An Interview With Greatness

In the field of Public Relations, competition is extremely more intense; there is no guarantee as to how successful you can be.  Luckily, there is a number of fields that Public Relations have to allow for different career paths.  For this blog assignment, I chose to interview someone I had a personal relationship and knew was successful with her degree in the field of Public Relations.  I chose to interview one of my mentors, as well as one of my role models, Ramadanah Jones.  Mrs. Ramadanah is a staff attorney for the Montgomery County Board of Education.  She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University.  Her major was Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations.  While she did not take the traditional role that is normally acquired in the Public Relations field, she is a shining example of what hard work, dedication, and personal style can do.
Mrs. Ramadanah Jones started off in Tallahassee, FL coming from Montgomery, AL. After getting a better understanding of what career path she wanted to take, she began enrolling in the proper courses to achieve her goal. She has taken some of the same courses that I am enrolled in or will be in the future. She took Mass Communications, Media in Law, Basic Principles of Broadcast, every area of journalism, etc. She participated in two internships while in the undergraduate level of school. She interned in the Public Relations department for the American Federation for State, County, and Municipal Employees. It was a union for its members for their jobs. In that department she helped create newsletters, produce different internationals for the members, and helped in the distribution of data. Members of the state and local government were apart of this union. She also was a member of the PR firm on her school’s campus. It had real clients, such as The Truth Campaign, and it was ran and seen as a real PR firm.
While in the undergraduate level, she joined several extracurricular organizations to become a well-rounded individual. She was a member, as well as an officer, of PRSSA, a member of the NAACP, on an SGA appointed committee, and she was apart of the on-campus modeling troupe, where she assisted with the fashion and make-up.
I have had the great pleasure of knowing Mrs. Ramadanah on a personal level; she was not just some random professional that I needed to interview for a school project. I chose to shadow her in high school, and the advice and experience I gained that day has been a major influencing factor on all of my decisions concerning my future career. She shared all of her knowledge in initiating being an attorney, networked me with the attorney firm that she interned for, and, in the process, became a role model for me to look to for advice as well as for aspirations to follow in her footsteps. She disclosed the different aspects of her journey to becoming the successful attorney in Corporate America. Mrs. Jones is a pillar of her community who still goes above and beyond to be seen as an extraordinary individual. She is married with a child, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and an inspiration to all that have the distinct honor of knowing her. I am among one of the many who have felt the motivational influence that radiates from her highly sought-after accomplishments and her extremely positive attitude towards anything she is infused in.

A Night With TV: Affair Of The Mind

Television has went through a great deal of progression, factoring in the impact that technology has placed on society. We have went from barely seeing programs in black and white to having the ability to watch three dimensional movies in the comfort of our own living room. It has also become something that is naturally assumed to be a part of everyone’s daily life. When you have conversations with friends or peers, television is more than likely an element. Television has also evolved in the type of programming that is displayed to viewers or consumers. The content of shows that are being shown on television are normal to us, but would be considered appalling to a viewer from an earlier generation. Television has progressed with the times to maintain our attention and interest. We have been granted alot more freedom of expression overall pertaining to the content of television programs.
When doing this blog, it really allowed me the chance to really pay attention to the programs that I watch. I tuned in to four of my favorite programs: Everybody Loves Raymond, The Golden Girls, Sex and the City, and Family Guy. All of these programs all have one thing in common: they will make me laugh until I cry. I wanted to observe two main topics throughout all of the programs. I wanted to be keen on racial stereotypes and the use of graphic images, scenes, and language.
The racial stereotypes were more apparent in some of the programs more than others based on the type of show it was. Family Guy and The Golden Girls were the shows that I noticed were displaying the racial stereotypes. Family Guy used comical anecdotes and clever analogies to show this dynamic. Using phrases such as “I need a freakin Jew to do my taxes” or “Being black is not the way to go” have allowed the racial slurs to be covered up in laughter. The Golden Girls made comments about looking like black celebrities pertaining to them getting older. Both shows also have shown minority characters playing the roles of house maids as well. This is stereotypical of the ideal that minorities are only desired to work in domestic environments.
The next observation was to see the level of graphic images, languages, and scenes that have integrated into our television programs. I went to the obvious program of Sex and the City at first. Then considering all of the programs, I remembered that each show had shown some form of being graphic in the episodes. In Family Guy, there is constant profanity being used, negative or suggestive images relating to sex or some form of it. Sex and the City had much of the same, with even more suggestive scenes involving characters being naked. The Golden Girls had the use of profanity in seldom cases with suggestive scenarios that pertain to sex. Everybody Loves Raymond was the only show I saw that night that did not have sexual scenes in it, but it did have profanity used sparingly. These programs are light versions of other shows that display way more expression of sexuality and graphic content.
Before this blog assignment, I used to do what most people do, which is come home and turn on the television. I never really paid much attenrion to any details or main statements from these programs. When something funny or entertaining occurred on the show, I just felt the need to laugh. Through this blog assignment, I have learned to pay more attention to the programming that I am viewing. Whether you know it or not, television can actually have the subliminal capabilities to change our actions or thought process. For example, before watching Family Guy, I never said crap before. It may be something as small as changing the phrases or comments that we make to ultimately giving us another way to think about decisions that we make. I have met someone who has told me that before watching Sex and the City, she was not that sexually oriented. Now that she has become a major fan of the show, sex has become a major part of her life. I feel it is because she is more exposed to sexual content in her environment now. Thanks again for another eye-opening assignment.

A TV Affair

Television has went through a great deal of progression, factoring in the impact that technology has placed on society. We have went from barely seeing programs in black and white to having the ability to watch three dimensional movies in the comfort of our own living room. It has also become something that is naturally assumed to be a part of everyone’s daily life. When you have conversations with friends or peers, television is more than likely an element. Television has also evolved in the type of programming that is displayed to viewers or consumers. The content of shows that are being shown on television are normal to us, but would be considered appalling to a viewer from an earlier generation. Television has progressed with the times to maintain our attention and interest. We have been granted alot more freedom of expression overall pertaining to the content of television programs.
     When doing this blog, it really allowed me the chance to really pay attention to the programs that I watch. I tuned in to four of my favorite programs: Everybody Loves Raymond, The Golden Girls, Sex and the City, and Family Guy. All of these programs all have one thing in common: they will make me laugh until I cry. I wanted to observe two main topics throughout all of the programs. I wanted to be keen on racial stereotypes and the use of graphic images, scenes, and language. 
The racial stereotypes were more apparent in some of the programs more than others based on the type of show it was. Family Guy and The Golden Girls were the shows that I noticed were displaying the racial stereotypes. Family Guy used comical anecdotes and clever analogies to show this dynamic. Using phrases such as “I need a freakin Jew to do my taxes” or “Being black is not the way to go” have allowed the racial slurs to be covered up in laughter.  The Golden Girls made comments about looking like black celebrities pertaining to them getting older.  Both shows also have shown minority characters playing the roles of house maids as well. This is stereotypical of the ideal that minorities are only desired to work in domestic environments.
The next observation was to see the level of graphic images, languages, and scenes that have integrated into our television programs. I went to the obvious program of Sex and the City at first. Then considering all of the programs, I remembered that each show had shown some form of being graphic in the episodes. In Family Guy, there is constant profanity being used, negative or suggestive images relating to sex or some form of it. Sex and the City had much of the same, with even more suggestive scenes involving characters being naked. The Golden Girls had the use of profanity in seldom cases with suggestive scenarios that pertain to sex. Everybody Loves Raymond was the only show I saw that night that did not have sexual scenes in it, but it did have profanity used sparingly. These programs are light versions of other shows that display way more expression of sexuality and graphic content.
     Before this blog assignment, I used to do what most people do, which is come home and turn on the television. I never really paid much attenrion to any details or main statements from these programs. When something funny or entertaining occurred on the show, I just felt the need to laugh. Through this blog assignment, I have learned to pay more attention to the programming that I am viewing. Whether you know it or not, television can actually have the  subliminal capabilities to change our actions or thought process. For example, before watching Family Guy, I never said crap before. It may be something as small as changing the phrases or comments that we make to ultimately giving us another way to think about decisions that we make. I have met someone who has told me that before watching Sex and the City, she was not that sexually oriented. Now that she has become a major fan of the show, sex has become a major part of her life. I feel it is because she is more exposed to sexual content in her environment now. Thanks again for another eye-opening assignment.

The State of Television

When we watched 30 Rock as a class, I thoroughly enjoyed learning how it related to the topics we were discussing in class, such as camera angles, the development of film, product placement, etc.  It showed all of these ideals in comical sense that I feel we could all relate to.  In class watching the scene where the argument was being discussed, I could see how both Jack and Liz’s point of views were sensible.  They both presented valid arguments as to why reality television should actually be or not be considered “art”.  I am truly on the fence about this issue.  On one hand, I can cosign with Jack’s argument that reality TV is art because it reflects the human experience.  I have always been a major fan of reality television over the course of my life.  MTV and VH1 have been major suppliers to my habit of seeing how reality TV stars live their daily lives.   From the experiences seen on shows such as “The Real World”, “College Hill”, “Road Rules”, etc., I gathered my own opinion of what it would be like to be filmed by cameras in every step of my day.  I had ambitions of actually trying to become a part of reality TV when I was of age, not knowing the wary tasks that it places upon participants.  As I got older and more and more reality TV shows came forth, I began to feel like the shows were actually more generic and scripted as opposed to displaying real life experiences that people could relate to who were viewing the show.  There always had to be certain stereotypes and characters that had to be acted out through the participants.  Someone always had to fight, be the bad boy, or sleep with everyone.  As more and more of the reality shows played into these scenarios, I wondered what reality were they showing.  So then I thought about Liz’s concept on the state of TV.  She made the claim of how writing and performance is an art in itself.   I completely agree with this statement.  The thoughts and expressions of those thoughts should be considered an art.  It takes an imagination with ingenuity to create something that will be interpreted correctly and that also will be popular in today’s society.  We can see examples of her argument through music videos, movies, theatre, etc.  People come up with the concepts, themes, and scenes that we see.  They try to design something that will captivate the audience and also get their message across.  Taking into consideration both of the arguments, I would have to side with Liz in her argument.  If reality TV was actually showing “reality” and not playing into stereotypes of what they think people want to see, then I could actually vouch for it being art.  A prime example of reality TV gone bad would be “Jersey Shore”.  There is no way in my opinion that educated people could be that wreckless or irresponsible all the time.  At least with writers and actors, you get the direct ideals that someone has created.  Reality TV has basically become another scripted scenario that entertains us with violence, alcohol, and people pretending to find true love.  But reality TV had to adjust with the times; if it was not entertaining, it would not sell.  In today’s time, the media knows what to show to make ratings stay high and keep the viewers coming back for more.

Life Without Mass Media

A world without the aid of any type of media in present times seems ludicrous.  We are in the year 2011, a time when technology and information are literally at the finger tips of most individuals.  Being born in the early 90’s, I really cannot think of a time where I did not have the latest technology at my disposal.  I have never considered what the world would be like without the convenience of media.  Like most people my age, going anywhere without my cell phone is the origin of insanity.  Most young adults today are constantly on some type of electronic device connecting them to the cyber world.  On September 9th, 2011, I conducted the task of ridding my life of the modern technology that gives me a gateway to mass media.  What I can say about this experience is that it proved my current ideology: we have all become slaves to our technology.  I felt like I had been dropped off in a foreign area and was told to find my way back to my house.  I mainly use my cell phone to get updates about what is going on in the world today.  I have a smart phone with droid software, so I use the apps that are available through the app market to gain information about current events as well as upcoming events that will occur.  On September 9th, I woke up with the task of not using mass media in my daily life.  I went to my first class and was not able to participate in the conversation on current world events.  My first class is Comparative Politics, which incorporates current events as well as democratic processes.  I was only able to join in when we were discussing subject material for our exam.  In my next class, Psychology, my professor asked us had we recently been watching the news discussing male and female relationships in the media.  Once again, I was at a loss for words.  I went through another class not being able to fully participate in the discussion.  I went to have lunch with some friends after, and to no surprise, they were discussing some local news from my hometown that I would have been aware of from my app on my phone.  Since I was still on my “media fast”, I had no response when the conversation was placed in my corner.  As I walked to my last class of the day, alone, I began to realize more and more the importance of being immersed in current events.  In my last class, I finally felt at ease.  We were not discussing anything but test material! This feeling subsided as soon as I left class and went to work.  They were discussing the Kardashians.  This was the last straw.  I decided then and there not to take my modern accessibility to the media for granted again.  I had missed seeing the CNN updates being sent to my phone, the local news headlines being sent to my notifications, and the school news being emailed to me.  The time I spent not having access to the media was used by wondering what could be going on in the mass media.  I like having a sense of awareness of what is going on in the world as a security blanket.  I would not choose to conduct this experiment anymore.  From experience, I know that having mass media gives me a certain sense of stability for my day to day activities.

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