5. When the Media Lies About the Marines(!) *My Double Post

Since I'm feeling more creative than usual, tonight, I'm making two posts :)

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The picture above is from The Harper's. When you look at it there is nothing wrong with it, right? Marines that are absent without leave(AWOL) grace the cover. The only problem is that these people are not from the Marines! In fact, they are random people with no relation to the military at all.
Of course, this 'plot' gets discovered, people demand an explanation. Since Getty Images has the rights of the photo, their representative is made to provide an explanation. This is what she says, "We are decorating pages. We are not saying the soldiers are AWOL. Our covers are not necessarily representative."

All I can say is, "Wow! They must think that I have a brain at the same size of a peanut."

You see the media not only lies but thinks that I have no sense at all.

Are they looking for more ways to insult me??
I wonder..

For more information onthe incident go to: http://news.cnet.com/2300-1026_3-6033210-4.html

4. When the Media Lies..

As I listened to others’ opinion on news photography, I noticed that most people talked about when a journalist should interfere with a scene that shakes our most sensitive humanitarian values. When a picture of someone in a desperate situation makes the cover of a newspaper, we immediately feel sorry for that person, and wonder if someone, particularly that photographer since he/she was there, helped that person in need.
At first, I thought exactly like this. I wished for that person’s rescue to be quick as possible. However, as I read Patricia Holland’s’ detailed article on news photography, my thought started to change and so did my focus. In her article, Ms. Holland talks about a particular work by the Picture Post photographer Bert Hardy.

Bert Hardy received a lot of praise when he documented a soldier ‘sharing his last drop of water with a peasant,’ as stated in the article. Unfortunately, this photo turned out to be a set-up. Hardy had asked the American soldier to give some water so that he can have ‘the shot’.
As I read this, I realized how easily we, human beings, can be deceived. In order to sell maybe a 100 or 1000 more copies, the media is manipulating our feelings. Manipulation is almost inevitable since even the most strongest at heart, have a tendency to feel sympathy when something really tragic happens to someone- even when that someone is a total stranger.
It just disgusts me when I read stuff like this. Dishonesty is something I cannot stand. Not a long time ago, I considered becoming a journalist. However, I easily realized that it is a tough world to survive in, and events like this made me aware of this fact even more. I still don’t know which profession I’ll choose; however, if I do pursue journalism, I’ll make sure that both the stories and the images are real. At least, that is what a true journalist should do.

3. To Ignore or Not to Ignore? -> That is the real question!

As the title suggests, which I credit the structure of to Shakespeare, the real question is, “To ignore or not to ignore?”

In “The Enormous Radio” John Cheever portrays the seemingly ‘perfect’ American family. However, as time passes, we notice that this is not so true. Irene and Jim Wescott have problems just like everybody else, but they supress these problems by listening to classical music till their ears bleed, if I may say this in a rough manner. Basically, they ignore their problems by using the radio.

Unfortunately, as Irene learns the tenants’ dirty little secrets, she finds it hatd to ignore all the things that are wrong in the world, specifically in her own. Her restlessness eventually ticks Jim off, and they come to a point where they cannot ignore anymore.

In my opinion, one should never run away from his/her problems. Running away, which is ignorance, only causes more trouble, and it results in something much worse than the original problem itself. Ignorance is the equivalent of cowardice. Furthermore, just like a tiny snowball that builds up to be an avalanche, what you’ve been avoiding gets bigger and bigger to cause a huge disaster that might even ruin your life! If you need an example, just look at the Wescotts. We know that their marriage is never going to be the same. Moreover, if they lived in the 2000s instead of the late 1940s, their marriage might have ended with a divorce eventually!

Credit(for the picture): http://lailalalami.com/2008/the-enormous-radio-in-radio-form/

2. My Criticism of Reality TV

OK, here is tomorrow’s line up of E! Entertainment:
* 6:00 PM Running In Heels : Watch three interns ‘cat fight’ amongst themselves and get insulted by their boss who claims that she’s a ‘benevolent dictator .’ »»» How inspirational!
* 6:30 PM Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane: Tune in to see how the rich and you-better-know-that-she-is-rich Kimora Lee Simmons live her ‘glamorous’ life »»»A show that teaches about modesty and humbleness(!)
* 7:00 PM E! News:
* 7:30 PM Daily 10, The
* 8:00 PM E! Entertainment Special
* 9:00 PM Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami: I can just hear them say: “Aren’t we, like, so HOT!?!? We like to waltz around in teeny tiny outfits and party, party, party, wooooo!”
* 9:30 PM Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Can Kim actually get her butt in her jeans, THIS TIME??
* 10:00 PM Kendra: Let’s see Hef’s ex-bunny start a ‘normal’ life…
* 10:30 PM Chelsea Lately
* 11:00 PM Keeping Up With The Kardashians: As if one show per day, isn’t enough!
* 11:30 PM Playboy Mansion, Girls Of The: Nothing like a good ol’ late-night ‘reality’ show.. Boob-flashing, alcohol, an old man with three ditzy blondes that are old enough to be his grandchildren!


Now what is my point here exactly?
The point is that out of 11 time slots for TV shows, 7 of them are ‘reality’ shows, and if you have seen any one of these, then you would understand my comments that I made above.


First of all, no one and I repeat NO ONE in these shows lead normal lives. Can somebody tell me where you can see an eighty-something year old man live with so many young women under the same roof other than the Playboy Mansion??
Ironically, these shows are called ‘reality’ shows since they are supposedly real. It is portrayed by the media thatt the lifestyle or the point of view these reality stars represent are very common. If this were the case, then why don’t I see anything this disturbing when I look out my window every once in a while?


Following this argument, I would like to ask this question: What do we learn from these reality shows? I’m going to answer this question just like Salman Rushdie did in his article.
It’s ‘good’ to be disrespectful to your parents.
It’s ‘good’ to be promiscuous.
It’s ‘good’ to splurge your money for things you don’t need and share this with the rest of the world.
This list of immoral behaviour can go on and on.
I just don’t know when we’ll actually have the courage to stop wasting our time with these kind of shows and face OUR reality.

Credits: For the line up: http://uk.eonline.com/on/index.jsp

1. Aaaaargh!

I needed a new e-mail account for this blog!
Why is it so hard for me to remember a simple password?? I have no idea ;(

Anyways, please follow my blog when I post in the following days :) :) :)