Bollywoodisation?

To Hollywoodize: according to the Oxford dictionary this is to “adapt (a story or series of events) so as to conform to the supposed norms of a typical Hollywood film, especially in respect of being unrealistically glamorous, exciting, or simplistic” (Oxford Dictionary, 2013). While this is aimed at the film industry, this kind of exaggerated hype is also used in programs such as Today Tonight, which use a combination of sensationalism and reductionalism to engage their audience.

http://www.troll.me/2012/01/31/sheltered-suburban-kid/internet-ad-didnt-deliver-free-ipad-call-today-tonight/

As a private organisation Today Tonight uses sensationalism, which is a build-up of a story to increase audience (Vettehen, Nujiten & Beenties, p. 283), to act on human emotion. Today Tonight also engages in reductionalism to compose un-newsworthy stories, which appear interesting and appealing. This is in my opinion the foundation of Hollywoodisation.

Non-western films use this structure of idealism to create a sense of desire from the audience. This is typical in Bollywood films, which perhaps are even more so exaggerated than Hollywood. When I was travelling through India we saw a film in Delhi, I have to say this is an experience I will never forget. The film itself was filled with a cast of what must have been models, who were all seemingly millionaires, which was all tied together with a love story. However what made such a bizarre experience was that the audience would dance and sing and clap throughout the movie. It felt a lot more like a concert than a movie.

http://ncrafts.wordpress.com/unit-g322-key-concepts-section-b-film-industry/

With a 60% growth in exports of Bollywood films in recent years, the Indian Film industry is making “progress in all four aspects of globalization, (i. e., goods/services, capital, technology and people)” (Pillania, 2008, p. 115). This leads me to ask the question, is Hollywood being conformed by Bollywood?

REFERENCE:  

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Hollywoodize

Pillania, RK 2008, 'The Globalization of Indian Hindi Movie Industry', Management (18544223), 3, 2, pp. 115-123, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost

Vettehen, P, Nuijten, K, & Beentjes, J 2005, 'News in an Age of Competition: The Case of Sensationalism in Dutch Television News, 1995–2001', Journal Of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 49, 3, pp. 282-295, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost

Identity, Celebrity and Social Media

According to Marshall (2010) ‘we are moving into … the “specular economy” where collectively we are becoming more conscious of how we present ourselves and how others perceive us and this change is migrating to the epicenter of our knowledge economy’ (p. 499). I know speaking for myself I spend an enormous portion of the day on social media networks, mostly just keeping up to date on my peers, but also the movements of celebrities. 

I believe Social Networking has allowed myself to develop and mould an identity based on values, beliefs and characteristics. Creating a facebook profile, for example, lets individuals display information such as religious views, interests, experiences, sexual orientation, education and work. This is important for the positive development of self-concept as the view of an individual from their peers can leave a great impression on how they view themselves (Adler & Rodman, 2009).  

Networking sites such as Facebook create a virtual landscape for users to create their own concepts and ideas about their personal social experiences, and communication of such ideas is instantaneous and available. The way we communicate is affected by our self-esteem, which is shaped by the way we view ourselves (Adler & Rodman, 2009). This type of comprehensive identity development is particularly important amongst young people, as Facebook creates a space where youths can share information about themselves to an extent that they feel comfortable.

The juxtaposition of freedom of choice and privacy control is clearly defined through the use of social networking, especially among potentially naive users.  After completing a study on how young people interact on Facebook, Taraszow et al. concluded, “males are more likely than females to disclose mobile phone number, home address and instant messaging (IM) screen names” (p. 82). 

Now I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of the odd facebook stalk here and there, but what really intrigues me about social media and celebrity profiles is we get given an incredibly intimate picture of their lives, but the security of distance means we don’t get accused of being ‘stalkers’. I know for myself I follow a handful of celebrities on Twitter and Instagram, who would have thought watching a complete strangers daily activities could be so incredibly interesting… maybe I’m just intrigued by their ridiculous lifestyles. 

REFERENCE: 

Adler, R.B. and Rodman, G., Understanding Human Communication, 10^th edn, Oxford University Press, New York, 2009, ch. 2, pp. 31 – 65

Marshall, PP 2010, 'The Specular Economy', Society, 47, 6, pp. 498-502, SPORTDiscus with Full Text, EBSCOhost

Taraszow, T, Aristodemou, E, Shitta, G, Laouris, Y, & Arsoy, A 2010, 'Disclosure of personal and contact information by young people in social networking sites: An analysis using Facebook™ profiles as an example', International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 6, 1, pp. 81-101, Communication & Mass Media Complete

Gaming and Globalisation

The culture of video games as a juxtaposition to the reversal of representative roles in gaming does not sit well. Typically female characters in video games are weak and distressed, waiting for the aid of their male counterpart.  Shaw (2010) defines Video Game culture as “a subculture marked by certain tastes and as an art form” (p. 405).

I’ve never been into gaming so I have to admit creating a concept for a game was a pretty difficult task, let alone a game that involved a reversal of traditional roles. After contemplating the structure of my game for some time I decided to go for the most contradictory game formation to the typical ‘damsel in distress.’ In basic terms, my game would involve a female hero rescuing their male ‘damsel’, to make the game interesting the characters would be siblings, both with their own magical powers, however the villain is particularly interested in harnessing the power of the younger brother or ‘damsel’.

According to Yaniv (2012) “role reversal is a related method, rooted in classical role theory, in which two individuals each take the role of the other in an interpersonal situation and actually behave as if one is the other, before returning to their primary selves” (p. 70). In my opinion this is the process that is involved in interactive game play, as the player is taking on a separate identity to complete the task set by the game.

The thing I find most interesting about Internet gaming is that you can potentially be playing against a plethora of different cultures. It’s morning in Melbourne, and I can be playing against someone across the other side of the world, as they’re about to go to bed. While I may not appreciate everything gaming has to offer, I do find the international interconnectivity that gaming produces encapsulates the ideals that globalisation is trying to bring forth.

Reference:

Shaw, A. 2010, ‘What Is Video Game Culture? Cultural Studies and Game Studies’,Games and Culture, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 403-424

Yaniv, D 2012, 'Dynamics of creativity and empathy in role reversal: Contributions from neuroscience', Review Of General Psychology, 16, 1, pp. 70-77, PsycARTICLES, EBSCOhost

Blogging and Higher Education

With blogging becoming an increasingly popular public relations and marketing tactic amongst businesses the employment of blogging into the tertiary programme seems only natural. I mean there really isn’t a better example of this than the very subject ‘Globalisation and the Media’. To be honest, I was sceptical at first at the idea of a weekly blog as a learning platform. How could a reflection of my daily life be first of all in any way interesting, and second of all have any relation to globalisation.

According to Robertson (2011), “the educational affordances of blogs offer opportunities for students to become self-directed learners in a supportive social environment” (p. 1628).  This type of self-directed learning is particularly important for off-campus students. Whether they are learning from a rural environment, or working full time, or even studying abroad, blogging has the ability to reduce costs, and increase interconnectivity amongst students who are separated by distance.

I’ve done a few subjects off-campus before, and I’ve always found them a bit of a struggle to keep on top of, because the class contact is a constant reminder of the work you need to do. According to Wassell (2008) blogging can be used “to continue discussion beyond the classroom, investigate current multicultural research, discuss current issues, share information with students in an online format. Additionally, technology can afford voice to individuals who may not feel comfortable talking in a traditional classroom discussion” (p. 213).

I know for me talking in class is a daunting task, what if you say the wrong thing? What if you sound stupid? What if everyone laughs at you? The blogging world allows me to speak my mind, in my own way, without the focus of a class full of eyes bearing down on you.

REFERENCE:

Robertson, J. 2011 ‘The educational affordances of blog for self-directed learning’, Computers and Education, vol. 57, pp. 1628 – 1644

Wassell, B, & Crouch, C 2008, 'Fostering Connections Between Multicultural Education and Technology: Incorporating Weblogs Into Preservice Teacher Education', Journal Of Technology & Teacher Education, 16, 2, pp. 211-232, Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost