Beauty Products- what are they trying to sell?

Beauty products are always a necessity, whether or not the economy is bad. I have chosen three different beauty product commercials (mostly makeup) to examine.

1.) Maybelline "Dream Mousse"- foundation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawfKqkLySY)

First off, the brand name for this foundation is formulated to catch our attention. "Dream"- I take this as dreaming to finally find a foundation that actually COVERS flaws. The word mousse is soothing too, sounds much different than "foundation" or "cover up".... it actually *sounds* like a neat product that I would want to buy.

The commercial stars *surprise*- a Victoria Secret model Adriana Lima. This is where the analysis of commercials really begins. Almost all commercials cast amazingly beautiful actors and actresses, which is one of the huge things that affects its viewers. We all know that average people do not look like Adriana Lima, but Maybelline uses her to hold their attention. Most people would love to look like her, therefore her using a certain skin products makes US want to use the product. Her skin is literally flawless in the commercial, making it look achievable for the average person to also look like that.

"100% poreless perfection"- this is the main saying this is used twice in the commercial. Nobody can achieve 100% poreless perfection, but it sounds great, right??

2.) Covergirl "Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers"- lipgloss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP8XU7ZLS5o)

I chose this commercial because it includes a celebrity- Rhianna. Looks like they collaborated well, since at the end of the commercial Rhianna is promoting her new album as well.

I think that celebrities are often used in commercials because people know who they are- and want to see what they are using to look beautiful. Not only does it benefit Covergirl to cast her, it benefits Rhianna because she gets publicity as well. I think the appeal of this commercial is Rhianna, and her plumpy, glossy lips. Since we all see her with these beautiful lips, we want to use what she is using! Of course, us, the viewers, aren't going to take into account all of the makeup artists working on her before the shoot, or the many different lipglosses that are probably put on her to advertise this one. I think this commercial just goes back to the fact that people want to be like celebrities, plain and simple. Obviously, it is a good marketing technique. (Note: Covergirl also has a commercial starring Drew Barrymore.)

3.) Revlon "Custom Creations"- foundation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl-7HIjUwlA&feature=PlayList&p=9F1F4CA498DE695D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3)

So it seems like the more and more commercials I looked up for beauty products, the more celebrities I came across! Revlon uses Jessica Alba in this commercial, looking a bit seductive, talking about how she really wants her "foundation to match her skin"- SURPRISE- Revlon's new foundation has a dial that you turn to match your skin tone, whatever it be. The commercial is short and to the point, but I think the overall idea here was to use beautiful actress Jessica Alba to convince us to buy it. If that's what she uses, shouldn't we?

The overall idea after watching all of these commercials is that marketing and advertising uses so many techniques to grab our attention and impulse us to buy their products. Celebrities are always a win- win. They are recognizable, and always look flawless- making us want to do the same. For me, it is easy to see through these marketing schemes when I watch them, because I have studied them and know a deeper meaning behind the surface commercial.

We all need to be aware of what commercials are impulsing us to buy their products, and then evaluate why. Ladies, how many times have you bought a new makeup product you saw on TV and HATED it? Such a waste of 10 dollars, right?

Smothers Brothers

The Smothers Brothers consisted of two brothers: Tom and Dick, who would put on a comedic act usually accompanied by a folk song sung by the duo. I had never seen the show before this week, and have watched a couple episodes and snippets. I THINK ITS AWESOME!

Even though humor has changed so much since the 60's, even being born in 88 I can still appreciate and respect (not to mention ENJOY) the Smothers Brothers skits. It's funny to me that they are known as being the controversial duo of the time- yes, their views were left wing, and yes, they poked fun at Nixon (alot)- but what about Jon Stewart and the other political satirists right now? Isn't Jon Stewart known for poking fun at George W. Bush and the war overseas?

I think Smothers Brothers paved the way for political satire and comedy, and they are STILL touring together today, 50 years later!

When I watched watched their "Mariah" skit on Youtube, this is what someone shared as a comment:

"They were amazing. My mother used to watch this when she was young, and I'm so glad I get the chance. They were so funny, and their commentaries were the groundwork for so much of the humor we see today. Their musical work is beautiful as well. Thank you for uploading this, and thanks to the Smothers Brothers for daring to push the envelope at such a sensitive time!"

Agreed :)

"One...Two...Three...Four...Five...Seven..."

"The homes of America are horrified and the intelligence of Americans is insulted by weird television advertising by which this administration threatens the end of the world unless all-wise Lyndon is given the nation for his very own."
— Senator Barry M. Goldwater referring to the Daisy girl ad

DAISY GIRL:

I think this ad was originally sparked by a comment from Senator Barry Goldwater regarding Vietnam: "... he mentioned some possibilities, one of which was to defoliate Vietnamese forests with a "low yield atomic device." The remark was widely discussed and gave the impression that Goldwater had a casual attitude toward dropping atomic "devices"."

The ad starts off with a little girl picking petals off a flower, and counting in sequence. Then an adult voice comes on and starts counting down, followed by footage of a nuclear explosion and the words of Lyndon B. Johnson: "These are the stakes– to make a world in which all of God's children can live, or to go into the dark. We must either love each other, or we must die."

According to Barnouw, the Doyle Dane Bernbach [Democratic advertising agency] strategy was to make Goldwater over-react. The first quote mentioned reveals their success in this. But, was it an overreaction? Is it really OK to use an innocent little girl to make a hard political statement about war and nuclear bombs? Obviously not, since their were orders to not play the ad again- howeveer, the attention it received was enough that replaying it would be useless.

Overall, I think this ad shows how low politics can really go. Exploiting young children for political reasons is just plain wrong, not to mention the context that the Daisy Girl ad was. Thank goodness for Obama stepping up and not falling into ridiculous political advertising like so many others with an agenda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-o0392K3mk -- Link for the ad

Mary Tyler Moore and All in the Family

After the violent and traumatic year of 1968, networks almost completely replaced its current shows with "relevance"-- "Many looked different. Black, brown, yellow faces became comon in drama, newscast, commercial, comedy, special event, panel." (431) This shows the change that television was making by including different ethnicities and cultural differences- not just focusing on the stereotypical "norms" of society.

When shows such as All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore were aired, "innumerable taboos fell away." Barnouw states that "The essential strategy was to seize on topics and relationships involving deep tensions, and introduce them in a comedy aura . . . Interracial marriage, a young man's siege of impotence, an older woman's pregnancy and indecision about abortion, were suddenly topics of warm comedy..." (434)

Normal Lear, "the leading spirit behind the series [All in the Family]", thought that he was "enabling black and white, Jew and Gentile, to "laugh together." the explosive welcome won by his program among diverse groups- apparently inlcuding millions of those who were the butt of Archies expletives- seemed to support his claim." (433)

All in the Family also became the subject of a different series- The Jeffersons. "A black family first encountered in All in the Family became the subject of another new series, The Jeffersons. Maude's black maid became the central character of Good Times. The technique became a standard television strategem. Rhoda, introduced as a character on the popular Mary Tyler Moore Show- whose heroine was a television news writer- became the central character of a Rhoda series." (434)

Overall, I think these shows had a tremendouse impact on expanding viewers acceptance of different types of people with different problems instead of just giving them the stereotypical American family.

Check out this link, it is to Mary Tyler Moore's "Lost" episode!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJQkzzxFTs

Quiz Show Scandal

"During the rise of Khrushchev as television personality, the smoldering rumors of quiz program corruptions blazed into scandal.” (Barnouw, 243)

Charles van Doren, the most famous "Twenty-One" quiz show winner who had landed himself a permanent spot on NBC's Today, was one of the first to speak out about the fixing of the quiz shows.

"He took me into his bedroom where we could talk alone He told me that herbert Stempel, the current champion, was an "unbeatable" contestant becaues he knew too much. He said that Stempel was unpopular, and was defeating opponents right and left to the detriment of the program. He asked me if, as a favor to him, I would agree to make an arrangement whereby I would tie Stempel and thus increase the entertainment value of the program. I asked himt o let me go on the program honestly, without receiving help. He said that was impossible." (Barnouw, 244)

Barnouw also states in the book that many quiz members had lied to the grand jury, and the shows blamed their sponsor, Revlon- who allegedly told which contestants to keep and which ones to not keep.

Because TV was in it's pioneer stages, and there were no "rules" against rigging a quiz show, networks were able to do damage control. Nevertheless, over 50 million American's had fallen in love with these quiz shows- and the unmasking of all of the lies made them feel extremely betrayed, and many people were turned off from TV in general.

This is one event that has affected TV history, and at the time contributed to a negative overall attitude towards the television industry.

I HAVE A DREAM...

Martin Luther King, Jr: I Have A Dream

"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition."

I think this speech is the most memorable speech EVER!

"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream."

Martin Luther King Jr. was and will always be praised for his amazing uplifting speech he gave to America underneath Abraham Lincoln's memorial. Through his words, he not only inspired African American's to rise up and follow their dreams, but every race and ethnicity around the world. Looking back today, I think all American's can be greatful for the hope and change he inspired, for today we live in his dream.

THANKS, MLK!

Good Night annnnnd Good Luck

I chose this picture for a representation of early television because you can see the uncertainty in Murrow's face about airing these public stories accusing McCarthy of injustice. This shows how in early television, anybody who worked in it were nervous about what they showed, and I think it can be said that each person was afraid for their job when airing shows like the McCarthy incident. TV was just starting out, and I don't think many boundaries had been set yet. There was alot of exploring going on, and anyone who was involved in this pioneer stage had to be nervous and a little worked up over something that had the potential to be controversial.

I loved watching Good Night and Good Luck! My younger sister (14) sat down to watch it with me and my Dad, and went to bed within a half hour. It wasn't the type of movie that sucked her in, but if you knew a little bit of the story line and what was going on, it was so interesting to watch. I was intrigued the whole movie, as well as my Dad. He quizzed me a little bit after the movie about how interesting it was to see what our history was like, and it really got me thinking about the chances these people took to get the truth to us, the people. Loved George Clooney, think he did a great job!