The Real World

This is the true story... of seven strangers... picked to live in a house...work together and have their lives taped... to find out what happens... when people stop being polite... and start getting real. Actually this is story of how the MTV’s hit reality series The Real World is designed to appeal to me and how I am effected by it.

Through out the years MTV has pin pointed their target audience to a tee, which are young adults. At that in time in my life MTV already targeted me to its network let alone their shows while growing up. But besides hooking me to their network, their was one show that always is targeted to me which is The Real World. Like it isn’t already interesting enough to have seven strangers live in a house and being taped for any audience, MTV found many ways to attracted me to The Real World. One of the obvious attractions was the age of the seven strangers that were living together. Most of the cast members of the Real World ages rage from late teens to early twenties. This happens to be the ages I was when I religiously watching the show. Not only does the age of the cast members attract me to the show but also the cast member’s demographics. If you have ever seen The Real World, you know that the cast members are totally different from the next. Cast members vary from a white sheltered country girl that has never been to a big city to an openly transgender female. And of course when you make them all live together in house there is going to be drama. These are just a few of the examples of how MTV draw me into the show and kept me coming back to watch each new episode.

By having MTV market The Real World to me in those different ways, it actually works by drawing me in and making me want to watch each new episode. I have realized through out watching season after season of The Real World, I was being drawn into The Real World by stereo types that I never agreed with. The Real World I have learned draws its viewers in not only by having a diverse cast but having a cast that most resembles American stereo types. For instance in most every Real World cast that has be taped, there has been a flamboyant gay male living in the house. Of course this is one of the reasons I was drawn to the series because I could relate. But season after season, I realized that it was just another way MTV was getting me to watch its series. By learning this tactics that MTV uses to lure unexpected audiences in, I have also learned that the media will do anything to get you to watch or do something. Even if it goes against what you believe in. What I have learned about my self while growing watching The Real World is that no matter how much I think I won’t be drawn into the media, the media will also somehow draw me in even if its is “seven strangers... picked to live in a house...work together and have their lives taped... to find out what happens... when people stop being polite... and start getting real”.

Barbie

Every little girl has come in contact with a Barbie doll since they were first introduced in 1945. Since than, Barbie has taught those many little girls that they could become whatever they want to be when they grow up, from doctors and dentist to astronauts and Olympic athletes. But there is something that isn’t obvious that Barbie has taught these little girls, which is how females should look.

It is often overlooked theses days when you go down the toy isle. There are so many other toys that are far worse when it comes to teaching little girls about self appearance. But it is and has always been there with Barbie but isn’t that noticeable when first glance. Of course when you first see Barbie in her bright pink box you are atomically are drawn to her. With her stylish outfit and what ever career she might have at that moment. But after looking at the fabulous woman that she is, you realize that she isn’t such a great role model after all. With her plastic tan glow and her huge breast and her teeny tiny waist, it is hard to think that she is a good role model for girls. Like it isn’t shown enough in the media today with celebrity woman that are to thin and that have huge breast. Not only does Barbie represent an unfortunate outcome on body image but also how she dresses. Barbie has always worn outfits that have shown her curves, but it seems like her outfits have gotten smaller and smaller through out the years. Although it doesn’t help that the fashion world plays a huge part in that. From skirts that are super short to tops that show too much skin and not enough coverage. It is showing these little girls if your not skinny and if your don’t have perfect skin and if you don’t have huge boobs than your not going to be a great career woman after all. But it is also telling these little girls that if you don’t dress so skimpy either you won’t land your dream career. When you think about it, in reality many female doctors and dentist and astronauts that you know or have come across don’t look like your typical Barbie doll. They aren’t big breasted or super skinny. They are what we “Americans” call average. Don’t get me wrong Barbie compared too many of the other dolls out there in the toy isle today is a great roll model to little girls. But that still doesn’t change how little girls view Barbie and how she relates to themselves.

Regarding Heroes

What do Ernest Hemingway, Audrey Hepburn and Helen Keller all have in common? They all were photographed by an extraordinary photographer Yousuf Karsh. Although his name isn’t familiar to most, his photographs certainly are. Not only did he photograph these iconic figures but he has also photographed many others, which can be seen at the Chicago Art Insatiate exhibit titled "Yousuf Karsh: Regarding Heroes."

This exhibit is one that should not be missed. What makes this exhibit a “must see” is not only the rarity of one hundred iconic photographs seen together in one place, but the ability of Yousuf’s black and white photos which capture each individual’s personalities. I found myself mesmerized by each photo I observed. The photos that were taken by Yousuf in the exhibit compared to photography of today are much simpler. Compared to all the technology and techniques that photographers in our generation use now, there is still something truly amazing about Yousuf’s photos. What makes them so unique is not only Yousuf’s famous usage of lighting and posing his iconic subjects but how he manages to capture his subject’s individual personalities precisely.

One of my favorite photographs in the exhibit was a photo of Helen Keller. The photograph was taken in 1948, when she was 68 years old. She is photographed with her head resting in her hands while her eyes are closed. One of the reasons I was so attracted to this photo of Helen Keller in the beginning was because I don’t believe I have ever seen Helen Keller photographed in her later years. Not only I was attracted to this photo because of the year it was taken but because it truly captured what I have learned Helen Keller to be. While observing this photograph, it is known that Helen Keller has struggled through a lot in her lifetime and yet it shows her so content and peaceful. Most photographers' work I have seen, in my opinion, can rarely capture such an extraordinary complexity.

Another photograph that I enjoyed was of Jacqueline Kennedy. In my opinion any photo of Jacqueline Kennedy is amazing. Unlike the tons of photographs I have seen of Jacqueline Kennedy, this particular photograph is different. Jacqueline is standing in front of some short of a Japanese decorative screen .She is wearing a gorgeous embroidered strapless gown. She is not looking directly into the camera lens. While her head is turning to the right a little and her eyes are looking further to right. It captures a simpler Jacqueline Kennedy that isn’t always captured in photos. Although she is in a stunning gorgeous gown and in front of a gorgeous Japanese screen, Yousuf captured a more simplistic image of the first lady herself. This is one of the reasons I was so attracted to this photograph.

Although Yousuf Karsh name isn’t that familiar to a large audience, his photographs were recognizable. I highly recommend any one to go see this phenomenal work of one man's portfolio of captured iconic heroes. Yousuf Karsh; Regarding Heroes is currently at The Art Institute of Chicago and is running through April 26, 2009. For more information you can visit http://www.artic.edu/aic/

If Artist Ran The Media

These artists did run the media. Columbia student’s art exhibit C33 gallery is a fascinating look at the idea of “what if artist really ran the media?” One of the students work that was showcased in the exhibit is a clay sculpture of a woman bodice which is bond together on each the side with silky red ribbon. This sculpture represents how the media looks and portrays the female appearance. Focusing on TV shows that deal with plastic surgery. Also another interesting piece in this exhibit was a cover of Italian vogue which was the first all black issue. These artist had the cover mounted on a frame in which was covered up with black nylon. This was a representation of how this issue of Vogue was an all black issue but covered up the fact that there were only two ads in the magazine that featured black models. Not only these pieces of art but all that was feature exceeded the question” What if the artist ran the media”. Not only did it succeed the question but it was interesting yet thought provoking at the same time. While viewing these art works I actually thought for a second “if this is what it would be if artist ran the media, than I would want them to”. If only these Columbia artist ran the media. The world would never be the same.