One day, while surfing through YouTube in my boredom, I stumbled upon a Vlog that would bring hours of entertainment to my life. Andrew’s Blog follows Andrew Keenan-Bolger, a recently graduated actor from the University of Michigan. His vlog follows his adventures as he lives his life of an actor in New York City and on the road with a national tour of a Broadway show. He has seasons just like television shows, and when it is in season, there is a weekly vlog about life on the road. The most recent season has followed Andrew on tour with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
This vlog is appealing because it is like a reality show for theatre kids. It’s fascinating to watch the life of someone living the dream we want to pursue. When an audience watches a touring show in a theatre, they only see what is going on on the stage, but they don’t get to see what goes on behind the curtain. With this vlog, the viewers can see how the actors live while touring the country, which is very fascinating to aspiring performers as well as the average person. He doesn’t take any kind of serious stance as far as topics, and it is obvious that a lot of the events in episodes are staged. It’s not the sort of vlog anyone would watch for deep intellectual analysis or news, but it is extremely entertaining. He’s a really funny guy. Most of the time he just carries around his video camera while hanging out with his friends and then edits the film down to a ten-minute video with a catchy opening song and a quirky title.
Vlogs seem like a very productive way to get ideas and thoughts out, whether they are deep musings about life, or just fun thoughts to mindlessly entertain people. A video blog is much more appealing to me than a written blog. A video blog allows for better expression of emotion. It is helpful to see the speaker to see how impassioned they are about their topic and see the little nuances that make them unique. There are some feelings that are better expressed through body language and tone, which are nearly impossible to express in written blogs. When viewing vlogs it is much easier to connect with the speaker. While in written blogs stream of consciousness can be lengthy and boring, in a video blog it may be easier to hold the viewer’s attention because they are actually watching the author. As evident by Lemonette, we are much more likely to watch someone ramble on about random subjects than read pages and pages of rambling. While I think it would be less effort to make a video blog rather than a written blog, I also think it takes a lot more courage. These video bloggers cannot hide behind their words and false user names. They are putting themselves out on the World Wide Web for everyone to view. I think that demands a certain respect no matter how you feel about their vlogs or opinions.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Corporate Drug Dealing In Public Schools- H.W. 1/28
Vlogging is an extremely effective medium of expression, especially in the current state of America, a place where the Television dominates a majority of our people’s time. Vlogging can be used for a wide array purposes. One can express his or her personal opinion, denounce that which they have found to be false information or they can even encourage the public to make a change. The addition of visual and auditory media to a thought bumps its significance to a whole new level. By adding these sensory stimuli, the possibility of reaching your audience is increased three fold from that which is offered by text alone.
This Vlog is a compilation of multiple news media sources and their coverage of the Teen Screen program. The Teen Screen program is an extremely controversial “diagnostic psychiatric service”, made possible by President George W. Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (sadly, it seems that the simple addition of a word like FREEDOM or PATRIOT is enough to confuse and distract the American public). The program asks predetermined questions to school age children and, based on their responses, provides a psychiatric analysis of the child as well as a referral for further treatment of any problem.
The program is supposedly aimed toward suicide prevention for youth, but in this there lies a problem. The program is targeting children and prescribing them to anti-depressants, anti-depressants were found, by the FDA in September of 2004, to spur “suicidal thoughts and actions” in minors. It seems very illogical to give children those same drugs, which induce the very effects they are marketed to prevent, in fact it seems very wrong. And it is.
Another problem with this program is its unethical approach to amassing student participation. Covert tactics are used to get these children evaluated; they are bribed with candy, pizza and gift cards for their participation. A document called a “Passive Permission Form” is sometimes used; this document assumes that when it is not returned to school the parent has consented to screening. This procedure is nonsensical and divisive, children have many ways to get rid of documents and are especially inclined to do so when they are being tempted with a prize. Why are these types of methods being employed? Why does the Teen Screen program feel it needs to use such coercion and deceit? If the intentions of Teen Screen are indeed so noble, why is all this needed?
One popular thought is that Teen Screen is nothing but a methodical drug rep., working within the school systems of America. Teen screen was one of two “model programs” included in President Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Why, out of all the mental health programs in the nation, was Teen Screen chosen as a “model program”? Perhaps it had something to do with The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), who receives millions of dollars in funding from pharmaceutical companies every year. NAMI was found to be instrumental in the inclusion of Teen Screen in the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and continues to support the expansion and acceptance of the program in public schools.
This Vlog was created to spread an important message about health in America and to encourage counteraction. Because of the visual and auditory aspects of the presentation, the point was clearly represented and instilled within me was a desire to know more. The video encouraged me to look for other information about the Teen Screen Program and develop a better perspective of the issue. Though some of the images within the vlog were extremely simple in nature, they were still a great tool for maintaining my attention, and use of the vlog was enriching to my overall learning experience.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Bo Fo' Sho': "Word Smithsonian"
As I searched the web for an intriguing vlogger to write about, I was again reminded of a very funny video submitter on You Tube. His name is Bo Burnham, and he is a comedic genius. He is actually a year younger than I am, and while his submissions may not technically meet the requirements of the more formal and regular video blog that many others do, his posts do in a way serve as a creative lyrical journal.
Bo Burnham’s series of You Tube song posts have gained a great deal of popularity and acclaim. Though his primary audience consists of easily amused adolescents and his songs generally mock anyone and everyone he can think of, he is actually a very talented young songwriter as all of his postings are original song compositions on the guitar and keyboard. His numerous songs are considered sharp satires which encompass impressively witty lyrics about a broad range of topics. I actually feel a little guilty about finding humor in his music blog, and I cannot deny that his intellectual way of mocking life by use of his dry sense of humor have successfully drawn my attention many a time.
Whether his songs are about historical figures, women, or fictional characters in a rehab -center, there is one theme that remains constant throughout his work- his brilliantly mature diction. I suppose that is actually what I am most captivated by when it comes to his videos. Not only is he not even quite my age and able to compose numerous songs (which are well written and have rather catchy melodies), he is able to write highly clever lyrics to them which are a mere indication of his ability to creatively incorporate his vast vocabulary in everyday life. Though his observations of those he writes and sings of are perhaps a little too harshly accurate, such submissions do provide him with a way to practice and share his love of music.
I do believe this is a productive way for him to share his talent and get out his ideas, no matter how snide or crude they may be. As far as Bo Burnham is concerned, video blogging is a much better way for him to present his work. Merely posting his lyrics online would not result in the same entertainment success because what is perhaps one of the best parts about his blog submissions is that his performances cause his eccentric personality and contagious fervor to radiate even across the internet. I think that this remains true of most blogging. People often tend to be most true when rambling a seemingly incoherent stream of consciousness about a particular subject. It’s these raw, unedited, spur of the moment thoughts that allow us to truly delve deeply into our thoughts and allow us to accurately develop ideas and opinions about things without being overly concerned with how it sounds or what others may think.
Bo Burnham’s series of You Tube song posts have gained a great deal of popularity and acclaim. Though his primary audience consists of easily amused adolescents and his songs generally mock anyone and everyone he can think of, he is actually a very talented young songwriter as all of his postings are original song compositions on the guitar and keyboard. His numerous songs are considered sharp satires which encompass impressively witty lyrics about a broad range of topics. I actually feel a little guilty about finding humor in his music blog, and I cannot deny that his intellectual way of mocking life by use of his dry sense of humor have successfully drawn my attention many a time.
Whether his songs are about historical figures, women, or fictional characters in a rehab -center, there is one theme that remains constant throughout his work- his brilliantly mature diction. I suppose that is actually what I am most captivated by when it comes to his videos. Not only is he not even quite my age and able to compose numerous songs (which are well written and have rather catchy melodies), he is able to write highly clever lyrics to them which are a mere indication of his ability to creatively incorporate his vast vocabulary in everyday life. Though his observations of those he writes and sings of are perhaps a little too harshly accurate, such submissions do provide him with a way to practice and share his love of music.
I do believe this is a productive way for him to share his talent and get out his ideas, no matter how snide or crude they may be. As far as Bo Burnham is concerned, video blogging is a much better way for him to present his work. Merely posting his lyrics online would not result in the same entertainment success because what is perhaps one of the best parts about his blog submissions is that his performances cause his eccentric personality and contagious fervor to radiate even across the internet. I think that this remains true of most blogging. People often tend to be most true when rambling a seemingly incoherent stream of consciousness about a particular subject. It’s these raw, unedited, spur of the moment thoughts that allow us to truly delve deeply into our thoughts and allow us to accurately develop ideas and opinions about things without being overly concerned with how it sounds or what others may think.
Speaking up: A Vlog on Megan Meier 's Story
Youtube is a website that is widely used by on-liners because of its sometimes shocking, yet instantly gratifying contents. This website allows millions of viewers to see anything from music videos to full-length episodes of ‘Garfield and Friends’. The reason why I visit YouTube is usually for the music videos, but today I searched for video blogs – a.k.a. “vlogs”. After sitting through about two hours worth of these vlogs, I realized that I was never really going to find that “perfect” vlog : the one that grabbed my attention from the very start and kept me entertained and intrigued. Feeling guilty for wasting so much time on YouTube watching random people doing and/or saying random things, I had to finally put an end to my vlog-watching madness.
One vlogger, a girl whose membership title reads “CelesitalNM”, talked for five minutes and fifty-five seconds about the tragic case of Megan Meier. On October 17, 2006, Megan killed herself after being consistently harassed by a MySpace user named Josh Evans. Ironically, and CelestialNM gives a fast-paced, rather nervous scoop on this, Josh was not who he said he was. In reality, this Josh guy was a prank person created by some of Megan’s school friends. CelestialNM, even though she seems somewhat uncomfortable with her speech, does a good job of getting this issue to the public through the use of evidence, facts, and opinions. She has created this vlog to express her beliefs on how pathetic she believes Lori Drew is. Trust me, Celestial is very passionate about her feelings towards the entire ordeal. She describes Lori as the mother of one of the girls who costumed herself as Josh Evans. Lori knew that her daughter was participating in this horrible act, and Celestial wants people to know just how sad of a person Mrs. Drew is. She also mentions the danger of internet messages by describing a friend of hers who attempted the same act as Megan, for the same reasons.
Vlogs are a productive way to get messages out. They are captivating because most are obviously home-made, and people are drawn to real-life situations, especially if the situation is shocking, racy, or extremely tragic. I can see how vlogs can get people moving, and how they can cause them to become aware of the world they live in. Unfortunately, one has to sort through a wide variety of perversion and senselessness to get to videos containing matters of importance. What Celestial has done, and seems to still be doing (as seen by her ‘13 videos on YouTube’ status) shows me that individuals can be heard. Not everyone surfs through the YouTube vlog channels, but those who do can easily gain access to and comment on a large number of videos. In so doing, these people (including myself) open themselves up to new viewpoints, thoughts, ideas, and stories. Celestial touches on a sensitive issue, but judging by the majority of her comments, many people respect her for speaking out.
One vlogger, a girl whose membership title reads “CelesitalNM”, talked for five minutes and fifty-five seconds about the tragic case of Megan Meier. On October 17, 2006, Megan killed herself after being consistently harassed by a MySpace user named Josh Evans. Ironically, and CelestialNM gives a fast-paced, rather nervous scoop on this, Josh was not who he said he was. In reality, this Josh guy was a prank person created by some of Megan’s school friends. CelestialNM, even though she seems somewhat uncomfortable with her speech, does a good job of getting this issue to the public through the use of evidence, facts, and opinions. She has created this vlog to express her beliefs on how pathetic she believes Lori Drew is. Trust me, Celestial is very passionate about her feelings towards the entire ordeal. She describes Lori as the mother of one of the girls who costumed herself as Josh Evans. Lori knew that her daughter was participating in this horrible act, and Celestial wants people to know just how sad of a person Mrs. Drew is. She also mentions the danger of internet messages by describing a friend of hers who attempted the same act as Megan, for the same reasons.
Vlogs are a productive way to get messages out. They are captivating because most are obviously home-made, and people are drawn to real-life situations, especially if the situation is shocking, racy, or extremely tragic. I can see how vlogs can get people moving, and how they can cause them to become aware of the world they live in. Unfortunately, one has to sort through a wide variety of perversion and senselessness to get to videos containing matters of importance. What Celestial has done, and seems to still be doing (as seen by her ‘13 videos on YouTube’ status) shows me that individuals can be heard. Not everyone surfs through the YouTube vlog channels, but those who do can easily gain access to and comment on a large number of videos. In so doing, these people (including myself) open themselves up to new viewpoints, thoughts, ideas, and stories. Celestial touches on a sensitive issue, but judging by the majority of her comments, many people respect her for speaking out.
Ross Can
Through some obscure searching I came across a video blog of a celebrity (“celebrity” after widely-viewed segments on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and a season of the VH1 Celebreality show, “Celebrity Fit Club”), Ross Mathews. He presents his blog with both written and video-taped sections called “Talkys.” The Talkys are posted on MySpace, YouTube, and ImCooked (dubbed the “YouTube” for cooking fans) and then end up, where I found them, on Ross’s personal blog on NBC.com.
I found the video blogs to be much more entertaining than the written blogs, partly because of the speed. The down-fall of the videos is the noticeable lack of organization. In some cases, Ross seemed flustered as he was multitasking (making lunch, working in the office, chatting with other “blog buddies,” talking to his pets…etc.). I concluded that it’s easier to accomplish an organized thought in writing than talking into a webcam (at the expense of all of the entertainment Ross delivers in person). It’s interesting that he strikes a balance between presenting information and being personable and all the while being a gripping moving box on my computer. He transforms the blog into a conversation and unlike other more distant video blogs I stumbled upon, it is a conversation that you feel included in. Ross has a friendly relationship with his “blog buddies,” greeting them in each message and even apologizing for days where he can’t post.
Ross covers a wide range of topics and apparently everything but the kitchen sink. In one Talky, he apologizes for the previous day’s Talky about bowel movements. He speaks naturally and freely but never strays too far from the topic at hand. He grabs attention with jokes, different voices, and above all volume. He also is careful not to gossip. This made his Talkys more effective for me because… Watching only a few of his videos, I have yet to see Ross tackle any serious subjects. In his regular routine, an out of place serious subject would stand out like a sore thumb and would undeniably be a buzz kill to the overall light mood that he creates. Ross has a hilarious and outgoing personality appealing to mainly women, as I have seen quite a few boys scared away by Ross. Perhaps this is just because of his tweezed eye brows or high pitched voice, but I’ll say that they are overlooking a true comedian.
While I’m still on the rocks about the purpose of a blog or even a video blog, I think that in some cases, and especially Ross, they are essential for those who enjoy talking to let their thoughts escape into the virtual world where interested viewers can then handle them.
Video blogging in my opinion is an interesting behavior process. As viewers we watch as the blogger’s thoughts are forming and words are flowing out all the while striving to reach a thesis. However, Ross has proven that some blogs need no hidden theme or emotional underlying, and sometimes, even no subject!
I found the video blogs to be much more entertaining than the written blogs, partly because of the speed. The down-fall of the videos is the noticeable lack of organization. In some cases, Ross seemed flustered as he was multitasking (making lunch, working in the office, chatting with other “blog buddies,” talking to his pets…etc.). I concluded that it’s easier to accomplish an organized thought in writing than talking into a webcam (at the expense of all of the entertainment Ross delivers in person). It’s interesting that he strikes a balance between presenting information and being personable and all the while being a gripping moving box on my computer. He transforms the blog into a conversation and unlike other more distant video blogs I stumbled upon, it is a conversation that you feel included in. Ross has a friendly relationship with his “blog buddies,” greeting them in each message and even apologizing for days where he can’t post.
Ross covers a wide range of topics and apparently everything but the kitchen sink. In one Talky, he apologizes for the previous day’s Talky about bowel movements. He speaks naturally and freely but never strays too far from the topic at hand. He grabs attention with jokes, different voices, and above all volume. He also is careful not to gossip. This made his Talkys more effective for me because… Watching only a few of his videos, I have yet to see Ross tackle any serious subjects. In his regular routine, an out of place serious subject would stand out like a sore thumb and would undeniably be a buzz kill to the overall light mood that he creates. Ross has a hilarious and outgoing personality appealing to mainly women, as I have seen quite a few boys scared away by Ross. Perhaps this is just because of his tweezed eye brows or high pitched voice, but I’ll say that they are overlooking a true comedian.
While I’m still on the rocks about the purpose of a blog or even a video blog, I think that in some cases, and especially Ross, they are essential for those who enjoy talking to let their thoughts escape into the virtual world where interested viewers can then handle them.
Video blogging in my opinion is an interesting behavior process. As viewers we watch as the blogger’s thoughts are forming and words are flowing out all the while striving to reach a thesis. However, Ross has proven that some blogs need no hidden theme or emotional underlying, and sometimes, even no subject!
Vlogging: A Window to Stardom
YouTube; its used for entertainment, business, search engine, and now is even a way to become discovered. Log in and prepare to be overwhelmed with the millions of video thrown in your face and addictiveness of searching for useless clips. I’ve watched clips of shows on this site before, but it wasn’t until recently I discovered homemade reality shows posted through this web vlog. Vlogging has been stunningly popular since around 2006 when videos came out about the “top vloggers of the year”.
Paducah, Kentucky’s own celebrity vlogger, William Sledd is entertaining viewers everywhere with his love, and hatred for others sense of fashion. His frequently viewed show first started off as an advice vlog titled “Ask a Gay Man” and has risen to become one of the most popular vlogs on YouTube with over 12 million hits. Sledd started working at the local Gap in Paducah but now has focused his life towards helping, and making fun of Kentucky locals. This style Guru has made it known to everyone what is and is not acceptable when going out in public. For example, no scrubs to the mall at any time, socks with flip-flops is never allowed, Uggs with sweatpants is never cute and overalls aren’t even ok for construction workers. His latest entry is a mockery of fellow vlogger Chris Crocker. Crocker is famously known for defending scandalous Britney Spears in her moments of weakness to the extent of crying to the camera, pleading for fans and others to “leave Britney alone!” In response to Crocker, Sledd posted “Leave Crocs Alone!” Each post contains humorous information about different accessory items, shoes, or general clothing. With the sporadic guests including his mother, Christine Embersole, Perez Hilton, and personal friends it is never a dull moment on “Ask a Gay Guy”. Although these vlogs are made mostly for amusement, Sledd has also added in a hot topic; homosexuality. He is always honest and very open about who he is. His openness about his sexuality has opened doors for many others to express themselves through YouTube without being ashamed or scared of what other may think. So although this vlog has provided strangers with a person to watch, It has also helped other strangers in feeling safer in their own skin.
When William started his vlog, it was simply a secret video diary for himself. He did not tell anybody in his family about it because it was his own thing. Never did he think that his mom would discover his new hobby by receiving a phone call from the Tonight Show. Following his appearance on Jay Leno’s talk show, he went on to Rachel Ray, Paducah’s local news, and several mentions through “hot topics” on The View. Who would have thought that a video diary would lead to William Sledd’s discovery? Look for Sledd in his possible upcoming reality show on Bravo that is in the works.
Vlogging: The new reality
Blogging used to be a simple matter of a person writing their ideas, everyday life, politics, down on a blog site for anyone to see. However, blogging has now evolved into vlogging. Vlogging is the new term used for people who use videos of anything and everything to express a thought or idea instead of just writing it down on a regular blog site. The obvious forerunners of the blogging industry are YouTube, Podcasts, Vodcasts, etc. I believe that this new attempt at blogging by video drastically changes the entire concept. It makes the process much more personally as a person can judge the blogger by their appearance or voice. People inherently judge at an instance taking in these certain aspects. Regardless, vlogging has become the next step.
One particular video blog that I found interesting is about British girl named Kate who tells funny stories about her life and what she does everyday. The thing that caught my attention to her blog however was the fact the she actually responded to people’s comments. In her first blog she half joking/kidding said that she did not expect any comments or posts to her video. However, her next video blog is the day after and she is so excited that she has over ten thousands views and hundreds of comments. Watching her intense excitement about her over the night popularity, has made me realize a new phenomenon these video blogs are starting to have. Untold numbers of people video blog random segments of their lives and hope for thousands of views because they want to feel excepted by the world. People are starting to find social acceptance through the web and internet based upon an ephemeral and non physical relationship.
Disturbingly enough, later in her video blogs she reveals her obsession and profession with video games. She lives in London, England and works at a local video game store. She claims that it is the love of her life and the best job a girl like her could hope for. In one brief scene it shows her rolling in a pile of her video games laughing like an insane crack head. Someone comments on this video and asks her if she damaged any of her games in her rolling fun. She video blogs back that only one of the cases was slightly bent and that the rest were perfectly fine. Kate tells the camera that she not only talks to her games she has a special relationship with her favorite two (I really do not want to ask how that works!) I realize that this girl has so saturated herself in a virtual world that she relational values video games on the same level as people. I find this not only pathetic but tragic because I really don’t think that she is kidding.
Katers 17, the alias that this CRAZY girl goes by, has a myspace page that reveals her entire life and has over twenty home made videos. Does Kate live her life and find her identity more through her vlogging than actual reality?
One particular video blog that I found interesting is about British girl named Kate who tells funny stories about her life and what she does everyday. The thing that caught my attention to her blog however was the fact the she actually responded to people’s comments. In her first blog she half joking/kidding said that she did not expect any comments or posts to her video. However, her next video blog is the day after and she is so excited that she has over ten thousands views and hundreds of comments. Watching her intense excitement about her over the night popularity, has made me realize a new phenomenon these video blogs are starting to have. Untold numbers of people video blog random segments of their lives and hope for thousands of views because they want to feel excepted by the world. People are starting to find social acceptance through the web and internet based upon an ephemeral and non physical relationship.
Disturbingly enough, later in her video blogs she reveals her obsession and profession with video games. She lives in London, England and works at a local video game store. She claims that it is the love of her life and the best job a girl like her could hope for. In one brief scene it shows her rolling in a pile of her video games laughing like an insane crack head. Someone comments on this video and asks her if she damaged any of her games in her rolling fun. She video blogs back that only one of the cases was slightly bent and that the rest were perfectly fine. Kate tells the camera that she not only talks to her games she has a special relationship with her favorite two (I really do not want to ask how that works!) I realize that this girl has so saturated herself in a virtual world that she relational values video games on the same level as people. I find this not only pathetic but tragic because I really don’t think that she is kidding.
Katers 17, the alias that this CRAZY girl goes by, has a myspace page that reveals her entire life and has over twenty home made videos. Does Kate live her life and find her identity more through her vlogging than actual reality?
I have a secret...
PostSecret is an ongoing community art project which was begun by Frank Warren. People write a secret on one side of a homemade postcard and then mail it to him. The only rule: reveal anything you want, as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Frank has created 4 books, an ongoing Sunday blog, and a traveling exhibit with the 180,000 postcards he has received so far. In addition to these media forms, there are also several video blog compilations of the PostSecret project.
The idea that you are privy to someone else’s secret is what I think most people find intriguing about the PostSecret project. Reading these secrets from people all over the country provides insight into human nature. The contributors to PostSecret come from vastly different geographical, economical, and even cultural backgrounds, but at the same time, they are connected by their vulnerability and their courage. The PostSecret project reminds us that we are not alone; we are connected by our shared hopes, fears, and dreams. The secrets that people send in cover many topics. Some are beautiful, some are brave, some are funny, some are heart wrenching, some are enlightening, some are intimate, and all are interesting.
When I first discovered and started reading PostSecret, it was almost like an addiction. I spent several hours one day reading the entries on the website and watching PostSecret Videos on YouTube. The experience is a lot like watching a movie or reading a book; the secrets you read are funny, sad, and ultimately entertaining. Video blogs are often much more effective than writing at conveying emotion and meaning. Sometimes an author may write an article with a sarcastic tone, but the reader interprets it with a genuine tone and sees the writing as being harsh and mean, when in fact the writer had intended for it to be funny or ironic. The reader cannot hear the author’s tone. Video blogs, on the other hand, can help eliminate this confusion.
Video makes it much easier to portray a certain emotion or idea. Not only can the emotion be seen on a speaker’s face when viewing a video, but other tools can also be employed to shift the emotion of a message to make a blog more compelling or entertaining. Some of the PostSecret videos on YouTube show a slideshow of postcards while different voices (meant to portray the original writers of the secrets) read them. The use of voices has an interesting effect. Sometimes, hearing the secret from a certain gender or age read the secret with a particular tone or emotion in his or her voice can completely shift the sentiment in a secret. You may read a secret in which the writer reflects on his or her life and you picture an eighty year old man sitting in a rocking chair with a smile on his face. However, if you hear the secret read by a seven year old girl, you get a whole different feeling.
When watching one of the PostSecret videos, the background music can also make a big impact. In a video accompanied by The Fray’s “How to Save a Life,” one of the postcards tells a very tragic story, and coupling it with the emotional song nearly made me cry when I saw it. PostSecret almost exclusively uses pathos, an emotional appeal to the audience, to draw them into the work. Sharing the secrets in video format helps us to connect even more with the writer.
You can read or watch someone else’s secret by going to www.postsecretcommunity.com or by searching YouTube for “PostSecret.”
Crooks and Liars!
I absolutely adore this video blog. You can tell, right from the start, it’s about politics (Of course, Right?). The intriguing part about this video blog is its political basis without being particularly biased to a specific party or candidate. It offers a large assortment of video clips ranging from serious to humorous on important issues and “They said what??” topics. To keep the friendly debate atmosphere the Vlog offers several authors with different viewpoints.
Each topic seems well-researched and founded, offering several credible links to sources, giving information on the speaker or perpetrator. The authors and regular followers of the blog have varying degrees of political experience ranging from those that hold/held political office to the savvy regular Joe with an outstanding opinion.
Crooks and Liars has been around for some time now, and has become a staple in online political debate. You can browse for a minute and leave a comment on a single issue, get some furor off your chest, and walk away feeling like an accomplished politician. On the other hand, you can spend hours analyzing the debates of the moment and past and report back to your friends a well-educated professor of modern issues with a kick in your step. The information presented and overall layout of the blog is well done and simplistic enough that anyone can stumble in and immediately have their attention kidnapped by an onslaught of ideas and video clips. The website has an extensive cache of information and topics that would take days to unravel.
One of the many well-played amenities of the blog is the equal playing field on which you voice your opinion. No one cares you didn’t graduate from an Ivy League institution. You’re entitled to your opinion everywhere and Crooks and Liars advocates the input of personal opinions vehemently. People of every age group can converse there with the same desire: to be heard! Nothing strikes my fancy quite like arguing politics with middle aged contemporaries. It’s not uncommon for an older writer to be surprised when s/he learns the personality that just debated them into a hole was significantly younger. Still, the debates remain friendly for the most part and a general respect for differentiation is always present.
I think Vlogs are an exceptional alternative to the normal black and white method of delivering a message. Many people take in information much better from a visual display, while others walk away with more from the traditional written message. The video blog offers both. A person’s personal humors and tastes come out vibrantly in a video blog, and this ensures there’s never a lack of exciting content. Crooks and Liars stands out as one that did it right, and that’s probably the reason such a controversial-by-nature blog has managed to last.
-BrandonHW: Vlogging vs. Blogging
One of the recent Internet crazes, "vlogging" has become quite an interesting subject of discussion. vlogging is blogging, except instead of writing, these users post videos. The development of vlogging exploded with the creation of the website, YouTube, which allows anyone with a video camera and Internet connection to post videos online for public viewing. YouTube has quickly become a topic of both ethical and legal debate. Copywriting, inappropriate videos, and privacy are some of the main issues YouTube users are experiencing. Where do you draw the line? Yes, Internet vlogging can be a useful and entertaining form of posting, but it can also lead to problems that online users have not previously been exposed to.
The vlog I chose to analyze was created by Chris Crocker. His online videos have become incredibly popular due to his outrageous behavior and crazy topics. His most famous vlog to date is, "Leave Britney Alone!". After this video was posted, Chris Crocker become the center of media attention. His videos have been viewed online by millions, and there was even talk of him getting his own television show. As insanely stupid as these videos are, his popularity has continued to rise. I have noticed that in some of Chris Crocker's videos, he attempts to address certain issues like homosexuality and racism, but his messages are overshadowed by his wacky appearance and ridiculous antics. I don't think the public can see a grown man dressed as a woman, and actually take them seriously. He obviously feels strongly about certain issues and tries to vocalize his opinions, but he is simply doing it in an inappropriate way. In reality, he is more than likely just trying to gain his "fifteen minutes of fame". The audience this man has targeted is a younger audience. Older aged people would probably not be as concerned with some of the topics he discusses, and would most likely not tolerate his audacious behavior shown in most of his videos. In my opinion, the only reason people watch these videos are because they are entertaining. As a society, we like to watch others publicly make fools out of the themselves. Hello, reality television anyone? Chris Crocker certainly knows this fact and has taken advantage of it, making him all the more popular.
Vlogging is an easy way to present your thoughts and ideas without ever having to write anything, but it can also create a smokescreen in front of the messages you are trying to convey. For example, as a class we watched the Lemonette videos. Though this woman was trying to get a point across, it was hard to look past all the distractions in the video and focus on what she was really trying to say. I think that is one of the major problems with vlogging that you don't have to worry about with blogging. Vlogging may be more entertaining and enjoyable to watch, but I think that blogging is definitely a better way to develop and publicize ideas.
The vlog I chose to analyze was created by Chris Crocker. His online videos have become incredibly popular due to his outrageous behavior and crazy topics. His most famous vlog to date is, "Leave Britney Alone!". After this video was posted, Chris Crocker become the center of media attention. His videos have been viewed online by millions, and there was even talk of him getting his own television show. As insanely stupid as these videos are, his popularity has continued to rise. I have noticed that in some of Chris Crocker's videos, he attempts to address certain issues like homosexuality and racism, but his messages are overshadowed by his wacky appearance and ridiculous antics. I don't think the public can see a grown man dressed as a woman, and actually take them seriously. He obviously feels strongly about certain issues and tries to vocalize his opinions, but he is simply doing it in an inappropriate way. In reality, he is more than likely just trying to gain his "fifteen minutes of fame". The audience this man has targeted is a younger audience. Older aged people would probably not be as concerned with some of the topics he discusses, and would most likely not tolerate his audacious behavior shown in most of his videos. In my opinion, the only reason people watch these videos are because they are entertaining. As a society, we like to watch others publicly make fools out of the themselves. Hello, reality television anyone? Chris Crocker certainly knows this fact and has taken advantage of it, making him all the more popular.
Vlogging is an easy way to present your thoughts and ideas without ever having to write anything, but it can also create a smokescreen in front of the messages you are trying to convey. For example, as a class we watched the Lemonette videos. Though this woman was trying to get a point across, it was hard to look past all the distractions in the video and focus on what she was really trying to say. I think that is one of the major problems with vlogging that you don't have to worry about with blogging. Vlogging may be more entertaining and enjoyable to watch, but I think that blogging is definitely a better way to develop and publicize ideas.
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