EXTRA CREDIT BLOG!!!!

Before taking RTF 305, I have never written or used a blog in my life.  However, during the course of this semester, I believe that one of the positive aspects of using a blog for this class is that it helped me understand better the material.  For example, I felt that answering blog questions that specifically focused on a subject that related to the readings and class lectures, made it easier to comprehend the information, because you kind had to go back and review the class and reading notes.  In many ways, I felt that the material stayed in my head because of the way the blog prompts required us to sometimes describe or define things in our own words and then use examples to support it. 

However, one of the main difficulties that I first encountered while using the blogs was finding out ways to embed videos and kind of organize the pictures the way I wanted them.  I ended figuring out how to do this after reading instructions on the blogger site under the “help” icon at the top of the “Blogger” page.  As of all the blogs I have written this semester, I pretty much love all the ones that we had to include specific examples to support our explanation.  For example, I really enjoyed the Hegemony blog, the comparison blog of  “All in the Family” sitcom to a sitcom of today (in which I compared to “That ‘70s Show”), the 3 Act Structure blog, and the advertising blog.  I really enjoyed these blogs because I was able to compare and embed examples that helped understand what I was writing.  The blog that I found to be difficult was probably the last as it was kind of hard to rewrite a definition that described globalization and find an example that fit the definition.

I would definitely recommend using a blog in future RTF courses because it is a nice way to share your opinion and view other peoples opinion on a subject of discussion. I also believe that is a nice way to interact connect with other students at UT. One suggestion that I have on improving this blogging experience for the future is to give students during discussion to share their blog post as it would be interesting to see what others write and the videos they post.

***Yes, you can use my blog in a paper or report***

Globalization, Glocalization of Telenovelas

Globalization is the process by which technological developments have interconnected people from different nations and cultures through facilitating methods of communication. In other words, like Professor Straubhaar mentions in his lecture, globalization “increases [the] opportunities for communication, exchange of material and symbolic goods, & migration of people across national borders”.  One example of how globalization works is through glocalization.  Glocalization is when other countries begin adopting an idea or concept that was very successful in another place.  This method allows for different local cultures and markets to enjoy similar products or ideas in their own society.  

(Original Columbian version)

         Telenovelas are a great example of glocalization.  Usually produced in Mexico and Latin America, telenovelas have spread to different parts of the world because of how successful they have become.  For example, “Yo soy Betty, la Fea” was a Columbian telenovela that aired form 1999-2001.  After having a successful run it began airing in the United States channel Telefutura.  Because of it popularity amongst its audiences, this telenovela then became adopted and rebroadcast in other languages around the country, becoming a worldwide phenomenon.  For instance, in 2006, the United States adopted “Yo soy Betty, la Fea” and created the hit comedy show Ugly Betty.  In that same year, Mexico created its own version of this telenovela call “La Fea Más Bella” (which right now is rearing in Univision).  Just to give a hint of how popular this telenovela was world wide,  it also began airing in places like India, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Brazil, etc. 

(Shows that later on adopted the original telenovela "Yo soy Betty, la Fea")

                  

Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty Ad

        In recent years, Dove has launched a worldwide advertising campaign dedicated to raise and promote self-esteem and confidence in young women. This campaign, known as the “Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty”, hopes to break down the beauty stereotypes created by the media. For example, dove has launched several commercials and ads to demonstrate and persuade all young girls and women that beauty comes in every size and shape and that it comes from within. One specific commercial that I consider to be very powerful and persuasive is the “Onslaught” commercial from dove. In this commercial, dove warns parents to “talk to [their] daughters before the beauty industry does” (Dove). For example, through the little girl’s eyes we see all these images of unrealistic women, whose beauty is defined by looking thin. In a way, this advertisement is powerful because it promotes self-awareness of the potential dangers advertising ads can have on children and young women.

       While many advertisements appeal to their audiences by using sex-affiliated appeal to sell their products, this advertisement uses the nurture and guidance appeal to promote awareness. The nurture appeal usually works to encourage the need to protect and take care of small defenseless people, especially children. In the other hand, the guidance appeal means the opposite of nurture, it means the need to be nurtured and the need to be guided and protected.

        In the “Onslaught” commercial, we can see that both of these appeals are used. For example, in using nurture appeal, this commercial is different than many beauty commercials because it encourages women to love their own bodies for how they look. It shows them to have confidence in themselves and not worry about the false body images that are promoted in the media. In addition, the guidance appeal is used in this advertising, by persuading parents of the dangerous that girls can face as they are exposed to advertisements of beauty.