media mayhem

Today in class, you are going to work with a partner to deconstruct an ad.  Write your response in Word and then upload it as a comment on this post.  You can format your response in one of two ways.  You can simply leave it in a question and answer format, or you can take out the questions and write your answers in paragraphs.  You can choose one of the print ads that we took from magazines, or you can use one of the ads from About Face’s “Gallery of Offenders” (http://www.about-face.org/goo/).  Have fun!

1. Whose message is this? Who created or paid for it? Why?

2. Who is the “target audience”? What is their age, ethnicity, class, profession, interests, etc.? What words, images or sounds suggest this?

3. What is the “text” of the message? (What we actually see and/or hear: written or spoken words, photos, drawings, logos, design, music, sounds, etc.)

4. What is the “subtext” of the message? (What do you think is the hidden or unstated meaning?)

5. What “tools of persuasion” are used?

6. What positive messages are presented? What negative messages are presented?  Are there any messages that show or contribute to stereotypes?

7. What part of the story is not being told?

8. Anything else you’d like to add?

welcome to the media mayhem blog!

there are so many ways we can use this site.

you and i can create posts and we can respond to them through comments.

we can post videos and and advertisements with a media mayhem take on them.

you can begin to gather ideas for your final projects.  will you teach a lesson to younger kids?  design a study?  make anti-advertising posters?  create your own commercial or magazine ad?

we’ll start with some structured responses and get used to the format and the use of the blog.  as we get used to the site and learn more about it, we can discuss how we can use it best, and you can start to have more control over what we post and how we use it.