Post 4

Many would make the claim that the internet brings everyone into a kind of “Global Village.” I tend to disagree quite a bit with this statement. While I feel that the internet can serve as a useful tool for connecting with people in different lands, it doesn't really effectively represent these perspective lands.
I know that its the worst cliche ever at BYU, but I couldn't help thinking about the most potent international experience I've ever had; my mission. If there is anything it taught me about other countries, its that they all have a very defining, authentic culture. This being said, I also discovered that they all compare their perspective cultures against a common standard: the U.S.A.
Whether we like it or not, our perspective of those things we can't see is formed by our only means of comprehending them; the media. The whole world is basing their culture by how different it is to us. As if we happen to be the common medium for everyone to judge themselves on. Except they aren't comparing themselves to us really, only to our media. So, what we've done is we've unconsciously become the new Roman Empire. Only rather than filling the world with archways and magnificent statues we're instantly infecting it with YouTube and Facebook.
This question also occurred to me, if all the countries in the world tend to compare their media to ours, who are we comparing our media to? I thought about it and decided that we simply don't. As Americans we tend to think that all media is ours and there really isn't anything else. Think about it. Have you ever thought of Celine Dion, Rolling Stones, U2, or ACDC as international bands? We think of them as if they were all American musicians even though they all come from different countries and none of them are the U.S.A.
Like Scott Russell Sanders said in Homeplace, “how can you value other places if you do not have one of your own?” Do I have one of my own, or has the media taken that from me? Is my homeplace the internet? Maybe the media is trying to force us to absorb so many cultures that at the end of the day there won't be any left for us to go. It scares me a bit.

Collin: You're obviously rather interested in Disney. I feel likewise. It's refreshing to see someone be so bold about their love of Disney in the film program. I'm really glad I was assigned to report on yours. Your presentation was very appealing both visually and psychologically. There was a progression that was hard to describe as you took us through your media experiences, almost as if we were experiencing it all alongside you. It was very apparent you put a good amount of work into it. Science Fiction, Superheroes, Shakespeare, other than being a great alliteration, showed your varied pallet. Great work.

Nephi: Your analysis of media and how you personalized everything was brilliant. I feel like your eloquent explanation of such a base character as Freddy Krueger was vital. It really said a lot about who you are and what you've been through. I feel like your presentation was the culminating force behind all of our presentations. The stark contradictions of images and your analysis of media's psychological effect on your own life decisions said what we were all thinking.