Questioning the Media Chapter 7

2. Do you remember seeing a movie you were not allowed to see? Discuss the experience.

When I was in early middle school, I was always told to not go to any R rated movies. One night I spent over at a friends house, and her boy friend and his parents invited her, I got stuck tagging along to go. We went to see Blade Trinity. I was frightened and had bad dreams for days. It was not like I went and my mother had told me not to. I went because my friend was going and I did not want to stay by myself. I have only seen two rated R movies, and yes that is kind of weird because I am in college but it is just a choice I have made.

3. How often do yo go to movie theaters today? How often do you play DVD's on a television at home, or watch movies on a computer? Which experience for you prefer and why?

I do not go to the movies now as much as I did when I was younger but I think that is because of how much the price has gone up. It is incredible how much it is now to go see a movie, it is around eight dollars here but up in Connecticut where my cousin lives it is ten dollars and fifty cents, that is ridiculous. As a student in college I do not watch that many movies or that much television but when I do it is calming. I watch about one to two videos a week on the television or on my computer. When I am home for vacation or the weekend I tend to watch more movies with my mom and dad, just because it is some time to be together. I think even though it is nice to go out to the movies, I enjoy it more sitting at home in my own comfort watching any movie of my choice.

5. Look at the international film box-office statics in the latest issue of Variety magazine. Not which films are the most popular worldwide. What do you think about the significant role U.S. movies play in global culture? Should their role be less significant? Explain your answer.

When looking at the movie listing I think a lot of the movies have US impact. From most popular to not as much, only the top 7 it is as follows: Shutter Island, Avatar, Valentine's Day, The Wolfman, Percy Jackson & the Olympics: Lightening, Dear John, and number seven Crazy Heart. I am familiar with Avatar, Valentine's Day and Dear John and those are impacted on by the US because it is traditional situations that take place in the United States.

Questioning the Media Chapter 6

1. How many cable channels do you watch regularly? What programs do you watch? What attracts you to a certain channel?

The only cable channel that I normally watch is ABC family, for some enjoyable shows. When I am at home with my family, I watch the golf channel with my dad, and some of the talk show channels with with Mom. I enjoy watching ABC family because there are shows that I do not have to think about what is going on intensely, but rather just enjoying a show that is laid back. More that likely the shows that I watch, are more than likely not watched by many college students, but I enjoy watching them. In my dorm room, the television stays off most of the time, unless I just want to curl up in my bed and watch something.

5. Do you think DBS (Digital Broadcasting Satellite) is an equal competitor to cable? Why or why not?

I do not think that the Digital Broadcasting Satellite is an equal competitor to cable because cable had its own strong time at one point. And now it is Digital Satellites turn to be the big and new thing. Cable television was invented and was the new intervention and everyone enjoyed it, but then as time rolled around other inventors learned how to have digital satellites project television shows to individual homes. As I was growing up I remember having cable television and now as I have gotten older it is all digital satellites.

6. Some critics argue that citizens no longer participate in traditional neighborhood activities and that cable has played a role in fragmenting society, keeping us in our homes. Do you agree or disagree? What has cable done well, and in what ways has it adversely affected society?

I do think that cable and digital television shows have played a big role in traditional neighborhood activities. The television is keeping people inside and are coming less active. I think it is a bad thing, and that there should be a time during every day that the television does not run any time of television shows. It should be a time that families, parents, children, neighborhoods, and such join together to be active and do something that does not include sitting in front of a television screen and watching a show or movie. Cable and digital has hurt the population and taught children and young adults that you do not have to be active to look good, you can also just not eat, which is extremely unhealthy. I believe that the television has hurt the citizens and I am pretty sure that is why I do not watch much television.

Questioning the Media Chapter 5

1. Describe your earliest memories of watching television. What was your favorite show? Which, if any, shows did your family watch together? Were there shows that you were not allowed to watch? Which ones and why?

As a young child, I do not remember watching much television. I grew up watching mainly videos. But I do remember watching Barney in the mornings before my mom and dad took me to preschool, or before I went to the babysitters. I do not remember any shows that we watched as a family, but I assume, since I am a only child, that they watched whatever I watched with me. In our house hold, the only channels that were normally on, were PBS, or the golf channel. Barney was my best friend, well that is what I thought as a child. Like I said, I do not think I watched television that much, but I do remember that I was not aloud to watch Rugrats. To this day I do not like rugrats, and I am not completely sure why I wasn't aloud. But I am pretty sure that it was because of their behavior and how they talked. I do watch a lot more television that I did when I was little, these days, but as people get older that is what happens.

2. How much television to you watch today? Which programs do you try to watch regularly? What attracts you to your favorite program(s)?

Today I watch television a lot of times just to have noise going on, or something for my brain not to think about. I do enjoy watching some shows on ABC family, and my all time favorite America's Funniest home videos. I enjoy watching this show any day when I just need some good laughs, and some thing to be glad that hasn't happened to me. I also watch Secret Life of an American Teenager, and I am not completely sure what grabs my attention with this show, but I think it is just attention grabbing to me. I have a television in my dorm room, but normally the only time that is on, is when we are watching a movie or when we just feel lazy and wish to think about nothing.

3. If you were a network television executive, what changed would you try to make in the programs that American watches?

If I was a network television executive, I am not sure that there are any big things that I would change, but I do think that shows that are on, when children are home should be more censored. Even though channels that children watch have shows that children can watch, but it is easy for them to turn channels and find other shows that are extremely inappropriate. This would be a very hard thing to do, but I think it would necessary to attempt so that we are not exposing children to the harmful things in life, so that we do not have children with anger and wanting to react to how the shows are.