El fin

My favorite chunk of the reading that I read was the section on representation. I think Buckingham presents some really interesting points. I think it will be important to prove to students that media can be manipulated and is always subjective, not objective. This goes to show that those creating media can do basically anything they want to, and it’s up to the audience to determine whether or not they accept what the media creators are presenting. Buckingham said, “This is not to imply that they (media creators) are therefore deceiving audiences into mistaking representation for reality… audiences must compare media to their own experiences, making judgments about how ‘realistic’ they are”. As an audience, we need to be aware of the influence media has on us and make our own decisions from what we see. You can’t blame a media person for misrepresentation if you’re willing to accept a blatant lie.

For my activity, I’d like to show the difference between representations and how different influential factors, such as music, lighting, and cuts, can affect the overall message presented in the media. For example, I would show the video clip from Jurassic Park where the two children are trapped by the raptors in the kitchen. However, I would turn off the sound, and instead present the video clip with “My Little Buttercup” from “The Three Amigos”. All of the sudden, these scary raptors are funny dancing dinosaurs simply because you put the scene to different music. For my activity, I would ask the students to find a video clip with a very clear message, and then change the meaning of the clip by changing one aspect of the media. By doing this, students will be able to see how easy it is to influence an audience into believe things other than “the truth”.