"A Sexy Lie" AWESOME!

If you haven't seen this Ted Talk already, I highly recommend it. It's only 12 minutes. I love it because it's not only educational, but she gives a great call to action at the end. I love that people are raising awareness about sexualization of women in the media! I know some people in our class had problems with Miss-Representation, so if that didn't fly with you, I think this clip will. This woman, Dr. Caroline Heldman, was involved in Miss-Representation. I think she sums up the issue pretty clearly.

APRIL FOOLS!

My post this week is about media and its fun uses. :) My husband and I played a good April Fool's joke. It was surprising how many people fell for it even though he was the one with the baby bump and there is no June 31st. I have noticed how creative people have gotten with their announcements over the years so I thought I would parody some of the cute ones. (You are welcome for not doing bare skin for my husband's belly with the heart fingers.) 

Good Technology

Something I really appreciate is that the LDS church leaders have embraced modern media technology. My husband and I set a goal to read through all the conference talks again from October 2013 before the April Conference next week. I love the little LDS Scriptures app. My favorite part is that you can read each talk or listen to it or watch it. And you don't have to download them from the Internet which helps so that you can listen to them easily anywhere. Kelton and I have been listening to them as we brush our teeth before bed or while we are cleaning or whatever.

I also was thinking about the signs of the Second Coming and how it has been prophesied that missionaries will be able to preach in all lands at some point before the Savior comes. I'm no prophet or anything, but I wonder how much of that has already been fulfilled. The missionaries are moving to Facebook now which can reach many lands where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not allowed to be taught. Of course there is still room for improvement, but I think that the way the Church is using technology is truly helping spread it quicker than we could have ever imagined.

Facebook Fast

After our lecture in class yesterday, I decided to take the plunge to start exercising self-control with Facebook. I decided that one or two times a day is all I need. (Some of you might be thinking that that is a lot, but I'm starting small, ok?) Already on day 1 of cutting back a bit, I ran into some issues. Because I didn't get on Facebook last night or this morning, I completely missed the memo about some stuff for work. It's so hard to find a balance! Maybe what I will do is start getting on once in the morning and once before I go to bed and that's it. I don't need to scroll through my newsfeed but I do need to make sure that I am not missing out on important things.

However, I must say that not being on it yesterday was so freeing! It felt great. I felt less distracted and it was such a blessing. I'm definitely going to be implementing more of this. I also decided to ask my husband for a divorce in  person instead of over text...JUST KIDDING! My husband is great. No divorce for us, but that story was so weird. Who would do that?

Fruit Gushers Commercials '90s

This is for all the 90s children out there. Remember those Fruit Gushers commercials? How creepy can you get. I was thinking about the facets of advertising and these commercials totally caught your attention, but as far as explaining what the gushers do for you...they will make your head blow up into a giant fruit? Most kids that I know were actually scared of Fruit Gushers commercials and it makes sense why.

Newscast Priorities

I think it is interesting that Ellen's selfie at the Oscars received far more attention than the simultaneous invasion of the Crimea by Vladimir Putin. It reminded me of how Miley Cyrus' twerking scandal made the front page of many newspapers during the same time that Syria had its civil war. It really got me thinking about the priorities of the newscasters. I can't put it all on them though. Could it be that viewers choose that kind of stuff over important things and that the people in charge of the media really are putting out there what most viewers care about most? It's really made me think about the media and the agenda of the "media people" but also about the viewing agendas of the viewers. Does that even make sense?

Music

This week is one of those crazy school weeks. I'm sure that everyone is feeling the pressure of school. Every minute of my life seems to be scheduled. For example, tomorrow:

8-9:30 Work
9:30-11 Attend a primary girl's Kindergarten Program
11: Back to work
12-4: Required field trip for a class
4-6:30: Write the first draft of my Humanities paper
etc. And Saturday is no better. And then Sunday is like the worst.

You know the drill. I have felt way over-scheduled and have felt a lot of anxiety. There is just not enough time in a given day to do all the things that I need to do. As such, I haven't felt as close to the Lord lately. People always say, "Make time!" and I do. (That really doesn't help when people say that because you are really doing your best. You can't run faster than you have strength.) But there really are just times and seasons for things and I think the Lord recognizes that. I have felt like my scripture study has been bland and my prayers sincere, but boring...so I decided to try something this morning. The only time I really have to myself right now is my twenty minute walk to and from school. Most of the time, I choose to think and think and think and stress and stress and stress about ALL the things I need to get done that day, and all that I need to get done in the next week, and all that needs to be done by the end of the semester, and I start thinking about our posters for this class, and I start thinking about having kids someday and then I start thinking about how I should probably start a school fund for them sometime to help them with school and then I worry about what I'm going to do to pay for everything like their clothes and how my husband is going to need to find a job and....yes. That is usually my walk to school.

This morning, I decided to hum some of my favorite hymns as I walked to school. It was so much more pleasant and got me thinking about how grateful I am for music. It gave me more of a chance to reconnect with God and not think about my future children at all! It was great. (I had no idea that future children could be so needy.)

So anyway, next time you feel like I do, take some time to pull the plug on other thoughts or other things and listen to or hum some tunes. It is nice.

Dove Campaign

After class today, I took a closer look at the Dove: Redefine Beauty campaign. They are putting a lot of good stuff out there. They have a lot of small little movies and ideas. Not all of them go viral, so I enjoyed going through the ones I hadn't seen before. It made me really want to start doing something!

Mormon Messages

I was really impressed with this Mormon Message. I think that a good clip on bullying and its influences is long overdue. This one was long, but so good. It made me stop and think. I hope to be better able to never laugh at anyone else's expense. This goes to show what good media can do. It creates awareness.

One Who Had Less

As I have mentioned before, my husband is in the film program. I help with all of his films so I kinda feel like I'm in the film program as well. Haha. I admire my husband because he tries to make films with good and uplifting messages. This is our most recent short film. It was a lot of fun doing the hair and make up for the homeless man. It is actually based on a conglomeration of multiple true stories. I think media can be uplifting and be a great tool if used correctly.

Satirical Websites

I work in a call center on campus and I just think it is so funny how many people are fooled by satirical websites. In the context of BYU, I am referring to The BunYion. Every time that the BunYion comes out with something new, we get a call about it. My favorites have been people calling about BYU California, BYU Dental School, and many others!

We live in a day and age where people can basically put whatever they want on the Internet. It fascinates me that people don't check their sources. A classic example is the whole story that went viral about the man who was killed because of the Olympic Ring Fail. I don't mean to be a snob, but I feel like it is kind of intuitive to know your sources. Agree? Disagree?

Barbie Collection

I just thought I would post a 90s barbie collection clip. I am sure this will bring back memories to at least a few people in the class. I remember watching a Barbie Mini Van commercial and falling in love with it. Sadly, as a kid, you don't see the "parts sold separately" and "parts not included" labels. It was still really fun, but I do remember being really confused as to why it didn't look or feel as cool as it did in the ad. I didn't even have barbies to go with it and I thought they would come with it. Anyway, this was a classic example of how children are not educated consumers.

Our Midterm Exam 3x5 Index Card

This doesn't have to do with media, but I just had to post this for my fellow classmates. I chose the info I wanted to put on our 3x5 index card for the exam, but I wrote so small (I can still read it, by the way) that I still have TONS of room left. Writing in 4 point font handwriting style is great. Dr. Coyne is the best! 

Piano Guys

I just love the piano guys. I think their videography is always great, and of course, so is their music. It's really cool to see good people using their talents. I know there is a big controversy over "Let It Go" but I like it and here is their version of it.

You Know Enough

One of my favorite things to do on Sundays is to listen to General Conference messages. I'm going to be a little vulnerable here and just mention that sometimes I struggle getting into the scriptures because they are not as modern. Old is not bad, but I have an easier time studying modern talks. Here is one from awhile ago, but its message has always stuck with me. It's nice to have media where I can go back and hear the actual inflections and charisma in our leaders voices instead of simply having to read their words. Media is such a great tool.

Man Saves Children from Nazi Camps

I read up on Nicholas Winton. He was a man who saved over 600 children from Nazi death camps. The end of the clip below is really touching. He has no idea that he is sitting among those whom he saved. It's really cool! It's stuff like this that really makes me want to be better. Without media, I probably wouldn't have heard this story. Very cool. There is good news in the world!

Two Roads

My husband, Kelton, is a film major here at BYU. Technically, the program is called "Media Arts" but whatever. Though I am not studying film, I help him a lot when doing short films or other things. It's become a fun hobby for the both of us. We like to make motivational type films. I think that the little funny clips have a place, but we try to do things a little deeper. Recently, a friend of ours contacted Kelton to tell him that this film, Two Roads, had pushed him to make a better choice when he was faced with choices that conflicted with his values. He sincerely thanked us for making this film. Two Roads is based on a poem written by Robert Frost called "The Road Not Taken." I have always loved that poem and we decided to bring it to life with a "nowadays" portrayal of it.

I don't share this film to say, "Look how cool we are." I simply wanted to say that it is cool to live in a time where you can use your media talents to help others, even if it is only one person and even if you are an amateur filmmaker.

If you do give it a look, make sure to watch it in HD! It makes all the difference. :)

LDS Church Commercials

After our class discussion about advertisements, I decided to look up some of the LDS church advertisements. I found a couple of classics that I thought I would share. Some of them are pretty hilarious. The one that I love is starting at 5:25 on the first clip I posted. Anytime I give my dad good news, he responds, "How many times have I told you not to slam the door?!" It's a running inside joke based on these clips. And the second clip I posted is just pretty dang hilarious. I hadn't seen that one before. Enjoy!

I'm a New Fan

My husband finally got me to watch all of the "Lord of the Rings" movies with him. We even have the extended versions so every movie was over three hours long. I didn't think I would like them. Of course, the Orcs were a bit much for me and it was gross when Gollum bit Frodo's finger off, but the rest of it was really good. (I'm really sorry if I just scared off potential fans.) There were so many good messages. My favorite character was Sam, the unconditionally loving and loyal friend. He had the best quotes, in my opinion. I have included a few clips of his shining moments.

 This is what I love about media. I love when good and entertaining stories can also teach us amazing lessons. Both of the scenes below really touched me and I thought they were worth sharing.

Body Image, Pinterest, Fad Diets, LIES!

Pinterest: I'm sorry that I bash Pinterest all the time, but man. There are so many things on there that just drive me crazy! Many of you, like me, have seen pictures on Pinterest with captions like this, "I did this exercise program for a week and now I have a six pack," or "Try this diet of (insert type of lettuce or juice fast here) and you will lose 30 pounds in a week!" 

Many of us watch commercials or advertisements and think to ourselves, "Ok. Scooby Doo isn't really going to show up if I eat this fruit snack," or "I guess I better go find that Trix bunny and share my Trix with him because those kids just won't share it with the Silly Rabbit." We don't buy it. We critically think about what we are being told and then we don't buy into it...unless it's about diets. 

It is my opinion that women buy into the diet stuff all too much! I have many good friends that pin things on Pinterest about losing weight. Most of them do not talk about being healthy. It's all about SKINNY. The pins on Pinterest mostly portray anorexic models and my friends have captions under these pictures that read, "When I see pictures like this, I just wish that I could look better and actually stick to a diet. I can't believe that I have let myself go." In my head I'm thinking, "YOU CAN SEE THE MODEL'S RIBS! Not only are the model's clothes transparent (or non existent) but you can see through her skin to her ribs! No one healthy looks like that!"

Here is a quote from Elder Jeffery R. Holland that I just want to add to those pins every time I see stuff like that. It is from a talk called, "To Young Women." (I would suggest reading the whole thing if you ever get the chance.)

"Every young woman is a child of destiny and every adult woman a powerful force for good. I mention adult women because, sisters, you are our greatest examples and resource for these young women. And if you are obsessing over being a size 2, you won’t be very surprised when your daughter or the Mia Maid in your class does the same and makes herself physically ill trying to accomplish it. We should all be as fit as we can be—that’s good Word of Wisdom doctrine. That means eating right and exercising and helping our bodies function at their optimum strength. We could probably all do better in that regard. But I speak here of optimum health; there is no universal optimum size.

Frankly, the world has been brutal with you in this regard. You are bombarded in movies, television, fashion magazines, and advertisements with the message that looks are everything! The pitch is, “If your looks are good enough, your life will be glamorous and you will be happy and popular.” That kind of pressure is immense in the teenage years, to say nothing of later womanhood. In too many cases too much is being done to the human body to meet just such a fictional (to say nothing of superficial) standard. As one Hollywood actress is reported to have said recently: “We’ve become obsessed with beauty and the fountain of youth. … I’m really saddened by the way women mutilate [themselves] in search of that. I see women [including young women] … pulling this up and tucking that back. It’s like a slippery slope. [You can’t get off of it.] … It’s really insane … what society is doing to women.”^"

With this quote in mind, I would like to challenge all of us to be less attracted to this:

WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OF THIS:

The Book Thief

I saw The Book Thief tonight for FHE with my husband. It's at the dollar theater right now. I highly recommend it. It's about a little girl and her family and how they hid a Jew during the Holocaust. I appreciate almost all movies about the Holocaust, but they are also usually very heavy and very depressing. This one wasn't as heavy. I mean, it was still sad, but there weren't any concentration camp depictions or anything like that. It has a pretty solid ending, but is very moving and inspiring. I walked out of the theater enlightened and thoughtful. I love good movies like this that invite you to think and feel and analyze. I think media that does this is so worth it! I'm grateful for the people who take the time to make uplifting and worthwhile movies that aren't full of trash, drama, and "cheap laughs" that we so often find in the little YouTube videos or TV shows that we waste our time watching. Here is the trailer. You might as well go see it. It's worth the dollar. :)

Another Impossible Standard

I found this funny little picture on Pinterest. It's funny because it's true. We have all seen the clips where people manipulate faces of models in the computer before putting them on a magazine cover. The standard for beauty is impossible. (Literally, it is impossible.) I'm just glad that this isn't the standard...

A Day Made of Glass

My husband, Kelton, and I had dinner with another couple recently. We had an interesting discussion about how blessed we are that we were the generation that grew up with technology. It's second nature to us. Mark, our friend, mentioned that he had seen a YouTube video recently that changed the way he thought about the future. Of course, this video was just a guess at what will be normal in the next 20+ years, but it was pretty realistic. We think we are so connected now, but just wait 20 years or so as technology changes and keeps changing. Of course there will be things we have to battle, but there will also be new opportunities. This clip just got me thinking about the direction media is headed so I thought I would share it. 

HILARIOUS!!!!!!

My goal is to try to do one post every once in awhile that is positive. I have already done a post heavily criticizing something I saw on Pinterest. Now I would like to post something enjoyable and exciting. When I came across this video, I thought about how much time has changed in only 20ish years! The media captures things from every decade. I think this YouTube video captures the 80s perfectly and reminds me that times have changed. I can't watch video of my grandparents, but my kids will be able to see videos of me as a baby/kid. What a great family history tool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRscYVvEFt8

"From Knocked-Up to Knock Out"

I always get on Pinterest and am so bothered by all the post-baby workout materials. How unrealistic are these types of posts? There are so many ads that sell the idea that if you use their product then a week after giving birth, you will have the best beach body in the world. I couldn't find the actual ad, but I saw a blog once that talked about how it's not "because of the baby" that we should be working out, it's "for the baby." Then there was this picture with it that had a mom holding a baby. The mom had a six pack and bulging arms and the blog was all about how we need to be more responsible and be very fit if we are going to be good moms so that we can take care of our babies. I can't imagine how depressing this must be for many moms who have given birth and are struggling with their new bodies. Imagine the implications of every mom really believing that they need to be working out and be SUPER fit "for the baby." I just think that's ridiculous. The add below was on Pinterest. It might be hard to read, but the captions says, "From Knocked-Up to Knock Out." Gotta love this idea...right?

Opening Post!

I have started this blog for my Media, Family and Human Development class where I will fulfill my class blog assignments. Each week, I will write at least two entries describing media content I was exposed to and also my thoughts on the content. In addition, I will share some potential effects of that media.