As a member of a generation that is seemingly attached to their cell phones, laptops, and iPods, it is hard to imagine a world without MTV. MTV was a small network that took a big chance by debuting a channel that solely played music videos 24/7.  While in recent years, this is difficult to imagine, because MTV has been saturated with reality shows, there once was a time when it was committed to music. MTV Networks, a division of its corporate media company, Viacom, has several sister channels including VH1, which originally played more adult-contemporary music, though in recent years it, too, has focused on more pop culture reality shows. Several other sister channels include CMT, geared towards country music, as well as MTV2 which tends to focus on hip-hop videos and programming, and mtvU, a college-oriented channel. MTV also operates sixteen channels in the United Kingdom, as well as channels in countries worldwide including Greece, Ireland, Russia and Spain (http://www.mtv.com). Now, not only has the company expanded with multiple channels, but a store opened, five years ago in New York City. The store epitomizes Times Square, which has become a sort of pop culture universe to the station. The gift shop located just beneath “Total Request Live” studios, a show that is often credited for MTV’s popularity. The daily countdown-style show famously attracts fans and tourists to stare up at the windows, while bands such as Incubus and the Jonas Brothers wave to their admirers.

           While there is no disputing MTV’s accomplishments and the franchise it has become, it is important to focus on MTV’s beginnings. Studying its history helps understand just how many sacrifices it has had to make to keep up with a constantly evolving media world. On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 am, Music Television (MTV) hit the airwaves with the words “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” over a montage of the Apollo 11 moon landing. This image of the astronaut placing a brightly colored flag with MTV on it, has been immortalized with musicians winning “moon men” at MTV’s annual Video Music Awards. The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star”, was the first video to appear on MTV, whose fitting lyrics, “pictures came and broke her heart” foreshadowed the combining of music and television and the importance of a music video in making a star(http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9807/31/encore.mtv/index.html).

          Viewers embraced MTV and their fascination with videos of their favorite artists helped the network gain popularity. The network revived careers of older artists such as Rod Stewart, while introducing new acts including Madonna and Duran Duran, who finally had the platform to get their music out to the masses. Madonna especially, is indebted to MTV for playing her often risqué videos when other networks would not. What Myspace is credited to doing today for new and unsigned bands, music videos did back when MTV first launched. While some videos were made with low production costs, others focused more on the elaborate, including exploring special effects. The video for “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, cost $1.5 million dollars, but because of its innovative appearance, is credited for making the album the best seller of all time(http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9807/31/encore.mtv/index.html).

            In 1992, MTV decided to embrace politics by starting a pro-democracy platform called “Choose Or Lose”. The campaign which aimed to get more young people involved in politics and voting, was so successful, that as a candidate for president, Bill Clinton took questions from “Choose or Lose” supporters during a town hall forum (http://think.mtv.com/Issues/politics ). Gaining support from Bill Clinton, meant “Choose or Lose” volunteers were respected. Clinton stressed that these youths will one day be running our country and felt the need to connect to them. By crossing over into politics, MTV strengthened its influence by proving that they are interested in educating youth activism and not just their musical tastes. Perhaps this was the first hint that MTV realized in order to stay fresh, they needed to adapt their programming to the issues that were most important.  In recent years, MTV has continued its activism by airing  documentaries on subjects such as hate crime awareness and attacks in Congo (http://www.mtv.com).

            Around the same time that MTV started taking an interest in politics, it also  debuted its first reality shows “Real World” and “Road Rules”, at a time when this term was very unfamiliar.  The tagline for “Real World”, “This is the true story of seven strangers picked to live in a house, work together and have their lives taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real” emphasized the true-to-life aspects of the show. The show was marketed to teenagers and twenty-something’s, who could relate to the fights, the relationships, and the race and gender pressures. Now in its 20^th season, “Real World”, is the longest-running reality series in history, and credited with introducing the world to this genre.(http://www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/about/pdfs/).  “Road Rules” has been equally successful by following a similar model, yet these seven strangers traveled the world together in a RV and completed missions at each location. “Real World” and “Road Rules” contestants have also competed against each other on MTV shows such as “Real World/Road Rules Challenge” and “The Duel”.

            Reality programs were very successful on MTV so the channel continued  to cash in by building reality shows around infamous musicians including “The Osbournes”, “The Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica”, “The Ashlee Simpson Show”. Presently, the channel has more than ten reality shows on its schedule, with reruns airing constantly. The programs include, “Run’s House”, “America’s Next Top Model”, “That’s Amore”, “Making The Band: 4”, and “The Hills”. “The Hills”, a spin-off of the very popular “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” focuses on a young woman and her struggles to make it in the fashion industry, while juggling relationships, school, and Los Angeles. According to MTV Networks, the first episode of season four of the show,  which aired in March 2008, was this year’s “highest rated cable telecast, thus far, as well as the highest rated episode of “The Hills” with 4.7 million viewers” The next day, the episode was streamed a record 1.8 million times on MTV.com (http://sev.prnewswire.com/television/20080326/NYW12226032008-1.html). Another interesting aspect of “The Hills” is the franchise it has become. The three main stars of the show have become overnight sensations and pop culture icons, appearing on the covers of “Us Weekly”, and “Seventeen” and have started their own clothing lines. “The Hills” also has their own website called SeenON! MTV: The Hills (http://www.seenonmtv.com) which features clothes, makeup, bags, and shoes, featured on the show that viewers can buy. Everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure program has been doing great things for MTV!

            MTV is the perfect example of a media company that has changed with the times.  When it first was launched the idea of playing just music videos worked for a while, but gradually the network knew they needed a new gimmick. The addition of “Unplugged” to their programming was the perfect way for MTV to present musicians in a different light, by highlighting artists playing acoustic and in a more intimate setting.  Most Nirvana fans will never forget when they watched Kurt Cobain’s last televised performance before his untimely suicide. Nirvana’s “Unplugged” was unique because they played only one hit “Come as You Are” and instead played more covers and lesser known songs. While artists such as Bon Jovi and Korn have been on “Unplugged” in recent years, the program is shown much less now than in the early 90’s, adding to speculation that MTV is more of a reality show network than a music network.

            While MTV still shows music videos,  they often air very early in the morning or very late at night  when the network knows no one is watching. “Total Request Live” still airs the top ten videos of the day, but the program is often criticized for playing mainly pop videos, whereas when MTV first launched more rock and rap artists were highlighted. In fact, even artists that MTV has embraced are now pleading with the network to go back to its roots, including Justin Timberlake, who during his acceptance speech at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards infamously exclaimed, “play more damn videos.” Perhaps the most ironic aspect of Timberlake’s comment, was that he accepted the award from three of the stars of “The Hills”!

            Justin Timberlake was not showing disrespect to the network, because the point is that artists still want their videos on MTV and to see other artists’ videos. However, artists know reality shows are monopolizing MTV’s schedule. Therefore, if their video is not popular enough to be on “Total Request Live”, the video will not be seen unless they market it to other forms of media like the internet. Some artists have turned to making Myspace music pages where they can post their music and videos and link to their official website. According to Phil Leigh, senior analyst for Inside Digital Media, “Just like nature, commerce abhors a vacuum. Musicians suddenly had an ability to put videos on their own websites without having to plead with MTV for airtime.” While many argued MTV “sold out”, Leigh agrees saying, “MTV shot itself in the foot by going to reality programming. The viewership went up, but it left a latent demand, and the internet is tapping into that”   (http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-08-25-mtv_x.htm). The power of the internet as a marketing tool through blogs, Myspace, and artists’ websites is amazing. While “word of mouth” promotion is still strong and often more valuable than advertising, the internet has made getting music even easier. Artists that might not even have a CD out can gradually gain a following by posting some of their music online.  Also, with broadband internet connections becoming the norm, it is even easier for people to download, especially college kids. College students, with their fast connections, can get more music and videos from the internet than MTV.

          People do not have the time to wait for broadcasts of their favorite music videos. More and more people are disgruntled with MTV because the channel is oversaturated with reality programming. While they still air some videos, they are often the same thirty or so and always what is popular at the moment. These videos always air very early morning or late at night when no one is watching. YouTube and Myspace are gaining popularity as MTV fans are turning to easier ways of getting what they want, when they want it. Myspace president Tom Anderson said it best, “A band with no history can get 40,000 people looking at its video just by getting on the site and doing some work. It’s a strong incentive…Fans get excited when they discover a band that’s made its own record or video” (http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-08-25-mtv_x.htm). While MTV continues to play the big and flashy videos, at obscure times – videos found online often focus on the artist and the music, rather than the elaborate presentation. We often forget that it is about the music. While the music video acts a promotion tool -  the lyrics, the instruments, the sound is what truly matters.

     

           In 2004, a new channel hit the airwaves that allowed MTV to extend its influence even further in media. mtvU, Music Television University, formerly College Television Network (CTN) was launched as MTV Networks’ 24-hour-college network (http://www.mtvu.com/about). The network’s aim is to be a place for college students to turn to for emerging music, focusing mostly on music videos and some short programs. According to Viacom, the company that owns MTV and its affiliates, mtvU is the #1 media network by and for college students (average age range being 18-24 years old), with 750 campuses broadcasting mtvU and 7.2 million students tuning in from their televisions and up to 7 million per month online (http://www.viacom.com/ourbrands/medianetworks/mtvnetworks/Pages/mtvu.asp). In fact, mtvU is the first MTV Networks channel to be distributed entirely via broadband, which streams 24/7 and on demand at mtvU.com (http://www.mtvu.com/about).

        Along with music videos, students are tuning into mtvU for its student-produced content including a show called “Dean’s List” which allows a different college student each week,  the chance to be a VJ-for the day and air their top 10 favorite music videos. Another focus of the channel is to keep students informed on national and local college news, with frequent “News Breaks”. Another entertaining and successful series on the channel is “Stand In” where icons such as author Elie Wiesel, Madonna, and John McCain surprise college students by teaching a class for a day (http://www.mtvu.com/about). The network prides itself on helping college students to understand social issues including its Sudan campaign which has won multiple Emmys. As a nod to grassroots efforts, students act as future musicians, filmmakers, activists, and digital pioneers. mtvU organizes campus events to better understand their target audience, appearing on various campuses more than 500 times a year. These campus events feature exclusives contests, giveaways, concerts such as The Campus Invasion Tour and Tailgate Tour, and often casting calls.

          In recent years mtvU has branched out further into the college realm. On August 2, 2006, mtvU organized College Media Network, the largest network of online college newspapers in the United States. Currently it serves more than 500 campus newspapers, with an enrollment of nearly 6 million students. The following year, in February of 2007,  mtvU acquired ratemyprofessor.com, a free online service where students can, as the name suggests, rate their college professors. The service is frequently used when students are planning their schedules as a way to see which professors are most popular among students. The site has nearly 7 million ratings of over 1,000,000 college professors. According to Viacom, “taken together, mtvU’s online properties are the second most trafficked set of general interest college-focused websites, reaching an average of 5-7 million unique visitors each month” (http://www.viacom.com/ourbrands/medianetworks/mtvnetworks/Pages/mtvu.aspx). After criticism arose that students can not get the network at their homes, when they are not at college, a new plan is in the works. Just last month, on February 2, 2008, MTV Networks discontinued VH1 Uno, a Spanish music video network, that had very low ratings, and replaced the channel with mtvU, to expand the network’s distribution further into regular cable homes(http://www.money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NYTU12729012008-1.htm). mtvU’s expansion is an on-going process, but students are pleased that they will soon be able to get the channel in their homes.

          It is truly amazing and inspiring how fast mtvU grew in such a short period of time. While starting out as a television network, the brand has now become popular in the online world. mtvU is ground-breaking, by allowing students to showcase their talents and really be an active participant in the network. The channel continually pushes students to be active in their college music scene and social activism. Recently mtvU Grants, pledged to give student activists up to $1,000 every week of the school year, to support social initiatives (http://www.mtvu.com/about). We will see more networks like this, that are more interactive and support the “peer-to-peer” model of obtaining information, whether it be current events or music videos. 

 Assigment D

            About a month ago, I read an article about this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and some of the movies that were must-sees. I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the film, “U23D”. Created from concert footage of the band in South America while on their Vertigo tour, “U23D” is the first live action 3D film!  The film uses new cutting edge technology that puts the viewer right in the middle of a U2 concert. Capturing the relationship of the band with each other and with their fans was the main idea behind the cinematic masterpiece. Innovative 3D images and 5.1 Surround Sound, help creative the authentic visually stunning film. According to the film’s website (http://u23dmovie.com), “the first digital 3D, multi-camera, real-time production film was brought to life by 3ality Digital, who shot over 100 hours of footage, with the largest collection of 3D camera technology ever used on a single project.” Cameras were designed purely for this movie, one of the main reasons U2 was interested in the project. To be a part of the evolution of cinema, something that has never been done before appealed to the band who has seemingly done everything. In many ways, “U23D” is a form of transmedia storytelling, to a band that has become more of a franchise. U2 have countless albums, concert tours that sell out in minutes, an official fan club, t-shirts, and even an iPod! Now they are the first musical act in history to have a 3D movie.           

            A few weeks ago, I saw the film in IMAX, with a friend and we were blown away by how incredible it was. We both had seen 3D movies before but the concept of a concert in a 3D film, was a very unique experience. It is also an interactive experience because viewers can’t help but tap their feet to the beat, bop their heads, and mouth the lyrics. In everyway possible, “U23D” is a progression of film. At past 3D movies, I have left with a headache or sensitive strained eyes, but this film tackles that complaint according to Bono, by “aligning the ‘eye position’ of a camera in real time with hi-res 3D systems that include zoom lenses, robotic control, and integrated digital processing”, leaving viewers feeling comfortable. The power of the music, the closeness you feel to the band, and the incredible cinematography creates a truly new media experience. I had to keep reminding myself that I was not at a concert, but in fact in a movie theater. The energy is so infectious,  it is almost unbearable to stick to movie theater norms and not stand up and dance in the aisles. 

            As a longtime fan of U2, I have unfortunately never been lucky enough to see them live. Yet, through viewing  “U23D”, I have a strong sense of the passion and energy of the band, the incredible show they put on, and the joy and admiration of the fans. I expect more filmmakers will incorporate this concept into their work, as the film opened to rave reviews and so many people are enthralled with this new technology. Variety called the film, “authentically powerful”, while The Toronto Star predicted, “this is the future of concert films”. I could not agree more!

Assignment E            

             One way in which interactive elements were featured in LOST was during the first new episode of the current season. The episode was followed by new show called Eli Stone. In an attempt to have strong premiere ratings for Eli Stone, viewers of LOST were told to tune into the program for a very special commercial from Oceanic Airlines, which is the fictional airline for Oceanic 815, the LOST plane that crashed. The commercial, disguised as a promotion for Oceanic Golden Compass, was really a way to promote a virtual reality LOST game. The commercial featuring a flight attendant, is interrupted when Sam Thomas, a man searching for his wife who was on Flight 815, exclaims “You can’t trust these people. We found Flight 815.” While Sam is talking, the website http://flyoceanicair.com  flashes on the screen. When you access that link you see a longer version of the commercial and then you are directed to http://www.find815.com where you can access the interactive game. Not only does this game provide LOST viewers with a direct connection to the show, when you reach the end of the game, fans also gain secrets to upcoming episodes. Below is the Oceanic Airlines commercial…              

           A truly incredible aspect of LOST is how engaged people are with the program. Many fans, often nicknamed “Losties” or “Lostaways” analyze every moment of the show. Many fan sites highlight images and videos in slow motion to help loyal fans identify hidden meanings and characters. Recently, viewers were introduced to four new characters that landed a helicopter on the island in what was thought to be a rescue attempt. In true LOST fashion, these mysterious strangers are really out for revenge. In a flashback, Frank, the pilot of the helicopter, is seen watching coverage of the Oceanic 815 recovery. Across the bottom of the screen, is a telephone number to call to get information about the recovery efforts. While this detail seems so minute, LOST fans know that every aspect of the show is there for a reason. A friend of mine immediately called the number and we were not surprised when it worked! When you call 1-888-548-0034, you get a recording saying you have reached the Oceanic 815 hotline. A woman goes on to say that there is no further information about crash 815 and to contact your accident coordinator if you have specific questions. Not only does having a working phone number show how LOST producers and writers appreciate the fans, it also helps fans to feel connected to the show. In their minds, they are calling a phone number that characters on the television show are calling. They are living this “imaginary plane crash”; LOST is their show!                                    

            Each of these interactive aspects, along with an official magazine, books, blogs, (my favorite is thelostdiary.com), and even a video/computer game called LOST: Via Domus, to be released later this month, have extended the franchise of LOST. What started out as a television show quickly became a phenomenon spread across multiple media channels. Every aspect of LOST is well thought-out and crucial that viewers cannot help but embrace the mystery and suspense of the series. Though frustrated and confused on a weekly basis, LOST fans trust that the writers will continue to engage us, and perhaps provide us with some of the answers that we have been patiently waiting for. Assignment 3 

            “Warning Sign” by Coldplay? No! “About A Girl” by Nirvana? No! “Karma Police” by Radiohead. Yes, that is what I’m in the mood for, and with a click of a button I can instantly hear that song or any of my 3,825 songs that make up my brand new iPod. The little gadget that holds more than 5,000 songs; the quintessential invention that every music fan must have, or for that matter, any human. After 2 ½ years and about 3,000 songs, my first iPod “ran out of life”, and as any iPod owner knows, that means it is time to visit the Apple store! One long visit later, where the salesperson tempted me with colorful iPod shuffles, iPod nanos that you could watch movies on, iPod classics, iPod touch,  and (PRODUCT) RED iPods, I decided to get the U2 iPod. U2 are one of my favorite bands and knew I would still love them for another 2-3 years when this iPod dies. The salesperson gushed about how you could watch TV shows and view thousands of photos with my new iPod, two functions I knew I would never use. I have a television and a digital camera for those activities! The aesthetics of this iPod tempted me, with a chic black and red design, complete with the band’s signatures engraved in silver on the back of the product. Yes, I admit it, I fell into the trap of Apple consumerism, but am perfectly content with admitting that I love my U2 iPod! I love how easy it is to organize and play my music, but I do miss the physicality of putting a CD into a player and more importantly, the feelings and emotions that went along with making a mix tape.

         After reading  Love Is A Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield, I cannot help but feel nostalgia over the loss of the mix tape. Sure iPods are incredibly compact, convenient, and have that great shuffle option, but I still yearn for the feelings that went into making and  listening to a real mix tape. The concept was on its way out when I was growing up, but I remember passing along mix cassettes filled with bands like Garbage and Smashing Pumpkins in middle school. This was “Word of Mouth” music sharing, before Myspace attacked you daily with friend requests insisting you check out some new band. Rob Sheffield’s book is incredible and approaches the topic with such raw emotion. He engages the reader by documenting his life through mix tapes that he made and was given. Sheffield describes the emotions that go into making a tape and then finding those tapes years later,

I’m always racing to catch up on my next favorite song. But I never stop playing my mixes. Every fan makes them. The times you lived through, the people you shared those times with – nothing brings it all to life like an old mix tape. It does a better job storing up memories than actual brain tissue can do. Every mix tape tells a story. Put them together, and they add up to the story of a life (Sheffield 26).

 This quote captures the essence of the mix tape. A mix tape is a compilation of songs, usually in a specific order, that transport us back into those moments of our life. The party mix tape, the road trip mix tape, the Christmas mix tape, the first tape you gave to your high school girlfriend/college girlfriend/wife – these tapes become memorable because they bring us back to those defining moments that shaped us. Now mix tapes are becoming obsolete, first being replaced by mix CDs and now iPod playlists that can hold more songs and require much less time (and emotions) to prepare.

            As with any new invention, there are positives and negatives to iPods. They have virtually destroyed business in underground music stores and even major chain stores, with people instead downloading music legally through Itunes, or illegally through several websites including Napster and Limewire. Their short-life span and  durability (I constantly worry about the screen getting scratches or fingerprints) are constantly criticized, yet on January 22, 2008, Apple reported the best quarter revenue and earnings in Apple’s history. They earned a record revenue of $9.6 billion and a record net quarterly profit of $1.58 billion (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/01/22results.html). A key aspect of there success is marketing. Interestingly, U2 were featured in an iPod commercial, that coincided with the release of their album “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb” and their special edition iPod which got its unique color scheme from the album. The hip iPod commercials that appeal mainly to teenagers and people in their 20’s, feature songs from often unknown indie bands and often bright and vibrant colors. They emphasize people having fun, who dance around while listening to their iPods. These commercials have also been known to help jumpstart careers.  Feist, a Canadian singer-songwriter, whose song “1234” was featured in an iPod nano commercial became an overnight star after her commercial.  Her song achieved 73,000 total downloads and ranked No.28 on the Billboard Hot 100, following her commercial. Time Magazine also ranked “1234” as the No.2 “Best Song of 2007” (http://music.aol.ca/article/feist-1234-ipod/167/). With marketing success like this, iPods will definitely be around for a long time,  yet always evolving. Who knows what Apple will think of next…

Below are the U2 and Feist iPod commercials for your viewing pleasure… 

 Assignment B

The first noteworthy aspect of People.com’s website is the layout and design. The use of bright colors is appealing and tends to lead your eye across each page. There are many sub-sites including: News, Photos, Style, Red Carpet, Video, Celebs, and Magazine. These sub-sites are very visible as their headings are white font on a black background. Each sub-site has a very similar layout to the homepage. The background of the whole site is white, with black font, which is very clear and simplistic. Aesthetically, although a lot of information is presented, the layout allows the website to not be too overwhelming and busy. While it is very organized,  the search option on the homepage is very useful if you are looking for specific information. Today’s top ten stories are boxed towards the left of the homepage, while on the lower left side there are small pictures and headlines of the “Top Five Most Read Stories This Week”. This section stands out because of the yellow background and bright pink headline.

There is a subscription button towards the bottom of the homepage and to the right of that, there is a link to People En Espanõl’s website. There is one advertisement on the very top of the homepage for “The Bourne Ultimatum” DVD and this same advertisement is also on the right side of the homepage. While the topic of the advertisement changes as you click on to different sections of People’s website, the placement of the advertisement stays the same. There are also several sponsored links towards the bottom of the page.  I actually never noticed the sponsored links because their small font allows them to be almost hidden amongst the news.

After looking at the layout of the website, I immediately looked at the three main stories under the heading “The News Now”. All three stories involve the tragic and untimely death of Heath Ledger. While it is not surprising that People is covering his death, it is interesting to note what each article is about and whether they are such newsworthy topics: “Mary-Kate Calls Heath’s Death ‘Tragic’ “, “Ledger’s Rep: No Plans For A Public Service”, and “Heath Ledger’s Family Pours Out Grief”. These stories, like most of the stories on People’s site, appeal to those interested in entertainment/celebrity news. With such a personal tragedy like this one, it is difficult to see these articles considered breaking news, as it is not the public’s business to know where his service will be or how his family is grieving. I find myself constantly conflicted when I come across articles like this,  because while I do not support the ways in which this information is obtained, it is hard not to be curious when we are saturated with stories like this in the media. Not only is Heath Ledger’s death constantly reported on People.com, but it is in nearly every newspaper across the United States, on CNN, and all over the blogs. It becomes impossible then not to care about this kind of news, because we are surrounded by it.

Another important aspect of People.com is the multitude of pictures. In the center of the homepage, there is a photo gallery called “Star Tracks”, which features sixteen pictures of the day. Britney Spears is the first photo visible on the homepage  while Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham, and Hayden Panettiere are also included in the gallery. Interestingly, the majority of these celebrities are considered “Young Hollywood” and appeal more towards teenagers and women in their 20’s, who also make up the core audience of the site. While more older women and men may tend to read the magazine, People’s website caters more towards younger women. In fact, in my last co-op, where I worked in public relations, 4 out of 5 of my fellow colleagues admitted to visiting the website several times a week. Worth noting, their ages ranged from 22-31 years old, the core age of the website audience.

The theme of People.com’s website is celebrity gossip, which is partially a shame, because the magazine is more than just that. While I do agree, the magazine has changed in order to compete with other celebrity weeklies, it is interesting to see just how different it is from its website. An exciting feature of People  is its emphasis on not just celebrities, but average human beings that balance jobs and families. Inspiring  stories after tragedies such as 9/11 have still stayed with me to this day. In fact, several weeks after the initial tragedy, I was comforted by the images and stories featured in a special issue of People, that focused on themes of hope, healing, and overcoming. Whether they report on incredible weight loss, dealing with and overcoming rare disorders, or the everyday heroes among us, there truly are some inspirational articles in the magazine. Yet, it is hard to recall when I have visited People.com and there was an average everyday person, as breaking news. In fact, the one instance I can remember was the day of the Virginia Tech tragedy. The news of the day was about the horrific campus shooting, but I am willing to bet that Britney Spears’ picture was nearby! It can also be argued that a reasonable person would know not to visit People’s website if they were looking for a more rational view on a current events story. People.com has become a more popular media source as it continues to focus on celebrity culture. Its website is visually pleasing with bright colors, videos, and lots of photographs. While one would think this was distracting,  the site is very organized and easy to use.  I just wish they would not shy away from also focusing on the non-celebrity aspects that have kept me reading their magazine for so many years.

Short Online Review Essay: A

• I always wanted to have a blog. ALWAYS. Just never thought I’d be all that good at updating, so I am glad that my first assignment in New Media Culture was to get a blog. In general I like to write, but that writing tends to be for school or sporadically I’ll update a probably 5 year old journal that has about 20 entries in total. So this is going to be my new project.

• I chose to name my blog “While I’m Still Young” after a beautiful song written by Azure Ray. You should listen to it…it’s breathtaking. It just seem to fit this project and this time in my life. In fact I think I am going to title each entry after that “song of the moment” because music is such a huge part of my life. Such a cliche statement, but it’s true. The power of a good song is truly a magical thing and “While I’m Still Young” is one of those songs. “First Day Of My Life”, by Bright Eyes is another song that just hits you. Seemed perfect for the first entry.

• Lastly and slightly off topic, I want to say how excited I am to be back in Boston. I’ve been in NYC for the past six months, on co-op, but being back here and around all my friends is just completing my life. I think sometimes we don’t realize the importance of seeing the faces of people we love everyday and when you go six months without them, it’s unreal and unfair. So I am really really really happy for this sweet reunion.