TV Back to......Normal?

Well, the TV writers' strike is over. Some shows are back on the TV now with fresh material. Other shows will take longer, some even not coming back until the fall.
1. Did the absence of new television shows affect your daily lives at all. Did you still watch the same amount of TV or less? If you watched less, what did you do instead?

Also, one of my favorites, Saturday Night Live, returned this week. And guest host's Tina Fey's comments are generating some buzz. Tell me what you think of her comments, in which she claims "bitch is the new black." You can find them at http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=221773.

Remember two paragraphs.

Black History Month

Hello all,
So we're closing up on February which also happens to be Black History Month. We're also facing the possibility of electing the first black President this year. Some would say we've come a long way from the racism of yesterday. Some would argue we haven't come very far at all. But here's my question to you:

What piece(s) of media (book, movie, album, TV show, etc.) do you remember as being a key piece of material addressing racism in America. You can list as many things as you like. Just give me two paragraphs telling why it impacted you so much. I'll get the ball rolling. My favorites would be a documentary series called "Eyes on the Prize" and a book by Anne Moody called "Coming of Age in Mississippi".

Pack your Bag

Hello all,
Really good comments last week. I have enjoyed reading them. I was watching a news piece this weekend where a journalist asked all the presidential candidates what book they would take with them to the White House. That's a neat question and it reminded me of that old question, "If you were stranded on an island........"

So here's my media related question to you this week. Write a short paragraph on each:

1. If you were stranded on an island, what magazine would you like to wash up onshore every week? And why?

2. If you were stranded on an island, what one movie would you like to take with you (in a portable dvd player, of course)? And why?

3. If you were stranded on an island, what one album/song would you like to be loaded on the mp3 player you took with you? And why?

Good Luck

Talk Radio

It seems that Talk Radio just gets meaner and meaner. Instead of giving us a civil discourse, we get a screaming "us versus them" mentality that really doesn't help or inspire any of us as citizens.

I spent a lot of time growing up within earshot of Atlanta, where popular talk radio host Neal Boortz broadcasts his syndicated show. Last week, Boortz began a rant on the radio.

I'd like to know what you think of his comments. You can hear them and read the transcript by clicking here.
Do you think Boortz is justified in his comments.

The State of the Union

Hello gang,
Monday night was the State of the Union and the Democratic Response. I want you to view both by clicking below

State of the Union

Democratic Response

After viewing these, i'd like you to address the following.

1. Is this the first time you have viewed a State of the Union?
2. Did you find either the State of the Union or Democratic Response inspiring?
3. A recent poll stated that 70% of citizens feel that America is on the wrong track. How do you feel after these speeches?
4. What should have been said in these speeches?

Important: Please remember to put your names on these blogs. Sometimes i can't tell who you are based on a screen nickname.

From One Dream to Another

What better way to honor Dr. King's memory than to look at the candidates who are fighting for the presidency. In the mix and being talked about as having a great shot at winning are a black man and a woman. Is racism dead? No! We have only to look at the recent incidents in Jena, Louisiana, to see we are a ways off. But perhaps we are getting there, one step at a time.

On a lighter note, here's our discussion for the week. What do you think about President Clinton napping off during MLK III's remembrance sermon? Is it disrespectful, or does it just show the guy's humanity? Who of us have not drifted off during a presentation? Or is it different in this account? If you know you are being watched by hundreds and by a camera, should you try harder? Watch the video by clicking here. I'm not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Just wondering what you think of this moment. Don't short change yourself. Give me two full paragraphs and remember you can comment on your classmates responses as well. Also, if using a nickname online, please make sure i get your real name so i can give credit more easily.

Spring 2008 - Let the Blogging Commence

So this is the first blog of Spring Semester 2008. You'll have to join this site in order to post so make sure you go through that process. Sometimes i use questions from past semesters (like today's question). In that case you'll be able to read past students' comments. With that introduction, here's this week's post.

One of my favorite movies is "Anchorman" with Will Ferrell. It's great at showing the absurdity that may or may not take place in television news. Recently, a station in Tyler, Texas, hired a model to take over the position of anchorwoman. Needless to say, most of the station didn't like it. The whole thing was captured in a Fox reality show named "Anchorwoman." The station manager thought it was a good idea but people got upset. The reality show itself even flopped after one airing. You can find a summary of all this at http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2007/08/25/moos.anchorwoman.cancelled.cnn. Here's my question to you. Do looks matter in television news. Does gender matter? Does race matter? Does youth matter? Who do you want sitting at the anchor desk of your news? Who do you want sitting at a national network's newscast? Give me at least a two paragraph reply, and remember you can also comment on what other people write.