Apple Ads

Appple Ads

"Hi, I'm a Mac."
"And I'm a PC."

These two sentences open every ad in the new ad campaign for Apple Computers. These ads are very simple, with a plain white background, and simple music playing in the background. Often, the ad features just the two actors portraying the Mac and the PC. However, these two actors that symbolize the two types of comuters are used to help the audience form an opinion about both Macs and PCs.

The actor who portrays a PC is an older man, with a receding hairline and glasses. He is dressed in a gray suit, white shirt and a tie. His manners and way of speaking are monotone and boring. The PC is all business, however, he is also portrayed as bumbling and slow.

In contrast, the actor portraying a Mac is a young man. He is dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and tennis shoes. In all of the ads, the Mac is shown to be creative and fun. This is a sharp difference to the seriousness of the PC. The Mac is also shown to be immune to viruses and accidents, unlike the PC. The man portraying the Mac is also used as the humor of the ad, making the PC the butt of the jokes. However, the Mac is willing to compliment the PC, like saying "He's a whiz with numbers." And he appears to be humble when accepting praise.

These factors add up to show the PC as an old-fashioned computer, and one that isn't very much fun. In contrast, the Mac is young and hip, creative and funny. Because of these ads, and the way the actors portray the two types of computers, Mac is seen as the more hip and cool computer. These ads are postitioning the audience to identify with the Mac, and distance themselves from the uncool PC.

Reality Television

Reality Television

Although many people are ashamed to admit to watching, reality television has inundated our programs and viewing. Most of the new shows, and many of the old shows, on television are some form of reality television.

This genre has several different forms, including contests, home improvement, and extreme situations. The contest shows often involve several people who are vying for a prize, for example a record deal, a million dollars, and so on. One convention of this type of reality television is the judge or mentor. This person can be cruel or caring, but they are on the show to tell the contestants what they have done wrong, and how they can improve. This will often make the judge a target for audience dislike, because the judge may criticize the crowd favorite.

Another convention of the contest reality television show is the underdog. There is always at least one person who the judges and others say will not make it. In many cases, this person will become a crowd favorite. People like to see the underdog win, as they sometimes do.

These are two conventions of the contest shows on reality television. Because this is such a broad genre, it is necessary to break it into smaller parts in order to discuss.

Gray's Anatomy

Amanda is a twenty-three college student. She and her roommates got together every Thursday night after work and class to watch the television program Gray's Anatomy. While interviewing Amanda about her viewing habits, she shared that this time is as much about relationship building as it is for watching television.

Amanda stated that she and her roommates would make a big dinner, open a bottle of wine, and watch Gray's Anatomy together. She said that during commercial breaks the three of them would talk about the show. For example, the previous episode featured a woman who was choosing between two med. Amanda said that she and her roommates would argue over who was the better pick during commercials.

Gray's Anatomy is a program that many of the people Amanda work with watch, as well. She said that by watching the show, she knows she will be able to participate in the workplace conversations. She said that she "will always be able to talk to coworkers" if she follows the television program.

Although Amanda shared that there are times when the plot of the show seems far-fetched or unrealistic, she still enjoys watching the show. "I know that real doctors aren't like that," Amanda stated. But she still likes the program. "It's what girls do. We watch Gray's Anatomy." By examining Amanda's viewing habits, it is apparent that, for some viewers, watching a television program can be a way to build relationships with others, not just a means for personal enjoyment.

Media Representations of Crime

Media Representations of Crime

A quick search on google images produces these three images of crime. One interesting aspect of these images is the way gender is used, and what assumptions are made based upon gender. The first is that the three images featuring “criminals” portray men. This creates the assumption that if someone is a criminal, it is a man.

When a woman is shown in an image in regards to crime, it is in two capacities. The first is as the damsel in distress. This is shown in the third image. Unable to care for herself, this woman is the victim of crime. Thus, according to these images, crime is an act done by a man towards a woman. In the rare occasions that a woman is shown to be a criminal, it is as a femme fatale. She is dangerous, and often portrayed as an object of sexual desire. Although she is a criminal, she is not to be feared in the way that male criminals are.

The second aspect that these images share is the anonymity of crime. In the three images showing male criminals, their faces are either not shown, or they are obscured by sunglasses. This adds to the idea that anyone can be a criminal, and that no one is to be trusted. In these ways, the way that the media represents crime shapes people’s reactions to it. Many people assume that criminals are male. Also, these types of representation add to the idea that women should be fearful, because they are often presented as the victims of crime. In these ways, the media representations of crime affect the way people perceive crime.

Conjunction Junction

Red Delicious

In the September issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, DKNY brand featureed an ad for a new perfune called Red Delicious. The tag line is "a temptation in fragrances." The ad is a photo of a man and a woman sitting on a motorcycle. The woman is holding an apple in one hand, and reaching back to touch the man's thigh with the other. The man is sitting behind her, leaning into her, with his face next to her neck. In the background is a scene of New York city. Although there are several things at play in this advertisement, the two areas I will focus on are the semiotic factors, and a feminist analysis of the ad.

There are several signs in this ad which have a social and cultural meaning behind them. The first is the apple which the female is holding. Apples are a fruit which is traditionally associated with temptation. The biblical reference of Eve giving into the temptation of the apple is present in this ad. Secondly, the woman in the ad is wearing a red dress. The color red is often associated with passion. By clothing the woman in red, she becomes a symbol of sex and passion. These are two of the semiotic references in this ad.

It is also interesting to look at this ad through the lens of a feminist analysis. Here, the woman is certainly being presented as an object of sexual desire. Her dress is very short and revealing. Secondly, the man in the ad is looking directly at her, making her the center of attention in the ad. Also, the woman's hand is resting on his thigh, suggesting sex. This ad presents women as an object of sexual desire, and Red Delicious perfume as a means of becoming wanted.