Blog Project 2

People may see Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man as a superhero movie. What they may not see is that it is also a story about relationships. The relationships among the different characters in its story make it stand out from other superhero films and also make it very entertaining to watch.

The movie continues the story of Scott Lang, Hank Pym, and Hope Van Dyne. Scott Lang is under house arrest and the Pyms are being hunted as criminals. Scott finds out that Hank and Hope are building some sort of machine to rescue Janet Van Dyne and offers to help. Their quest becomes complicated when Ghost appears and also wants to use the machine to cure herself of her condition. It is up to Scott, Hank and Hope to defeat Ghost, avoid the police and bring Janet back.

The trivia of the movie is just as interesting as the movie itself. The study shows that the film is barely a box-office success. It earned $75.8 million in the during its first-weekend run. As of now, it has earned $195.6 million in the United States. This means that it is not Marvel Studios most successful film even if it made them some money.

In general, the film is both similar and different to other Marvel Studios movies. It is similar in the sense that if shows superheroes using fantastic powers, fighting villains and helping people. It also continues a storyline set in the original movie. Marvel Studios is fond of using long-running storylines (such as in the different Avengers movies) and this film is no different from others.

However, Ant-Man is still different from other films because it shows that the villain does not have to be killed or arrested to be defeated. Other movies such as the original Ant-Man film show the hero clearly defeating the villain in the usual way. This is not the case with the sequel.

Relationships are very important in this movie. They serve as the key that helps the heroes defeat the main villain. In fact, it is the characters’ relationships with each other that help them win.

This point on relationships is what makes Ant-Man important as a work of art and culture. It reflects a growing trend in the world that pushes people to work together and see the similarities between them, not the differences. The fact that the characters cooperate with the main villain at some point shows that people can put their differences aside and work as a team. This sends a strong message and moral lesson to its target audience: families. It is no surprise that the main heroes in the film are a family, too.

Overall, the movie offers a good, entertaining show. The film shines when it shows how relationships between people affect others for good or for evil. It does this in funny ways. For example, the actors crack jokes during tense situations. They do this when they help each other out, especially during the battle scenes.  It may not be Marvel Studios’ best or deepest film yet it is still fun to watch.

However, the movie is not perfect. Ant-Man is basically more of the same. It offers a lot of the same “feel-good” vibes that are found in the original movie. It is also a shame that audiences do not get to see Bill Foster’s character in costume. The mid-credits scene can also be rather depressing.

In general, critics such as Simon Abrams share my view on the film. They gave it a generally positive review. However, they also noted that it is “good enough but not the best”.

As for me, I engaged with the movie because I am a big fan of superhero films. When news of this movie came out, I watched all the trailers on YouTube and waited for it to come out in theaters.

In summary, Ant-Man is a film for families and a film about families. It is not the best film that Marvel Studios has come up with yet it is still entertaining to watch. At the very least, watching the film taught me that being part of a family means more than just sharing the same blood. It also means being willing to help others even as they help you in return. 

Week 6 Topic 2

Trump’s use of the term “fake news” to describe either story he does not like or news organizations that have aggressively reported on him, seems to be nothing more than politics. To me, the history of politics in America is the history of trying to portray his/her opponent in the most negative light possible in order to persuade voters that you, rather than he/she are the best person for the office. The only difference is that rather than criticizing an individual, Trump is criticizing an entire industry. The effect is the same, however. Indeed, just like a negative and might turn the community against a campaign’s nomination, it can and has turned some sectors of the nation against the news media. This is a risky tactic for Trump. While it might work in terms of solidifying Trump’s supporter among his constituency, it may also have some serious side-effects for the future of the country. 
One of those effects has been expressed in the increasingly violent and aggressive criticism against reporters and journalist. While it is common for governments and government officials in America to dislike the press, this is not so for the average citizen. That is, since the earliest years of the nation the press has been trusted to get the facts out. However, if everyone considers the news to be fact, the possibility that it will be able to inform the public on important events of the day would be limited or otherwise eliminate. As a result, people will necessarily need to listen to family or friends to understand the news, even if those portrayals are not never accurate. One of the best illustrations of this is Trump’s denial of climate change. While scientists across the world have testified to its existence; Trump’s denial has left an increase in individuals and organizations feeling there is no longer a need to take precautions on protecting the environment.

Week 6 Topic 1

I have a craving for information, and actively read the news on a daily basis, if and when I can. So on a scale of 1 to 5, I would give myself a 4.5 as being well informed of current events across a spectrum of new topics. In fact, the homepage on my browser is a list of links which I have organized according to my interests. The three categories that I go to most are: “News”, “Sports News”, and “Tech News.” Indeed, I know that: Trump claimed any meeting that is son had with Russians operatives was legal, Trump called LeBron James stupid on Twitter, and the response to that tweet has been mostly in support of James, and the latest Mission Impossible movie is perhaps the most popular and profitable film of the franchise.

So, while it is indeed true that I do not subscribe to a print edition of a newspaper, I do follow my favorite newspapers via their online editions.  The source of local news is through my friends and colleagues, their posts on Instagram. What I have found, is for breaking news, social media is a much better source than reading the online edition. This is likely because social media can be updated constantly and continually in real time so it able to provide the most recent news quickly. However, it is often not very specific. Accordingly, social media usually allows me to know about breaking news, which I follow up with the more detailed investigation provided for by the professional media.

        It is tried that most online editions have paywalls. But I refuse to pay for a subscription. This is because, first I believe that important and breaking news should not be a commodity, as it is necessary to produce an informed human. However, non-breaking news and investigative reports can be put behind a paywall, because there is some value added to those stories that make it reasonable to charge a fee to access. Secondly, because breaking news is normally covered by all news outlets, if one story is behind a “paywall” it does not take that long to find another source that offers the story for free.

Week 3 Topic2

One of the effective advertisements I have watched recently is the one by Ikea. Ike introduced its ‘Place’ app which uses augmented reality to show how IKEA furniture looks like in different homes of people. The advertisement is effective because it creates a branded experience using trending technology which can be useful to consumers. Since they would see how different furniture would look like, they would have an idea on what they should and should not buy based on their preferences. What stood out from the advertisement is that the user would actually experience and see how a furniture would appear in his home. Also, it would be a fun experience to virtually place different furniture just like playing the popular game The Sims. The persuasive techniques used in this ad are emotional branding and integrated marketing. Since users of the app are most likely the ones who are planning to move to a new house, renovate their current home, or would just redesign their units, there is an emotional appeal in the ad. Also, it provides a seamless experience to consumers as the latter get to interact with the brand’s products.

On the other hand, an example of a recent advertisement that has failed to do its purpose is the one by Dove. In one of its advertisements, although Dove did not really intend it to be a racist ad, it apparently appeared that way. In the advertisement, it shows how a black woman who removed her shirt turned into a white woman. Instead of the main purpose of the company which was diversity of real beauty, it became a racist campaign instead for many people. The persuasive technique used was stereotyping which did not work out well because the audience focused on how the black woman changed into a white woman. The company should have used women of different race but same color instead.  

Week 3 Topic 1

GoPro is one of the companies that utilizes Instagram to advertise its products. Since the company is known for the creation of versatile camera, it is able to use social media as a platform to showcase the different photos and videos which are mostly taken by the users of their brand. The user-generated images could be one of the strategies of the company to show what its cameras can do and the number of users that has been using it. Since GoPro is mainly used to take adventurous pictures and videos, the images in its Instagram page say it all. The company further encourages its product users to share their photos, so GoPro could repost it in its page. For example, one of its recent post is a picture of a group of people who are skydiving. It shows how the GoPro camera was able to capture the images of the people who are freefalling. The captured photo is so clear that it even included a shot of the rainbow. GoPro includes the name of the sharer of the photo in its caption which is also its way to thank its users.

After checking the Instagram page of GoPro, I have to say that the company is effective in promoting its brand. Also, it is able to target its market by the photos it shares. Since the main users of GoPro cameras are the adventurous people, travelers, athletes, and even families, the page shows how the camera can be used in various activities. So, GoPro effectively uses social media in targeting its market and showcasing what its products can do and offer to the people.

Since reality media is one of the trends nowadays, GoPro can further advertise its cameras to be able to capture media reality videos. The company may upload more videos using the YouTube channel to showcase good quality videos taken by its camera. This could also encourage the users to capture their moments and upload it in YouTube as well.