The stranger in class

thestrangerinclass — Tue, 01 May 2007 14:05:12 +0000

Writing this post was very hard!I don’t really know what I changed in my behaviour in these years…I usually think about environment and how we ,as men and women, are destroying the environment…for example I don’t have a car so: less pollution, I walk and I use public transportation but for me it’s not a big deal, I live in a small place and we don’t need cars so much, but I know that I didn’t do because I wanted to, simply I don’t have a car because I don’t need it. I use public transportation because it’s a necessity and nobody forced me…changing behaviour takes effort,I didn’t do any effort, it’s just because my hometown it’s very small and everything it’s close to my apartament.Living here costed me so much effort than living in Italy and I was praying for having a car here. I think that men should develop alternative forms of energy but as I said changing behaviour cost a lot of money and time and usually to be happy we just want save money and have a lot of time for ourselves. It’s selfish but it’s that the way we are used to. Technology had played a big role in it…we want commodities and time and money saved. Think about recycling: you have to separate everything you use or maybe bring your own plastic bottle and refil it every day when you go to school for not buying it at the vending machines and waste plastic…I use to do it, it’s very simple and doesn’t take so much effort I also save a lot of money. These examples are making me aware that I need to do much effort and teach to my friends to act like me, if we build a behaviour chain between each other maybe we could save the planet…I think I will not buy a car in the next five years!!!

thestrangerinclass — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:18:58 +0000

The biggest problem on anti-alchool campaign is that they don`t show really the problem about alchool drinking. To let people to act and start not drinking or tell to their friends to not doing it it`s difficult. Drinking is a bad habit but is something common betewenn college students. The thing is that in US you can start drinking at 21,in other countris in Italy for example you can start before, even at 14 or 16. It`s not forbidden to drink, we can buy alchool, go into clubs and ask for a drink. There isn`t a regulation as you have here in the US. That`s why we have less problem compared to here. But we have problems about drugs…cocaine for example is very popular now between college students and high school students because is getting cheap and because it` s ILLEGAL!Everything it`s ilegal produce a reaction between the teen agers….they want to try something that is forbidden. Most of these guys and girls drink because it`s forbidden. I think that the campaign are good and weel done but nobody thinks that drinking alchool it`s dangerous. But is it. You can die of alchool poisoining. But some people don`t know it.Or maybe get addicted taht is dangerous too. or maybe you can do stupid things, for example try to climb a wall and die for falling. I have a friend and once he drunk too much and get poisoned, he losts his senses and fortunately he diodn`t die but he get in a alchool coma for few hours and he was 23 at that time!Campaign should undeline that drinking too much could led you to die in someway: carcrash, alchool poisoning,or many other cases in which you loose control of yourself and you do stupid things.

Editing my posts

thestrangerinclass — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:22:12 +0000

Don`t you think that my posts are short enough?Sometimes I think they are too short:(

Kleenex Sure and Pepsi commercials

thestrangerinclass — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:19:13 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5YTSy7yCis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0b1YR5n7hk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_iTrkiCyRE

All this commercials use a strong emotional appeal. Every person is special and different and everyone can identify him/herself in them. We are different but we need the same things: pepsi, kleenex or sure. They talk to the audience and say “You are a special human being and you are not the same as the others, you are an individual with particular features and that`s why you need our product!”We care about you because we don`t refer to the mass we refer to the human beings. I think that all the commercials I`ve found on youtube talk in this way.

An interesting exibition

thestrangerinclass — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 18:04:21 +0000

Today I was looking at ny city guide website and I found something related with the topics discussed in class last week. An exibition at Chelsea Art Museum: The dangerous beauty. This exhibition investigates and challenges society’s ideal of beauty and the designer body created and supported by mass consumerism. Many of the artists selected capture the anxiety of this beauty-centered society and raise questions on the human impact of living in the glare of images that, without manipulation, may have no human incarnation. I think I`m gonna have a look there this weekend.

For more info visit http://www.chelseaartmuseum.org/exhibits/

Why?

thestrangerinclass — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 22:21:51 +0000

In Italy is common to see these kind of ads. I don’t understand why they use women as sex objects that could offend female audience. I wanna underline that a scooter is a product that both men and women use because in towns we have problems with traffic jam, so a scooter it’s not a product designed just for guys. These WEIRDS ads are for Aprilia scooter and the Vespa

I know the guys will like it…

Dove campaigns

thestrangerinclass — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 02:58:02 +0000

Today in class we have talked about the distorted perception of beauty that we have today. It’s not adevertising fault but commercials and ads contribute to spread this conception that we have today for selling their products. Dove has understood this “problem” and had run a new campaign going in the opposite direction and giving a good brand image. Campaign for real beauty it’s very interesting and make the consumer think that the brand is on the side of women. Indeed they are just selling their products in another way!

Watch the “film evolution”!You won’t believe http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/flat4.asp?id=6909

This is nice too (dove pro-age) http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/

Comment to Miller

thestrangerinclass — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:20:58 +0000

The hidden message of peace and tranquillity described by Miller lead us to a sort of paradise where we are expected to be served like white masters during slavery times. There are too many details that gives to a white consumer the idea of a paradise where you can enjoy hospitality, good food, beautiful women, tranquillity, peace. As the writer says this is a great place for consumerism!It’s true!The consumer is not invited to enjoy jamaican culture, its beauty, its songs and dance. Jamaica is a product like a bottle of water that gives you refreshment and a good taste. But it’s not a product to sell, it’s a country with its traditions and its population. Anyway this is the way how commercial has to work to sell products. I remember a commercial about Egypt in Italy 2 years ago: the copy said”I wish I could be in Egypth”. It showed several scenes of people riding camels or horses in the Desert, the beach, people playing golf, pyramids and a youg beutiful girl smiling and inviting you to come to Egypt. Exactly the same thing! The second reading was quite funny. How to tell women to buy a product and have with it power upon men. This is not true in fact, but it’s a good commercial that put in riduculous men and gives to women for a while the impression and the illusion that they can have power to run a man!There is a challenge of sex, but it’s always the man who wins. With the product that his wife had bought he assures himself a good (smell) job, interview whatever, then he obtains a good income and power to spend money (that his wife uses to buy the product) and run the family. He assure well-being to his wife who doesn’t work and he assures her a life full of comfort and comodities.

Smoking and women

thestrangerinclass — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 22:30:43 +0000

During last class we talked about smoking and how pepole considered during 1900 women who smoked. I’ve fund some ads of that period that in order to attract female cansumers showed an image of a new woman totally emancipated and free from the rules of that period. Smoking meant to be free, modern and sophisticated. I think most of these ads appered in France or Germany. The first image it’s very important because you see a young upperclass lady(you can say it because of her dress) acting with bad manners and smoking in front of an old lady (maybe her mum or grandma). Both women plays two different roles: the girl is the modernity and her mum is the conservatism of that period. The third ad also shows a young lady dressed in a swimsuit I suppose, but I think that this ad is more attractive for a man audience because the image is very sexy.

I did it…

thestrangerinclass — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:54:06 +0000

Today I left my messages to the world: what a great experience!I was on the bus with my friend going to Manhattan and I left one on the seat,it was my first one. I was scared. I did it when nobody noticed me because I didn’t want someone looked at me like I was crazy…I ’d have been so imbarassed if someone could had seen and read it in front of me and said something or made comments about that. Then I left severals in the subway and in some public spaces. Then I was in this McDonald with my friend eating something and I thought: “Hey, this is the best place to live the one which said “Throw away that junk food…etc”!”I did it and I felt so proud of me! When I finished my “job” I felt very very well, I mean better. These phrases have some kind of importance 4 me and at the end of the work I thought: maybe someone will see my messages, maybe someone will think about that or will keep the paper in his wallet or diary,or maybe someone will really do something and will think:it’s a sign of destiny, or just simply will throw it away or will laugh at it…I’ll never know but I really felt like I did something important. If I would have found something like this I ’d have kept it in my wallet as a sign.