Freudian Media and the End of Individual Thought

Sigmund Freud may have died many years ago, but his theories live on. And they are incredibly apparent in today's media. You can really see the theories he developed show up in advertising, where they plan on human's preconscious in order to sell products.

According to allpsyche.com:

Freud believed that the majority of what we experience in our lives, the underlying emotions, beliefs, feelings, and impulses are not available to us at a conscious level.  He believed that most of what drives us is buried in our unconscious.

 Targeting these experiences is exactly what advertisers do in order to sell their product.

id
Contains the basic drives, fueled by the pleasure principle.

Contains everything that is inherited, that is present at birth, is laid down in the constitution -- above all, therefore, the instincts, which originate from the somatic organisation, and which find a first psychical expression here (in the id) in forms unknown to us

Here is the some examples of id in the media:

• Kid's cartoons
  
• Music videos
  
• Pornography
• Most types of music have an id component

Ego
The balance of id drives and the controlling super-ego that helps from your conscious.

The Ego comprises that organised part of the personality structure that includes defensive, perceptual, intellectual-cognitive, and executive functions. Conscious awareness resides in the ego, although not all of the operations of the ego are conscious. The ego separates what is real. It helps us to organise our thoughts and make sense of them and the world around us.

Here is the some examples of id in the media:

• Evening News
• Most serials, such as House, Heroes, 24, Battlestar Galactica, and more.
• Food, HGTV, History & Discovery channels
• CNN, CSPAN, and other cable news channels
• Documentary programming
  

Superego 
The "police force" of feeling, keeping you grounded

The Super-ego can be thought of as a type of conscience that punishes misbehavior with feelings of guilt. For example: having extra-marital affairs.

• Many Reality TV shows have examples of the superego
• Police television shows like Cops or Law and Order
• Criminal investigation television shows, such as CSI or Bones
• Religious television
  

So, after looking into all the specifics of the Freudian theory of consciousness, just how does this relate to media? I believe this short commercial gives you a good look at how it exploits facets of Freudian thought in order to sell merchandise

Tylenol - "Feel Better" PM 30

First, it shows clear id messages. You can see the pain and discomfort on people's faces, while they're in an unconscious (or near unconscious) state. They roll and twist and are unable to feel joy. However, after they take Tylenol, they appear much happier and content. Their faces brighten up and they seem to be satisified.

Furthermore, the sexual relations that Freud sees are very appear in the advertisement, using the bodies laid down in ways that exposes them more and more, seeming to draw people in not just for the id, but using their sexual drive. The ad is definitely trying to signify that it can satisfy your pleasure drive seen in your id.

There are many other examples of this, and Freudian thought lives strongly on today.

Matt Richards

COMM 403

Copyright this!

As media evolves, it has grown into new mediums. From newspapers to radio to TV to the internet, we've seen the mediums of media continually evolve. As we deal with the internet, we've entered a brand new age of digital media. And, as such, we've also entered into an era of digital copyright.

Just who owns what? Well, the age-old assumption is that whoever created it, owns it. But on the internet, we've reached an age where ideas and media are created, edited, and evolve so quickly, that this may not truly apply. The dawn of Open Source software, a rich digital environment, and a beautiful level of collaboration has led to a people who have become less respectful for traditional copyright laws. Open source initiatives, like Creative Commons, have truly opened up our doors to these ideas.

There has always been a gray area within copyright law, but the wave of digital consumers have further created this gray area. There is no longer cut cases of copyright infringement when it comes down to the world wide web.

Furthermore, even in cases of clear copyright violations, tracking them down  is increasingly difficult due to the popularity of piracy. Even if they are clearly stealing movies, TV shows, video games, or other types of media - hunting down the consumers and prosecuting them is not always the best approach. After all, you're essentially targeting your own customers. Instead, people have turned to DRM, or Digital Rights Management, to hold onto their copyrights in the digital age.

What has led people to clearly violate copyright laws so frequently online? Many people steal media indiscriminately online, many without even knowing the consequences or that they're breaking the law. Some believe that copyright laws don't apply to them. Some simply enjoy the sport of pirating software, music, and more. But the environment that created such a mass frenzy of file sharing was created around the belief that media on the software should be free. This is a grand idea, and hopefully one that will be realized. But right now the new media enthusiasts and big media companies do battle in cyberspace over copyright law, and trying to find a compromise seems like a far fetched idea.

Creations like Hulu try to appease big media companies while still appealing to the mass majority of internet users and their belief that everyone on the internet should be free. They still make money, while not having a cost. Unfortunately, even ventures such as Hulu are turning into paid ventures, and many people may revert to piracy.

Matt Richards
COMM 203

Narrative Analysis on Non-Fiction

I chose the Diary of Anne Frank for my non-fictional selection of a narrative analysis.

The Diary of Anne Frank has a deep narrative structure, filled to the rim with the thoughts, concerns, and analysis of a young, changing girl. The fact that it's a diary makes it more true to life, her actual thoughts and feelings are put directly down on paper. This removes the "storyteller" aspect of it, as a lot of biographies try to tell a story in a third-person format. The first person aspect is unique and useful.

However, since this is a personal diary, it must be remembered that any narrative, thematic, or plot analysis may not hold true. While some parts of the diary show signs of being for public view, the majority of the diary entries were private, personal entries of a young, troubled teenaged girl.

The Three Acts

1. Act 1
   This is where Anne Frank lives with her family and attends a Jewish Lyceum in Amsterdam. She lives her with family, conflicts a little with her sister and her mom, but generally enjoys life and has a lot of friends. Her life is more concerned with the social aspects of growing up as a young girl, and isn't concerned about the state of Jews all around her.
2. Act 2
   Anne Frank and her family move into a small secret annex above Otto Frank’s office where they had stockpiled food and supplies. Friends of the family supply them with food, supplies, and more - as well as their own personal stockpiles. They live with another family, the van Daans, and an acquaintance, Mr. Dussel. However, the reflections of the diary truly revolve around Anne Frank. They are personal recollections of her feelings, thoughts, and twisting emotions. From here, Anne Frank falls into depression, and feels incredibly lonely. Her thoughts turn to love, lose, and she has difficult understanding her feelings and her body. She is unable to communication or really relate with her mom and sister, and feels incredibly desolate.
   
3. Act 3
   She begins to finally feel grown up, likely because she has taken medication for her depression. Anne is able to finally relate and communicate with her mom and sister, bringing a bit of peace into their hellish lives. She has matured incredibly, her thoughts becoming more profound, deep, and intriguing. She discusses issues such as humanity, relates news of heard on the radio, and her writing essentially matures. This may be caused by hearing a radio station that is retelling stories from other people's journals, and she feels that her journal will be read one day. One seemingly normal day, the diary comes to a sudden and abrupt end, silencing her voice forever.

The fact that is it a diary means this is less of a narrative and more of a compilation of feelings, thoughts, and petty writings means that most of the story, and how the character of Anne evolves, is done through looking at her writing. You see it become more hopeful, then more depressing. Sometime it discusses petty topics of a teenage girl, and sometimes it discusses deeper issues of the human condition.

6 Step of Narrative Development

1. Preparation
   Anne Frank and her family have escaped from Germany to the Netherlands, calling it their new home, but the impending Nazi invasion looms over their head. They prepare to move into hiding, fearing their very lives in the public. Finally, on one night, they leave their home and escape into a hidden annex. 
2. Complication
   The entire life within a hidden annex is difficult. Anne struggles to find herself while her family is constantly fighting. Her life is filled with strife and uncertainty, and her own emotions seem to weigh against her.
3. Transference
   She befriends the teenage boy, Peter, of the other family. They discuss many things, including love, life, and sex. He helps her answer her many questions, and in many ways is her only friend. He helps Anne on her journey of self-discovery, and she begins to feel better about herself because she has a friend to confide in.
   
4. Struggle
   There are many struggles, from the fear of the Nazis discovering them, to illness, to lack of food, to rationed electricity, to constant fighting and debate. Despite all these very real and very serious matters, the true struggle that Anne Frank has revolves around Peter. Her father, Mr. Frank, refuses for them to spend time together. In the end, they finally are able to spend a small amount of time together, but their relationship dwindles.
   
5. Return
   As life begins to return to normal, there has been a couple of burglaries disturbing their residence. Finally, they try to stop them by shouting "Police!" This scares the robbers off, but a few days afterwords, Anne's journal ends. We find out later that they were betrayed and turned into the Nazis.
6. Recognition
   Though the journal is over, the soul survivor of the Frank family, Otto Frank, decides to publish it after the war. The journal becomes globally known and recognized as one of the few detailed encounters of the Holocaust by a young girl. Because it is so real and grounded, it's popularity has grown exponentially. 

It is hard to have a defined, structured analysis of a narrative when the Diary of Anne Frank was so disjointed, being structured as a diary. However, you do begin to see some narrative structures poking through, though as a conclusion you can see that real life does not follow a structured narrative guideline.

Thanks for reading,

Matt Richards
COMM403

World Wide Censorship on the Web

As the world moves into a digital age, we've found our laws lagging behind us. In a digital world of Facebook, MySpace, Napster, and Google, just how much are being censored? And is more censorship needed?

The first idea that many people seem to latch to is the US Constitution - that it's laws should extend to the internet. And in some ways, the ideals of Freedom of Speech are exhibited on the Internet. But how can a single country's law be applied to the entire internet? Is that even possible? Personally, I feel that a dated piece of paper is not nearly comphrensive, detailed, or modern enough to deal with the challenges of the new age of media, text, and speech that happens on the internet. We need something far different and modern.

Right now, the Internet stands as a beacon of hope for many people, young and old. They are allowed to express themselves however they wish, and there are very few laws or restrictions preventing people from sharing their minds. And this freedom has created a unique "blog-o-sphere" that has begun consuming the world. This freedom of thought has created a bright new age, where everyone from around the world has the opportunity to experience the life and troubles from people living thousands of miles away from them. This unique creation of the Internet should not be put down or censored in every way - we should encourage this flux of thought.

As the Internet begins to evolve, it has already begun to establish its own culture. It has its own norms, it's "right and wrongs" that don't necessarily apply elsewhere. Because of its fast and speedy evolution, you must wonder - should the laws catch up and apply to the Internet?

In my mind, I think you must allow the freedom of information on the Internet to flourish and grow. Already, this is happening, but government and corporations are creeping up and beginning to impose laws and limits on this flow of free information. One important debate in the United States is Network Neutrality.

As citizens of the Internet, we need to stand up and stop this. We cannot allow the Internet to be controlled by corporation or government. The internet is a place where everyone have a voice, all equally important, and it is everyone's right. This is simply too important to have taken away from us, and we need to fight against censorship.

Sadly, this may be a losing battle. For example, China has implemented firewalls on their country, creating a very comprehensive level of censorship.

The apparatus of the PRC's Internet repression is considered more extensive and more advanced than in any other country in the world. The regime not only blocks website content but also monitors the internet access of individuals. Amnesty International notes that China “has the largest recorded number of imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents in the world.”

We cannot let the Internet be censored. The Internet, while a brand new phenomena, has too many people with too many messages to have it shut up or put down.

Long live the internet and your right to speak your mind!

Matt Richards
COMM 203