Dear Dolce & Gabbana - Get a new marketing coordinator!

Mood: Hungry
Currently Listening to: Sleep - The Dandy Warhols



What the hell does Dolce & Gabbana even sell? Sunglassses? Purses? Alright, fine. But who in God's name is the company's marketing and development coordinator? If publishing ads like the one above have really helped boost corporate sales, then kudos to them. My instincts tell me, however, that this advertisement in particular did not.

Let us decipher this ad, shall we? We've got your stereotypical group of 'attractive' men - all of whom have toned bodies, perfectly tanned and oiled, half naked. Hm, interesting. I'm sure all men who purchase Dolce & Gabbana products resemble these men. Honestly now, who looks like that naturally? Look at the fellow on the left, in the purple shirt. Does he not resemble that mannequin from your local Sears? Good grief, all of these men have clearly been Photoshopped to the extreme. They don't even look like real people.

And what are the men doing? Next to standing around looking pretty, they're all watching their other buddy go down on a chick in an interesting corset. Oh, he's gonna get lucky.

What messages do this advertisement send to men and women? For men, it's the not-so-subtle insinuation that the identical "hot" bodies here can get you the girl. Specifically to me, it says "Look like this, wear D&G jeans, and you'll have great sex." Thanks. I'm gonna run out and buy myself a nice, expensive pair of Dolce & Gabbana jeans so I can get laid tonight. Not.

What message does it send to women? Really, there's only one message I see here: Women are sex objects. This ad glorifies gang rape! The one guy literally is holding down the woman in her underwear, and she's looking away. The other four men stand around watching - and you know that the fellow standing directly behind the rape scene is going to have a turn.

The advertisement demeans both men and women - it looks to men as raging nymphomaniacs, and women as mere sex objects. I can't even tell you what this is advertising. I mean, other than sex.

But hey, as my friend's mom told me when I was in grade 8 - sex sells. I guess slapping a few 'desirable' men and a sexy, curvy women on a piece of glossy paper helps sell more Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses and handbags. We're living in a society where sex can sell anything - even if it demeans consumers along the way.

Buy Nothing Day? SINCE WHEN?!

Mood: Tired...but fascinated!
Currently Listening to: The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson


As the title implies, no, I did not know Buy Nothing Day existed. But as a university student dishing out $15000 [97% of which is being paid for by my parental units], I fully intend on participating in this personally new-found glorious holiday.

Buy Nothing Day sets out to create awareness regarding over consumption. Knowing my generation as well as I think I do, I would say everybody over consumes to an extent. For me, it's all about DVD's and CD's. My personal CD collection has well over 200 CD's in it. My DVD collection, around 100. Say the average price of a CD is $15, and the average price of a DVD is $20; I've wasted approximately $5000 in plastic discs. Give or take, of course. Yeah, I've over consumed my fair share of entertainment supplicants. Don't judge me.

For others, it could be clothing, or makeup, or entertainment devices. Really, one can over consume anything. The point is, though, that everybody over consumes to an extent, and it's really difficult to just say 'No!' to that new Ellen Page DVD, whose sale price is $24.99.

That's why a day like Buy Nothing Day is magical - it really forces you to recognize your spending habits, and many of the things we buy are mere luxuries. No, I didn't need that shirt from Bluenotes last week. Yes, Ani DiFranco sounds great, but do I really need her new CD? I think what Buy Nothing Day sets out to do is make the general public realize that as long as we have life's necessities, we're good to go.

I will most definitely be taking part in Buy Nothing Day. I won't buy my meals with my meal card or money; I'm making my meals, sir! I won't be going to the mall. I won't be using my Student Card for bus fare, because really, it's like paying. I'm gonna do it hardcore, baby. I accept the challenge freely, and I know I can not buy anything for one day.

I mean hey, it's not like rejecting the internet for a whole day. Plus, I love seeing positive integers in my bank account.

One Web Day

Mood: Not gonna lie, a little bit stressed.
Currently Listening to: Dancing - Elisa



How HASN'T the internet changed my life? That really should be the question being asked. I know that I simply cannot function in my day without checking my e-mail(s)and Facebook at least once. It's pathetic, and I'm fully aware of it. That's one of the reasons why I loathe going on family vacations - I can't check my e-mail. And I refuse to spend $5 to check my e-mail on a shitty little hotel computer that's Wireless internet is slower than my 82 year old grandmother - and she's had both her knees replaced. (Please note: my grandmother, Margaret, is actually the most lively and 'hip' 82 year old woman I've ever met. I'm just using the phrase figuratively. She watches Da Ali G Show. I'm not kidding.)

Take, for example, my experiences in Costa Rica. I traveled to Costa Rica this past March with about 30 students from my school. It was a cultural experience, filled with palm trees, plantain, beans and rice, exotic animals - you name it. We also stayed at about 5 different hotels, each of which had internet access. You'd better believe that there was a line up every night to use one of the two computers - after you paid your 5000 colones for 10 minutes worth of internet time. (5000 colones=$10) Yeah, I probably spent about $50 checking my email. But was it worth it? Hell yes! I was kept up to date with my friends back at home, accepted a paying peformance job for a wedding and saved myself from going through 70 emails when I returned after one week of vacation!

But that's disgusting. The internet has become the #1 source for communication today. Yes, I could have picked up the telephone and call home. Yes, I could have waited a week to see what my Facebook wall looked like. But in a North American world where we're accustomed to having the internet so readily available, it's become a norm. That's all there is to it. Because it's so convenient, it has become such a large instrument in communication.

Don't get me wrong when I use words like 'disgusting'; information and communication technology, such as the internet, are incredible. They are ridiculously significant in the 21st century. Like I said, the internet is a norm. Everyone uses it. In most cases, it's a very reliable source for accessing information regarding anything, literally. Going to the library and using books for sources on essays is a prehistoric concepts. You tell a 14 year old in grade 9 to go to the library to do research. They'll look at you like you have facial herpes. They're so accustomed to using the internet for research and the like, that taking information from an actual book is unheard of.

The internet is such a valuable tool for communication, as well. MSN, Facebook, Skype and other countless communication devices make it so much easier (and cheaper!) to communicate with friends and family. I've talked to my parents and friends on a 'Video Call' very frequently this year instead of picking up the phone. Hey, it's cheaper than calling. And because it's cheaper and readily available, it's much more convenient to use.

I find it funny that there was day devoted to creating awareness about the Internet. Who doesn't know that there's such a thing as the Internet? I mean really, c'mon. Seriously? One would hope that it was regarding issues that the Internet causes - identity theft, viral invasion, those types of things. It's just really fascinating to me that the Internet has changed the world as we know it, and continues to do so every day, with new updates and more innovative add-ons. I question whether or not in another 18 years if technological Internet developments will change our world further. At the rate we're going at, I'd say we're going to live in a completely different world when I'm 36. Good grief.

The American Presidential Election

Mood: I feel Fresh.
Currently listening to: As Is - Ani DiFranco

As a freshly turned 18 year old, my attention to politics and the upcoming American Presidential/ Canadian election has not been extremely in tune. I mean, politics generally isn’t something discussed around the cafeteria table in high school with your friends, who would much rather be discussing the latest Miley Cyrus scandal or what happened at Dylan's party over the weekend.

I guess one of the biggest reasons I'm not involved with the upcoming elections are because of my family life. I mean, my parents vote. They always have, and they always have encouraged me and my siblings to vote when we were of age. Both of my parents, however, view voting as a very private matter. I remember being 11 or 12, asking my father who he was going to vote for – the “red’s” or the “blue’s”. My father, being as dramatic as ever, looked at me with an exaggerated expression of shock and awe. “Marc,” he said, “you never ask someone who they’re going to vote for. It’s a personal decision and it doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks about your choice.”

I laughed, and re-asked my question. He said again, but more serious this time, it was his only his business who he voted for, and I’d know what he was talking about when I was older. Right.

That said, politics were never really a topic of discussion in my household. If my siblings or I ever had questions regarding politics, my parents would answer them, no problem at all. Occasionally at family dinner parties, I would tune into a political discussion, but nothing that was talked about ever really meant anything to me, because I didn’t directly know what my relatives were talking about. I knew who the ‘big’ leaders of our country were, and I was generally up-to-date if there were any new ‘big’ laws being implemented in Canada. (No, I didn’t go to school on Family Day.) As far I was concerned, that was all that I needed to know about.

About one month ago, I was hanging out with a group of friends. Barack Obama’s smile flashed across the television screen, and my friend Riley asked us how we felt about Obama; if we felt he was qualified for President, etcetera. I replied, saying “I don’t really care about who gets President. It’s the American election, not the Canadian one.” I guess I was being an ignorant prick; Riley was pissed. She fired back, replying “Well, you should show some interest. This is a big deal. Whoever gets this position will affect our nation for a while. You should care about what happens to you and your country.”

Riley put me in my place. It was her words that forced me to realize that the American election really will affect me and my country. Since then, I’ve taken an interest in the Presidential election. I’m trying my best to keep up to date on what each party is saying. I find Sarah Palin very interesting – and amusing, to say the least.

That's what else I find interesting. The American election is being covered by almost every form of media imaginable; there's always something in the news about the candidates, the newspaper keeps us up to date with the latest happenings - and even entertainment mediums like Saturday Night Live or gossip blogs like Perez Hilton keep us the youth of my generation interested in what's going on. (If you haven't already, check out the incredible SNL skit mocking Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric. Freaking hilarious.)

Other peers have complained that the election is one big tabloid - and they're right, it totally is. But really, is that a bad thing? Taking the political information being provided by Americas leaders and churning it into something youth like me can understand only generates more interest and involvement with the election. Having as many people as possible in the know and up to date about what is current is not a bad thing - even if deteriorating individual's images helps us to understand their views and opinions is unmoral.

Looking at the Canadian election, now. I'm trying my best to kept up to date with what's happening. But it's just not as entertaining. That sounds bad; I don't need to be entertained to be interested. But still, when there's another election going on that's a lot more interesting (and by that I mean entertaining), I'm clearly going to follow that one. Call me a bad Canadian citizen, I'm sorry.

I guess that's why I won't be voting this year. I really want to; I think it would be a great experience and it would get me involved as a citizen of Canada. The problem is, though, I really don’t know enough about each party to make a decision; to know that I’ve chosen the best party to represent my country is something I feel is very important. I’m not at that stage yet. As the years pass, however, I want to learn more and be informed about the political parties in our country, and take a political side and official position. When I’m ready, I will vote. I don’t want to vote just for the sake of voting.

To end, I'm totally posting the link to a) the original Sarah Palin interview, and b) the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler mock interview from SNL. Watch them, laugh a lot. It's totally worth 11 minutes of your day. Trust.

a) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP12aNzocSc
b) http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/couric-palin-open/704042/

Enjoy!

The Ecology of Media; iPods

Mood: Mellow
Currently Listening to: Elephants - Rachael Yamagata


Who doesn't have an iPod these days? For starters, I don't. That said, I do have an MP3 player, courtesy of Samsung. (Note that I use the term 'courtesy' loosely. They didn't actually give it to me for free.) It still does all the same things an iPod does; it plays music, hold photos and videos, games. It's 2 gigs; it holds my favorites and then some.

But it's not an iPod. So I guess you could classify me in that group of about 27 people in North America who don't actually have an iPod. I mean, my buddy Rob - who is perhaps the least tech savvy person ever - has an iPod. He doesn't even know how to upload music onto it. Would I like one? Yes. Do I need one? No. But I feel almost peer pressured by society and media to get rid of my YP-K5 and pick up a Green iPod at my local Future Shop.

The purpose of the iPod? Entertainment, easily. But today, I feel as though it goes beyond much more than that. For some it is an instrument required for function. Think about it - how often can one use their iPod? An alarm in the morning; you can plug it into the car stereo on the way to work, and you've got your personal radio station - with no commercials. Turn it on on your lunch break in Tim Hortons. Attach it to an arm band for your after work jog. The possibilities and opportunities are endless.

I've often heard peers on long bus rides up north say 'Oh no! My battery is dying! My life sucks, what am I going to DO for the next 2 hours?!', as if perhaps socializing with the person sitting next to you or looking out the window at your Northern surroundings is an inconceivable idea. For today's generation, the iPod functions as a tool for survival from boredom.

The cultural impact the iPod has had over the last few years is wild. Apple keeps trying to outdo themselves with re-inventions of the same product! I dare you to count off the top of your head how many versions of iPods there have been since the very beginning of the iPod revolution to today. Two hands won't suffice, that's for sure. The novelty of the whole MP3 player thing is gone; it is now a norm in the North American culture to have an iPod. Remember CDs? That is a dying industry because of digital music, iTunes and what not.

No, I'm not going to buy an iPod anytime soon. I'd like to think I fit in with the rest of society in other aspects, like eating at McDonalds or listening to Britney Spears.* I'm satisfied with my Samsung YP-K5 player. After all, it has a built-in speaker. Take that, Apple!


*I'm fully aware that the majority of society attempts to avoid things like McDonalds and Britney Spears. But sometimes, indulging in a guilty pleasure isn't necessarily a bad thing.