The Ironic Blog

Globalization:

growth to a global or worldwide scale; "the globalization of the communication industry". connectingpresent participle of con·nect (Verb) Verb: Bring together or into contact so that a real or notional link is established. Join together so as to provide access and communication.

Everything we know or do is influenced by others and this influence has become global. For example, brands such as Apple products or Microsoft Industries have changed ways people saw things regardless of where they are in the world. Those companies gave us products that introduced the 'Internet' to people. Some may think the internet is in a box somewhere but in fact it's a web of virtual links that binds us all technology depended users together. Nowadays, most of the world are connected virtually via the internet and this has taken us a step closer towards globalization. My topic here is not computers and their uses but rather one form of the internet and that is the online Blogs. Blogs are personal public spaces reserved on the internet that allows one person to share information, ideas, or just to release a certain social frustration that has accumulated in a certain culture in a region of the world. Blogs, just like any other ideas, began differently in the 1980s. Back then, the internet was still primitive and was not common in households and rather than being found everywhere, Usenet ( the name to a site dictating the beginning of Blogs). Usenet was used as internet forums, this was the first time the internet was used to transfer information to others. In the 1990s, the World Wide Web was established and rendered Usenet obsolete, right then the internet began exploring everybodys household. Then everybody began to use the internet for questions and answers, for forums (a space to converse with others), or as their online diary (that is the Blog). Slowly entering the end of the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s, People were keeping online records of their lives and their activities on websites that are still active today, such as wordpress or Blogger. People began using webcams to transmit sound and images to their blogs giving it life and meaning to their online diary. The term "weblog" was called by Jorn Barger on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog," was named by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999. Blogs began taking popularity among politicians in the United States. They kept blogs just like other people however, based on the U.S. politics and decisions taken at the time. An Example would be Taegan Goddard's 'Political Wire', who was the former policy adviser to senator Donald Riegle. At one point, Blogging took a hand in the removal of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. He voiced his opinion over the internet which in turn was taken by 'Bloggers' and caused a massive uproar that forced his leave from office in 2002. In the year 2004, Blogs became more popular and began getting recognition around the world and became associate with an online newspaper written by the people. Blogs covered the Iraq War and gave us information taken from the eyes of the soldiers or people living in the region and thus bypassing biased news. Military soldiers have developed blogs talking about their lives, their pains, and mostly their goals after the war is done. Blogs nowadays are very popular with the young teenage population of the world where they share their need to connect and converse with others online.


http://politicalwire.com/
http://www.milblogging.com/topmilblogs_byBranch.php?br=VS5TLiBBcm15
cosettesaliba.wordpress.com

Nike Ads

Are you a winner? Well according to Nike, if you use their product you

will be one. Nike is an American company that works with the design and

sales of sport accessories and footwear. The Brand 'Nike' has become the

number one sports apparel store in the world. Nike was not always Nike

but started out as 'Blue Ribbon Sports' in 1964, and not until later did

it change to Nike. The name was taken from the Greek Goddess of victory

which shows their intention to always succeed. They went global taking

over markets around the world as one of the top 3 best sport related

stores in the world. The Nike brand is known today as the 'Swoosh' sign

and their motto 'Just Do It'. Nike is affiliated with all kinds of world

sports which allowed them to design equipment for every athlete's need.

Their success is widely based on their marketing campaign which includes

advertisements (on billboards and posters) and which, without a doubt,

are very creative, sometimes comedic and very much to the point. Their

print design was also a major cause for their profit. Take the posters

they made over the years, Nike used the static print design to advertise

their product.
 Nike used the T.V. To their advantage to spread and fortify their Brand

name in the market, using sport athletes wearing Nike products fashioned

in a situation which brings the wearer victory.  They used famous

athletes, but most importantly they used other methods that would attract

the target audience. They did a line of posters involving nude women

posing with their product, other times the sell the idea via typography.

All of these concepts are followed by the message of victory. Basically

the company is trying to sell 'success' in their brands.

Subliminal Messages in media

     What is Subliminal Messages? It is when you, as a consumer, receive information regarding that product that you are not aware of. This started at the 5th B.C in Ancient Greece, where they discovered a a way to include fragments of words into their sentences to influence others. This method is still being used today by the media but has transformed to a hidden visual representation.

      The messages do not have to be negative as people may first think. It could be humorous and fun to figure out and discover. Take Pink Floyd's 'Empty Spaces' Song for example, they included a message at the end of the song that cannot be properly heard until you backtrack the audio. It says:
(-Hello, Luka [hunters]... Congratulations. You have just discovered the secret message. Please send your answer to Old Pink, care of the Funny Farm, Chalfont...
-Roger! Carolyne's on the phone!
-Okay.)

     In this case, the message was just for fun, but the media began using commercials and ads to incorporate messages that catch people unaware. The media began previewing the word 'sex' or sexual images hidden to those not looking for it, to attract more people to buy the product. Take this Coca Cola Ad for example, although it may look very normal to people, there is a sexual message hidden in the picture.

   

      The most infamous one were done by Walt Disney Cartoons. Many children probably watched those movies thinking they were magical however, adults today realized what they were watching. References to sex and genitalia is uncanny and with today's mindset, cannot be missed. In the Little Mermaid, They included many sexual references in the movie, the two most infamous parts was the pillar in the castle scene and the priest during the wedding. Hopefully I do not need to explain them for they are obvious.
There is also the Lion King Controversy where Simba sees the word sex floating in the air disguised as stars. A Huge controversy revolving a clip taken from a movie that included Donald Duck, who is created by Disney, and Daffy Duck, by Warner Bros., share the spotlight and shows Donald's racist affliations.
  

  Donald Duck Racist?  

    

What Is reality?

      What do you see? the Mona Lisa, indeed it is one of the world's most famous artworks. But is it so grande that it overshadows today's artists? By looking at the Mona Lisa you see realism in the style of painting and many claim that it sort of interacts with the viewer like it follows them with her eyes. Creepy stuff but primitive nonetheless. Now Leonardo left a legacy of incredible paintings but we are only honoring his masterpiece by talking about it or just viewing it. Nowadays we took realism in art to the next step.

     What is reality? It is something real or factual. People may argue that reality is defined by something you can touch, feel, taste. Video games are, in my opinion, the worlds greatest artwork for one single reason. Video games are becoming reality. So now close your eyes and imagine the Mona Lisa on a Hi-definition TV, wielding a shotgun and killing zombies. Why can't zombies be real? just because they don't exist in reality doesn't mean they don't exist. Don't get me wrong I am happy they don't exist in the real world but every idea exists. That's right today's art work is more interactive and more enjoyable. Before we used to only view the painting for a few minutes or a maximum of one hour. Things have changed now you get immersed in the life of the character and it is shaped by how you interact with it.


     Now we are entering the domain of virtual reality. Soon we won't need TVs to play games, soon we won't have to find an excuse to leave and play sports. Soon we won't really need to leave the comfort of our home to enjoy our hobbies. People will still say this is not reality and nothing can captivate the feel of outdoors. How about the training simulators for the US Army before they go to war. That training saved many lives and kept many minds sane since they at least prepared for the worst.

Sesame Street?

     Who hasn't seen Sesame Street while growing up? Well let me tell you about it a little. In Sesame Street, the characters are each given a personality and look based on their job on the show. However, being a children's show, it succeeded beyond anyone's imagination. But with every success comes criticism and like wise controversy. On Sesame Street, the producers try to teach the kids about social issues, now usually this isn't a problem for most shows but, Sesame Street has been associated with so many controversies regarding their characters it makes one think if it is still viable for children. I remember seeing it when I was young and enjoyed it very much but, nowadays I remember the characters in a very different way. Let's start from the minor problems to the major ones.

They took me to Rehab, no no no

1. Count Von Count Aka Count Dracula. He, just as his name implies, teaches kids numbers and how to count from 1-10 or 20. Now even though he is my second favorite on the show, to the eyes of adults the count apparently hallucinates and visualizes these numbers. He looks like someone who's on Acid.
2. Maybe the count was mostly my opinion but, I think this took a little recognition but I personally think this is a minor issue. When Katy Perry was a guest on the show, Elmo had a marvelous time at staring at her cleavage which apparently triggered a parental response to pull the episode.
3. Okay now to the good parts. Who doesn't know or love the Cookie Monster? " I Love Cookies! " a motto that is still remembered by all. However, what is he teaching kids? apparently he was supposed to represent the obese kids and their eating disorder, but he seems more like an addict to "cookies" who apparently in New Sesame Street goes to rehab or rather...starts eating veggies instead of cookies...really?
4. Has anybody met Kami? well I sure haven't she was introduced in the South African Sesame Street, Want to know what she does? Of Course! She represents HIV...seriously? do kids really have to know about that?
5. There's more much much more, now Sesame Street took it upon themselves to make peace in the Middle East. Yeah that's right, on the Israeli Sesame Street they introduced a Muppet named Mahboub, he's supposed to be an Arab and well supposed to come in peace.
6. And of course how can we forget about Bert and Ernie. Now they claim that they are 'Best Friends' but are they? I, and apparently most people. think that they are Gay. I certainly do not think kids should see that at all...like never...seriously...

   

   Why would they do this?

Bert and Ernie

From Hope to Evil.

     Do you recognize this symbol?

Hindu Sign of Hope

Brick with Swastika and Inscription

    
 This is the ancient symbol used by Hindus and other eastern cultures and was/still is a great theological value called Swastika.

      The term swastika or rather 'Svastika' comes from Sanskrit the oldest language known to man. It is directly and positively denoted in eastern culture as 'good to be'. What we see here is another clash between eastern and western culture. There are many records of it's usage in many unexpected places over the span of three thousand years.

     The Hindus first used it as a sign of hope and blessing for the things to come. They placed it on the walls of their homes and in their temples. Despite what people may think, the Swastika is a beautiful sign. A Cross with it's edges turned portrays the denotative meaning of hope or rebirth, This sign is believed to be adopted from a certain constellation/group of stars, sort of like the big dipper. This sign was found in many different ancient civilizations and although it held a theological value it is said it had supernatural powers. The Buddhists started to use it as battle standards when they went to battle and as time went the Nazis began to believe that it had the power to make them invincible. This changed the denotative meaning of the symbol from hope to racial purism and power. However, regardless of it's affiliation with the Nazis, the Hindus still believe in it and continue to decorate their homes and their streets with Swastika symbols for good luck.

     As the Third Reich fell at the end of 1945, so did all the things it stood for. However, that meaning changed ever since the Nazis propagated it's meaning of racial purism during the early 1920s. Likewise the Allies had their own media spread propaganda and fear towards the swastika and twisted it's visual perception and now it is connotatively known, around western culture, as evil and genocidal.

 The Svastika was used as a symbol for certain medals in the boys' scouts of America and Great Britain. It was removed form the medals because of the Nazi affiliation with the sign at the time. 
The Nazis used the symbol on most of their propaganda posters and used it to show victory and purity.