Media Meditation #3: iPad 2

Image courtesy of Google

Every time I open Safari on my laptop, the homepage for Apple appears. This is due to the fact that I have either been too lazy to change the homepage default setting that has been on my laptop since I got it several years ago, OR it could be due to the fact that I subconsciously enjoy the clean white webpage that appears every time I open the browser. Although I do enjoy Apple's simplistic and clean site, lately I have been tempted to change my saved homepage.

"Thinner. Lighter. Faster." If I have to read this over-hyperbolic (yes, I probably just made up this word) sentence one more time, I may just have to conquer my laziness and take the 3 seconds out of my life to change my settings. Not to mention the mysterious hand that appears to have no attached arm and is floating in midair... creepy.

This bizarre image not only plays with my limbic brain as I examine the image at first glance, but also my neocortex as I begin to question the anatomy of this model.

The videos you can access on this page further entice your limbic and neocortex brain.

I have looked at this site hundreds of times however, today is the first time I have actually clicked on the ipad 2 ad, which brings me to an even more hyperbolic site with phrases such as "It's fast. Times two." Is it possible to be two times faster than fast...? According to Apple, it is.

50% of the rotating images on this site use the persuasive technique of "plain folk" by showing models who appear to look like everyday people. This technique is used to make viewers feel that they could picture themselves using the product as well. The other 50% of the images are strictly technological, highlighting the different features of the ipad, providing many facts for consumers.

Now, after actually watching the videos on Apple's site for the iPad2, I understand the new improvements they have made to their product and can appreciate their efforts in advertising these new features. If I had invented the new iPad, I too would probably run around telling everyone it was "Thinner. Lighter. Faster."

Although I now appreciate the new iPad, I think I will take 3 seconds out of my life to go change my homepage settings so I don't have to see the creepy, armless, floating hand every time I open Safari.

Media Meditation #2: LABADOOZIE

During spring break I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise, which made stops in Jamaica and Haiti. The port we stopped at in Haiti was in Labadee. After getting off the port, we were free to walk the many beaches across the coastline and enjoy a local drink called a “Labadoozie.” I enjoyed listening to the Haitian employees of the bar service as they walked around the beach saying, “LABADOOZIE- yummy, yummy, good for the tummy!” It is a phrase that I will probably now remember for the rest of my life and think about whenever someone mentions Haiti. The nice thing about cruises is that you can have everything charged to your seapass, which is connected to your credit card. Therefore when you go out to the ports or to various places on the boat, you do not need to carry cash. Whenever you want to buy something, such as a LABADOOZIE, you simply hand your seapass to the bartender or other service personnel. You can also set up a tipping account to your seapass so you don’t have to worry about tipping during your trip-all gratuities are added on for you. This is a great example of an aesthetic shift in our society today. Rather than carrying around cash or various methods of payment, you can use your seapass card (which you are required to carry around anyway) to purchase drinks and other goods or services.

The people in Haiti were very friendly and the culture was so rich. We explored the local market at the port where we looked at the many crafts the Haitians are known for. We were provided with a Haitian buffet lunch, which consisted of ribs, chicken, green salads, corn on the cob, pasta salads, and many baked goods such as cookies and brownies.

After lunch I had the opportunity to experience one of the most beautiful tributes to culture I have ever seen in my life. The show I watched was a mixture of Haitian dance, fire eating stunts, and gymnastics. The beautiful Haitian women dancing and twirling in their colorful outfits while two men tumbled across the concrete stage made for a magical show that was sure to trigger anyone’s limbic brain with the colors, movements, and music.

Photo by Amanda Osborne

Not to mention the fire-eater added a little suspense to the show, triggering the “fight or flight” of the reptilian brain. The fire-eater called volunteers up on stage and then asked them to place the fireball stick into his mouth. Watching from a distance, I could see them contemplating if they should stay or flee the stage.

Photo by Amanda Osborne

Watching this performance was an example of an emotional transfer for me. Watching the women dancing on stage with such passion made me appreciate the culture and passion for that culture that exist in various countries across the world. I had a better appreciation for the Haitian culture by watching the performance.

The dancers used timing during their performance to create certain emphasis on various moves. By doing a specific move at a specific moment in the music it can create a certain reaction or feeling than if it were to be performed with a different part of the music.

Cosmopolitan: Get Naked!

"Get Naked! 25 Fun Ways to Go Nude" is one of the headlines on the cover of the March edition of Cosmopolitan that is supposed to lure in women as they pass the magazine shelf in the store. Maybe they thought that "THE SEX QUIZ" in caps and bold would do the trick. Cosmopolitan, otherwise known as "COSMO," is said to be "the lifestylist for millions of fun fearless females who want to be the best they can in every area of their lives." For me, it is just a magazine of ridiculous surveys, polls, and lists that can make the time go faster while I sit in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

I feel like reading articles titled "10 ways to let a guy know you're interested" and "7 sexy must-haves" is a waste of my neocortex brain. However, one positive thing I find about COSMO magazine is that it is a model of the aesthetic shift from discrete to convergence. If this magazine did not exist and I was truly interested in everything that is currently in it, I would have to look at self-help and advice columns, read entertainment articles, look at fashion images, look ad advertisements for products, and read celebrity biographies all in different locations. Where as COSMO provides a little of everything in one location. One principle represented in COSMO is ownership. Cosmopolitan owns their magazine, but there are other people involved as well. Advertisement is huge when it comes to magazines. Companies pay COSMO thousands of dollars to place their ads in the magazine. They do so because they have faith in the magazine to reach an audience and therefore to have that audience view their ads. COSMO uses many different persuasive techniques to get readers to read their magazine. One is hyperbole. They use headlines such as "The most dangerous thing a woman can say yes to" to get viewers to want to pick up the magazine and see exactly what THE MOST DANGEROUS THING A WOMAN CAN SAY YES TO. The most used technique used my COSMO as well as most magazines is beautiful people. They use well known celebrities such as Beyonce, Drew Barrymore, Taylor Swift, and Julia Roberts to get the attention and interest of viewers.

Overall, I think COSMO is an informative, fun, interesting magazine for most teenage girls or young women. However, for me, I would rather not spend my time reading a magazine that seems to think it knows what turns my boyfriend on...

Rethinking the chairlift...

Media Meditation #1

Last week I watched a movie called "Frozen." Don't watch it... I should have known that a 2010 film already available on Netflix instant stream would not be an Academy Award winner to say the least...but, my boyfriend and I were bored so we gave it a shot. You know how there are some movies that are so bad that you turn them off within the first 5 minutes? Well, this one was so terribly bad that we just couldn't stop watching!

As awful as the movie was directed and produced, the content and story was pretty frightening and has made me think twice about heading to Smuggs again. If I was an avid snowboarder I don't think this film would cause me to hesitate heading up the mountain again. But being on a chairlift only a few times in my life, it has made be question if I would really like to go on one again...especially not at night!

After watching this movie, I will forever be terrified of this:

You'll understand what I'm talking about after watching

the movie. Although, I already told you not to watch it!

Photo courtesy of idahoreporter.com

I am now a blogger!

Hello bloggers! My name is Amanda and I am from Essex Junction, VT. I currently live in a condo in Jericho, VT with my boyfriend, Austin and our cat, Kasey. I have loved growing up in Vermont and didn’t want to leave the beautiful state to go to college, which is part of the reason I chose to go to Champlain. I am in my last semester of my senior year and am excited to almost be done! 



During this winter break, I found myself encountering many experiences with media. I was sick for most of vacation, which called for a lot of indoor activities such as watching TV, using Facebook and email to communicate with family and friends, and listening to music on my computer.

I enjoy using media in my everyday life. I like that we are able to access so much information so easily in today's culture. I also like the ability to connect and communicate so quickly. This however can become a downside as well, as you tend to lose the personal engagement through communication via texts, email, instant messages, etc. as opposed to speaking on the phone or in person. 



I believe media will always be a part of my life not only as entertainment, but also in the work field. I am a graphic design student and see myself working at a design firm focusing on print and web design.

The photo, hyperlink, and video all express more about who I am other than what is written above. I have included a picture of my cat, Kasey. Also, I've posted a video of a movie trailer because I work at a movie theater. The hyperlink goes to AIGA, the professional association of design, because I am a graphic design student.