in its early stages, and until it is released to the public, video game continue to do more harm than good. In fact, children in Asia have died of starvation because they played video games for too long. The themes in some games are also harmful, such as shooting and gore in some games rated M for Mature. These games encourage gamers to kill as much as they can, which isn't very "family oriented" The Nintendo Wii is a great start towards activeness in games and family-friendly gaming, but it is going to be a while before video games truly become beneficial to people.