Monday, August 31, 2009

An Example of Media Concentration

The big news to me today is that Disney is purchasing Marvel Entertainment, the comics company that owns Spider-Man, X-Men, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, etc. Being that we've discussed media concentration and consolidation, what are some things you expect to happen to Marvel due to the buyout? What new opportunities or threats do you believe Marvel faces.

This also brings up another question. In the last decade we have seen a resurgence in superheroes. Every year there are a few big superhero movies released. "Heroes" is a top rated show on NBC. What is the appeal of the superhero genre and why do you think it has recently gained so much interest?

Also, please sign the end of your posts with your name. We have several in class that share first names.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Social Media

Welcome to the new semester! One of the things that i noticed last semester was how much time i was spending with Facebook. If you don't know about Facebook, then you need to look it up. Google it. Using this social connector, i have been able to re-establish contact with friends from long ago. I recently had dinner with an old college buddy that i found by using facebook.

So here's my question to you. How has social media like facebook, myspace, youtube, changed your life? Do you use any of these programs? Some people even have their cellphone connected to facebook. I'm amazed at how much information people will share on these sites. People constantly post pictures of themselves in compromising situations. I even know some employers who check candidates' facebook pages to see what kind of person they are in private. Do you think the Internet, with the help of these programs, is helping us reveal too much about ourself. Is modesty fading because of new media? Or does the possibility of re-connecting with old friends and establishing relationships with similar likes and dislikes outweigh the negative implications of this media. Remember, two paragraphs. Again, welcome to class.