The Media Drought Hits Hard at the McNelly House

The media depravation experiment began over the Thanksgiving weekend. For 24 hours, my girlfriend and I turned off our cell phones, unplugged our television, and turned off our computer. Being the competitive person that I am, I placed a bet that I would make it though the entire day and she couldn’t. The winner would have to cover the bar tab on Saturday. It was by far the most difficult thing that I have ever done. The peace and quiet was killing me, and I actually went jogging for the first time in a long time and started working out again. In the end, my girlfriend couldn’t hold out any longer and I won the bet.

We have become so reliable on technology it’s almost sickening to think that we are so dependent. When I lived with my parents and the power would go out at our house, we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves. We would find our old black and white television and huddle around that trying to find a good reception. Even when we are forced to go without technology by Mother Nature, we still find ways to grab hold of some form of technology. Media, especially when watching movies or getting on My Space, allows us to step out of the norm and into a different reality. Some people who have My Space profiles allow themselves to step out of reality and become “cooler online”. Watching a movie places us the jungle with Rambo, in the boxing ring with Rocky, or in the hospital with our favorite characters on Scrubs. High definition television allows us to be at the big game cheering on our favorite sports teams or at the race track riding along with our favorite NASCAR drivers.

Technology has also allowed us to shop and do research from the safety of our home. We don’t have to stand in line at department stores and go to the library late at night. Who knows who is out there waiting to attack us. Personally, I applaud the advances in technology. Have we become dependent on this phenomenon, of course we have. These technological advances have become a necessity and it’s time we embrace these advances and not reject them like so many others have.

Television vs. Print: The Battle Rages On

It was an unbelievable fight between television and print. Both Pagila and Postman brought up some key points that sent their opponents staggering into the corner. But in the end, after I judged and tallied up the final scores of the fight, I have determined that television is the winner.

Television wins this fights, hands down because print has become a thing of the older generation. The ideas of moving image fascinates us and our way of receiving information, rather than reading word after word, page after page of material until you bore yourself to death, is more appealing. Most children are watching television for their entertainment and most adults are watching the news rather than reading it. Times have changed since the television was invented. Television is a fun, effective way we get all of our information and entertainment. Our generation responds to visual aids rather than reading and coming up with a conclusion. These visual aids work and is celebrated in classrooms with televisions. I know some people that get a lot of enjoyment out of reading and they like to use their imagination. They find it very rewarding knowing that they finished a 500 page book. Who has time for that? I hate reading, but I have to do it if I want to pass my classes. Reading is becoming second nature because it is so dull. Times are changing and people want to see it rather than do it on their own.

Nosferatu: A Classic with a Modern Twist

The film Nosferatu has many of the ideas that we see in modern day films. The use of music relating to a certain scene really sets the tone for the storyline in a movie. The music throughout this film was somber and haunting. Watching this movie really left me on the edge of my seat. A particular scene that embodies modern day film work with old movies is the scene in the shack when he is reading about vampires. There was very little light provided by the candle he had at his bedside. He started reading about vampires next to this candle. He would read more and more about vampires, and the more that he read, the dimmer the lighting got in the shack. I was anticipating something happening to him; maybe he would get attacked by a vampire. Just as he was finished reading the material on the vampires, the light got a little brighter and he went to sleep. Now, normally in modern horror movies, that would spell doom for our beloved character, but he lived to see another day.
This scene in the movie is a precursor to what we can expect in the upcoming scenes with the main character. This scene leaves you guessing what is going to happen in the movie. My first reaction to seeing him reading the book and laughing at the mere fact of vampires was that he’s going to either die at the end of destroy the vampires. I must admit, I was never a big fan of the silent film. I thought they were pointless and dull, but after seeing Nosferatu, my opinion of silent film changed. There is really no difference between this film and horror films we see today. Of course, the obvious differences are there in this film. They have eliminated the violence, blood, and special effects, but this film didn’t need those things. Even before we see what is going to happen with the main character of the film, we tend to make up our own story. Usually we say. “They are going to die” or “they will kill the bad guy and save the day”. Sometimes you can almost predict what is going to happen in a horror film. There are some films that leave you guessing and shocked at the end, however. This film allowed me to expand and elaborate on my predictions on how the movie would end. I even had some fun making up lines that the characters were saying in the movie. This scene was really haunting and chilling for me. You saw the look of astonishment on the face of the main character when he began reading about vampires. Then we read further and further, and the lights began to dim. Some people are of the opinion that you need violence and a lot of blood to capture the true essence of a horror movie. Mystery and suspense does it for me every time with a horror movie. This movie was a classic horror movie that was way ahead of its time.

ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Media Biases

The year was 2000. The National Football League was getting ready for Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, FL, and The New York Giants were getting ready to play the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams arrived a week in advance to get ready for media day. On this day, members of various media outlets would interview and ask questions to different players and coaches on both teams. The New York Giants had the morning session of media day. Their questions were basic and simple: how healthy quarterback Kerry Collins is, how strong Tiki Barber is and if he can run against the Baltimore Ravens defense, and how will Coach Jim Fassel feel about coaching against his best friend Brian Billick. The Baltimore Ravens were scheduled to come on to the field next for media day. They had just finished a terrific regular season and post season with a 12-4 record, an NFL leading 8 pro bowl players, and the best defense in the NFL, perhaps in the history of the NFL. Their leader and captain of the defense, Ray Lewis, was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year that year as well. Instead of being asked questions about the game, the entire Ravens organization was bombarded by these questions: “So, do you think Ray Lewis’ murder trial was a distraction this season?” Just like regular news media outlets are bias toward certain topics, the sports media has biases toward certain topics and teams. ESPN and other sports media outlets are the biggest offenders of these bias views.

In the sports world, there are a handful of teams that are popular all over the United States. Regardless of how bad they are doing, they will always be one of the top stories on ESPN. Executives at ESPN, when they are scheduling the Monday Night Games, look at the teams that have the most appeal to fans. The term they use is how “sexy” a team looks. Teams that are popular generate the highest ratings during Monday Night Football. Popular teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Steelers, and Lakers will always be shown before teams from Baltimore, Arizona and Seattle.

There are many factors that determine how “sexy” a team is. One of those factors is a team that has a great offense and a high scoring, close game. Defensive minded football games that end 10-9 with only one touchdown scored the entire game is not what ESPN is looking to showcase on Monday Night Football. A game that is predicted to end 44-42 is more exciting and with generate into a high ratings, as opposed to defensive minded games which are boring and dull to viewers. Another factor that determines how “sexy” a team is big name players that have a clean image in the media. Fans want to see athletes like Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, more than they want to see Ray Lewis, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. Peyton is an extraordinary athlete with a very clean image, good personality, and holds several NFL records. Ray Lewis on the other hand is perceived as a “thug”. Even though he has cleaned up his life after the trial in 2000 (Ray was found not guilty of murder) and has devoted his life to religion, the murder trial will always hang over his head. Peyton is the guy you want to sit down, have a beer with, and talk about sports. Peyton is the face of the NFL and popular culture.

“Sexiness” isn’t the only bias that the sports media has developed. They also have developed a “fall from grace” bias, just like many news media outlets have showcased, known as the "bad news bias". The sports media enjoys covering a players’ fall from greatness into obscurity in the sports world. A prime example would be the steroid scandal that has plagued professional and collegian sports. Networks like ESPN, and many popular news media outlets search tirelessly for stories on big name players testing positive for steroids. Once an athlete tests positive for steroids, they move right to the top of the list of headlines in the sports world and major news media. A prime example would be the recent confession of Marion Jones and her use of steroids during the 2000 Olympics. If they lie about not taking steroids and then test positive for steroids, like Jones did, then ESPN will spend all day talking about that athlete and they will have their own special report on Outside the Lines. The teams’ fall from grace is a bias that really hurts the small town markets. Reporters tend to focus on how far a team has digressed since last season, rather than how impressive the opposing team was in the win. For example, in 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the most popular teams in the NFL, won the Super Bowl. The following year, Pittsburgh did not have the same results as last season. When the Baltimore Ravens beat the Steelers 27-0 in Week 9, then in Week 16 defeated them 31-7, the sports media didn’t talk about the amazing victory. The media instead focused on the downfall of the Steelers and not the impressive game by the Ravens. Not once did the “experts” mention how the Ravens defense dominated the entire game.

The media is a very bias world that can hurt small market teams. The media can also destroy an athlete’s image. Head Coach Brian Billick put it best when he said, in a recent interview with NFL Network, “you can control the media, or the media can control you”. Teams like the Orioles and Ravens will never have huge media exposure unless they force themselves upon the media, like winning a Super Bowl. Sports media will never put an end to these biases and will continue to showcase these high profile teams. Until they start balancing out coverage of all the teams, small market teams will never rise above the highly publicized teams.

My Media Habits: Are Yours As Bad as Mine?

The media is defined as an agency through which information is conveyed. We get all of our information, sports, news, politics, etc., through the media. Everyone has different media habits. From the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep, I am in constant contact with the media. I wake up with the radio on and there’s Mike and Mike telling me all about the top stories in sports. I have a radio in the shower so I can continue listening to the top stories. From there I go in the kitchen and watch Sportscenter until it’s time for me to go to school. In my car, I either listen to KMS or Mike and Mike, if the reception is good, to see if the Baltimore Orioles won last night. On the road I wait for a call from my girlfriend or one of my friends letting me know what’s going on this weekend. My favorite time to tune into the radio is on a Monday morning or a Tuesday morning, when Tom Davis and Tom Matte recap the Ravens highlights from last weekend. I have a big gap between some of my classes, so I usually go to the computer lab and check out Blackboard, see who commented me on MySpace, check my fantasy football league, check out Pro Football 24x7, then do my homework. If I’m bored or it’s late at night, I’ll listen to some Dierks Bentley on my iPod while playing Grand Theft Auto or Madden 08 on my Playstation 2.

Everyone has different media habits, whether it’s reading the newspaper or listening to the radio, we need to stay in constant contact with the media. The media is our outlet to the world and we need to plug in to gain that information. Whether it’s for a quiz grade in our American Studies class, listening to some of your favorite songs, taking out your frustrations on the world by playing Grand Theft Auto and robbing some old lady and stealing cars, or to have a conversation with your buddies at the bar on the weekend, everyone uses the media for something. The media is a must have for everyone.

Blog #1: About Me

My name is Steve McNelly and I am an American Studies major at UMBC. I currently work part-time for Open Door Before and After School Child Care in Pasadena at Ft. Smallwood Elementary. The kids I work with are great and they really look up to me. I try to help them become better people and better athletes. I love to watch sports and play them as well. In high school I played two years on JV Basketball, one year for Varsity Football, and four years on the Varsity Golf team, where I was team captain my senior year. Watching sports and following my favorite sports teams is a passion of mine. I grew up watching the Baltimore Orioles every since I was three years old. However, my passion is football and the Baltimore Ravens. Every Sunday, I’m at the game tailgating with my friends and family or at my brother’s house watching the game on his HD television (I guess working for Comcast Spotlight has it advantages!). For all of the best Ravens coverage check out http://profootball24x7.com/. It’s a new website that my brother got me hooked on. Not only to they write about the Ravens, but they also sponsor Bart Scott’s radio show on Tuesday nights.
I am currently in the American Studies program to get my bachelor’s degree (finally) and pursue a career in sports talk radio. There are so many things I want to say about the various topics in sports. My girlfriend, friends, and family tell me how passionate I sound when I talk about sports, and they have encouraged me to follow my dreams. This class is part of my course requirement to graduate, but there is so much I want to get out of this class. I love the fact that we are using blogger.com. It is just a small example of the giant steps that we have taken in technology. All of our information is coming via the computer. We stay in constant contact with people through websites such as MySpace and Facebook. We e-mail funny videos and pictures and check our grades and assignments using Blackboard. I want to find out where technology stood hundreds of years ago. How did people communicate? How did they get their information? If I am going to pursue a career in media, I need to know what direction we are going in. For now, it looks like the future is blogging and the internet. Who knows what will happen in the next ten years with technology. Whatever direction we take, I cannot wait until the entire world hears what I have to say.