Chapter Seven: Questioning the Media

3) How often do you go to the movie theaters today? How often do you rent movies on video or DVD? Which experience do you prefer and why?

I hardly ever am able to go to the movie theaters today. However, this summer I was able to go to the movie theater many times more than I had expected to. Now that I am back in school I rent more DVDs than I did during the summer. I am not able to go to the movie theater that much because it is so expensive. This summer while I was working I could afford to go to the theater. I prefer to go to the movie theater than renting DVDs. I prefer to go to the theater because if the big screen as opposed to my small TV screen.

4) If you were a Hollywood film producer or executive, what kind of films would you like to see made? What changes would you make in what we see at the movies?

If I were a Hollywood film producer or executive I would like to see films that I enjoy watching to be made. I enjoy comedies and movies that you cannot predict what is going to happen next or the ending. I would like to see more movies made like “Fight Club.” The movie “Fight Club” has its comedic parts mixed with action and it keeps you at the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. I would try to find a way to make movies seen at the movie theater far better than watching it on a TV in your home.

Chapter Six: Questioning the Media

1) How many cable channels do you watch regularly? What programs do you watch? What attracts you to a certain channel?
I watch very few cable channels regularly. I rarely watch television; I watch it whenever I just feel like sitting down and doing nothing. I have trouble finding things on television to interest me; I have to flip through channels for what seems like hours. I do not watch any specific program besides sports games. There are a few channels that have some programming that is pretty decent to watch like the Discovery Channel for instance. I like watching some of the Discovery Channel’s programming because its complex factual information that has been broken down for the average person to understand.

4) CNN and MTV have changed our society as well as the global culture. Have these changes been positive or negative? Explain.
CNN and MTV have really changed our society and the global culture. However, these changes are both positive and negative I feel. CNN has impacted the news world in a huge way. Breaking news is truly breaking news because a Channel like CNN has constant coverage. CNN however has hurt the newspaper business because people no longer need to read a newspaper to get news because by the time the paper is printed and distributed the news is “old news.” MTV at first was great and exposed the world to artists and their music videos. However, now MTV has sold out and isn’t really about the music it seems to be more about whiny spoiled teenage girls and celebrity gossip.

Chapter 5: Questioning the Media

1) Describe your earliest memories of watching television. What was your favorite show? Which shows did your family watch together? Were there shows that you were not allowed to watch? Which ones and why?
My earliest memories of watching television would have to be those Saturday morning cartoons or the Disney channel. I remember I watched a fair amount of television but my parents wouldn’t let me sit in front of the blaring screen all day, so I usually would watch TV in the mornings and after lunch time and the rest of the time I was outside playing. When I was younger I had many favorite shows such as Tailspin, Darkwing Duck, Goof Troop, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I watched shows like Full House with my family. My parents never told me I couldn’t watch a certain show because it wasn’t ever an issue they knew what I was watching at all times.

2) How much television do you watch today? Which programs do you try to watch regularly? What attracts you to your favorite program(s)?

Surprisingly I do not watch that much television. In spite of not watching a large amount of television I do watch the NFL and try to catch a couple of games on Sunday. During the week when I have a little bit of down time and I can’t find anything better to do I will sit down relax and watch a random show on TV, but usually I have to flip through the channels for an hour or so to find something moderately interesting. When I do find something on TV it’s usually something on the Discovery Channel, History Channel, ESPN, or VH1 Classic.

Chapter Four Questioning the Media

My earliest memories of listening to the radio are when I was really young and living in California. My grandparents lived in Minnesota and we would drive and visit them. When we weren’t listening to my Raffi tapes we listened to classic rock stations. I don’t remember a favorite song I liked everything I heard. I was around three or four years old. We didn’t battle over the dial or station that we were listening to. If there was a battle it would have been over what tape we were listening to next. I listened to classic rock because that is what my parents listened to.

3) If you could own and manage a commercial radio station, what format would you choose and why?

If I could own and manage a commercial radio station my format would be very listener oriented. I would play variations of rock music such as new wave, punk, and reggae to name a few. Listeners could request what they want to hear. Anything would be played that fit the FCC guidelines. Possibly we would do remote broadcastings at shows and concerts. I would like to do various promotions for concert tickets and band gear. I think this would be a successful station because it would obviously play the best tunes. Also it would be popular because it would truly pay what the listeners wanted to hear.