Follow link to Genre Analysis presentation
http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=0ARPpZotbwHZTZHYybm4zNV8yMGNrcGg2ZmRi&hl=en
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Are You Ready for Some Football?
College is about 3 main things: Getting an education, maturing as an individual, and of course, football. College football is so much more than a game. It is a source of entertainment, pride, and nostalgia for millions of people around the country and an immense source of revenue for Universities and local economies. Every Saturday during the season, thousands of people crowd stadiums while millions more gather around TV sets to cheer for their team. To analyze how people view and react to watching a college football game, I went straight to the source and decided to observe some friends of mine as they watched a college football game.
These guys have been my closest friends since I can remember so I knew I could get legitimate answers from them. I even grew up playing football with one of them so I was particularly excited to observe his behavior. In the interest of obtaining real results, I did not tell my friends that I would be watching them while we watched the game.
The first thing I observed was the environment which was set up in which we were to watch the game. All the couches in the room were rearranged to face the TV and additional chairs were brought into the living room to accommodate everyone. Snacks were laid out on the table and everyone had a cold beer in their hand. Many of the guys, myself included, were wearing clothing and accessories promoting our school's colors. Having watched countless sporting events with these, I was not surprised by this scene, but consistent behavior is just as intriguing as random behavior, as it portrays how people fall into patterns of routine when they view media presentations on a regular basis.
The pre-game show turned the living room into a real-to-life online chatroom. As sports analysts discussed players and team statistics as well as game predictions, the floor was opened to pleasant conversations as well as heated debates. As an example, one of the analysts gave his predicitions as to how the Gophers would fare against their remaining opponents. In response to his ideas, my friends and I voiced our opinions which in turn led to agreements and arguments amongst ourselves. An especially nasty argument opened up between my friends Josh and Mike, who were at a disagreement as to the Gophers' odds in the upcoming home game against Michigan State. Josh argued that statistically, the Gophers were more than capable to defeat the Spartans, while Mike countered by stating the Spartans' passing game was too good for our weak pass defense. The rest of us piped in here and there but everyone else seemed more humored by Josh and Mike.
When game time began, the arguing with each other ceased and the arguing with the referees commenced. On a regularly consistent basis, my friends would scream at the TV, angry about a call they believed to be unfair. A very prevalent response to "bad calls" was gratuitous profanity and name-calling. For the sake of respect and professionalism, no examples will be given here. This was the primary behavior displayed throughout the remainder of the game, along with the occasional cheering when the Gophers, who were getting manhandled by Penn State, made a decent play.
After the game ended, I told my friends that I had been observing them. It really did not affect them much at all. I then asked them questions to gather feedback on how their behaviors and mentalities in regards to college football may have been shaped.
1. How long have you been interested in football?
JOSH: My mom went to Madison and my dad was a Gopher, so I have been in the middle of a domestic college football dispute my whole life. So, a long time.
2. Have you ever played football yourself?
JOSH: Yeah, I played every year from 4th grade through senior year of high school.
3. How many hours a week do you spend watching college football?
MIKE: I usually watch at least 2 games per Saturday, so at least 6 hours a week, sometimes 9 or 10.
4. How do the results of the last game you watched make you feel?
BEN: Embarrassed
5. Do you still play football?
JOSH: Yeah, sometimes we go up to the park and play a pick-up game of touch.
6. What is your favorite college football team and why?
MIKE: Well I obviously like the Gophers, but since that's so predictable, I'm gonna go with Boise State because they always put on a hell of a show.
7. Why do you think College Football is such a popular institution?
BEN: It is just naturally fun to watch your home team play and hopefully win. And it is a great reason to get together with friends and drink beer.
MIKE: College football is pure talent and love of the game. There is no money involved so you get nothing but heart, sweat and blood.
8. Are there ever any females around when you watch football?
JOSH: No, they don't like the sport and they don't like how we ignore them during games so they go home.
9. What is the primary reason you watch football?
MIKE: I like waiting for the big plays and huge hits. It's a good release of tension. And there are usually hilarious commercials.
BEN: I never played football myself, but my friends growing up watched a lot and I would see games when I went to their houses and I started to like it too.
10. How has football shaped who you are?
JOSH: From playing back in the day, it kept me in shape and helped me learn about teamwork and "brotherhood" (makes quote signs with fingers). And growing up learning the intricacies of the game made it enjoyable to watch even now when I don't play anymore.
I observed my friends behaving in very peculiar manners while watching college football. After the interview, I learned that their reactions were very much shaped by 2 main things: Their innate characteristics as males, and the influence of their past experiences with the sport. Particularly for college students, football games provide a chance to relax with friends and relieve the stress of student life. When these guys watch college football, there is nothing else in the world for those 3 hours. Love of the game is shaped by familial ties to certain teams,
the influence of friends, and sometimes having played the game in the past. For the guys in my group, as well as men on college campuses around the world, college football provides a new identity for a few hours every Saturday during the Fall. College Football is a way of life.
These guys have been my closest friends since I can remember so I knew I could get legitimate answers from them. I even grew up playing football with one of them so I was particularly excited to observe his behavior. In the interest of obtaining real results, I did not tell my friends that I would be watching them while we watched the game.
The first thing I observed was the environment which was set up in which we were to watch the game. All the couches in the room were rearranged to face the TV and additional chairs were brought into the living room to accommodate everyone. Snacks were laid out on the table and everyone had a cold beer in their hand. Many of the guys, myself included, were wearing clothing and accessories promoting our school's colors. Having watched countless sporting events with these, I was not surprised by this scene, but consistent behavior is just as intriguing as random behavior, as it portrays how people fall into patterns of routine when they view media presentations on a regular basis.
The pre-game show turned the living room into a real-to-life online chatroom. As sports analysts discussed players and team statistics as well as game predictions, the floor was opened to pleasant conversations as well as heated debates. As an example, one of the analysts gave his predicitions as to how the Gophers would fare against their remaining opponents. In response to his ideas, my friends and I voiced our opinions which in turn led to agreements and arguments amongst ourselves. An especially nasty argument opened up between my friends Josh and Mike, who were at a disagreement as to the Gophers' odds in the upcoming home game against Michigan State. Josh argued that statistically, the Gophers were more than capable to defeat the Spartans, while Mike countered by stating the Spartans' passing game was too good for our weak pass defense. The rest of us piped in here and there but everyone else seemed more humored by Josh and Mike.
When game time began, the arguing with each other ceased and the arguing with the referees commenced. On a regularly consistent basis, my friends would scream at the TV, angry about a call they believed to be unfair. A very prevalent response to "bad calls" was gratuitous profanity and name-calling. For the sake of respect and professionalism, no examples will be given here. This was the primary behavior displayed throughout the remainder of the game, along with the occasional cheering when the Gophers, who were getting manhandled by Penn State, made a decent play.
After the game ended, I told my friends that I had been observing them. It really did not affect them much at all. I then asked them questions to gather feedback on how their behaviors and mentalities in regards to college football may have been shaped.
1. How long have you been interested in football?
JOSH: My mom went to Madison and my dad was a Gopher, so I have been in the middle of a domestic college football dispute my whole life. So, a long time.
2. Have you ever played football yourself?
JOSH: Yeah, I played every year from 4th grade through senior year of high school.
3. How many hours a week do you spend watching college football?
MIKE: I usually watch at least 2 games per Saturday, so at least 6 hours a week, sometimes 9 or 10.
4. How do the results of the last game you watched make you feel?
BEN: Embarrassed
5. Do you still play football?
JOSH: Yeah, sometimes we go up to the park and play a pick-up game of touch.
6. What is your favorite college football team and why?
MIKE: Well I obviously like the Gophers, but since that's so predictable, I'm gonna go with Boise State because they always put on a hell of a show.
7. Why do you think College Football is such a popular institution?
BEN: It is just naturally fun to watch your home team play and hopefully win. And it is a great reason to get together with friends and drink beer.
MIKE: College football is pure talent and love of the game. There is no money involved so you get nothing but heart, sweat and blood.
8. Are there ever any females around when you watch football?
JOSH: No, they don't like the sport and they don't like how we ignore them during games so they go home.
9. What is the primary reason you watch football?
MIKE: I like waiting for the big plays and huge hits. It's a good release of tension. And there are usually hilarious commercials.
BEN: I never played football myself, but my friends growing up watched a lot and I would see games when I went to their houses and I started to like it too.
10. How has football shaped who you are?
JOSH: From playing back in the day, it kept me in shape and helped me learn about teamwork and "brotherhood" (makes quote signs with fingers). And growing up learning the intricacies of the game made it enjoyable to watch even now when I don't play anymore.
I observed my friends behaving in very peculiar manners while watching college football. After the interview, I learned that their reactions were very much shaped by 2 main things: Their innate characteristics as males, and the influence of their past experiences with the sport. Particularly for college students, football games provide a chance to relax with friends and relieve the stress of student life. When these guys watch college football, there is nothing else in the world for those 3 hours. Love of the game is shaped by familial ties to certain teams,
the influence of friends, and sometimes having played the game in the past. For the guys in my group, as well as men on college campuses around the world, college football provides a new identity for a few hours every Saturday during the Fall. College Football is a way of life.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Voicethread Assignment
Follow link to Voicethread presentation!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Critical Analysis
For this activity, I chose to analyze a clip from one of my favorite movies, "Remember the Titans." This movie takes place in a time of social upheaval in the United States due to intense racial discrimination. As such, I have decided to use the Marxist and Critical Race theories to perform my analysis. (I understand this is a rather long clip, but the segment I used to analyze spans from 3:00-6:45, in the cafeteria.)
From a Marxist standpoint, this clip demonstrates the social expectations that have been inured into these young football players. This is most evident in how both the white players and the black players view the "unusual" behavior of Louie Lastic, who is the biggest standout in that race plays no part in his perceptions of people. At first, the main black character, Julius, is leery as to why Louie chose to sit at the black table rather than sitting with "his people." Similarly, one of the white characters calls Louie a "traitor," simply for sitting at a table with people of another race. Both of these viewpoints illustrate how social boundaries and expecations are firmly cemented into the minds of these young people. Their reactions to Louie demonstrate their acknowledgement that they have a place in society based on the color of thier skin. In the same manner, Louie is looked upon as a sort of social outcast simply because he "doesn't have any people," and instead, accepts and tries to get along with everyone.
As I said, this movie takes place in a time when racism dominated American culture. Racial contrasts are vividly portrayed in this scene of the film, particularly in how each race is portrayed. With one or two exceptions, the white players appear arrogant, angry and "betrayed" by Louie's acceptance of black culture and his overt demonstration of it. Contrastingly, after the initial interrogation of Louie by Julius, the black group accepts him with smiles and soulful singing. Both the arrogant whites in the presence of blacks and the soulful, singing of the blacks themselves reflect true to life stereotypes as well as common, stereotypical portryals of these cultures in Hollywood.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
In-Class Video Editing Project
Reflection:
Aside from the fact that I did not have the most adequate digital resources available to make a better editing project, I still thought this video turned out pretty decent and I enjoyed doing it. I find it amazing how simple newer editing applications such as iMovie have made it to produce projects like the ones we created in class. With some basic instructions and time, a middle-school student could easily create an impressive project. There are also so many interesting methods for editing a video or pictures available. The bank of sound effects alone would have taken a good hour to thoroughly navigate, and although this can be a hassle for a small project like mine, it is undoubtedly very useful for bigger projects. Through a combination of its simplicity and the fact that students tend to get engaged in their learning much easier through hands-on assignments like this one, I would gladly use software such as this in my classroom.
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