Chapter 7 and "Project Harmony"

I read the "Project Harmony" article first, and it is such a cool idea. Not only is it important for American students to understand the American media, but it is also important for them to learn about foreign media as well. I'm sure it was also eye opening to hear their opinions on American media and culture.

This is also why Web 2.0 stuff is such a great teaching and learning opportunity. I'm sure the students were able to communicate well using email, blogs, youtube, etc.

Onto the last two sections of Chapter 7:


Whoops, should be reading chapter 8 not 7:

• "Interpretive Resistance" in other words is essentially the idea that people have preconceived notions and it's hard to break those down. It happens when people read messages that are in direct opposition to their preconceived notions.
  
  The authors use Ms. as an example to illustrate that audiences will see what they want to see and may miss the larger message in doing so.
  
  
• I like the "Semiotic Robin Hoodism" term for those who remake billboards or ads to poke fun at the original.
  
  
• Pleasure in media - This is the reason it is so popular. I bet that most media is used as an escape to distract for other areas (and perhaps more important) of life. the authors talk about fantasy and how it can be empowering and pleasurable and liberating to escape reality into a fantasy world.