A forum for discussion of class assignments, issues in media, and the use of technology.
Monday, November 28, 2011
The holidays and media
How does media coverage/portrayal of the holidays affect the way you perceive and celebrate them (i.e. Black Friday, the Christmas hype, the lack of coverage for specific holidays)?
Cyber Monday is one of the many ways in which the media has played an important role in the celebration of the holidays. Cyber Monday is very similar to the Black Friday sales, only instead of rushing into stores and fighting over merchandise, people look for the best deals in the comfort of their own homes. As convenient as this may seem, however, a majority of adults are in work or school on a Monday. Therefore, some choose to abuse the computer access in the office and instead of getting work done, do a bit of online shopping.
The think that the media's coverage of Christmas is good. It helps me get more into the holiday spirit. With channels playing Christmas movies and Christmas specials, it makes me jolly. With radio playing Christmas music, it just puts a smile on my face. I think that if the media doesn't cover Christmas the way it does, people wouldn't get in the Christmas spirit.
How does the media affect holidays? I believe that the media affects the holidays greatly. Whenever you see that there’s a holiday around the corner, the media becomes all about that holiday. For example, now that Christmas is around the corner, all you hear about on television, the internet, and the radio is Christmas and sales. Radios and music channels play holiday music such as Feliz Navidad, Grandma got run over by a reindeer, and Jingle Bells to get people into the Christmas spirit. The internet has ads all over the place telling people which stores have the good sales to go Christmas shopping. For example, they were announcing Black Friday for a good week to remind people to go down and buy stuff. Also on the television they announce sales at stores such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Toys-R-Us and how they have great toys and electronics on sale. The media helps people get into the Christmas craze and into the Spirit. I believe that if the media wasn’t around, holidays simply wouldn’t be the same.
Media affects the way people perceive and celebrate holidays because it creates a different meaning for celebrating certain holidays. For example Christmas is known for giving loved ones presents and putting up decorations and so stores have taken advantage and set up sales during the holiday which attracts people to buy more and more things forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. Another example would be that for Thanksgiving people are waiting on lines on Thanksgivng day for stores to open at midnight on Friday for Black Friday because stores having amazing sales and things are a lot cheaper instead of celebrating with they're families and being thankful for what they have which is the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
Media coverage during the holiday season is primarily for the benefit of retail stores and shopping. Most commercials for holidays on the television, internet, or radio usually just focus on how much money can be saved or open store hours, not the actual holiday itself--and we, customers, lose the main idea behind the holiday. There's actually nothing to be gained from this kind of media exposure during these seasons. In fact, we're being hypnotized into thinking we're saving money since most stores raise the normal prices of goods and deduct only a small fraction from that inflated cost during the holiday sale to make it think like you're saving.
Media coverage of the holiday effects the way we perceive and celebrate them because if a holiday gets hyped up it's usually more noticed than one that's not. For example, Christmas, probably the most known holiday out there. For the constant reminder through all the Christmas music you hear, and all the "sweet deals" you see with gift wrapping included. Trees go up all over town and so do decorations, all you see and hear is Christmas where ever you go, you can't ignore it. But for a holiday like Columbus Day, you may know about it but you don't get "sweet deals" and you definitely don't hear music about it. The most we get is a day off, but no one is really going apes about it. I'm sure if media got a hold of Columbus Day, it would turn into something else.
In the media, especially in commercials, holidays are portrayed as "shallow" meaning there is no real tradition to them anymore. Media does not show anything that will be seen as traditional. For Black Friday, there are commercials for people to go out and start buying Christmas gifts or for Christmas, there are various commercials showing where to get "the best gifts" for everyone. The highlight of Christmas are dressing up as Santa Claus or as an elf, but not really going to mass. Even for Valentine's Day, they show buying the best jewlery instead of promoting to just spend a day with your partner,or doing something simple for them. The values and beliefs of these holidays are not as traditional as they used to be due to the dominance of media on society's lives.
Media greatly affects the way people perceive the holidays. As Ms. Sitler stated, usually after Halloween, Christmas decorations are available in stores. This is apparent in this awesome store called Christmas Tree Shop. It's not only for Christmas decor, but for every holiday of the year. I went there around October, and even BEFORE Halloween there were Christmas decor on the shelves. However, I agree that Christmas is the best holiday of the year and it's always good to get a head start on decorating and getting into the Christmas spirit. For Black Friday, the media scares me. I usually don't go out at 2 in the morning because of the crowds and possibly getting trampled on by anticipating customers. The commercials for Black Friday were really hilarious though. I usually go shopping during the day and there is still merchandise on sale :D But, because of the media, I'm scared to leave my house at that time and end up being one of those crazy people in the commercials. I still got good deals ;D
Media influences what we plan to do for the holidays. For instance, most people rely on media to hear about Christmas sales and discounts for gifts and decorations. Another example is that many people use media, such as music and television, during the holidays. They watch Christmas specials on T.V. and movies such as Charlie Brown's Christmas and Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Also, people rely on media for travel during the holidays; there are people who decide to go home for the holidays and use media to book and plan flights and trips. Other examples are Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Needless to say, the holidays wouldn't be as enjoyable without our media advantages.
The media affects the holidays for people like myself. Usually during and after Thanksgiving there is a lot of emphasis put on buying gifts for the holidays. Usually items such as electronics and clothes are put on really good sales. One of the traditions known as Black Friday is known for the really good sales and it’s also known for people leaving there house around 2am. This year I was able to partake in Black Friday and I was shopping at 3am and I saved a lot of money. However some people take this shopping very seriously which is really annoying. People don’t miss out on these deals because it’s a great time to get your Christmas shopping done. Although media places emphasis on materialistic items, we sometimes forget that Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends. Overall media can have a negative and positive impact on the holidays. From displaying Christmas deals on items, to showing cartoons such as Grandma got run over by a rein deer. Media also has an impact on holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween, it pressures us to buy things we don’t really need, but we end up buying it anyway.
The media affects the portrayal of the holidays in a huge way. For example, the celebration of these holidays is more commercialized than anything else and takes away from quality time with the family. Everyone is so preoccupied with updating their Twitter or Facebook status that they forget the true meaning of Christmas, Thanksgiving etc. Another disadvantage is that children aren't learning about the authentic history of the holidays but only the fictional characters such as the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and his reindeer, and Cupid. Commercials and other broadcasts also focus on the upcoming sale events in stores even if it is not for another month. People line up from up to twelve hours the night before and even get trampled in order to get a good sale. Overall, ovet the years, commercials and the media as a whole has downgraded the true meaning of Christmas and other holidays.
Black Friday takes away from the celebration of Thanksgiving. People forget about the joy of spending time with their families and friends. Instead they are busy trying to figure out what to buy the next day, for who, at what store. They rush out of their houses to wait on these enormous lines just so they can get a good deal. Many people, along with those in my family, rush the family dinner to leave early and get a good spot on line. This spot on line, this chance to buy things on sale, takes away from the true meaning of Thanksgiving. The media makes it seem that the meaning of Thanksgiving is to shop. It portrays that people should be thankful for the materialistic things they can buy on sale. Media portrays the Thanksgiving holiday as a time to save money.
Personally I feel that the media has a major affect as the holidays approach. Towards the holidays the commercials change, the movies change; the decorations go up, newspaper articles change, and even the Google symbol changes. So much change is involved in the media when the holiday season comes along, and no holiday is left unspoken for. Every holiday whether major or minor gets some type of recognition in the media. To me I feel the holidays most affected by the media are Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween. During these major holidays shopping centers change their clothes. During Christmas on every rack there are snowflakes and Santa Clause is around every corner that you turn. During Halloween, costumes are everywhere in places where costumes aren’t even expected to be, such as Wal-Mart, and even JCPenny. During Valentines Day, suddenly there are jewelry sales all over the commercials and prices for everything shaped like a heart goes on sale. According to shopping centers and commercials media does play a major role during the holiday season. The media is just a constant reminder that the holiday season is nearer and without it I feel some people might even forgot that the holidays are even happening. In todays society everyone is always so busy and in a rush that if commercials and shopping centers didn’t remind people I think the holidays wouldn’t really be that important anymore. In conclusion I feel the media is very important when it comes to holidays because it reminds everyone the time of year that we are in and it reminds people that its that time of year to get back together with family and other loved ones.
I like to take my time and just stay home like a hermit on those wonderful holidays. I really don't like leaving my house when it becomes the holidays; it's a wonderful excuse for me to just stay home and do breathing exercises.
The media definitely affects the holidays, I mean, this year - 2011,the media did not really celebrate Thanksgiving. It skipped over to Christmas. HELLO PEOPLE: IT'S EARLY NOVEMBER. However, other than Thanksgiving, most other holidays are well advertised by the media. The media is a great advantage for the big businesses to really lure in a lot of customers, especially with SALES.
Who doesn't like sale shopping? Seriously, you buy a lot and pay less than usual. Now, the downfall is that the media is too successful on seducing the customers that there is just TOO many people on the journey to find the right deals. A lot of the major holidays have become more about sales and shopping rather than family celebration; sometimes, the less celebrated holidays are now just taken advantage of for a day off. I think a lot of the future generations will have a more materialistic holiday than we do.
The media portrayal of holidays effects the way I perceive and celebrate them because I tend to believe what I see on tv. An example of this is Black Friday, I never shopped on Black Friday because of everything I saw and heard on the tv and radio about how dangerous Black Friday is. The media plays an important part on how people perceive the holidays because it shows people how the holidays are like.
In my opinion, I think that the media has commercialized many of the major holidays. For example, Thanksgiving is a holiday that should be celebrated with your loved ones having a grand feast, but people would much rather cut the celebration short to go shopping at Midnight on Black Friday when supposedly things like clothes and electronics are at a much cheaper price. However, these sales continue throughout the holidays so it makes no sense to camp out in front of the stores and wait on ridiculous lines. It is rare to see thanksgiving decorations; the media only talks about thanksgiving to over exaggerate Black Friday in order to get people to start buying gifts for Christmas. I consider this to be the same for Christmas. The media has taken the true meaning behind Christmas and manipulated it into a race of who can buy the better presents. People often get caught up in shopping and receiving gifts that they forget about the less fortunate people. Hardly ever do you here the media talking about other holidays like Easter or Columbus Day and if they do it’s to advertise products. I think the media only focuses on the materialistic aspect of the holiday spirit in order to fool the general public into spending money. This idea in turn has influenced people by losing sight of the traditional purpose of the holiday spirit.
Media takes a big role in almost everything we do now. We can automatically know what season it is by looking at magazine advertisements and commercials on TV. We don’t really see advertisements on TV about Thanksgiving but around that time we do see advertisements about Black Friday, a crucial day for retail. Retail needs to advertise all of their sales and the best way is through television because everyone watches television. They try and catch everyone’s attention to bring buyers to their companies. This day is crucial because it brings in the most revenue for retail. They will do anything and everything to bribe customers to come and spend on Black Friday and the most effective way to do this is through media. After the Black Friday hype is over they start to bring out full Christmas commercials. Toys R Us is big on commercials during this holiday season. This is probably the only time people really buy so many toys because of the economy. They will start advertising new toys and sales for the Holidays. Other contributors to using media for revenue are department stores. Macy’s, JC Penny, Kohls, etc. all have various commercials and sales for the season. Not only does retail get people into the holiday spirit through media but so does cable channels such as ABC Family. ABC family holds the 25 days of Christmas to share the Christmas spirit and remind us that its near. Children, adults and even the elderly look forward to these 25 days of Christmas because it has been around for so long and it might be a tradition in some households. Although these commercials may be a bit annoying, it wouldn’t feel like Christmas if media wasn’t involved.
People usually take the media into effect when the holidays come around. The way we celebrate is usually based on how the media tells us to celebrate it. For example it is said to be known that Black Friday is a to be the day of the year, where people are told top go out and spend their money. On black Friday high priced items are put on sale and then media’s job is to promote this day. With catchy commercials, amazing sales, and commercials that are able to grab the viewer’s attention, just makes shoppers want to go out more. Based on these advertisements people are tempted to stand in line for many hours just for a few items. Another way media influences how we celebrate holidays are through what the media believes holidays are. If we didn’t see in television how to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or even New Years we wouldn’t do as many things as we do now. When we see Christmas commercials we see the basic Santa Clause and Christmas tree. They play songs like jingle bells and Rudolph the red nose reindeer. Since no one has actually seen Rudolph or Santa we still put them in our idea of Christmas because the media makes us believe that they are fictional characters. They tell us how to celebrate Christmas by catching our attention through commercials.
In today’s society media takes a huge toll on the way people celebrate holidays. There are many factors that feed into the way media portrays holidays to grasp the attention of the public. For example traditions like black Friday and cyber Monday. Everybody knows these are days dedicated to major sales on products after thanksgiving. On Black Friday all stores have sales on items at their stores. The tradition is for shoppers to wake up really early to get the best things before they go out of stock. Cyber Monday is the first business day after thanksgiving; shoppers go online to their favorite stores and buy items that are on sale. Another way media affects how people celebrate holidays is the yearly routine of when each holiday begins. For example when we begin to notice Halloween and/or Christmas commercials and shows being aired that is usually when we knows its time to put up Christmas trees or decorate for Halloween. Media also shows us how to celebrate theses holidays. Through television shows and commercials people learn what to do for each given holiday. Reality television shows usually have episodes based on each holiday. For example the reality television show “Full House” has a specific episode for every American holiday. These shows generalize how holidays are supposed to be celebrated and viewers mimic these traditions in their own homes.
Media readily available for public consumption is most often concerned with material goods. Because of this, when the holiday season begins, media attention tends to be focused more on goods and services than the "true meaning" of each holiday. For example, during the Christmas season, ads for toys and expensive merchandise become more prevalent. This is obvious on huge shopping days such as Black Friday, when people stand in line in the freezing cold for hours upon hours to get that 60% discount on the flat-screen TV they’ve been wanting or the collector’s edition Tickle-Me-Elmo that their grandchildren have been dying for. The media attention given to these events makes it seem like a big deal; all the coverage given makes gift-giving seem more important than the actual holiday. Many teens today seem more concerned with the Black Friday sales than the family celebration of Thanksgiving that comes just hours before it. Thanksgiving, one of our nations most historically relevant holidays, often does not even receive any acknowledgement! I mean, you’re more likely to find Christmas decorations hanging in November than cornucopia and pilgrim decals on any store window. It has almost become a forgotten holiday, of sorts, since it comes between two of the most hyped up holidays (Halloween and Christmas). Personally, I think a lot of people no longer appreciate the real message of the holidays – Christmas isn’t just about Santa Clause, Valentine’s Day isn’t all about giving roses and chocolates, Halloween wasn’t meant to be a competition to see who could get the most candy. Unfortunately, that is what media seems to have distorted the holidays into.
Cyber Monday is one of the many ways in which the media has played an important role in the celebration of the holidays. Cyber Monday is very similar to the Black Friday sales, only instead of rushing into stores and fighting over merchandise, people look for the best deals in the comfort of their own homes. As convenient as this may seem, however, a majority of adults are in work or school on a Monday. Therefore, some choose to abuse the computer access in the office and instead of getting work done, do a bit of online shopping.
ReplyDeleteThe think that the media's coverage of Christmas is good. It helps me get more into the holiday spirit. With channels playing Christmas movies and Christmas specials, it makes me jolly. With radio playing Christmas music, it just puts a smile on my face. I think that if the media doesn't cover Christmas the way it does, people wouldn't get in the Christmas spirit.
ReplyDeleteHow does the media affect holidays?
ReplyDeleteI believe that the media affects the holidays greatly. Whenever you see that there’s a holiday around the corner, the media becomes all about that holiday. For example, now that Christmas is around the corner, all you hear about on television, the internet, and the radio is Christmas and sales. Radios and music channels play holiday music such as Feliz Navidad, Grandma got run over by a reindeer, and Jingle Bells to get people into the Christmas spirit. The internet has ads all over the place telling people which stores have the good sales to go Christmas shopping. For example, they were announcing Black Friday for a good week to remind people to go down and buy stuff. Also on the television they announce sales at stores such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Toys-R-Us and how they have great toys and electronics on sale. The media helps people get into the Christmas craze and into the Spirit. I believe that if the media wasn’t around, holidays simply wouldn’t be the same.
Media affects the way people perceive and celebrate holidays because it creates a different meaning for celebrating certain holidays. For example Christmas is known for giving loved ones presents and putting up decorations and so stores have taken advantage and set up sales during the holiday which attracts people to buy more and more things forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. Another example would be that for Thanksgiving people are waiting on lines on Thanksgivng day for stores to open at midnight on Friday for Black Friday because stores having amazing sales and things are a lot cheaper instead of celebrating with they're families and being thankful for what they have which is the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteMedia coverage during the holiday season is primarily for the benefit of retail stores and shopping. Most commercials for holidays on the television, internet, or radio usually just focus on how much money can be saved or open store hours, not the actual holiday itself--and we, customers, lose the main idea behind the holiday. There's actually nothing to be gained from this kind of media exposure during these seasons. In fact, we're being hypnotized into thinking we're saving money since most stores raise the normal prices of goods and deduct only a small fraction from that inflated cost during the holiday sale to make it think like you're saving.
ReplyDeleteMedia coverage of the holiday effects the way we perceive and celebrate them because if a holiday gets hyped up it's usually more noticed than one that's not. For example, Christmas, probably the most known holiday out there. For the constant reminder through all the Christmas music you hear, and all the "sweet deals" you see with gift wrapping included. Trees go up all over town and so do decorations, all you see and hear is Christmas where ever you go, you can't ignore it. But for a holiday like Columbus Day, you may know about it but you don't get "sweet deals" and you definitely don't hear music about it. The most we get is a day off, but no one is really going apes about it. I'm sure if media got a hold of Columbus Day, it would turn into something else.
ReplyDeleteIn the media, especially in commercials, holidays are portrayed as "shallow" meaning there is no real tradition to them anymore. Media does not show anything that will be seen as traditional. For Black Friday, there are commercials for people to go out and start buying Christmas gifts or for Christmas, there are various commercials showing where to get "the best gifts" for everyone. The highlight of Christmas are dressing up as Santa Claus or as an elf, but not really going to mass. Even for Valentine's Day, they show buying the best jewlery instead of promoting to just spend a day with your partner,or doing something simple for them. The values and beliefs of these holidays are not as traditional as they used to be due to the dominance of media on society's lives.
ReplyDeleteMedia greatly affects the way people perceive the holidays. As Ms. Sitler stated, usually after Halloween, Christmas decorations are available in stores. This is apparent in this awesome store called Christmas Tree Shop. It's not only for Christmas decor, but for every holiday of the year. I went there around October, and even BEFORE Halloween there were Christmas decor on the shelves. However, I agree that Christmas is the best holiday of the year and it's always good to get a head start on decorating and getting into the Christmas spirit.
ReplyDeleteFor Black Friday, the media scares me. I usually don't go out at 2 in the morning because of the crowds and possibly getting trampled on by anticipating customers. The commercials for Black Friday were really hilarious though. I usually go shopping during the day and there is still merchandise on sale :D But, because of the media, I'm scared to leave my house at that time and end up being one of those crazy people in the commercials. I still got good deals ;D
Media influences what we plan to do for the holidays. For instance, most people rely on media to hear about Christmas sales and discounts for gifts and decorations. Another example is that many people use media, such as music and television, during the holidays. They watch Christmas specials on T.V. and movies such as Charlie Brown's Christmas and Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Also, people rely on media for travel during the holidays; there are people who decide to go home for the holidays and use media to book and plan flights and trips. Other examples are Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Needless to say, the holidays wouldn't be as enjoyable without our media advantages.
ReplyDeleteThe media affects the holidays for people like myself. Usually during and after Thanksgiving there is a lot of emphasis put on buying gifts for the holidays. Usually items such as electronics and clothes are put on really good sales. One of the traditions known as Black Friday is known for the really good sales and it’s also known for people leaving there house around 2am. This year I was able to partake in Black Friday and I was shopping at 3am and I saved a lot of money. However some people take this shopping very seriously which is really annoying. People don’t miss out on these deals because it’s a great time to get your Christmas shopping done. Although media places emphasis on materialistic items, we sometimes forget that Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends. Overall media can have a negative and positive impact on the holidays. From displaying Christmas deals on items, to showing cartoons such as Grandma got run over by a rein deer. Media also has an impact on holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween, it pressures us to buy things we don’t really need, but we end up buying it anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe media affects the portrayal of the holidays in a huge way. For example, the celebration of these holidays is more commercialized than anything else and takes away from quality time with the family. Everyone is so preoccupied with updating their Twitter or Facebook status that they forget the true meaning of Christmas, Thanksgiving etc. Another disadvantage is that children aren't learning about the authentic history of the holidays but only the fictional characters such as the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and his reindeer, and Cupid.
ReplyDeleteCommercials and other broadcasts also focus on the upcoming sale events in stores even if it is not for another month. People line up from up to twelve hours the night before and even get trampled in order to get a good sale. Overall, ovet the years, commercials and the media as a whole has downgraded the true meaning of Christmas and other holidays.
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ReplyDeleteBlack Friday takes away from the celebration of Thanksgiving. People forget about the joy of spending time with their families and friends. Instead they are busy trying to figure out what to buy the next day, for who, at what store. They rush out of their houses to wait on these enormous lines just so they can get a good deal. Many people, along with those in my family, rush the family dinner to leave early and get a good spot on line. This spot on line, this chance to buy things on sale, takes away from the true meaning of Thanksgiving. The media makes it seem that the meaning of Thanksgiving is to shop. It portrays that people should be thankful for the materialistic things they can buy on sale. Media portrays the Thanksgiving holiday as a time to save money.
ReplyDeletePersonally I feel that the media has a major affect as the holidays approach. Towards the holidays the commercials change, the movies change; the decorations go up, newspaper articles change, and even the Google symbol changes. So much change is involved in the media when the holiday season comes along, and no holiday is left unspoken for. Every holiday whether major or minor gets some type of recognition in the media. To me I feel the holidays most affected by the media are Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween.
ReplyDeleteDuring these major holidays shopping centers change their clothes. During Christmas on every rack there are snowflakes and Santa Clause is around every corner that you turn. During Halloween, costumes are everywhere in places where costumes aren’t even expected to be, such as Wal-Mart, and even JCPenny. During Valentines Day, suddenly there are jewelry sales all over the commercials and prices for everything shaped like a heart goes on sale.
According to shopping centers and commercials media does play a major role during the holiday season. The media is just a constant reminder that the holiday season is nearer and without it I feel some people might even forgot that the holidays are even happening. In todays society everyone is always so busy and in a rush that if commercials and shopping centers didn’t remind people I think the holidays wouldn’t really be that important anymore. In conclusion I feel the media is very important when it comes to holidays because it reminds everyone the time of year that we are in and it reminds people that its that time of year to get back together with family and other loved ones.
HOLIDAYS = CHAOS.
ReplyDeleteI like to take my time and just stay home like a hermit on those wonderful holidays. I really don't like leaving my house when it becomes the holidays; it's a wonderful excuse for me to just stay home and do breathing exercises.
The media definitely affects the holidays, I mean, this year - 2011,the media did not really celebrate Thanksgiving. It skipped over to Christmas. HELLO PEOPLE: IT'S EARLY NOVEMBER. However, other than Thanksgiving, most other holidays are well advertised by the media. The media is a great advantage for the big businesses to really lure in a lot of customers, especially with SALES.
Who doesn't like sale shopping? Seriously, you buy a lot and pay less than usual. Now, the downfall is that the media is too successful on seducing the customers that there is just TOO many people on the journey to find the right deals. A lot of the major holidays have become more about sales and shopping rather than family celebration; sometimes, the less celebrated holidays are now just taken advantage of for a day off. I think a lot of the future generations will have a more materialistic holiday than we do.
The media portrayal of holidays effects the way I perceive and celebrate them because I tend to believe what I see on tv. An example of this is Black Friday, I never shopped on Black Friday because of everything I saw and heard on the tv and radio about how dangerous Black Friday is. The media plays an important part on how people perceive the holidays because it shows people how the holidays are like.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think that the media has commercialized many of the major holidays. For example, Thanksgiving is a holiday that should be celebrated with your loved ones having a grand feast, but people would much rather cut the celebration short to go shopping at Midnight on Black Friday when supposedly things like clothes and electronics are at a much cheaper price. However, these sales continue throughout the holidays so it makes no sense to camp out in front of the stores and wait on ridiculous lines. It is rare to see thanksgiving decorations; the media only talks about thanksgiving to over exaggerate Black Friday in order to get people to start buying gifts for Christmas. I consider this to be the same for Christmas. The media has taken the true meaning behind Christmas and manipulated it into a race of who can buy the better presents. People often get caught up in shopping and receiving gifts that they forget about the less fortunate people. Hardly ever do you here the media talking about other holidays like Easter or Columbus Day and if they do it’s to advertise products. I think the media only focuses on the materialistic aspect of the holiday spirit in order to fool the general public into spending money. This idea in turn has influenced people by losing sight of the traditional purpose of the holiday spirit.
ReplyDeleteMedia takes a big role in almost everything we do now. We can automatically know what season it is by looking at magazine advertisements and commercials on TV. We don’t really see advertisements on TV about Thanksgiving but around that time we do see advertisements about Black Friday, a crucial day for retail. Retail needs to advertise all of their sales and the best way is through television because everyone watches television. They try and catch everyone’s attention to bring buyers to their companies. This day is crucial because it brings in the most revenue for retail. They will do anything and everything to bribe customers to come and spend on Black Friday and the most effective way to do this is through media. After the Black Friday hype is over they start to bring out full Christmas commercials. Toys R Us is big on commercials during this holiday season. This is probably the only time people really buy so many toys because of the economy. They will start advertising new toys and sales for the Holidays. Other contributors to using media for revenue are department stores. Macy’s, JC Penny, Kohls, etc. all have various commercials and sales for the season.
ReplyDeleteNot only does retail get people into the holiday spirit through media but so does cable channels such as ABC Family. ABC family holds the 25 days of Christmas to share the Christmas spirit and remind us that its near. Children, adults and even the elderly look forward to these 25 days of Christmas because it has been around for so long and it might be a tradition in some households. Although these commercials may be a bit annoying, it wouldn’t feel like Christmas if media wasn’t involved.
People usually take the media into effect when the holidays come around. The way we celebrate is usually based on how the media tells us to celebrate it. For example it is said to be known that Black Friday is a to be the day of the year, where people are told top go out and spend their money. On black Friday high priced items are put on sale and then media’s job is to promote this day. With catchy commercials, amazing sales, and commercials that are able to grab the viewer’s attention, just makes shoppers want to go out more. Based on these advertisements people are tempted to stand in line for many hours just for a few items. Another way media influences how we celebrate holidays are through what the media believes holidays are. If we didn’t see in television how to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or even New Years we wouldn’t do as many things as we do now. When we see Christmas commercials we see the basic Santa Clause and Christmas tree. They play songs like jingle bells and Rudolph the red nose reindeer. Since no one has actually seen Rudolph or Santa we still put them in our idea of Christmas because the media makes us believe that they are fictional characters. They tell us how to celebrate Christmas by catching our attention through commercials.
ReplyDeleteIn today’s society media takes a huge toll on the way people celebrate holidays. There are many factors that feed into the way media portrays holidays to grasp the attention of the public. For example traditions like black Friday and cyber Monday. Everybody knows these are days dedicated to major sales on products after thanksgiving. On Black Friday all stores have sales on items at their stores. The tradition is for shoppers to wake up really early to get the best things before they go out of stock. Cyber Monday is the first business day after thanksgiving; shoppers go online to their favorite stores and buy items that are on sale. Another way media affects how people celebrate holidays is the yearly routine of when each holiday begins. For example when we begin to notice Halloween and/or Christmas commercials and shows being aired that is usually when we knows its time to put up Christmas trees or decorate for Halloween.
ReplyDeleteMedia also shows us how to celebrate theses holidays. Through television shows and commercials people learn what to do for each given holiday. Reality television shows usually have episodes based on each holiday. For example the reality television show “Full House” has a specific episode for every American holiday. These shows generalize how holidays are supposed to be celebrated and viewers mimic these traditions in their own homes.
Media readily available for public consumption is most often concerned with material goods. Because of this, when the holiday season begins, media attention tends to be focused more on goods and services than the "true meaning" of each holiday. For example, during the Christmas season, ads for toys and expensive merchandise become more prevalent. This is obvious on huge shopping days such as Black Friday, when people stand in line in the freezing cold for hours upon hours to get that 60% discount on the flat-screen TV they’ve been wanting or the collector’s edition Tickle-Me-Elmo that their grandchildren have been dying for. The media attention given to these events makes it seem like a big deal; all the coverage given makes gift-giving seem more important than the actual holiday. Many teens today seem more concerned with the Black Friday sales than the family celebration of Thanksgiving that comes just hours before it. Thanksgiving, one of our nations most historically relevant holidays, often does not even receive any acknowledgement! I mean, you’re more likely to find Christmas decorations hanging in November than cornucopia and pilgrim decals on any store window. It has almost become a forgotten holiday, of sorts, since it comes between two of the most hyped up holidays (Halloween and Christmas). Personally, I think a lot of people no longer appreciate the real message of the holidays – Christmas isn’t just about Santa Clause, Valentine’s Day isn’t all about giving roses and chocolates, Halloween wasn’t meant to be a competition to see who could get the most candy. Unfortunately, that is what media seems to have distorted the holidays into.
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