Final (extra credit) Blog Post

Before taking RTF 305, I had never used any sort of blog before. However, I have really enjoyed writing the weekly assignments. It’s a way for me to become more familiar with a specific topic discussed in the ongoing lecture. The blogs required a means of really understanding what was being discussed and how it is used within the media. Also, that you had to search for some form of example, like a youtube video or image, or excerpt, helped increase the understanding of the concept. The only difficulties encountered with the blogs were sometimes the prompt was a little confusing and wordy, and embedding videos was a little tricky in the beginning. But other than that, it was pretty straightforward and simple. The blog prompts that included advertisements, sitcoms, and screen shots were my personal favorites. It was fun to bring in examples that I was familiar with from movies and television shows that I have seen. I would recommend using a blog in future RTF courses as well as other undergraduate courses because it was an effective way of understanding concepts from the lecture or topic. If I had to make an improvement with the blogs the only thing I can think of is making the embedding option for videos a little simpler, and also including more concepts to use within the blog; and not just one. This would help tie in more concepts from the lecture. 

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

Globalization and Cultural Imperialism

Globalization is defined as a form of imperialism in which consumption and consumerism are extended, imposed upon the oppressed to fully assure identification with metropolitan values and to create the world in its own economic and cultural image. The traditional role of the media is said to have been transformed by globalization to become a generative force for the benefit of the economic and political ruling class. This leads to cultural imperialism which is the practice of promoting a more powerful culture over a least known or desirable culture. It is usually the case that the former belongs to a large, economically or militarily powerful nation and the latter belongs to a smaller, less powerful one. 

The United States is a culturally imperialistic nation. This cultural imperialism causes huge changes to the culture and nature of the people who are being taken over by it. Cultural imperialism takes the native culture out of the people as well as their power and authority. It also gives the imperialist nation a means of gaining capital at the imperialized nation's expense. This could be through trade, customs, language, religion, or family. 

The western news corporations are an example of cultural imperialism and globalization. Even though there are other news corporations representing the east (Arabvision and Asiavision), they do not have a great impact on the big international news flow. Referring to developing nations, the involvement in forming how they are perceived are practically zero. They are unable to control their external image, and developing nations have even less control over other people's representations of them.

Advertising is a very important aspect of the marketing industry.  Advertisements help portray products and ideas using methods of persuasion, comedy, and imagery. Having a common figure helps the audience recognize the commercial and product. In the Allstate commercials the "Mayhem" man helps sell the insurance company by playing different roles of people that represent characters of different situations. These commercials include a teenage girl driving recklessly through a parking lot, a "filthy rich executive," a transfer-student quarterback lost in the stadium, and a jogger along the side of the road. All of these characters are portrayed to be liable to occur at any given place at any given time. And because they are so different, the commercial can be aimed at a wide range of people that can each relate to one of the characters of "mayhem."


One of the main advertising techniques used in these commercial advertisements are the use of a common figure, which emphasizes ubiquity. Using this "mayhem man," the audience is able to associate the character with the product, or in this case the insurance company. The use of multiple scenarios helps different members of the audience relate to each of the different characters. The comedic nature of the commercials provides a means for "catching-your-eye." With this technique, viewers are more likely to stay tuned in to watch, and thus remember.